Fat Larry's Band
{{Short description|American R&B and funk band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = Fat Larry's Band
|background = group_or_band
|image =
|caption = Fat Larry's Band Members with "Fat" Larry James in the middle.
|origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|years_active = 1976–1987
|label = WMOT, Stax, Fantasy, Omni, Society Hill / EMG
|associated_acts =
|website =
|current_members =
|past_members = "Fat" Larry James
Art Capehart
Doug Jones
Jimmy Lee
Ted Cohen
Tony Middleton
Freddie Campbell
Terry Price
Darryl Grant
Larry La Bes
Erskine Williams
Alfonso Smith
Bryan Hudson
}}
Fat Larry's Band was an American R&B and funk band from Philadelphia, which enjoyed some commercial success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly in the United Kingdom.
Career
Formed by drummer and vocalist "Fat" Larry James (August 2, 1949 – December 5, 1987{{cite book|last1=McAleer|first1=Dave|last2=Gregory|first2=Andy|last3=White|first3=Matthew|title=The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles, Volume 2|date=November 15, 2010|publisher=Random House|page=173|isbn=9780753522455}}) in 1976, the band included trumpeter/flautist Art Capehart, guitarists Ted Cohen and Tony Middleton, vocalists Freddie Campbell (1952 – January 19, 2013) and Darryl Grant, keyboardist Terry Price, vocalist Alfonso Smith, saxophonist Doug Jones, bassist Larry La Bes, trombonist/alto saxophonist Jimmy Lee, and keyboardist Erskine Williams.{{cite web|last1=Wynn|first1=Ron|title=Artist Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/fat-larrys-band-mn0000179555/biography|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=12 November 2020}}{{cite web|title=Fat Larry's Band Page |url=http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Fat%20Larry's%20Band.html|website=Soulwalking.co.uk|access-date=27 September 2021}}
The band's biggest hits were "Act Like You Know" (which appears on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack) and "Zoom", which peaked within the top ten of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, "Zoom" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in October 1982. The notable success of "Zoom" in the United Kingdom resulted in the song being featured on the Christmas 1982 episode of the British TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses titled "Diamonds Are for Heather".{{cite web|title=FAT LARRY'S BAND - full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16340/fat-larrys-band/|website=Official Charts Company|accessdate=12 November 2020}} Fat Larry's Band had three other hits in the UK: "Center City", "Boogie Town", and "Lookin' for Love".{{cite book|first=David|last= Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=196}}
On December 5, 1987, James died from a heart attack at the age of 38.{{cite web|url=https://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1987/december_5_1987_160714.html|title=Fat Larry James|website=Brainyhistory.com|accessdate=April 9, 2019}} As a result, the band folded.
The opening drum break from "Down on the Avenue", from the band's first album, Feel It (WMOT Records, 1976), has been sampled by many musicians, including N.W.A, Ice-T, Jungle Brothers, Depeche Mode, and Run-D.M.C.{{cite web|url=https://www.whosampled.com/search/?q=%22Down+on+the+Avenue%22|title=Search Results for ""Down on the Avenue"" |website=Whosampled.com|accessdate=April 9, 2019}}
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| style="width:45px;"|US R&B {{cite web|title=Fat Larry's Band - Awards|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/fat-larrys-band-mn0000179555/awards|website=AllMusic|access-date=25 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208165324/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/fat-larrys-band-mn0000179555/awards|archive-date=February 8, 2016}} ! style="width:45px;"|UK |
| 1976
| Feel It | align=center | — | align=center | — |
| 1977
| Off the Wall | align=center | — | align=center | — |
| 1978
| Spacin' Out | align=center | — | align=center | — |
| 1979
| Lookin' for Love | align=center | — | align=center | — |
| 1980
| Stand Up | align=center | 72 | align=center | — |
| 1982
| Breakin' Out | align=center | — | align=center | 58 |
| 1983
| Straight from the Heart | align=center | — | align=center | — |
| 1986
| Nice | align=center | — | align=center | — |
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
=Compilation albums=
- The Best of Fat Larry's Band (1994)
- Greatest Hits (1995)
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications |
|---|
| style="width:45px;"|US Dance {{cite web|title=Fat Larry's Band Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Fat+Larry%27s+Band.art|website=Music VF|accessdate=12 November 2020}} ! style="width:45px;"|US R&B ! style="width:45px;"|AUS ! style="width:45px;"|UK |
| rowspan="2"| 1976
| "Center City" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | ― | align=center | 31 | |
| "Fascination"
| align=center | 39 | align=center | — | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | |
| rowspan="1"| 1977
| "Peaceful Journey" | align=center | — | align=center | 94 | align=center | — | align=center | — | |
| rowspan="1"| 1978
| "We Just Can't Get It Together" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | |
| rowspan="3"| 1979
| "Boogie Town" | align=center | — | align=center | 43 | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| "Here Comes the Sun"
| align=center | 39 | align=center | 44 | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| "Lookin' for Love Tonight"
| align=center | 27 | align=center | 47 | align=center | — | align=center | 46 | |
| rowspan="2"| 1980
| "Can't Keep My Hands to Myself" | align=center | ― | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | ― | |
| "How Good Is Love"
| align=center | ― | align=center | 78 | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | |
| rowspan="4"| 1982
| "Act Like You Know" | align=center | 24 | align=center | 67 | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| "Be My Lady"
| align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| "Traffic Stopper"
| align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| "Zoom"
| align=center | ― | align=center | 89 | align=center | 10 | align=center | 2 | |
| rowspan="3"| 1983
| "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | 83 | |
| "Straight from the Heart"
| align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | 88 | |
| "Don't Let It Go to Your Head"
| align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | 93 | |
| rowspan="3"| 1986
| "Nice" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| "Sunrise Sunset"
| align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| "Teach Me (There Is Something About Love)"
| align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | — | |
| colspan="12" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
See also
{{Portal|1980s}}
References
{{Reflist}}