Obviously music from '64 to '74 wasn't your repertoire. I was in the 8th grade when JFK was assassinated. The whole country was in a funk, similar to way things were following 9/11. Then about 3 months later in February 1964 a band from Britain appeared on the Sunday Show, Ed Sullivan. This is when there was only 3 channels on TV, so a top rated show reached large audiences back then and Ed Sullivan Show was the biggest thing to come along.
Following that night my favorite radio channel, WFSO the Big 57 in St. Petersburg Florida became the Beatles channel, it was just about that's all they played. At school that's all everyone talked about, the Beatles. A few years went by and each week it seemed another British band was on Ed's show, the Stones came next, Dave Clark 5 was one of m favorites. After awhile, it became known as the British Invasion.
I began to think, why isn't there any good American bands. Then when I was in the 10th I saw a group on Ed Sullivan called The Doors. I immediately bought their first album. Then a year or so later, I heard a song that blew me away, it was Vanilla Fudge "You Keep Me Hanging On", it turned out a few months later they were my first concert as they came and played at the local Armory.
I bought my new car in '69 and the accessory I added was an 8 Track player with rear speakers. The first 8 track I bought was Creedence Clearwater first album. The next record album I bought was Grand Funk Railroad "On Time'. I had a stereo in my room that was a Christmas gift, and I wore that GFR album out. The first 5 albums, to me anyway, were some of the best music I had ever heard. They eventually faded in the 70's like so many bands and I became interested in groups like Deep Purple and Jethro Tull, who I got to see both in 1972.
Grand Funk with the original 3 members, Mark Don & Mel reformed in 1997 and toured for two years. I got to see them in July 1998, fantastic show. Unfortunately Don (the drummer) got Mark (the lead singer and guitarist) to sign some papers he didn't read, he considered Don a friend. He signed away rights to the name Grand Funk Railroad to Don. From then on, Mark Farner had continued playing all over the country as a solo act and cannot use the band's name. Don & bassist Mel use the name Grand Funk Railroad everytime they appear and in place of Mark they've added 3 new members, even though the voice and guitarist of the original hits is not in their band.
If Mel the bassist dies, I'll remember him for what he did in the beginning but not what he did in the 90's taking the rights to the name and closing the door on Mark. They didn't like Mark, because he was a born again Christian who didn't use drugs. Mel, he liked his pot sometimes, and that's the story of Grand Funk Railroad.
That's
Mark Farner on the left
The current Grand Funk Railroad, Don & Mel in the middle with Max Carl between them. You may remember him if you're a 38 Special fan. He replaced Don Barnes in the late 80's when he tried going solo. Max Carl sang one hit for that band, "Second Chance", that's why it doesn't sound like Don Barnes. Now he's in Grand Funk replacing a legend, Mark Farner.
The Real Deal - Mark Farner 70 years old still playing a couple of hundred shows a year, if he comes your way, go see him.
02-24-2019, 07:14 PM
RIP Peter Tork Monkees Singer Bassist Keyboardist
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