Today’s classic song of the day was suggested by group member Paula Summerville Davis. It’s the two-part song “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)” by Grand Funk Railroad.
“I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)” was included on Grand Funk’s 1970 album, Closer to Home. It was a very long track (5:31 for the single, 10 minutes for the album version), released as a single in July of 1970. The single stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks, peaking at #22. (It’s length probably kept it from charting higher.) It got a lot of airplay on album rock and prog rock stations at the time and has become a staple on classic rock stations and playlists today.
The song, actually two songs, is comprised of a fast, hard rocking first movement and a slightly slower, more contemplative, half-time second movement. The second movement is also more orchestrated, with a prominent flute countermelody and lots of strings, provided by arranger Tommy Baker and the Cleveland Orchestra. On the album version, this second movement is extended, with the strings gradually overpowering the rhythm section, taking the lead to the end.
The first part of “I’m Your Captain” is about a captain dealing with a mutinous crew during a troubled voyage. The second part consists of the phrase “I’m getting closer to my home” repeated over and over. Lead vocalist/guitarist Mark Farner wrote it.
Grand Funk Railroad was known as a real hard rocking band. The band was a trio, with Mark Farner on lead vocals and guitar, Mel Schacher on bass, and Don Brewer on drums. They were big on FM radio in the early ’70s and inspired a lot of garage bands, mine included. They were also, believe it or not, a big influence on Prince, who famously had a Grand Funk poster hanging on the wall of his Paisley Park studio.
Farner, Schacher, and Brewer first got together in 1969 and signed with Capitol Records later that year. The group’s first album, 1969’s On Time, sold more than a million copies and topped the Billboard album chart; their second self-named album did equally well, as did their third, Closer to Home. They were more of an album and live band than a singles act, but still had a fair number of hit singles, the biggest being “I’m an American Band” (#1 in 1973) “The Loco-Motion” (#1 in 1974), “Some Kind of Wonderful (#3 in 1974), and “Bad Time” (#5 in 1975).
Grand Funk broke up in late 1976, got back together in 1981 (with Dennis Bellinger replacing Mel Schacher on bass), broke up again in 1983, and reformed again (with all three original members) in 1996. Mark Farner left the band in 1998 to further pursue the solo career on which he had embarked during the earlier hiatus. Brewer and Schacher continue to tour as Grand Funk today, with replacement singers and guitarists.
Because Grand Funk was such a great live band, it’s worth listening to a live version of “I’m Your Captain.” This one was captured on July 5th, 1971, at Shea Stadium. The crowd loved it.
