Grand Funk Railroad

Grand Funk Railroad (often shortened to Grand Funk) is an American rock band formed in Flint, Michigan, in 1969 by Mark Farner (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Don Brewer (drums, vocals) and Mel Schacher (bass). The band achieved peak popularity and success during the 1970s with hit songs such as "We're an American Band", "I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)", "Some Kind of Wonderful" (a cover of Soul Brothers Six), "Walk Like a Man", "The Loco-Motion" (a cover of Little Eva), "Bad Time" and "Inside Looking Out" (a cover of the Animals). Grand Funk released six platinum and seven gold-certified albums between their recording debut in 1969 and their first disbandment in 1976.

Known for a crowd-pleasing arena rock style, the band toured extensively and played to packed arenas worldwide, and was well-regarded by audiences despite a relative lack of critical praise. The original trio reunited at various times later into the band's career; after Farner's final departure in 1998, Brewer and Schacher have continued touring as Grand Funk Railroad.

History

thumb|left|A [[Grand Trunk Western Railroad bridge (over Fenton Road) in Grand Funk's hometown of Flint, Michigan, that was re-painted to instead show the band's name, as well as the first names of founding members Mark Farner and Don Brewer, and early 1980s bassist Dennis Bellinger]]

Formation (1969)

Grand Funk Railroad was formed as a trio in 1969 by Mark Farner and Don Brewer from Terry Knight and the Pack and Mel Schacher from Question Mark & the Mysterians. Terry Knight, after being approached by Brewer, soon became the band's manager and also named the band originally "Grand Trunk Railroad" as a play on words for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a well-known rail line in Michigan.

Mark Farner talks of the circumstances leading up to the formation of Grand Funk Railroad:

The band first achieved recognition at the 1969 Atlanta International Pop Festival after their local promoter, Jeep Holland, got them the slot for no monetary compensation, and after opening the first day, the band went down so well that they were invited to appear on all three days. This exposure proved to be invaluable, and the band was signed by Capitol Records, where their manager, Terry Knight, was working as an A&R person. After a raucous, well-received set on the first day of the festival, Grand Funk was asked back to play at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival II the following year. Patterned after hard-rock power trios such as Cream, the band, with Terry Knight's marketing savvy, developed its popular style.

In August 1969 the band released its first album, titled On Time, which sold over 1,000,000 copies and was awarded a gold record in 1970. The album topped the American album charts.

In February 1970 a second album, Grand Funk (or The Red Album), was awarded gold status less than 2 months after its release.

By 1971, Grand Funk equaled the Beatles' Shea Stadium attendance record but sold out the venue in just 72 hours, whereas the Beatles concert took a few weeks to sell out. Following Closer to Home, the double disc Live Album was also released later in 1970 and was another gold disc recipient. The show went ahead and was taped for the ABC show In Concert. However, at that moment, the band members felt they had no choice but to continue and fight for the rights to their careers and name. The legal battle with Knight lasted 2 years and ended when the band settled out of court. Knight became the clear winner with the copyrights and publisher's royalties to every Grand Funk recording made from March 1969 through March 1972, not to mention an enormous payoff in cash and oil wells. Farner, Brewer, and Schacher were given the rights to the name Grand Funk Railroad.

In 1972 Grand Funk Railroad added former Fabulous Pack bandmate Craig Frost on keyboards full-time. Originally, the band had attempted to attract Peter Frampton, late of Humble Pie; however, he was not available due to signing a solo record deal with A&M Records. The addition of Frost, however, was a stylistic shift from Grand Funk's original garage-band-based rock and roll roots to a more rhythm & blues/pop rock-oriented style. With the new lineup, Grand Funk released Phoenix, its sixth album of original music, in September 1972.

thumb|[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox advertisement, March 2, 1974]]

The band's road manager Andy Caviliere and his wife, director/promoter/photographer Lynn Goldsmith, took over as managers from Terry Knight and Goldsmith was able to secure veteran musician Todd Rundgren as a producer.

Mid-1970s

In 1974 Grand Funk engaged Jimmy Ienner as producer and reverted to using their full name: Grand Funk Railroad. The cover of All the Girls in the World Beware!!! (December 1974) depicted the band members' heads superimposed on the bodies of bodybuilders Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu. This album spawned the band's last two top-10 hits, "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "Bad Time" in late 1974/early 1975.

Although they were highly successful in the mid-1970s, tensions mounted within the band due to personal issues, burn-out, and disputes over musical direction. Despite these issues, Grand Funk forged ahead. Needing two more albums to complete their record deal with Capitol, Grand Funk embarked on a major tour and decided to record a double live album, Caught in the Act (August 1975).

