MARK, DON & MEL FORMED GRAND FUNK RAILROAD IN 1969 AFTER THE BREAKUP OF "TERRY KNIGHT AND THE PACK". TERRY KNIGHT BECAME PRODUCER OF THE EARLY GFR ALBUMS, AND THE BAND HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN U S A AND JAPAN. THE FIRST ALBUM "ON TIME" WAS RELEASED IN 1969.

THE SECOND ALBUM "GRAND FUNK" WAS RELEASED THE SAME YEAR. GRAND FUNK TURNED OUT TO BE THE ULTIMATE LIVE BAND. THEIR BREAKTHROUGH CAME AT THE ATLANTA POP FESTIVAL. THIRD ALBUM "CLOSER TO HOME" FROM 1970 WAS DIFFERENT IN MANY WAYS. THE STYLE IS SOFTER AND THE LYRICS ARE DEEPER. "LIVE ALBUM " WAS RECORDED AT THE SECOND ATLANTA POP FESTIVAL 1970.

 "SURVIVAL" (1971) CONTAINS A FANTASTIC VERSION OF THE ROLLING STONES HIT "GIMME SHELTER". NEXT ALBUM "E PLURIBUS FUNK", WITH A SLEEVE LOOKING LIKE A SILVER COIN, WAS RELEASED IN 1972. "PHOENIX" ALBUM (1972) WAS THE FIRST ALBUM WITH CRAIG FROST ON KEYBOARD. BUT CRAIG WAS NOT YET A MEMBER OF THE GROUP. THE SONG "ROCK & n ROLL SOUL" FROM THIS ALBUM BECAME ONE OF THE LARGEST HITS.