“Growing up in Flint, Mich., we were influenced by R&B. “It wasn’t on anybody’s radar,” Brewer said. This time, it was a little known song by the Soul Brothers Six that peaked at No. That’s what we were going for - a big party in the studio.”Ī year later, Grand Funk Railroad hit the Top 5 with another remake. They recorded ‘Barbara Ann’ and it sounded like a party. We are going to record ‘The Loco-Motion!’ (Producer) Todd Rundgren put a Beach Boys feel on it. “So we called our manager and said: ‘We’ve got to have the lyrics to the Little Eva version.
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD ON TIME CRACKED
We broke for dinner one night and Mark came back singing: ‘Everybody’s doing a brand new dance now.’ We just cracked up! That would be such a goof for Grand Funk Railroad to do ‘The Loco-Motion.’ “We had basically completed the album and were going to release ‘Shinin’ On’ as (the first single). “We were looking for another hit to follow ‘We’re An American Band’ and ‘Walk Like a Man,’” Brewer said. 1 single almost did not make the 1974 album “Shinin’ On.” I thought: ‘Let me step up to the plate and what I can come up with.’” But we never had to concern ourselves with having a ‘hit single’ before. “Mark was our primary songwriter and we were happy to have him contributing at that level. “I hadn’t focused on being a songwriter prior to that,” he said. Besides “We’re An American Band,” Brewer wrote and sang hits such as “Walk Like a Man,” “Shinin’ On” and “Take Me.” The group dynamic also changed when Brewer began writing and providing lead vocals on many songs. “We were struggling to survive and we had to move on,” Brewer said. Grand Funk Railroad shortened its name to Grand Funk, added Craig Frost on keyboards and enlisted Todd Rundgren to produce the band’s new album (“We’re An American Band”) and help them become more radio-friendly. “Everything had to three to four minutes long. “Radio had changed from being ‘underground FM’ to an ‘FM hits’ format,” he said. The band, Brewer said, was “looking for a change.” By 1973, though, Grand Funk Railroad had fired manager/producer Terry Knight, having spent most of the previous year fighting him in court. That was faster than the Beatles’ sell-out in 1965. Grand Funk Railroad’s first wave of success culminated in July 1971, when the band sold out Shea Stadium’s 55,000 seats in 72 hours. It’s honest - and that’s what people picked up on.” “When I listen to those albums now, I’m fascinated by the mistakes I hear and how many things we could’ve done better. We weren’t in a recording mecca saying: ‘How does this snare drum sound?’ We were focused on capturing the moment. … The songs had to be good, the performances had to be good - and the recording was what it was. “We would record them in a matter of days. “I believe that if you listen to those first three records (‘On Time,’ ‘Grand Funk,’ ‘Closer to Home’), they were very honest rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. Grand Funk Railroad also benefitted from an organic recording nature that “caught the moment,” Brewer said. It might be a rodeo place with a dirt floor, bleachers and three Super Troupers for lights.”
“We played all over - even places where there wasn’t a good concert facility. “We were always on the road,” Brewer said. Formed in Flint, Mich., in 1969, the trio of Brewer, Schacher and guitarist/singer/songwriter Mark Farner blended their love of hard rock and R&B into a sound that produced 10 gold or platinum albums from 1969 to 1975. Going (Pa.) Dutch: Festival offers taste of folk cultureĬONCERTWATCH: Appice Brothers join forces for drum-driven rock showĬountless nights on the road not only provided Grand Funk Railroad a devoted fan base, but also helped make the band one of music’s biggest acts of the 1970s. We’re just going to do new stuff that we want to do!’ We give them what they want.” We’re not a band that says: ‘We don’t want to do the hits. “We do a piece that is all percussion in the middle of the show called ‘Thunder and Lightning.’ We know what everyone wants and expects. “We mix in a few new things that we’ve worked on over the years,” he said. The band, which performs about 40 concerts per year, generally sticks to its classic-rock and pop staples during live shows, Brewer said.
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