Timeline History of The Guess Who THE GUESS WHO: ROOTS 1962 Chad Allan & the Reflections The Guess Who have had a long, rich history of musical styles by all the various contributing members over the last 40 years. The group's original name was Chad Allan and the Reflections. Formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada in 1962 out of two local teen-groups: The Silvertones: -Allan Kobel (aka Chad Allan): guitar, lead vocal -Bob Ashley: piano -Michael James Kale (aka Jim Kale) b: August 11, 1943: bass, vocals The Velvetones: -Randall Charles Bachman (aka Randy Bachman) b: September 27, 1943: guitar, vocals -Garry Peterson b: May 26, 1945: drums, percussion, vocals The group's roots were playing in Winnipeg's Community Centers and at various school and church events and dances. The Velvetones had also accompanied Canadian country/rock n roll singer Gary Cooper on the Quality label single "Come on Pretty Baby/I'll Cry". The Reflections recorded a cover of UK artist Mike Berry's "Tribute to Buddy Holly" on the Canadian-American (CanAm) record label. Much of the group's material were cover songs of US and British pop, especially focusing on songs and the stylizations of Cliff Richards and the Shadows and The Ventures. "Tribute to Buddy Holly" was released and became a local hit in Winnipeg. Future members of the Guess Who, Burton Cummings, Don McDougall and Bill Wallace, all recollect buying the single, never imagining that one day they would be members of the band. The group also releases an instrumental as a follow up single under the name "Bob Ashley and the Reflections".

1963 Toronto based record label Quality Records takes notice of the Winnipeg group's local hit record and signs the group. A friend of the band exposes the group to the Mersey Beat Pop sound, in particular the Beatles, and the group changes their musical sound by replacing their Gretsch and Jazzmaster guitars for Rickenbackers. The group breaks out of the local Winnipeg scene and begins to travel, most notably to Minnesota USA and to Toronto, Ontario Canada under band manager Bob Burns supervision.

1964 Chad Allan & the Expressions In May of 1964 the group changes its name to Chad Allan and the Expressions due to the success of the single Romeo and Juliet by the American group The Reflections.

1965 Guess Who? / Chad Allan and the Expressions The group records a cover of Johnny Pirate and the Kidds' UK hit Shakin' All Over which becomes a nationwide smash throughout Canada. The song was recorded quickly and while Allan was sick. His vocals were done lying on his back on the studio floor. Serendipity plays a role in the record's sound as an engineer leaves a patch connected, creating the monsterous slapback sound on the record. Their label promotes the record by leaving the name of the group off the record and printing just Guess Who? to suggest the record was a one-off by a UK super-group jam session. American record label Scepter licenses the record for release in the US. The success of the single in Canada prompts the group to record their first album Shakin' All Over. In July Shakin' All Over breaks onto the US charts and peaks at #22. The group goes to NY to record and also embarks on a tour of the US Eastcoast with such popular groups of the time as the Crystals. During the tour, pianist Bob Ashley leaves the group. The groups' second album Hey Ho! What You Do To Me is released but fails to chart in the US. The follow up single, a cover of Tossin' and Turnin' also fails to chart in the US. Now billed as The Guess Who?, the group returns to Winnipeg. In November the band woos local teen heart-throb from the group The Deverons to replace Ashley. Burton Cummings b: December 31, 1947: piano, vocals, sax, flute & harmonica The Deverons were from the Northend of Winnipeg and had a good following in WInnipeg. The group had released a couple singles which had a fair amount of local success. Cummings, still a teenager, quickly proves his vocal stylizations to be rawer and edgier than Allan's. The addition of Cummings to the group would prove to be the single most important contributing factor to the groups' world wide success later. Cummings voice was able to carry both the rockers and the ballads. He also proved to be just what Bachman needed as a hit songwriting partner.

1966 The band records its third album It's Time and recruits another member of the Deverons Bruce Decker to play guitar and add vocals. Decker's stay with the band was short-lived. He leaves the group within a few short months. Chad Allan begins losing his enthusiasm and desire to travel and leaves as well. The band shifts musical directions again, as Cummings' vast pop/rock musical tastes plays off of Bachman's talent and desires to explore a more psychedelic/sunshine pop phase. Cummings takes on the lead vocals. The band continues to have mediocre hits in Canada but fails to chart in the US.

1967 The Guess Who British label "King Records" licenses the Guess Who single His Girl, which charts briefly in England, peaking at #45. A UK trip is planned and the group has a huge send off from Winnipeg. The event has been documented on the scale of "Beatlemania" in Winnipeg, with the media and press and hundreds of fans giving their hometown heroes a frenzied send off. Upon arriving in England, the band discovers that no tour actually existed and were presented instead with a lousy contract deal by King Records. The group turns down the offer and returns to Canada in debt to an excess of $25,000. The trip didnt prove to be completely disasterous though. Bachman and Cummings recollect their meeting UK band The Who and having a discussion over their band names. The band discovered the emerging rock performance jam sound in England which again inspired the next phase of their career.