Grand Funk Railroad/Tokyo, Japan 1971

The reason Grand Funk has such a special resonance for Japanese rock fans is probably due to the legendary 1971 concert at Korakuen Stadium. For rock fans at the time, Grand Funk was more popular than Zeppelin, so much so that Korakuen Stadium was chosen as the venue instead of Budokan. The number is actually 40,000. At the time, there were no other rock bands that could boast such a large audience. At that time, many bands were invited to perform concerts called Rock Carnival. Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Free, Chicago, all of these great bands that have carved their names in rock history are currently visiting Japan as active performers. Historical live performances that could be called the golden age of rock were held every night. Among them, Grand Funk was in a class of its own. Korakuen Stadium was originally intended for professional baseball, the national sport, and boasted the largest capacity in Tokyo as the home base of the Giants during the glory days of ON. Stadium performances are not uncommon these days, but at the time there were no bands in Japan or overseas that could hold concerts of this scale, which shows how popular Grand Funk was at the time. After all, even the Beatles and Zeppelin are Budokan. Even in Japan, it was only used by the Tigers at events, and it was unique, as it filled the audience seats with pins. According to a book, the Grand Funk concert, Shigeo Nagashima’s retirement match, and the Candies’ farewell concert were the three biggest events at Korakuen Stadium in the 1970s. On that day, there were no audience seats on the field, a stage was set up near second base, and the only audience seating was in the stands. This was the same at concerts in the United States, at a time when there was no idea of ​​having audience seats in the field. Still, most of them were probably thrilled by the rare experience of seeing the world’s loudest band at a stadium concert, which was their first experience. Another factor that raised expectations was that Grand Funk’s latest album at the time was a live album called “Grand Funk Live Album.” The rumored Grand Funk concert was held on July 17, 1971 at a packed Korakuen Stadium. On the day of the event, there were performances by Mopps, Remi Aso, and Mash McCann as the opening act, and it was finally time for Grand Funk to make an appearance. However, even though it was an outdoor venue called Korakuen Stadium, the clouds started to look suspicious from around 8:00 p.m., when Mash McCann was playing. By the time the stage was over, heavy rain accompanied by lightning hit Korakuen Stadium. The rain was so strong that the “GRAND FUNK RAILROAD” sign that had been placed in front of the stage was blown away by the strong winds. Inside the venue, the audience becomes noisy, worried that the concert will be cancelled. Moreover, the performance did not start even after nearly an hour had passed from the scheduled time, leaving the audience soaking wet as they waited for Grand Funk to appear. As a side note, the reason that pamphlets and tickets from that time are so wet that there are no left in good condition is because the concert was held outdoors in such a natural environment during a rainstorm. On the verge of a riot, whether the concert will be held or canceled, Goro Itoi announces, “They say they’ll definitely play Grand Funk. Please wait a little longer.” However, the rain shows no signs of stopping. Ironically, the words “Rain or shine” appear on the poster. Outside the venue, thousands of fans who had come to the venue for same-day tickets but were unable to get in because the tickets were sold out were making a fuss and trying to force their way in by opening the gates. In such a tense atmosphere, it was over an hour and a half after the opening act had ended that Grand Funk appeared on stage as promised. There was no way we could cancel the concert in front of this large of an audience. However, there is no way they can perform under normal conditions. The band was in an unusually high mood from the beginning, with Mark Farner appearing shirtless from the beginning. This is how the legendary live performance at Korakuen Stadium began despite the heavy rain. The opening song is “Are You Ready?” Far from stopping, the rain is increasing in intensity. However, both the audience and the band ignored the surroundings and were reveling in the loud rock music. Grand Funk appeared after a long wait, and excitement was at its peak from the beginning. Although the stage was just over an hour long, the performance was as loud and powerful as rumored, and with the added element of a concert held in a rainstorm, it is still passed down as a legend among Japanese rock fans. This work is a complete recording of this legendary Grand Funk concert at Korakuen Stadium during a rainstorm, using the first sound source. For those who actually saw the concert at this venue at the time, what came out from the original tape being played for the first time in 45 years was the unmistakable enthusiasm and excitement of the day. As has been repeated many times, it is a wonderful audience recording that was able to capture the sound so well in such a bad environment of heavy rain and stormy winds. In particular, the large chorus that united the entire venue during “Heartbreaker” is a masterpiece worth mentioning. You can immediately tell it’s the song from the crackling guitar sound in the intro, and you can clearly feel the excitement in the audience. By the way, Julie, who usually sings this song on stage, was also in the audience. After that, there was a rumor that the band was playing along with the tape in the rain, fearing electric shock, or miming, but as you listen to this work, that’s just an urban legend. There is no doubt that he was actually playing it. Also, as Yoichi Shibuya later recalled, even if it was miming, the enthusiasm on that day was real. This work vividly conveys that historical moment. This is a complete recording of Grand Funk’s live performance at Korakuen Stadium on July 17, 1971, which was a legendary night and had such an impact that rock was classified as rock before and after. be. It is one of the most important events in the history of Japanese rock, and with this work, the legend will no longer be a legend, but will come back to life before our eyes as a reality. KORAKUEN STADIUM TOKYO JAPAN July 17, 1971 01. Introduction by Goro Itoi 02. Are You Ready 03. Paranoid 04. In Need 05. Heartbreaker 06. Mark Says Alright 07. T.N.U.C. 08. Inside Looking Out