The Guess Who's Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman Retake Control: 'Takin' It Back' Tour Kicks Off

After a recent stint on the Rock Legends Cruise, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman are officially taking ownership of The Guess Who on the road this spring with their "Takin' It Back" Tour.

The duo begins their tour in Canada on May 26 in Moncton, New Brunswick. The U.S. leg of the tour commences in late June, starting June 25 in Shakopee, Minn., and concluding on Aug. 23 in Vancouver, B.C. Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles, will be opening for them.

This tour marks the first time in 23 years that Cummings and Bachman have toured as The Guess Who. This follows their legal victory over what they call “the fake Guess Who,” previously led by bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson, who co-founded the band with Bachman in 1962 in Winnipeg as Chad Allan & the Reflections.

"It was enough already. They tarnished what we created,” Cummings told Billboard. “I remember I went on Facebook and talked to people … and there were a lot of remarks about the fake Guess Who, about the band going on stage and kind of dishonoring the songs. So Randy and I are out here now, honoring the history of The Guess Who.”

Bachman adds, “You can only sit around for so long and watch people tarnish something you built, something that’s intangible — that’s called a reputation. It’s with music, it’s with fans. It’s making music that is the soundtrack of our lives, and everybody who hears it and buys it falls in love with it and cherishes it. To see it stolen and not given justice and then hearing about it from your fans … was terrible. So be able to be part of that again and see the reaction of the fans, it’s really special.”

Billboard has reached out to Kale and Peterson for comment.

Starting with “These Eyes” in 1969, The Guess Who had 14 top 40 singles in the U.S., including No. 1 hits in 1970 with “American Woman” and “No Sugar Tonight.” They also released two gold albums, American Woman and Share the Land, that year. Bachman departed in 1970 and formed Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and The Guess Who broke up in 1975. Kale began touring with his version of the band in the late ’70s, trademarking the name in 1987. The Kale-Peterson group released three albums, including 2023’s Plein d’Amour. At times, the group performed with no original members.

Cummings and Bachman sent cease-and-desist letters, and in October 2023, they filed a $20 million lawsuit against Kale and Peterson, alleging public fraud by creating the false impression that Bachman and Cummings were involved. The matter was ultimately settled out of court after Cummings revoked permission for the Kale/Peterson Guess Who to perform any songs he wrote or co-wrote. In September 2024, he and Bachman announced control of The Guess Who name and property, intending to perform under the band name with members of Cummings’ solo band, the Carpet Frogs.

Prior to the Rock Legends Cruise, Cummings and Bachman performed their first return The Guess Who show on Jan. 31 in Niagara Falls, featuring hits and deep cuts like “969 (The Oldest Man),” “Proper Stranger,” and solo material.

Bachman ceded curation of the setlist to Cummings. “It’s a Guess Who show,” he explains, “and Burton is, and was, the voice of The Guess Who and still one of the greatest voices in music. He is the mouthpiece of The Guess Who, so I let him put together the setlist. I’m there beside him as his copilot or whatever. He had a really good idea of how to honor the stuff we did together, and it’s hit after hit after hit. If we made a setlist of the songs we left out, it’s better than most band’s set lists.”

Bachman adds, “I don’t think we ever played ‘Proper Stranger’ on stage; if we did it was maybe on a Winnipeg community club stage for 200 kids, not a big rock show.”

And Cumming notes, “There’s a new element to it. We have experience and a little more confidence now, knowing what the crowds want to hear. We’re out there honoring the music — ‘Hey, you came to see the Guess Who. Here it is …'”

Regarding the potential political charge of “American Woman,” Cummings clarified that it was never intended to be political, inspired instead by observations of American girls wanting to grow up faster than Canadian girls.

The two plan to continue touring as The Guess Who, but new music is on hold. “There’s no time for that right now,” says Cummings, who released a solo album — A Few Good Moments — during 2024. “Right now, let’s get out there and rekindle the legacy that has been tarnished. New music may come later, but that’s not on our agenda right now. We’re going out to rebuild what the fake band broke down.”

Bachman adds, “The fans are thrilled that we are back together and the songs are being honored, and they appreciate we go to great lengths to sound like the records. We’re not doing Saturday Night Live, Bill Murray lounge version of our songs. This s the real deal.”

A Citi Card presale for tickets begins at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday (March 4) via the Citi Entertainment site, while general sales begin at the same time on Friday (March 6). More details and updates are available via The Guess Who’s website.

Here’s the Takin’ It Back Tour itinerary:

• May 26 – Moncton, New Brunswick – Avenir Centre
• May 27 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – Scotiabank Centre
• May 29 – Laval, Quebec – Place Bell
• May 30 – Toronto, Ontario – Scotiabank Arena
• June 1 – Hamilton, Ontario – TD Coliseum
• June 2 – London, Ontario – Canada Life Place
• June 5 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Canada Life Centre
• June 6 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – SaskTel Centre
• June 8 – Calgary, Alberta – Scotiabank Saddledome
• June 10 – Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place
• June 25 – Shakopee, Minn. – Mystic Lake Amphitheater
• June 27 – Cincinnati – Riverbend Music Center
• June 28 – Cuyahoga, Ohio – Blossom Music Center
• June 30 – Chicago – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
• July 1 – Grand Rapids, Mich. – Acrisure Amphitheater
• July 3 – Clarkston, Mich. – Pine Knob Music Theatre
• July 5 – Holmdel, N.J. – PNC Bank Arts Center
• July 7 – Syracuse, N.Y. – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
• July 8 – Gilford, N.H. – BankNH Pavilion
• July 10 – Wantagh, N.Y. – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
• July 11 – Atlantic City, N.J. – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
• July 14 – Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Albany Med Health System at SPAC
• July 16 – Uncasville, Conn. – Mohegan Sun Arena
• July 17 – Boston – Leader Bank Pavilion
• July 19 – Ottawa, Ontario – Ottawa Bluesfest
• Aug. 6 – Atlanta – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
• Aug. 8 – Houston – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
• Aug. 9 – Fort Worth, Texas – Dickies Arena
• Aug. 12 – Denver – Fiddlers Green Amphitheater
• Aug. 14 – Salt Lake City – Maverik Center
• Aug. 15 – Las Vegas – Fontainebleau Las Vegas
• Aug. 17 – Phoenix – Arizona Financial Theatre
• Aug. 19 – Los Angeles – Greek Theatre
• Aug. 22 – Seattle – Climate Pledge Arena
• Aug. 23 – Vancouver, B.C. – The Pacific National Exhibition

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