WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER

Over the Past Few Months I have been Featuring 10 Different Bass Players in my "Who's The Greatest Funk Bass Player" Poll, there has been 126 Votes so Far, and if you are Not One of them Voter's, Please Vote Now! (over to your Right).

The Ten Bass Players are as Follows (Written in Order of the Poll, Top to Bottom), Press the Name's to see their Individual Post's I have Written on them, including Bio's and their Best Tracks:

Bootsy Collins

Mark Adams

Marcus Miller

Larry Graham

Stanley Clarke

Bernard Edwards

Louis Johnson

Verdine White

Mark King

Victor Wooten

My Original Introduction Post the the Bassist's is Here!

My Favorite Top 3 Would be as Follows:

Mark Adams

Larry Graham

Marcus Miller/Mark King

Here's a Track from each of the Bassists or their Band!

The Picture at the Top of this Post, is of Many of the Bass Guitars that Mark King had Played During his Career!

WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER # 3 LARRY GRAHAM

In this Series of Posts, I will Writing about the Artist's who are in My "Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player" Poll. 

The Poll is over to the Right of the Blog, it has been Running for a Few Week's, so if You haven't already Voted, Please do so!

In these Post's, I will write a few Facts, Figures, Stats and Interesting Stuff on the Artist in Question, I will also include a Playlist of their Greatest Songs.

I will Write a Post on Each Artist, One Every Other Week! 

ARTIST NUMBER 3..............LARRY GRAHAM 

This Week's Bass Player is my Second Favorite Player of All-Time...Larry Graham, not only a Great Bass Player of Funk Record's but he also Recorded One of the All-Time Great Soul Ballads!  

Larry Graham Jr was Born on the 14th August 1946, in Beaumont Texas USA, He is a Musician, Songwriter and Record Producer, as well as Playing the Bass, he Plays the Keyboards, and also a Great Singer!

He Moved to California when he was 3 Years Old, to be Raised by his GrandMother, as his Mother was an  Piano Player in a Band, who were Touring the World!

Not to long later he was Moved again with his Family to Hawaii, again a few Years Later, he was Re-United with his Mother and they Moved to Oakland, California.

In 1961 he Joined his Mother in her Band, she was also Teaching him how to Sing, in the Early Days, Larry Graham used to Cover Ballads, by the Likes of Billy Eckstein and Tony Bennett. 

He Joined Sly and the Family Stone, after a Request from Sly Stone in 1966!

The First Album (on Epic Records) from Sly and the Family Stone was Released in 1967, and Called "A Whole New Thing" it was Not a Big Seller!

It was the Following Year on 27th April 1968 that Sly and the Family Stone had their Break Through Album, it was called "Dance To The Music" and the Title Track was a Hit in the USA, both Pop and R&B Charts!

Larry Graham Featured on a Total Of 5 Albums with Sly and the Family Stone, before Leaving in late 1972!

The following Year of '73, Larry Graham was Producing an Album for a Band named "Hot Chocolate" (Not the English Band) he was asked to Join the Band and they had a Name Change to "Graham Central Station" 

GCS Released their Debut Album in 1974, it was Called "Graham Central Station" the Album reached the Top 20 on the US R&B Chart!

Larry Graham and GCS went on to Release a Total Of 7 Albums up until 1979, before Larry Graham Decided to go Solo and put GCS on the Back Burner for a Few Years!

By 1980 Larry Graham Released his First Solo Album, on Warner Brother Records, it was entitled "One in a Million You" it was a big Hit in the US, Reaching Number 1 on the R&B Chart and Number 9 on the Hot 100 Chart!

The Biggest Single on the Album was the Great "Sam Dees" Track, "One in a Million You" it Reached Number 1 on the US R&B Chart and Number 9 on the US Pop 100 Chart.

This is One of my Favorite All-Time Tracks!

Larry Graham went on to Release a further 4 Albums on Warner Brothers Records.

By the Early 1990's he was back Touring with Graham Central Station.

In 1998 GCS Released their First Album in 10 Years, on NPG Record Label (New Power Generation), which was Owned By Prince, who also Co-Produced with Larry Graham.

