Mark Farner The Tone Maniac With D'Addario Strings!

Read more...

Mark Farner And Chiodos Craig Owens Croon Poe's Poem El Dorado

Mutual respect of musicianship had brought together two talented singer/song writers. Mark Farner of the Classic Hard Rock Original Grand Funk and the Screamo singing style of Craig Owens with Heavy Metal Chiodos. The highly anticipated result is a track titled "El Dorado" that didn't make it on Craig's solo effort when he decided to release only 7 songs on an EP instead of a full CD. Who knows maybe El'Dorado will land on a CD by another favored band...
Here is:

Craig Owens with Chiodos

Mark Farner with the Classic Original Grand Funk

Craig Owens talks about Mark Farner vocal prowess and the "El Dorado" track he collaborated on with him.



Craig Owens performing acoustic Solo El Dorado, Punk Rock Song and I Didn't Say I Was Powerful, I said I'm A Wizard


twitter.com/craigeryowens
https://twitter.com/farner9

Read more...

Mark Farner's: "The Most Famous Messenger" Guitar

Labor Day was the last day to check out the "Rock Star's Car's and Guitar's" exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. So,I was on a mission to meet the Messenger! Guitar, that is..like the sign say's: "It was Grand Funk's first guitar voice and was used to record the first three albums"

I walked right past the Kiss costumes. Too much makeup,not enough chords. And sure the cars were cool. I did slow down by Elvis' Caddy, Kid Rock's Ride was all right, Alice's Billion Dollar Babies mobile was interesting but, the lure of the Guitar's behind plexiglass pulled me just around the cordoned corner from Janis Joplin's pretty little psychedelic Porsche. Here hangs the Famous and frazzled stringed-ones in suspended animation. One in pieces, from The Who, it was displayed underneath a likely story from Pete Townshed on how it accidentally got smashed when he tripped, creating a signature Axe Assault expectation to their shows. There was an "H" shape guitar from Ian Hunter, A Checker board guitar along with too many other things to care about from Cheap Trick, John Entwistle's Axe from the "Ox" was an "Awww-Wow" attention grabber but, the one many little boys and Farner Fanaticals stopped to fingerprint the glass in front of was that magical Messenger with the sign reading: "The most famous Messenger guitar in the world" Courtesy of MARK FARNER:



I took a picture of every inch of this unique piece of history so when Mark Farner tells his story [click here for tekky interview] I can refer you to:

"The Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Tone" toggle switch! Built right into the guitar. Reached down and flicked it on during a lead.

"The body was HOLLOW. Sound would get in the "F" holes and just feedback and squeal so, I stuffed it full of foam and put duct tape and masking tape on them then, I did a psychedelic paint job on it, kinda glow in the dark a little bit"

"WHY the Messenger? Because my friend, distributor in Michigan, allowed payments on the $200 dollar purchase! Used it up until '71-'72 right up in there..."

"The neck, actually, you didn't run into any wood until the last fret. That's when the body began, so you could play it, it was the same dimension all the way there so, it was very easy to play, aluminum neck and, inside the body was an A440 tuning fork"






The Messenger Axe that became an instrument of Hard Rock at it's masters fiery fingers at the Atlanta Pop Festival, Shea Stadium and huge crowds in America and Japan!




The taped guitar something to be hold! I hope it gets home safe.




And to the right of the legendary Messenger...The Gibson L5S, we'll save that for another story...stay "In Tune"





~Cruizinsuezin

njc2kmhysv

Read more...

Mark say's: "Alright" I'm Runnin With The Pack in Flint! [Again]

When Mark Farner's speech at the party to announce the Atwood concert in Flint contained his dream of playing Atwood Stadium, it was clear that this would be a heartfelt genuinely special show. He remarked: "Back in '69 when Grand Funk hit big, I always dreamed of playing Atwood Stadium. Here it is 2009, 40 years later and, I'm gonna play Atwwod Stadium!"

Mark Farner, the engine of the Grand Funk train is building up N'rG...momentum is mounting...the anticipation for this huge scale Flint Reviving event is a breath of fresh air! On August 15TH Flint's Atwood Stadium makes history with the gates opening at 10:00AM. Bands start at 11:00 and play all day until around 6:30 when members of Mark's old bands come to jam and lead into his two hour set! Lets see just who Pack O Mojo are:

In the beginning for Mark Farner , before Flint's Famous Funkman was to be the charismatic conductor of Grand Funk Railroad, we find 1964 with the Genesseians as his very first band.

