Burton Cummings recently sat down with Goldmine for an interview and exposed deception surrounding the ‘fake’ Guess Who.
The host initially said that whether it’s the current band using the name or the original lineup, it sparks a heated debate on social media. Then, when asked to explain the lawsuit that he and Randy Bachman are filing, Cummings noted:
“Well, let me see, how can I put this succinctly. They’re a group of hired musicians now. They go onstage, and their shows are marketed as if they were the guys that wrote, and sang and recorded the songs, and they’re just not. This is a fake band. This is basically a cover band, but they’re using all our original songs once in a while. I think [Garry] Peterson might be there on drums, but I hear he’s not that healthy anymore.”
Issues With The Fake Band’s Performances
The musician continued, reflecting on the band’s records:
“So many, many times now, particularly since the restrictions have been lifted, it’s five guys, none of whom were on the records. Peterson isn’t even there most of the time, and he was the drummer way back. But now what they’ve done, they’ve taken over the landing pages on Spotify and iTunes. They’ve replaced the images of us — the guys who really did the records — they’ve replaced those pictures with the fake band, the pictures of the cover band.”
Fraudulent Claims On Social Media
Cummings then talked about how the fake band claimed credit for millions of streams on social media as an attempt to ride on the success of the original band, explaining:
“And then they go on social media, and they literally thank the fans for the millions of streams. They did this just recently, thanking the fans. Thank you so much for all the streams, the millions of streams on Spotify and iTunes, and everything. This is just such nonsense, honest to goodness. I mean, it’s fraudulent. Absolutely, it’s fraudulent, and they are hanging onto the coattails of the legacy of the real guys that did the records. These are not the guys that did the records.”
Not long ago, Cummings and Randy Bachman filed a lawsuit against the Guess Who, accusing current members Jim Kale and Garry Peterson of using the band’s name, photos, and music without proper permission for touring and recording. In a statement, Bachman and Cummings emphasized that they are the ones who wrote the songs and made the records, expressing concern that the current lineup is misleading fans and tarnishing the band’s legacy.
