The Guess Who
Encyclopedia
The Guess Who are a Canadian
rock
band from Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. Initially gaining recognition in Canada
, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman
", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land
". Several members of The Guess Who, notably Burton Cummings
and Randy Bachman
(of Bachman–Turner Overdrive), have also found considerable success outside the band.
The band was inducted into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame
in 1987.
in 1960 and initially called Al and the Silvertones. This was changed to Chad Allan & the Reflections in 1962, by which point the band consisted of Chad Allan (vocals/guitar), Bob Ashley (keyboards), Randy Bachman
(guitars), Jim Kale
(bass), and Garry Peterson
(drums). All the band members were born in Winnipeg.
The band's debut single ("Tribute To Buddy Holly") was released on Canadian-American Records in 1962. Chad Allan and the Reflections then signed with Quality Records and released several flop singles in 1963/64, including one mis-credited to Bob Ashley & The Reflections. By 1965, the group was forced to change its name to Chad Allan & the Expressions after a U.S. group called The Reflections
had scored a hit with "Just Like Romeo & Juliet".
It was at this point that the band scored their first hit, a 1965 rendition of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' "Shakin' All Over
". This track reached #1 in Canada, #22 in the U.S (where Quality had licensed the track to the American Scepter
label for release in the U.S.), and #27 in Australia. However, in an attempt to build a mystique around the record, Quality Records credited the single only to "Guess Who?" It was hoped that some listeners might assume the "Guess Who?" identity was deliberately masking several famous performers working under a pseudonym
– given the "beat group" nature of the record, perhaps even members of The Beatles
and/or other popular British Invasion
bands. In concealing the identity of the band in this fashion, Quality Records may have been influenced by a similar ploy made the previous year by "The You Know Who Group", an American outfit whose Merseybeat-ish 1964 single "Roses Are Red My Love" had peaked at #43 in the US, and at #21 in Canada.
It is debatable as to whether anyone was really fooled by the "Guess Who?" ruse, or if the record would have been a hit regardless of the artist credit. But the upshot was that, even after Quality Records revealed the band was "really" Chad Allan & The Expressions, disc jockeys still announced the group as Guess Who?, effectively forcing the band to rename themselves. So although singles were issued as being by "Guess Who?" on their first two albums, the band was credited as both "Guess Who?" and "Chad Allan & The Expressions".
joined the band as keyboardist and co-lead vocalist (with Chad Allan) in early January 1966. This line-up only lasted for a few months before Chad Allan left, making Cummings the new full-time lead singer. By this point, the band's name had become "The Guess Who?" (the question mark would finally be dropped in 1968) and with Chad Allan gone, the "Chad Allan & The Expressions" subtitle was dropped once and for all. Feeling that they'd "played out" all the venues in Winnipeg, the band began playing in Regina, Saskatchewan
in 1966. While there, they crossed paths with a young Joni Mitchell
, who played in many of the same venues as the group.
The group continued to release top 40 singles in Canada, like "Clock on the Wall" and even had one single "His Girl" scrape the lower reaches of the UK charts in 1967. However, a trip to the UK to promote this single proved to be a financial disaster as the single dropped off the charts after only one week, and The Guess Who found themselves unable to get airplay or to book any paying gigs without work visas. They returned to Canada within a matter of weeks, thousands of dollars in debt.
The band's fortunes were saved when, later in 1967, they landed a gig as the house band on the CBC
television show Let's Go, a music show oriented toward teenagers. The show aired 39 weeks a year and the paycheques from it allowed The Guess Who to pay off their debts and it also gave them further exposure in Canada. Although the band was initially hired only to perform the chart hits of the day on the show (in arrangements as close as possible to the actual hit records), after a time, the show's producer encouraged the group to write and perform their own material as well. The Guess Who stayed with Let's Go for two years; a compilation of some of their Let's Go performances was released on CD in 2004.
Among those who noticed The Guess Who during their run on Let's Go was record producer/sales executive Jack Richardson
. He contacted the band about participating in an advertising project for Coca-Cola
; this turned out to be the recording of a split LP
with Ottawa band The Staccatos (soon to rename themselves The Five Man Electrical Band). The resulting album was called A Wild Pair, and featured The Guess Who on one side and The Staccatos on the other. The album was only available for purchase through mail-order for the price of 10 Coca Cola bottle cap liners and $1 (to cover shipping expenses). Guitarist Randy Bachman has stated in interviews that he believes A Wild Pair sold enough copies in Canada to qualify for gold record status; however, because the album was not sold through normal retail channels, no certified sales figures are available.
were now the band's main composers, and they moved away from Merseybeat-inspired rock to a sound that mixed rock, blues, and jazz.
