Mark Farner never did drugs. The song became a favorite of troops in Vietnam just wanting to get home. Every day they were getting closer to coming home.
Grand Funk guitarist Mark Farner wrote this and sang lead. Literally, the song is about the captain of a ship who is sick and fears he is going to lose his vessel. The song has much more metaphoric significance, however. In a Songfacts interview with Farner, he explained how the lyric came to him from the heavens: "Initially the song came to me after I said my prayers one night and I put a P.S. on the end of my prayers. I asked God to give me a song that would touch the hearts of people that the Creator wanted to get to. I got up at 3 o'clock in the morning - I'm always getting up at different times of the night and writing things down. A lot of them are not songs but this happened to be one." Farner continued, "I got up and I wrote it, and as I'm writing it, I'm between the state of subconscious and conscious. I've got one foot in dreamland and my pen is writing these wordsdown. It didn't make a whole lot of sense. It was kind of weird, I thought, as I was writing it. I didn't sit there on the edge of the bed and read it over and over, I just wrote it down, and when Igot to the end of it, I just folded it over and put it on the nightstand. There it was."
@@moteventureyou’re welcome! GFR is one of my top bands that I partied to back in the 70s. I’ll be 72 in October and in my mind, I’m still rockin’ out at the clubs☺️. Enjoyed your reaction! Question…do you accept suggestions for songs via the comments? I have a few songs that I’d like to see you react to so if I can request in the comments, I’d appreciate it.
The band didn't do drugs other than an occasional joint. They wanted to focus on the music. Grand Funk is not complete without Mark Farner. They sold out Shea stadium faster than the Beatles did.
@@moteventure you should do more of their songs. They had 10 platinum albums in like 6 years!!! There is very little video of their live performances as their manager did not allow video cameras at their shows.
You’ve got to react to Grand Funk Railroad’s song Inside Looking Out 1969. It’s considered by many one of the greatest live performances of all time. If you saw Grand Funk live in the past few years you only saw what I consider to be a Grand Funk cover band, even though the drummer and bass player are original members.
Sadly, that is exactly what those classic bands are nowadays. Glorified cover bands thanks for noting inside looking out. I will check it out and thanks for checking out the channel!
@@moteventureThe reason the current version of Grand Funk sounds bad is because the two original members still with the band kicked out Mark Farner. Farner wrote and sang most of their songs. He was their front man who also played lead guitar and harmonica. He’s the one singing in this song (long hair, arm band). Ask any Grand Funk fan and they will tell you Farner was the heart and soul of the band. No Farner, no Funk.
@@skydogfan4671 Exactly! They lied to and cheated Mark out of his third of the band and now they're destined to play small groups at Michigan Indian casinos! They kicked out the heart of the band! Mark still approached them about doing a reunion tour but those creeps said no way.
@@suecook1326I’ve seen Mark Farner and his band twice in the past ten years. They were great. Mark was such a nice guy talking with us for several minutes after both shows. Grand Funk is playing at the same venue in the next few weeks. I am as well as others are boycotting that show. We will only go to see Grand Funk if Mark is part of the band. Unfortunately it does not look like it will happen.
1. My all time favorite GFR song! 2. Saw them in the Reno GSR on 10/22/22 3. I was in the US Navy for 24 years so there's somthin' there 5. Three months? How about a nine-month deployment.
The songs you mention that you have already heard are from their "POP" period. The Song Closer To Home came out on their 3rd Studio Album in 1970 and in that time they were a Trio Band and were known for their hard rock performances and best as a 'LIVE' band. In 1973 after several years legal actions taken upon them by their former manager they needed to change their musical focus and became for polished and produced more pop oriented music.
I took a listen and it was definitely not what I had expected. I’ll have to do a reaction specifically for you. Just give me some time. Thanks for checking out the channel!
Grand Funk Railroad was not southern rock. In fact, they are from Flint, Michigan. And, if you listen to the released album version, you'll find that the song is closer to R&B/Motown than country or southern rock.
