The Return of the Guess Who

Drummer Garry Peterson has been with The Guess Who since their inception 42 years ago (46 if you count Chad Allen & The Silvertones). Peterson, along with co-founding member bassist Jim Kale, will bring the 2007 version of The Guess Who to the Little River Casino Resort on Sunday, October 21. So why is Peterson still out pounding the skins after all of these years? It’s a philosophy that he adopted a long time ago: “Either do it right or stay home.”
“I think all bands should take that approach,” said Peterson. “You have to do this for yourself, yes, but at the end of the day you have to be in this for the fans. You have to deliver what they want and what they expect. After all, it is the fans that have allowed for you to do this in the first place. So after every show, we go to the merch table and sign autographs, and we will sign any memorabilia they have brought with them. Some bands will only sign things people buy at the table. Not us. Even if you have one of our vinyl albums, we’ll sign it.”
Peterson believes, too, that classic rock bands need to keep creating new music.
“I don’t believe for one minute that our band or other great bands from our era are less creative today,” said Peterson. “In many ways we might be more creative. But the industry has changed. Look at The Eagles; they just released a great new album, and rock radio, for the most part has turned their back on them. Their new material is only making it onto country radio. We just finished some shows with Chicago, and those guys are as good today as they were when they had all of their hits. Our show is made up of our classics, but we are writing new songs and we will play some of those as well.”
The Guess Who recently released a six song DVD, “Shakin’ Las Vegas,” that features live concert footage of five new songs, and the band’s first hit, “Shakin’ All Over.” Plans are also in the works for a CD of new songs, although The Guess Who seem locked in a time warp of their past hits.
During their 10-year run from 1965 to 1975, the band enjoyed 20 Top 40 singles, and became the first Canadian band to have a number one hit on the American charts. Their 1970 song “American Woman” shot to the top of the charts, and would be the band’s only number one hit in the United States. After first cracking the U.S. charts in 1965 with “Shakin’ All Over” (#1 Canadian Charts, #22 in the U.S.), the band continued to enjoy hit after hit in their homeland, but failed to crack the U.S. charts again until 1969 when they released “These Eyes.” That song would springboard a string of Top 40 hits including “Laughing,” “Undun,” “No Time,” “No Sugar Tonight,” “Hand Me Down World,” and “Share the Land.”
Peterson chuckles as he reflects back on the group’s last Top 40 hit in the U.S. - the popular 1974 ode “Clap For the Wolfman” that made it to number 6 on the Billboard Charts.
“The bands from my generation were made or broken by rock radio. If guys like Wolfman Jack played your songs, they became hits,” said Peterson. “Bands from those days were pre-MTV and there was no visual identity to us. The visual was left to the imagination. I think that was a real advantage for us, because when people came out to the concerts in those days, there were no preconceived notions or expectations that the video generation has created today. There was this anticipation, a sense of excitement over wondering, ‘what are they going to be like?’ That is all lost with the video generation.”
When The Guess Who broke onto the scene, they had changed their name from Chad Allen & The Reflections (The Silvertones before that) in hopes of creating some mystique that the band consisted of mysterious rock and roll stars from other bands. Actually, the original lineup was virtually unknown outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba; but eventually Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, Jim Kale and Garry Peterson would become rock and roll legends.
From 1965 to 1969 the foursome forged out the template and foundation for one of rock and roll’s all-time great bands. But rock bands are a lot like marriages destined for divorce (more than 50 percent of bands break up and reform with new “spouses”), and, in 1970, Randy Bachman either quit or was fired, depending on who you talk to. Bachman would later form another great Canadian rock band, Bachman Turner Over (BTO), that Garry Peterson would also later join after The Guess Who broke up.

During their run post-Randy Bachman, the band had several lineup changes that included Jim Kale leaving, and eventually they broke up in 1975. Peterson was burned out, and went to work for his father-in-law, managing a hotel. Eventually he was approached by the Winnipeg Orchestra to help them produce a pop concert, and his musical blood began flowing again.
“Burton called me and asked if I would join his power trio, and I did that,” said Peterson. “During one of the concerts, a promoter approached me and asked if I thought a Guess Who reunion would be possible. I really didn’t know, but figured I would ask the guys. Well, Randy wanted to reform BTO, so I joined up with him and we toured with Van Halen; and Jim reformed The Guess Who. Then in 1981, I rejoined The Guess Who with the original lineup minus Jim. Finally, in 1982, the original lineup was back together for a tour and an album. That didn’t last long.”
The original Guess Who would reunite a few more times before finally heading in what seems to be permanently different directions. Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman have formed a duo and have been touring together for the past couple of years. Kale, who took ownership of The Guess Who name after no one else in the band had registered the name, continues to the own the rights to the band’s name, and along with Peterson, he tours as The Guess Who.
“I do find it ironic that Cummings and Bachman are touring together, because they never seemed to get along as bandmates,” said Peterson. “They also have a different perspective since they penned most of our hits. For me, I am finally in my dream band. A band made up of guys who get along and love playing music for the people.”
So what makes the tunes of the Guess Who continue to resonate with fans and even connect with a younger generation?
“As I look at our catalogue, the songs seem connected to various genres. For example, our first hit, “Shakin’,” has a garage rock feel to it. “Undun” has a jazz sound, and “These Eyes” is a ballad that is standing the test of time,” said Peterson. “Then you listen to “No Time,” and it has that West Coast Jefferson Airplane ring to it. Our song “American Woman,” has that Zeppelin-ish feel to it. We have always had the ability, and continue to have the ability, to play an array of music. I believe that is why our music still has appeal today.”
Peterson said the band is excited to return to Michigan.
“Detroit and Michigan really are the home of rock and roll. Think about all the great musicians from there,” said Peterson. “I think the reason for that is Detroit probably has the greatest rock and roll audiences anywhere in the world. There is this energy we get as a band and as musicians whenever we play Michigan. So my eyes opened wide when I saw we were coming back.”

Garry Peterson and his bandmates plan to showcase the “energy” that has kept The Guess Who among the all-time great rock and roll bands still on the circuit today, this Sunday, October 21 at the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee. For tickets and additional information, check out www.littlerivercasino.com, or call the box office at 888-568-2244.

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