Grand Funk Railroad 149787 225868815 2008-07-15T19:53:28Z Rich Farmbrough 82835 Caps, Replaced: art Position → art position using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Onesource|date=May 2008}} {{Infobox musical artist | Name = Grand Funk Railroad | Img = Grandfunkrail.jpg | Img_capt = Grand Funk Railroad in the mid-70s, Left to Right: Craig Frost, Mel Schacher, Don Brewer, Mark Farner | Img_size = 250 | Landscape = Yes | Background = group_or_band | Origin = [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]], [[Michigan]], [[United States|U.S.]] | Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[hard rock]] | | Years_active = 1969 - 1976<br/>1981 - 1983<br/>1996 - present | Label = [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], [[MCA Records|MCA]], [[Warner Bros. Records|Full Moon]] | URL = [http://www.grandfunkrailroad.com/ www.grandfunkrailroad.com] | Current_members = [[Don Brewer]]<br/>[[Mel Schacher]]<br/>[[Bruce Kulick]]<br/>[[Max Carl]]<br/>[[Tim Cashion]] | Past_members = [[Mark Farner]]<br/>[[Craig Frost]]<br/>[[Dennis Bellinger]] }} '''Grand Funk Railroad''' (later known as '''Grand Funk''') is an [[United States|American]] [[Rock music|rock]] band. The Grand Funk Railroad lineup was highly popular during the 1970s, having sold over 25 million records and selling out arenas worldwide and having been awarded four RIAA gold albums in 1970, the most for any American Group that year. The current Grand Funk Railroad lineup uses the nickname "The American Band", from their hit song "[[We're an American Band (song)|We're an American Band]]". A popular take on the band during their heyday was that the critics hated them, but audiences loved them. Contrary to the name, the band is not a real funk band; but rather an attempt to [[pun]] the name "[[Grand Trunk Railroad]]" as that railroad went through Flint; although some sources cite the band's "[[The Loco-Motion]]" cover song as a funk track. ==History== The band was formed in 1969 by [[Mark Farner]] ([[vocals]], [[guitar]]), [[Don Brewer]] ([[vocals]], [[drums]]) from [[Terry Knight and the Pack]], and [[Mel Schacher]] ([[bass guitar|bass]]) from [[Question Mark & the Mysterians]] in [[Flint, Michigan]]. Former bandmate [[Terry Knight]] soon became their manager and named the band after the [[Grand Trunk Western Railroad]], a well-known rail line in [[Michigan]]. First achieving recognition at the 1969 [[Atlanta International Pop Festival (1969)|Atlanta Pop Festival]], the band was signed by [[Capitol Records]]. Patterned after [[Cream (band)|Cream]], but developing their own populist style, in 1970 they had sold more albums than any other American band and had become a major concert attraction. In that same year they earned their second gold record award for the album "Grand Funk" (aka the Red Album) and a hit single, "Closer To Home" (aka "I'm Your Captain") from the album ''[[Closer to Home]]'', which was stylistically close to the old [[Terry Knight and the Pack]]. A year later, they broke the attendance record set by [[The Beatles|The Beatles']] at [[Shea Stadium]], selling out in just 72 hours.<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 15-16, 22, 37, 60 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> Despite critical pans and lack of radio airplay, the group's first eight albums, released in three years, were successful. Knight launched an intensive advertising campaign to promote the album ''[[Closer To Home]]'', reportedly paying $100,000 for a huge billboard in [[New York City|New York City's]] [[Times Square]]. That album was certified multi-platinum despite the lack of critical success. In 1972 Grand Funk Railroad fired Knight; Knight sued for breach of contract, resulting in a protracted legal battle.<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 31, 36-37, 76 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> In 1972 Grand Funk Railroad shortened their name to '''Grand Funk''' as a result of the ongoing legal battles, and added a fourth band member. They first had requested [[Peter Frampton]] to join them, but he wasn't available, due to a just-signed solo-record deal, so they asked [[Craig Frost]] (keyboards), whom they knew from their time in the Pack (1968). This brought on a stylistic shift from their original raw rock & roll roots to a more [[rhythm & blues]] oriented style that was not universally accepted by their fan base. ''Grand Funk'' released its sixth album ''[[Phoenix (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Phoenix]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 80, 83-84 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> The band hired musician [[Todd Rundgren]] as a producer to refine their sound. Two successful albums and two hit singles resulted, "We're an American Band" (from ''[[We're An American Band]]'') and "[[The Loco-Motion]]" (from ''Shinin' On'', written by [[Carole King]] and [[Gerry Goffin]] for [[Little Eva]]).