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Canadian Classic Rock
The Guess Who
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Before the implimenting of Canadian content regulations, homegrown musicians usually didn't get alot of airplay, and in reflection of some cases, proper respect. In the early '60's the Winnipeg scene was alive and vibrant with new and innovative sounds. On the top and leading the pack was a group of kids then going by the name Chad Allan and The Expressions, then The Reflections. Between '62 and '65 they released a number of singles, including a remake of Bobby Lewis' "Tossin' and Turnin'". But radio stations largely ignored the group despite their local following. The first turning point was in 1965 when the band sent a '45 to the local radio stations. On it was "Shakin' All Over", and simply the phrase 'guess who?', in what turned out to be unintentional ingenius marketing. The group stuck with the name and were soon touring western Canada and southern Ontario. In '66 the band took their biggest step in their evolution, as Allan and Ashley were replaced by Burton Cummings, leader of another Winnipeg group, The Deverons. Their first single from their self-titled debut with Cummings, "His Girl", reached England and got them signed with King Records in the UK. A hastily put together tour of Britain ensued. However managerial woes plagued the band and they returned to Canada broke shortly thereafter. By '68 the band was still toiling at the scene, having recorded a demo for coca cola with The Staccatos the year before, when Nimbus 9 Records here in Canada released CANNED WHEAT. The album demonstrated the band's raw penchant for innovative sounds, such as "Laughing", Undun" and the original version of "No Time". In "The Key" we were treated to some of Bachman's most original playing, complete with violin bows. The group was also making strides with their live show, by this time playing coast to coast and well into the States. Later that year they also released WHEATFIELD SOUL, which contained the smash ballad "These Eyes", which sold over a million units worldwide and reached #3 on Billboard's Top 100. The group released another quintessential record in 1970. AMERICAN WOMAN contained a remake of "No Time", "No Sugar Tonite/New Mother Nature" and the full length version of the title track. The shortened version became the first single by a Canadian group to top Billboard. Dissension between Cummings and Bachman over the direction the band should be following was growing and Bachman ventured off to release his solo venture, AXE. He returned to the studios with the group later that same year, but contributed only nominally on SHARE THE LAND. Backed by the title-track , it seemed to lack the normal feel without Bachman's full input, despite the success of the other singles "Bus Rider" and "Hand Me Down World". The group's future was put on hold after Bachman officially announced his departure in '71 to form Brave Belt, then later Bachman Turner Overdrive. 1971 also saw the release of their first best of package while they regrouped, coming back with new guitarists Kurt Winter, ex of Brother and Greg Leskiw of Wild Rice for SO LONG BANNATYNE. A new funkier sound with more emphasis on piano and less on roots rock and roll was evidence of it now being Cummings' band, with the singles "Albert Flasher", "Sour Suite" and "Hang On To Your Life". Leskiw's stay on guitar was short-lived and he was replaced by Don McDougall for '72's ROCKIN lp. Bill Wallace had also replaced Kale on bass in the middle of recording such classics as "Running Back To Saskatoon", a tale of life on the Canadian back road, as well as the reggae-flavoured "Follow Your Daughter Home" and "Guns, Guns, Guns" (a track Cummings re-did on his '79 solo record DREAM OF A CHILD). The group also released their first live record that same year, LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT. ARTIFICIAL PARADISE and NUMBER TEN both hit the shelves in '73 but both seemed to lack anything special except for "Orly", a jazzed-up ragtime piano tune. .. catchy really and "Glamour Boy", about a washed up lounge singer. ROAD FOOD came out in '74 with new guitarist Domenic Troiano, who'd replaced McDougall. Featured on the album was the tribute to the famed radio dj Wolfman Jack, "Clap For The Wolfman" and "Star Baby". POWER IN THE MUSIC came out in the spring of '75 and was more of a contractual obligation than anything. With Cummings' interests leaning towards a solo career, the album's only noteworthy song was the reminiscent "When The Band Was Singing Shakin' All Over", ironic huh? With the band now on hiatus, a second greatest hits package came out in '76. Peterson, Troiano, Winter and Wallace came back that same year with THE WAY THEY WERE. Despite the release of three singles including "Silver Bird", the phenom that was The Guess Who was all but dead. They released GUESS WHO'S BACK in the summer of '78 but still failed to garner any real renewed interest in the band and they were living on name alone, despite the release of "C'mon Little Mama". ALL THIS FOR A SONG was released later that same year and was met with the same lacklustre response. '81's NOW AND NOT THEN was their next release but both "Love Lite" and "After The Night" failed to make a dent in the charts. A small tour followed but The Guess Who's time had run out. Ironically though they would resurface only two years later. Again showing how ahead of their time they were, a reunion with Bachman, Kale, Cummings and Peterson resulted in a mini-tour Cummings penned "The Twilight Zone tour" because it was like turning back the hands of time fifteen years. The reunion resulted in a couple of live records and the new singles "Let's Watch The Sun Go Down", the politically motivated "What's Gonna Happen To The Kids", "Creepin' Peepin' Baby Blues" and "C'mon and Dance". Interest in the group again soon faded and the guys again went off to do their own things. However Kale and Petersen would again resurface in '94 under the guise of The Guess Who. With an unknown supporting cast, a second album called LIBERTY was released on an independant label. Among the guest contributors was Zappacosta. Interest in the group waned again (or never really existed this time) and again the name The Guess Who faded into the sunset. Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings performed together for the first time in fourteen years in May of '97 for a crowd of over 40,000 at The Forks in Winnipeg for a Red River flood relief benefit concert organized by Tom Jackson. It was always thought that creative differences between Bachman and Cummings would likely prevent an actual reunion. But they reunited and performed together again in August of 1999, two years later, for 5,000 athletes and 22,000 fans at the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am games at the Winnipeg stadium along with the other two original members of the Guess Who; bassist Jim Kale and drummer Gary Peterson. This led to the 'Running Back Thru Canada' tour during the summer of 2000, whih became the biggest grossing Canadian tour that year. With Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, Winnipeg, Manitoba was blessed with two of the most outstanding pop musicians in the business. The likelihood of one small city producing two such enormous talents is remote. Though many people walked through the members only dressing room, it's the version with Cummings, Bachman, Peterson and Kale that most people relate to as The Guess Who. They showed on timeless occasions their innovations of recording techniques while experimenting with different sounds why they were Canada's top draw for most of the sixties and into the seventies. No Canadian band today can honestly say they weren't somehow influenced by The Guess Who. Carrying the maple leaf proudly as they preached the gospel of rock and roll across the globe, they were indeed a Canadian treasure.
Written by Dan Brisebois of |
Discography
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Shakin' All Over |
Hey Ho |
All Right |
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Shakin' All Over |
I Need Your Company |
No Time |
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These Eyes |
Shakin' All Over |
Shakin' All Over |
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American Woman |
Bus Rider |
It's My Pride |
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These Eyes |
Rain Dance |
Albert Flasher |
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Shakin' All Over |
Heartbroken Bopper |
Wild One |
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Broken |
Bye Bye Babe |
Take It Off My Shoulders |
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Shakin' All Over |
Star Baby |
Dancing Fool |
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Down And Out Woman |
Silver Bird |
These Eyes |
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C'mon Little Mama |
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What's Gonna Happen To The Kids |
American Woman |
These Eyes |
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What's Gonna Happen to the Kids |
These Eyes |
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These Eyes |
American Woman |
Sweet Liberty |
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Lonely One |
Disc: 1 |
Bus Rider |
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Clap For The Wolfman |
These Eyes |
Disc: 1 |
See Also
B.T.O.
Burton Cummings
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