Representative Songs: "The Jam," "Hair," "Can You Handle It?"
Biography
An exuberant mid-'70s funk group, Graham Central Station made some fine singles for Warner Bros. Former Sly & The Family Stone bassist Larry Graham renamed Hot Chocolate (not the British group) Graham Central Station after he moved from producing the group to playing with it. The group included Graham, guitarist David Vega, keyboardists Robert Sam and Hershall Kennedy, percussionist Patrice Banks, and drummer Willie Sparks. They utilized the identical funk cum rock and soul formula of Sly, though in not quite as imaginative a fashion. Their debut single, "Can You Handle It," reached number nine on the R&B charts, and they landed a number one record in 1975 with "Your Love." They recorded as Graham Central Station from 1974 to 1977, then as Larry Graham & Graham Central Station in 1978, and during their final year were called Larry Graham with Graham Central Station. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Graham Central Station's biggest hit was "Your Love", which charted at number 9 in 1975. The group also integrated gospel music into their repertoire, and played with the dichotomy between the funk/rock star image and the "sanctified" gospel group image. Some of their recordings feature the Tower of Power horn section.
