My dad (WW-II) never put my music down even though he didn't care for it, so I don't put my 20 year old kids music down. Even though I don't care for it..lol..
I'm kinda thinking this was at the Texas International Pop Festival held north of Dallas about 1969, just a few months after Woodstock. Grand Funk opened the Festival and this was supposedly the first song they played.
I love these rockin videos from the late 60s early 70s. The sound isn't great, but the ENERGY takes my right back. Saw GFR in 1971 at their best and I'll never forget it. Even though I have to be 56 years old to say it, I am SO GLAD I grew up when I did. It teach high school. There is no passion in kids like we had in the 60s/70s.
Man. You have got to love the dudes sitting in the lawn chairs. Like they are at uncle johns backyard picnic party. What the fuck is that. Man, I will teel you what. Those wre the days. I Do not think rock shows like this happen now.........
@sirwob the youth of today is floating away towards computerized, flat iq-ed, 'perfectioned' marketingrock. but there is also a younger generation who embrasses the origins of rock, thank God. Rougher than this you just can't get! :)
@terpstragil btw, if I'm not mistaken Farners hair was a lot longer at Atlanta concert, this was from their first album, my guess would be VERY late '68 (though most claim they came out in '69)or early '69, Grand Funk Live was Atalanta was August '69 and Marks hair was longer and it was their 3rd album, I doubt they made 3 albums in '69
@sirwob It may be the sound quality. Sucks. I'm 56; a guitar player; and heavily influenced by Mark. I don't think the dislikes are for the band so much as the sound of this track.
I never s ceases to amaze me how those guys have been so followed, videod and photgraphed. The just seem to morph back and forth as I watch the offers. 17-62 years old, now that is a solid body of work.
Which show was this? Atlanta or Texas. And when? The guy who posted should know because the posts agrue about this. I like that people are sitting down for once so theres no aggressive pushing like you have at shows today. However, in the 1st half of the video, most of the crowd look bored or annoyed as if to say,"Hey Man,don't film me!" Still, I would've loved to have been there!
I was here also. It's the Texas International Pop Festival held two weeks after Woodstock. Crowd's a little listless because the heat and sun were killer.
I disagree that this was at the Atlanta festival. I believe it was at the Texas International Pop Festival in Lewisville, Texas. Three reasons 1) The Texas Flag on the wall. 2) You can see the old Texas International Raceway behind the audience. 3) I was there...
I still can't believe that Grand Funk is not in the rock and roll hall of fame.I am 53 years old and there was no American band better than these guys.
@FINLETTU "Closer To Home" is a good one. "On Time" captures some good early energy. "Grand Funk - Live Album" is my all time favorite. Any or all of those three are worth having.
yES IT BRINGS MEMORIES OF GOOD AND BAD TIMES!PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN VIETNAM ALMOST EVERYDAY AND GFR BROUGHT SOME SENSE OF COMFORT BACK THEN TO PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD,ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGSTERS WHO ARE NOW OLD IF NOT DEAD!!tHANKS FOR THE CLIP,REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!
Just prior to this performance, Chip Monck, the "deadpan announcer dude", both here at Dallas and Woodstock (famous for the comment about the "brown acid") paid GFR one of the nicest, unsolicited compliment that he didn't have to give, and to my knowledge, never gave when announcing any other perfomer. He said "they perform with great spirit, even when they perform for free". What a nice thing to say, even though he did get their last name wrong ("Rail-way")
@frankenstein909 ..a "sound" you can only get from an extremely rare aluminum-necked axe with a built-in fuzztone run through Michigan-built amplifiers. A sound that made GFR stand out from all other groups, because NO ONE ELSE in rock used this same equipment!
@frankenstein909 It didn't sound cheap and boxy live. To this day I've never heard a band with such a kick ass live sound as Grand Funk. Mel Schacher sounded like a tank battalion coming down a paved road. Scary. And loud as hell. Videos don't do these guys justice. I saw them at the 1st Atlanta Pop Festival. They played for free just to perform in front of a large crowd. I'm so thankful to have experienced that moment when no one knew them and 5 minutes later, everyone knew them
I don't know if this has been asked, because I don't want to read through 270 comments, but isn't this from one of GFRs first concerts? Where they opened for and blew Led Zeppelin off the stage. No one knew who they were, but I'm sure that they didn't forget after these concerts.
@spiritoradio This is footage from the Texas Pop festival, exactly two weeks after Woodstock and two months after their debut at Atlanta Pop. Zeppelin was also here, from this same film performing "Dazed and Confused". Which has long prompted me to ask the question: Why wasn't EITHER band at Woodstock?
@notfragile33 voy a aprovechar tu espacio notfragile33 para hablar en español.sobre los recuerdos de grand funk para mi.yo soy de mexicali mexico y me recuerda mi epoca de sucundaria"highchool con toda la psicodelia de los 70"s.el pelo largo en los hombres,camisas floreadasy pantalon acampanado"friscos".gracias jorge2010
@notfragile33 Zeppelin were far too important in their own minds to share the stage with anyone at that point. Also, they would have insisted on being paid at least 100K
@mikedonn71 yeah, but they both started at around the same time (late '68/early '69) with similar backgrounds--both evolving from the wrecakge of two similar bands--The Pack and the Yardbirds
@spiritoradio People didn't know GFR or Zeppelin at the 1st Atlanta Pop Festival. I handed out posters for several months before the festival & didn't know who the hell any of these guys were...GFR, Zeppelin, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Spirit, Canned Heat...but Everyone knew all of them by the time Woodstock happened a month later. Without the 1st Atlanta Pop Festival happening first, Woodstock might have been a small crowd. Folks went straight from the Atlanta to NY
im new to this band but i think there sick can anyone recommend an album i don't just want to get the gratest hits because i think you miss out on some amaizing music.
