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Grand Funk Railroad



***~***


If your a Grand Funk fan, you already know how the critic's loved to hate them and how they made it with little or no air play. It was their live performances that really shot them forward. It didn't take long for the population to know there was a new heavy band out there vibrating the airwaves.

Grand Funk started out in 1969 playing the festival cicuit. The Atlanta Pop Festival on July 4, 1969 was when they really got noticed, by playing in front of over 150,000 people, and doing it for free. Grand Funk totally bypassed playing in small clubs and went straight to the BIG festivals in front of thousands. The crowds loved this unknown power trio. They played many festivals before their first album, "On Time" was even released.

Mark Farner
Farner with his Messenger guitar

This guitar was responsible for that original GFR sound! Mark stuffed his Messenger guitar hollow body with foam through the F-holes and put tape over them. It also had built-in fuzztone circuitry he would use during solos. It took Mark Don and Mel together, to create this Hard Rock Trio!     Even Mel messed around and customized his Fender Jazz Bass by replacing the neck pickup with a Humbucker pickup.     Now Don did what he did on just a few skins and could KICK that bass drum to the ultimate;
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD

Mel Schacher Don Brewer




When was the first time You heard of Grand Funk? Was it during their garage days? Their famous days? After their breakup days? Without Mel days? Their reunion days? Or Without Mark days? These are only questions I'm asking, to bring up that first memory of GFR. The main thing is, we all got into them at one time or another, because of their talent and how they can Rock the World! Leave a message in my guestbook, if you would like to share your thoughts!

I have been a fan ever since I heard "The Red Album" in 1970...
I'll never forget the first time I heard them... a girl brought it to
school one day and in one of our classes she said
"you gotta hear this..."
Luckily we had a cool teacher who put it on the old turntable for us.
I don't know about any one else
but that totally did it for me! Blew me away!
Nothing came close or comes close to the sound of Grand Funk
I couldn't get enough of that loud heavy sound.
It seemed like I was the only one who thought they were Great &
heard the raw wild power from this trio...
But MAN I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE!!
Just my personal remembrance!
You all have your own remembrance of Grand Funk
So, tell everybody you know!




Grand Funk Railroad: 1972
Grand Funk Dec '72


GFR '73 Ticket Stub
scan of my original ticket stub


I saw them struttin' their stuff and rockin' the city on Thur. Aug. 16 1973 at Toronto's Varsity Stadium, during their We're an American Band Tour.
It was an outdoor concert, so I'm sure people heard it for miles.
Let me just say that it was the best concert I have been to.
Plus they were the Loudest band at the time :)
Lee Michaels was the opening act that night.



Mark Farner Band
About 15 years later I met Mark Farner. I went to a few of his solo concerts, and finally on Wed. Nov. 16 1988, at Rock'n'Roll Heaven I got his autograph. Right On! He signed my "Just Another Injustice" LP album, which I actually bought that night.


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Omnivoid's Grand Funk Railroad Poll
What's your favorite Grand Funk album?


Current Results

To read older Poll comments, Click on Archive Here





#822763








Grand Funk and Frank Zappa
Mel, Frank Zappa, Mark, Craig & Don
during the good singin’ good playin’ session's
and last album with Mel until the '96 reunion


Finally got to see the new GFR in the summer of 2005. All the energy is still there and it was a total blast to see them live again. It sure is different without Farner, but they still put on a great show. A fantastic rockin' time for everyone. I had front row seats and I still can't get the smile from my face whenever I think about that concert

I hope you listen to them loud like I do. The only way to hear them is LOUD or you miss half of it! They played LOUD so you have to HEAR LOUD!





These are the Grand Funk
vinyl records I own:

    #On Time - ’69 Capitol ST-307 (U.S.A.)
    #On Time - ’69 (‘72) Capitol ST-307 (U.S.A.)
    #Grand Funk - Red Album - ’69 Capitol SKAO-406 (Canada)
    #Grand Funk - Red Album - ’69 (‘81) Capitol SN-16177 (U.S.A.)
    #Closer To Home - ’70 Capitol SKAO-471 (Canada)
    #Live Album - ’70 Capitol SWBB-633 (Canada)
    #Survival - ’71 Capitol SW-764 (Textured cover) (Canada)
    #Survival - ’71 (‘?) Capitol SW-764 (U.S.A.)
    #Survival - ’71 (‘80) Capitol 1C-038-80 783 (Germany)
    #E. Pluribus Funk - ’71 Capitol SW-853 (Canada)
    #E. Pluribus Funk - ’71 (‘?) Capitol 5C 038-81011 (Germany)
    #Mark, Don & Mel 1969-71 - ’72 Capitol SABB-11042 (Canada)
    #Phoenix - ’72 Capitol SMAS-11099 (No title on cover - was on shrink wrap only) (U.S.A.)
    #Phoenix - ’72 Capitol SMAS-11099 (Title on cover) (Canada)
    #We’re An American Band - ’73 Capitol SMAS-11207 (Gold vinyl) (U.S.A.)
    #We're An American Band - ’73 Capitol SMAS-11207 (Black Vinyl) (U.S.A.)
    #The Loco-Motion / Destitute & Losin' - 45 RPM - ’74 Capitol 3840 (Canada)
    #The Loco-Motion / Destitute & Losin' - p/s - 45 RPM - ’74 Capitol ECR-10514 (Japan)
    #Shinin’ On - ’74 Capitol SWAE-11278 (U.S.A.)
    #Shinin’ On / Mr. Pretty Boy - p/s - 45 RPM - ’74 Capitol 3917 (U.S.A.)
    #all the girls in the world Beware!!! - ’74 Capitol SO-11356 (Canada)
    #Caught In The Act - ’75 Capitol SABB-11445 (Canada)
    #Born To Die - ’75 Capitol ST-11482 (Canada)
    #Take Me / Genevieve - p/s - 45 RPM - ’75 Capitol 4199 (Canada)
    #Hits - (Band members on train wreck) ’76 Capitol ST-11579 (Canada)
    #good singin’ good playin’ - ’76 MCA-2216 (U.S.A.)
    #Grand Funk Lives - ’81 Full Moon / W.B. XFM 3625 (Canada)
    #I'm So True / Let It Happen (which is unreleased on the album) - p/s - 45 RPM - '82 Full Moon/WEA P-1695 (Japan)
    #What’s Funk - ’83 Full Moon / W.B. 92 37501 (Canada)


