The Guess Who and Rickenbackers

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:18 pm

I was listening to an oldies radio station the other day and the DJ mentioned a band that had a name that began with Chad something or other and the bla blas who were going nowhere. He then goes on to mention that it was 1965 so they went out and bought some Rickenbacker guitars and changed their name to The Guess Who and had their first big hit: Shakin' All Over. This songs really rocks if you've never heard it, was one of the songs that made me just have to have a bass when I was a kid. I don't know if there are Rics on it or not, but I thought it was a cool story for a cool song. I have the album and the bass just about knocks the needle out of the grooves, and the lead guitar really rocks too. I forgot their lead guitar's players name but I always liked his style. Wasn't it Randy Bachman? Did a great job in "Takin' Care of Bussiness" also.
I saw them do an outside concert in 1970 at the height of their fame, they were one of the best sounding live bands I ever saw in my life, all the harmonies were there and everything. And you had to be GOOD to sound good at a big outside gig in 1970.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 2:16 am

If you ever watch VH1 Classic (personally I am addicted to that channel) there is a video they show of The Guess Who from that old German show "The Beat Club". It's a live TV performance & although there are no Rick guitars, the bass player has a sweet 4000.
That vid seems to be in heavy rotation & I sit through it every time just to get a glimpse of that bass...

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 3:58 am

Bob, the name of the band was Chad Allen and The Expressions. They released their version of Shaken All Over with the name "Guess Who?" on the record label in 1965.
It was a gimmick to get the radio stations to play their tune and provide lots of discussion as to who this new "British sounding" band really was, and more importantly where they were from.
They were Canadian, but know one knew that at the time.
The DJ's not knowing the real name of the unknown band started calling them "The Guess Who"?
Hense, a new name was created for Chad Allen and The Expressions.
Chad had a difficult time with the new name and eventually dropped out of the band.
Randy Bachman brought Burton Cummings into the band to replace Chad Allen and the rest as they say is history.
Randy left The Guess Who in 1971. He formed Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) a couple of years later with 2 of his brothers and Fred (CF)Turner.

Fred Turner played a Autumnglo 4001 during his first couple of years with BTO, then changed over to Fender's.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 8:32 am

Jon, Yeah the second name came to me this morning, Chad Allen. The album I have has all pre-These Eyes stuff on it I think, it's a reissue, some of it sounds like Berton Cummings and some doesn't. Chad was their first lead singer then, and sang "Shakin' All Over"? If so I always thought it was a different lead singer. This album has some great stuff on it all mid-60's garage rock-sounding stuff.
I knew there was a Ric bass in Bachman Turner Overdrive. I'm not sure if I saw a picture of them or it was just the sound.
Chris what song are they playing on that VH-1 video? Their bass player was great, real melodic with a great sound.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 8:43 am

I just dug out the album, It's called The Guess Who, Sown & Grown in Canada, in stereo-monic, provides both stereo and monaural sound reproduction, haha! (you put on the mono switch for that one) It's a wand record. Has four guys on the front.

bassman · Post by **bassman** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 10:03 am

Bob, The Guess Who, Sown & Grown in Canada was a 1969-70 re-release of the tunes on "The Guess Who?" 1965 LP.

Here's a link that will give you the band's run down with LP dates, LP Cover Photos, Tunes included on each LP, etc.

http://www.canadianbands.com/Guess%20Who_CDs.html

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:07 pm

jon, I just checked, it's got 7 tunes from the first and third Chad Allen albums (The Guess Who and It's Time) and the rest must be outtakes as I can't find them at all. I'm going to check though as they sound like Burton Cummings to me.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:21 pm

Ok, I got it. Two are outakes from 1965 and the last one was a B side, also from 1965. Some of these songs do also have Burton Cummings (All the "It's Time" tunes) as he was in the band concurrently with Chad Allen in 1966. Very interesting. I'd like to get some more of this stuff. I like the Chad allen stuff just as much if not more than the Burton Cummings stuff. Off to Ebay.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sun Jun 20, 2004 4:12 am

Bob,
It was "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet".
Seriously man, they have got to have that clip in heavy rotation - I've probably seen it 5 times in the last 2 months.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jun 20, 2004 8:16 am

Hi Chris, that is mostly likely Bachman Turner Overdrive it was a hit by them, I don't think The Guess Who ever did that song. They were big in the early 70's after Bachman left The Guess Who.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sun Jun 20, 2004 11:49 am

Sorry - you are correct. I got my Bachman time line confused. Usually I'm pretty good at the rock trivia thang.
I hang my head in shame.

Anyway, still a nice 4000 the guy from BTO was playing.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jun 20, 2004 5:51 pm

That's all right Chris, one of (the only) advantages to being a geezer is that you remember that stuff first hand.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:01 am

I'm often accused of having a geezer's taste in music. That means that you got to see all of the bands that I wanted to in their prime!!

philco · Post by **philco** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 6:58 am

Randy Bachman did a lot more for lead guitar tone than he is given credit for. He helped Garnet Amps develop the Herzog high gain unit. Garnet and Traynor both beat Marshall in the high gain amp design of the late 60's. Randy used Garnet amps exclusively throughout most of his Guess Who years, and probably through the BTO years as well. Garnet is still in business in Winnipeg as a repair facility for the old amps. They are credited as the first "boutique amp" company. Garnet amps, and NOT choice of any particular guitar, was the cornerstone of Randy Bachman's classic sound. Read it for yourself.

www.garnetamps.com/herzog.htm gives Randy's view as to how he helped Garnet develop the Herzog unit and how the Tech 21 SansAmp RBI and American Woman effects units get a similar sound in modern units.

Few people probably know that Randy was a violin player for many years before getting serious with electric guitar. He was just going back to his musical roots with his violin toned lead guitar playing.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:31 pm

If I remember correctly, the other guitarist, Kurt Winter, continued to use Garnet amps after Bachman's departure. He played a Gibson ES335 or similar model guitar in concert.

I saw The Guess Who around 1973 at Bradley University (Peoria IL) and was amazed at how great-sounding they were live - they sounded so close to the recordings. One neat thing that happened while thay were playing was that Kurt broke a string and couldn't continue without a repair. The rest of the band shifted the music into "... Lonely feeling, deep inside..." and did a brief "No Sugar Tonight" until Kurt returned (I can't remember, but I think it was the same guitar with the string replaced), and they morphed "No Sugar..." back to what they were originally doing and completed it. Amazing.

I saw them on a PBS special, with Bachman, and although they were good, Burton Cummings' voice was just a shadow of its former glory.