Former Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman mentioned his outdated band tried to drive the Who to alter their identify.
Though the Guess Who loved their biggest success from 1969 via 1974, the Canadian rockers shaped a number of years earlier and launched their first album as “the Guess Who?” in 1966. Earlier than that, they launched two albums as Chad Allan and the Expressions in 1965 — the identical 12 months the Who launched their debut, My Technology — although the phrases “Guess Who?” featured prominently on the duvet of their sophomore LP, Hey Ho (What You Do to Me!).
Contemplating this timeline, one can see why Bachman may accuse the British rockers of encroaching on their territory. “After I was within the Guess Who, we came upon about this English band known as the Who and had been decided to drive them to alter their identify,” Bachman just lately instructed Classic Rock. “So, we had been in London, and the Who had been enjoying on the Marquee membership. Down we went to confront them. They had been being filmed for German TV at that present, so we needed to wait round for about 4 hours.
“Ultimately, we get to fulfill them and say: ‘Look, we had been right here earlier than you. So, change your identify, it is complicated individuals,'” Bachman continued. “Pete Townshend checked out us and replied: ‘There’s the Yardbirds and the Byrds. No person’s confused by that. So bugger off.'”
Regardless of their inauspicious introduction, the Guess Who and the Who later turned “nice buddies,” in keeping with Bachman. “And that phrase ‘bugger off’ was our in-joke,” he added. “We might verify right into a resort and discover out the Who had been there, so we would name up one of many guys at 3AM and once they answered we’d say: ‘Bugger off!’ then grasp up. They’d do the identical to us.”
Bachman first left the Guess Who in 1970 following the discharge of their largest LP, American Girl, and went on to get pleasure from success in Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The Guess Who have continued in numerous lineups for the previous 50-plus years, with drummer Garry Peterson as the only remaining authentic member.
Prime 100 ’60s Rock Albums
Here is a chronological have a look at the 100 greatest rock albums of the ’60s.
