These singles capture the same spirit as the seminal Sly & the Family Stone album There's a Riot Goin' On, which was released at the end of 1971. Like the album, Sly wrote, arranged and produced the Little Sister singles, and is also playing many of the instruments on them: organ, guitar and bass. One of the most crucial facts about the "Somebody's Watching You" single is that it is the first American pop song to feature a drum machine, then called a "rhythm box" or a "funk box." The same machine was used again on the #1 single from There's a Riot Goin' On, "Family Affair" which propelled the new instrument into the spotlight even further. Since that time, the drum machine (and Sly's overall sound on these songs) have become heavily integrated into pop music in general.

Little Sister's singles were released on Sly's label with Atlantic Records, Stone Flower. Aside from Little Sister, several other singles came out of Stone Flower, produced and written by Sly and usually featuring him on several instruments. Ones I know about:

Little Sister   You're the One (I and II)               Stone Flower 9000
Little Sister   Somebody's Watching You b/w Stanga      Stone Flower 9001
6ix             I'm Just Like You b/w Dynamite          Stone Flower 9002
Joe Hicks       Life & Death in G & A (I and II)        Stone Flower 9003

The Little Sister singles also came out in various alternate formats:

You're the One pt 1 one sided   white label promo       Stone Flower 9000
Stanga / same (mono)            white label promo       Stone Flower 45 9001 
Somebody's Watching You         one sided               Stone Flower 9001
Somebody's Watching You / same  white label promo       Stone Flower 9001

There is great speculation as to whether or not a Little Sister album was ever pressed. David Kapralik, former manager for Sly & the Family Stone and co-owner of the Stone Flower Label has told me "there never was a Little Sister LP." Vaetta Stewart herself, who now works at a hair salon in Los Angeles said she didn't believe an album was ever made either. Hershall Kennedy, who played with Little Sister and then became a keyboardist for Graham Central Station, says he didn't know of one either. Sounds like a negative to me!

(Thanks to: Steve for the 45 info and picture,
Tony for help with the info and Amir Rahim for the Little Sister picture.)