<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 90, 92-94, 104-106 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> They switched to Jimmy Ienner as producer in 1975, reverted back to "Grand Funk Railroad", and released the album, ''[[All the Girls in the World Beware!!!]]'' which showed the band's pictures on top of the bodies of [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] and [[Franco Columbu]] and spawned the top ten hits "[[Some Kind of Wonderful (Soul Brothers Six song)|Some Kind of Wonderful]]" and "Bad Time". A major tour and a live album, ''Caught in the Act'', followed. Pressures between the band members mounted and they made what they thought was a final album, ''Born to Die''.<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 113-116, 123-127 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> In 1976 they had the opportunity to join forces with musician [[Frank Zappa]], which renewed the band's spirits. This was, however, short-lived. After finishing ''[[Good Singin', Good Playin']]'' (1976) Grand Funk Railroad disbanded.<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 130-134 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> Farner began a solo career, while Brewer, Schacher and Frost formed the band "Flint" with the addition of [[Billy Ellworthy]]. Grand Funk Railroad reunited in 1980 without Frost and with [[Dennis Bellinger]] replacing Schacher on bass, and released two albums on the [[Warner Bros. Records]] label Full Moon. Neither album achieved much success. After disbanding a second time, Farner continued as a solo performer, becoming a [[Contemporary Christian Music|Christian recording artist]], while Brewer joined former Grand Funk bandmate Frost in [[Bob Seger]]'s [[Silver Bullet Band]].<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 139-149 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> In 1996, Grand Funk Railroad (including Schacher) reunited once more, playing to 250,000 people in 14 shows during a three month period. In 1997, the band did three sold out [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian]] [[benefit concert]]s with a full symphony orchestra and released a live two disc benefit CD called ''[[Bosnia (album)|Bosnia]]''. In Auburn Hills and on the CD, Peter Frampton joined them on stage. In 1999, after three years of touring, Farner left the band to continue his solo career.<ref>{{cite book | last = James | first = Billy | title = An American Band, the story of Grand Funk Railroad | publisher = SAF Publishing Ltd | year = 1999 | pages = 156, 163-164 | isbn = 0-946719-26-8 }} </ref> In 2000, Brewer and Schacher decided to recruit lead singer [[Max Carl]] (of [[.38 Special (band)|.38 Special]] fame), former [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] [[lead guitarist]] [[Bruce Kulick]], and [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]] player [[Timothy Cashion]], and continue as Grand Funk Railroad. Touring steadily since then, Grand Funk Railroad has built a new audience while still drawing fans of the original band. The newest incarnation of Grand Funk Railroad plays around 30 concerts per year. The band is allegedly writing new material, with plans for an upcoming release to include the [[9/11]] inspired ballad "Who Took Down The Stars" written by Carl and Kulick. ==Personnel== {| class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="float: right; width: 375px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;" |+ <big>'''Grand Funk Railroad touring line-up'''</big> |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1969-1972 | * [[Mark Farner]] - [[vocals]], [[guitar]] * [[Don Brewer]] - [[drums]], [[vocals]] * [[Mel Schacher]] - [[bass guitar|bass]] |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1972-1976 | * [[Mark Farner]] - [[vocals]], [[guitar]] * [[Don Brewer]] - [[drums]], [[vocals]] * [[Mel Schacher]] - [[bass guitar|bass]] * [[Craig Frost]] - [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]] |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1981-1983 | * [[Mark Farner]] - [[vocals]], [[guitar]] * [[Don Brewer]] - [[drums]], [[vocals]] * [[Dennis Bellinger]] - [[bass guitar|bass]] |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1996-1999 | * [[Mark Farner]] - [[vocals]], [[guitar]] * [[Don Brewer]] - [[drums]], [[vocals]] * [[Mel Schacher]] - [[bass guitar|bass]] * [[Howard Eddy Jr.]] - [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]] |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 2000-present | * [[Max Carl]] - [[vocals]] * [[Don Brewer]] - [[drums]], [[vocals]] * [[Bruce Kulick]] - [[guitar]] * [[Mel Schacher]] - [[bass guitar|bass]] * [[Tim Cashion]] - [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]] |- |} ===Current members=== *[[Don Brewer]] - [[drum]]s, [[vocals]] *[[Mel Schacher]] - [[bass guitar|bass]] *[[Max Carl]] - [[vocals]] *[[Bruce Kulick]] - [[guitar]] *[[Tim Cashion]] - [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]] ===Former members=== *[[Mark Farner]] - guitar, vocals *[[Craig Frost]] - keyboards *Dennis Bellinger - bass *Howard Eddy Jr. (touring member) - keyboards ==Discography== ===Studio albums=== #''[[On Time]]'' - (August 1969) #''[[Grand Funk (album)|Grand Funk]]'' (The Red Album) - (December 1969) #''[[Closer to Home]]'' - (July 1970) #''[[Survival (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Survival]]'' - (April 1971) #''[[E Pluribus Funk]]'' - (November 1971) #''[[Phoenix (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Phoenix]]'' - (September 1972) #''[[We're an American Band]]''- (July 1973) #''[[Shinin' On]]'' - (March 1974) #''[[Monumental Funk]]'' - (1974) #''[[All the Girls in the World Beware!!!]]'' - (December 1974) #''[[Born To Die]]'' - (January 1976) #''[[Good Singin', Good Playin']]'' - (August 1976) #''[[Grand Funk Lives]]'' - (July 1981) #''[[What's Funk?]]'' - (January 1983) ===Live albums=== #''[[Live Album (album)|Live Album]]'' - (November 1970) #''[[Caught in the Act (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Caught in the Act]]'' - (August 1975) #''[[Bosnia (album)|Bosnia]]'' - (October 1997) #''[[Thirty Years of Funk: 1969-1999]]'' - (1999) #''[[Live: The 1971 Tour]]'' - (June 2002) ===Compilations=== #''[[Grand Funk / Live Album]]'' - (1970) #''[[Mark, Don and Mel: 1969-71]]'' - (1972) #''[[Grand Funk Hits]]'' - (1976) #''[[Hits (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Hits]]'' - (1977) #''[[The Best of Grand Funk]]'' - (1990) #''[[Capitol Collectors Series]]'' - (1991) #''[[Heavy Hitters]]'' - (1992) #''[[Collection (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Collectors]]'' - (1993) #''[[Thirty Years of Funk: 1969-1999]]'' - (1999) #''[[Super Best (album)|Super Best]]'' - (1999) #''[[Rock Champions (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Rock Champions]]'' - (2001) #''[[Very Best Grand Funk Railroad Album Ever]]'' - (2001) #''[[Classic Masters (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Classic Masters]]'' - (2002) #''[[Trunk of Funk]]'' Box set- (2002) #''[[Greatest Hits (Grand Funk Railroad album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (CD) - (2006) ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;" ! width="28" rowspan="2"| Year ! width="214" rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="1"| Chart positions ! width="214" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! width="86"| <small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]]</small> |- are you ready | 1969 | "Time Machine" ! #47 | ''On Time'' |- | 1969 | "Mr. Limousine Driver" ! #97 | ''Grand Funk'' |- | 1970 | "Heartbreaker" ! #72 | ''On Time'' |- | 1970 | "Nothing is the Same" ! - | ''Closer To Home'' |- | 1970 | "Closer To Home" ! #22 | ''Closer To Home'' |- | 1970 | "Mean Mistreater" ! #47 | ''Live Album'' |- | 1971 | "[[Inside Looking Out (song)|Inside Looking Out]]" ! #40 | ''Grand Funk (aka Red Album)'' |- | 1971 | "[[Feelin' Alright]]" ! #54 | ''Survival'' |- | 1971 | "[[Gimme Shelter]]" ! #61 | ''Survival'' |- | 1971 | "People, Let's Stop the War" ! - | ''E Pluribus Funk'' |- | 1972 | "Footstompin' Music" ! #29 | ''E Pluribus Funk'' |- | 1972 | "Upsetter" ! #73 | ''E Pluribus Funk'' |- | 1972 | "Rock & Roll Soul" ! #29 | ''Phoenix'' |- | 1973 | "[[We're an American Band (song)|We're An American Band]]" ! #1 | ''[[We're An American Band]]'' |- | 1973 | "Walk Like a Man" ! #19 | ''We're An American Band'' |- | 1974 | "[[The Loco-Motion]]" ! #1 | ''[[Shinin' On]]'' |- | 1974 | "[[Shinin' On (song)|Shinin' On]]" ! #11 | ''Shinin' On'' |- | 1974 | "[[Some Kind of Wonderful (Soul Brothers Six song)|Some Kind of Wonderful]]" ! #3 | ''[[All the Girls in the World Beware!!!]]'' |- | 1975 | "Bad Time" ! #4 | ''All the Girls in the World Beware!!!'' |- | 1975 | "Take Me" ! #53 | ''Born To Die'' |- | 1976 | "Sally" ! #69 | ''Born to Die'' |- | 1976 | "Can You Do It" ! #45 | ''Good Singin', Good Playin''' |- | 1977 | "Just Couldn't Wait" ! - | ''Good Singin', Good Playin''' |- | 1981 | "Y.O.U." ! - | ''Grand Funk Lives'' |- | 1982 | "Stuck in the Middle" ! - | ''Grand Funk Lives'' |- |} ==See also== *[[Graham Central Station]] - another band of the same period whose name puns a railroad-related term (i.e. [[Grand Central Station]]) ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.grandfunkrailroad.com Official site] {{Grand Funk Railroad}} [[Category:1970s music groups]] [[Category:American rock music groups]] [[Category:Michigan musical groups]] [[Category:Puns]] [[cs:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[da:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[de:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[es:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[fr:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[it:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[he:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[lt:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[nl:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[ja:グランド・ファンク・レイルロード]] [[pl:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[pt:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[ru:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[simple:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[fi:Grand Funk Railroad]] [[sv:Grand Funk Railroad]]