Graham played bass in the highly successful and influential funk band Sly & the Family Stone from 1967 to 1972. He pioneered the art of slap-pop playing on the electric bass, in part to provide percussive and rhythmic elements in addition to the notes of the bassline when the band lacked a drummer. This style has become archetypical of modern funk. Slap-pop playing couples a percussive thumb-slapping technique of the lower strings with an aggressive finger-snap of the higher strings, often in rhythmic alternation. The slap and pop technique incorporates a large ratio of muted (or 'ghost' tones) to normal notes, which adds to the rhythmic effect.
This "machine-gun" bass style was later used by such artists as Les Claypool, Bootsy Collins, Louis Johnson, Mark King, Flea, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, John Norwood Fisher, P-Nut, Danny McCormack, Matt Noveskey and Dirk Lance.
Upon the Family Stone's disintegration due to lead singer Sly Stone's drug addiction, Graham formed his own band, Graham Central Station. The name is a pun on Grand Central Station, the train station located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Graham Central Station had several hits in the 1970s, including "Hair."
In the mid 1970s, Larry Graham worked with Betty Davis, the former second wife of jazz legend Miles Davis. Betty Davis' band included members of the Tower of Power horns and the Pointer Sisters, and she recorded three albums to critical acclaim but limited commercial success.
In 1975, Graham became a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. In the early 1980s, Graham recorded five solo albums and had several solo hits. His biggest hit was "One in a Million, You", which reached number 9 on the Billboard chart in 1980.
He recorded another album in the late 1990s, with a new band using the Graham Central Station name. Two of the new members were former Family Stone bandmates Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini. He also toured with Prince as opening act in 1997 and 1998.
In 2007 he was invited to play in Minneapolis with the reformed Sly & the Family Stone, but declined because he was out of town. He did, however, appear onstage in Minneapolis on July 8th, 2007 with Prince at First Avenue.
The Jam
GRAHAM LARRY Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sugar!
Sugar!
On organ, on organ, yeah
I'm playing on the organ y'all
My name is Robert Sam, but my friends call me "Butch"
Dynomite, they call me Dynomite
I try with all my might, they say I'm out of sight
On my guitar, uh huh, on my guitar, yeah
On clavinet, on clavinet, playing on the clavinet, y'all
My name is
Hershel Happiness
Good God!
It's an F-U-N-K box, it's an F-U-N-K box, funk box yeah
Playing on the funk box y'all
My name is C-H-O-C-L-A-T, chocolate
Oh solikai, I am Wenual, they call me the Wiccan
I am not one of you, I will like to make you one of us
All you have to do is just "wisten" to my "wum"
Then you will know why they call me Wenual
On bass, on bass y'all, I'm playing on my funky bass y'all
My name is Larry Graham, but they call me
"Graham Central Station"
"The Jam" by Graham Larry is a funk song that showcases the skills of each musician in the band while introducing themselves. The first verse features Robert Sam on the organ, who goes by the nickname "Butch," playing a catchy riff that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The chorus exclaims "Sugar!" multiple times, adding to the energy of the song.
The second verse features Hershel Happiness on the clavinet, another keyboard instrument that adds a distinctive sound to funk music. He introduces himself with a shout of "Good God!" before showing off his skills on the instrument. Chocolate, the vocalist, introduces himself with a playful spelling of his name and plays on a "funk box," which is likely a drum machine.
Line by Line Meaning
Three, four
Starting the count for the song
Sugar!
Sugar!
Exclaiming approval or excitement
On organ, on organ, yeah
I'm playing on the organ y'all
My name is Robert Sam, but my friends call me "Butch"
Introducing the organ player, and his nickname among friends
Dynomite, they call me Dynomite
I try with all my might, they say I'm out of sight
On my guitar, uh huh, on my guitar, yeah
Introducing the guitar player, and expressing his enthusiasm and skill
On clavinet, on clavinet, playing on the clavinet, y'all
My name is
Hershel Happiness
Introducing the clavinet player, and his positive attitude
Good God!
Exclaiming awe or amazement
It's an F-U-N-K box, it's an F-U-N-K box, funk box yeah
Playing on the funk box y'all
My name is C-H-O-C-L-A-T, chocolate
Introducing the player of a funky instrument, and their unique nickname
Oh solikai, I am Wenual, they call me the Wiccan
I am not one of you, I will like to make you one of us
All you have to do is just "wisten" to my "wum"
Then you will know why they call me Wenual
Introducing a new player, who encourages listeners to join their mystical community
On bass, on bass y'all, I'm playing on my funky bass y'all
My name is Larry Graham, but they call me "The Jam Man"
Introducing the bass player, and his well-known nickname
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTONIO ROSSI, VINCENZO CONSIGLIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@melanieanne2066
I realize every generation says this, but lets face it. The music in the 60s and 70s were EPIC!!!
@AutPen38
Every generation says it because of survivorship bias. As time elapses we forget all the complete crap that was around at the same time. For every Bach, Beethoven, or Beatles, there are hundreds of long-forgotten composers from the same era. Only the good stuff survives. There is tons of junk in today's music scene, but give it 40 years and people will speak fondly of the oldies from 2023, as the junk will have been forgotten.
@elmerkilred159
@@kevsta67 I agree 100%
@jofreeman9276
Got that right!!!!!! Jamming in Long Beach, California 3/23/2023!!!!!!! Goooooo Larry Graham and Graham Central Station. Hard to believe Larry and Drake are cousins. Why isn't Drake following after this legend?????? SMH!!!!!!!
@AutPen38
@@kevsta67 When the piano was invented, people said "I hate pianos. They don't sound as good as the harpsichords I grew up with". Much the same was said about the electric guitar in comparison to the acoustic version. Bob Dylan was even called "Judas!" for switching. So if you think the auto-tune era of music sucks, all you're basically saying is "I am old fashioned". When you say "Modern music sucks" you're just like your parents screaming at you when you were a kid to "turn down that rubbish". We all become our parents.
@Vigilante311
The 60s and 70s are the eras of music that everyone should realise are the best
@hansombrother1
I saw Larry Graham live in 1976 the next day I went and bought my first bass. I’m still playing today.
@howardcampbell6796
I bought the album and didn't stop listening till I ran out of smoke !
@francisdivirgilio8934
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@francisdivirgilio8934
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