Richardson, who produced their material on A Wild Pair, believed that The Guess Who were on the verge of an international breakthrough. Accordingly, he mortgaged his house to finance the group's next batch of recordings, which would become the album Wheatfield Soul
, and include the ballad "These Eyes
". This song, released in January 1969, became the group's first Top 10 US hit for their new label RCA Records
. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Richardson would remain the group's producer through to their dissolution in 1975.
By the beginning of the 1970s, The Guess Who had moved toward an edgier hard-rock sound with the album American Woman
, the title track for which, "American Woman
" (coupled with its B-side "No Sugar Tonight") was the group's only No. 1 hit in the U.S. "American Woman" also earned The Guess Who the honor of being the first Canadian group to have a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 (The Crew Cuts from Toronto
had a long-running US #1 "Sh-Boom
" in the summer of 1954, four years before the Hot 100). The Top Five US hit "No Time" preceded "American Woman" by about three months.
) led Bachman to leave the group after playing one final show with them at the Fillmore East
in New York City
on May 16, 1970. New studio recordings (eventually released in 1976 as The Way They Were) were abandoned. Randy returned to Winnipeg and later formed Brave Belt
, which evolved into the hugely successful Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Bachman was replaced by two guitarists, fellow Winnipeggers Kurt Winter
, from the band Brother, and Greg Leskiw
. Winter became the main songwriting collaborator with Cummings and The Guess Who continued on scoring additional hit singles such as "Hand Me Down World", "Share The Land", "Hang On to Your Life", "Albert Flasher", and "Rain Dance".
In 1972, they recorded their highly acclaimed album "Live at the Paramount" which was recorded at the Paramount Theatre
in Seattle.
Leskiw left the band before the Paramount show in 1972 to be replaced by Don McDougall, and bassist Jim Kale
left after his lifestyle could no longer support touring. Winter's former bandmate Bill Wallace came in to take over bass duties. This preceded an overseas tour with Three Dog Night
in November–December 1972 to Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
Cummings, Wallace and Winter wrote the Guess Who's last big hit, "Clap For The Wolfman", which reached #4 in Canada and #6 in the U.S. and which was an homage to disc jockey Wolfman Jack
, who lent his voice to the recording before McDougall and Winter left in June 1974. Domenic Troiano
became the new lead guitarist for the band and Cummings' chief songwriting collaborator.
Cummings, feeling more and more out of synch with the jazzier & progressive leanings of Troiano and the others, decided to pursue a solo direction and the Guess Who broke up in October 1975. Cummings then went on to forge his own successful career.
approached the band about doing a reunion. Cummings and Bachman were not interested since they were busy with their solo careers. Kale, Peterson, Winter and McDougall did respond, however. Kale was on tour in Kenora, Ontario
, and contacted Cummings and Bachman about using the Guess Who name. They both gave him their blessing for the one-time use, but soon after, Kale found out that the name "The Guess Who" had never been registered. He promptly drove back to Winnipeg to register it, and maintains control of the band name to this day.
Kale decided to continue on with The Guess Who from that point, initially joined by Winter, McDougall and Vance Masters (Masters had been drummer in the Winnipeg group Brother with Winter and Wallace). An album called Guess Who's Back was released in Canada to minimal attention. Another studio album, All This For a Song, followed in 1979.
Kale even left the band for a short spell and was involved with other projects as the others continued on without him. But by 1981 he was back and has led an ever changing roster of players to this day. In 1981 Kale's new lineup put out Now & Not Then on the El Macombo label. (See below for complete list of The Guess Who lineups) In 1983, Bachman, Cummings, Jim Kale
and Garry Peterson
(the "American Woman" line-up) reunited as The Guess Who to play a series of Canadian gigs and record the Together Again live album and video. Despite pursuing solo careers, Cummings, Bachman, Kale and Peterson reassembled for a national tour in 1985 and 1985, including some shows in the U.S.
After these reunions, Bachman and Cummings resumed their solo work, and Kale once again resumed touring with various musicians under The Guess Who banner. A new Guess Who studio album, Liberty (also issued as Lonely One) with vocalist Terry Hatty was released in 1995, but virtually no attention was paid to it in the mainstream press, and the few reviews of the album were almost all overwhelmingly negative. In May 1997 with their hometown of Winnipeg facing a potentially disastrous flood that had already taken cities south of the border, Bachman and Cummings reunited in Winnipeg for the first time in 10 years in an emotional fund raiser for disaster relief organized by Tom Jackson.
at Winnipeg Stadium. This led to a cross-Canada and US tour for the band beginning in 2000, although health problems precluded Kale's involvement. Nevertheless, he received a share of the band's earnings, and replacement Bill Wallace was paid out of other members' shares. A live album and DVD release followed the tour. Both the tour and the subsequent live releases were warmly received by fans and critics.