My CD's:

    #On Time - ’89 (Pastmasters) Capitol CP21-6037 (Japan)
    #Grand Funk - Red Album - ’92 Cema S21X 57818 / The Collector’s Pipeline TCP006CD (Canada)
    #Closer To Home - ’88 Capitol CDP 7 48429 2 (U.S.A.)
    #Closer To Home - EMI C2 0777 7 48429 2 1 (Canada)
    #Closer To Home - (with 2 bonus tracks) - ’97 Capitol TOCP-3285 (Japan)
    #Hawaiian Eyes 1970 - (live) - Carlotta’s CD’s (Sydney, Australia)
    #Live Album - ’89 (Pastmasters) Capitol CP19-6040-41 (Japan)
    #Live Album - ’00 (Remastered) EMI Plus 724357623926 (The Netherlands)
    #Survival - ‘95 Capitol TOCP-3181 (Japan)
    #E. Pluribus Funk - ’93 Capitol TOCP-7621 (Japan)
    #Phoenix - ’90 (Pastmasters II ) Capitol TOCP-6350 (Japan)
    #We’re An American Band - ’89 (Pastmasters) Capitol CP21-6039 (Japan)
    #We’re An American Band - ‘95 Capitol / EMI C2 7243 8 31929 2 2 (Canada)
    #We’re An American Band - LTD. ED. - ‘99 Capitol 72435-21692-2-1 (U.S.A.)
    #Shinin’ On - ’90 (Pastmasters II ) Capitol TOCP-6349 (Japan)
    #Shinin’ On - (with 1 bonus track) - ’97 Capitol TOCP-3287 (Japan)
    #all the girls in the world Beware!!! - ’97 Capitol TOCP-3288 (Japan)
    #Caught In The Act - (Pastmasters II) (with edited T.N.U.C.) Capitol TOCP-6351 (Japan)
    #Born To Die - (with On Time and Red Album) - '98 CDM 1198-216/217 (Russia)
    #Hits - ’87 Capitol CDP 7 46623 2 (U.S.A.)
    #good singin’ good playin’ - (with 1 bonus track) - ’99 Hip-O HIPD-40144 (U.S.A.)
    #Grand Funk Lives - (with Closer To Home) - '98 CDM 1198-218 (Russia)
    #What's Funk? - (with Survival) - '98 CDM 1198-219 (Russia)
    #Great! - ’87 Pair PCD-1178 / Capitol CDL-9576 (U.S.A.) this is the very first CD of GFR I ever came across
    #Capitol Collectors Series - ’91 Capitol C2 90608 (Canada)
    #More Of The Best - ’91 Rhino R2 70530 (Canada)
    #Milwaukee, WI - 07 / 20 / 1996
    #Bosnia - ’97 Capitol 72438-21935-2-4 (U.S.A.)
    #The Anthology – Thirty Years Of Funk – 1969-1999 - ’99 Capitol 72434-99523-2-4 (U.S.A.)
    #LIVE: The 1971 Tour - '02 Capital 72435-39501-2-5 (U.S.A.)
    #TRUNK OF FUNK - Remastered (Limited Edition #3249) - '02 Capital 72435-41422-2-2 (U.S.A.)
              - On Time - '02
              - Red Album - '02
              - Live Album - '02
              - Closer To Home - '02
    PLUS:
              - Survival - '02
              - Phoenix - '02
    #Greatest Hits - CD + DVD - '06 Capital 09463 59319 2 1 (U.S.A.)


Now, my video's I have collected:

    #1969 Playboy After Dark
    #1969 Texas Pop Festival
    #Into The Sun - from the movie - Get Down Grand Funk
    #1970 Cincinnati Pop Festival
    #1972 In Concert - Madison Square Gardens - I saw this on TV - In Concert, back then
    #1973 We're An American Band Promo
    #1974 Los Angeles, California ?  or is it  1974 San Diego, California ?
    #Mark Farner interview - AM Buffalo 1986
    #1989 Woodstock Reunion (Farner)
    #April 11 1997 Good Morning America
    #April 25 1997 The Beacon Theater NY - Bosnian Relief Benefit
    #May 2 1997 The Tonight Show
    #Oct 31 1997 Red Bank, NJ
    #VH1 Behind The Music
    #Greatest Hits - CD + DVD - '06 Capital 09463 59319 2 1 (U.S.A.)




Below are some Grand Funk Links.

*The Official Grand Funk Website
*Mark Farner's Homepage
 		Infamous Flint, Mich. bridge
Bridge in Flint





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