Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Lineup History: Guess Who

Lineup History* is a periodic feature of Inside The Rock Era in which we describe the personnel changes that have taken place through the years with various groups.  Today, the focus is on the Guess Who.

The group had their origins in the 50's group the Rave-Ons, a lineup that included vocalist and guitarist Chad Allan, guitarists Johnny Glowa and Gordon Murison and drummer Ron Allardyce.

The group was known in 1958 as the Silvertones, named after the Silvertone guitar of Murison.  Other group members were Allan (aka Allan Kobel, his birth name), keyboardist Bob Ashley, Brian Donald on drums, Glowa, bassist Jim Kale, and guitarist Larry Wah.


(from left:  Jim Kale, Chad Allan, Garry Peterson, Randy Bachman and Bob Ashley)

By 1962, the group changed its name to Allan & the Silvertones.  This is when guitarist Randy Bachman came into the fold, replacing Glowa, Murison and Wah, with vocalist Carol West briefly aboard, and drummer Garry Peterson replacing Donald.  The group quickly changed its name to Chad Allan & the Reflections, a name that took them to 1965, when the same lineup was known as Chad Allan & the Expressions.

Up to this time, Canadian radio stations showed a disdain for native artists, making it tough for Canada's own groups to get airplay.  Ironically, the moniker Guess Who? was placed on a 45 by the group, "Shakin' All Over" as a marketing ploy to get Canadian DJ's to thinking the song was by an established American or British act.  Not only did the gimmick work, it led to a permanent name change.

(Kale, Peterson, Cummings and Bachman)


In 1965, the group changed to the Guess Who, with keyboardist Burton Cummings replacing Ashley on keyboards and soon Allan on vocals.  Guitarist Bruce Decker was only temporary, and the Guess Who became the foursome of Bachman, Cummings, Kale & Peterson.

Bachman and Cummings got into frequent fights, however, with Bachman leaving in 1970, eventually to form the successful group Bachman Turner Overdrive.

He was replaced briefly by Bobby Sabellico, but later in the year, the Guess Who added guitarists Greg Leskiw and Kurt Winter to replace Sabellico.  In 1972, Donnie McDougall replaced Leskiw, who left for a solo career, and Kale left the group after a long tenure, replaced by Bill Wallace. 

(Peterson, Troiano, Cummings and Wallace)

In 1974, McDougall and Winter left, with keyboardist Domenic Troiano joining the group.

Longtime leader Cummings left the group in 1975, with Kale, Peterson, Winter and McDougall reforming the group in 1977.  Vance Masters replaced Peterson in 1977, and lead guitarist David Inglis was brought in to replace Winter, with pianist Ralph Watts also added in 1978. 

Watts left the next year.  In 1979, Bachman, Cummings, Peterson and Wallace reunited for a one-time only appearance for a CBC television special.

Inglis and Kale then left, replaced by guitarist Bobby Bilan, bassist Brian Sellar and keyboardist Jimmy Grabowski.  This lineup remained from 1979-1981.  Kale reorganized the group for the Now & Not Then album with a lineup that included Brent DesJarlais (vocals and keyboards), guitarists Dale Russell and Mike McKenna and drummer Sonnie Bernardi.

In 1981, Russell, McKenna and Bernardi left, with Inglis rejoining the group briefly and new members Ken Curry (drums) and Brian Tataryn (guitar) added.  The foursome of Kale, DesJarlais, Tataryn and Curry continued through 1983, when Bachman, Cummings, Kale & Peterson reunited, again briefly.

In 1983, Kale and Bernardi continued the group with Dale Russell, keyboardist Mike Hanford and lead singer Trevor Balicky.  Balicky left in 1985, replaced by Bob Fuhr through 1986, and Hanford left briefly as well.  Terry Read replaced Hanford, and Kenny Carter replaced Fuhr in 1986, with Hanford coming back in to replace Read in 1987. 

Peterson rejoined the Guess Who in 1987, replacing Bernardi.  Kale, Russell, and Peterson continued with the Guess Who through 1998, when the group split.  Hanford remained through 1989, with Tom Whinnery joining the group for one year in 1990.  Guitarist Terry Hatty joined the group when Whinnery left, and the lineup of Kale, Peterson, Russell, Hatty and Leonard Shaw (1991-1998) remained constant through 1998.  Lead vocalist Carl Dixon and bassist Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve were with the group briefly in 1998 before the split. 

Bachman, Cummings, Kale and Peterson reunited again for one show in 1999, and Bachman, Cummings, Kale, McDougall and Peterson joined for one show in 2000.

(Bachman and Cummings together again!)

The Guess Who reformed in 2000 with a lineup that included Russell, Shaw, Dixon, Sinnaeve and drummer Charlie Cooley.  A classic lineup of the group that included Bachman, Cummings, McDougall, Peterson and Wallace played together from 2000 through July 31, 2003.

In 2004, the Guess Who consisted of Bobby Bilan, Carl Dixon, Kale, Peterson and Shaw.  Kale, Peterson and Shaw remain with the group to this day, with guitarist Laurie MacKenzie replacing Bilan and lead singer Derek Sharp replacing Dixon in 2008.  The lineup of Sharp, Kale, MacKenzie, Peterson and Shaw remained until this year, when Will Evankovich replaced MacKenzie on lead guitar.

Here is the complete Guess Who timeline (note:  some dates are estimates):

Color Code: 

Dark Blue--drums
Orange--lead singer
Black--lead guitar
Light Green--bass
Light Blue--keyboards


Make a Timeline at Preceden.com - See more at: http://www.preceden.com/timelines/164194-lineup-history---guess-who/embed_howto#sthash.Q9Ru0gLr.dpuf

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