Larry Graham and GCS are still Recording, with their Latest Album being Released in September of this Year entitled "Raise Up" again Featuring "Prince" a Great Comeback Album!

Larry Graham describes his Bass playing as Thumpin' and Pluckin' check out these Great Videos, on how to Play the Bass, and the Great Record "One in a MillionYou"







A few Great Tracks from Larry Graham and GCS.



Related articles

• Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player!
• Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player #1 Bootsy Collins
• Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player #2 Mark Adams
• Album Review: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station "Raise Up"
• Larry Graham & Graham Central Station: Raise Up (Review)
• THE 162nd MIX FOR F.S.V.B

WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER!

My Last Music Post Concerned the Poll I am Running on "Greatest Soul Singer of All Time" (over to the Right of this Blog), I have now Finished Featuring All 11 Artists, one by one over about a 5 Month Period. 

At Present Marvin Gaye is Top of the List  with Al Green in Second Place, these 2 are my Top 2 Choices, apart from I would have had Al Green at the Top!

I am Very surprised there are No Votes for Eugene Record (Lead Singer with the Chi-Lites) I am Sure The Chi-lites will be Right near the Top of a "Soul Music Band" Poll.

Perhaps I will have a Poll for "The Top Soul Music Band of All-Time" sometime in the Future!

Anyway back to the Present, I have just Started a New Poll (to the Right of this Blog) on "Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player" Please have a Vote (on Both Categories) after you have Finished Reading this Post, also Please Press the "Opinions" Button on Top left of Voting Widget to Leave Your Views!

There's some Great Bass Player's in the Poll, including:
Bootsy Collins, Mark Adams (of Slave), Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Louis Johnson (of the Johnson Brothers), Verdine White (of Earth Wind & Fire), Bernard Edwards (of Chic), Mark King (of Level 42), Larry Graham (of Sly & the Family Stone & Graham Central Station) and Victor Wooton (of SMV).

My Favorite Bassist (and got my Vote) is Mark Adams of Slave, who I saw Live in Concert back in 1984, Probably One of the Best Concert I have Seen, He was a Marvelous Bass Player, and the Stand Out Feature on Most of Slaves Great Track's!



I also saw Level 42 Live in Concert back Around 1985, again Mark King was Great and by Far the Best British Bassist of All-Time!

I will do the same with this Poll as my Previous one and Feature all the Artist's one by one (2 a Month) over the Coming Month's, I will Write a Bio with Fact's and Figure's concerning each of the Artist's, I will also include some of their Greatest Track's and Video's.

One Bassist worth Featuring now (I did not put in Poll for obvious Reasons) is Robert Gordon, he used to be Part of Gil Scott-Heron's Backing Band "Amnesia Express" during the 80's, I saw GSH live back in the Mid 80's, but he was Performing Solo.

Robert Gordon was Featured Playing Bass with GSH on his TV Special back in 1983 called "Black Wax", I have Featured this Program before on this Blog, but its worth another Mention.

Press the "Black Wax" Link Above to View Video in Full.

Have a Look at the Video "Waiting For The Axe To Fall" by GSH & Featuring Robert Gordon on Bass, its one of my Favorite GSH Track's and Robert Gordon is Magnificent on Bass!




Please Re-Visit over the Coming Month's for All Future Post's on "Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player" 

Related articles

• The Greatest Soul Singer of All Time....eugene Record
• Album Review: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station "Raise Up"
• 9 reviews of The Chi-Lites
• Music Icon Bootsy Collins to Launch Online "Funk University" For Bass Players Worldwide
• The Greatest Soul Singer of All Time....frankie Beverly
• The Greatest Soul Singer of All Time....ronald Isley

THE 153rd MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 153rd Mix Selection for F.S.V.B, Its been Mixed by DJ BartBreak, its called Best of Funk Mix Tape #3, there's some Classic Funk & Dance Tracks on here, Featuring amongst others: Luther Vandross, Alphonse Mouzon, Larry Graham, Cashflow, High Fashion and Glenn Jones.

