Graham Central Station

Graham Central Station was an American funk band named after founder Larry Graham (formerly of Sly and the Family Stone). The name is a pun on New York City's Grand Central Terminal, often colloquially called Grand Central Station. While still with Sly & the Family Stone, Larry Graham came into contact with Patryce Banks. They formed an ensemble called Hot Choc’let aka Hot Chocolate. According to the I Rock Jazz website, Graham intended to build a band around Banks and his role would be that of composer and producer. The band was playing a gig at a San Francisco club and towards the end of the performance, the audience encouraged Graham to do the last song with the band. Things clicked there. This led to Graham replacing the bass guitarist with himself, and the name of the band was changed from Hot Chocolate to Graham Central Station. Due to his involvement with the group, he left Sly & the Family Stone. The Graham Central Station line up was Graham, Willie Sparks, Patrice Banks, David Vega, Robert Sam, and Hershell Kennedy. According to The Virgin Encyclopedia of Seventies Music, Vega, Kennedy, Sparks and Banks were from Hot Chocolate. In 1974, they released the single "Can You Handle It?". It peaked at number 9 on the R&B charts and number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. Graham Central Station's biggest hit was "Your Love", which charted at number 1 on the R&B charts in 1975. The same year they issued a cover version of the Detroit Emeralds 1972 hit "Feel the Need in Me". It reached number 18 on the R&B charts and this would be the bands only hit in the UK peaking at number 53. 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. In 2011, Graham Central Station opened for Prince on Prince's "Welcome 2 America" tour. Larry Graham – vocals, bass, guitar, clavinet, organ, piano, drums, percussion Lenny Williams – vocals Patryce Banks – vocals, electric funk box (Maestro Rhythm King), tambourine Ashling Cole – vocals, electric funk box (Maestro Rhythm King) Tina Graham – vocals, electric funk box (Maestro Rhythm King) David Vega – vocals, guitar Gail Muldrow – vocals, guitar, electric funk box George Johnson – vocals, guitar Wilton Rabb – guitar Freddie Stone – guitar Gemi Taylor – guitar Hershall Kennedy – vocals, clavinet, trumpet Robert "Butch" Sam – vocals, piano, organ David Council – vocals, keyboards Jimi McKinney Jr. – vocals, keyboards Rose Stone – vocals, organ, electric funk box Cynthia Robinson – trumpet P. CaboOse – tenor saxophone Jerry Martini – saxophone Dennis Marcellino – saxophone Willie Sparks – vocals, drums Manuel Kellough – drums Noel T. Closson – drums Gaylord Birch – drums Brian Braziel – drums Milt Holland – percussion Live in Japan '92' (1992) Star Maker – manufactured by PIA Corporation & Edoya Records Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) Live in London (1996) – Funk24 (London, England) Can You Handle This? (2003) – Kezar Stadium – 1975, Big Fro Discs (Japan) The Best of Larry Graham and Graham Central Station, Vol. 1 (Warner Bros, 1996) The Jam: The Larry Graham & Graham Central Station Anthology, (Rhino, 2001) Greatest Hits (Rhino Flashback, 2003) Wynn, Ron (n.d.). "Graham Central Station: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 26, 2021. Dove, Ian (February 15, 1975). "Three Soul Groups Sing at Music Hall". The New York Times. p. 16. Retrieved January 26, 2021. "Graham Central Station Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved October 5, 2007. Aced Out Podcast, July 01, 2020 - EPISODE 11: Patryce “CHOC’LET” Banks (GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Seventies Music, By Colin Larkin · 1997 - ISBN 9780753501542 - Page 181 I Rock Jazz, 01/10/2013 - INTERVIEWS, Bass Icon Larry Graham: Accidents of Fortune Muphoric Sounds, December 30, 2010 - IN THE TRUNK: “Graham Central Station” (Audio) By Robert Liu-Trujillo Classic Rock History - Best SongsTop 10 Graham Central Station Songs - Eric Kamau, #4- Feel the Need "Graham Central Station Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved October 1, 2020. "Review: Prince's Welcome 2 America Tour". Culturebrats.com. Retrieved May 20, 2011. "Vallejo musicians inducted into West Coast Blues Hall of Fame". Timesheraldonline.com. Retrieved January 11, 2018. "Graham Central Station's David 'Dynamite' Vega has passed away". Prince.org. Retrieved January 11, 2018. "Larry Graham – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2022. "Larry Graham – TOP R&B/HIP-HOP ALBUMS". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2022. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved November 2, 2018. Review of Mirror at Crawdaddy! Graham Central Station discography at MusicBrainz Gail Muldrow Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (2020)