A1 Artist Spotlight.Com did a phone interview Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad) about his cd For The People. Excerpts of the interview are also in the podcast.
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Mark Farner was the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for one of the biggest American rock bands of the seventies, Grand Funk Railroad. Grand Funk Railroad sold 25 million records and played to sold out arenas around the world, they accumulated 17 gold and 11 platinum records. Some of their big songs are “Closer To Home (I’m Your Captain)”, “Mean Mistreater”, “Time Machine”, “Inside Looking Out”, “Footstompin’ Music”, “Rock & Roll Soul”, Walk Like a Man”, “The Loco-Motion”, “Shinin’ On”, “Some Kind of Wonderful”, “Bad Time”, and “We’re An American Band”.  In the interview (podcast) I did with Mark Farner he talks about his time in Grand Funk Railroad, but this article is going to deal with his solo record. For more information about Grand Funk Railroad listen to the podcast or go to Mark Farner’s Website.
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Mark Farner’s newest CD is called For the People.  He is the self proclaimed Rock Patriot.  As a proud citizen of the United States of America, Mark Farner is telling the Americans that there is a big problem going on in this county and you better wake up to it before all your freedoms are taken away. The title track “For the People” and “Where Do We Go From Here” in my opinion should be required listening by all American citizens. These two songs are the most important songs any American can hear this year. If Bob Dylan put these songs out the media would be screaming about what Dylan has written.  They’d be telling you in the papers, on the radio, and on TV, “this is the most important song Bob Dylan has written since “The Times They Are A Changing”. Well this may be the most important song since “The Times They Are A Changing”, but Mark Farner The Rock Patriot wrote it, and hardly anyone is playing it. Thanks to Mark Kerr’s Blues Nation podcast, I’ve got to hear the song “For the People”, a lot. What’s wrong with the radio stations?  Why have they not taken the time to play these important songs?  This is not some guy their listeners have never heard of, this is Mark Farner the man who gave us “I’m Your Captain”, “Footstompin’ Music” and “We’re An American Band”. The leader of Grand Funk Railroad, one of the biggest American bands of all time. The media has ignored this record but you can save the day. Call your local radio station and demand them to play these songs. Mark said the reason he wrote “For the People” is to provoke people to think about where we are as a nation and how we got here. Mark’s tired of the media and the government telling us lies about everything. The war, the oil, the money.  Who is really in control of these things? Why are we as a nation doing what the people of America do not want our government to do?  Who is really running this country, the government or rich Europeans that control our banks?  What ever happened to “by the people and for the people”?
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These are the words to Mark Farner’s song
                  “For the People”
There’s a ghost in the White House
The memory of a man,
A man who loved his people,
A patriot for this land
But we no longer prosper,
We just try to scrap up the dough,
We can’t even pay the interest
On the money these idiots borrowed,
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People waking up there’s a question I’ve got to ask,
I want to know what happened to,
All the people, by the people, for the people
We let it slip away to the government,
Money spent, can’t pay the rent,
And it’s just another day in America,
It’s just another day in America,
It’s just another day in America,
Another day back home.
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Apathy in the people,
Brained washed by TV, …
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It makes me want to just throw up
When I think about the IRS,
People waking up there’s a question
I’ve got to ask,
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I want to know what happened to,
All the people,
By the people, for the people
We let it slip away
Too much government, money spent,
Can’t pay the rent,
And it’s just another day in America,
It’s just another day in America,
It’s just another day in America,
Another day back home.
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Now do these words make sense to you, do you agree with what Mark is saying? Then get out there and call your radio station and demand “For the People” so other people can hear these words.
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“Cry Baby”: This is about when you had a spat with your wife, and you want to talk to her with out getting smacked in the head with a frying pan.  It’s much more palatable in a song than coming right out and saying it.
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“Same Ol’ Feeling”: This song is about freedom and the love that is in our heart. Our desire to make things better for people around the world despite what our government is doing.
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“This Time” was performed live for a while and will have a video at http://www.markfarner.com/
Mark’s wife says this song makes her feel a movie is going on.
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“You’re My Girl” has had some radio play as well as a great guitar solo, that yells that Mark Farner still has it in him.
