The Guess Who was one of the most successful Canadian rock groups of the ’60s and ’70s. The songwriting team of Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings produced hits like “These Eyes,” “Laughing ” and “American Woman.”
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Despite reaching a precipice many rock groups only dream of, their journey to the top was a little rocky. Below, we’re going through The Guess Who’s origins, how they formed, and where they got their mysterious name.
Behind the Band Name
The Guess Who formed in Winnipeg in the late ’50s. Frontman Chad Allen originally formed a group called The Silvertones alongside bassist Jim Kale. Randy Backman and drummer Garry Peterson joined in 1962. Around that time the band’s name was changed to Chad Allen & The Reflections and keyboardist Bob Ashley completed the line-up.
The group was heavily influenced by the “British Invasion” of the era. Despite amassing a following in Winnipeg, without widespread radio support, they failed to reach the rest of the world.
It wasn’t until the group recorded a cover of “Shakin’ All Over” in 1965 that they started to gain traction. Quality Records producer George Struth released the cover to Canadian radio stations under the guise of “Guess Who?” in hopes that they would think they were a burgeoning English group.
The mystery seemed to be enticing enough for “Shakin’ All Over” to get picked up and carried all the way to No. 1 in Canada.
Following their success with that cover, the band kept that moniker and went on tour with The Kingsmen, The Belmonts, and The Turtles in the summer of 1965. Burton Cummings replaced Ashely on keyboards in early 1966 and Allan left a few months later. Cummings took over lead vocal duties.
Their next effort, It’s Time, didn’t see the same success as “Shakin’ All Over” and the group was forced to return back to Canada and become the house band on the CBC TV music/variety show Let’s Go.
Lasting Success
Once producer Jack Richardson joined the mix, it was off to the races for The Guess Who. Richardson bought the band’s contract from Quality Records for $1,000 and got started on helping create the album Wheatfield Soul. The investment proved to be smart as the album included the seminal hit “These Eyes.” Their next effort, Canned Wheat, saw a continued string of hits, including “Laughing” and “Undun.”
It was their 1970 album, American Woman, that gave them a newfound sense of success. The title track has become their signature and classic rock staple to boot. Bachman improvised the riff while on the road. The rest of the band joined with Cummings adding the lyrics, American woman stay away from me. The rest of the lyrics stemmed from touring the U.S. amid the Vietnam War: I don’t need your war machines / I don’t need your ghetto scenes/
“American Woman” allowed The Guess Who to become the first Canadian rock group to hit No. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. It became a hit twice over with Lenny Kravitz in 1999, earning him a Grammy for Best Male Rock Performance.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
