Capitol Center, Washington, DC. Hooo. That was really a concert that people were so excited about. I mean it was like, uh, Graham Central Station and Sly and the Family Stone. I mean people were like tripping like it was like it's going to be this battle, you know. Muhammed Ali against Joe Frazier or something. In this corner we have Graham Central Station weighing in at ... It was a trip. People were like coming from all over, uh, all over the states, I mean, coming to see this concert. And, and, in fact, the place was up beyond capacity. It must have been about 22, 23,000 people inside, but about 5 or 6000 I heard were outside. And they tell me that they broke down the doors and people on the outside forced their way inside. I mean the place was like packed out right. And in people's minds they were looking at it like this great battle was going to take place. I wasn't looking at it like that. I mean, to me it was going to be a, a treat to be able to be on the same stage. Hopefully, we'd get up there and do something together, right? But anyway that's what was in people minds, so they were all pumped up. And, and uh, we were waiting, and waiting to start the show. And the promoter came back and, and uh, said, well, there's a problem. It looks like Sly's not going to make it, you know. And we were, we were wondering if you would go out and tell the people that Sly's not going to be here. I don't think so. No way, Jose. I'm going to be the person to go out there and tell them people that. They'd kill me off right on stage. Uh, whatever happened to Larry Graham. Well, you know, he walked on stage and he told the people and so on and so on, they threw him in the crowd and they lynched him, you know? Not me. I told him, I said, look, no. But, I'll tell you what, you can let the people know that we will play and play and play. We will play extra. So then they have a choice. If they want to stay and get into Graham Central Station, fine. And if they don't, give them their money back, you know? And so that's what he did. He went out there and gave the people a choice, and told the people if they wanted to leave they could get their money back, you know. People stayed and we went out and we played and played and played and played and played and played. And it was one of the best shows, and, and actually from that point on, Washington, DC, Capitol Center, which is really in Landover, Maryland, but we called it, it's right next to DC, it became like the biggest market in the whole United States for Graham Central Station.

I want to talk about "Hair."

Oh, there, that was one of my songs. [plays and sings] Hair. That, I got into that song because people really used to ask me everywhere, is that really all your hair? Because I had this hair that was like, boomp. It was like, bit, hanging down, big 'fro, super 'fro. And people would literally ask me so that's what I wrote the song.

[INAUDIBLE] On the Sly, on the Family Stone, the bass is very important, but it doesn't have anywhere near the prominence that it has on Graham Central Station. And this became the ______. Was this just the logical progression for you? Because the funk you're playing on that is deeper than anything I'd heard up until that point.

Well, Graham Central Station, even though it wasn't planned, uh, when I left Sly and the Family Stone, did become the, the natural progression to, uh, what we got into musically, and my bass became more prominent, me being the leader of the band now, as opposed to, you know, Sly being the leader and he being featured most of the time in Sly and the Family Stone. Now I was the featured vocalist in, you know, as far as the bass was concerned too, I would be out front. So, like "Hair," for example, the song was actually built around the bass, the bass was very prominent in that, even though there's lead vocals and melodies and harmonies and so forth, even songs like "Release Yourself." [plays and sings] You know, I mean that was like prominent. Getting the drums and the organ and all that stuff going and cooking in there. But still the, the bass was like prominent. "Can You Handle It." [plays and sings] You know, again, the bass is prominent. I was singing melodies and stuff. But the bass would always be right there, just behind me, there's the bass. So the bass did become more prominent in Graham Central Station.

With all the music that was going on at this time. Let's just talk about some of the different -- where does James Brown fit in.

Soul music! Owww! I feel good, da-da-da-da. James Brown, Godfather of Soul. And uh, uh, soul music was what was happening when Sly and the Family Stone came on the scene. And again it's music from the heart. You had guys going in cutting live, maybe, I've heard of James Brown cutting several tracks in, in one night, you know, live stuff. And that's the feeling that you got from his records, raw energy. And there were other groups, but as far as soul is concerned, I think James was the most prominent at that time.

