Shinin' On by Grand Funk

Album: Shinin' On (1974)

Charted: 11

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Grand Funk drummer Don Brewer wrote "Shinin' On" and sang lead. Says Brewer: "It came from me wanting to express myself as far as we are all winners and losers, bedfellow choosers, but we all have to shine on, keep on moving forward."
From 1970-1972, Grand Funk didn't have any big hits but nonetheless were wildly popular, with a collection of Gold albums and a huge live following. In 1973 they became hitmakers as well with their album We're An American Band, which was produced by Todd Rundgren and spawned a #1 hit with "the title track. Rundgren returned for the Shinin' On album, which gave them another #1 with their cover of "The Loco-Motion". "Shinin' On" was the next single, and also a big hit.

"It was the first record we had done at our own studio in Michigan," Don Brewer said. "We'd been working on building this place for a couple of years and we finally got the thing done and recorded that album there. We mixed it in New York, but we recorded the whole thing there. It was a fun project. There were some little tensions starting to arise at that point, but all in all, it was good fun." (Quotes from a Don Brewer Songfacts interview.)

Comments: 3

Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 7th 1974, "Shinin' On" by Grand Funk entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #63; and on August 18th, 1974 it peaked at #11 (for 1 week) and also spent 11 weeks on the Top 100...
It reached #13 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart...
The week that "Shinin' On" entered the Top 100 their preceding charted record, "The Loco-Motion", was at #60 (ten weeks earlier on April 28th, 1974, "The Loco-Motion" had peaked at #1 for two weeks).
Tosh from New Alex, PaFWIW;
Back in the 70's saw a piggyback rail car goin' down the highway.
On the side was the name "Grand Trunk Western".
Duh, I thought, that must be what inspired the name for the band.
Jim from Somewhere, PaThe band (from what I heard back in the 70's), Took they'er name from the MI's, "Grand Trunk Railroad"

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