During the 2000 concert in Winnipeg it began to rain, then thunder, then lightning. Through the rain Cummings kept singing (while the band crew tried to cover things in plastic), at one point Cummings acknowledging that if the audience didn't leave he wouldn't either, and he didn't until the lightning started to strike. It was a temporary pause, though, and the concert continued a short time later.
In 2001, the band received honorary doctorates at Brandon University
in Brandon, Manitoba
. For lead vocalist Cummings, it was a privilege to receive the doctorate, since he did not graduate from high school. That same year the group was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
.
In 2003, the band (including Bachman and Cummings) performed a well-received set before an estimated audience of 450,000 at the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto
SARS benefit concert
. The show was the largest outdoor ticketed event in Canadian history.
While still also performing individually and with their own bands, Bachman and Cummings, backed by Toronto's Carpet Frogs
, have been touring together since 2005. Having failed to win the rights to use The Guess Who name, they have adopted the moniker Bachman-Cummings and have toured extensively under this band name. Bachman did state in a CBC
interview on February 7, 2005 that it was unlikely he and Cummings would ever again tour as The Guess Who.
As of 2004, Kale and Peterson, who now jointly own the franchise, tour as "The Guess Who". The band currently tours mostly in the USA. Cummings has a negative view of the current lineup of The Guess Who and in a 2011 concert appearance referred to the group as "that traveling circus" and advised fans to "do yourself a favor and stay home."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Initially gaining recognition in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman
American Woman (song)
"American Woman" is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, first released in January 1970 on the album of the same name and later in March as a single, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by many rock artists, including Lenny Kravitz, Krokus, and The Butthole...
", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land
Share the Land
Share the Land is an album released in 1970 by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. After the departure of Randy Bachman, the band brought in two guitarists, Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw....
". Several members of The Guess Who, notably Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
and Randy Bachman
Randy Bachman
Randolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
(of Bachman–Turner Overdrive), have also found considerable success outside the band.
The band was inducted into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The ceremony is held each year as part of the Juno Award ceremonies. Members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame represent many of the world's great talents...
in 1987.
Early years (1960–1965)
The Guess Who started out as a local Winnipeg band formed by singer/guitarist Chad AllanChad Allan (musician)
Chad Allan is a Canadian musician and founding member of The Guess Who. He was the group's original lead singer and front man, as well as rhythm guitarist, songwriter and occasionally drummer and pianist....
in 1960 and initially called Al and the Silvertones. This was changed to Chad Allan & the Reflections in 1962, by which point the band consisted of Chad Allan (vocals/guitar), Bob Ashley (keyboards), Randy Bachman
Randy Bachman
Randolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
(guitars), Jim Kale
Jim Kale
Jim Kale is the bassist for the popular band, The Guess Who. Kale left the band in 1973, after the Live at the Paramount album. He was replaced by Bill Wallace, formerly of Winnipeg band, Brother...
(bass), and Garry Peterson
Garry Peterson
Garry Peterson is a Canadian drummer who has been a long-term member of the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. Along with Randy Bachman, he has also recorded and toured with another Canadian rock band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.-Biography:...
(drums). All the band members were born in Winnipeg.
The band's debut single ("Tribute To Buddy Holly") was released on Canadian-American Records in 1962. Chad Allan and the Reflections then signed with Quality Records and released several flop singles in 1963/64, including one mis-credited to Bob Ashley & The Reflections. By 1965, the group was forced to change its name to Chad Allan & the Expressions after a U.S. group called The Reflections
The Reflections
The Reflections was the name of a number of musical groups.Perhaps the best known were a blue-eyed soul/doo-wop group from Detroit, Michigan. They had one hit single in 1964 called " Romeo and Juliet", written by Bob Hamilton and Freddie Gorman. The song was produced by Rob Reeco on Golden World...
had scored a hit with "Just Like Romeo & Juliet".
It was at this point that the band scored their first hit, a 1965 rendition of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' "Shakin' All Over
Shakin' All Over
"Shakin' All Over" is a rock and roll song originally performed by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It was written by frontman Johnny Kidd and reached #1 in the United Kingdom in August 1960...