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“Symptoms” is the wresting match between out spirit and flesh. Mark gave the example of two Indians talking.  The father explains there are two wolves inside you, the good wolf and the bad wolf. His son ask which wolf will win, the father says the one you feed. So it is with us.  The spirit will only win if we free it.
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“Where Do We Go From Here” is another very powerful message.
These are just some of the lyrics to the song
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There’s got to be a reason, I feel so bad inside,
Can anyone else see, we’re a nation facing suicide,
How could they take them, the freedoms that our fathers won.
There’s got to be a reason, it’s not too late to be undone.
We better take a new direction, but Where Do We Go from Here,
I’m thinking about my soul perception, they’ve lied to my people, here
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I asked Mark if it takes longer to write a song like this with such deep lyrics. He said no, the songs just come as a wave and most get written in less than a half an hour. Mark writes some of his music like “Where Do We Go From Here” on the keyboards. He likes to write songs with other people just to learn more about how to write songs. There is a large back catalog of songs he has written over the years.  These songs have never been recorded and  may be put out for other artist to record soon.
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Even though I spent more time talking about the lyrics of the songs, I do not want to skip over the music. “For The People” is a rock anthem song, plenty of guitar and pounding drums. The kind of song that makes you want to get up and pump your fist in the air.
The CD, For The People, has hard rocking songs, rock ballads, love songs like “Nadean”, (a song for his wife), and even some pop rock the could be big hits if the radio stations would just let you hear them.  Mark Farner’s guitar playing is as good as ever and his singing is still very soulful. Just because this does not have Don or Mel on it does not mean it cannot sound like Grand Funk Railroad. Even though Mark was just one third of Grand Funk Railroad he was the lead singer, writer, and guitarist for the band. Maybe one third of the members but more like two thirds of what the band was doing. Lawrence Buckner, the bass guitarist, and drummer Hubert Crawford, on this CD, do a great job on their instruments. If you ever liked the sound of Grand Funk Railroad you will love this cd, Mark is moving on up.
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I saw a Mark Farner concert in 2006 he did one hit after another with two or three songs from this CD. The concert was just as good, probably better than when I saw the We’re An American Band tour. The concert had a lot of power and energy, Mark was all over the stage playing better than ever and his voice was in great shape. Mark took time to talk to the audience about the old days of Grand Funk Railroad and what was going on in his life now. He talked about some of the songs he was playing and how they came about. Hearing Mark’s stories was just as important to me as hearing the songs. Halfway through the show I leaned to my wife and said “How is Dave Mason going to top this, he’s doing one big hit after another”. Julie shrugged her shoulders and said, “I don’t know it makes no sense to me.”  Now Dave Mason was good when he came out and we in enjoyed his show, but you could tell everyone was there to see Mark Farner. A lot of people stood all the way through Mark’s show then sat the rest of the night. If you have a chance to see the Mark Farner tour this year don’t let it pass you buy. You will really have a good time. Mark and his band put out 100%.
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The Band is:
Mark Farner – Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion
Lawrence Buckner – Bass
Hubert Crawford – Drums
Paul O’Jibway – Keyboards, Sax, Percussion
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For The People was recorded at the famous “Swamp” where most of the Grand Funk Railroad records were recorded.
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On the inside cover it states this is a tribute to:
“The Spirit of Liberty, the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States of America and to the Patriots of this country who are the hope of freedom.”
God bless what’s left of America!”
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Mark Farner still rocks just as good as ever, don’t miss his tour or the CD For The People. It really does have the two most important songs you will hear this year or next.
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Songs played on the podcast are:
1. Cry Baby
2. For the People
3. Same Ol’ feeling
4. Symptoms
5. Where Do We Go From Here
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Mark Farner Website
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Mark Farner MySpace page
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I’d like to thank Mark Farner for taking the time to be on this show as well as Mark Bowsher for all his work in setting this up.
Mark Bowsher is also the one who gave us this rare photo of Grand Funk Railroad.
From Mark to Mark and Mark, Thank You Very Much.

 

 037 - Mark Farner – From Grand Funk Railroad To The Rock Patriot [41:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A1 Artist Spotlight.Com did a phone interview with Delaney Bramlett about his cd A New Kind of Blues. Excerpts of the interview are also in the podcast.
