The second video (bottom one) below is "Inside looking out" one of my favorite songs by Grand Funk Railroad..it's live era 1969! Sorry I meant to post this video first but it came out at the bottom for some reason! Please play this video first! It's the very first song I ever heard by them. I first discovered Mark and Grand Funk Railroad in the late 60's on an "underground FM radio station" growing up in Los Angeles county. I discovered most of my favorite rock groups and other artists from that radio station during that era time frame.
The other artist I discovered in the late 60's through the underground FM radio station were Andy Warhol and Velvet Underground, Nico, Laura Nyro, Melanie, Alice Cooper. The DJ did a lot of talk radio interviews with a lot of these artist he played, combined with their music. His name was "Elliot Menz" who later became John and Yoko's manager. John and Yoko were on Elliots radio show a lot having late night "chats". Each time I would hear a new artist I really liked on there (while listening very late at night) I would then go out the next day and search all over for their albums. Not always easy when they were not very popular and basically had no airplay on radio "pop" stations! But I would always manage to find their albums and I still have all of those albums! I had a wonderful encounter with John and Yoko at a mall in the early 70's...and had met Jim Morrison and the doors also..of course I've already posted that info way back in my blog archives...so I won't "go there" again.
Grand Funk Railroad got their name from their musical works often sounding a lot like a train locomotion. They got their fans from other places, like (as I mentioned) underground rock stations , their concerts, which sold out all the time too. I went to a 1972 Grank Funk Railroad concert with some friends and my sisters. I dragged them along, had extra tickets. They complained the whole drive to the forum. They did not want to go and were not into GFR but frankly they had never taken the time to ever listen to them....so, 30 minutes into the concert I wasn't surprised to watch them head banging their brains out! They loved them! We could not hear for a few hours after the concert was over. Sound system wooo hooo. I went to many many rock concerts in those days but GFR was the most unforgettable and most fun ever (other than the doors playing in concert at my high school gym)...GFR were better live than on vinyl! Just the best guitar licks, vocals, drums, harmonica, etc..
So, in the second video "Inside looking out" take the time to listen through the whole song...it's very very long and towards the middle and up to the end the guitar work is just amazing for back then! Be patient. Of course I love the whole video. It's all still brand new to me as I watch and listen..I never tire of it. The band is my favorite hard rockin band (other than the doors and velvet underground, Lou Reed).... Mark Farner is still my favorite guitarist, he's got his own unique style and I love his voice and he is still rockin after all these years. They are trying to vote Mark and GFR into the rockin hall of fame but they still have not done it..it amazes me as Mark and GFR were and "still" are incredibly talented musicians.
The first video below (top one) is the song "Heartbreaker" done live in 1989 by Mark Farner and his own band. He does some fantastic guitar work in this one towards the middle!! Incredible! I found Mark Farner doing the "Heartbreaker" song live in a youtube 2004 video...but the picture was so wobbly and the music kept cutting off...but Mark still does great work today and looks fantastic for a man in his 60's!! Rocking out keeps you young (at least it does me) and Mark may have less hair on the top (but long in back) but his body is even more lean now and he still has those muscles in his arms and he still wears his armband...and most of all he's "Still got it"! If you don't believe me go check him out on youtube. So in the the first live concert song here "Inside looking out" Mark was 19 or 20 in 1969...and in the second video song "Hearbreaker" it's Mark 20 years later 1989. I thought he sounded even better and his guitar licks were more evolved. GFR changed their name to Grand Funk later in the "mid 70's and turned more "pop" which I didn't care for...that was not the "real thing" for them..never was I feel. Mark stopped his drug taking a long time ago and became a born again "Christian"...however he became an open and "into the environment, and "all my brothers and sisters" type Christian...he sets a good example of what a good Christian might be...he is a very open, loving, truthful, honest "up front" type of man.
Funny, how I do love the old rock but I also love a lot of new rock, alternative, pop too..I just like to keep evolving. I guess I've always been a rebel at heart. Oh my mother hated that about me. I was so "evil" listening to that "Sick evil music" she used to say. Well I don't think I turned out too bad considering I had a mother like her! I was curious and always open to new and different and eclectic kind of music. My friends used to tell me that I should have become a record producer because I would recognize talent, a new group or some musical artist before anyone around me knew who they were. I would find and buy their first album and play it all the time and say to anyone who would listen "they will become famous in a few years"....and they almost always did...this still happens to me. I think nickelback, smashing pumpkins, Linkin park is very good...coldplay, the killers, eve 6, the frey. I like quite a few Eminems songs. I'm kind of all over the map when it comes to music, and I loved the 80's mtv "big hair" music videos...Sting, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, ABC, flock of sea gulls. They were very creative with their music videos then, they had "stories" to them like little "movies". I'm not into country though...sorry people...:o( ....but I do love Keith Urbans "I'm going to love you like nobody's loved you making memories of us"...ooooh. Hope you'll take the time to listen to GFR's two whole videos songs here (give them a chance) and let me know what you think?...I'd be very curious and interested to know. Rock out!...I hope you enjoy them. Remember to please play the second video at the bottom "first"...then play the first one at the top...or heck play the first one first if you want...then compare the two...such a talent...at least in my opinion..