". This track reached #1 in Canada, #22 in the U.S (where Quality had licensed the track to the American Scepter
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
label for release in the U.S.), and #27 in Australia. However, in an attempt to build a mystique around the record, Quality Records credited the single only to "Guess Who?" It was hoped that some listeners might assume the "Guess Who?" identity was deliberately masking several famous performers working under a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
– given the "beat group" nature of the record, perhaps even members of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and/or other popular British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
bands. In concealing the identity of the band in this fashion, Quality Records may have been influenced by a similar ploy made the previous year by "The You Know Who Group", an American outfit whose Merseybeat-ish 1964 single "Roses Are Red My Love" had peaked at #43 in the US, and at #21 in Canada.
It is debatable as to whether anyone was really fooled by the "Guess Who?" ruse, or if the record would have been a hit regardless of the artist credit. But the upshot was that, even after Quality Records revealed the band was "really" Chad Allan & The Expressions, disc jockeys still announced the group as Guess Who?, effectively forcing the band to rename themselves. So although singles were issued as being by "Guess Who?" on their first two albums, the band was credited as both "Guess Who?" and "Chad Allan & The Expressions".
Transitional years and Let's Go (1966–1968)
The immediate follow-ups to "Shakin' All Over" met with major success in Canada but very little success elsewhere. After Bob Ashley left the group in late 1965, Burton CummingsBurton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
joined the band as keyboardist and co-lead vocalist (with Chad Allan) in early January 1966. This line-up only lasted for a few months before Chad Allan left, making Cummings the new full-time lead singer. By this point, the band's name had become "The Guess Who?" (the question mark would finally be dropped in 1968) and with Chad Allan gone, the "Chad Allan & The Expressions" subtitle was dropped once and for all. Feeling that they'd "played out" all the venues in Winnipeg, the band began playing in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
in 1966. While there, they crossed paths with a young Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, who played in many of the same venues as the group.
The group continued to release top 40 singles in Canada, like "Clock on the Wall" and even had one single "His Girl" scrape the lower reaches of the UK charts in 1967. However, a trip to the UK to promote this single proved to be a financial disaster as the single dropped off the charts after only one week, and The Guess Who found themselves unable to get airplay or to book any paying gigs without work visas. They returned to Canada within a matter of weeks, thousands of dollars in debt.
The band's fortunes were saved when, later in 1967, they landed a gig as the house band on the CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
television show Let's Go, a music show oriented toward teenagers. The show aired 39 weeks a year and the paycheques from it allowed The Guess Who to pay off their debts and it also gave them further exposure in Canada. Although the band was initially hired only to perform the chart hits of the day on the show (in arrangements as close as possible to the actual hit records), after a time, the show's producer encouraged the group to write and perform their own material as well. The Guess Who stayed with Let's Go for two years; a compilation of some of their Let's Go performances was released on CD in 2004.
Among those who noticed The Guess Who during their run on Let's Go was record producer/sales executive Jack Richardson
Jack Richardson (record producer)
Jack Richardson, CM was a Juno Award-nominated Canadian record producer and Order of Canada recipient. He is perhaps best known for producing the biggest hit records from The Guess Who from 1969 to 1975...
. He contacted the band about participating in an advertising project for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
; this turned out to be the recording of a split LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
with Ottawa band The Staccatos (soon to rename themselves The Five Man Electrical Band). The resulting album was called A Wild Pair, and featured The Guess Who on one side and The Staccatos on the other. The album was only available for purchase through mail-order for the price of 10 Coca Cola bottle cap liners and $1 (to cover shipping expenses). Guitarist Randy Bachman has stated in interviews that he believes A Wild Pair sold enough copies in Canada to qualify for gold record status; however, because the album was not sold through normal retail channels, no certified sales figures are available.
Initial international success (1969–1970)
As the group's lineup changed, so did their sound. Cummings and guitarist Randy BachmanRandy Bachman
Randolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
were now the band's main composers, and they moved away from Merseybeat-inspired rock to a sound that mixed rock, blues, and jazz.
Richardson, who produced their material on A Wild Pair, believed that The Guess Who were on the verge of an international breakthrough. Accordingly, he mortgaged his house to finance the group's next batch of recordings, which would become the album Wheatfield Soul
Wheatfield Soul
Wheatfield Soul is an album released in 1968 by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. "Lightfoot" is a tribute to fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot, while "Friends of Mine" is performed in the style of The Doors.-About the album:...
, and include the ballad "These Eyes
These Eyes (song)
"These Eyes" is a 1968 song by the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. The song was co-written by the group's lead guitarist Randy Bachman and lead singer Burton Cummings and originally included on the band's 1968 album Wheatfield Soul. Bachman had the original piano chords with an original title of...
". This song, released in January 1969, became the group's first Top 10 US hit for their new label RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
Richardson would remain the group's producer through to their dissolution in 1975.
By the beginning of the 1970s, The Guess Who had moved toward an edgier hard-rock sound with the album American Woman
American Woman
American Woman is the seventh album by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, released in 1970. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts...
