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Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back

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Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 18, 1976 (1976-12-18)
Recorded1976
GenreFunk
Length33:30
LabelEpic
ProducerSly Stone
Sly and the Family Stone chronology
Small Talk
(1974)
Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back
(1976)
Back on the Right Track
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[2]

Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back is the eighth studio album by American funk/soul/rock band Sly and the Family Stone, released by Epic/CBS Records in 1976. This album is an effort to return the idea of the "Family Stone" band to singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone's work, after his previous album, High on You, was released without the Family Stone name. It also reflects the beginnings of change in the concept of "Sly and the Family Stone". The original Family Stone had broken up in 1975, and a new Family Stone was assembled for this album: the only holdover is stalwart Family Stone trumpet player Cynthia Robinson. Vet Stone and Elva Mouton, both formerly members of Family Stone backing band Little Sister, are credited as providing "additional background vocals", and John Colla (aka Johnny Colla) is credited as providing "alto and soprano saxes, vocals". Colla would go on to become a founding member and integral part of "Huey Lewis and The News", both producing and penning such hits as "Heart of Rock & Roll", "Power of Love", and "If This Is It".

Background

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Formerly a tangible self-contained band, the Family Stone broke up in January 1975 after a disastrous booking at the Radio City Music Hall. Subsequent to his 1975 solo album, Stone returned to using the name of his former band, although they were largely solo recordings.

From this point on, each "Sly & the Family Stone" album would essentially be a Sly Stone solo recording, with contributions from a varying group of collaborators. Sometimes, members of the original Family Stone would participate in the sessions, and sometimes session players and new members would work with Stone as well. For the most part, however, Stone performed a large part of the instrumentation for each song on his own using multitracking (as he had been doing for Family Stone LPs since There's a Riot Goin' On in 1971). This album, like the others, includes a combination of all three types of recordings.

Only one single was released from this LP, "Family Again" b/w "Nothing Less than Happiness", which failed to chart. Epic released Sly from his recording contract in 1977, and released a remix album Ten Years Too Soon, in 1979. Ten Years Too Soon took several Sly & the Family Stone hits (among them "Dance to the Music", "Stand!", and "Everyday People") and had them reimagined as disco songs.

Track listing

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All songs credit Sly Stone as songwriter and producer.

Side A

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  1. "Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back" - 3:55
  2. "What Was I Thinkin' in My Head" - 3:58
  3. "Nothing Less Than Happiness" - 2:57
  4. "Sexy Situation" - 2:55
  5. "Blessing in Disguise" - 3:48

Side B

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  1. "Everything in You" - 3:14
  2. "Mother Is a Hippie" - 3:01
  3. "Let's Be Together" - 3:36
  4. "The Thing" - 3:20
  5. "Family Again" - 2:46

Personnel

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Sly & the Family Stone

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  • Sly Stone - vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, various instruments
  • Cynthia Robinson - trumpet, vocals
  • Joe Baker - guitar, vocals
  • Dwight Hogan - bass, vocals
  • John Colla (aka Johnny Colla) - alto and soprano saxophone, vocals
  • Steve Schuster - tenor saxophone, flute
  • John Farey - keyboards, percussion
  • Virginia Ayers - vocals, percussion
  • Anthony Warren - drums
  • Lady Bianca - lead and background vocals, clavinet
  • Vicki Blackwell - violin

Assisting musicians

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  • Ed Bogas and Sly Stone - string arrangements
  • Armando Peraza - timbales, congas
  • Peter Frampton - guitar on "Let's Be Together"
  • Sister Vet and Cousin Tiny - vocals
  • Karat Faye - engineer

Tour

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Date[3] City Country Venue
3 November 1976 San Antonio United States San Antonio Convention Center
5 November 1976 Dallas Convention Center
6 November 1976 Norman University Of Oklahoma
7 November 1976 Tulsa Assemble Center
10 November 1976 Shreveport Hirsch Coliseum
12 November 1976 Nashville Civic Auditorium
14 November 1976 Baltimore Civic Auditorium
18 November 1976 Pittsburgh Civic Arena
19 November 1976 Roanoke Civic Auditorium
20 November 1976 Charlotte Charlotte Coliseum
21 November 1976 Greensboro Coliseum
24 November 1976 Birmingham Coliseum
25 November 1976 Montgomery Civic Auditorium
26 November 1976 Macon Coliseum
27 November 1976 Columbus Entertainment Centre
28 November 1976 Mobile Coliseum
1 December 1976 St. Petersburg Bay Front Centre
3 December 1976 Jacksonville Jacksonville Coliseum
4 December 1976 Hollywood Hollywood Sportatorium
5 December 1976 Lakeland Civic Auditorium
7 December 1976 Savannah Civic Auditorium
9 December 1976 Fayetteville Memorial Auditorium
10 December 1976 Hampton Hampton Roades Coliseum
11 December 1976 Columbia Carolina Coliseum
12 December 1976 Charleston Civic Auditoruim
17 December 1976 New York City Madison Square Garden
26 December 1976 Largo Community Center
27 December 1976 Philadelphia The Spectrum
30 December 1976 Atlanta The Omni
31 December 1976
1 January 1977 Huntsville Van Braun Coliseum

References

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  1. ^ Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back at AllMusic
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 9, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ "SEARCH: Cash Box Magazine, Click on 20 November 1976". www.americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2019-01-20.