Hi there @platterjockey. Where that thought came into my mind was that kind of groove near the end of the song reminded me of Southern rock. I do realize that they are from Flint Michigan. I do get where you’re coming from with the Motown thought process though too. The song crosses multiple genres I think, which explains why they were so huge back then. Thanks for checking out my channel!
@@moteventure It's cool. My mind goes to that song "Someday, We'll be Together" by Diana Ross & The Supremes when that groove kicks in. They sound just alike, and i'm betting that's what they were thinking because of that song's title. But, we all interpret things differently. I play to investigate your channel more when I get time.
Southern rock from Detroit! It feels like southern rock, but I agree it’s not from the south. Thanks for checking out the channel @terrykrysinski. The best part of being knowledgeable is definitely getting schooled by the fans!
I know exactly how old; I was one of them. Not at this show, but at the time. And what a time it was!✌️❤️🎶
I can only imagine @alpetrocelli4465. Thanks so much for checking out and visiting my channel!
Mark Farner never did drugs. The song became a favorite of troops in Vietnam just wanting to get home. Every day they were getting closer to coming home.
Love these extra nuggets of info. Keep them coming!
Grand Funk guitarist Mark Farner wrote this and sang lead. Literally, the song is about the captain of a ship who is sick and fears he is going to lose his vessel. The song has much more metaphoric significance, however. In a Songfacts interview with Farner, he explained how the lyric came to him from the heavens: "Initially the song came to me after I said my prayers one night and I put a P.S. on the end of my prayers. I asked God to give me a song that would touch the hearts of people that the Creator wanted to get to. I got up at 3 o'clock in the morning - I'm always getting up at different times of the night and writing things down. A lot of them are not songs but this happened to be one."
Farner continued, "I got up and I wrote it, and as I'm writing it, I'm between the state of
subconscious and conscious. I've got one foot in dreamland and my pen is writing these wordsdown. It didn't make a whole lot of sense. It was kind of weird, I thought, as I was writing it. I
didn't sit there on the edge of the bed and read it over and over, I just wrote it down, and when Igot to the end of it, I just folded it over and put it on the nightstand. There it was."
Great details for this GFR newbie! Thanks so much for being here!
@@moteventureyou’re welcome! GFR is one of my top bands that I partied to back in the 70s. I’ll be 72 in October and in my mind, I’m still rockin’ out at the clubs☺️. Enjoyed your reaction! Question…do you accept suggestions for songs via the comments? I have a few songs that I’d like to see you react to so if I can request in the comments, I’d appreciate it.
The band didn't do drugs other than an occasional joint. They wanted to focus on the music. Grand Funk is not complete without Mark Farner. They sold out Shea stadium faster than the Beatles did.
Good old days
The studio version is so much better audio.
I agree @stariddin
@@moteventure you should do more of their songs. They had 10 platinum albums in like 6 years!!! There is very little video of their live performances as their manager did not allow video cameras at their shows.
Yes I agree. GFR had a lot of great live bangers but the production on this song is much better in the studio version.
@@kualua6612 I will definitely listen to them back to back. Thanks for letting me know and for being here.
They worked out of Flint Michigan. They were hippie greasers. I know I met them I partied with them but southerners liked them.
I love that term hippie greasers! Thanks for checking out the site @DELMARTIN3263!
Funk is in the name. That is the genre😮
Well said @vanceortiz4960!
You’ve got to react to Grand Funk Railroad’s song Inside Looking Out 1969. It’s considered by many one of the greatest live performances of all time. If you saw Grand Funk live in the past few years you only saw what I consider to be a Grand Funk cover band, even though the drummer and bass player are original members.
Sadly, that is exactly what those classic bands are nowadays. Glorified cover bands thanks for noting inside looking out. I will check it out and thanks for checking out the channel!
