So tell us, who could have been the driver seat and could have wrote 35 of the 40 songs? "Anyone" is easy to say, but to name other players from that era who could have wrote and performed at that pace is another story. You need to at least give a few examples. You sound very sure of yourself, but to say not true...you need to back that up with some examples. Something else to keep in mind is Terry needed a band to book and promote so he is not why there is a grand funk...Mark, Don and Mel is why there is one. You are putting the cart before the horse there.

Anyone? Please, that’s just plain ignorant. Farner as a performer and songwriter put that band on the map.

@@DCToonTime As well as being one of the greatest Rock vocalists of all time! The oc is not to be taken seriously imo.

Well everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter how unfounded and/or ridiculous.

That's not true. If it weren't for Mark Farner, Mel and Don would own competing used car dealerships in Flint, MI right now.

Those 2 are just FUNK.

Amen!!

Correct ✌️🤟💜🙏

Agree

Mine Too... Same story!

@@rockerz57 Cool ! !

I agree

You are correct Live is there best album.

I learned air bass,guitar,drums from Live! Then I got a guitar! Mark Farner,the ORIGINAL blonde rock god🇺🇲👍

EXACTLY.

There really isn't any way to do that. He would be better off putting his own thing together and touring it as the "authentic voice and principal songwriter of Grand Funk".

Thank you Boe. Appreciate it!

Because they were an American Band ! ! !

@@fastted9390 "We're comin' to your town, we'll help you party down."

You're welcome. Thank you for watching.

Without Mark there never would have been a Grand Funk.

You'tr welcome!

Yea this bummed me out. I was always hoping but I guess it's not to be!

And that's a Fact.....

Totally agree!

That's what I have always thought - Don couldn't take Mark's born-again Christianity. He didn't want any interruptions in the original GFR yet in 1976 Don, Mel and Craig went their ways in the band Flint. To me the most disappointment is to the fans having lost the potential of Mark writing dozens of great songs since 1976 if they had stayed together.

I don’t know if that is completely true. Listen to the song “I Can Feel Him In The Morning” from the album “Survivor “, written and sung by Don Brewer. It clearly is about God and his relationship with Him. Grand Funk never shied away from spirituality. Only the three of them know the true story and all we get are bits and pieces of what went down. I tend to believe Mark. But I can say with absolute conviction that it’s not Grand Funk without Mark. I have seen the band with and without him and the “tribute band” pales in comparison. Want further proof that Mark was the man? Listen to Farner’s first solo album and listen to Don and Mel’s first post GFR release, “Flint”. Mark’s solo album blows Flint away!

@@DCToonTime Yes, we don't have direct sayings from Don & Mel that they don't like Christianity so they're splitting with Mark. There was some conflict happening in 1976 that broke them apart and Don, Mel & Craig split and do Flint album. It seems to have started with Don. Blaming it on disco seems weak. Other bands stayed together (Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and many others).

@@jockaud Yep, many rock groups and rock artists dipped their toes into disco ... The Stones, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, Kiss, etc. And GFR always played R&B/Soul inspired Rock. I don't think any of them felt a strong need to do disco, although I don't know that as a fact. Yes, something fractured in 1976. What a shame. A real shame that they are almost completely forgotten for the dynamic and incredibly popular band they were in the 70's. If you are interested, I am doing a series on the KZfaq channel, Grant's Rock Warehaus, about Grand Funk. Tonight we are discussing the album, "Born To Die".

@@DCToonTime Yes, I have been following your GF album critiques. Thank you!

Thanks Dennis. Appreciate it. Connie could straighten em out ;-)

@@RiverDocsShe passed away in August of 2021.

Thank you.

Don Brewer produced the debut Godz album.

Thank you 👍

They weren't heavy metal

Can't say I disagree with ya on that. Thanks for watching!

I hear ya Tusk...Same here.

And then to gleefully trick him into signing something is evil

Early years he played that green Musicraft Messenger. He had a white SG I think he gave it to Steve Marriott. I saw him later on playing one of them Parker guitars.

