By the point they entered the Billboard Sizzling 100 in August 1976, Grand Funk Railroad – that they had re-added the final a part of their title earlier that yr – have been on a wierd lap of honour.
The multi-million-selling Michigan rockers had successfully break up up after the discharge early that yr of the uncharacteristically darkish Born To Die. That peaked at No.47 within the US, the bottom rating of their seven-year chart profession there. However then got here phrase {that a} sure extremely inventive maverick had expressed an curiosity in working with them.
That prompted the ultimate hurrah, in Grand Funk’s Nineteen Seventies historical past, of the Good Singin’ Good Playin’ album, produced by none apart from Frank Zappa. The album’s chart debut was preceded by the only “Can You Do It,” which not like many of the remainder of the album, wasn’t written by the band’s Mark Farner.
As a substitute, the track was one other in Grand Funk’s collection of covers of previous tracks from their collective youth. “Can You Do It” had been a High 20 R&B hit within the US in 1964 for Motown group the Contours, co-written by Richard Avenue (previously of the Distants, later the Displays and finally the Temptations) with label boss Berry Gordy’s ex-wife Thelma.
Hearken to the most effective of Grand Funk Railroad on Apple Music and Spotify.
The one entered the Sizzling 100 at No.82, and over the subsequent month it regarded set truthful for chart run, because it rose swiftly to No.51. But it surely peaked at No.45 in what turned out to be Grand Funk’s ultimate displaying on the US singles countdown. Good Singin’ Good Playin’ peaked at No.52, and the band known as it a day, once more.
In a postscript, Zappa then stepped in. “I immediately offered [GFR drummer Don] Brewer a job since he wasn’t doing anything,” he informed the NME. “He’s terribly nervous and insecure but he’s a really good rock’n’roll drummer…every once in a while he grows a full beard to hide behind.” Zappa and Brewer did work collectively for some time, however Brewer and different Grand Funk bandmates quickly fashioned the brand new group Flint.
Purchase or stream “Can You Do It” on the Grand Funk compilation 30 Years of Funk: 1969-1999, The Anthology.
