The Guess Who &“These Eyes”

The late 1960’s was an exciting time for rock and roll, and the popular music scene in Canada was no exception to what was happening in Britain or America. While those countries had numerous groups and singers dominating the radio and the billboard charts, we had the Guess Who and the song “These Eyes”. 

The story of the Guess Who is well known. A group of four young men from Winnipeg who worked hard, wrote their own material, eventually had a number one hit in the U.S and were Canada’s first million selling group. The two leading figures in the band then had a major falling out, (at the peak of their success) leading to Randy Bachman leaving the band. Concerning those days, Randy has been quoted as saying that "Burton Cummings joining the Guess Who in January 1966 changed my life forever. It's been a rocky affiliation no doubt. One journalist once described our relationship as the longest running soap-opera in Canadian history. That may be a bit oversimplified."  

While the Guess Who had recorded a number of songs prior to the release of “These Eyes”, it was that song that put the band on the road to success. It’s fair to say that the song didn’t appear out of nowhere; Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings were the main songwriters in the Guess Who in addition to their respective roles as guitarist and lead vocals/keyboards. As songwriters, they worked diligently on their craft, and that dedication payed off with “These Eyes”. There was another significant factor this time as well. They had a new producer.  

Enter Jack Richardson, a producer from Toronto and part of a company called “Nimbus 9” that specialized in audio recording. He became familiar with the Guess Who, and decided to offer his services to the group. He also had enough belief in the band to underwrite (and produce) their next recording session in New York at the famous “A & R” studio operated by Phil Ramone (allegedly he took out a mortgage on his Toronto home to pay for the recording session). Jack Richardson also extricated the band form their current record contract, and got them signed with RCA, one of the major record labels of the day. The album that resulted from that trip to New York was titled “Wheatfield Soul”, and contained the hit single “These Eyes”. The song was released in both Canada and the U.S., and although it did well here, it was the success the song had south of the border that made the Guess Who famous. After the song was released in America in March of 1969, it began to climb the billboard charts and eventually reached the number 6 position. It was the Guess Who’s first million seller, and from that point on, there was no looking back for the group (for at least the next few years, but that's another story). 

The song certainly benefitted from the quality of the studio and Jack Richardson’s production values. It was a quintessential piece of pop. Like many classic hits, the beginning has a timeless feel that the listener is drawn to, and after hearing will immediately remember. The song starts with the opening chords played on electric piano, joined sequentially by guitar, bass and finally drums. After the musicians have established the feel, Burton Cummings begins singing the first verse. The song has a decided “Motown” influence, especially with the use of a string section at the beginning of the second verse. "These Eyes" is an excellent vehicle for Burton Cummings’ incredible vocal talents, allowing him to go into his upper range and build the song’s emotional impact. Many later Guess Who songs would have a heavier (or bluesier) feel, with Burton Cummings using a grittier style of singing. This song was different, as it was meant to be a “top forty” type of song. The band and their producer rolled the dice, and they produced a classic.   


The Guess Who (with Randy Bachman) would have a number of hit singles after the release of "These Eyes", including the iconic "American Woman", which would be a number one record in both Canada and the U.S. Subsequent to the release of the album "American Woman", Randy Bachman played his last show with the Guess Who in May of 1970. He would have a couple of tough years, but his work ethic and determination paid off with the formation Bachman-Turner Overdrive, which sold millions of records and was a major concert draw during the 1970's. Burton Cummings became the sole leader of the Guess Who, and replaced Randy's role as guitarist with two other guitar players. Although he and the new members of the band would continue to record and release some very popular material, this version of the Guess Who would not have a number one record. The band began to go through a number of personnel changes, and in October 1975, unhappy with the band and deciding to embark on a a solo career, Burton Cummings disbanded the Guess Who. 
  
The musical careers of Mr. Bachman and Mr. Cummings would not end in the 1970's. They continue to perform (sometimes even together!) and record. Their contribution to Canada's pop music scene has been incalculable, and the songs they wrote and performed are still popular today. "These Eyes" was the beginning of an amazing musical journey for two of Canada's most popular musicians.