Living in San Francisco in the 1960s, he performed in a musical production called Women of the Blues, then joined a short-lived group of transvestite performance artists called The Cockettes in the early 70's (famed transvestite Divine was a member of the group as well). Sylvester can be seen in The Cockettes' outrageous short film Tricia's Wedding, lampooning the wedding of President Nixon's daughter Tricia, and in an eponymous 2002 documentary about the group.
In 1972, Sylvester supplied two cuts to Lights Out San Francisco, an album complied by the KSAN radio station and released on the Blue Thumb label. In 1973, Sylvester & his Hot Band released two rock-oriented albums on Blue Thumb (their self-titled debut was also known as "Scratch My Flower," due to a gardenia-shaped scratch-and-sniff sticker adhered to the cover). Signed a solo act to Fantasy Records in 1977, and working with the production talents of legendary Motown producer Harvey Fuqua. Sylvester later alleged that Fuqua cheated him out of millions of dollars.
Sylvester soon met his frequent collaborator Patrick Cowley. Cowley's synthesizer and Sylvester's voice proved to be a magical combination, and pushed Sylvester's sound in an increasingly dance-oriented direction; his second solo album - Step II (1978) - unleashed two disco classics: "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," and "Dance (Disco Heat)." By this time both his live shows and recordings also recognizably featured the back-up vocals of Two Tons O' Fun: future Weather Girls Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes. 1979 brought three Billboard awards and an appearance in the movie, The Rose, starring Bette Midler.
Moving to Megatone Records in 1982, Sylvester quickly landed a Hi-NRG classic with "Do You Wanna Funk." He was close friends with other Megatone artists Linda Imperial and Jeanie Tracy. Sylvester was also very close to the legendary Patti LaBelle.
Later pressure from the label to "butch up" his image would result in him attending meetings in full-on drag. A drag photo shoot, which he staged and presented to label heads as a gag (calling it his "new album cover") would later grace the cover of Immortal after Sylvester died; it was the label's way of paying tribute to his spirit. In 1985, one of his dreams came true as he was summoned to sing back-up for Aretha Franklin on her Who's Zoomin' Who comeback album. His sole Warner Bros. album was Mutual Attraction in 1986; a single from the album, "Someone Like You," featured original cover art by Keith Haring.
Sylvester died of complications from AIDS on December 16, 1988. His good friend Jeanie Tracy took care of Sylvester during his last days.
In the late 1990's, performance artist Djola Branner (co-founder of the highly influential Pomo Afro Homos troupe) created his acclaimed solo piece and CD Mighty Real around the life of Sylvester.
On September 20, 2004 Sylvester's anthem record, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. A year later, on September 19, 2005, Sylvester himself was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his achievement as an artist.
In 2005, a biography written by Joshua Gamson and titled The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The music, The 70s in San Francisco was published.
2. Sylvester (Sylvester Larsen , born 1973) is a danish artist, who has released 4 albums. He is the son of Kim Larsen. See www.sylvesterlarsen.dk
Dance to the Music
Sylvester Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get on up and dance to the fonky music!
Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music
Hey Greg!
What?
All we need is a drummer,
For people who only need a beat
And make it easy to move your feet
I'm gonna add some bottom,
So that the dancers just won't hide
You might like to hear my organ
Playing "Ride Sally Ride"
You might like to hear the horns blowin',
Cynthia on the throne, yeah!
Cynthia & Jerry got a message they're sayin':
All the squares, go home!
Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music
Sylvester's song "Dance to the Music" is a funk anthem that invites listeners to get on their feet and dance. The lyrics encourage people to move to the beat of the music, and the singer invites a drummer to join in, noting that the song is all about rhythm. He adds a guitar to make it easier for people to dance and promises to add some bottom to the mix so that no one can resist the urge to move. The singer also includes his organ playing to add to the fun, and he encourages the horn section, featuring Cynthia and Jerry, to blow their trumpets and saxophones, creating an irresistible sound.
