Burton Cummings is done f'ing around

[MetalSludgeCEO]

F#@K this grumpy old man...

I don't follow this band, and don't really care but he sounds like a bitter old man.

I hope he loses his endless battle, as he throws money at lawyers sitting around yelling at this computer.

Hopefully the band with the others continues on, kudos to them!

$tEvil

[MetalSludgeCEO]

Just saw this online... about this stuff....


""""""""""""""""A few days later, still in April 2024, Cummings arranged to have legal permission pulled for any public performance -- by anyone -- of any Guess Who material Cummings had written or co-written. This legal gambit would leave both the performer and the owner of the performance venue liable for damages if any Cummings-authored Guess Who work was performed for an audience."""""""""""""

This shows you how angry and miserable he is... even stating he won't approve any music he co-wrote as well.

In short... the other members could have equal co-writes on ALL of the music, but since he was involved, regardless of to what extent, he wants to shut everyone else down.

Essentially saying "I don't wanna do it anymore, so I don't want anyone else to do it anymore either"

Lame...

$tEvil

[Dyslexicheart]

As someone who's been listening to The Guess Who since the late sixties, that's a pretty naive take. These clowns had nothing to do with any of these songs that were written, recorded and performed The Guess Who. They're parasites that absolutely should be shut down, even if it costs Burton some cash.

[FreddyFender]

This shows you how angry and miserable he is... even stating he won't approve any music he co-wrote as well.

In short... the other members could have equal co-writes on ALL of the music, but since he was involved, regardless of to what extent, he wants to shut everyone else down.

Essentially saying "I don't wanna do it anymore, so I don't want anyone else to do it anymore either"

Lame...

$tEvil

What? The bassist saw the name wasn't trademarked and took it for himself without telling anyone back in the 80's.

The drummer from Trixter tried to do the same thing recently and got excommunicated.

Did you support Blotzer taking the Ratt name as well?

None of the guys currently playing in the band were in the real Guess Who. Cummings wrote the songs with the guitarists... first with Bachman and later with Winters (now deceased). He's not obligated to let a band of strangers make money playing his songs.

You must be friends with someone in the current lineup to take this hilarious position.

[WOLF]

What set Burton off is tons of radio and print ads, featuring his voice and likeness, fooling people into buying tickets. Let’s be honest… the crowd going to see the Guess Who is pretty geriatric, they’re not going online and doing research as to who’s there or not, particularly since the band has been somewhat of a revolving door. They hear Burton singing No Sugar Tonight on the radio ad, they think he’s there. I know that’s on the promoters, not the band, but he just got sick of Teddy Zig Zag, Greg Smith, Sass Jordan’s husband, and the drummer of The Guess Who telling people they are THE Guess Who. So he said “sure, you got the name, but let’s see you do it without my songs”. Perhaps petty, but as has been said… Burton doesn’t owe Teddy Zig Zag and Greg Smith a living, and the real Guess Who is Cummings and Bachman.

[Tommy]

Isn't this a similar situation to The Murderdolls trademark?

[NeonKnite]

As someone who's been listening to The Guess Who since the late sixties, that's a pretty naive take. These clowns had nothing to do with any of these songs that were written, recorded and performed The Guess Who. They're parasites that absolutely should be shut down, even if it costs Burton some cash.

You're damn right. Teddy Zigzag whining that Burton shut down 85 dates. That pretty much says it all.

They should just call this line-up "The Guess Who Isn't New":

[ParaDime77]

So Pop’s in the headband is the OG drummer? Holy shit. The hired members should be charged with elder abuse. I’m on Team Burton here.

[PBFSUCKS]

Just saw this online... about this stuff....


""""""""""""""""A few days later, still in April 2024, Cummings arranged to have legal permission pulled for any public performance -- by anyone -- of any Guess Who material Cummings had written or co-written. This legal gambit would leave both the performer and the owner of the performance venue liable for damages if any Cummings-authored Guess Who work was performed for an audience."""""""""""""

This shows you how angry and miserable he is... even stating he won't approve any music he co-wrote as well.

In short... the other members could have equal co-writes on ALL of the music, but since he was involved, regardless of to what extent, he wants to shut everyone else down.

Essentially saying "I don't wanna do it anymore, so I don't want anyone else to do it anymore either"

Lame...

$tEvil

It’d be weird if you were backing him as a lot of your peers work under the more subs than OGs.

[CrankerBait]

The scab/fake version of the Guess Who has rarely played Canada over the years because Canadian fans wouldn't accept a version of the band that didn't include Cummings and Bachman. The bar doesn't seem to be set as high for those attending shows at dipshit theaters, fairgrounds and casinos in the backwaters of America.

The Guess Who played mostly arenas on a reunion tour in Canada about twenty years ago. Essentially, it was a Guess Who greatest hits show with a few BTO songs, featuring Cummings, Bachman and other actual former members, although Jim Kale sat it out and presumably just got paid a cut.

That situation reminds me a little of how the Mike Love and Bruce Johnston version of the Beach Boys was touring for years before bringing back Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks for a huge tour and new single, only to dump them after the tour and resume their old routine without them.

Having said that, Mike Love was a central member of the Beach Boys and Bruce Johnston had been with them for decades, while the guys who own the Guess Who name were secondary members, wrote almost none of the songs, and don't even perform anymore.

If these guys had a hint of integrity, they could do more of a Classic Albums Live approach and sell it as "An Evening of Guess Who Music", but they don't have any.