Grand Funk's all the girls in the world Beware!!! Released On Limited Edition Hybrid SACD

A rock/pop/R&B mainstream hit album... includes the HITS “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “Bad Time”

Camarillo, CA - Grand Funk Railroad fans rejoice! Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity has released Grand Funk's hit album all the girls in the world Beware!!! on Limited Edition Hybrid SACD. all the girls in the world Beware!!! is Grand Funk Railroad's ninth studio album. The 1974 album was the group's second album released that year.

First there was the heavy metal power trio, then the powerful hard rock quartet and then after years of loud, in-your-face rock albums and tours, Mark Farner, Don Brewer, Mel Schacher and Craig Frost went into the studio and made an album that has a lot more R&B and a lot less rock than ever before and way ahead of its time.

" 'all the Girls' was a bit of an experiment for Grand Funk. Disco had raised it's ugly head in 1974 and if you wanted radio airplay you needed to go in that direction. Grand Funk, not being a 'Disco Act', decided to do R&B which was really what GFR was all about. R&B pumped up on steroids. Enlisting veteran producer Jimmy Ienner, I think Grand Funk came up with the best rendition of the soul classic 'Some Kinda Wonderful' in history. Still played today in heavy rotation and probably every wedding reception in the world. Once again Audio Fidelity has done a great job on this SACD Hybrid. ENJOY!" - Don Brewer

The album's combination of high-gloss production and the band's energy resulted in some impressive hits: “Some Kind of Wonderful” is an exuberant, organ-drenched soul song that highlights the group's strong harmonies while “Bad Time” mixes a delicate, string-laden melody with a pulsing beat from the rhythm section to create a one-of-a-kind power ballad. all the girls in the world Beware!!! has many inventive moments. The seven-minute “Good & Evil” is fascinating for Brewer's strange, processed lead vocal. “Look At Granny Run Run” is sheer R&B fun and “Memories” is a serious stab at out-and-out balladry.

all the girls in the world Beware!!! was recorded at the Swamp, a studio owned by Mark Farner and located on his farm in Parshallville, MI. The recording sessions were engineered by Shelly Yakus with assistance from Kevin Ayers and Rod O'Brien. The album's producer was Jimmy Ienner, who had also worked with artists such as Three Dog Night, The Raspberries and the Bay City Rollers. All but two of the songs on the album were written by members of the band. Grand Funk Railroad continued to move further into the pop/rock mainstream with this hit album. In support of the release, the band embarked on an immensely successful worldwide tour in early 1975.

The album's artwork included taking the faces of the band members and manipulating them onto the bodies of famous body builders Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbo. The body builder photos are used on the front and back of the booklet. The center spread art is a Neal Adams illustration of the body builders surrounded by a crowd of young female fans.

TRACKS
1  Responsibility        
2  Runnin'      
3  Life
4  Look At Granny Run Run
5  Memories  
6  All The Girls In The World Beware          
7  Wild          
8  Good & Evil          
9  Bad Time  
10 Some Kind Of Wonderful

Produced by Jimmy Ienner
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio / SACD Authoring: Stephen Marsh at Marsh Mastering

Grand Funk Railroad's official website: http://grandfunkrailroad.com/
Mark Farner's official website: http://www.markfarner.com/

For more information: www.audiofidelity.net

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Classic Rock Review: Grand Funk-Shinin' On SACD Hybrid Ltd. Edition

Release Date: January 27, 2017

Label: Audio Fidelity

Website

Audio Fidelity continues to be one of the most innovative and fun labels to acquire classic rock music from. Taking the best of the old and converting it to a new format is one of their specialties. The only thing is that you may miss out on their releases unless you act quickly. Each release is a limited numbered edition.

Their legacy continues with another Grand Funk classic titled Shinin’ On. The label’s hybrid SACD series endures with great success. Shinin’ On was originally released on vinyl with 3D glasses to view the ultra-cool cover. This SACD version comes with the 3D glasses included! And yes, I did have the LP version and it was one of my favorite albums. As a matter of fact, I loved the entire GF catalog.

