Singer Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman have reunited for the tour that stops at Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater on Wednesday. The Local Spins interview with Bachman.
On Stage Once Again: Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman and The Guess Who. (Courtesy Photo)
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Back in 1965, radio stations in Canada received an anonymous 45 record, a version of “Shakin’ All Over” credited to “Guess Who?”
The band that recorded it was actually known then as Chad Allan & The Expressions, but they uncorked the “guess who this is” gimmick to create a sense of mystery about exactly who it was — maybe one of those up-and-coming British bands.
It worked, and the single shot to No. 1 in Canada. The downside was that so many disc jockeys referred to it as The Guess Who that it forced the band to adopt the name permanently.
Those of a certain age can now relive the hits that The Guess Who made popular: Singer-keyboardist Burton Cummings and guitarist-singer Randy Bachman have reclaimed the name, and they’re playing Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (July 1). Tickets, $34.80-$195.45, are available online here, with a four-pack of lawn seats available for $24.75 each.
“It’s really good,” Bachman says of the “Takin’ It Back” tour, which started in May in Canada before hitting the United States in late June. “We do 18 or 20 Guess Who songs, he does a couple things, I do a couple BTO songs.”
Before streaming, before CDs, before MTV, back when 45-rpm singles were still a thing, songs like “American Woman” and “Share The Land” made the Canadian outfit one of the most popular bands in the world. Hit followed hit. The band’s debut album, “Wheatfield Soul,” spawned the No. 1 hit “These Eyes,” written by Cummings and Bachman.
Leaving Fans ‘Singing and Dancing’: The band (Courtesy Photo)
Even after Bachman left the group in 1970 it flourished for a while, with “Clap For The Wolfman” hitting No. 6 on the Billboard chart in 1974. The group disbanded a year later – right around the time Bachman was hitting it big with Bachman Turner Overdrive, with hits like “Takin’ Care of Business” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.”
Cummings had a solo hit with “Stand Tall” and began a solo career.
Over the years. the two occasionally reconvened with other former members of the group. However, they were prevented from using the band name The Guess Who when they collaborated in 2006, as it had been trademarked by one-time bassist Jim Kale. Cummings refused to allow Kale’s band, touring as The Guess Who, from performing any of the songs he had written or co-written, which were most all of the band’s hits. In 2024, Cummings and Bachman won a lengthy suit against the group touring as The Guess Who and reclaimed the name.
Bachman says to be back with his longtime friend and bandmate playing the songs they made famous all those years ago is a blessing, and one he doesn’t take for granted.
“The feeling is quite surreal,” he says. “When we started, we wanted to have a song on the radio. We dreamed of being Elvis or Cream. Then other groups are copying you. You’re one of those groups.”
You can almost see him shaking his head at the thought. Especially when he looks at where he and the audience are now.
“To look out (at the crowd) and see a guy who looks like a retired college professor in his mid-60s, some in their 40s, and high school teenagers. Four generations, all singing your songs – they’re singing and dancing.”
And if all those in attendance aren’t standing and singing, Bachman says just wait. “You see a guy sitting, then we play ‘Share The Land.’ Now he’s singing. We got through to him.”
Randy Bachman (Courtesy Photo)
The Guess Who was among the first bands to record their 45s in stereo. Since then, the music industry has weathered a host of changes, from digital technology to the industry contracting and labels folding. “Napster and iTunes were shafting bands,” Bachman says.
Now the publishing rights are being relinquished. “I’m getting all my songs back,” says Bachman.
One thing that never went away was the live experience. After weathering all the changes in taste and technology, Bachman still feels the satisfaction of playing music onstage for the audience.
“We bring joy to the world. They cheer: It’s a collective consciousness the world really needs. We’re all brothers and sisters on earth,” he says.
Bachman says his favorites all showcase different styles. “There was no other (rock) song like ‘Undun.’ The lyrics, it’s jazzy,” he says, comparing it to the first time he heard “The Girl From Impanema.” “ ‘These Eyes’ is a ballad. ‘No Time’ we liked so much we recorded it twice.”
The nearly 20-song set list includes those as well as deep cuts casual fans will likely not be familiar with. Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder will open the show, playing a selection of songs from his solo career and Eagles classics.
VIDEO: The Guess Who, “American Woman” (Live in Hamilton, 2026)
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