The Guess Who were a Canadian rock band who achieved international success with the 1970 hit singles “No Time” and “American Woman”.
Formed in Winnipeg in 1960, they had a Canadian No.1 in 1965 with “Shakin’ All Over” while still called Chad Allan & the Expressions. But the records were credited to “Guess Who?”, as a marketing gimmick designed to get the public guessing that the song might be a secret side-project by a big-name star. By the time their real identity was revealed, they were so well known as “Guess Who?” that they were forced to take it on as their real name.
In 1968 they changed the name to “The Guess Who” (without a question mark), and they enjoyed a US Top 10 hit the following year with “These Eyes”. Their biggest success came with the 1970 release of American Woman: the title track was the first Canadian song to top the US charts, and it topped the Canadian chart and made an impression in the UK too. “No Time” also went to No.1 in Canada, and made the US Top 5.
Guitarist and songwriter Randy Bachman then left to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and the band struggled to replicate their earlier success, though they still had several minor hits. “Clap for the Wolfman” (1974) was a Top 10 hit on both sides of the border, but the band broke up the following year.
Subsequent reunions have been attempted many times, with various band formations touring and recording new material; the tours always attract plenty of old fans, but the new albums have been mostly ignored.
