The Guess Who were a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Produced by Jack Richardson, C.M., they were the first Canadian rock group to have a No.1 hit in the United States (see 1970 in music). The band was inducted into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1987 [1].

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History

Early years

The Guess Who started out as a local Winnipeg band formed by singer/guitarist Chad Allan 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".

Success

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 Cummings 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.

As the group's lineup changed, so did their sound. Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman were now the band's main composers, and they moved away from Merseybeat-inspired rock to a sound that mixed rock, blues, and jazz. The 1969 ballad "These Eyes" was the group's first Top 10 US hit for their new label RCA Records. By the beginning of the 1970s, they 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 band to have a No. 1 hit on the American charts. ^[2] The Top Five US hit "No Time" preceded "American Woman" by about three months.

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 the others led Bachman to leave the group after playing one final show with them at the Fillmore East in NYC on May 16, 1970. An unfinished 1970 album The Way They Were , was abandoned (not released until 1976, after the band had broken up). Randy returned to Winnipeg, and later formed Brave Belt, which eventually evolved into the supergroup 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 with more hit singles such as "Hand Me Down World", "Share The Land", "Hang On to Your Life" and "Albert Flasher".

In 1972, they recorded their highly acclaimed album "Live at the Paramount" which was recorded at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. This preceded an overseas tour in November-December 1972 to Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

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. Cummings, Wallace and Winter wrote the Guess Who's last big hit, "Clap For The Wolfman", which reached No. 6 in the U.S., and which was an homage to disc jockey Wolfman Jack, who lent his voice to the recording before McDougal and Winter left in June 1974. Domenic Troiano became the new lead guitarist for the band and Cummings' chief songwriting collaborator. The Guess Who broke up in October 1975. Cummings then went on to forge a successful solo career.

Reformations

In November 1977 CBC approached the band about doing a reunion. Cummings & Bachman were not interested since they were busy with their solo careers. Kale, Peterson, Winter & McDougal did respond, however. Kale was on tour in Kenora, Ontario, and contacted Cummings & Bachman about using the Guess Who name. They both gave him their blessing. 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, McDougal and Vance Masters (Masters had been drummer in the Winnipeg group Brother with Winter & 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 TGW 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.

After this reunion, 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, 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. During the concert 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.

The Guess Who in the 21st Century

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 Games at Winnipeg Stadium. This led to a cross-Canada and US tour for the band beginning in 2000, although health issues of Kale's precluded his 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.

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 .

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. Bachman stated in a CBC interview on February 7, 2005 that it was unlikely he and Cummings would ever again tour as The Guess Who. Bachman-Cummings have released two Canadian albums under the Bachman-Cummings name titled "Jukebox", and the "Bachman Cummings Songbook"; they are currently touring with Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi has called Bachman and Cummings Canadian rock 'n' roll royalty and said that together they have more combined hits than the final season of the Sopranos. He has been playing the song Taking Care of Business as a tribute to Randy's band BTO.

As of 2004, Kale and Peterson, who now jointly own the franchise, tour as "The Guess Who". The band currently tours extensively, mostly in the USA.

Discography

Lineups

The Silvertones

• 1960 Chad Allan (Allan Kobel), Bob Ashley, Brian Donald, Johnny Glowa, Jim Kale, Larry Wah, Gordon Murison (band named after his Silvertone guitar)

Al & The Silvertones

• 1961 Chad Allan, Bob Ashley, Randy Bachman, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Carol West.

Chad Allan & The Reflections

• 1962 Chad Allan, Bob Ashley, Randy Bachman, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson

Chad Allan & The Expressions

• 1965 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 Allen, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, 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 Leskiw, Garry Peterson, Kurt Winter
• 1972 Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Donnie McDougall, Garry Peterson, Kurt Winter
• 1972 Burton Cummings, Donnie McDougall, Garry Peterson, Bill Wallace, Kurt Winter
• 1974 Burton Cummings, Garry Peterson, Domenic Troiano, Bill Wallace(to end 10/75)

Jim Kale's "The Guess Who"

• 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 Watts
• 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 Reid, Kenny Carter
• 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 Shaw
• 1991 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Terry Hatty, Leonard Shaw
• 1998 Jim Kale, Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Carl Dixon, Leonard Shaw
• 1998 Garry Peterson, Dale Russell, Carl Dixon, Leonard Shaw, Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve
• 1999 Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, Garry Peterson (one show)
• 2000 Dale Russell, Leonard Shaw, Carl Dixon, Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, Charley 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 - 2009 Derek Sharp, Jim Kale, Laurie MacKenzie, Garry Peterson, Leonard Shaw

Filmography

• 1983 Together Again live concert with interviews.
• 2002 Running Back Thru Canada (Live with bonus tracks)
• 2003 Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto - 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

The Guess Who on the big and small screens

{{#ifeq: |Category:Articles with trivia sections {{#ifexist:Category:Articles with trivia sections from March 2009

Songs by the Guess Who have been used in a number of films and television shows.

• "Undun" is heard briefly in the movie Jackie Brown , although it doesn't appear on the film's soundtrack.
• "No Time" is heard in the scene where Steve Wozniak tells Steve Jobs that HP doesn't want the computer they created in Pirates of Silicon Valley .
• "Glamour Boy" is heard in Don McKellar's Last Night .
• "Share the Land" is briefly heard playing inside the car of Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein) on the show Prison Break .
• "These Eyes" is sung briefly by Evan (Michael Cera) in the film Superbad , and moments later the original Guess Who version is heard playing on a police car radio.
• "These Eyes" is used several times throughout the film Stay.
• "Shakin' All Over" is heard in the film My First Mister in a scene between John Goodman and Leelee Sobieski.
• "American Woman" is used in the film American Beauty , although it doesn't appear on the film's soundtrack.

A karaoke version of "American Woman" is sung in The Cable Guy .

"American Woman" was used in an episode of Due South .

In Almost Famous , Lester Bangs, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, mentions the Guess Who, while wearing a Guess Who T-shirt. In director Cameron Crowe's extended "Bootleg" version of the film, Bangs talks longer about the band and mentions a live version of "American Woman." Also, a verse from "Albert Flasher" is sung by some of the girls in the scene where they are staying at a hotel.

Both the Lenny Kravitz and the Guess Who's versions of "American Woman" are in the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The Kravitz version appears on the film's original soundtrack, while the Guess Who version was released on a second soundtrack, More Music from and Inspired by Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me . Kravitz joined the band in a live performance of that song during the 1999 MuchMusic Video Awards.

"American Woman" is featured in the video games Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour .

See also

• Canadian rock
• Music of Canada
• List of bands from Canada

References

1. http://www.junoawards.ca/vhof/index.php
2. The Billboard Book of Hits