Ok, My first suggestion would be "We're An American Band". I am a huge fan - and believe that this album shows off their talents with some great production.
For a more RAW feel, go with their first album -- simply titled Grand Funk. It is the Red one.
yeah, that's ^ for sure. i got the Greatest Hits for the DVD. i recommend: "On Time", "Red Album", "Closer To Home", "Live (1970)", "Survival" for some, "Live 1971", "E Pluribus Funk", "We're An American Band", "Caught In The Act", "All The Girls In The World Beware" for some, "Good Singin', Good Playin' ".
perhaps "Phoenix", "Shinin' On" and "Live In Bosnia", i don't have those, yet
@mrflab1987 Get 'On Time' ...American Band didn't come out until several years later. By then, most GFR fans thought they had gone commercial and lost that raw, balls to the wall performing spirit. American Band or Foot Stompin Music are decent commercial tunes, but not even in the same ball park as TNUC or Into The Sun...if you're after the real GFR essence
I'm 23, but all my childhood I've been listening GFR and LedZepelin. This is true and pure rock. Made by great people with great skills for music. Now, in those times, actual rock sucks...doesn't have the SOUL!!
The first rock concert I ever saw was GFR at The Forum in Los Angeles, 1971. Freddie King was the opening act, the first real Blues man I ever saw too. I was in 9th grade and I remember it like it was yesterday. I'll be 53 this year. Cheers!
@aeropilot Hi aeropilot, I was at that show as well, i was in 7th grade, from Downey Ca. I recently worked in Detroit Mi. on the Red Dawn remake and on a weekend off went to Flint, (home of GFR) and got some great photos of the GFR train bridge, You can viewthis bridge on the upsetter you tube clip,
This clip is from Texas Pop Fest which ran from Aug. 31 to sept 2 or so, in 1969.. using the same PA as Woodstock..driven down in 2 flatbed trucks. I have the Texas Pop Fest video. Strange productiion.
Brings back a lot of great memories. Saw them in back to back nights at the Forum in L.A. right after the live album came out. This song started both shows and boy was I ready! Thanks for the post.
This song reminds me of Mountains's Tales of milk and honey song..Keep in mind that this song led off this concert and alot of the Zombie crowd have never heard of these guys yet..they started coming arround near the end..Which is typical Zombo reaction
:0.09....Mel stops playing and turns himself to the amps....bad cable connection? 2:30....Mel plays a phrase in a classic "ostinato" mode.....he plays bass chords while Farner is soloing....Donnie screams as usual....great great great....lyrics directly down to earth...really they talked to the people....i know almost everything about them....
i really don't think so, you are completely wrong...you don't know in fact that if mark & the others would have waited for the natural contract's expire the band would have been completely safe...therefore, before talking in vain, try to deepen the facts....
Actually I do know that if they would've waited 3more months until the contact was up they never would've been sued. But by that time, I don't blame them for wanting to be free of him. They were probably never told before hand to wait 3 months until the contract was up. Knight was turning into a Peter Grant. In the sense that he was very much about "GFR is MY group". He was taking more prophets then anyone else and I'd try and get rid of him too if I were Mark, Don, or Mel.
yes, for sure terry was bad because business became his only faith and he was no more the fourth brother...peter grant was a criminal and a mafia man and zep took him for good...mark, don & mel back then were too young and fired knight immediately...it was like a treson matter but they did a big mistake...and the grand funk railroad almost derailed only for their own fault...phoenix is a very bad album compared to e pluribus...the magic was gone forever with terry....this obv. in my opinion
Thanks for posting. I was 19 (*1950) when I heard GFR first time. It was amazing. Mark Farner was my idol for playing guitar. Inside looking out, heartbreaker, are you ready.....great stuff. I played it again an again. But in the livingroom my sound was very bad;=))
Timeless! Classic rock from 1 of the pioneer bands of the late 60's/early 70's. I saw them perform in Hyde Park in the summer of 71 and I will say now what I said then - FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@zetros2 lol, I never heard a young person say the word "awesome" until around 1980, but I'll take your word for it (especially since a friend of mine insists he never heard anyone say "groovy" in the 60's or 70s unless it was Greg Brady or Keith Partridge...)
I love the crowds reaction in this video at first people are like who the fuck are these clowns, then in the middle they are saying to each hey there not bad at all and by the end they are rockin out like there the greatest thing ever its aewsome
Woodstock was like Disneyland. Everyone wants to have been there for the experience, but was the "entertainment value" (or lack therof) really worth the trip?
At the Texas Pop festival (which this was) you basically got all the same people as Woodstock PLUS the Railroad and Zeppelin!
And it was a whole lot closer to the heart of America and much more accessible for people to get to than upstate New York
Anyone have any live video of the band that warmed up for GFR and Rare Earth on one of the tours around this time called Sainte Anthony's Fyre??? Listed on the concert ticket and poster on the Red Album??
Thank you Grand Fun Railroad for this great song. I like this song a lotttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttt. It is like caffeine in the morning, I neeed to have to have my 3 cups of coffee to function. I hope they play one more time for all the die hard fans and today 5/10/09 my mind is traveling around the globe to wish all the mothers a Happy Mother's Day. Greetings from LA. CA. USA......Let's play this song real louddddddddddddddddd!!!!!!!
awesome yeah are you ready to get high on the revolution,those three guys harmonized like black women in the choir simply beutifull amazing and thankfully imortilzed on the you tube rock on roll hall of fame bonzo76rockon!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday noon July 5, 1969. GFR just showed up to play Saturday and Sunday. I don't believe they were paid to play. The bill was incredible, each band played both days. GFR, Pacific Gas and Electric, Its a Beautiful Day, Al Kooper, Johnny Winter, Janice, Canned Heat, & Led Zepplin. Joe Cocker Closed . All for $14.00 a day. 350,000 stoned freeks in the infield at Atlanta Speedway. A Free concert just happened on Monday night at Piedmont Park with Spirit, Delany & Bonny, CTA and the Dead
this was the 1969 atlanta pop festival..this was the birth of the american band grand funk...i'm 25 and a huge funk fan..but trust me i saw this on the vh1 behind the music on grandfunk...this was the 1st time they performed out of Mi and there was over 180 thousand people there!!!!
