From: owner-grand-funk To: grand-funk-digest Subject: grand-funk V1 #11 Reply-To: Errors-To: owner-grand-funk Precedence: bulk grand-funk Tuesday, 18 February 1997 Volume 01 : Number 011 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Phil Catalano Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 10:29:23 -0700 (MST) Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song] You know, it's really interesting to listen to other GF fans and see what their favorite and least favorite songs and albums are. For instance someone said the other day the they just about hated Black Licorice. Well to this day that's one of my favorites. And then someone said that their favorite song was No Lies, and that's one of my least favorites. And now Jim is saying that the worst album is Born To Die, well that one of my favs too! And Phoenix, although I do like the album, is not on the top of my list. I guess it's all just personal preference, to each his own. And that's fine. Bottom line is that we're all a bunch of crazed Grand Funk fans! And that's what counts! Phil p.s. Jim- I'm kind of a guitar player. And yes, I too love Farner's guitar work! He puts so much feel into everything he does. Have you seen him lately, like over the past 5 years or so? He's improved tremendously! - --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--= Phil Catalano phil.catalano@mci.com - --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--= On Sun, 16 Feb 1997 jmaijala@sprynet.com wrote: > What is my favorite GFR song? Well it probably is Closer to Home. However, a > case can be made for Loneliest Rider (remember that one?) Best album, probably > Phoenix because it was produced by themselves with little outside influence. > Worst Album, Born to Die, definately, without question. Least appriceiated > album, Good Singin', Good Playin'. This album really had some good work on it. > > Any guitar players out there?? I love Farner's guitar work. lots of feeling > and not to technocratic if you know what I mean. > > Thanks for reading, > > Jim Maijala > ------------------------------ From: IMTurtle2@aol.com Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 12:31:40 -0500 (EST) Subject: Mark's Guitar Mark's Messanger guitar, the original, is currently on loan to the Sloan Museum in Flint, Mi. It is behind glass in all of it's duck-taped glory! Ltr, Jim ------------------------------ From: "NH Borger" Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 18:46:53 +0100 Subject: Re: Mark's Guitar > Mark's Messanger guitar, the original, is currently on loan to the Sloan > Museum in Flint, Mi. It is behind glass in all of it's duck-taped glory! Nice to hear (read). Jim, do you also know who is the current owner? Mark still? Nico. ------------------------------ From: DrBlut@aol.com Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 15:27:21 -0500 (EST) Subject: Black Licorice/GSGP on CD? Hello fellow funkers! Regarding the like/dislike of "Black Licorice", I've always liked this song because I LOVE the organ solo by Craig! I think it's one of his best!! Also, several of the GFR cds that I have are the Japanese imports, which I think sound great. However, I haven't heard any of the domestic cd releases. For instance, is the sound better on the domestic release of E Pluribus Funk compared to the Japanese release? One last thing - I was cruising the internet the other day and came across a site somewhere (I can't remember where and I didn't make a note of it) that indicated Good Singin' Good Playin' was once released on cd here in the U.S., but it's now out of print. I must have missed this one somewhere down the line. Does anyone else have GSGP on cd? Jim K. drblut@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Phil Catalano Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 13:54:47 -0700 (MST) Subject: Re: Black Licorice/GSGP on CD? On Mon, 17 Feb 1997 DrBlut@aol.com wrote: > Hello fellow funkers! Regarding the like/dislike of "Black Licorice", I've > always liked this song because I LOVE the organ solo by Craig! I think it's > one of his best!! I agree! > > Also, several of the GFR cds that I have are the Japanese imports, which I > think sound great. However, I haven't heard any of the domestic cd releases. > For instance, is the sound better on the domestic release of E Pluribus Funk > compared to the Japanese release? I've never noticed a difference. > > One last thing - I was cruising the internet