Guess Who? Not the Real Band, That's for Sure!

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 5 Nov 2009 7:58 pm

Jim Kale, the original bassist for the Guess Who, owns the rights to the band's name. As a result, he and the drummer have been performing in the US under this name, with a group of musicians who have nothing to do with the Guess Who at all (he's not allowed to perform in Canada as the Guess Who, thank God). Actually, Kale left the original band in the early '70s before resurrecting the name in several incarnations over the years. Many of you know that Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman were behind the initial operation and many of their biggest hits. (They currently perform as Bachman/Cummings.) Anyway, here is a sample of the "new" Guess Who if you wanna check it out. Warning: bare-chested Spinal Tap rocker footage abounds. This is the lineup that "broke the camel's back" for Cummings and Bachman, who recently announced the unlikelihood of a real Guess Who reunion after this spectacle arrived on the scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXq4Nb_mmIA

Warning: do not go see the Guess Who if they are advertised in your area. They are imposters.

Pete Conklin · Post by **Pete Conklin** » 5 Nov 2009 8:16 pm

Yikes!...so sad.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 5 Nov 2009 8:27 pm

Hmmmm.....whatever, but there's no Guess Who for me without Burton Cummings.

Someone gave me a live recording of GW, which I understand is fairly recent, with Randy Bachman. A performance of the original stuff along with some BTO tunes.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 5 Nov 2009 9:11 pm

I'm not old enough to remember the Guess Who when they were in their heyday (Bachman, Cummings, Kale, and Peterson).

A few years back I was fortunate enough to see a reunited Guess Who live, with Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Don McDougall, Bill Wallace, and Garry Peterson playing together. Good lineup and great show.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 6 Nov 2009 2:40 am

I saw a Guess Who show on PBS a couple of years ago.Cummings,Bachman and 3 others(didn't catch their names).Mostly GW tunes,but they did play "Business".I've always been a fan,but never heard them live,so I didn't realize how powerful their material is when performed in real time.They rock!

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 6 Nov 2009 4:53 am

Lynyrd Skynyrd only has one original member left in the band, Gary Rossington, the rhythm guitar player(and he even left the band for 20 some years). Most of the current band members weren't even born when the band first formed.

Bill Miller · Post by **Bill Miller** » 6 Nov 2009 4:59 am

Randy Bachman seems to be mired in 'name' related disputes. He is also being sued by his own brother over the name ' Bachman Turner Overdrive ' , another band he was famous for. It isn't the first time the relationship between Randy and his lesser known brother Robin has been strained. Sounds like a bad case of sibling jealousy.
Randy Bachman hosts a very intersting weekly radio show ( Vinyl Tap on CBC, Saturday nights ) where he explores various musical styles and influences. He has a wealth of great personal stories to tell about some of the biggest names in the music world. At times he's spoken about Lenny Breau, who was both a friend and teacher to him.

Bob Bowden · Post by **Bob Bowden** » 6 Nov 2009 6:52 am

Here is Randy Bachman's current band doing the same song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF4kTZ-TsB0 I feel this version shows a lot more respect to the original and the legacy of the Guess Who.

Enjoy the drumstick solo.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 6 Nov 2009 11:14 pm

Alvin Blaine wrote:Lynyrd Skynyrd only has one original member left in the band, Gary Rossington, the rhythm guitar player

Gary played lead on 'Gimme Three Steps'. That was a classic Skynyrd tune that rocked hard.

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 13 Nov 2009 8:22 am

my favourite Guess Who line-up is post-Bachman and includes Greg Leskiw and the late great Kurt Winter (in Garnet shirt)...

here they are corrupting the Nixon and Eisenhower kids

Brian Tallant · Post by **Brian Tallant** » 13 Nov 2009 11:53 am

Greg, I agree those records were great, and even the following lineup with Winter, Don McDougall, and Bill Wallace on bass! These releases did not have the same popularity in the US, but included some excellent songs.

I did see the recent band play about 2 years ago, and they stuck mostly with the old tunes, which I was thankful for.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 13 Nov 2009 1:36 pm

It's an appropriate name for a band whose members keep changing.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 13 Nov 2009 2:01 pm

There is nothing new here--this kind of thing has been going on for decades. I've played many oldies shows with groups who were represented by either 1 member, or in one case, no original members, just a nephew or something. Most of the audiences didn't seem to know or care and, in the case of a faceless band like Guess Who, many won't know or care (although you'd have to be deaf not to miss Burton's voice).

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 13 Nov 2009 2:07 pm

Faceless in the US maybe, but very recognizable in Canada. I do hope that USA audiences would at least realize that the hair guy with the Les Paul is an imposter.

I love Kurt Winter's guitar playing. Check out American Woman on the Midnight Special - it's on youtube. Great solo by Kurt. He seemed like a real character. Certainly not concerned about his image.

Brian Tallant · Post by **Brian Tallant** » 16 Nov 2009 4:35 am

Seconds on that- great guitar playing (spectacular on Live at the Paramount) and the one-man Garnet advertising program with those tee shirts and sweat shirts. Well, maybe it was only one of each, he seemed to get a lot of wear out of them.

Andrew Roblin · Post by **Andrew Roblin** » 17 Nov 2009 3:56 am

Greg Leskiw led a brilliant group called Mood Jga Jga after his stint with the Guess Who.

Their album, produced by Phil Ramone, is one of my favorites.

Ex-Winnipegger Andrew.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 17 Nov 2009 6:41 pm

i didn't care for it then, i don't care for it now...it's dumb stuff. i think i just like melody, harmony and a pleasant sound.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 17 Nov 2009 7:15 pm

How can those guys look at themselves in the mirror? Get a life.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 17 Nov 2009 7:18 pm

Ha! It's the Canadian look! BTO had it too. Blame it on the back bacon, cheddar cheese and maple syrup!

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 17 Nov 2009 9:02 pm

Chris LeDrew wrote:Ha! It's the Canadian look! BTO had it too. Blame it on the back bacon, cheddar cheese and maple syrup!

And Mr. Big Nips. (It's a Winnipeg thing, along with Lenny Breau and Linkon guitars and the Mood Dja Dja free show on the rooftop of the art gallery in 1973 ...)