Who would have believed that Grand Funk Railroad funding member Mark Farner would turn 69 this year and still be on the road touring? Yup, he’s the father of five and husband of 42 years, but nothing has stopped this native Michigan boy from rocking.
Grand Funk came from Flint Michigan during the hectic days of the auto revolution in the Motor City. The band’s original members were Mark Farner, Don Brewer, and Terry Knight (think of this three-man band as an early ZZ Top). They were discovered at the Atlanta Music Festival in 1969, signed, and began selling millions of records. Here are our top three Grand Funk Railroad hits…
“I’m You’re Captain (Closer to Home)” is the longest hit record that radio stations in the new FM band couldn’t play enough. Many critics believe the song was about the Vietnam War.
“The Locomotion” and “We’re an American Band” (okay this was a tie) were from the album “We’re an American Band” was oddly the band’s biggest commercial success. Up and coming producer Todd Rundgren molded both songs to number one hits.
The single “Bad Time” by the boys from the album “All the Girls in the World Beware” is one of our favorite tunes for one simple reason; up until that time the band was known as “Grand Funk.” Immediately after that singe hit the charts in 1975, they changed their name to “Grand Funk Railroad.”