Its airplay helped the album reach the Top 10 of the U.S. It was far more successful on progressive rock radio stations, such as those in New York, where its length and epic feel were an asset and where it became a mainstay that appealed to a broad spectrum of rock fans outside Grand Funk's immediate listener base. pop singles chart as the group's first top 40 hit single. Released as a single with the title "Closer to Home", it was modestly successful in early fall 1970, reaching number 21 in Canada and number 22 on the U.S. Farner nearly cried when he heard it, and Brewer has said of their reactions, "We were just like, 'Wow!'" and "Oh my God, it was magnificent." Reception
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD CAPTAIN FULL VERSION
The band members never heard the full version until Knight played it for them back in Flint. Producer Terry Knight brought in the Cleveland Orchestra to record it. He suggested they extend the ending so that his orchestral score would have space to develop in, so the band extended the jam on it.
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD CAPTAIN SERIES
Inspired by groups like The Moody Blues, they came upon the idea of using an orchestra, and hired Tommy Baker, an arranger and trumpet player who was working on the Cleveland television series Upbeat. īut after a while they had no ending for the second movement.
They immediately liked it and began jamming on it and working out their parts at a local union hall in their hometown of Flint, Michigan where they usually did their rehearsals. The chord changes to "I'm Your Captain" came to him the following morning between sips of coffee, and the next day he took it to the band. Unusually for him, Farner wrote the lyric of the song first, with the words coming to him in the middle of the night after saying prayers for inspiration to write something meaningful. The orchestra eventually overwhelms the captain's voice, to the gradually fading conclusion. Around the 7-minute mark a full orchestra appears to accompany the band. The movement's single lyric repeats over and over as a mantra.
The second movement starts at a fairly slow tempo, then launches into a relatively upbeat guitar break before the captain resumes singing. Soon the strings from the orchestra, make their entrance, featuring violins, violas, cellos, and basses. It has since become a classic rock staple and has appeared on several audience-selected lists as one of the best rock songs of all time.Īgain the bass line carries the music, with now a flute line accompanying it. Several interpretations of the song have been given most revolve around the Vietnam War, and "I'm Your Captain" is popular among veterans of that conflict.Ī truncated version of the song was a modest hit single when first released, but the full album track achieved greater airplay on progressive rock radio stations of the time. Its use of an orchestra during the long repeated refrains of the closing movement served to differentiate it from much of Grand Funk's work. The song conveys the pleas of a captain on a troubled sea voyage and facing a mutiny from his crew. Its title has been rendered in various ways across many different Grand Funk albums, including " I'm Your Captain", " I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home", " Closer to Home/I'm Your Captain", " Closer to Home (I'm Your Captain)", and " Closer to Home".
One of the group's best-known songs, it is composed as two distinct but closely related movements. Ten minutes in duration, it is the band's longest studio recording. " I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" is a 1970 song written by American musician Mark Farner and recorded by Grand Funk Railroad as the closing track to their album Closer to Home. I'm getting closer to my home I'm getting closer to my home I'm getting closer to my home (repeat until fade).1970 single by Grand Funk Railroad "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)" Everybody listen to me And return me my ship I'm your captain I'm your captain Though I'm feeling mighty sick I've been lost now for days uncounted And it's months since I've seen home Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Or am I all alone? If you return me to my home port I will kiss you Mother Earth Take me back now Take me back now To the port of my birth (bridge) Am I in my cabin dreaming? Or are you really scheming To take my ship away from me? You'd better think about it I just can't live without it So please don't take my ship from me I can feel the hand of a stranger And it's tightening around my throat Heaven help me Heaven help me Take this stranger from my boat I'm your captain I'm your captain Though I'm feeling mighty sick Everybody listen to me And return me my ship I'm your captain Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I'm your captain Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I'm your captain Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I'm your captain Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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