Graham Central Station

During the lively mid-1970s funk era, Graham Central Station delivered several standout singles on Warner Bros. After shifting from his producing role with Hot Chocolate—the American outfit unrelated to the British act—to joining them as a performer, former Sly & the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham gave the ensemble its new name, Graham Central Station. The roster comprised Graham alongside guitarist David Vega, keyboardists Robert Sam and Hershall Kennedy, percussionist Patrice Banks, and drummer Willie Sparks. Drawing on the same fusion of funk, rock, and soul that defined Sly’s approach, they executed the style with comparatively less inventive spark. Their opening single, “Can You Handle It,” peaked at number nine on the R&B charts, and the group scored a number-one hit in 1975 with “Your Love.” They issued recordings as Graham Central Station between 1974 and 1977, billed themselves as Larry Graham & Graham Central Station in 1978, and adopted the final designation Larry Graham with Graham Central Station in their last year.