Grand Funk had the advantage of having two lead singers with Mark Farner (guitar) and Don Brewer (drums). Mel Schacher (bass) and Craig Frost (keyboards) were an integral part of the band as well, giving them a layered full sound to accentuate the vocal styles of the two main voices. Frost filled out their sound after the band had performed as a power trio for many years. I appreciated the addition of keys, although I am sure some fans didn’t but that’s the way it goes when changes are made with anything.

This was an excellent album in my estimation. It had the signature Farner guitar licks that at times were cutting like a knife but this was not the heavy Grand Funk Railroad of the past. This version of the band was more modern and pop oriented with less blues influence.  They continued with the same formula that brought them so much success with the previous release We’re An American Band. Also the remake of big hit by Little Eva, “The Loco-Motion,” was proof that the formula could work very successfully for the band. 

The entire idea of the SACD is to bring out sounds more to the front so they pop out and grab you. That method has always worked well for these ears. “Carry Me Through” was a good showpiece for that new-found sound. Brewer was on lead vocals and the music was complex and progressive with a multitude of Farner’s stinging leads inviting Brewer’s strong vocals to new heights. Some of the other things I noticed more than ever before were the subtleties of Frost’s keys interlaced throughout the track and his superb command of his instrument. That factor certainly gave the band the proverbial icing on the cake to their presentation. This element prevailed as the band went from strength to strength throughout the recording.

The music on Shinin’ On was radio friendly and it still rocked, offering the best of both worlds and it made for a fine record to spin at parties. I enjoyed it when it first came out and I still do. Now in the SACD format I can appreciate this great album even more.

4.5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

February 27, 2017

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Tracks: 
1. Shinin' On
2. To Get Back In
3. The Loco-Motion
4. Carry Me Through
5. Please Me
6. Mr. Pretty Boy
7. Gettin' Over You
8. Little Johnny Hooker

Audio Fidelity To Release Grand Funk's Shinin' On in Original 3-D Art Package on Limited Edition Hybrid SACD

Includes a BONUS pair of 3-D Glasses!

Camarillo, CA - Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity will be releasing Grand Funk's widely popular classic rock album Shinin' On on limited edition hybrid SACD. Riding high off the success of their 1973 We're An American Band hit album and tour Grand Funk retained the extraordinary Todd Rundgren to produce Shinin' On, the band's eighth album.

Don Brewer, Mark Farner, Mel Schacher and Craig Frost took the band to another level. The songs are tight, the vocals are excellent and the group is in top form. Shinin' On is pure Grand Funk and considered a favorite among many fans and critics.

Shinin' On's best songs are the tracks that became the hit single releases: the SACD opens with the dynamic title track augmented by Craig Frost's keyboard work and pumped-up behind Don Brewer’s aggressive vocals the track infuses its hard-driving, spacey rock groove with some surprisingly ethereal vocal harmonies. The cover of the Carole King and Gerry Goffin penned “The Loco-Motion” turned this dance classic on its ear with a stomping beat and a screeching guitar lead from Mark Farner that shot the chuggin' pop remake straight to #1 on the Billboard singles chart and helped drive gigantic album sales.

Closing-out the album is Grand Funk's amped-up blues rocker “Little Johnny Hooker” which features Farner's powerful and driving guitar work.

The original album was packaged in a cosmic 3-D sleeve that had a pair of 3-D glasses embedded in the front cover to best appreciate the dramatic art work. Each Audio Fidelity Shinin' On SACD slip case will include a pair of 3-D glasses so the brilliant art work can be viewed as originally intended.

Another legendary hard-rocking album from Mark, Don, Mel and Craig – Grand Funk! So pump up the volume, break out those classic 3-D glasses and keep on shinin' on!

TRACKS
Shinin' On
To Get Back In
The Loco-Motion
Carry Me Through
Please Me
Mr. Pretty Boy
Gettin' Over You
Little Johnny Hooker

Produced by Todd Rundgren
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
SACD Authoring: Stephen Marsh at Marsh Mastering

Release date: January 27, 2017

Grand Funk Railroad's official website: http://grandfunkrailroad.com/
Mark Farner's official website: http://www.markfarner.com/

For more information: www.audiofidelity.net

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com