                    Play List: Best Of Funk #3

01.	luther vandross - for the sweetness
02.	glenn jones - i am somebody
03.	tavares - got to find my way
04.	jocelyn brown - caught up
05.	high fashion - hold on
06.	alphonse mouzon - i m glad that you
07.	larry graham - sooner or later
08.	active force - rise up
09.	cashmere - can i
10.	cashflow - mine all mine
11.	jerome prister - say you ll be

- Bartbreak - http://djbartbreak.ovh.org


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• THE 147th MIX FOR F.S.V.B
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• THE 150th MIX FOR F.S.V.B

TOUR DE FRANCE & LARRY GRAHAM

After working a couple of Months in the Town Center Co-op Butchery in Mid 1982, I was offered another Position in the company, it was being a Relief- Butcher, i.e going around the other Branches of the Co-op in my area, this I had done before when I worked for Dewhurst's Butchers, anyway I jumped at the chance, as I did not like my Butchery Manager too much!


After a couple of weeks, I was asked to work in a near by Town Butcher's, the Town was called Caister, I said "Yes" but when I thought about it, as I was still Biking to work, I thought I would get the Bus to work, this turned out to be a Nightmare, we were Living in the far end of Gorleston and Caister was about 7/8 Miles away!


As I started work at 8am in the Morning, I left home about 7am, firstly I had to get to Yarmouth, then get another Bus to Caister, the first day at the New Place, I was Late, then after about an 9 hour shift, I had to do the Bus rides all again, if I remember correctly it was gone 7pm before I got home that first night!


I liked working at the New Shop, the Shop Manager was a Chap by the name of Derrick, he was about 50 years old, if I remember right, there was an Assistant Manager, I cant remember his name, but he was a few years younger than me, he was alright as well, & they had a Saturday Boy, he was Derricks son!


The following week I was asked to go to the Caister Shop again, I remembered the Bus Rides and thought Sod that!  my only other way of getting there was on my Bike, so I did, it used to take nearly 1 hour to get there, as I said it was about 7/8 miles away!

When I finally got Home that night, I thought I had done a Days ride in the Tour De France!


Little did I know then, in a few Weeks time, biking to Caister was going to become a Regular thing!


As for Music around this Period, I would like to go back a Couple of Years to 1980, and one of the Best Bass Players Ever  "Larry Graham" had a Great Single out, it was called "One In A million You" it was from his Debut Solo Album of the same name.


This was a change from his usual Music (check out the second Video), with "Sly & the Family Stone" and "Graham Central Station" this was a love Ballad written by Sam Dees, it made Number One in the US R&B Charts and Number 9 in US Pop Chart!


Larry Graham has a Great Voice and this was a Great song. I remember Buying the Single and the Album, and of course I have the Cd now!







Listen to "One in a Million You" by Larry Graham. 

Love had played its games on me so long
I started to believe I'd never find anyone
Doubt had tried to convince me to give in
Said you can't win

But one day the sun it came shinin' through
The rain had stopped and the skies were blue
And oh, what a revelation to see
Someone was saying "I love you" to me

A one in a million, chance of a lifetime
And life showed compassion
And sent to me a stroke of love called you
A one in a million you

I was a lonely man with empty arms to fill
Then I found a piece of happiness to call my own
And life is worth living, again
For to love you, to me, is to live

A one in a million, chance of a lifetime
And life showed compassion
And sent to me, a stroke of love, called you
A one in a million you

A one in a million, chance of a lifetime
And life, showed compassion
And sent to me, a stroke of love called you
A one in a million you, a one in a million you

 ONE IN A MILLION YOU LYRICS  BY SAM DEES

9th SELECTION FUNK/SOUL/DISCO/JAZZ MIX

Here's the 9th Mix for F.S.V.B, Its been Mixed by DixMix, its called Autumn Mix there's some classic Funk Jazz and Soul Tracks on here, including Fat Larrys Band, Staples Singers,Dayton, Larry Graham and Unique!

Either press play to listen or press link to go to DixMix's Podomatic Page and download to your pc.

see the podcast page for full track listing!

DixMix AUTUMN LEAVES

Dick G's Podcast