The Three Phases of the Guess Who, Canadian Hitmakers
The classic Guess Who. Clockwise from left: Jim Kale, Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, and Gary Peterson. Source: rockandrollgarage.com
The classic lineup disbanded in the mid-1970s. The bass player acquired the name for a run on the oldies circuit. The original songwriters recently regained control.
1) Hitsville by Way of Canada
People of a certain age might fondly remember the Guess Who, who came roaring out of the Canadian city of Winnipeg in the early 1960s. During their heyday between 1968 and their initial breakup in 1975, the band released eight monster hits that topped the Canadian and Billboard charts.
The songs are familiar because they have become staples of classic rock radio and streaming platforms. The primary songwriters, vocalist Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman, announced in June 2025 that they had regained control of the Guess Who name in an out-of-court settlement. The reformed band is embarking on a “Taking It Back” tour that begins today, June 8, in Calgary.
Here, in chronological order, are those hit song titles, along with the year of release and their peak chart position:
These Eyes – 1969 – #6
Laughing – 1969 – #1
Undun – 1969 – #21
No Time – 1969 – #1
American Woman – 1970 – #1
No Sugar Tonight – 1970 – #1
Hand Me Down World – 1970 – #10
Share the Land – 1970 – #2
From their chart dominance that seemed almost Beatle-esque, the Guess Who by the mid-1970s drifted apart to pursue solo projects, most notably Randy Bachman forming Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Here is a must-see 1977 video of Cummings and Bachman reminiscing as they perform “Undun” on the CBC-TV Super Special, three minutes long, published by Real Good via YouTube:
2) Bassist Jim Kale Makes His Move
The year was 1978, and the breakup of the Guess Who was becoming a distant memory. Bass player Jim Kale, who either quit or was fired from the Guess Who in 1972, asked Burton Cummings for permission to use the Guess Who name for a reunion concert promoted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Permission was granted, and in its aftermath, Kale discovered that the legal status of the Guess Who name was never properly settled. Unbeknownst to his bandmates, Kale was awarded a trademark in 1986 to use the Guess Who name in artistic pursuit.
The Trademark Lawyer explains the legal underpinnings of Kale’s coup:
Under US law, a trademark may be considered abandoned after three consecutive years of non-use. If the mark THE GUESS WHO wasn’t being used to provide “entertainment services” from 1975 through 1983, the mark could very well have been abandoned.
Rubbing salt into the wound, Kale used his name ownership to lease the rights to the reconstituted band for their 2000-2003 “Running Back Through Canada” tour, reaping a 20% share of the tour proceeds despite not performing with the band. Non-participants Bachman and Cummings trolled Kale’s version of the Guess Who, calling it “Kale’s Klones.”
Bachman and Cummings would wait patiently for their day in the sun.
Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings. Source: Toronto Globe and Mail/Getty Images
3) Songwriters’ Revenge
In 2023, three decades after losing the rights to their name, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings filed a civil action against the band using the Guess Who name, alleging false advertising, unfair competition, and violation of the right of publicity. Cummings threatened to revoke the performance licenses for the songs he wrote, meaning venues could be sanctioned for allowing his songs to be performed on their premises.
This brought all parties to the negotiating table. The two songwriters triumphed, and Cummings and Bachman regained control of the legendary name.
“It’s surreal in many ways,” Randy Bachman told Rolling Stone. “Our songs have become the soundtrack to people’s lives. We look out from the stage and they know every word of them.”
Coda: American Woman
Perhaps the Guess Who’s most controversial song is “American Woman,” which reached #1 in 1970. Here is a clip of the song, performed on March 29, 1974, on the TV show The Midnight Special, published by The Midnight Special via YouTube:
Over the years, there’s been speculation over the real meaning of “American Woman.” When the Guess Who were invited to the White House on July 17, 1970, to honor fellow “Commonwealthers” Prince Charles and Princess Anne, the press liaison to First Lady Pat Nixon purposely asked the band not to play “American Woman” because it could have been construed as anti-American. They didn’t.
It seems Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings have very different viewpoints on the lyrical meaning of “American Woman.” In the heat of the Vietnam War, Bachman became aware of American men avoiding the military draft populating Canadian audiences. “It’s basically an anti-war protest song, saying ‘We don’t want your war machine, we don’t want your ghetto scene, stay away from me,” explains Bachman.
For Burton Cummings, the song’s meaning is more personal (and patriotic?). “It had nothing to do with politics,” asserts Cummings. “When I sang ‘American woman/Stay away from me,’ I really meant ‘Canadian woman/I prefer you.'”
One more thing: Despite being eligible since 1991, the Guess Who has yet to punch their ticket to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s about time.