@@moteventureThe reason the current version of Grand Funk sounds bad is because the two original members still with the band kicked out Mark Farner. Farner wrote and sang most of their songs. He was their front man who also played lead guitar and harmonica. He’s the one singing in this song (long hair, arm band). Ask any Grand Funk fan and they will tell you Farner was the heart and soul of the band. No Farner, no Funk.
@@skydogfan4671 Exactly! They lied to and cheated Mark out of his third of the band and now they're destined to play small groups at Michigan Indian casinos! They kicked out the heart of the band! Mark still approached them about doing a reunion tour but those creeps said no way.
@@suecook1326I’ve seen Mark Farner and his band twice in the past ten years. They were great. Mark was such a nice guy talking with us for several minutes after both shows. Grand Funk is playing at the same venue in the next few weeks. I am as well as others are boycotting that show. We will only go to see Grand Funk if Mark is part of the band. Unfortunately it does not look like it will happen.
1. My all time favorite GFR song!
2. Saw them in the Reno GSR on 10/22/22
3. I was in the US Navy for 24 years so there's somthin' there
5. Three months? How about a nine-month deployment.
Thanks for the enthusiasm and your service @williamjones6031!
The songs you mention that you have already heard are from their "POP" period. The Song Closer To Home came out on their 3rd Studio Album in 1970 and in that time they were a Trio Band and were known for their hard rock performances and best as a 'LIVE' band. In 1973 after several years legal actions taken upon them by their former manager they needed to change their musical focus and became for polished and produced more pop oriented music.
Thanks @funkfan1751 for those additional tidbits of history on Grand Funk. You’re what makes reaction channels fun to watch and read!
The Grand Trunk ran through USA & Canada.
That must’ve been what put the grand in the grand trunk railroad
They sold out Shea stadium quicker then the Beatles did.
If I recall, it was less than 72 hours, whereas the Beatles it took several weeks. That is truly impressive!
Hello John please check out a rock band from Japan called BAND-MAID and their song "REAL EXISTENCE (Official Live Video)" great start to you channel 😊
I took a listen and it was definitely not what I had expected. I’ll have to do a reaction specifically for you. Just give me some time. Thanks for checking out the channel!
@@moteventure 😁😁 You better strap yourself down.
@@moteventure Anticipation, anticipation..... Is makin' me wait 🙃
The original song was much longer ànd much better than Shae Stadium.
Good to know. I’ll check that out.
Grand Funk Railroad was not southern rock. In fact, they are from Flint, Michigan. And, if you listen to the released album version, you'll find that the song is closer to R&B/Motown than country or southern rock.
Hi there @platterjockey. Where that thought came into my mind was that kind of groove near the end of the song reminded me of Southern rock. I do realize that they are from Flint Michigan. I do get where you’re coming from with the Motown thought process though too. The song crosses multiple genres I think, which explains why they were so huge back then. Thanks for checking out my channel!
@@moteventure It's cool. My mind goes to that song "Someday, We'll be Together" by Diana Ross & The Supremes when that groove kicks in. They sound just alike, and i'm betting that's what they were thinking because of that song's title.
But, we all interpret things differently. I play to investigate your channel more when I get time.
Not sure about Southern rock...they're from Detroit.
True. Just the groove of it makes me think that! Thanks for checking out my channel and also for let me know what you think.
@@moteventure I get it and nice video...thanks.
They sold out Shea Stadium faster than the Beatles
Indeed. 72 hours vs. several weeks.
This is about as far from "southern Rock" as you can get. Great stuff, but it isn't Southern Rock.
Do I change the title or leave it so people will be appalled and check it out? Thanks much!
Southern rock? Ummmmmm....no. T
Southern rock from Detroit! It feels like southern rock, but I agree it’s not from the south. Thanks for checking out the channel @terrykrysinski. The best part of being knowledgeable is definitely getting schooled by the fans!
@@moteventure Listen to some actual Southern Rock,bro...you'll hear the difference. Cheers, T :-)