Jimi Hendrix. Where do you place him in all this _____. He was this presence that sort of, his influence was felt a lot. How did you feel about him?

Well, for me, Hendrix was really, I say Jimi Hendrix was like my favorite guitarist, you know?

Jimi Hendrix was one of my favorite overall guitar players. I mean of course there's nobody that played like Freddie for what Freddie played. So, there's no way of excluding him. But overall Hendrix was my favorite, and the lead and all the stuff that he did, and his whole concept. I think he was probably the most influential guitar player of all times that I'm aware of. And you know, one time we were at this club in, uh, New York, this underground club. And Hendrix was there in the club chilling and he decided to go up on the stage and sit in, and took the guitar, and turned it upside down and got into some stuff that was just awesome. It was just beautiful. And as he was leaving the club, I was leaving at the same time, and he asked me, uh, hey Graham, why don't you come down to the studio with me and jam with me. And Sly and the Family Stone we were kind of like into not playing with other people at that time. It was kind of like a thing that was an unwritten rule that we just didn't do it, right? And I always wonder to this day what that would have been like if I would've had the privilege of going into the studio and playing with Jimi Hendrix. Oh boy, I was so sorry I didn't take advantage of that opportunity, but, you know. We can think about it and smile.

The Beatles, uh, I think probably had an effect on most musical groups. I mean, they had had an impact on the world. So naturally there was going to be some influence to some degree, even if it's just a little bit on, on, on most popular music, because that was the thing that was like, at the top. So, you know, naturally, flavors of the Beatle stuff.

I just want to backtrack just a moment to James Brown. Do you remember _____________.

Oh yeah, yeah.

"Cold Sweat" you know was just -- [plays]. That was like, up we go! In a cold sweat! That was just so funky. You see James doing them steps and sliding on one leg all the way across the stage, I mean it's like hey. I mean nobody could do the stuff he was doing. I mean he influenced so many people not only with his singing, but his dancing, his, everything, his band, musicianship, showmanship. The king, king.

I think that with the prominence of James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Hendrix, the Beatles, all those type of, of groups that were strong in what they did, you couldn't help but influence each other. You know? I'm, I'm sure that, that when you really listen carefully you hear people taking little bits and pieces from each other, just to, just to influence. I hear it, overall. I hear James Brown's music in a lot of people's music. I hear Sly and the Family Stone, ______ Hendrix's influence. You know, there's that overlapping, and that's what happens when you're that prominent and that strong in, in what you do. People, people will imitate and emulate you even if they're not really consciously trying to do so. They can't help it. You're the influence at that time.

There were a number of other big bands in this period, we're talking late '70s, like Parliament/Funkadelic. What did you think.

"We like the funk." Parliament/Funkadelic, we did a show with them in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Graham Central Station, Parliament/Funkadelic, right. And it was funny because George, the way they would do the who, he would roll this coffin out on the stage and all the lights would be done, and this coffin would open -- [makes creaking noise]. And then this would arm would pop out, and this leg would pop out -- then all the sudden, voomp. "We like the funk." The audience would go like nuts, right. But my wife now is watching this whole performance, getting out the coffin and all this stuff, and after the show, I tell her hey, baby, I want you to come back stage, I want you to meet somebody. And she says, who? I say I want you to meet George Clinton. She say, uh-uh. I say, why? Nooooo. C'mon baby, look, he's really a nice guy, you know. No, no. And so finally I was able to convince her to come backstage and meet George, right? And the whole time she's in the dressing room, she's like standing behind me, like peeking out behind -- . She was like scared to death. And George is like, oh hi, Mrs. Graham, how are you, pleased to meet you. Really nice and courteous and stuff. Blew, blew Tina away, right? But she was really scared. And then she calmed down after she met him and he was so nice. Years later, last year when Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Who does the presentation but George Clinton, right? And so when we are in the back room, you know, a little reception room, and we see George and we're talking, hey, how you doing? Good to see you and so forth. And he tells me wife, he say, you know, by the way, I remember when you were backstage at that concert in New York. He said, I know you was scared of me. And we were like, she was like, you really knew? She was all blushing and embarrassed, it was funny. He really knew how scared she was, and told her years later. But Parliament/Funkadelic, fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. And George is still funking it.

