Graham Central Station (album)

Graham Central Station is the self-titled debut album by former Sly and the Family Stone bass player Larry Graham's new band, "Graham Central Station".

Background
In late 1972, Larry Graham quit Sly and the Family Stone because of tension between Larry and group leader Sly Stone. After agreeing to produce a band named Hot Chocolate (not to be confused with British pop band Hot Chocolate), he decided to join the band and renamed them Graham Central Station in 1973.

Reception
Released in 1974, the album peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Top Soul Albums charts while single, "Can You Handle It?" peaked at #9 on the Billboard Soul Singles chart.

Covers and samples
"People" was sampled by Das EFX and KAM while "It Ain't No Thang to Me" was sampled by Da Lench Mob. The Graham Central Station also covered Al Green's "It Ain't No Fun to Me" on the album. The line "People, people, people" was also used on Santana's Supernatural as part of "The Calling"

Track listing
All songs written by Larry Graham except where indicated. Timings taken from original Warner Bros LP.


 * 1) "We've Been Waiting" – 0:57
 * 2) "It Ain't No Fun To Me" (Al Green) – 5:11
 * 3) "Hair" – 4:55
 * 4) "We Be's Gettin' Down" – 4:43
 * 5) "Tell Me What It Is" – 4:56
 * 6) "Can You Handle It?" – 5:10
 * 7) "People" (Larry Graham, Freddie Stone) – 4:31
 * 8) "Why?" – 3:37
 * 9) "Ghetto" – 4:23

Musicians
with:
 * Graham Central Station
 * Larry Graham – bass, fuzz bass, guitar, piano, Clavinet, organ, drums, lead and backing vocals, horn arrangements
 * Freddie Stone – guitar
 * Hershall "Happiness" Kennedy – clavinet, trumpet
 * Willie "Wild" Sparks – drums
 * David "Dynamite" Vega – guitar
 * Robert "Butch" Sam – piano, organ
 * Patryce "Choc'Let" Banks – vocals, drum programming, electric funk box
 * Pascal Caboose - tenor saxophone
 * Milt Holland – percussion
 * Lenny Williams – vocals
 * Clarence McDonald – string arrangements

Technical

 * Steve Barncard, Donn Landee, Mallory Earl, Tom Flye - engineer
 * Mike Salisbury - cover design
 * Herb Greene – photography