Courtesy of Audio FidelityGrand Funk Railroad‘s memorable 1974 album, Shinin’ On, has just been reissued as a limited-edition high-fidelity Super Audio CD, a.k.a. an SACD. Founding drummer/singer Don Brewer tells ABC Radio that the remasteredd recording “sounds amazing,” while also noting that the new release recreates the album’s original 3-D cover art and comes packaged with a pair of 3-D glasses.
Coming on the heels of Grand Funk’s hugely successful 1973 album We’re an American Band, Shinin’ On found the Michigan rockers continuing to explore a more commercial sound, once again with help from producer Todd Rundgren. Shinin’ On featured two of the group’s biggest singles — a chart-topping cover of the 1962 Little Eva tune “The Loco-Motion” and the title track, which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“We brought in Todd and had a great time, and…I think it shows on this record,” Brewer recalls. “I think this record is one of our best.”
Explaining how Grand Funk’s rocked-up rendition of “The Loco-Motion” came to be, Don tells ABC Radio that “it was kind of fluke.” He remembers that during the making of Shinin’ On, then-frontman Mark Farner walked into the studio nonchalantly singing the tune. The rest of group cracked up, but then, because they needed another track for the album, they decided to record it.
“[So] Todd did his wonders on the sound on it and it became a huge hit,” says Brewer. “I think that’s the version everybody knows.” The single spent two weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 in May 1974.
The Shinin’ On SACD is available now at AudioFidelity.net.
Meanwhile, Grand Funk Railroad’s current lineup, led by Brewer and original bassist Mel Schacher, has a bunch of shows on its 2017 itinerary. Check out the band’s schedule at GrandFunkRailroad.com.
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