the other day and came across a > site somewhere (I can't remember where and I didn't make a note of it) that > indicated Good Singin' Good Playin' was once released on cd here in the U.S., > but it's now out of print. I must have missed this one somewhere down the > line. Does anyone else have GSGP on cd? > I don't think GSGP has EVER been released on CD. If it has that would be news to a bunch of us funk fanatics. Phil Shake, it's more than I can take, I'm starting to lose control... ------------------------------ From: jmaijala@sprynet.com Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 20:06:46 -0800 Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song] Howdy Phil, Yes, I saw Mark as a member of the Ringo Starr all Starr Band in 1995. Mark stole the entire show. He did Locomotion, Closer to Home(MY PERSONAL FAV.) and Some Kind of Wonderful(I HATE THAT ONE). HE looked very fit and played better than I have ever seen him. I wonder if he was warming up for the reunion? Anyway, Randy Bachman was part of the band and he is so blown up it looks like he was playing a ukelaly!! I used to have a songbook for Mark, Don, and Mel but I lost it about 20 Years ago!! I am actually ready to pay actual green stamps to get my hands on some songbooks. Getting my daily fix-o-funk, Jim Maijala ------------------------------ From: Bruce Thomas Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 21:07:04 -0800 Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song] > On Sun, 16 Feb 1997 jmaijala@sprynet.com wrote: > What is my favorite GFR song? Well it probably is Closer to Home. However, a > case can be made for Loneliest Rider (remember that one?) Best album, probably > Phoenix because it was produced by themselves with little outside influence. > Worst Album, Born to Die, definately, without question. Least appriceiated > album, Good Singin', Good Playin'. This album really had some good work on it. > Any guitar players out there?? I love Farner's guitar work. lots of feeling > and not to technocratic if you know what I mean. > Thanks for reading, > Jim Maijala Hey Jim! Yea, man...everyone's got their favorite Funk! I just went out and bought a used vinyl "Live Album"....again...had it for years..turned up missing lately! Talk about lead guitar work....I LOVE the live version of "Inside Looking Out" on that LP...absolutely C_O_O_L!!! I've always been of a mind set that poor Mel was way-underated. When I listen to ANY GFR these days I hear Mel Mel and more Mel! He was such a powerhouse and a BIG BIG force behind the "magic". Not to slight the other members...but Mel really had it together! I think his laid back style on stage helped may have contributed to his lack of recognition. Everyone always loves the "up front" man. Take Mel out of GFR...and I think you'd lose a lot more that 33% of the magic. What does everyone else say about Mell and his lack of recognition? - -- -=[ Bruce ]=- /~~\_/~\ ,,, | #=#==========# \_/~\_/ ``` ------------------------------ From: jmaijala@sprynet.com Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 20:31:43 -0800 Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song] Hello Bruce, I believe Mel was a real force in the recording studio. The studio versions of the GFR tracks display his unequaled talent when it came to hard driving or complicated bass lines. I believe the Live Tracks took some of this away as they always seem to conncentrate on Mark's Guitar work and singing. Remember, back in the late 60's and 70's the bass player was rarely seen running around the stage in any band, let alone GFR. Not until KISS did a bass player really come out front. And for those of you who want to throw Paul McCartney in my face remember, he played alot of different instruments, not just bass. I want to talk about Black Licorice too. If not for the live version of this song, it probably would be a forgotten track on an album that produced 2 hit records. I think it was put into the live shows because of the organ solo that would hilight Craig Frost. I could personally take or leave the song. It doesn't have that bluesy GFR sound that I like on alot of their other songs. CLOSER TO HOME is their best song. It tells a good story, kinds of mirrors their own lives and is one of the altime great rock numbers of all time. See you on side B, Jim Maijala ------------------------------ From: WHIRLEGREG@aol.com Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 