When you talk about bass players, what about Bootsy Collins?

Oh, Bootsy's bad, yeah. Bootsy got his, I mean he got his thing where when he plays, you know its Bootsy. He has his own bag. You know right away, his sound, his approach, his attack, his attitude, yabba dabba doo baby. I mean it's like, I mean nobody do Bootsy like Bootsy, you know. I mean another bass player that I really love, Stanley Clarke. You know, we did a tour together, in fact we, we, Stanley Clarke, we were, we were uh, asked to do a gig in Japan, me and Stanley. And so we decided to do it, just bass, two basses and drums, nothing else, right? So Stanley comes over to my house, and I was living in Hollywood Hills at the time. And he comes over for rehearsal. And we sit down on the couch and we get to talking. And my wife bring out some sake, right? Give him some sake, I take some sake, and we're sitting there and we talk, and it's like. Well, that was rehearsal. We never did pick up our axes at all. We just talked about we're going to do this and do that. And we went to the gig, and he came out from one side of the stage. [plays] And I came from the other side, and we was marching towards each other, and we're getting closer and closer, we got to the center of the stage, there. [plays] We just started going crazy. And the crowd went, oh. And the whole show must have been an hour and a half or so, and it was just basses, two basses and drums, that was it. And it was one of the most incredible shows, I mean, I'm not saying this just because I was one of the ones in it. I mean I had never done anything like that, right? The people just went off. And after that we did Brazil, for, oh, must have been about a month or two, something like, we did Brazil together. And, and, and of course, Verdine White, Earth, Wind and Fire? This bass right here, this bass? Verdine gave me this. The guy came home, came out, was living in Marina Del Ray, and came home one day and got to the guard gate, and they say, we got a package for you. I'm expecting a little envelope, you know, mail or something. He pulls out this big old box, you know. And it's like, well, what's this. Uh, Mr. Verdine White left this for you. Open it up and here's this beautiful bass that he, that he gave me. Thank you, Verdine. That's my buddy.

Earth, Wind and Fire. What was their impact on music? They came out with a whole 'nother thing.

Yeah, I think that, I think that Sly and the Family Stone had a big influence on Earth, Wind and Fire, you, you can hear that. But then they have their own thing that they do. I think Sly and the Family Stone was just an influence, like it was for many other groups. But Earth, Wind and Fire got to their own zone. And you could hear them doing anything, it could be a commercial on television or radio, and right away, Earth, Wind and Fire. You know, it could be a 15 second spot. So they have a very unique sound. And then of course the unmistakable vocals of Mr. Philip Bailey. You know, who sounds like that, you know. They have a uniqueness about them that, when they, when they're going to do a show, people go crazy.

The Ohio Players. When I think of the Ohio Players, I also think of the Isley Brothers. Now you're probably wondering why. And I won't leave you hanging. They made some of the best sounding records. I mean, these folks went into the studio and they just had it mastered down, they had the technique down of how to make a record just jump off, you know, just jump off your radio, I mean just jump out at you, you know? And, and, I just really just always loved, that's why I just put them two together. To me, they had some of the best sounding records. They'd really know how to work them in the studio. And then of course, I had the privilege of touring with both bands, the Ohio Players and Isley Brothers. We did some extensive touring together and it was always fun. You know, and uh, I hear they're back out now and hopefully we'll get a chance to do something again. Because, boy it was, it was fun.

[sings] Say what?

I hear a little in that sound, I hear a little of Sly and the Family Stone?

Of course you do. You hear the Sly influence in, in, in Sugar's voice, like you hear the Sly influence in Maurice White's voice. You know, there's a lot of people that Sly influenced, just him alone with his voice. [sings] "If you want me to stay, I'll be around today, I'll be available for you to see." I mean who would sound like that?