William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: Shakin' All Over ; Year: 1965; Genre: Rock 'n Roll Just hit me today that I wanted to pick something from the early Guess Who. How earlier could you get than choosing something from the band that would become The Guess Who? Or more specifically wot the record company advertised them as a means to gain attention by leading people to believe they were an English beat group in anonymity: Guess Who? Long story short, it did bring them fame and they just stuck with that moniker. Anyway, this is one from the pen of band leader Chad Allan and is more rock 'n roll than rock, and extremely different from their biggest hits like American Woman , No Time , and such.    Hear Turn Around and Walk Away on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Pallas - XXV Part 2: The Unmakers Awake     My song pick 2 years ago today: Ray Peterson - Tell Laura I Love Her   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Beatles - You Got to Hide Your Love Away  ...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Rock Here's a fun track with some good 'ol riff driven Canadian rock.   Hear Put It In a Song on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Blancmange - God's Kitchen   My song pick 2 years ago today: Rick & The Entire World - No No No Momerto   My song pick 3 years ago today: Faith No More - Stripsearch   My song pick 4 years ago today: Depeche Mode - World in my Eyes   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Firing Line   My song pick 6 years ago today: Gerry Rafferty - Island My song pick 7 years ago today: White Zombie - Black Sunshine My song pick 8 years ago today: The Headhunters - Actual Proof My song pick 9 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Old Ghosts My song pick 10 years ago today: Rush - The Wreckers My song pick 11 years ago today: Ian Anderson - After These Wars My song pick 12 years ago today: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal My song pick 13 yea...

From: Shakin' All Over ; Year: 1965; Genre: Garage Rock I absolutely love coming back to this record to hear early music from what would become The Guess Who. Apparently this song was not released on the Canadian pressing, but was on the one released in The States. A very beautiful piece from the pen of songwriter and musician extraordinaire Randy Bachman.   Hear Theme from a Music Box on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Steely Day - Night By Night   My song pick 2 years ago today: Coven - One Tin Soldier   My song pick 3 years ago today: Information Society - What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Stone Temple Pilots - Fare Thee Well   My song pick 5 years ago today: Yes - Changes My song pick 6 years ago today: Santana - Evil Ways My song pick 7 years ago today: Gerry Rafferty - The Tourist My song pick 8 years ago today: Loudness - Let It Go My song pick 9 years ago today: Carmen - She Flew Ac...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock In this song from Brave Belt, who would a year later be better known as Bachman-Turner Overdrive, it has a very recognizable sound that those who listen to BTO would be accustomed to, but I do find C.F. Turner's vocals to be a little bit off from his usual powerful and gravely vocals and rather goes a bit higher on this one.   Hear Long Way 'Round on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Meat Loaf - Paradise By the Dashboard Light   My song pick 2 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Light Years of Love   My song pick 3 years ago today: Tool - Vicarious My song pick 4 years ago today: Nena - Ich häng' an dir My song pick 5 years ago today: Bootsy's Rubber Band - Under the Influence of a Groove My song pick 6 years ago today: Redbone - Come and Get Your Love My song pick 7 years ago today: Petula Clark - A Sign of the Times My song pick 8 years ago today: Iron Maiden - Wrathchild My son...

From: It's Time ; Year: 1966; Genre: Rock I was thinking about this album, which is essentially kind of the "pivot," if you will, in The Guess Who's direction as a band. This song in particular I find very fitting being at the end of the original record and has the group's soon-to-be former lead singer Chad Allen on lead vocals and their future lead singer, Burton Cummings, on backing vocals. After this The Guess Who would go from moderate success, mostly in their native Canada, on to huge international success. Guess I'll Find a Place has real beautiful guitar picking backed by a Latin beat, which kind of gives it a somewhat of an exotic sound.   Hear Guess I'll Find a Place on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Klaatu - Maybe I'll Move to Mars   My song pick 2 years ago today: Journey - Just the Same Way   My song pick 3 years ago today: Graham Central Station - Mirror My song pick 4 years ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Litt...

From: Brave Belt ; Year: 1971; Genre: Rock I had some of the music from this band running through my head; this was one of the band's bigger hits in their native Canada. It reminds me a lot of the sound of The Guess Who, which is understandable since they were compose of two alumni from that band.   Hear Crazy Arms, Crazy Eyes on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Queen - Ming's Theme (In the Court of Ming the Merciless)   My song pick 2 years ago today: ABBA - Lay All Your Love On Me   My song pick 3 years ago today: Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song My song pick 4 years ago today: Pallas - Ratracing My song pick 5 years ago today: The Miracles - Love Machine My song pick 6 years ago today: Mary Hopkin - Those Were the Days My song pick 7 years ago today: Azteca - Red Onions My song pick 8 years ago today: Dream Theater - The Looking Glass My song pick 9 years ago today: Deep Purple - Hush My song pick 10 years ago today: Paris - Big To...

From: It's Time ; Year: 1966; Genre: Rock/Pop Had one from their songs from this era come on the other day; thought I'd pick another one from that era. This one comes from the pen of Randy Bachman and was a single from the record.   Hear Believe Me on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Journey - Open Arms   My song pick 2 years ago today: Peter Frampton - Nassau/Baby, I Love Your Way My song pick 3 years ago today: Hawkwind - Nuclear Drive My song pick 4 years ago today: Alice in Chains - Dirt My song pick 5 years ago today: Kool & the Gang - Funky Man My song pick 6 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Too Many Too My song pick 7 years ago today: Metallica - (Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth My song pick 8 years ago today: Guns 'N Roses - Welcome to the Jungle My song pick 9 years ago today: Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Motion Picture Main Title/Klingon Battle My song pick 10 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Welcome to the Machine My s...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Rock I find the band Brave Belt kind of a neat "bridge" between Randy Bachman's time with The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This song features The Guess Who alumni Chad Allen on vocals, which gives it more of a 60s/70s mainstream feel to it.    Hear Dunrobin's Gone on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Hawkwind - The Watcher   My song pick 2 years ago today: Styx - Can't Find My Way Home My song pick 3 years ago today: Return to Forever - Theme to the Mothership My song pick 4 years ago today: Amnesty - Free Your Mind My song pick 5 years ago today: Ennio Morricone & Joan Baez - The Ballad of Sacco and Vanzetti (Here's To You) My song pick 6 years ago today: Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying My song pick 7 years ago today: Maddy Prior - Gutter Geese My song pick 8 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Hey You My song pick 9 years ago today: Return to Forever - Dayride My son...

From: It's Time ; Year: 1966; Genre: Rock I've been having The Guess Who's music on my mind this morning; I thought I'd pick something off of one of their earlier records that I don't normally listen to. This song has a really good feel to it, I love the beat and the vocals especially. Hear Clock on the Wall on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind My song pick 2 years ago today: Elvis Costello - Alison My song pick 3 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Coming Back to Life My song pick 4 years ago today: Aerosmith - Livin' on the Edge My song pick 5 years ago today: Black Sabbath - Tomorrow's Dream My song pick 6 years ago today: King Crimson - One More Red Nightmare My song pick 7 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here My song pick 8 years ago today: Dudley Moore Trio - Yesterdays My song pick 9 years ago today: Jethro Tull - With You There To Help Me My song pick 10 years ago today: Dizzy Gi...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock I love the funky bass line throughout this one and of course the great vocal work; a great song all in all. Hear Goodbye, Soul Shy on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Klaatu - Little Neutrino My song pick 2 years ago today: Pallas - Win or Lose My song pick 3 years ago today: AC/DC - Rock 'N' Roll Damnation My song pick 4 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - One Way Out My song pick 5 years ago today: Dream Theater - The Ministry of Lost Souls My song pick 6 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Give it Time My song pick 7 years ago today: Jethro Tull - The Waking Edge My song pick 8 years ago today: The Scorpions - The Good Die Young My song pick 9 years ago today: Megadeth - Elysian Fields My song pick 10 years ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) feat. Freddy Taylor - Nagasaki My song pick 11 years ago today: Mile...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock Needed to pick something with a hard-driving sound; one of the first bands to come into my mind was BTO and then on to listening to some more of the band's first incarnation, which is Brave Belt. This is one of those songs that you just cannot figure out why it did not do better than it should've. Hear Can You Feel It on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Soundgarden - Rowing My song pick two years ago today: Carmen - Joy My song pick three years ago today: Alice Mudgarden (Alice in Chains) - Right Turn My song pick four years ago today: Midnight Oil - The Dead Heart My song pick five years ago today: Johnny Rodriguez - Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico My song pick six years ago today: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Op.49 - 1812 Overture My song pick seven years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Down, Down My song pick eight years ago today: Savatage - The Ocean My song pick nine years a...

From: Brave Belt ; Year: 1971; Genre: Rock This is a pretty good one if you like heavy guitar and more pop/rock vocals/harmonies. Scarecrow is one that features Chad Allan on lead vocals; you'd know him from the early years in The Guess Who and their hit cover of the song Shakin' All Over . Hear Scarecrow on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Roman Holliday - Don't Try to Stop It My song pick two years ago today: Grateful Dead - Dark Star My song pick three years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Rock it My song pick four years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - In the Stone My song pick five years ago today: America - You Can Do Magic My song pick six years ago today: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - K. 1a - Andante in C My song pick seven years ago today: The Grateful Dead - Help is on the Way/Slipknot! My song pick eight years ago today: Louis Armstrong - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen My song pick nine years ago today: R.E.O. Spe...

From: This Time Long Ago ; Year: 2001 (1967); Genre: Pop/Rock Learned of this song's existence the other day, which with me being a pretty big Guess Who fan is a fairly interesting, but since it was a single never made it to a proper album and they were still known a "The Guess Who?" at the time it's not surprising. Anyway, this one is a little lighter and poppier than wot most would think of coming from the band, but it's still a neat piece of history from the band. Hear Flying on the Ground is Wrong on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Midnight Oil - Warakurna My song pick two years ago today: The Outfield - Your Love My song pick three years ago today: Jefferson Starship - Jane My song pick four years ago today: Deep Purple - My Woman From Tokyo My song pick five years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man My song pick six years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Pioneers Over c. My song pick seven years ago ...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock Off and on for the last week or so I've had this track on my mind. In my opinion Summer Soldier has a definite style and feel of both The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive , which were Randy Bachman's previous and successor bands respectively. A lot of hard-hitting riff based rock and melodic/soulful pop in this one; a very interesting track. Hear Summer Soldier on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: John Denver - Let it Be My song pick two years ago today: The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations My song pick three years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - I Want to Take You Higher My song pick four years ago today: Argent - Tragedy My song pick five years ago today: Weather Report - Barbary Coast My song pick six years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Gator Country My song pick seven years ago today: The Beatles - I Me Mine My song pick eight years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - U...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock Out of a good deal of the material on this record this is one of the songs that feature the riff heavy rock that would become the signature sound of 70s hard rock titan that was BTO. Brave Belt II is a bit of a grab bag musically, but has its gems, just more than a bit different; definitely not album oriented rock. Anyway, Never Comin' Home is one of those songs that's perfect for putting on and relaxing to after a hard day's work; great rhythm and vocals. Hear Never Comin' Home on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Marillion - The Uninvited Guest My song pick two years ago today: Rammstein - Nebel My song pick three years ago today: Rush - The Necromancer My song pick four years ago today: Les Elgart - Bandstand Boogie My song pick five years ago today: Oomph! featuring Nina Hagen - Feiber My song pick six years ago today: The Guess Who - Minstrel Boy My song pick seven years ago to...

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Hard Rock After listening to a bunch of music from Randy Bachman the other day it got me into the mood for some more. This one's from the band that would become Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO), and has a bit of the heavier sound and vocals that exemplified the hard-hitting Canadian rock sound they were known for. Hear Too Far Away on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Jethro Tull - Protect and Survive My song pick two years ago today: The Flying Burrito Brothers - Wild Horses My song pick three years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - My Dark Hour My song pick four years ago today: Fear Factory - Fear Campaign My song pick five years ago today: Gunnar Madsen - Surprise! My song pick six years ago today: Charles Mingus - Tonight At Noon My song pick seven years ago today: Megadeth - Architecture of Aggression

From: Brave Belt II ; Year: 1972; Genre: Rock I'm pretty sure many are unaware of the band Brave Belt and what became of them; to sum it up, they essentially became the Canadian Hard Rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Brave Belt was in fact the project that Randy Bachman started up following his departure from The Guess Who along with his brother Rob Bachman and Chad Allen, who was also a former member of The Guess Who. A short time later bassist C.F. Turner and his other brother, Tim Bachman would join up as well and Chad Allen would depart. As Brave Belt they never really took off and with some prodding from their management they changed the band's name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Interestingly enough, BTO's debut album was originally intended on being the third Brave Belt album. Who knows, if they had been stubborn perhaps they would've made it big as Brave Belt, but then again who knows? Anyway, this song is quite a bit lighter than what you might expec...

I have been listening to a lot of The Guess Who's music lately and without a pick for today I decided to choose one of their songs. The song sounds very similar to a lot of the beat group music of the time, however the guitar riff along with the vocals give the song distinction; it is quite a fun song to listen to. This was one of their first hits and was a cover originally performed by Johnny Kid & the Pirates. The song was recorded before Burton Cummings was with The Guess Who and in fact the band was officially called: "Chad Allen and the Expressions." However, their record company had a promotion to drum up attention to the band by hiding their name and instead saying "Guess Who?"; this was to originally make listeners think that it was a major group playing under a pseudonym. At the time of this recording they went by both names and later they abandoned the name "Chad Allen and the Expressions" after Chad Allen left the band and the rest i...