The message of the song is clear: let loose and dance, don't worry about inhibitions or what others might think. The line "all the squares, go home," suggests that the music is not for those who are too uptight or stuck in their ways to let loose and enjoy the rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Get up and dance to the music!
This is an invitation to move your body to the rhythm of the music.
Get on up and dance to the fonky music!
This is an enthusiastic way to encourage people to dance to the funky music.
Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music
This repeated line is a simple reminder to keep dancing to the music.
Hey Greg!
This is a casual greeting to someone.
What? All we need is a drummer,
There is a need for a drummer in the band.
For people who only need a beat
The band only needs a steady rhythm to get people dancing.
I'm gonna add a little guitar
The guitarist will be adding some musical elements to enhance the sound.
And make it easy to move your feet
The goal of adding guitar is to make the rhythm more danceable.
I'm gonna add some bottom,
The bassist is going to provide a low-end frequency to the music.
So that the dancers just won't hide
This addition is made to encourage people to come out and dance.
You might like to hear my organ
The organist is introducing their musical talent to the audience.
Playing "Ride Sally Ride"
The organist is going to play the song "Ride Sally Ride".
You might like to hear the horns blowin',
The band will include some brass instruments to add more depth to the sound.
Cynthia on the throne, yeah!
Cynthia will be playing the drums for this song.
Cynthia & Jerry got a message they're sayin':
The band members Cynthia and Jerry have a message to share.
All the squares, go home!
This message is a call to action for people who aren't interested in dancing to leave.
Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music
This repeated line serves as a reminder to continue dancing to the music.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sylvester Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucio Rozendo
Dance com a musica
Cynthia:Levante e dance com a musica!
Levante e dance com a musica Funky!
Todos:Dance com a mucisa,dance com a musica
Freddie:Ei Greg!
Greg:O que?
Freddie:Tudo que nós precisamos é de um baterista,
Para as pessoas que só precisam de uma batida
Eu vou adicionar uma guitarrinha
E fazer isso mover os seus pés fácil
Larry:Eu vou adicionar algum baixo,
assim os dançarinos não vão se esconder
Sly:Você pode gostar de ouvir meu órgão
Tocando "dirige sally dirige
Você pode gostar de ouvir as trombetas,
Cynthia no trono,yeah!
Cyntia e Jerry tem uma mensagem eles estão dizendo:
Cynthia:Todos os quadrados,vão pra casa!
Todos:Dance com a musica,dance com a musica
Dance To The Music
Cynthia: get up and dance to the music!
Get on up and dance to the fonky music!
All: dance to the music, dance to the music
Freddie: hey greg!
Greg: what?
Freddie: all we need is a drummer,
For people who only need a beat
I'm gonna add a little guitar
And make it easy to move your feet
Larry: i'm gonna add some bottom,
So that the dancers just won't hide
Sly: you might like to hear my organ
Playing "ride sally ride"
You might like to hear the horns blowin',
Cynthia on the throne, yeah!
Cynthia & jerry got a message they're sayin':
Cynthia: all the squares, go home!
All: dance to the music, dance to the music
Robert Shaefer
I was drafted after high school and was headed overseas in 69. I was in the airport in Detroit and all of a sudden I saw Sly and his band walkin in. All decked out in the big hats and fur boots and all that stuff. I said hey and he said the same and suddenly my day was a whole lot brighter! Thank you SLY!!!!!
Michael
AMAN 🌟
ammantophori
👍🇺🇸 .Cool Dudes
dannytheman1313
Black, white, brown, yellow, red, whatever you are whatever you believe in, we can all agree on something, this song is amazing!
Alan Cole
Truth
Maureen T
Yes yes yes !!!!!!
Maureen T
Only swares go home !!!!!!!!!!
Boogeyyyman
I love this song because of Martin Lawrence comedy movie Black knight 😂😅
lanternlite75
@Maureen T squares ma'am.
bluz company
Sly was a million miles ahead of his time ,such a cool band...