Members of Guess Who squabble over band name

Discussions over a proposed tour by the Guess Who have broken down because of a dispute concerning ownership of the band's name.

The band's two best-known members, singer Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman, reportedly wanted to tour this year. However, they were unable to secure permission to tour under the Guess Who banner because the band's original bassist, Jim Kale, owns the name.

"We tried very hard to get it together for this year, for '05, because it is very 'anniversaried' for us," Bachman said in an interview with the Toronto Sun newspaper.

Not only does this year mark the 35th anniversary of the release of the band's biggest hit, American Woman, it also marks 40 years since the first song by the group a cover version of the Johnny Kidd and the Pirates tune Shakin' All Over made the charts.

Bachman points out that it is also the 30th anniversary of Takin' Care of Business, the three-chord classic he recorded with Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

According to Bachman, Kale is currently on the road with a lineup of replacement musicians.

"They're touring with a clone band down in the United States and that just breaks my heart 'cause we just spent the last few years rebuilding up the name and reputation and we toured the States and just did phenomenal," he said.

"We could have done a massive tour, but now there's a couple of clone guys in the band and they're touring and playing lesser gigs, can I be polite?"

The Guess Who reunited for a tour in 2000. Kale dropped out on the eve of that event.

Bachman said he and Cummings have been unable to reach an agreement on using the band's name.

"We tried very, very hard, and it was undoable. We couldn't get a proper business arrangement" on using the name, he said, adding that he doesn't think he and Cummings will ever play as the Guess Who again.

Bachman and Cummings are slated to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on Tuesday.