Artist

MEDIA INFORMATION

They were the top-selling American rock band of the late 1960s and early
1970s. Their 1971 performance at New York's Shea Stadium outdrew the Beat-
les, and they all but invented the American pop-metal sound that gave birth to
such bands as Foreigner, Journey, Van Halen and Bon Jovi.

Over a decade after its disbandment Grand Funk Railroad still looms large
over thepop music landscape. Combining soulful vocals with muscular instru-
mentation and pop-oriented melodies, GFR's crowd-pleasing hard rock influ-
enced a wide assortment of music fans. Legend has it that Prince's first band,
Grand Central, was thusly named as a homage to GFR. Neo-country mavericks
the Jayhawks even interpret GFR's "Bad Time" on their latest album, "Tomor-
row the Green Grass."

Now Capitol Records proudly announces the compact disc reissue of the re-
cordings of Grand Funk Railroad. Included in this highly-anticipated rollout is
the band's 1973 Todd Rundgren-produced breakthrough album, "We're An
American Band."

Other classic albums being reissued are On Time, Grand Funk Railroad,
Closer To Home, Live Album, Survival, E Pluribus Funk, Phoenix, Shinin'
On and All The Girls In The World Beware!!! Each album has been digitally
remastered using the latest recording techniques from the original source
tapes.

The reissues allow contemporary rock fans to discover the music of an absolute
original. Grand Funk Railroad was formed in the mid-1960s from the ruins of
another Filnt, Michigan band, Terry Knight & The Pack. The band, which includ-
ed guitarist-vocalist Mark Farner, drummer-vocalist Don Brewer, and bassist Mel

In 1968 Knight reassessed his role within the band. The enterprising young mu-
sician turned over the singing reigns to Farner, and became the band's manag-
er producer. The Knight-less trio was christened Grand Funk Railroad -- a ref-
erence to the legendary Grand Trunk Railroad line.

A performance at the 1969 Atlanta Pop Festival was such a success it ultimate-
ly resulted in a recording contract with Capitol Records. Through the band's de-
but album, On Time, was greeted indifferently by radio and critics, the kids un-
derstood and the record became an underground hit.

Though it would be years before critics and radio programmers would compre-
hend GFR's musical charms, the band's appeal with consumers was immediate.
Sales for albums like Closer To Home, Survival, and E Pluribus Funk totalled
in the millions, and the band was a consistently strong concert draw.

In 1973 GFR and Knight parted ways in a complex series of lawsuits. In
Knight's absence the band self-produced their most lyrical album, "Phoenix."
Later that year Farner and his comrades welcomed keyboardist Craig Frost to
the lineup, and began working with producer Todd Rundgren. The
Rundgren/GFR alliance resulted in two best-selling albums, We're An Ameri-
can Band and Shinin' On.

Though GFR's broadly appealing proto-metal was maligned in its day the
band's legacy is being reassessed. In her scholarly expose, Heavy Metal: A
Cultural Sociology, author and DePaul University sociology professor Deena
Weinstein lists GFR as one of the "generally acknowledged ... precursors of
heavy metal." The Rolling Stone Album Guide expresses similar sentiments: "At

The Capitol Records Grand Funk Railroad reissue discology is as follows:

On Time: The first volley fired in a tremendously successful career. Features
the band's first single, "Time Machine."

Grand Funk Railroad: Composed almost entirely by vocalist/guitarist Mark
Farner, this 1970 recording includes such concert staples as "Mr. Limousine
Driver," "Paranoid" and "High Falootin' Woman."

Closer To Home: A quantum stylistic leap. This landmark recording includes
"I'm Your Captain," the seafaring epic that introduces strings to the band's
forceful rock sound.

Live Album: An explosive document of GFR's live performances. Displaying a
sharp, self-deprecating sense of humor, the album's graphics combine perfor-
mance photos with excerpts from hostile reviews.

Survival: This 1972 album could be seen as a prototype for future GFR al-
bums, as it marked the first time the band recorded interpretations of contempo-
ary rock favorites. The album includes renditions of Dave Mason's "Feelin' Al-
right" and the Rolling Stones' "Gimmie Shelter."

E Pluribus Funk: Undeniably GFR's hardest-hitting album, this seven-song col-
lection features Mark Farner's fastest, bluesiest guitar playing. Includes the boo-
gie favorite, "Footstompin' Music."

Phoenix: Recorded in the wake of the band's split with manage-
er/producer/mentor Terry Knight, "Phoenix" possesses a lyrical, elegiac tone.

We're An American Band: The album that turned GFR into bona fide pop mu-
sic phenomenons. Features the chart-topping title track as well as Don Brewer's
glam-rock rebuff, "Walk Like A Man." Produced by Todd Rundgren, the album
also marked the debut of keyboardist Craig Frost.

Shinin' On: Includes GFR's manhandeled version of the Gerry Goffin/Carole
King dance-craze classic, "The Loco-Motion." This hit single helped catapult the
album to the upper regions of the pop charts.

All The Girls In The World Beware!!!: Produced by Jimmy Ienner, this 1974
disc found GFR further refining its radio-friendly sound. The band's hit rendition
of the Drifters' "Some Kind Of Wonderful" showcases both Mark Farner and
Don Brewer on vocals.

My thanks to Jay Siekierski (thesonics@earthlink.net) for making this important Capitol Records press release available to me.

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