Loose Booty (Sly and the Family Stone song)

"Loose Booty" is a song by American band Sly and the Family Stone and the second single from their seventh studio album Small Talk (1974). An up-tempo funk track, it uses the names of Bible characters Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as a chant.

"Loose Booty"
Cover art from Spanish release
Single by Sly and the Family Stone
from the album Small Talk
Released	1974
Genre	Funk
Length	3:46
Label	Epic
Songwriter	Sylvester Stewart
Producer	Sly Stone
Sly and the Family Stone singles chronology
"Time for Livin'" (1974) "Loose Booty" (1974) "Family Again" (1976)

The song was sampled in "Shadrach" by Beastie Boys, "Livin' Like Hustlers" by Above the Law and "Tie Goes To The Runner" by Public Enemy.

Background

In his autobiography Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), Sly Stone wrote of the song:

Mine was built on top of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It was a Bible story: These men refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar and were thrown in a fiery pit. But they didn't die. They came out, with a fourth figure leading them, the prophet Daniel. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were figures of resistance. Louis Armstrong had a song about them. Martin Luther King, Jr. mentioned them when he wrote from the Birmingham Jail. I didn't retell the whole story but I wanted a taste of it in there. Music could help you resist everyday problems. Music could keep you out of the fire.^[1]

Critical reception

In his review of Small Talk for Uncut, Peter Shapiro wrote "The great, weird 'Loose Booty', though, is almost worth the price of admission."^[2]

Charts

Chart (1974)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[3]	84
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4]	22