23:50:16 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song] glad to see this site is staying cool!! as you are probably well aware some sites are getting ugly and tho some word from someone "inside lookin out" would be very helpful lets remember why we are here and that is to celebrate a great rock and roll band GRAND FUNK RAILROAD!! so what good is it if we forget to conduct ourselves with the class we and the band share?? lets NOT make em reconsider the reunion!! anyway i was on my way to the monthly record convention and as i listened to ATGITWB on cassette i thought good and evil along with destitute and losin along with the 2 recently recorded songs and maybe another old secret nuggett would certainly "let me stand next to your fire" anyone else? oh yeah and i bought the only funk album i EVER bashed "monumental funk" on a picture disk! keep up that show of class funk fans!! ------------------------------ From: LMcdan1313@aol.com Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 01:04:27 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song] I think the recent live version of Closer to Home with the organ intro and Mark's expanded guitar lead in the middle is their best song bar none, but on the albums I like a great many of them depending on the mood I'm in, however, I believe the two most underrated songs, which I don't think were ever done live are Anybody's Answer and I Don't Have to Sing The Blues. Those two songs could be hits today if released as singles. Come on and ride the railroad one more time! Larry ------------------------------ From: HCRRock@aol.com Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 01:13:18 -0500 (EST) Subject: OTHER GRAND FUNK FILMS HIDDEN IN THE VAULTS Folks......did you know that the 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival performance was filmed...Either Sid Bernstein or Bill Graham promoted the 3 day event and its sitting in some vault in Philadelphia without any sponsers to re-lease it..The only thing that has been release on film was Jimi Hendrix's set on 7/4/70....Here is another crown jewel sitting somewhere that would prove to you folks why I became a fan in the first place... The AMERICAN BAND TOUR that stopped at Atlanta's OMNI in 73 was the last great show that I saw by them....they extended songs like the old days and it was the last time I saw/heard "In Need".......When they returned 2 years later promoting ALL THE GIRLS....The show was like a one act play....No jamming just do the song short and tight....and go home... It was at this time that I knew that they had become bored with their show, and a break-up was around the corner...BORN TO DIE and GOOD SINGIN'... were really forced albums....Don Brewer said that they had battered their brains seek- ing a direction for the group..... The 1982 Reunion show returned to the OMNI as a opening act to ZZ TOP if you can believe that....They played for exactly 60 minutes, but there was no "pop" hits ....all songs from the first 5 albums and GRAND FUNK LIVES... The crowd didn't want them to leave that night and that was last I saw of them under the GRAND FUNK label.....Did you know the reason that Mel didn't join back in 81????? There were to many shows booked overseas and he has a terrible fear of flying....I got this from Deana Schacher, his wife back in 1984 on the phone.... Just a few stops in my abundant memory of the band... CRASH TEST CHRIS ------------------------------ From: "Robert Bodily" Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 01:46:11 -0500 Subject: Favorite song, et al Don't mean to be a "lurker" in the mailing list, but I was out of town on vacation for several days and am just now getting caught up on my e-mail. So, here's my responses to some recent (and not-so-recent) postings: On Thu 2/13, 1997 4:19 PM, IMTurtle2@aol.com wrote: >Hello All - Grand Funk rehearsed Winter and My Soul for their '96 >mini-tour and only performed it in Raliegh, N.C., their first show. I was >there and it was awesome! >After the show, a few of us went back to the hotel that they were staying >and had a chance to talk at length with Mel and Mark's brother, Rick. I was there, too (2nd row, center) and was surprised (but very happy) to hear Winter and My Soul. I'm sorry they pulled that one on the later shows; there are at least a couple of other songs I'd rather have seen them pull. Sure wish I had known where they were staying... We hung around for a