Grand Ex'

Grand Ex (Thai: แกรนด์เอ็กซ์) is a string combo band famous and with a long history in Thailand, founded by Nakorn Vejsupaporn inviting friends at Bophitphimuk College to form a band called Extreme. Later, there was the 3rd Thailand String Combo Championship, organized by the Music Association of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, under the name Grand Ex'.

Origin of the band name

Because of the band's passion for underground music, Grand Funk Railroad and The Jimmy Hendrix & The Experience, Nakorn, the leader of the band, combined the names of the two bands to become Grand Experience. However, it was difficult to pronounce. In addition, during that time Japan was holding the World Expo. On the poster it read EX' 70, which stands for Expo 1970, and thus the group's name was shortened to EX' instead, so it has been called Grand Ex' since then.

History

Forming the band

Grand Ex' was formed in 1969 by a group of students of Bophitphimuk College, led by Nakorn Vejsupaporn (guitar solo and band leader), along with friends from the same college: Kamthorn Kunanukul (guitar chords), Warawut Hiranwan (bass), Damrong Chuencharoensuk (spokesperson and lead vocals), Narong Puekhaohan (lead vocals), Prasit Chaiyato (drums), and Sommart Thuobchinda (organ).

The members of Grand Ex' participated in the 3rd Thailand String Combo Championship in 1972. The previous two contests were in 1969 and 1970 (the 1971 contest was canceled due to political turmoil). The Impossibles (ดิ อิมพอสซิเบิ้ล), which later became a legendary band in Thailand because they laid the foundation of string music in Thailand, won the championship both times. Including the third time in 1972, the band The Impossibles received a royal trophy as ownership. The Music Association of Thailand under the Royal Patronage finally ended the string combo contest.

In the student category, the band won the championship, and Grand Ex' won the runner-up award and the media's favorite award, with a way of dressing that caught the eye of the media. Despite playing wild rock, they were dressed modestly, wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a tie, unlike the other bands.

After the contest, some founding members graduated. Each of them dispersed to study at the higher education level, causing Nakorn, the leader of the band, to find new members by investing even the waiver of the right to not study at the university that he entered, but chose to study in an open university where his friends, members of the circle, were studying. This was for the convenience of music practice and band making.

Released the first single

Grand Ex' became known for playing in clubs, bars and upcountry. By playing for about 8 months before some members of the band resigned. Nakhon Vejsupaporn, the leader of the band, set out to find new members and reshape the Grand Ex' approach to become a full string combo, with the addition of the wind instrument. Chai Saengcha-um (saxophone), Sanae Suparat (trumpet, deceased), and Somsak Apiwatteerakul (trombone) joined around 1974, and the arrival of the new lead singer, Wasan Taesakul (surname at that time was changed to Sirisukphisai).

In 1976, the founding bassist and keyboardist resigned, and Wasan had to turn to keyboards in addition to being the lead vocals, while the bassist position was filled by Ad Tanongsak Arpornsiri as the new member.

In the same year, Grand Ex' added Chamras Saewataporn as lead vocalist and guitar chords. Before the release of the group's first single, Kuo Nok, the following year was in 1977.

Lukthung Disco and The Golden Age of the Bands

After the end of the promotion of the band's first single, Kunok, Chai Sangcha-um, the saxophone player, resigned and Panas Hirunkasi took over as the saxophone player. In the band, there was an idea that Thai people would turn to listen to Thai music more because most people liked to listen to international music from abroad. Therefore, they produced the band's first full-length studio album under the name Lukthung Disco, released in August 1979.

After finishing the album promotion of Lukthung Disco, which was very successful in making Thai people turn to listen to Thai music more, Grand Ex' released the second full album, which was a recording of the band's live performance at Manhattan Club. It was released in February 1980, as a record for the first live performance in Thailand. Then Grand Ex' released the third full album, Lukthung Disco, the second set in March 1980, which was successful, but not comparable to the first album.

Later, Chamras Saewataporn resigned for personal reasons, and Somsak Apiwattheerakul resigned due to illness. The band received two new members, namely Danupon Kaewkan and Chokdee Pakphu, which marked the beginning of the golden era of the band and the classic line-up members.

In this era, the band released a total of 11 full albums, of which the 4th full studio album is the album "Kheen" (เขิน), which is the first album of the group that is a whole Thai song album. The 7th full studio album is the album Grand XO, which is considered the most successful album of Grand Ex', but it caused the band to move from the old label, Azona Promotion, to come under the label TSE Group, a subsidiary of Thairath newspaper. The 8th full studio album is Buppesanniwat.

It is also the first time in Thailand to use the word concert officially in the name of the concert. Grand XO's grand opening concert at the National Theatre on October 31, 1981, until the 10th studio album is the album Destiny (พรหมลิขิต). The band received its 9th member, the last member in the Classic line-up era, Aod Sarayuth Supanyo, in the position of piano, in the 11th full album, which is a live recording album Valentine Laser Concert performed on February 13, 1983, or one day before Valentine's Day. This is the first concert in Thailand that uses laser light to perform on the concert stage.

The end of the golden and classic line-up era

After the end of the promotion of the 13th studio album Pure (บริสุทธิ์), which is the 13th full studio album, Aod Sarayuth Supanyo resigned from the group because he wanted to make music in his own style, fusion jazz first. He would form a band in the style of jazz fusion, the first and only band in Thailand, Infinity later, but he continued to help the band in making music for the 14th full-set studio album, namely Album Duangduen, and is the last album of the group in the classic line-up era that was released in November 1984. After that, four members of the band, namely Thanongsak, Wasan, Panat, and Sanae, requested to resign from the band to form a new band in the name of a friend group under a giant record label in that era, Nititad Promotion, while the remaining four members, namely Nakorn, Danuphol, Prasit, and Chokdee, left from TSE Group to set up their own music label company in the name of Grand Ex' Family by giving Nititad Promotion as a distributor. The 16th full-set studio album Sai Yai was released in July 1985, and the band welcomed a new member, Aisoon Watayanon, but still used the Marble band as a backup for concerts and recording in a recording studio since the 15th full-set studio album, Pink Heart and Sai Yai album, is the last album of Danupon Kaewkan as a member of Grand Ex' before resigning to be the first solo artist in Thailand under Nititad Promotion.

After Jae Danupol Kaewkarn resigned from the band, the band added and changed members within the band along with releasing 3 full studio albums and 3 special albums before they parted ways. After finishing the 19th full studio album is the album Dai Mai? in 1988.

Reunion and official disbandment

But before the band's disbandment in 1988, nine members of the Grand Ex' classic line-up staged a charity concert called Nam Nueng concert in May 1987, with Jae Danupol coming up on stage in a wheelchair due to sickness. Until 2002, the 9 members returned to the concert again in the name of the concert Grand Exhibition concert held at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani. At that time, the band teamed up with a famous game show in Thailand at that time, Fan Pan Tae, to organize a competition to find the best Fan Pan Tae of Grand Ex' to win special prizes from members all 9 people. Then in 2016, the band collaborated with BEC-Tero Entertainment Public Company Limited (named at the time) to organize the first concert in 14 years under the name of the concert Grand Ex' Grand Concert still held at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. Along with the concert tour to all regions of the country, but had to cancel abruptly due to the death of King Rama IX.

Later on Saturday, August 3, 2019, the band Grand Ex' held another big concert to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary still held at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, along with the bad news that shocked the fans' feelings was Grand Ex's official disbandment announcement, Along with a lawsuit between the band and Prasit Chaiyato, drummer and co-founder of the band.

External links

• Grand Ex Online CDs&DVDs store
• http://www.oknation.net/blog/kilroy/category/grandex/
• แกรนด์เอ็กซ์ แฟนคลับ Archived 2007-09-13 at the Wayback Machine

This article "Grand Ex'" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Grand Ex'. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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