GFR was one of my favorit bands in the early and mid 70ies - now 30 years later I still find them great. Unfortunatelly the quality is not good. Oh yes, the outfit - we all had these clothings and long hair.
This is too awesome for words. It totally transports me back to that time. I saw this band about 5 times. They blew me away. And hearing this now does it for me all over again. It's cool to remember and relive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi, I'am 22 and I from Peru(South America) But I like this HARD ROCK!! The Old School rocks!! like LedZepellin,GFRRoad, The Who...man, is not my "age music", but I don't the trash that I hear on radio now. My mom used to hear GFRR and other great bands when I was a child. Till now...IS PURE HARD ROCK!!
Behold a simple three man band, with no gimmicks,no hype, just old school sound and full of passion! Oh, they did not play for money, they played for the simple thrill of playing... savy?!
Hi, I'am 22 and I from Peru(South America) But I like this HARD ROCK!! The Old School rocks!! like LedZepellin,GFRRoad, The Who...man, is not my "age music", but I don't the trash that I hear on radio now. My mom used to hear GFRR and other great bands when I was a child. Till now...IS PURE HARD ROCK
this is more like woodstock era 69/70 than 70's...the 70's changed around 73, 74...it all poofed...by mid 70's. But the 80s made up for it, in a different kind of way :)
You'd never see a crowd acting like this again...sad.
Where is the rest of this concert? Please tell me it exists and didn't get taped over. This is the tour that blew GFR up! They went from openers to record breakers in less than a year and it was this live tour that blew everyone away.
So your telling me, this song is the only recording of that historical tour? Where's the headliner? Is this it?
Answers to your questions and a BIG question of my own.
This is from the Texas Pop festival near Dallas-last week of Aug 1969, 2 weeks after Woodstock. Virtually every band at Woodstock played this festival, plus GFR, Chicago and Led Zeppelin--which, in my opinion, made it better than Woodstock! Parts of the festival are on tape, and I have a copy.
Okay, the million dollar question for me is: How did GFR and Led Zeppelin manage to play every major festival in 1969 except for Woodstock?
Wow, you sure know how to make friends! Yes, this would have been WAY better, screw Woodstock. Was Hendrix there? Santana? Zeppelin? Holy shit they were writing & recording Zepp II while touring that summer. Plus GFR's red album!! I'd give my left nut.
As for your question, who the hell knows?! Probably different organizers? Woodstock had a lotsa folksy shit, this show would have been my cup!! 1969 was a blow up year for musical direction. You gonna load? Say yes and let me know!
Well, the trade-off at Texas pop was Zeppelin, Chicago, and GFR instead of The Who, Mountain, and Hendrix. Santana was at Texas, though. Ten Years After played a cool version of "Spoonful" on this vid. Zeppelin had just recorded "II", but played a wicked version of "Dazed" on this vid. GFR had "On Time" out, but was a month or two away from recording "RED".
I wished I could remember what rock magazine I ordered the VHS tape of this festival out of--it was about 10 years ago. The title of the film is: "Got No Shoes, Got No Blues: the 1969 Texas Int'l Pop Festival". It might be worth looking for on the net. I don't have the mecahnism to load it, since I only have access to library computers at the moment.
Another interesting note, in attendance at this festival was Kerry Livgren, who was so captivated by GFR's performance, he formed Kansas!
Awesome, awesome, awsome! Thanks so much for the info. Your right, GFR's first, "On Time" would have been about a week old when they played this concert. They would have been literally unknown, but getting ("Are You) ready" to just blow the top off an amazing run!! Pretty sure Zepp II came out in Oct. 69, they were going nonstop and wrote II on the road. They definitely would have been doing II stuff at this concert. I just realized GFR and Zepp finished their first two albums in 1969!
In response to your last comments, there were many parallels between the Railroad and Zeppelin, besides being named after a mode of transport.
Both bands came out of the gate around late'68/early'69 as a re-named further evolution of a previous band (The Pack and The Yardbirds), both debut albums featured re-worked versions of songs from those previous bands, and both had flamboyant managers who got them their own subsidiary record labels ("Grand Funk" in '71, and "Swan Song" in '72)
great tight little unit, two great singers
chilitoday 2 months ago
This is the Texas Intl Pop Festival in 69. There is an hour + long tv show on youtube I just watched with this clip.
kyla2112 3 months ago
my dad faked his way out of vietnam.. heroic
rystrttn1 6 months ago in playlist GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
i wanna go see motorhead
rystrttn1 6 months ago in playlist GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
My dad (WW-II) never put my music down even though he didn't care for it, so I don't put my 20 year old kids music down. Even though I don't care for it..lol..
Bonneville462 6 months ago
I'm kinda thinking this was at the Texas International Pop Festival held north of Dallas about 1969, just a few months after Woodstock. Grand Funk opened the Festival and this was supposedly the first song they played.
jillwas 7 months ago
I love these rockin videos from the late 60s early 70s. The sound isn't great, but the ENERGY takes my right back. Saw GFR in 1971 at their best and I'll never forget it. Even though I have to be 56 years old to say it, I am SO GLAD I grew up when I did. It teach high school. There is no passion in kids like we had in the 60s/70s.
bkc819 8 months ago
The Best
jangnv 8 months ago
2:40
pizzacrime 9 months ago
Comment removed
pizzacrime 9 months ago
waz this at wood stock?
