Grand Funk Railroad (Official Thread)

[The Rover]

Grand Funk Railroad . . . .

Grand Funk Railroad Official Website

Yes, you know about "We're An American Band" and probably "I'm Your Captain".....

But it's the Hard Rock GFR that I love......

Current Members:

Don Brewer – drums, lead vocals (1969–1976, 1981–1983, 1996–present)
Mel Schacher – bass guitar (1969–1976, 1981, 1996–present)
Max Carl – lead vocals (2000–present)
Bruce Kulick – guitars (2000–present)
Timothy "Tim" Cashion – keyboards (2000–present)


Former Members:

Mark Farner – guitars, lead vocals, keyboard (1969–1976, 1981–1983, 1996–1998)
Craig Frost - keyboards, backing vocals (1972–1976)
Dennis Bellinger – bass guitar (1981–1983)
Howard Eddy, Jr. – keyboards (1996–1998)

Albums:

1969 On Time
1969 Grand Funk
1970 Closer to Home
1971 Survival
1971 E Pluribus Funk
1972 Phoenix
1973 We're an American Band
1974 Shinin' On
1974 All the Girls in the World Beware!!!
1976 Born to Die
1976 Good Singin', Good Playin'
1981 Grand Funk Lives
1983 What's Funk?




There was a great compilation double LP released on Capital called:

Mark, Don, & Mel : 1969-1971

They should release it for us old fans..... ​

 

[runtfan]

Re: Grand Funk Railroad

Big time Grand Funk fan here too. But, if anything, I prefer the mid-to-late period Grand Funk (after adding Craig Frost on keyboards) over the power trio. It's all pretty great to me though.
I agree that the Mark, Don, & Mel compilation was pretty great. I doubt if we'll see it on CD though, in light of the box set and other compilations that have come out.
IMO, the ultimate GFR album is Caught In The Act, which captures the excitement and power of GFR live, at their peak.

 

[The Rover]

Re: Grand Funk Railroad

Big time Grand Funk fan here too. But, if anything, I prefer the mid-to-late period Grand Funk (after adding Craig Frost on keyboards) over the power trio. It's all pretty great to me though.
I agree that the Mark, Don, & Mel compilation was pretty great. I doubt if we'll see it on CD though, in light of the box set and other compilations that have come out.
IMO, the ultimate GFR album is Caught In The Act, which captures the excitement and power of GFR live, at their peak.

I love many of the songs that made it onto CAUGHT IN THE ACT, especially:

Intro / Footstompin' Music

Shinin' On

Black Licorice / The Railroad (Now there's a two-some that ROCKS ! !)

(The LP version included a longer Intro, which I liked. It just kind of builds to the excitement of a big time Rock concert beginning.)



Mark Farner


When the hair.... and the solos.... were long

 

[snakes&ladders]

Grand Funk Railroad

Hands up who doesn't know Grand Funk Railroad......they've been kickin' ass for 40 years.......congrats to a HUGE rock band

 

[Magic]

Re: 40 years of great Funk!

Great Band!

Locomotion


We''re an American Band


Some Kind of Wonderful


My favorites from GFR would have to be the 2 albums that were released in 1974, after Tod Rundgren became their producer ~ Shine On and All the Girls in the World Beware!

this album cover is INSANE lol (those bodies belong to Arnold Schwazenegger and Franco Columbu)

 

[snakes&ladders]

Re: 40 years of great Funk!

Yeah....one of the coolest album covers alright

 

[Magic]

Re: 40 years of great Funk!

What is so interesting about GFR is the whole band began with a lie. Let me explain before you all go "wth". Terry Knight, the bands manager, whose real name is Richard Terrance Knapp, use to be a DJ, and decided to break away form his DJ job and get more into the music business. So he met up with band members of a band called "The Jazz Masters", whom he had DJ 'd for. The Jazz Masters included band member Don Brewer, whom is also a founding member of GFR. Terry lied to Don Brewer by telling him he was close friends with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones to get into the Jazz Masters band as lead singer. After inducting Richard into the band they changed their band nameto "the Pack" and Richard changed his name to "Terry Knight". But Terry didn't stay long, he took a position with Capitol Records.

In 1968, Brewer and another Pack member, Mark Farner, left the band and formed Grand Funk Railroad. Brewer ask Terry Knight to be the band's magager, and he accepted. GFR had a kickazz tour that spring of 1969, and with Terry's connections in Capitol Records, GFR landed a recording contract with Capitol.

And the rest is history It all began with Richard Knapp telling a lie.

 

[zoose]

Re: 40 years of great Funk!

Grand Funk Railroad
The Teenybopper's wetdream. The same bunch who brought us really groovy stuff like the Jackson Five.

Mark Farner used to play guitar on his knees like a big phallus while little girls in training bras with wire teeth went nuts.
It hurt his knees (and probably embarrassed the SOOH if he had a dram of dignity) and he told Knight he didn't want to do it anymore. Knight like the total hack he was demanded Farner do it, and GF fired him. He went on a mission of vengeance, started a sh-tstorm, and both mercifully took a crap and went away.

 

[Magic]

Re: 40 years of great Funk!

I am not sure how the Jackson 5 fits into the picture here, since they were completely pop and a Mowtown act. But I will agree that GFR did appeal to a young audience which was not unlike the Beatles either, whom also was a teenyboppers dream.

After the firing of Terry Knight, the band met up with many many obstacles, even the members own creative indifference. I am inclined to believe the band's most coherence between members and managers was during the reign of Terry Knight.

I wont diss Farner, because I feel he is a great musician, but his career sure took a very strange twist when he left GFR, he went christian after he attempted to ride the coat tails of his GFR fame.

Reguardless, I still liked GFR and they hold some great tunes and memories for me

 

[zoose]

Re: 40 years of great Funk!

I love Terry Knight.
For his contribution to Rock he should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Impaled on a BC Rich Warlock.
- big end first
- to the tuners
- with the mummy of Michael Jackson shoved down his gullet until only a sequined glove can be seen.

If it wasn't for squealy teenie weenies spending their allowance on the Squeaky Gnome's records the Abomination would have been a one hit wonder.
The same ones who kept GFR afloat.