GCS 2000 is the eighth studio album by Graham Central Station, and their first to be released by NPG Records. The album was co-produced by Prince (as  ), who co-wrote one song (Utopia) and appeared on every track as a musician or vocalist (mostly uncredited).
The album was released on 2 February 1999, the same day as 1999: The New Master (on which Larry Graham also appears), and was third and final album in the 'trilogy' worked on with Prince (as ) and Chaka Khan from late 1997 to mid-1998 (New Power Generation’s Newpower Soul and Chaka Khan’s Come 2 My House were the other two albums in the trilogy).
The booklet contains a long note written by Prince, titled "’s dare" in which he describes with superlatives Larry Graham’s style, how "he is funk ITSELF" and dares anyone who listens to the album to "try not 2 make the 'funky face'."
Sessions and compiling
The album was recorded between November 1997, and January 1998, at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA. Three of the songs are updated versions of previously-released tracks, however. GCS 2000 is an updated version of We’ve Been Waiting, the first track on the band’s first album, Graham Central Station (from 1974).
Just B My Lady is an updated version of the track Just Be My Lady, the first track on Larry Graham’s third ’solo' album, Just Be My Lady (from 1981, also released as a single). Eye’magettin’ is essentially an updated version of the track Earthquake, the fifth track on Graham Central Station’s fifth album, Now Do U Wanta Dance (from 1977).
An undated early work-in-progress configuration of the album is known to exist. It included songs that were removed as the album progressed: Jump And Shout, Do U Wanna Get Funky?, Push It Up and a song named  ’ve Been Loving U So Long. Jump And Shout and ’ve Been Loving U So Long remain unreleased. A short sample of Do U Wanna Get Funky? can be heard on a Segue of GCS 2000. Push It Up was released on the New Power Generation’s Newpower Soul album.
Although credited as a Graham Central Station album, only GCS 2000 contains band members other than Larry Graham. The rest of the album is largely recorded by Larry Graham and Prince (as ), along with contributions from many of Prince’s own associates.
Prince also appeared on three tracks on Larry Graham and Graham Central Station’s 2012 album Raise Up; their first album since GCS 2000.
Promotion
The album produced only one promotional single, U Move Me, with no commercial release. It did not enter the charts.
Larry Graham and Graham Central Station toured extensively with Prince (as ) on the New Power Soul Tour and the New Power Soul Festival Tour, which was designed to promote this album and the 'companion' albums, the New Power Generation’s Newpower Soul and Chaka Khan’s Come 2 My House, but Larry Graham’s set focused on his wider catalogue of songs (largely focusing on his work with Sly and the Family Stone) rather than this album, which was only released following the tour.
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1998: Van Gogh ◄