13 comments:
Yep! Music is universal. I'm all over the map too about the genre.
I just love music and love singing the songs that got my Mom mad and go crazy because I sang them loud and often out of key. Nowadays, Wifey gets the brunt of my singing "talent."
Yes, most definitely. You turned out to be an angel and inspirational to many with your strength and perseverance. That beautiful soul.
Rock on my friend!
Interesting...I must admit, I've always associated Grand Funk Railroad with the big hits that ended up on "classic rock" radio...never would've expected to see them in the same list of "underground music" as the Velvet Underground. Then, I'm often horrified by people who think of the Clash (one of the great bands of the late 70's/early 80's) as the band that did "Rock the Casbah," or Lou Reed as the guy who did "Walk on the Wild Side." Clearly, I need to educate myself a bit more....
Thanks!
Welcome to Classic Rock! The Funk earlier stuff is the best!
Keep digging into the Funk Trunk and you'll find treasures galore!
Come visit me at farner9 for help!
P.S. Heartbreaker is an original song from the GFR band. It was originally made in 1969-70.
"Inside looking out" is an original song from the GFR band from the(as I call it) "Red album" titled "Inside looking out"..this was their very first album made in 1969. '
GFR first three albums they made were the best they ever made. I've got all three of them and more.
Rhianon,the Album titled On Time was GFR's first, not the Red Album.
Second, Inside Looking Out was not a GFR original, It was written and recorded first by Eric Burdon and he Animals.
Well Jay, I see that you discovered GFR during their "later" "pop" years, when they finally got hits on the radio and such. That was a very different time for them. They were so different as "pop" artists..I was devastated.
I think their best years were when the "norm" "pop radio" in those days absolutely refused to give GFR any air play whatsoever..some of it a bit due to the tough language and really hard rock in their songs,etc..yet they had millions of fans, their very early albums sold "enough" with not one song on pop radio let alone not one hit either..until later when they became just "Grand Funk"..and took the air out of "Railroad" and went "Commercial". I forgive them though and will always love their very early on albums..they were "true Grand Funk Railroad" then from the "heart".
I know what you mean about Lou Reed and Velvet Underground. I got what was I think one of their first albums with the "Banana" on the cover where it said to peel it..and Nico was in that album with "Femme Fatale" and "I'll be your mirror" and Lou sang about "heroin"...way way back when.
Actually I really liked "Rock the Casbah" by Clash..and "London calling" too. I read that they were devastated that the "Casbah" song was used a lot for the war and also for war movies about the middle east..apparently they had no control over the musical rights or something. So sad that the lead singer died a while back.
Thanks for dropping by Jay.
Mujd.
You and I love music! What can we say?..:o)..it's in our blood I guess. I also like you love to sing outloud to all the songs I love dearly..new, old whatever song they may be. I memorize the words so easily and almost sing the lyrics word for word..yet I can't remember so many things these days..short term memory loss..this is so strange how our brains work. I think that music affects our right side of the brain or than our "technical left" side for sure.
Keep rockin on my friend.
Rhi
Dear Anonymous,
I stand corrected. Your right about both. The animals did record "Inside looking out" first. I checked. I did not know they had an album before the "red one"..where can I get it?
However I wanted to make it clear that Mark singing the "Heartbreaker" song in the 89 video here was a song from the "original" GFR album from way back when..and not a "new" song from Mark.
Thanks for clarifying the "Facts"..I stand corrected.
Rhi
The album On Time can be purchased at CD Universe, Amazon, and both the GFR and Farner websites. Their entire Capitol catalog was remastered with bonus tracks and released in 2001
Thank you Anonymous...I have most of my other GFR albums in CD's also but do not have On Time in album or CD..I hope it's a good listen..sure it will be.
I don't know how I can select the album I am going for in our stacks so easily but my eyes went directly to the red gfr when I checked. I didn't know that "Inside looking out" was not an original either. What do we do with all of these vinyls?? I am certain that they sound better than the "sampling" done to create the CD!!
I think that "White Light White Heat" was the first Lou Reed Album but I could be wrong (love "Sweet Jane" -- also done by Cowboy Junkies with different words)
How about King Crimson??
Dearest Rhiannon SisSTAR! Me and Jeff (or is it Jeff and I? I can never remember!) just watched the early Grand Funk video and he was singing along (which he never lets me hear him, but he was!) and he knew the words and he LOVED it and wanted me to thank you...so...and I thank you for my awesome card and the photo you embellished. It really made my day. Jeff also liked me reading to him the comments herein ... maybe he should be a blogger? tee hee!
He's an over-the-shoulder reader from way back ... so now we'll have to listen and watch the newer GFR (and by the way, I'm sorry, I am not too proud to say that I loved "Locomotion" by Grand Funk. I know it wasn't "early" blah blah, as you conoisseurs like better, but it was the best version of a good song. So there!
SisSTAR
You may enjoy linking to a friend of mine, Dan Morrison at Facebook(I'm listed as Lisa Nanette Allender at FB)!
Also, you may wish to check out "Dan's Song Search". It's a cool site, and my ol' pal, Dan knows ALL the answers to your questions on bands. And he knows great stories about various musical artists, as well!
Peace, woman. ;)
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