Mrm0nG0 9 months ago
@Mrm0nG0 - No not Woodstock.
danielltaylor 4 months ago
@Mrm0nG0 - It was the Atlantic Pop Music Festival 1969. Grand Funk was not signed at this time.
danielltaylor 4 months ago
Look at all the people in the audience loking all bummed out and sitting still.. i would have been jumping out of my shoes.
paulgad 9 months ago
@paulgad Everyone's probably too stoned lol
Dangarus1 8 months ago
26 people weren't ready.
jimmiemclovin 10 months ago
They are just kids ! 18 and 20 !
47tooter 10 months ago
homer show me this band
krpalospo 10 months ago
Man. You have got to love the dudes sitting in the lawn chairs. Like they are at uncle johns backyard picnic party. What the fuck is that. Man, I will teel you what. Those wre the days. I Do not think rock shows like this happen now.........
gethsenamane 11 months ago
Kick butt rock and roll = the way it's supposed to be!
LOCKED121 11 months ago
y like make the love listening this song,is very exciting and you can take the rittmin..
jajajjajaja
bulladictoanormal 1 year ago
So sweet, just so sweet and rawwwwwwwwwww!
longslotrocker 1 year ago
Oh, hell yeah!!! I was always ready to rock with Grand Funk!!! They always were #1 in my rock n roll book!!!
RockNRollQueen732 1 year ago
*to all that disliked this video*
if you don't get this or like this then go back to watching The Carpenters, you don't know rock'n'roll
1952Telecaster 1 year ago
they really kicked a groove! well done!
Flunder 1 year ago
for the 24 dislikes of this vid......Really? you're a rocker and you don't like this vid ? really?
sirwob 1 year ago 4
@sirwob the youth of today is floating away towards computerized, flat iq-ed, 'perfectioned' marketingrock. but there is also a younger generation who embrasses the origins of rock, thank God. Rougher than this you just can't get! :)
terpstragil 1 year ago 7
@terpstragil sad but true
sirwob 1 year ago
@terpstragil btw, if I'm not mistaken Farners hair was a lot longer at Atlanta concert, this was from their first album, my guess would be VERY late '68 (though most claim they came out in '69)or early '69, Grand Funk Live was Atalanta was August '69 and Marks hair was longer and it was their 3rd album, I doubt they made 3 albums in '69
sirwob 1 year ago
@sirwob fuck yeah im ready! grand funk rooooles!!!!!!!!!
attilathefun1 1 year ago
@sirwob one of the greatest live bands ever
rebjrbob 1 year ago
@sirwob those people are IGNANT! :D
ibl33d 1 year ago
@ibl33d I believe you meant ignorant.....am I right dumb ass?
dakotajoman 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@dakotajoman
no you're not you fucking dickwad
you are the dumb ass who can't tell ignant and ignorant apart.
and for your information i was saying that as a reply to this comment
"for the 24 dislikes of this vid......Really? you're a rocker and you don't like this vid ? really?"
NOW SUCK IT BITCH
ibl33d 1 year ago
@sirwob It may be the sound quality. Sucks. I'm 56; a guitar player; and heavily influenced by Mark. I don't think the dislikes are for the band so much as the sound of this track.
Dogheadj 10 months ago
@Dogheadj I honestly hope thats what it is
sirwob 10 months ago
@sirwob There idiots.
alvin5516 1 week ago
I never s ceases to amaze me how those guys have been so followed, videod and photgraphed. The just seem to morph back and forth as I watch the offers. 17-62 years old, now that is a solid body of work.
ClassicKKate 1 year ago
AWESOME ! REALLY AWESOME !!
cramrenraff 1 year ago
Mark Don and Mel before they added the sissy keyboards! Never got any better than this!:)
slutband2002 1 year ago
2:46 hahaha camera man...good idea.
minorkatminor 1 year ago
I believe the crowed was too stoned to appreciate the music...
jjccllgg 1 year ago
that crowd wasn't ready for rock
reygermano 1 year ago
Which show was this? Atlanta or Texas. And when? The guy who posted should know because the posts agrue about this. I like that people are sitting down for once so theres no aggressive pushing like you have at shows today. However, in the 1st half of the video, most of the crowd look bored or annoyed as if to say,"Hey Man,don't film me!" Still, I would've loved to have been there!
soundvisionary13 1 year ago
Total rip off of Mustang Sally! did Pickett get anything for this song?! WOW!
socrates1818 1 year ago
@socrates1818 as Voltaire said, there's no such thing as an original thought, it applies to music as well
sirwob 1 year ago
I'M READY TO SEE MARK FARNER ON FRIDAY NIGHT WOOHOO!!..Peace and Thx
peacemanken 1 year ago
i'd give my left testicle (idk why anyone would want it) to go back and be there, or atlanta.
zeppelin and gfr in the same concert... 1969 was the year.
tomitstube 1 year ago
I was here also. It's the Texas International Pop Festival held two weeks after Woodstock. Crowd's a little listless because the heat and sun were killer.
trb1952 1 year ago
What the hell was wrong with the crowd here? Were they deaf? They were witness to greatness and slept through it....................
bspete2200 1 year ago
Under-rated,under appreciated.Bad Time to be in Love would crack the top 10 tomorrow if it were released today.
b3n2p1 1 year ago
Awesome video! From the archives!! Thanks for sharing this!
Paris876 1 year ago
Fantastici!!!!
djeangabin 1 year ago
I disagree that this was at the Atlanta festival. I believe it was at the Texas International Pop Festival in Lewisville, Texas. Three reasons 1) The Texas Flag on the wall. 2) You can see the old Texas International Raceway behind the audience. 3) I was there...
TchrKCole 1 year ago 2
This is one of the earliest vids of these cats man they fucking rocked.
Rockospoogie 1 year ago
I still can't believe that Grand Funk is not in the rock and roll hall of fame.I am 53 years old and there was no American band better than these guys.
chihawks2010 1 year ago
Great fuzztone!!! Who could recommend me some records by GFR? I don´t have aclue which is worth getting
FINLETTU 1 year ago
@FINLETTU american band is the best hard rock,,,grand funk grand funk is the coolest.
