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Celebrity System

Sly Stone


Sly Stone, a pioneering musician and producer, revolutionized the music industry with his unique blend of funk, soul, and rock. Born Sylvester Stewart in 1943, Stone’s career took off in the 1960s with his band, Sly and the Family Stone. Their infectious rhythms, catchy melodies, and socially conscious lyrics made them one of the most influential groups of the era.

Sly Stone
Sly Stone

Stone’s music transcended genres, appealing to a diverse audience. Hits like “Dance to the Music,” “Family Affair,” and “Everyday People” became anthems of a generation. His innovative approach to music production and his ability to seamlessly blend different styles solidified his status as a musical icon. While his career faced challenges later in life, Stone’s legacy as the godfather of funk remains undeniable.

Sly and the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone (Sly Stone is second from the left)

Here’s a photo of Sly Stone, likely taken around 1973, at his home in Bel Air, California. He is sitting on a bed next to his home Hi-Fi system, which includes a TEAC A-3340 open reel tape recorder and a Tandberg TCD-300 cassette deck.

Sly Stone with his home Hi-Fi system around 1973
Sly Stone with his home Hi-Fi system around 1973

Sly Stone’s System

The TEAC A-3340 is a four track recorder that was manufactured in the 1970s. It was equipped with 3 high-quality motors and hyperbolic record and playback heads. Performance was outstanding with wow & flutter of less than 0.08%, and a wide frequency response (30 Hz to 22 kHz). With four tracks, it was capable of recording and playing quadraphonic, stereophonic and monophonic material. It could operate at 7-1/2 and 15 inches per second and could handle large 10-1/2 inch reels.

TEAC A-3340 Recorder
TEAC A-3340 Recorder

The TCD-300 is a high performance cassette deck from Norwegian manufacturer Tandberg. It was compatible with conventional (Type I) and chromium dioxide (Type II) cassette tapes. The deck employed three motors and two heads. The TCD-300 was equipped with Dolby B noise reduction technology, which allowed a noise reduction of approximately 9 dB.

Tandberg TCD-300 Cassette Deck

We weren’t able to identify the rest of Sly’s system: the speakers, turntable, or that cool amplifier with the joystick. Does anybody recognize these? Please let us know and we’ll update the website.

Sly Stone
Sly Stone