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Delaney Bramlett was raised in a log house in Mississippi. After a short stay in the Navy he started playing music in the bars and clubs of L.A. One night he was asked to play in the house band of a new TV show called Shindig. Shindig was a music variety show that had The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Sam Cooke, Sonny & Cher and many more of the popular artists of the day. Delaney Bramlett and Leon Russell were part of the house band on Shindig. Through this he made many contacts with people in the music business. In 1967 Delaney met and married Bonnie O’Farrell. Shortly after that they formed Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. They released six records between 1969 and 1972.
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The second record was Accept No Substitute in 1969 which George Harrison really liked and played for Eric Clapton. Eric took Delaney & Bonnie and Friends on tour with him as the warm up act for his band Blind Faith. Part way through the tour Blind Faith was not getting along with each other. Eric started riding on Delaney’s tour bus, then started playing in some of their shows.
After Blind Faith’s break up, Eric Clapton joined Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. Delaney said while in England and performing at the Royal Albert Hall, George Harrison came to see them and asked if he could join the band. That night they went by George’s house and picked him up and off on the road they went. From that tour they released what I think is one of the best live rock records ever made. Delaney & Bonnie and Friends on Tour with Eric Clapton has one powerful song after another with a real feel of you being there. Few live records have been able to capture that feel of you being right there in front of the band. Eric Clapton then used Delaney & Bonnie and Friends as his back up band for his first solo record Eric Clapton. Many still feel this is the best solo record Eric Clapton ever made. Out of the twelve songs eight of them are written or co-written by Delaney including Bottle of Red Wine and Let It Rain. Later Eric would use the core of this band to be Derek and the Dominos and record Layla.
George Harrison would use much of the Delaney & Bonnie and Friends band on his first solo record, All Things Must Past. Delaney told me when George first joined his band George asked for two favors of Delaney. One would Delaney teach him how to play slide guitar like he played it. Two would Delaney teach him how to write a gospel song. From what Delaney showed George and them jamming together turned in to My Sweet Lord. George was very grateful and the two of them stayed in touch up until George’s passing.
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One time John Lennon called to asked if they would like to be the Plastic Ono Band for a concert they were doing, Delaney said sure.
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Another time playing a live radio show in New York City Delaney had Duane Allman, Gregg Allman and King Curtis backing him up.
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Still another time Delaney lost his guitarist before a concert and Jimi Hendrix showed up to play in Delaney’s band. Delaney said Jimi ask him if he should play rhythm or lead, Delaney said take your pick, Jimi said I’ll play lead.
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Now all that is very interesting and fun to hear about but there is something else just as interesting. Delaney Bramlett’s new record A New Kind of Blues. Jimi Hendrix described Delaney’s music way back when as spiritual and that sound, that feel is still very present in this new cd.  The way Delaney mixes blues, gospel, soul and rock is like no other artist. Everything Delaney touches on this record turns to gold. The production is first rate, the mix is awesome. The first time I heard the cd I could not believe how good the sound quality was. With ear phones/ear buds on, you will hear so much more of each instrument and their interplay with each other. If you like to hear separation on speakers your ears are going to have a feast. That alone kept me captivated for the first few times I played A New Kind of Blues. Even if this is not the kind of music you would normally listen to, you will come away from this knowing you have heard an outstanding and ingenious recording.
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We haven’t even talked about the songs, musicians, or Delaney’s great voice yet. Delaney told me most of the songs come to him very quickly. It’s hard to believe something this wonderful can come out of one man so fast. I do not recognize any of the musicians on the cd but they sure know how to give a powerful performance. Delaney’s voice, tone, and emotional feel are far better now than any time in the past. This is not a singer just singing a song. This is a man digging deep into his soul to express his feelings, Only someone who has been looking deeply into himself can pull this kind of emotion out of so many songs.
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The first track What Do You Do About the Blues is a bluesy gospel song. Delaney said he is asking the listener what do they do when they have the blues. He said he sings when he has the blues. Praise God we get to listen. The keyboards give a church like feeling as well as the chorus. Then there are these bluesy horns that come in as well as the blues guitar. It’s hard to put your finger on just what kind of music this is. It’s not just blues or gospel it’s a little of several things. Delaney’s voice is very soulful and full of emotion with a hint of questioning in his voice. This is a great opener for this record.
