Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Fat Larry's Band

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Years active
  
1976–1987

Genres
  
funk, Rhythm and blues

Active until
  
1987

Fat Larry's Band members smiling all together for the single cover of "Zoom"

Labels
  
WMOT, Stax, Fantasy, Omni

Past members
  
"Fat" Larry James (deceased)Art CapehartDoug JonesJimmy LeeTed CohenTony MiddletonDarryl GrantLarry La BesErskine WilliamsAlfonso SmithBryan Hudson

Origin
  
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (1976)

Members
  
Darryl Grant, Art Capehart , Larry La Bes, Jimmy Lee

Albums
  
Feel It, Breakin' Out, Spacin' Out

Similar
  
Oliver Cheatham, The Whispers, Shalamar, Fatback Band, Mary Jane Girls

Fat larry s band zoom official video


Fat Larry's Band was an American R&B/Funk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which enjoyed some commercial success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly in the UK.

Contents

Fat Larry's Band members posing while wearing a black and white striped long sleeve and cap for the Breakin' Out album cover

Career

Fat Larry's Band members posing while wearing a cream vest and silver long sleeve for the single cover of Act Like You Know

Formed by drummer and vocalist "Fat" Larry James (August 2, 1949 – December 5, 1987) in 1976, band members included trumpeter/flautist Art Capehart, guitarists Ted Cohen and Tony Middleton, percussionist and lead singer Freddie Campbell 1952-January 19th 2013, vocalist Darryl Grant, saxophonist Doug Jones, bassist Larry La Bes, trombonist/alto saxophonist Jimmy Lee, and keyboardist Erskine Williams.

The seven members of the Fat Larry's Band smiling all together

The band's biggest hits were "Act Like You Know", appearing on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Soundtrack, and "Zoom", reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart in October 1982. They had three other hits in the United Kingdom: "Center City", "Boogie Town" and "Looking for Love Tonight".

The nine members of the Fat Larry's Band smiling while posing all together

On December 5, 1987, James died from a heart attack, at the age of 38, and the band folded.

The nine members of the Fat Larry's Band smiling while posing all together

The opening drum break from "Down on the Avenue", from the band's first album, Feel It (WMOT 1976), has been sampled by many hip hop artists, including N.W.A (Straight Outta Compton), Ice-T, Jungle Brothers and Run-D.M.C. The bassline of their 1982 single Act Like You Know was prominently sampled in 1991 in the song Ring Ring Ring by American hip hop band De La Soul.

Albums


  • Feel It (1976)
  • Off the Wall (1978)
  • Spacin' Out (1978)
  • Lookin' for Love (1979)
  • Stand Up (1980)
  • Breakin' Out (1982) – UK #58
  • Tune Me Up (1983)
  • Straight from the Heart (1983)
  • Nice (1986)
  • The Best of Fat Larry's Band (1994)
  • Fat Larry's Band – Greatest Hits (1995)
  • I Like Eating Chocolate – Greatest Hits (1999)

    • Singles

  • 1976: "Center City" #31 UK
  • 1976: "Fascination" #39 U.S. Dance
  • 1977: "Peaceful Journey" #94 U.S. R&B
  • 1978: "We Just Can't Get It Together"
  • 1979: "Boogie Town" #43 R&B
  • 1979: "Here Comes the Sun" #44 U.S. R&B, #39 U.S. Dance
  • 1979: "Lookin' for Love" #47 U.S. R&B
  • 1979: "Lookin' for Love Tonight" #46 UK
  • 1980: "Can't Keep My Hands to Myself"
  • 1980: "How Good Is Love" #78 U.S. R&B
  • 1982: "Act Like You Know" #67 U.S. R&B/Funk, #24 U.S. Dance
  • 1982: "Be My Lady"
  • 1982: "Traffic Stopper"
  • 1982: "Zoom" #2 UK, #89 U.S. R&B
  • 1983: "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" #83 UK
  • 1983: "Straight from the Heart" #88 UK
  • 1983: "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" #93 UK
  • 1986: "Nice"
  • 1986: "Sunrise Sunset"
  • 1986: "Teach Me (There Is Something About Love)"

    • Songs

    ZoomBreakin' Out · 1994
    Act Like You KnowBreakin' Out · 1994
    Peaceful JourneyOff The Wall · 1978

    References

    Fat Larry's Band Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA