Grand Funk Artistfacts

Grand Funk song list

Grand Funk Artistfacts

1968-1976; 1981-1983; 1996-
Mark FarnerGuitar, vocals1968-1976; 1981-1983; 1996-1998
Mel SchacherBass1968-1976; 1996-
Don BrewerDrums1968-1976; 1981-1983; 1996-
Craig FrostKeyboards1972-1976
Dennis BellingerBass1981-1983
Bruce KulickGuitar, bass, keyboards2000-
Max CarlGuitar2000-
Tim CashionPercussion, piano, vocals2000-
Also known as either Grand Funk Railroad or GFR, Grand Funk was generally dismissed by critics and radio programmers, but was able to sell over 20 million albums through constant touring. They frequently sold out stadiums and arenas.
They brought in Todd Rundgren to produce their albums We're An American Band (1973) and Shinin' On (1974). In a Songfacts interview with Rundgren, he said: "They were already successful and they were already selling some records, but they weren't very successful on Top 40 radio and they were not very successful with the critics. So they needed to do something that was, on one hand, more accessible to what they had been doing, and on the other hand, something that would break this cycle of critical disdain.

A lot of it just had to do with the fact that they weren't writing the right kind of songs. They started out as a jam band, so they would come up with a little fragment of the song and then stretch it out really long. That kind of disqualifies you from Top 40, in a way, because the songs are too long.

But also, I think music critics just got tired of listening to the jamming. While they were a jam band they were not of the quality of, let's say, Cream or even Led Zeppelin, in that sense."
Farner was a football player before an injury ended his career at age 15. He then picked up the guitar.
Brewer and Farner met while playing with Terry Knight and the Pack; Schacher was in ? And The Mysterians. Knight became GFR's manager, and was the one who came up with their name - it was a play on "Grand Trunk Railroad."
Acts like Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels and the MC5 earned a lot of acclaim in the '60s, but Grand Funk was the first Michigan rock band to hit it big. They don't get the plaudits of the bands they eclipsed commercially: Grand Funk has never been considered for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the MC5, which was far less popular, has been nominated.
In 1971, they broke the Beatles' Shea Stadium record for ticket sales. Grand Funk sold out two nights in 72 hours and made over $300,000.
Linda McCartney's father, John Eastman, was the band's attorney while they were sued by Knight after they tried to fire him.
Frost and Brewer would later be members of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band. They joined at separate times, though.
They band was going to break up earlier, but stayed together because Frank Zappa wanted to produce an album for them. He produced Good Singin', Good Playin' and they broke up after that.
Farner saw some solo success in the late 1970s and then became a born-again Christian. His 1988 album, Just Another Injustice, went to #2 on the Religious (Inspirational) Charts.
They were signed to a record deal immediately after a set full of energy at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1969. This was the show where Mark Farner developed his shirtless wild-man look. "I had bought this paisley print shirt, that was like a see-through paisley print," he told Songfacts. "I thought the girls would love this stuff. I paid $50 for it. I'm in the middle of 'Land Of 1000 Dances' and I feel like I'm in a straitjacket because this material is just sticking to my sweaty body. I said, 'I gotta get this off!' And I ripped that $50 shirt off, and the audience went nuts. And I went, 'Ooh, that worked.' So that was part of the evolution of me going on shirtless with nothing but an armband on, because it worked on that very first gig. I thought if it worked then, I'm just going to keep it up, and that was part of my trademark."
The group's huge success is often attributed to the public relations expertise of manager Knight. In 1970, Knight reportedly paid $100,000 for a huge billboard in New York City's Times Square to promote the group's Closer To Home, which subsequently became their first Top 10 album, reaching number 6 and spawning the FM radio-staple title track. Knight died in 2004 when he was stabbed after trying to break up a fight between his daughter and her boyfriend. >>
Suggestion credit:
Mike - Mountlake Terrace, WA
They are Homer Simpson's favorite band. He says so in the episode in which he joins the traveling music festival Hullapalooza. >>
Suggestion credit:
Jordan - Toronto, Canada
Kulick has played with Kiss, Michael Bolton, Billy Squier, and Meatloaf.

Comments: 11

Dale Byers from ChardonAll of their albums while Terry Knight was their manager were recorded in Cleveland Recording Studios.
Kenny Grooms from Mayfield Hts., OhioI think it sucks that they're not in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame very talented band. Is it true their first 3 lps. were recorded at Agency Recording Studios in Cleveland?
Rock Brook from BrooklynRock n Roll Hall of Fame is committing a crime by leaving out this legendary Rock band for so long.

Grand Funk beet The Beatles' attendance record in the United States!!

Being a support group of Led Zeppelin, chosen by them thanks to this fact, they impressed manager Peter Grant so much, that he, himself, believing they would surpass ZEP, cut off the electric current in the middle of their show. Grand Funk Railroad were a real hard act to follow in the USA. (chk Bio)

Hard Rock in the USA had a five fingers fist leadering the genre in the 70s:
Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep (all British) and the thumb, hitchhiking all them in their United States bus was GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. They were so HUGE everyone in the country thought they were British too. So.....

"We're an American band, We're comin' to your town, We'll help you party it down, WE' RE AN ..... A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N BAND.

Hats off to GRAND FUNK RAILROAD .... shame on the ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME!
Andrew from PittsburghGFR is right up there with all the great 3 man bands like Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, ZZ TOP. Juzt listen to Into the Sun and you'll get it. Rock on Grand Trunk!!!
Bob from Jackson, MichiganHow about 'mean mistreater'?
Bob from Jackson, MichiganWhy wouldn't 'I'm your captain' be listed with their songs? Probably their biggest hit.
Darren from Tampa, FlI never knew that Mark, Don and Mel contained a gorgeous, huge, full color poster and then a copy with one fell into my lap check it out at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320173648726&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011

The sky seemed to be raining rare GFR after I caught the July 4th show at Busch Gardens. I found a Gold Vinyl copy of We're an American Band:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320173938876&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011

After all this insanity I found a like new copy of E Pluribus Funk with a round, full color insert I never knew existed, I tell ya what, the heck with CDs, bring back the LPs!! You use to get more for your money:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320173937352&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011

Great stuff from the greatest American Band ever!! Good luck on it all!!
Randall from Monroe, MiI read where Mark Farner was from Grand Blanc, Michigan, near Flint. If you drive from Grand Blanc to Flint, you go under a railroad underpass that states Grand Trunk Railroad. Surely that underpass had an impact on these guys from the Flint Area.
Mike from Germantown, MdHow come sometimes they're called Grand Funk, and other times Grand Funk Railroad?
Kelly from Santa Rosa, CaGrand Funk Railroad was one of the hottest bands during the
"Woodstock Era" of 1968 to 1972. There songs were constantly played on underground FM radio stations and they sold out concert stadiums in minutes wherever they played. they were more popular than the Rolling Stones, the Doors and Led Zeppelin... Mick Jagger actually sat in on The "Survival" album's sessions and allowed them to cover the stone's "Gimmie shelter" song ... that same album saw Dave Mason permit the band to cover the song Feelin Alright made popular by Joe Cocker...This came to a crashing Halt when they made the unprecedented move of suing their manager. After that, they were stripped of the name Grand Funk Railroad, were blacklisted by the music business, and their much loved hits were not heard at all on radio for over 15 years after the lawsuit with Terry Knight
Don from Pittsburgh, PaGrand Funk,along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath in 1969 were the only true hard rock bands. At the time they were the only bands who played what is the genre hard rock. I wrote that twice. Oh well, roll another one!!!