while after the show, but never saw anybody. >They had also thought about doing Upsetter and Into the Sun this last >tour. Into the Sun was the one song I most wanted to hear but assumed I wouldn't (and didn't). It really grieves me to know they thought about doing it! Which brings me to the title of this e-mail... My favorite GFR tune is Into the Sun. Hard to pin down exactly why - it probably has a lot to do with the environment in which I first listened to On Time. As some of you may (or not) remember from my previous posts, I got into Funk relatively late (about '82, when I was a sophomore in college). This had the benefit of exposing me to their work in a different chronological order, so I started with American Band and progressed more or less backward to On Time. During this time, my buddy in college had a summer job in California and we always took the long route getting there after spring finals. On the trip we took right after I bought On Time, we went up through Yellowstone, Bryce, and Zion national parks and the combination of beautiful scenary, raw nature, freedom on the road, and just damn good music combined to create the perfect road trip. On Thu 2/13, 1997 8:50PM Bruce Thomas wrote: >Also would love to hear from those who were lucky enough to catch a date >on the '96 reunion GFR tour...how'd they sound???? Absolutely phenomonal. We were 2nd row and didn't sit down for the whole show (much to the chagrin of the people behind us who obviously didn't understand what a rare treat they were being offered). On Thu 2/13, 1997 10:50 PM, CRASH TEST CHRIS wrote: >I didn't find out about this tour until well into September of last >year... Now you ask me how disappointed I was to find out that they got >started up in Raleigh, just up the road. >Most of the radio stations this way didn't pick up on the reunion so >that didn't help either. Chris - how far "down the road" from Raleigh are you? The show was fairly heavily advertised on WZZU 93.9 here in Raleigh, although they didn't make as big a deal out of GFR as they did out of the opening act (Eddie Money). On Fri 2/14, 1997 1:04AM, Nico wrote: >The other day a dj on the Dutch radio said: He you guys, you never guess >who will be doing a reunion tour this summer. My ears went up, eyes wide >open watching the radio...... and they started talking about the band >Traffic. Sorry to throw a non-GFR related comment into the list, but... Nico, I don't know if you like Traffic or not, but if you've got the slightest interest, I'd highly recommend their show. I saw them in '94 on their original reunion tour and they sounded terrific. I like Traffic, but never considered myself a serious fan; wouldn't have gone to the show, but I won tickets on the radio and was very glad to I went. On several different dates, William A. Parrette wrote: >Now, if we could just figure out what >writing a letter has to do with getting paid ... ;-) My guess on this would be that he's sending money home to support his family. >The "red album" -- the *one* that everybody is waiting >for -- is supposed to be released in the last batch. I've got the "red album" on disc. According to the back cover, it's "produced exclusively for The Collector's Pipeline through CEMA Special Markets, a Product of CEMA Special Markets, a division of Capitol Records, Inc.". Inside the box is an order form for all TCP releases. I don't know if it's still in print, but you might try. Here's the ordering info: Send check or MO (made out to Pipeline Records) To: PIPELINE RECORDS 117 ENGINEERS DRIVE HICKSVILLE, NY 11801 CD - $14.00 PPD, Cassette - $9.00 PPD Check = 4-6 weeks delivery, MO = 2-4 weeks delivery Catalog # Title TCP006CD Grand Funk ("red album") TCP007CD Shinin' On TCP008CD We're An American Band >By the way, has anybody been to: > > http://www.yahwehministries.org/crock.html > >Our friend, Mark Farner, is mentioned on the page in a not-so- >flattering way. Yes, I found this site when I first went searching for Funk sites before yours was active. >Does anybody else want to slap these folks once or twice? >Maybe hit them with a really big clue-by-4? My thoughts exactly. On Mon 2/17, 1997 3:27 PM DrBlut@aol.com wrote: >Also, several of the GFR cds that I have are the Japanese imports, which I >think sound great. However, I haven't heard any of the domestic cd >releases. For instance, is the sound better on the domestic release of E >Pluribus Funk compared to the Japanese