The birth and collapse of Grand Funk Railroad were one of the craziest sagas in the annals of heavy metal. They are primarily renowned for their persona than their music since they were derided by critics and battled over by the music business. They did, however, tour extensively, sell millions of CDs, and garner the enthusiastic backing of a sizable Metal fanbase. Many people disapproved of the way the band was promoted through Terry Knight’s openly Svengali techniques.
However, GFR started the true Heavy Metal market. They were formerly thought to be American scene heavyweights but are now forgotten. In 1969, when Led Zeppelin arrived in the United States for the first time, they were advised that, if they played their cards correctly, they may be able to defeat Grand Funk. But never before was a band treated so unfairly, persistently, and for so long. Loud, white noise, as Rod Stewart described them. Their music has been branded “wretched” by Rolling Stone magazine.
Grand Funk Railroad’s stage performance was recorded for ABC’s In Concert television broadcast as they played only two days before Christmas in 1972 in front of a boisterous standing-room-only crowd at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.
You can watch the legendary performance below: