,.. The Arts Page 8, The Retriever, April 28, 1975 / Cummings laments on a decade of 'Guess Who'

BY NEAL McGARITY

Burton Cummings is the last original member writing better, more honest songs; of The Guess Who which began in the early whereas before we were writing songs 1960's. The band first came to prominence geared to the market more specifically. in 1965, when their song "Shakin' All Over" RETRIEVER: When the band first hit the Billboard top 20, Unable to follow formed, were there any intended goals? the latter songs' success, the band under· CUMMINGS: Well, I joined this group went some personnel changes, and toured when I was seventeen, and all I wanted throughout Canada widely, tightening them­ selves in the process_ The group re-appeared was a gold recoFd. Now I have a whole at the top of the charts in 1967 when house full of them. But I like going on the Cummings teamed with guitarist Rand~ Bach­ road and playing. There's a buzz that you man to write "These Eyes". After the success get from playing a really good gig that you of "These Eyes". Cummings found that every can't buy; and you can't get it from chicks song he touched turned to gold. "American or drugs or alcohol. Woman", "No Sugar Tonight", "No Time", RETRIEVER: Did you get a good buzz "Share the Land" and "Laughing" were just tonight? a few of the hits that followed. CUMMINGS: Oh yeah, definitely. We The band chugged easily "7Ilong on the played to twice as many as this last night, combination of Cummings' driving vocals and and they were just as receptive here Bachman) searing guitar work. In 1970, Bach­ tonight. man left the group, bitterly claiming that RETRIEVER: Was there any point in Cummings had held back his development. the band's careeI: . .thatyou considered Despite numerous personnel changes that fol- • dissolving the,, ~~up and, going off into lowed Bachman's departure, Cummings held another direction? ' the band together singlehandedly. In the last CUMMINGS: Oh yeah, I almost left four years, Cummings has written all but a about a year ago to do movies. And I still handful of the groups' material. may do it someday. I've had a lot of offers, After the UMBC show, Cummings made but movies .are a weird busineSS. Until a a beeline for a dry towel; his face and hair film is finished shooting, it's not for real, were drenched with sweat. After drying himself, he holds up a' thin joint for examination. because it can easily fall th'l'ough because "Whew, 'what kinda audiences are we getting of money problems. So, I'm gonna wait on 'nowadays? If they like us, they throw joints that. But I almost left about a year ago at u.s! This is a long haul from the days of because there was no enthusiasm left. We BURTON CUMMINGS playing bar mitzphahs". got rid of Kurt Winter 'and Don McDougall ... the~e eyes Pleasant and instantly likeable, he assures and we got Dom Triano, arid now it's like a me he will chat in just a few minutes. He new band, but not o~e ' that is starting at the bottom, if you know what I mean. signs an autograph thusly: "To the girls in don't know, I was with this chick in LA and RETRIEVER: Well, how does that Dorm III-Use it before you lose ito-Burton RETRIEVER: Do you dislike it when critics refer to The Guess Who as a she was cutting it and cutting it and I attitude relate to y~ut personal life Cummings". When he sits down to talk, he is didn't like the way it looked so I just said, philosophy? very polite and answers any and all questions. "singles band"? At the end of the interview, he thanked me CUMMINGS: I really don't care what Fuck, cut it all off. CUMMINGS: It relates because I spend they refer to us as, we've cut 14'albums for RETRIEVER: I have yet to figure out a lot of my time just listening to records. God's sake! Critics don't mean anything. why "Star Baby" did not hit as big as some Really a lot. That's when I'm happiest-­ RETRIEVER: How does The Guess' Some of them love you for all the wrong of the others. In my opinion, I thought it when I sit in my basement with my big Who of 1975 differ from say, The Guess reasons and some of them hate you for all was a dynamite rock n' roll song, what stereo and my 11 or 12 thousand albums. Who of 1967? the wrong reasons. It's only one, man's happened? And as far as me personally, as a writer CUMMINGS: We're all C! little older, a opinion, so it doesn't bother me. CUMMINGS: It was big, but not singer, or just as a person who cu~ little more tired, I don't know. There's RETRIEVER: I am curious, why did nationally. It was a huge hit record, but in records to eat, the people that are sort of different guys in the band and we're all you get that drastic haircut about a year different cities at different times. It was like me are the people I'm most concerned playing different kind of stuff. We spend so and a half ago? number one in Philadelphia, but it was with. What I mean to say is, the people who much time in the recording studio now that CUMMINGS: Well, it was getting in my number one in Chicago two months before. really scrutinize the .records, the people the records are getting better. We're food, and it was down to my elbows ... I But it was a very big record, it was on who r~ally peruse the material, they're my Billboard for 27 weeks, which is half a favorIte people to make records for. year. RETRIEVER: I hate to resort to stock RETRIEVER: Have you ever come questions, but what do you think was the across a bootleg Guess Who album? CUMMINGS: No live. Not anything that band~s best recorded, effort? CUMMINGS: Hmmm, that's hard. wasn't recorded already. But I've run There are certain albums I like listening to across a lot of 8-track tapes that were now. One ofthem is "No. 10", although it is probably recorded in some guy's garage. a very depressed album it's not a very There may be'some live bootlegs, because happy album. Certain things on "Flavors" I've seen a lot of guys recording us while onstage, but I've never heard one. I like too.,. But we finished a new one called "The Power and the Music" which RETRIEVER: What did you think of is much better. It'll make a lot of people Junior Walker's hit version of "These forget most of what we've done, I think. Eyes?" RETRIEVER: Are you ' and Randy CUMMINGS: I didn't like it at first, but I Bachman on speaking terms? was very flattered. I met Junior Walker at CUMMINGS: No. I haven't spoken to a great big festival gig that had about ten Randy in four and a half years. We both acts. They were on the show with us, and hate each other, there's no doubt about it. so was The Union Gap, The Bob Seger It just didn't work out between us. I'd System--that was the late 1960's. I went up rather not go into it, since it's all been said to him with Randy and said 'Hi, we wrote in the press already; Randy doesn't do 'These Eyes', and he seemed very pleased anything for me, and I don't do anything to talk with us. I listened a lot to his for him, . records. I liked his singing and sax playing RETRIEVER: It has been contended a lot. So, I was very flattered because I that the importance of music as a social always dug the stuff on Motown. tool has diminished considerably in the RETRIEVER: Going back to what you last five years. What is your opinion? said before, does it upset you when critics CUMMINGS: I never even wanted pan the group, or do you totally ignore music to become a social tool. I don't think reviews? that's its place. I think its place is to be a CUMMINGS: If you base all of your kind of safe form of escapism. The rougher emotion or your career on album reviews, times are, the more we need radio and you'd be in an asylum within six months. movies and music. Music should be a Because I've read things that said I was recreational kind of thing, where it takes the greatest thing since water, and I've you away from what problems you have read other things that said I .should be temporarily. Now, as far as some of the so­ driving a bus on the praries of Manitoba. called 'crusaders' in the rock world, I don't If I believed everything that I read about really go along with all that nonsense. I myself, I would've been dead years ago. write about what I see, and if it sounds like Reviews are just one person's opinion, and I'm inferring things politically, then that's that's what people tend to forget. If a guy fine. But it's not the main contingent of the does a review and he doesn't like music. I think the main purpose is that it something, that doesn't mean that no one CUMMINGS should be a safe escapism, kind of a mild in the world should listen to it. There's ... more honest songs drug. room for everyb.ody.