47tooter 1 year ago
@FINLETTU "Closer To Home" is a good one. "On Time" captures some good early energy. "Grand Funk - Live Album" is my all time favorite. Any or all of those three are worth having.
straightupwv 1 year ago
great!!!
yasukunister 1 year ago
Ah, man!!! What happened to the music industry??!?!? THIS IS AWESOME!!! Everything today is crap!!! I MISS GRAND FUNK RAILROAD!!!! (Early GFR!!)
zatoichi101 1 year ago
this is from the first Atlanta pop fest in 1969 one month before Woodstock
basket2553 1 year ago
Good memories. When I saw them, this is the tune they opened with, and they sounded great. The opening act was Bloodrock, remember them?
perrymac 1 year ago
Why can't music still be the way it was in the 60's and 70's? :(
beauanddustinunleash 1 year ago
Glad I got to see them back then!---Hey pass that joint!!--Peace & Love Everyone!!
MrCannabisluver 1 year ago
Si, estamos listos......Grande GF
jocumar117 1 year ago
Very interesting video document . I'm fascinated by the various 1969/70 happy and hippy faces there.Music is perfect.Thanks Mark, Mel and Don.
Burt472 1 year ago
yES IT BRINGS MEMORIES OF GOOD AND BAD TIMES!PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN VIETNAM ALMOST EVERYDAY AND GFR BROUGHT SOME SENSE OF COMFORT BACK THEN TO PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD,ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGSTERS WHO ARE NOW OLD IF NOT DEAD!!tHANKS FOR THE CLIP,REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!
111256able 1 year ago
I always wondered why GFR never went to Gibson, being that the factory at time was in Kalamazoo.
What a kick ass band.......
hogwild6161 1 year ago
Just prior to this performance, Chip Monck, the "deadpan announcer dude", both here at Dallas and Woodstock (famous for the comment about the "brown acid") paid GFR one of the nicest, unsolicited compliment that he didn't have to give, and to my knowledge, never gave when announcing any other perfomer. He said "they perform with great spirit, even when they perform for free". What a nice thing to say, even though he did get their last name wrong ("Rail-way")
notfragile33 1 year ago
What a "boxy" 'cheap guitar'" sound... love it! Anyone have any thoughts/comments?
love it!!
frankenstein909 1 year ago
@frankenstein909 ..a "sound" you can only get from an extremely rare aluminum-necked axe with a built-in fuzztone run through Michigan-built amplifiers. A sound that made GFR stand out from all other groups, because NO ONE ELSE in rock used this same equipment!
notfragile33 1 year ago
@frankenstein909 It didn't sound cheap and boxy live. To this day I've never heard a band with such a kick ass live sound as Grand Funk. Mel Schacher sounded like a tank battalion coming down a paved road. Scary. And loud as hell. Videos don't do these guys justice. I saw them at the 1st Atlanta Pop Festival. They played for free just to perform in front of a large crowd. I'm so thankful to have experienced that moment when no one knew them and 5 minutes later, everyone knew them
drumwraith 1 year ago
I don't know if this has been asked, because I don't want to read through 270 comments, but isn't this from one of GFRs first concerts? Where they opened for and blew Led Zeppelin off the stage. No one knew who they were, but I'm sure that they didn't forget after these concerts.
spiritoradio 1 year ago
their first concert ,, atlanta pop festivel,, they didnt open for anybody,, just one of the acts.
47tooter 1 year ago
@spiritoradio This is footage from the Texas Pop festival, exactly two weeks after Woodstock and two months after their debut at Atlanta Pop. Zeppelin was also here, from this same film performing "Dazed and Confused". Which has long prompted me to ask the question: Why wasn't EITHER band at Woodstock?
notfragile33 1 year ago
@notfragile33 voy a aprovechar tu espacio notfragile33 para hablar en español.sobre los recuerdos de grand funk para mi.yo soy de mexicali mexico y me recuerda mi epoca de sucundaria"highchool con toda la psicodelia de los 70"s.el pelo largo en los hombres,camisas floreadasy pantalon acampanado"friscos".gracias jorge2010
kabomtv 1 year ago
@notfragile33 Zeppelin were far too important in their own minds to share the stage with anyone at that point. Also, they would have insisted on being paid at least 100K
mikedonn71 1 year ago
@mikedonn71 yeah, but they both started at around the same time (late '68/early '69) with similar backgrounds--both evolving from the wrecakge of two similar bands--The Pack and the Yardbirds
notfragile33 1 year ago
This was at the Atlanta POP feastival from 7/4/1969, GFR's 1st important concert.
You can find out much more on the "History of Grand Funk" on YouTube, a 5 part documentary.
afmizzi 1 year ago
@spiritoradio People didn't know GFR or Zeppelin at the 1st Atlanta Pop Festival. I handed out posters for several months before the festival & didn't know who the hell any of these guys were...GFR, Zeppelin, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Spirit, Canned Heat...but Everyone knew all of them by the time Woodstock happened a month later. Without the 1st Atlanta Pop Festival happening first, Woodstock might have been a small crowd. Folks went straight from the Atlanta to NY
drumwraith 1 year ago
i have G.F.R full show in Tokyo 1974 on dvd if an one is interested, message me : )
purplehouse26 2 years ago
thanks mate will deffiantly look into it.
mrflab1987 2 years ago
im new to this band but i think there sick can anyone recommend an album i don't just want to get the gratest hits because i think you miss out on some amaizing music.
mrflab1987 2 years ago
My favorite is their second album simply entitled "Grand Funk" better known as the Red Album.
Billn1959 2 years ago
Ok, My first suggestion would be "We're An American Band". I am a huge fan - and believe that this album shows off their talents with some great production.
