Formed in Flint, Michigan in 1969 by Mark Farner (Vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Don Brewer (Drums and vocals) and Mel Schacher (Bass), Grand Funk Railroad became one of the most successful power trios of the United States.
Since 2000 the band is active with Brewer and Schacher and Farner said in an interview with Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live! (Transcribed by Blabbermouth) that for the past 24 years he keeps suggesting his ex-bandmates to make a reunion happen but they never accepted.
The band is currently on the road to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the successful single “We’re An American Band”. Besides the two original members, the band also has the ex-Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick, Max Carl (Vocals and guitar), and Tim Cashion (Keyboards).
Mark Farner says he is open for a Grand Funk Railroad reunion
“I have said it in person. I have said, ‘Why can’t we just bury the hatchet, go give the fans what neither one of us can separate from each other. There is three people — the ingredients are three specific people. No replacement of any one of those people can even come close. But I just met with a lot of resistance. There’s stuff that’s… And I’m not a psychiatrist; I don’t know what’s going on. I know it’s not love. [Laughs] It ain’t love.”
“But I have done that. I’ve made the suggestion at least once a year for the past 24 years, and sometimes more than that, more than once a year. Because I remember when The Beatles were all still alive. And I’m thinking, ‘You selfish pricks.’ [Laughs] ‘Why don’t you just get back together so I can come and see you?’ ‘Cause I was a Beatles fan. There was that anointing on them, like there was on Elvis. But they took that and did something else with it.”
Farner continued:
“People do that; they’ll just flop over and (go), ‘Oh, yeah, man. All these people love me. Check me out.’ God… Thank you, Lord, that where I’m at, I can see through the glass — even though it’s a dark glass, I can see clearly through the other side. And I’m in touch with the love that could make millions happy again if the three of us got back on that stage.
“I don’t wanna forecast any doom or gloom, but every time I’ve made the suggestion — and they know I’ve been open to it for all these years to go back out — we’d split it three ways like we did. Just on the money aspect of it — just on the money aspect of it — Melvin could set his boy up for life. He’s got a boy who has a child; I think one or two children by now.”
“I don’t know, ’cause I haven’t kept that close a contact; it’s not permissible. But I still love Melvin. He’s a childhood friend of mine. We rode dirt bikes together, we jammed together, we smoked dope together. We did everything together.’ I think if that could happen, there’s only one person stopping that from happening. And Lord knows it’s not Mel. [Laughs]” Mark Farner said.