release? I can't really give a side-by-side comparison since I've never seen it domestically, but the Japanese import of On Time that I've got (part of a series called Past Masters) has superior sound quality. The TCP discs I mentioned above are also good quality. BTW, the Japanese import comes with a lyric sheet that's pretty comical. For example, here's TNUC 2nd verse: You ain't gonna find nobody That treat you like I do I've been down on my knees You treat me like I feel (huh?) Now I know what you're trying' to do Oh it ain't gonna happen 'Cause I'm just not here to you I'm gonna walk out of life here (double-huh?) Now, if I may, let me start another thread: About the time I had acquired my Funk albums from On Time through American Band, CDs came along and albums were hard to come by. As a result, my exposure to Funk ends at American Band with the exception of a few Shinin' On tunes and the tracks from the "Caught In The Act" and "Grand Funk Hits" discs. Personally, songs like Loco-Motion, Bad Time, Sally, ... are a little too "pop" for me, which leads me to my questions - What are _your_ opinions of their later work? Are these songs indicative of the whole period or did they ever return to their original sound? Sorry for the book here... Robert ------------------------------ From: "William A. Parrette" Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 07:29:20 -0500 (EST) Subject: Mel's Magic (Was: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song]) Hi all, On Mon, 17 Feb 1997, Bruce Thomas wrote: > ... > I've always been of a mind set that poor Mel was way-underated. When I > listen to ANY GFR these days I hear Mel Mel and more Mel! He was such > a powerhouse and a BIG BIG force behind the "magic". Not to slight the > other members...but Mel really had it together! ... > Take Mel out of GFR...and I think you'd lose a lot more that 33% of the > magic. > > What does everyone else say about Mell and his lack of recognition? Well, I don't know that an ex-drummer's opinion matters that much but I think that if you took Don out of GFR, you would also lose a lot more than 33% of the magic. The same is true with Mark. But, wait a minute, how can the sum of the parts possibly be greater than the whole!?!?! :-) WRT Mel, I tend to agree generally. I like listening to Mel's work. The Live Album showcases how powerfully important Mel is to the band. And, some of his work on E Pluribus Funk is just amazing to me. As a matter of fact, when I first heard the out- take that they included from the studio chatter on Survival's I Want Freedom, I was a little sad at the berating Don gave Mel for the wrong bass part. But, I wasn't there, it was probably much more good-natured chiding than anything else. Do I hear things correctly on the bass? Does Mel play chords from time to time? Do I hear him using effects like a fuzz-box and such on occasion? I had always heard -- way back in the be- ginning -- that Mel was the *guitar* player for ? and the Myste- rians. But, now folks are telling me, no, he was the bass play- er. What's the facts here and, if he was a guitar player, could that have contributed to the special magic that Mel added to the band? Great thread folks! Keep up the Funk-talk!! Take care and, as always, grok in fullness ... Bill-- ...who heard a wise man say "Never play leapfrog with a Unicorn." |\/\/\/| +--------------------------+--------------------------+ | | (42,man)+ |William A. (Bill) Parrette|7177 Heritage Drive | | (o)(o) / | |wap@one.net |Westchester, OH 45069-4012| c _) / | | *** http://w3.one.net/~wap/ *** | | '___| | +------------------- 513-779-0780 --------------------+- | / ----------+ /____\ ------------------------------ From: "William A. Parrette" Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 07:43:48 -0500 (EST) Subject: Mel's Magic (Was: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song]) Hi again all, On Mon, 17 Feb 1997 jmaijala@sprynet.com wrote: > I believe Mel was a real force in the recording studio. The studio versions of > the GFR tracks display his unequaled talent when it came to hard driving or > complicated bass lines. I believe the Live Tracks took some of this away as > they always seem to conncentrate on Mark's Guitar work and singing ... Well, there is undoubtedly some truth to this but there is an- other angle on it as well. When any three-piece band plays live, without the benefit of over-dubbing, the bass player often has to