, the title track for which, "American Woman
American Woman (song)
"American Woman" is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, first released in January 1970 on the album of the same name and later in March as a single, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by many rock artists, including Lenny Kravitz, Krokus, and The Butthole...
" (coupled with its B-side "No Sugar Tonight") was the group's only No. 1 hit in the U.S. "American Woman" also earned The Guess Who the honor of being the first Canadian group to have a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 (The Crew Cuts from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
had a long-running US #1 "Sh-Boom
Sh-Boom
"Sh-Boom" is an early doo-wop song. It was written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, and James Edwards, members of the R&B vocal group The Chords and published in 1954. It was a U.S...
" in the summer of 1954, four years before the Hot 100). The Top Five US hit "No Time" preceded "American Woman" by about three months.
Personnel changes, and continued success (1970–1975)
In the spring of 1970, Bachman was sidelined by a gall bladder attack. The group continued touring with an American guitarist, Bobby Sabellico. But differences between Bachman and Cummings (mainly due to Bachman's conversion to MormonismMormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
) led Bachman to leave the group after playing one final show with them at the Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on May 16, 1970. New studio recordings (eventually released in 1976 as The Way They Were) were abandoned. Randy returned to Winnipeg and later formed Brave Belt
Brave Belt
Brave Belt was a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba originally consisting of Randy Bachman , his former The Guess Who bandmate, Chad Allan , and Randy's brother Robbie . Randy also provided bass tracks for the recording of the band's first album, Brave Belt I . But C. F...
, which evolved into the hugely successful Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Bachman was replaced by two guitarists, fellow Winnipeggers Kurt Winter
Kurt Winter
Kurt Winter was a Canadian guitarist and songwriter, best known as a member of The Guess Who.After starting his career with Winnipeg bands The Fifth, Gettysbyrg Address, and Brother, Winter joined The Guess Who in May 1970, along with co-guitarist Greg Leskiw, replacing Randy Bachman...
, from the band Brother, and Greg Leskiw
Greg Leskiw
Greg Leskiw is a Canadian guitarist best known for playing guitar with The Guess Who 1970-1972.-History:Greg's father was, like Elvis Costello's, a talented but not widely known jazz guitarist. Greg Leskiw began playing the guitar at the age of 12...
. Winter became the main songwriting collaborator with Cummings and The Guess Who continued on scoring additional hit singles such as "Hand Me Down World", "Share The Land", "Hang On to Your Life", "Albert Flasher", and "Rain Dance".
In 1972, they recorded their highly acclaimed album "Live at the Paramount" which was recorded at the Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)
The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
in Seattle.
Leskiw left the band before the Paramount show in 1972 to be replaced by Don McDougall, and bassist Jim Kale
Jim Kale
Jim Kale is the bassist for the popular band, The Guess Who. Kale left the band in 1973, after the Live at the Paramount album. He was replaced by Bill Wallace, formerly of Winnipeg band, Brother...
left after his lifestyle could no longer support touring. Winter's former bandmate Bill Wallace came in to take over bass duties. This preceded an overseas tour with Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
in November–December 1972 to Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
Cummings, Wallace and Winter wrote the Guess Who's last big hit, "Clap For The Wolfman", which reached #4 in Canada and #6 in the U.S. and which was an homage to disc jockey Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
, who lent his voice to the recording before McDougall and Winter left in June 1974. Domenic Troiano
Domenic Troiano
Domenic Troiano was a Canadian rock guitarist, most notable for his contributions to Mandala, The James Gang, The Guess Who and as a solo artist.-History:...
became the new lead guitarist for the band and Cummings' chief songwriting collaborator.
Cummings, feeling more and more out of synch with the jazzier & progressive leanings of Troiano and the others, decided to pursue a solo direction and the Guess Who broke up in October 1975. Cummings then went on to forge his own successful career.
Reformations
In November 1977 CBCCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
approached the band about doing a reunion. Cummings and Bachman were not interested since they were busy with their solo careers. Kale, Peterson, Winter and McDougall did respond, however. Kale was on tour in Kenora, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and contacted Cummings and Bachman about using the Guess Who name. They both gave him their blessing for the one-time use, but soon after, Kale found out that the name "The Guess Who" had never been registered. He promptly drove back to Winnipeg to register it, and maintains control of the band name to this day.
Kale decided to continue on with The Guess Who from that point, initially joined by Winter, McDougall and Vance Masters (Masters had been drummer in the Winnipeg group Brother with Winter and Wallace). An album called Guess Who's Back was released in Canada to minimal attention. Another studio album, All This For a Song, followed in 1979.
Kale even left the band for a short spell and was involved with other projects as the others continued on without him. But by 1981 he was back and has led an ever changing roster of players to this day. In 1981 Kale's new lineup put out Now & Not Then on the El Macombo label. (See below for complete list of The Guess Who lineups) In 1983, Bachman, Cummings, Jim Kale
Jim Kale
Jim Kale is the bassist for the popular band, The Guess Who. Kale left the band in 1973, after the Live at the Paramount album. He was replaced by Bill Wallace, formerly of Winnipeg band, Brother...
and Garry Peterson
Garry Peterson
Garry Peterson is a Canadian drummer who has been a long-term member of the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. Along with Randy Bachman, he has also recorded and toured with another Canadian rock band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.-Biography:...
(the "American Woman" line-up) reunited as The Guess Who to play a series of Canadian gigs and record the Together Again live album and video. Despite pursuing solo careers, Cummings, Bachman, Kale and Peterson reassembled for a national tour in 1985 and 1985, including some shows in the U.S.
After these reunions, Bachman and Cummings resumed their solo work, and Kale once again resumed touring with various musicians under The Guess Who banner. A new Guess Who studio album, Liberty (also issued as Lonely One) with vocalist Terry Hatty was released in 1995, but virtually no attention was paid to it in the mainstream press, and the few reviews of the album were almost all overwhelmingly negative. In May 1997 with their hometown of Winnipeg facing a potentially disastrous flood that had already taken cities south of the border, Bachman and Cummings reunited in Winnipeg for the first time in 10 years in an emotional fund raiser for disaster relief organized by Tom Jackson.
The Guess Who in the 2000s
On August 8, 1999, Cummings, Bachman, Peterson and Kale reunited once again, after responding to a personal request from the Premier of Manitoba, to appear at the closing ceremonies of the Pan American GamesPan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
at Winnipeg Stadium. This led to a cross-Canada and US tour for the band beginning in 2000, although health problems precluded Kale's involvement. Nevertheless, he received a share of the band's earnings, and replacement Bill Wallace was paid out of other members' shares. A live album and DVD release followed the tour. Both the tour and the subsequent live releases were warmly received by fans and critics.
During the 2000 concert in Winnipeg it began to rain, then thunder, then lightning. Through the rain Cummings kept singing (while the band crew tried to cover things in plastic), at one point Cummings acknowledging that if the audience didn't leave he wouldn't either, and he didn't until the lightning started to strike. It was a temporary pause, though, and the concert continued a short time later.
In 2001, the band received honorary doctorates at Brandon University
Brandon University
Brandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....
in Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
. For lead vocalist Cummings, it was a privilege to receive the doctorate, since he did not graduate from high school. That same year the group was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
.
In 2003, the band (including Bachman and Cummings) performed a well-received set before an estimated audience of 450,000 at the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto
Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto
Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto was a benefit rock concert that was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 30, 2003. It was also known as "Toronto Rocks", "Stars 4 SARS", "SARSStock", "SARSfest", "SARS-a-palooza", the "SARS concert", or, more descriptively, "The Rolling Stones SARS Benefit...
SARS benefit concert
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
. The show was the largest outdoor ticketed event in Canadian history.
While still also performing individually and with their own bands, Bachman and Cummings, backed by Toronto's Carpet Frogs
The Carpet Frogs
The Carpet Frogs are a Toronto based rock band. They are best known for their work with Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings.-Band members:Nick Sinopoli - Percussion and vocalsDavid Love - Guitar and vocals...
, have been touring together since 2005. Having failed to win the rights to use The Guess Who name, they have adopted the moniker Bachman-Cummings and have toured extensively under this band name. Bachman did state in a CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
interview on February 7, 2005 that it was unlikely he and Cummings would ever again tour as The Guess Who.
As of 2004, Kale and Peterson, who now jointly own the franchise, tour as "The Guess Who". The band currently tours mostly in the USA. Cummings has a negative view of the current lineup of The Guess Who and in a 2011 concert appearance referred to the group as "that traveling circus" and advised fans to "do yourself a favor and stay home."
The Silvertones
- 1960 Chad AllanChad Allan (musician)Chad Allan is a Canadian musician and founding member of The Guess Who. He was the group's original lead singer and front man, as well as rhythm guitarist, songwriter and occasionally drummer and pianist....
(Allan Kobel), Bob Ashley, Brian Donald, Johnny Glowa, Jim KaleJim KaleJim Kale is the bassist for the popular band, The Guess Who. Kale left the band in 1973, after the Live at the Paramount album. He was replaced by Bill Wallace, formerly of Winnipeg band, Brother...
