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Mel Schacher

Started by Garrett, April 03, 2011, 06:20:22 AM

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Garrett

Happy Birthday to Mel Schacher!



April 3, 1951

Mel is best known as the bassist for Grand Funk Railroad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyF5J7au1jE

Chaser001

#1
I really like what Mel did, especially while GFR was still a 3-piece band.  If the bass were this loud in all bands, the world would be a better place.









heavychevy

Happy Birthday Mel, sorry for the crapy drunk cell phone picture!

Dave W

Hate to stop the celebration, but Mel's birthday is April 8 according to the GFRR Bio Page.

OTOH he'll be turning 60 so maybe a five-day celebration is in order.  :)

Garrett

Yeah Dave...I seen that after the fact.....I should have double checked my source, I have caught them being wrong before. But your right  ;D we will just start Mel`s party early!

Great pic Heavy Chevy!

uwe

"Best-known"? Is he known for anything except being the Grand Funk bass player? That and his white-boy 'fro!

Don't anybody mention Flint now. He was NOT known for that and btw Flint were just Grand Funk minus Mark Farner. Nice album though with the piano taking pretty much the role of the guitar as the lead instrument.
We've taken too much for granted ... and all the time it had grown ...
From techno seeds we first planted ... evolved a mind of its own ...

Chaser001

#6
Mark Farner really wasn't known too much for his guitar playing.  However, I do admire his songwriting and singing (although he didn't write some of their songs.)  Compared to Hendrix and Cream, Grand Funk was just a 3-piece garage band, but they made their mark for a moment in history.  I loved doing Grand Funk covers in my first band.  I lost interest in them after they became a 4-piece band.

Hornisse

Mel is one of my reasons for being a bass player.  My friend played me "Into The Sun" from the Live Album and after hearing that I knew I wanted to play bass!  One of my favorites is this one from E Pluribus Funk.  The bass solo just kills.  Starts at around 3:25,



Happy Birthday Mel!!

nofi

i guess he is second best known as the grand funk bassplayer who sells exotic cars.
"life is a blur of republicans and meat"- zippy the pinhead

Nocturnal

Didn't 3/4's of Grand Funk play in Bob Segar's backup band in the 80's?
TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE BAT
HOW I WONDER WHAT YOU'RE AT

Hornisse

Quote from: Nokturnal on April 03, 2011, 01:42:28 PM
Didn't 3/4's of Grand Funk play in Bob Segar's backup band in the 80's?

Just 1/2 did.  I saw Bob on both The Distance and American Storm tours and he had Don and Craig with him.

Freuds_Cat

Big fan, loved and still love his playing. Happy birthday!
Digresion our specialty!

bobyoung

Quote from: Chaser001 on April 03, 2011, 08:17:56 AM
I really like what Mel did, especially while GFR was still a 3-piece band.  If the bass were this loud in all bands, the world would be a better place.




This tune, Mel and this album cover inspired me to buy my first Fender at 18 years old, of course I didn't know it was a J bass and especially didn't know he had a big ol humbucker right near the neck. I bought a new sunburst P bass in 71. I loved his sound, all those guys who used fuzz boxes like Tim Bogart, Ron Wood, Jack Bruce, Jack Casady and many many more.





Chaser001

That's an iconic cover.

Chaser001

#14
Quote from: uwe on April 03, 2011, 10:02:28 AM
"Best-known"? Is he known for anything except being the Grand Funk bass player? That and his white-boy 'fro!

Don't anybody mention Flint now. He was NOT known for that and btw Flint were just Grand Funk minus Mark Farner. Nice album though with the piano taking pretty much the role of the guitar as the lead instrument.


I didn't know it until fairly recently, but Mel Schacher played bass for Question Mark and the Mysterians.  According to Wikepedia, at age 16 he was touring with them, promoting their bizarre hit "96 Tears."  I don't know enough about his biography to elaborate on that, though.