However, Grand Funk found new life from interest by Frank Zappa in producing the band. Signing with MCA Records, the resulting album Good Singin', Good Playin (August 1976), although it netted them some of their best critical reviews ever, yielded little success. Farner recalled what happened then: "Things were disenfranchised within the band. I don't want to speculate about what was going on in Brewer's life—his first wife died, and that was rough—but one day he walked into the studio and said, 'I've had it. I need to find something to do with my life that's more stable.' He was done. He walked out and slammed the door. It was him, not me. Everybody thinks I broke the band up, but it was him."

First disbanding, 1976–1981; new lineup in the early 1980s

Following the breakup, Farner began a solo career and signed with Atlantic Records, which resulted in two albums: Mark Farner (1977) and No Frills (1978). Brewer, Schacher and Frost remained together and formed the band Flint. Flint released one 1978 album on Columbia Records; a second record was finished but never released.

In 1981 Grand Funk Railroad reunited after being approached by their former manager Andy Cavaliere. The reunion took place without Frost (who was playing with Bob Seger) and with Dennis Bellinger replacing Schacher on bass. Schacher begged off saying he had developed a fear of flying but later admitted that he had no longer wanted to be involved with Cavaliere. Farner was promoted by David Fishof in the late 1980s and was a part of Fishof's concept Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band in 1995. After that, Fishof began sounding out Farner, Brewer and Schacher about reuniting again. And so in late 2000, Brewer and Schacher voted to go forward without Farner, recruiting lead vocalist Max Carl (formerly of Jack Mack & the Heart Attack and 38 Special), former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick and keyboardist Tim Cashion (Bob Seger, Robert Palmer) to complete the new lineup.

In 2018 Brewer and Schacher sued Farner for filing a trademark for the name "Mark Farner's American Band". The lawsuit stated that Farner had violated a 2004 agreement, which called for, among other things: that Farner's first and last names appear in capital letters before a reference to Grand Funk or Grand Funk Railroad, with only the first letters of the band capitalized, and first letters of the words, "former," "formerly" and "member" also capitalized. Another round of this lawsuit by Brewer and Schacher was filed two days after Mark Farner's son, Jessie Farner, had died.

Also in 2018, bassist Stanley Sheldon (ex-Peter Frampton) filled in for Schacher after Schacher's wife, Dena, died of cancer.

In 2019 Grand Funk's main hit writer, Mark Farner, was handed a legal victory to tour as "Mark Farner's American Band", after his ex-bandmates sued him to prevent him from using that name. Farner revealed that since the 2004 lawsuit, he was constantly sued by Brewer and Schacher over the mentions of Grand Funk Railroad by his promoters, and that many of his shows since 2004 were cancelled because of the injunctions against him by Brewer and Schacher.

Grand Funk Railroad continues to tour, and kicked off its "The American Band Tour 2019", "Celebrating 50 Years of Funk" tour on January 17, 2019.

On January 2, 2024 Bruce Kulick announced he was departing Grand Funk Railroad after 23 years, having played his final concert with the group on December 14, 2023 in Marietta, Ohio, citing that he wanted to focus on other projects. On January 4, 2024 Grand Funk Railroad announced that singer-guitarist Mark Chatfield (The Godz, Rosie, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band) would replace Bruce Kulick as permanent member of GFR.

In April 2026 Max Carl announced his departure from Grand Funk Railroad for medical reasons after 26 years, with the band continueing its touring with founding member drummer Don Brewer and keyboardist Tim Cashion handling the vocal duties.

Legacy

David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine once said, "You cannot talk about rock in the 1970s without talking about Grand Funk Railroad!"

Band members

;Current

Don Brewer – drums, lead and backing vocals (1969–1976, 1981–1983, 1996–1998, 2000–present)
Mel Schacher – bass guitar (1969–1976, 1996-1998, 2000–present)
Tim Cashion – keyboards, backing vocals (2000–present)
Mark Chatfield – lead guitar, backing vocals (2024–present)

;Former

Mark Farner – lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, harmonica (1969–1976, 1981–1983, 1996–1998)
Craig Frost – keyboards, backing vocals (1973–1976; guest 2005–2012)
Lorraine Feather – backing vocals (1974–1975)
Jana Giglio – backing vocals (1974–1975)
Lance Duncan Ong – keyboards, synthesizer (1981)
Dennis Bellinger – bass guitar, backing vocals (1981–1983)
Rick Baker – keyboards, synthesizer (1981–1983)
Howard Eddy, Jr. – keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1996–1998)
Bruce Kulick – lead guitar, backing vocals (2000–2023, 2025)
Max Carl – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar (2000–2026)
Stanley Sheldon – bass guitar (2018; substitute for Mel Schacher)

Timeline

Discography

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

References

External links

"The Railroad Rolls On For Grand Funk", interview with Vintage Rock
Interview with Don Brewer on Yuzu Melodies