# Grand Funk Railroad **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2007, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044 "2007-04-21T07:05:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/21 "2007-04-22T08:53:00Z")
I saw GFR at a free concert in Hyde Park, London in 1971. Also playing was Traffic, which made for an odd billing. To me, GFR was the beginning of the end for Rock and Kiss killed it off completely. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/22 "2007-04-22T14:14:12Z")
As I understand it, Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which paved the way for Jefferson Starship. This set the stage for the Alan Parsons Project, which was some kind of hovercraft. ---
**Author:** ![Roonwit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Roonwit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roonwit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/23 "2007-04-22T17:01:27Z")
Oh, great. Now every time I hear _Some Kind of Wonderful_ on the radio, I’m going to hear ‘She’s some kind of hovercraft, yes she is…’ in my head. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/24 "2007-04-22T19:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] I saw GFR at a free concert in Hyde Park, London in 1971. Also playing was Traffic, which made for an odd billing. To me, GFR was the beginning of the end for Rock and Kiss killed it off completely. [/QUOTE] Aw man, that had to be outta sight, Traffic in 1971 when Steve Winwood was still pretty young. They’re on my list of bands that I wish I could have seen at their most creative heyday. What were they like?? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/25 "2007-04-23T04:20:38Z")
[QUOTE=Nawth Chucka] Aw man, that had to be outta sight, Traffic in 1971 when Steve Winwood was still pretty young. They’re on my list of bands that I wish I could have seen at their most creative heyday. What were they like?? [/QUOTE] It was great. I actually saw them twice in two weeks, each time for free in an outside concert. I was only 16 and more into Cream, 10 Years After, and such but Traffic became one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/26 "2007-04-23T06:07:04Z")
[QUOTE=yola] … I saw Grand Funk Railroad with Black Oak Arkansaw at the Seattle Colisium on a hit of acid … Good times. [/QUOTE] What a waste of acid. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/27 "2007-04-23T06:10:44Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] As I understand it, Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which paved the way for Jefferson Starship. This set the stage for the Alan Parsons Project, which was some kind of hovercraft. [/QUOTE] You’re joking, right? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/28 "2007-04-23T07:10:07Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] As I understand it, Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which paved the way for Jefferson Starship. This set the stage for the Alan Parsons Project, which was some kind of hovercraft. [/QUOTE] Wasn’t the Alan Parsons Project a laser that Dr. Evil used to turn the moon into some kind of “death star”? I believe he controlled it from his base on Moon Unit Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/29 "2007-04-23T11:59:22Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > As I understand it, Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which paved the way for Jefferson Starship. This set the stage for the Alan Parsons Project, which was some kind of hovercraft. [QUOTE=Subterraneanus] You’re joking, right? [/QUOTE] Of \*course \ ***asterion** ’s joking. Jefferson Starship only set the stage for Jefferson Wheelchair. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/30 "2007-04-23T13:34:02Z")
Ah… Grand Funk…Mark Farner’s wild, shirtless lyrics, the bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher and the competent drum work of Don Brewer. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/31 "2007-04-23T13:38:52Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] I can never remember: is this a Canadian Band, or an American Band? I wish there was an easy way to remember the answer to this? Hmmmm… [/QUOTE] I can’t recall either, but I do seem to remember them saying they were coming _to_ my town, and they’d help me do something. I can’t remember what, but I haven’t laid eyes on them yet! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/32 "2007-04-23T13:44:39Z")
[QUOTE=Subterraneanus] You’re joking, right? [/QUOTE] Of course not. Though it’s a shame that none of them were at the greatest music festivals of my lifetime, the US Festival. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/33 "2007-04-23T13:50:11Z")
On a related note, according to _Our Band Could Be Your Life,_ the Butthole Surfers traveled with a dog named “Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad.” I believe the cities that were partied down in the 1970s were later built by rock and roll with government funding, except for Akron, which is still missing. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/34 "2007-04-23T15:29:44Z")
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist] …built by rock and roll with government funding, except for Akron, which is still missing. [/QUOTE] That’s because of the shoddy building-up work done by the Akron area government contractor, Buttercup Industries, Inc., which was later let down and reportedly messed around. Then worst of all, the contractor never called when they said they would. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/35 "2007-04-23T17:54:19Z")
[QUOTE=Uvula Donor] Quote: Originally Posted by asterion As I understand it, Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which paved the way for Jefferson Starship. This set the stage for the Alan Parsons Project, which was some kind of hovercraft. Quote: Originally Posted by Subterraneanus You’re joking, right? Of \*course \ ***asterion** ’s joking. Jefferson Starship only set the stage for Jefferson Wheelchair. [/QUOTE] Homer Simpson said this, basically. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/36 "2007-04-23T18:11:09Z")
[QUOTE=Uvula Donor] Of \*course \ ***asterion** ’s joking. Jefferson Starship only set the stage for Jefferson Wheelchair. [/QUOTE] No wonder they built their city on rock and roll … ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/37 "2007-04-23T18:12:32Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] Of course not. Though it’s a shame that none of them were at the greatest music festivals of my lifetime, the US Festival. [/QUOTE] Then you really need to check your chronology and musicology. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/38 "2007-04-23T18:14:01Z")
[QUOTE=Subterraneanus] Then you really need to check your chronology and musicology. [/QUOTE] This is a Homer quote, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/39 "2007-04-23T18:17:53Z")
To learn more about Grand Funk, consult your school library. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044/40 "2007-04-23T18:39:34Z")
> [@Subterraneanus](#): > > No wonder they built their city on rock and roll … No, that was Starship, and entirely different band altogether. The trauma of that experience, along with the 80s big hair, cause Grace Slick’s face to collapse; she’s been in seclusion (or possibly under house arrest) ever since. Jefferson Starship was from Missouri, of course. They were known for playing one song which they gave several names to, and which would have been good had it ended five minutes sooner. Jefferson Airplane (from Jefferson, OH) was an absolute kick-ass band, in no way related to either of the above. When several band members died from botulism contracted from tuna, the rest disbanded. All of which has nothing to do with Grand Funk Railroad, which was (little known fact) really a Nicaraguan which fought deportation throughout their career. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-funk-railroad/401044.md?page=3)