@@RiverDocs 👍👍

Mark has been playing Parkers quite a while now. The green Messenger was a real piece of work, bought from a really strange music store in Flint, before success. The tape was over the F holes, the guitar is hollow and used to feed back like mad! He also used Microfrets guitars, Gibson gave him an L5S, a nice red sunburst, but those things weigh a ton. Dick Wagner got one, Bob Seger too. They were a big dollar item back then,, Yes, an SG and the Valenos, too. Dave West built the amps in the beginning, at the shop in Downtown Flint after the early Davison road shop. Melvin would show up there and test, buy amps. We used to cart equipment to the Union Hall for them to use at practice. The boys played so loud Tamborino, the head of the Musician's Union was going nuts. We would step out back on breaks for libations, from Terry bossing the rehearsal, 'Do it again,,,' At early shows, Terry would make roadies change tubes after every show, KT-88s were like bubble gum then. Ah, 'those were the days.' Hahahaha! Whatever happens, they have their reasons,,,,,lots of talent for sure. Always remember the first album review in Rolling Stone. The author wrote at the end, 'Drumming guaranteed to drive you up a wall." I told Donnie, 'isn't that what we're supposed to do?' Hahaha! Thanks for your vids!

​@@robnamowicz8073and u are what to the band?

I heard Mark call it "Grand Fraud Railroad" lol

I'm with you 100%!! Another off the top of my head was John Fogerty of CCR

Don didn't trick him. Mark even admits that.

@@RiverDocs I disagree. Mark said Don came as a friend but hid his true motive to oust Mark from the trademark. Mark should have thought before signing for sure but he trusted Don at the time.

Sorry . But there was no trick to it. Remember these papers were signed in 1998. Mark was asked to go out with the band in 2000. But when he wanted a 50% cut Don and Mel then decided to go on without him. Mark wrote this in his book. These are his words, not mine. There was no motive to oust Mark in 1998 when the papers were signed as you are insinuating. Mark left and started playing solo again in 98-99. You can read all of this in Mark's book. He was ousted in 2000. I'm a big fan of Mark. And I wish they would get back together. But these rumors about Don's underhanded motive at that time is just not true. Yes it gave all three of them a vote as to how the band should be run. And they voted not to give Mark a 50% cut of the money. When he balked Don and Mel voted to move on without him. You can read all of this in in Mark's book "From Grand Funk to Grace." The business end of music sucks especially for Mark and especially for the fans of Grand Funk. But that is the way it goes.

​@@RiverDocsDoc, that's what I asked u to explain in my other comment. Wish u would of said all that in the vid. So if Mark would of said, Ok, I'll go on with just a third of the $ do u think Mel and Don would of not voted him out?

@jellycream1964 I have no clue what Don and Mel would have done 24 years ago. But I can't see why they would have asked him to go out and tour again if they didn't really want him. I tried to explain better in your other post. The reason I didn't bring this up or talk about it in this video is simple. It would taken away from the reason I made the video in the first place. This video was for Mark. I think he got a raw deal. And in turn the fans of Grand Funk got a raw deal. But there was nothing sneaky or tricky about it. It was just business..and no matter how you slice it...it really hurt the fans because we will never get to see the original Grand Funk on stage again because of it.

Why I said that is because people in general do not understand business. To them this is a group of friends who made some money...nobody understands and it just causes people to spout off about things they do not understand. Where do you come up with "trick" Mark into signing. At least you used the words supposedly. And that is good. Now the reason I did not mention that is, " Because is isn't true". Now you want to know how I know this...Because I read Mark Farner's book and in his own words he says there was nothing tricky about it. He freely signed the paper to make the band a corporation. Mark signed those papers in 1998, then went off and did solo work. When Don and Mel wanted to go back out and tour as Grand Funk in 2000 Mark told them he wanted a 50% cut of the profits. Don and Mel disagreed with him. Mark would not relent so Don and Mel got other musicians and took the name and went out and started working again. Yes it left Mark out in the cold and I hate that..but it is business. Read Mark Farner's book "From Grand Funk to Grace" he explains it better than I can to you.

@@RiverDocs perfect explanation! Thanks

@@RiverDocs but Don and Mel SHOULD of agreed to Marks request because they would of made more $ in the long run. Bigger venues and could of toured and sold out places more often.

@jellycream1964 I think now they could make some really good money. But back then they were nothing but a band who was once great and going out to make money playing their old hits. There would have been no more new songs or albums that would have done anything in that market...that's just the way the music business is. I just think it's a shame that the business got in the way of them getting back together one more time.