For a more RAW feel, go with their first album -- simply titled Grand Funk. It is the Red one.
keithh1999 2 years ago
really? you wouldn't suggest "On Time"? more of GFR's early showstoppers they played in concerts are on this album than on the Red Album
astronomius 1 year ago
@keithh1999 - On Time was the first album. Grand Funk (red album) was the second album. Very east to get confused.
danielltaylor 4 months ago
@mrflab1987 I would recommend E Pluribus Funk
Patbyker 2 years ago
thanks man
mrflab1987 2 years ago
yeah, that's ^ for sure. i got the Greatest Hits for the DVD. i recommend: "On Time", "Red Album", "Closer To Home", "Live (1970)", "Survival" for some, "Live 1971", "E Pluribus Funk", "We're An American Band", "Caught In The Act", "All The Girls In The World Beware" for some, "Good Singin', Good Playin' ".
perhaps "Phoenix", "Shinin' On" and "Live In Bosnia", i don't have those, yet
astronomius 1 year ago
@mrflab1987 Get 'On Time' ...American Band didn't come out until several years later. By then, most GFR fans thought they had gone commercial and lost that raw, balls to the wall performing spirit. American Band or Foot Stompin Music are decent commercial tunes, but not even in the same ball park as TNUC or Into The Sun...if you're after the real GFR essence
DRwillie46 1 year ago
Comment removed
spfx5150 2 years ago
To anyone who was at Texas Pop--really? Who needs Woodstock when you can have everyone who was there PLUS the Railroad and Zeppelin..Need I say more?
notfragile33 2 years ago
You are so right man!
That was the right true rock with soul!
I miss the old times with that feeling.....
Highonahorse 2 years ago
I'm 23, but all my childhood I've been listening GFR and LedZepelin. This is true and pure rock. Made by great people with great skills for music. Now, in those times, actual rock sucks...doesn't have the SOUL!!
TheDukeOfCastleWolf 2 years ago
The first rock concert I ever saw was GFR at The Forum in Los Angeles, 1971. Freddie King was the opening act, the first real Blues man I ever saw too. I was in 9th grade and I remember it like it was yesterday. I'll be 53 this year. Cheers!
aeropilot 2 years ago 10
@aeropilot Hi aeropilot, I was at that show as well, i was in 7th grade, from Downey Ca. I recently worked in Detroit Mi. on the Red Dawn remake and on a weekend off went to Flint, (home of GFR) and got some great photos of the GFR train bridge, You can viewthis bridge on the upsetter you tube clip,
spfx5150 2 years ago
Unbelievably apathetic crowd, which is typical of 1969-1970. A shame, as Grand Funk Railroad is bang on in this performance.
MikeBlitzMag 2 years ago
This clip is from Texas Pop Fest which ran from Aug. 31 to sept 2 or so, in 1969.. using the same PA as Woodstock..driven down in 2 flatbed trucks. I have the Texas Pop Fest video. Strange productiion.
rpdbluevideo 2 years ago
if i'm not mistaken chicago played this show also it was a big jump off or on how ever you want to put it for both groups/
omt1957 2 years ago
I'm pretty sure you're right.. certainly for the big breaks both bands got.
rpdbluevideo 2 years ago
Brings back a lot of great memories. Saw them in back to back nights at the Forum in L.A. right after the live album came out. This song started both shows and boy was I ready! Thanks for the post.
TheOilhead 2 years ago 3
This song reminds me of Mountains's Tales of milk and honey song..Keep in mind that this song led off this concert and alot of the Zombie crowd have never heard of these guys yet..they started coming arround near the end..Which is typical Zombo reaction
Swartzie6 2 years ago 2
very early stuff, this was featured in the documentary on the band....
sporty05 2 years ago
fuckin' zombie crowd...
HispanicImpression 2 years ago
that was my first impreshion too. i would of been rockin out in my spot!
and i do now :)
joealanouf 2 years ago 2
:0.09....Mel stops playing and turns himself to the amps....bad cable connection? 2:30....Mel plays a phrase in a classic "ostinato" mode.....he plays bass chords while Farner is soloing....Donnie screams as usual....great great great....lyrics directly down to earth...really they talked to the people....i know almost everything about them....
mrfcollins 2 years ago
3:04...a young Terry Knight can be viewed..tks to him we had GFR, never forget...
mrfcollins 2 years ago
Yeah and thanks to him he almost derailed Grand Funk forever.
Highland45 2 years ago
i really don't think so, you are completely wrong...you don't know in fact that if mark & the others would have waited for the natural contract's expire the band would have been completely safe...therefore, before talking in vain, try to deepen the facts....
mrfcollins 2 years ago
Actually I do know that if they would've waited 3more months until the contact was up they never would've been sued. But by that time, I don't blame them for wanting to be free of him. They were probably never told before hand to wait 3 months until the contract was up. Knight was turning into a Peter Grant. In the sense that he was very much about "GFR is MY group". He was taking more prophets then anyone else and I'd try and get rid of him too if I were Mark, Don, or Mel.
Highland45 2 years ago
yes, for sure terry was bad because business became his only faith and he was no more the fourth brother...peter grant was a criminal and a mafia man and zep took him for good...mark, don & mel back then were too young and fired knight immediately...it was like a treson matter but they did a big mistake...and the grand funk railroad almost derailed only for their own fault...phoenix is a very bad album compared to e pluribus...the magic was gone forever with terry....this obv. in my opinion
mrfcollins 2 years ago
Raw and awesome.
hogandaas 2 years ago 13
he means he was born in 1950.
47tooter 2 years ago
check out the guy grooving at 3:08, terry knight, there manager.