pick up the slack for the lack of a rhythm guitar track. You can actually hear this happening on Live Album (not so much on Caught In The Act because of Craig's work) when Mark heads into a solo. Almost without fail, as the guitar solo starts, you'll hear Mel switch octaves on the bass line. As a matter of fact there's a fairly prominent example of a Mel "boo- boo" in this area on Mark Says Alright (an excellent instrumen- tal, BTW). Mel comes to a point where he thinks the solo is end- ing, switches octaves back down to the rhythm range, but Mark is still in the middle of the solo. So Mel has to switch back up for another measure or two. Not to degrade Mel's work at all -- he still is more than 33% of the band's magic. And the truth is that, without Mel, there would have been no GFR as we know and love them. Take care and grok in fullness ... Bill-- ...who loves J.C.M.'s Tee-shirt that says "Curb your dogma." +--------------------------+--------------------------+ (42?) -----------+ |William A. (Bill) Parrette|7177 Heritage Drive | O ______ | |wap@one.net |Westchester, OH 45069-4012| o / o \_/( | | *** http://w3.one.net/~wap/ *** | (_ < _ ( | +------------------- 513-779-0780 --------------------+----- \______/ \( + ------------------------------ From: Bruce Thomas Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 08:17:24 -0800 Subject: Re: Favorite song, et al > Now, if I may, let me start another thread: About the time I had acquired > my Funk albums from On Time through American Band, CDs came along and > albums were hard to come by. As a result, my exposure to Funk ends at > American Band with the exception of a few Shinin' On tunes and the tracks > from the "Caught In The Act" and "Grand Funk Hits" discs. Personally, > songs like Loco-Motion, Bad Time, Sally, ... are a little too "pop" for me, > which leads me to my questions - What are _your_ opinions of their later > work? Are these songs indicative of the whole period or did they ever > return to their original sound? > > Sorry for the book here... > > Robert > Hey Robert! Don't apologize for the "book" I enjoyed your post! There was definitly a "sound" GFR had up until around "E Pluribus Funk" that was rooted in the blues After E Pluribus they started going more commercial in their sound. One problem they encountered was radio play. After E Pluribus they realized they needed shorter tunes that would give them radio exposure. When was the last time you heard "Inside Looking Out" on the radio :-) I also think the split with Terry Knight also played a part in the change in the sound. Personally I'm sorry Terry did whatever he did to make them feel screwed over...one wonders if he didn't have a hand in the bluesier sound they had when he was producing their music. The "After Knight" sound was good and indeed popular but just not the same as the earlier music. In my mind they never returned to that sound but did continue to play the earlier tunes in concert...so they didn't abondon the early fans. I know a lot of fans who totally departed from GFR after the E Pluribus album...saying they had sold out to the radio and the powers that be. I'm not against the later music...but have to admit I liked the earlier work better. - -- -=[ Bruce ]=- /~~\_/~\ ,,, | #=#==========# \_/~\_/ ``` ------------------------------ From: thesonics@earthlink.net (Jay Siekierski) Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 08:02:24 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: Mel's Magic (Was: Re: [Fwd: Re: Favorite Song]) >hope i get on this list finally; mel was always a solid steady bassist, to >compare him to others like someone else did on donna's site is stupid. why >would anyone say 'mel is better than jack bruce of cream' i mean they are >2 totally different players. i am a guitarist and jammed with weather >reports Jaco Pastorius a number of times i can tell you he even liked the >Funk. mel may not rule but he differently had a style. > > The Sonics The All Music Related Site! Music Editor: Jay 'Sonics' Siekierski http://home.earthlink.net/~thesonics/ E Mail thesonics@earthlink.net Phone & Fax:1-415-775-9912 Jay Siekierski 444 Larkin St. #22 S.F. CA. 94102 U.S. of A. Something To Think On? "Make Somebody Happy" Carlos Santana '92 "All You Got To Do Is Let That Sun Come Shining Through And Give Yourself Some Positive Vibrations" Alvin Lee '74 ------------------------------ End of grand-funk V1 #11 ************************