1965 saw Robin's Hoods (aka: The Derelicts) formed with noted musicians Craig Frost and Mike West.

Through 1965 to 1968 Mark was in and out of such Flint area bands as "Terry Knight And The Pack" and "The Fabulous Pack", "Terry Knight And The Fabulous Pack Part II" with a break for "The Bossman" in 1966 where he met Dick Wagner that later went on to produce the album, play and sing back up vocals of the haunting song "Lorraine" from the [1977] solo album: "Mark Farner"

The Hard Rock Year of 1969, with the edition of stolen bass player Mel Schacher (from ?The Mysterians) just the power trio three; Mark, Don and Mel take the world and Grand Funk Railroad blew us away with their freight train full of Funk!

So you see, the band going on just before Mark Farner: Pac O Mojo are life-long friends and musicians in their own right.




Curt Johnson [guitar] from The Nightwalkers with Mark, The Pack And/Or Fabulous Pack (4/'67-4/'67) Curt also landed the job of Grand Funk sound man during the rigorous touring years.

Dennis Bellinger ( Coolie Group '68 and The Pack [Mark on lead vocals of both bands that Summer]) Grand Funk reunion tour included Dennis on bass 1980 to 1983 when Grand Funk once again, dis-banded

Mark Performs "I'm Your Captain" With Curt And Dennis At Jester's In Flint

The Pack




The Fabulous and the Famous! Let The Funk Fly!

Preceding Pack O Mojo and Mark with N'rG will be local talent drawn from the musical melding pot that is Flint's gift to the Indie world!

Mark Farner and N'rG play that good ol' Axe-Kickin' Grand Funk Rock 'n Roll PLUS, some Farner Flavored, NEW, Funked Up, For The People, For The Flintoids, For The Flint Revival, For 2 hours...For Heaven's Sakes be there!

That's two hours of the Fabulous and the Famous! Rock bands from the Flint area melding pot personally dipped into by Mike Abrahams of "Mikes Triple Grille" in downtown Flint! Get tickets by going to: http://www.flintrevival.com and locally at the MARK FARNER ticket BOX office downtown Flint, at Kearsley and South Saginaw.

Downtown Businessman Tom Z is buying tickets to give away to the unemployed. Stop by his restaurant and ask. Tom has been promoting the concert on his electronic billboard.

Elecro Billboard at: 3010 N Saginaw St~Flint, MI 48505~(810) 787-1111

New Mayor Dayne Walling will be asked to designate a Mark Farner Day and award him the key to City. This will be done a t a 103.9 remote promotion. He will also have a role on stage during the concert before Mark Farner.

The VIP tent is $100 for admission. This gets seating next to the stage, food, under a tent, cash bar and bathrooms near. General admisison seats are $15 advance, $20 day of the event. I'll be there with bells on...Bell bottom jeans that is!

Let's all keep fully hydrated with the special Farner N'rG Stimulus Ade:

Special Thanks to:
Terry Bankert for sharing info from: http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/

Read more...

The Hunk-Of-Funk Now Appearing On Billboards In Hometown

What's Mark Farner UP to these days you ask? Well, IN and Around Flint, Michigan, we'd say he's up to maybe 12 feet or more off The ground! It's Flint's finest marketing Mark with multiple Banners, Lighted Displays, Handbills and Billboards:

Flint's Farmer's Market Banner
Farner Tickets Sold Every Saturday



Raffle Poster
Proceeds To Benefit "Mission Of Hope"Homeless Shelter, Win An Autographed Guitar!
Contact: http://flintrevival.com/



Lighted Displays



Billboards




Photo credits:Terry Blankert



Forty Years Funkin' Collectors T-Shirts available at: MARKFARNER.COM

Read more...

Some Kinda Wonderful at Fantasy Camp!

The Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp Gala took place at Gibson Guitars Showroom in Beverly Hills! Mark Farner sings "Some Kinda Wonderful" with Mark Hudson,Bruce Kulick, Kip Winger,Sandy Gennaro and a great backup rhythm section.

Many thanks to DaveK at;
http://vintagetourjackets.blogspot.com/2009/05/mark-farner-sings-some-king-of.html

Pictures from Fantasy Camp: http://www.wireimage.com/ItemListings.aspx?igi=370183&nbc1=1

Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp Blog: http://www.rockcamp.com/blog/

Read more...