47tooter 2 years ago
Thanks for posting. I was 19 (*1950) when I heard GFR first time. It was amazing. Mark Farner was my idol for playing guitar. Inside looking out, heartbreaker, are you ready.....great stuff. I played it again an again. But in the livingroom my sound was very bad;=))
Greetz from Germany
openbluesband 2 years ago
Um, 1950?? I hope that's a typo.
steberr 2 years ago
thats about as raw funk as you can get ! killer!
toothmaker22000 2 years ago
Indiana is a wasteland.
elevenbravoonepapa 2 years ago
thx 4 posting! awesome!!
larusso83 2 years ago
Timeless! Classic rock from 1 of the pioneer bands of the late 60's/early 70's. I saw them perform in Hyde Park in the summer of 71 and I will say now what I said then - FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
zetros2 2 years ago 10
@zetros2 Haha, I bet you didn't say "Awesome", you prolly said "Groovy and FAR OUT!!"
GatewayGhettoProd 1 year ago
@GatewayGhettoProd - No, I wasn't one of those flower power pansies, it was definitely fucking awesome (and it still is!)
zetros2 1 year ago
@zetros2 lol, I never heard a young person say the word "awesome" until around 1980, but I'll take your word for it (especially since a friend of mine insists he never heard anyone say "groovy" in the 60's or 70s unless it was Greg Brady or Keith Partridge...)
GatewayGhettoProd 1 year ago
I love the crowds reaction in this video at first people are like who the fuck are these clowns, then in the middle they are saying to each hey there not bad at all and by the end they are rockin out like there the greatest thing ever its aewsome
mattyp3400 2 years ago 4
Woodstock was like Disneyland. Everyone wants to have been there for the experience, but was the "entertainment value" (or lack therof) really worth the trip?
At the Texas Pop festival (which this was) you basically got all the same people as Woodstock PLUS the Railroad and Zeppelin!
And it was a whole lot closer to the heart of America and much more accessible for people to get to than upstate New York
notfragile33 2 years ago
Thanks so much for postuing this!!!
Anyone have any live video of the band that warmed up for GFR and Rare Earth on one of the tours around this time called Sainte Anthony's Fyre??? Listed on the concert ticket and poster on the Red Album??
SathenMusic 2 years ago
GFR Rocks!! I was 15 when this song came out so I am a little biased!
Look up "heavy" in the dictionary and it simply says "GFR"...
randy95023 2 years ago
ohh yeahhhh live Gran Funk .. from Chile
fel77 2 years ago
Used to cover several GFR songs when I sang for the GO at Fort Bragg & Fayetteville, NC fantastic time had by all!. Thanks GFR!
GlassOnion71 2 years ago
Thank you Grand Fun Railroad for this great song. I like this song a lotttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttt. It is like caffeine in the morning, I neeed to have to have my 3 cups of coffee to function. I hope they play one more time for all the die hard fans and today 5/10/09 my mind is traveling around the globe to wish all the mothers a Happy Mother's Day. Greetings from LA. CA. USA......Let's play this song real louddddddddddddddddd!!!!!!!
mayangod1isback 2 years ago 2
Great Rock Song
Grand Funk Rocks
GreatBands76 2 years ago 4
yeah and this song on the live album is killer !!!!!!
doubleslottedflaps 2 years ago 4
Wow! Mark, Don & Mel...COOL! Grand Funk Really was a superb band in the late 60's & early 70"s.
Thanks for the video!
Zee
zeelowell 2 years ago 4
funny how at 0:11 the bass dies. Same thing happened on the same song (1st of set) when I saw them in 1975.
ewetoobie 2 years ago 2
awesome yeah are you ready to get high on the revolution,those three guys harmonized like black women in the choir simply beutifull amazing and thankfully imortilzed on the you tube rock on roll hall of fame bonzo76rockon!!!!!!!!!!!!
luvumo2day 2 years ago 2
definitely 1969, nobody seems to now what the frig is goin' on...Farner not quite nude on stage yet...but what a great tune that is.....
wilfrid55 2 years ago 2
I just wish I could have seen it! ~e
MoonlightNothing 2 years ago
first concert I saw in '70- 5th row in CHI- REALLY LOUD. ears were ringing for 3 days.
monstrosity226 2 years ago 2
This was the same day that The Rolling Stones played in Hyde Park in London.
2 days after Brian Jones died.
PeterCRissKISSgod 2 years ago
GREAT!!!
GiampyEvil 2 years ago
I was at this festival. still have the poster advert framed and hanging over my half stack now.
dandamagetoo 2 years ago
ready for the sun? lol
ps. for all your information, doob and coffe really gets ya there !!!!!!!!!!
tubeuserrr 2 years ago
By the way! The dead only played one song!! Aquarious let the sunshine in. It lasted 2.5 hours Me
mleeevans 2 years ago
Sunday noon July 5, 1969. GFR just showed up to play Saturday and Sunday. I don't believe they were paid to play. The bill was incredible, each band played both days. GFR, Pacific Gas and Electric, Its a Beautiful Day, Al Kooper, Johnny Winter, Janice, Canned Heat, & Led Zepplin. Joe Cocker Closed . All for $14.00 a day. 350,000 stoned freeks in the infield at Atlanta Speedway. A Free concert just happened on Monday night at Piedmont Park with Spirit, Delany & Bonny, CTA and the Dead
mleeevans 2 years ago
Comment removed
mleeevans 2 years ago
ta la raja el video muy la zorra
orionarc 2 years ago
GREAT!THANKS FOR THAT VIDEO!!!
pratfrederic 2 years ago
this was the 1969 atlanta pop festival..this was the birth of the american band grand funk...i'm 25 and a huge funk fan..but trust me i saw this on the vh1 behind the music on grandfunk...this was the 1st time they performed out of Mi and there was over 180 thousand people there!!!!
blueraider316 3 years ago
GFR was one of my favorit bands in the early and mid 70ies - now 30 years later I still find them great. Unfortunatelly the quality is not good. Oh yes, the outfit - we all had these clothings and long hair.
