Close to 60 years since they were committed to tape, the earliest known live recordings of Sly & The Family Stone will be released this year. Dubbed 'The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967,' the collection of unearthed live cuts will be issued on July 18 via High Moon Records.

Recorded on March 26, 1967, the live set captures the influential group performing as part of their four-month residency at the Winchester Cathedral club in Redwood City, California. The recordings were made by their first manager, Rich Romanello. These tapes were soon shelved but were later rediscovered in 2002 by Dutch twins and band archivists Edwin and Arno Konings.

Producer Alex Palao highlighted the significance of these recordings, stating, "The Winchester Cathedral recordings showcase a one-of-a-kind outfit that was already at the peak of its powers, long before it became internationally famous. Sly is fully in command, while the unique arrangements and tighter-than-tight ensemble playing point clearly to the road ahead, and the enduring influence of Sly & The Family Stone’s music."

The album will be available in digital, vinyl, and CD editions. Physical copies will be issued with a booklet featuring never-before-seen photos, interviews with Sly Stone and original band members, and liner notes from producer Alex Palao. The CD edition will also feature their cover of Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness” as an exclusive bonus track. Alongside the announcement of the package, a preview of the record has been released by way of the track, “I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor)/Funky Broadway.”

Despite being recorded in March 1967, the live set features no tracks that would appear on their debut album, 'A Whole New Thing,' when it arrived in October of that year. The recordings largely comprise cover songs. Only the opening track, “I Ain’t Got Nobody (For Real),” would subsequently be issued on one of the band’s albums, appearing on 'Dance to the Music' in 1968.

Sly & The Family Stone would release a total of ten albums across their 19-year career, with the band coming to an end in 1983. They were later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Sly Stone himself would release a solo album in 1975, with his most recent full-length release being 2011’s 'I’m Back! Family & Friends.'

Further exploring the legacy of the musical mastermind, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson directed the film 'Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)' earlier this year. The film provides a deeper look into the life and legacy of Sly Stone.

Questlove commented on his intentions with the film: “I wanted to investigate and interrogate the idea of Black genius. How is it different from the idea of genius in general? What is the effect of being saddled with that label? How much promise is built into it, how much fear and how much unreasonable expectation?” He added, “Sly wanted to take you higher — I hope that this film also takes you deeper.”