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Cold and Hard Times Delaney said is based on things that have happened to him along with a few things added to make the song work. I can almost imagine Delaney sitting on the back porch playing this song. It has such a down home sound. The percussion instruments on this song have to be heard with headphones to really appreciate all that is going on.
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Mighty Mighty Mississippi starts off with a plain acoustic guitar, harmonica, and a drum beat. Delaney is singing about how he started off in Mississippi and took a train to L.A. As the story grows so does the instrumentation of the song. Stan Ruffeo’s harp playing very nicely. Delaney really makes you feel you’re down in Mississippi with the mood he has created here.
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Ol Moanin’ Blues is just a bass guitar, two acoustic guitars, and Delaney’s moaning voice. Jerry McGee takes a fine guitar solo. You really get the feel they’re just sitting around playing songs with no care for what people will say. Just having fun doing what they like best.
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A New Kind of Blues is an upbeat full band sound that even has a sax solo. Delaney masterfully brings in different instruments almost like he’s teasing you with “look what I can do here”. This is a song that should be getting regular airplay on most any radio station. If your station is not playing this song please give them a call and request A New Kind of Blues.
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Ain’t Got Nothin’ To Lose is a fun upbeat almost marching song. This has the full band stepping out for you to hear what they can do.
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P.O. Box 32789 is about a man who gets into a fight, shoots the other man, and is now on the run. The only way to get in touch with him is to send a letter to P.O. Box 32789. This is an old time blues style song with acoustic guitars and an eerie harmonica. The main instrument is really Delaney’s voice.
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The same is true of the next song, Delaney’s voice is the center of attention. This is the powerful Sam Cooke song Change Is Gonna Come. This is one of those songs you’re just a fool to try and redo. Everyone knows this as soon as they hear the first three words. Once again though Delaney Bramlett knows just what he is doing. The musical arrangement is good but it’s the voice that makes you fall in love with it.
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I Got the Time is a cool song about how this person has no time for anyone or anything. Then the person is sent to prison and sings about how he now has the time, all the time in the world. This is one of the songs I played in the podcast. Listen to the rhythm guitar. Delaney told me it just has one cord in the whole song. He got this idea from listening to classical music, something he likes from time to time. I Got the Time sounds like it has chord changes the way he put the song together, but it’s the same cord. Once again Delaney is a master at song writing.
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I’m Gonna Be Ready for me is the high point of A New Kind of Blues. This is a bluesy gospel song Delaney pulls out all the stops on. The full band is playing, and a chorus is backing Delaney as the power of the song builds. Delaney sings about how he is going to knock on heaven’s door, ask the Lord to let him in, and thank him for his forgiveness for the trouble he’s been. Delaney goes on to talk about the book of life, streets of gold, and how he’s gonna be ready. This is a big production and Delaney’s voice is excelllent. If this song is not nominated for gospel song of the year by the Grammies then they have less credibility than I already think they have. Call your gospel station and ask them to play this song too.
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Well, this pretty well wraps up one of the greatest records Delaney Bramlett has ever made. You can bet George, Jimi, and Duane are looking down from Heaven saying “that’s our boy”.
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Songs in the podcast are:                                                    
1. Cold and Hard Times
2. Mighty Mighty Mississippi
3. I Got the Time
4. I’m Gonna Be Ready
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Delaney Bramlett Website
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Delaney Bramlett MySpace page
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CD Baby Website to buy the cd A New Kind of Blues

 

 Delaney Bramlett - Had George Harrison, Eric Clapton and some guy named Jimi in his band [34:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is the Tuesday Bonus Show 
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Michael Quest - Caught in the Valley
Maria Daines - Save Our World
Jimmy D. Lane - What Makes People
Joe Pitts - Blue Light Rain
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All artist have been past Spotlight Artist.
Check the Links box on the right to hear the full show on each artist.
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See you Thursday for a new the Spotlight Show.

 

 035b - Michael Quest, Maria Daines, Jimmy D. Lane, Joe Pitts [21:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download