Ixtulu 3 years ago
That's fun!
bluematter 3 years ago
the quality of sound is horrible but grand funk are so good that you don't even mention it!
Nicolettaki 3 years ago
This is too awesome for words. It totally transports me back to that time. I saw this band about 5 times. They blew me away. And hearing this now does it for me all over again. It's cool to remember and relive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MoniqueKlicko 3 years ago
Hi, I'am 22 and I from Peru(South America) But I like this HARD ROCK!! The Old School rocks!! like LedZepellin,GFRRoad, The Who...man, is not my "age music", but I don't the trash that I hear on radio now. My mom used to hear GFRR and other great bands when I was a child. Till now...IS PURE HARD ROCK!!
BECKZIDRA 3 years ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
for those about to rock we salute you
frenchy994 3 years ago
Behold a simple three man band, with no gimmicks,no hype, just old school sound and full of passion! Oh, they did not play for money, they played for the simple thrill of playing... savy?!
2468oldschooltimes 3 years ago
Hi, I'am 22 and I from Peru(South America) But I like this HARD ROCK!! The Old School rocks!! like LedZepellin,GFRRoad, The Who...man, is not my "age music", but I don't the trash that I hear on radio now. My mom used to hear GFRR and other great bands when I was a child. Till now...IS PURE HARD ROCK
BECKZIDRA 3 years ago
God i love this
torkerbmx 3 years ago
The eyes of that little girl at the end--amazing finish.
vinnynumbnuts 3 years ago
great footage ! thanks for sharing !
PetPiv 3 years ago
right from the get go? this band knew what they wanted from themselves musically. wonderful. thanks.
Flunder 3 years ago
How great were they , even Arabs at 1: 30 came over to see them , now that's world wide .
franz909 3 years ago
LOL !!
I enjoyed that hippie babe at 1:28 - 1:31 much better !
PetPiv 3 years ago
this is more like woodstock era 69/70 than 70's...the 70's changed around 73, 74...it all poofed...by mid 70's. But the 80s made up for it, in a different kind of way :)
You'd never see a crowd acting like this again...sad.
Jendromeda 3 years ago
My guess would be at in Turtle Island (isn't an island) near Ann Arbor, MI
Beadbud5000 3 years ago
I'd say that crowd at Shea Stadium in '71 was VERY "Woodstock-ian". The 60s were still in full-bloom!
notfragile33 3 years ago
cool, but bad sound qUALITY
Arrowwood11 3 years ago
I love this band!
It is best band of 70th age!
I'm fell so bad sometimes, because I didn't born in this age!
Grand funk forever!
mondosoberbo 3 years ago
thanks for this-nicely stoned,the 70s were the bomb
RonyMexico 3 years ago
saw them 3 or 4 times back then
theeasybeats 3 years ago
Where is the rest of this concert? Please tell me it exists and didn't get taped over. This is the tour that blew GFR up! They went from openers to record breakers in less than a year and it was this live tour that blew everyone away.
So your telling me, this song is the only recording of that historical tour? Where's the headliner? Is this it?
tomitstube 3 years ago
Answers to your questions and a BIG question of my own.
This is from the Texas Pop festival near Dallas-last week of Aug 1969, 2 weeks after Woodstock. Virtually every band at Woodstock played this festival, plus GFR, Chicago and Led Zeppelin--which, in my opinion, made it better than Woodstock! Parts of the festival are on tape, and I have a copy.
Okay, the million dollar question for me is: How did GFR and Led Zeppelin manage to play every major festival in 1969 except for Woodstock?
notfragile33 3 years ago
Wow, you sure know how to make friends! Yes, this would have been WAY better, screw Woodstock. Was Hendrix there? Santana? Zeppelin? Holy shit they were writing & recording Zepp II while touring that summer. Plus GFR's red album!! I'd give my left nut.
As for your question, who the hell knows?! Probably different organizers? Woodstock had a lotsa folksy shit, this show would have been my cup!! 1969 was a blow up year for musical direction. You gonna load? Say yes and let me know!
tomitstube 3 years ago
Well, the trade-off at Texas pop was Zeppelin, Chicago, and GFR instead of The Who, Mountain, and Hendrix. Santana was at Texas, though. Ten Years After played a cool version of "Spoonful" on this vid. Zeppelin had just recorded "II", but played a wicked version of "Dazed" on this vid. GFR had "On Time" out, but was a month or two away from recording "RED".
Janis Joplin was the headliner--her coming home.
notfragile33 3 years ago
I wished I could remember what rock magazine I ordered the VHS tape of this festival out of--it was about 10 years ago. The title of the film is: "Got No Shoes, Got No Blues: the 1969 Texas Int'l Pop Festival". It might be worth looking for on the net. I don't have the mecahnism to load it, since I only have access to library computers at the moment.
Another interesting note, in attendance at this festival was Kerry Livgren, who was so captivated by GFR's performance, he formed Kansas!
notfragile33 3 years ago
Awesome, awesome, awsome! Thanks so much for the info. Your right, GFR's first, "On Time" would have been about a week old when they played this concert. They would have been literally unknown, but getting ("Are You) ready" to just blow the top off an amazing run!! Pretty sure Zepp II came out in Oct. 69, they were going nonstop and wrote II on the road. They definitely would have been doing II stuff at this concert. I just realized GFR and Zepp finished their first two albums in 1969!
tomitstube 3 years ago
In response to your last comments, there were many parallels between the Railroad and Zeppelin, besides being named after a mode of transport.
Both bands came out of the gate around late'68/early'69 as a re-named further evolution of a previous band (The Pack and The Yardbirds), both debut albums featured re-worked versions of songs from those previous bands, and both had flamboyant managers who got them their own subsidiary record labels ("Grand Funk" in '71, and "Swan Song" in '72)
notfragile33 3 years ago