Talk:The Guess Who

Guess Who and CanCon
Canadian content regulations were not enacted until 1972, long after The Guess Who were an established band with many hits. Prior to that, it was difficult (though obviously not impossible) for Canadian bands to break through on Canadian radio, as the Canadian music distribution system was largely controlled by American record companies promoting American or British acts. Canadian bands also had to obtain work visas to tour in the US or the UK, which made things a little more complicated in terms of getting one's international career off the ground. (Partly because work visas would only be granted to musicians of a certain professional stature -- and because it was difficult to get a career started in Canada, it was hard to achieve that stature...)

So yes, being a in Canadian rock band in the 60s put one at somewhat of a disadvantage career-wise. That the Guess Who succeeded and thrived in this environment is a testament to both their work ethic, and to the quality of their music. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.137.89.6 (talk) 21:52, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

"The Fake Guess Who" and other recent edits
As per the discussion above titled Cleanup time, the section about the "Fake Guess Who" could use a cleanup, and I've made those changes. We don't need a blow-by-blow of every member during this time period in the band's history, especially since the section was longer than others and contained less credible sources and insignificant media coverage. Mentioning a "revolving lineup of musicians" should suffice for the main article section. The "List of Guess Who members" article can provide the long list of band members if people are looking for that information. This seems to have already been the established consensus above and I made changes to address this issue in the article as well. I also added more credible sources throughout the article that address this aspect of the band's history, including Billboard and Winnipeg Free Press. User FlightTime reverted these changes and requested that I discuss these matters here. I look forward to engaging in that conversation. - Mennowiki — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mennowiki (talk • contribs) 10 October 2021 (UTC)

NOT a cover band
Who writes these lies? The false label 'Cover Band' should be removed. Garry Peterson is an original member of The Guess Who, and he has been the band's drummer for most of it's existence. The other original members of The Guess Who left the group under their own choosing. 'Cover Band' usually refers to a group that performs songs originally recorded by VARIOUS other artists, but the current 'The Guess Who' performs ONLY 'The Guess Who' songs. 204.26.30.5 (talk) 00:29, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * I agree and have changed the wording. Whatever disagreements there are or have been (don't know, don't care), they are clearly not a "cover band" if they contain original or longstanding members.  If they have been described as a "cover band", that can be included with proper sourcing and attribution. Ghmyrtle (talk) 08:29, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * I believe all this new wording of this biography,demeaning Garry Peterson and diminishing his contribution to this band is done by Bachman/Cummings’”people”.This has all come about since this ridiculous law suit.This bio completely changed in 3 months.Completely biased and not historically accurate .Cummings broke up the band to go on his own because he thought he “was” the band.Left everyone,financially and musically devastated.Garry almost lost everything because of greed and ego. 2603:9000:D101:85F3:DC48:F344:96E4:A470 (talk) 09:32, 11 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Why is "people" in quotes? Are you implying they are bots> 70.27.178.218 (talk) 22:59, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Bias/ Poorly Sourced Biography
I have some suggestions for the biography section. It uses some persuasive language that could be fixed and also isn't sourced very well.

The Guess Who was a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1965.

''' -'Was' should be changed to 'is' as the band is still currently touring and putting out records. There are multiple sources that confirm this but here are two examples: '''

 https://www.bandsintown.com/a/5757-the-guess-who 

 https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/guess-who-are-full-love-new-album-plein-damour 

'' The band found their greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, under the leadership of singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman, with hit songs including "American Woman", "These Eyes", and "No Time". ''

''' The above paragraph is missing a source and is written using persuasive language (“greatest success” is subjective). Would it be better to say “The band experienced significant commercial success in the late 1960s and early 1970s with popular singles such as 'American Woman', 'These Eyes', and 'No Time'” ? '''

'' The Guess Who officially broke up in 1975, although a nostalgia-oriented lineup former bassist Jim Kale has toured and recorded under The Guess Who name since 1978, often performing as a ghost band without any original band members on stage. ''

''' The source for this section is an opinion piece and is presented as fact. I think a more reliable source is needed or this part needs to be changed/ improved. '''

SpiritedSea (talk) 14:26, 15 March 2024 (UTC)


 * Please review MOS:ENGVAR -  FlightTime  ( open channel ) 14:32, 15 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Your points in order:
 * The current band is simply using the name, which use is disputed and the subject of a legal challenge. Wikipedia should not state in any way that this incarnation is a continuation of the band that broke up in 1975.
 * The paragraph about greatest success etc. is in the lead, and is supported with text and sources in the body. It is not a "subjective" opinion, it is verfiable by statistics such as record sales, chart places etc. Lard Almighty (talk) 15:12, 15 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the reply. I do understand your point however I think overall this creates confusion. If it is only about The Guess Who from 1965-1975 then should it not be indicated that is the case? If there are two separate entities then wouldn’t there be two separate pages? Also, if there is still one of the original members in the current version, then couldn’t it be argued that it is a continuation of the same band? I do see that there is a section regarding the legal dispute but with how the information is currently presented it is biased to favor one side. SpiritedSea (talk) 18:07, 15 March 2024 (UTC)
 * It is in dispute. It is not Wikipedia's job to decide that dispute.  The band exists, tours and releases music.  This should be reflected more clearly in the article, rather than choosing sides, as it does now.2002:620D:3AF:0:652B:ED98:8A83:DFFA (talk) 19:52, 10 May 2024 (UTC)