, Larry Wah, Gordon Murison (band named after his Silvertone guitar)
Allan & The Silvertones
- 1962 Chad Allan, Bob Ashley, Randy BachmanRandy BachmanRandolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
, Jim Kale, Garry PetersonGarry PetersonGarry Peterson is a Canadian drummer who has been a long-term member of the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. Along with Randy Bachman, he has also recorded and toured with another Canadian rock band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.-Biography:...
, Carol West.
Chad Allan & The Reflections
- 1962 Chad Allan, Bob Ashley, Randy Bachman, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson
Chad Allan & The Expressions
- 1964 Chad Allan, Randy Bachman, Jim Kale, Bob Ashley, Garry Peterson
The Guess Who
- 1965 Chad Allan, Randy Bachman, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Bob Ashley
- 1966 Chad Allan, Randy Bachman, Burton CummingsBurton CummingsBurton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson - 1966 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Bruce Decker, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson
- 1966 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson
- 1970 Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Bobby Sabellico
- 1970 Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Greg LeskiwGreg LeskiwGreg Leskiw is a Canadian guitarist best known for playing guitar with The Guess Who 1970-1972.-History:Greg's father was, like Elvis Costello's, a talented but not widely known jazz guitarist. Greg Leskiw began playing the guitar at the age of 12...
, Garry Peterson, Kurt WinterKurt WinterKurt Winter was a Canadian guitarist and songwriter, best known as a member of The Guess Who.After starting his career with Winnipeg bands The Fifth, Gettysbyrg Address, and Brother, Winter joined The Guess Who in May 1970, along with co-guitarist Greg Leskiw, replacing Randy Bachman... - 1972 Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Donnie McDougallDonnie McDougallDonnie "Don" McDougall is a guitarist who joined The Guess Who in 1972, replacing Greg Leskiw who moved on to a solo career. His first album performance was on the record Live At The Paramount, recorded in Seattle, Washington. McDougall sang "Glace Bay Blues" on that album...
, Garry Peterson, Kurt Winter - 1972 Burton Cummings, Donnie McDougall, Garry Peterson, Bill Wallace, Kurt Winter
- 1974 Burton Cummings, Garry Peterson, Domenic TroianoDomenic TroianoDomenic Troiano was a Canadian rock guitarist, most notable for his contributions to Mandala, The James Gang, The Guess Who and as a solo artist.-History:...
, Bill Wallace (to end 10/75) - 1977 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Kurt Winter, Donnie McDougall
- 1977 Jim Kale, Vance Masters, Kurt Winter, Donnie McDougall
- 1978 Jim Kale, Vance Masters, Kurt Winter, Donnie McDougall, (Guess Who's Back LP)
- 1978 Jim Kale, Vance Masters, Donnie McDougall, David Inglis, Ralph WattsRalph WattsRalph Watts is the Iowa State Representative from the 47th District. He has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2003. He received his BS from the University of Wyoming....
- 1979 David Inglis, Jim Kale, Vance Masters, Donnie McDougall (All This For a Song LP)
- 1979 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Garry Peterson, Bill Wallace (one time only appearance for Burton's CBC TV special Portage & Main in March 1979)
- 1979 Vance Masters, Donnie McDougall, Bobby Bilan, Brian Sellar, Jimmy Grabowski
- 1981 Jim Kale, Brent DeJarlais, Dale Russell, Mike McKenna, Sonnie Bernardi (Now & Not Then LP)
- 1981 Jim Kale, Brent DesJarlais, David Inglis, Brian Tataryn, Ken Curry
- 1981 Jim Kale, Brent DesJarlais, Brian Tataryn, Ken Curry
- 1983 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson
- 1983 Jim Kale, Dale Russell, Sonnie Bernardi, Mike Hanford, Trevor Balicky
- 1985 Jim Kale, Dale Russell, Sonnie Bernardi, Mike Hanford, Bob Fuhr
- 1986 Jim Kale, Dale Russell, Sonnie Bernardi, Terry Read, Kenny CarterKenny CarterKenneth 'Kenny' Malcolm Carter , was a world class speedway rider. He rode for Newcastle Diamonds , Halifax Dukes and Bradford Dukes ....
- 1987 Jim Kale, Dale Russell, Sonnie Bernardi, Mike Hanford, Kenny Carter
- 1987 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Mike Hanford, Kenny Carter
- 1989 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Tom Whitnery, Kenny Carter
- 1990 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Kenny Carter, Leonard ShawLeonard ShawLeonard Shaw is a Canadian musician who has toured and recorded with a variety of groups since the 1960s. He is best known as a member of the band The Guess Who since 1991. Prior to joining The Guess Who, he was a member of Ian Thomas' band....
