'Fat' Larry James

“Fat” Larry James. (b. August 2^nd, 1949).Drummer and Founder of  American R&B/funk band, The Fat Larry’s Band

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.

Career

Formed by drummer and vocalist "Fat" Larry James (August 2, 1949 – December 5, 1987) 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, saxophonist Doug Jones, bassist Larry La Bes, trombonist/alto saxophonist Jimmy Lee, and keyboardist Erskine Williams.

The band's biggest hits were "Act Like You Know" (which appears on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack) and "Zoom", which reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1982. Fat Larry's Band had three other hits in the UK: "Center City", "Boogie Town", and "Lookin' for Love".

On December 5, 1987, James died from a heart attack at the age of 38. 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 hip-hop artists, including N.W.A, Ice-T, Jungle Brothers, and Run-D.M.C.

Discography

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)"