- 1991 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Terry Hatty, Leonard Shaw
- 1998 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Carl DixonCarl DixonCarl Dixon is a Canadian rock singer, keyboardist and guitarist. He has been a member of the bands Coney Hatch, April Wine and The Guess Who.-Biography:Dixon was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario...
, Leonard Shaw - 1998 Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Carl Dixon, Leonard Shaw, Ken "Spider" SinnaeveKen SinnaeveKen "Spider" Sinnaeve is a Canadian musician, best known for playing bass with Tom Cochrane and Cochrane's earlier band Red Rider.He was a founding member of the band Streetheart prior to playing with Cochrane, making amongst others a live cover of "Under my Thumb"...
- 1999 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson (one show)
- 2000 Dale Russell, Leonard Shaw, Carl Dixon, Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, Charlie Cooley
- 2000 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Donnie McDougall, Garry Peterson (one show)
- 2000 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Don McDougall, Garry Peterson, Bill Wallace (to end 07/31/03)
- 2004 Bobby Bilan, Carl Dixon, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Leonard Shaw
- 2006 Carl Dixon, Jim Kale, Laurie MacKenzie, Garry Peterson, Leonard Shaw.
- 2008 Derek SharpDerek SharpDerek Sharp is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has been a member of several bands, but he is best known in the US as the current lead singer of The Guess Who, a position he has held since April 2008.-Biography:...
, Jim KaleJim KaleJim Kale is the bassist for the popular band, The Guess Who. Kale left the band in 1973, after the Live at the Paramount album. He was replaced by Bill Wallace, formerly of Winnipeg band, Brother...
, Laurie MacKenzieLaurie MacKenzieLaurie MacKenzie, was born in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada, but relocated to Winnipeg at age 19. He is a guitarist for the popular band, The Guess Who. Prior to joining The Guess Who, MacKenzie toured and recorded with Laurie MacKenzie and the Bandits and the Laurie MacKenzie Band.-External links:*...
, Garry PetersonGarry PetersonGarry Peterson is a Canadian drummer who has been a long-term member of the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. Along with Randy Bachman, he has also recorded and toured with another Canadian rock band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.-Biography:...
, Leonard ShawLeonard ShawLeonard Shaw is a Canadian musician who has toured and recorded with a variety of groups since the 1960s. He is best known as a member of the band The Guess Who since 1991. Prior to joining The Guess Who, he was a member of Ian Thomas' band....
| Year | Music video | Director(s) | 1969 | "These Eyes" | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | "When You Touch Me When You Touch Me "When You Touch Me" is a song by dance band Freemasons. It was released as the 6th single from their second studio album Unmixed and features vocals from English dance music vocalist and songwriter Katherine Ellis.-Track listing:-Charts:... " |
|||||
| 1969 | "Laughing" | |||||
| 1970 | "No Time No Time "No Time" is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. Composed by guitarist Randy Bachman and lead singer Burton Cummings, the song is basically a Dear John letter stating, "No time left for you".... " |
|||||
| 1970 | "American Woman American Woman American Woman is the seventh album by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, released in 1970. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts... " |
|||||
| 1970 | "Share The Land Share the Land Share the Land is an album released in 1970 by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. After the departure of Randy Bachman, the band brought in two guitarists, Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw.... " |
|||||
| 1970 | "Hang On To Your Life" | |||||
| 1971 | "Albert Flasher" | |||||
| 1972 | "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon Runnin' Back to Saskatoon "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon" is a popular rock and roll song written by Burton Cummings and Kurt Winter.The song was recorded by the Canadian rock group The Guess Who on May 22, 1972 for the album Live at the Paramount, and is also included on the 1974 album The Best of the Guess Who, Vol... " |
Filmography
- 1983 Together Again live concert with interviews.
- 2002 Running Back Thru Canada (Live with bonus tracks)
- 2003 Molson Canadian Rocks for TorontoMolson Canadian Rocks for TorontoMolson Canadian Rocks for Toronto was a benefit rock concert that was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 30, 2003. It was also known as "Toronto Rocks", "Stars 4 SARS", "SARSStock", "SARSfest", "SARS-a-palooza", the "SARS concert", or, more descriptively, "The Rolling Stones SARS Benefit...
– Two tracks only – with the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Rush and others. - 2006 First Time Around (Bachman, Cummings), live concert from a CBC broadcast.
- 2007 Shakin' In Las Vegas (The Guess Who: Peterson, Kale), DVD of 4 new songs plus Shakin' All Over, from a live concert in Las Vegas.
Books
- 1995 American Woman – The Story of The Guess Who by John Einarson – Quarry Press, Ontario, Canada