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From: backmaskman
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  • And Kurt is the walrus, and Kurt is the walrus, and the walrus does funny things to veins in his left arm yeah ... lol gosh its been forever since i heard this song!

  • "The Doors? What, Jim Morrison? He was a drunken buffoon, posing as a poet. Now come on, gimme the Guess Who, now they got the courage to be drunken buffoons, which makes them poetic!" - Almost Famous

  • Burton Cummings hung out for a while with Jim Morrison,and Alice Cooper,drinking buddies LoL

    This is my fave long old 60's tune,great guitar work by Randy Bachman,the whole band were kicking ass!!!!!!!!

  • I wonder if they ever performed this live?

  • @canucklehead1951 - They did this song on the Canadian TV show, Let's Go, so I bet the did it at some of there shows too.

  • @debjorgo - "... at some of "their" shows too." I hate when that happens. It's a good thing I don't dog other people for doing that.

  • A bit silly but The Guess Who were really good and Jimmy Kale on bass was great!

  • AWESOME.....

    

  • the end remake

  • Its a truly great song i have never heard it before what a real treat for me as i really always thought the Guess Wjo was a WAY underated band the range of styles they can play far outshined most groups in the late 60s-early 70s

  • 4 American's disliked this.

  • @johnnyq1992 Hey! I resent that!

  • I just had to put a "so and so disliked this comment" I mean no harm

  • I have 2 copy's of this album and they will stay with me until i die.

  • Just fire one up and remember when and enjoy can you dig it.

  • Don't be ghey. However channelized you all are, this song was bad-ass! I never heard The Doors in this. Does that mean The Byrds' "Eight Miles High" was copping The Doors too? And "Hot Smoke And Sassafras"? And "Mello Yello"? Come on! Psychedelia was INITIATED by The Beatles before The Doors even made a dent on music. Everybody wants to give The Doors all the credit, The Doors themselves were copycats. The Beatles did it first people. The Beatles. Rubber Soul. 1966. Jim was unknown still. GOD!

  • Why all the hate and comparison between Burton and Jim? They are each VERY different in their own way. I am a huge fan of The Doors, since the age of 10...but wait, get this, I am only 32! Crazy, right. I grew up listening to this music. I also loved this song, and until now this is the first time I've heard it in at least 15 years. Actually, I sought it out, and came across all the Morrison hate. So, give it up! Just because TGW put out one song that sounds like the doors..

  • Comment removed

  • Ignorance? Really? No. Any singer would have been better. Period. Jim Morrison was awful & overrated, IMO. Not ignorant. Your post is ridiculous namecalling

  • Jim Morrison sucked. Burton was FAR better. Fine that he idolized him, but Cummings had real talent.

  • @pappypgh You have a right to opine that Morrison sucked. Still, your opinion shows your ignorance to Morrison's talent and influence as a songwriter & frontman. Yes, the music of the Doors hinged on the talents of Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore. And people sometimes give Morrison too much credit and praise. But they needed him as it sorely showed with Full Circle & Other Voices, and they knew it. Like Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes without Teddy Pendergrass, they were nothing without him.

  • I use to listen to this on KAAY the Mighty 1090 Little & Rock Clyde Clifford with Bleeker Street.

  • I remember around 1968 sitting in a pizza place really late at night waiting for our order and this coming on the fm station. I'd heard it before so knew who the band was but the guys I was with wouldn't believe me. Up til then The Guess Who was mainly known for doing covers on a cheesy CBC tv show. It may not have dated well in some peoples minds but to me it was a high point. The band sounds great and the vocals were never better.

  • I had no idea Jim Morrison was Burton's idol; no wonder I liked them both so well. I was 12 when this song came out, and it was always played late at night (for some reason). It was really kind of creepy at the time and I haven't listened to it since until today; anyone know why Burton is quoting Psalms 22 about Christ's cruxifiction? Find it also interesting that the inner cover of the Doors LA Woman has a pic of a crucified Jesus (or Jim?). The Guess Who were, and are, one of the best.

  • I REALLY DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND!!! In 1969 I Was Inna Hospital In Toronto .

    SPINAL MENINGITIS . . . inna a room of 4 of us . . . i saw 1 person die . . . Next Morning The Other 2 Weren't There!!! I WAS READY TO DIE!!! But, I Heard This Song On CHUM FM . . . Went From Agnostic to Athesist AND, decided to live!!!

    CAN'T EXPLAIN!!! as u can imagine ... LOVE THIS SONG!!!

  • Ron Rene was in the second biggest Winnipeg band at the time The Guess Who made it with of all things "These Eyes". The Group was called The Fifth. Ron went on to have a regional career. He passed away in 2007. Kurt is of course Kurt Winter who joined The Guess Who when Randy Bachman left the group in 1970 to and formed Brave Belt and later Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO).

  • @robertdjacques - Ron Rene is on this new CD I just got of psychidelic music from the 60's, called Pebbles Vol 2. He's in the band called the Quid. The CD mistakenly says that brothers of Rndy Bachman and Gary Peterson were in the band. From what I've found, this was not true. Your right. He died in 2007.

  • Ron Rene did fade away though, didn't he. Nobody knows who he is.

  • It's nice to remember the good old days listening to music like this....

  • The great question, Who is Ron Renee? Or is that the great question of this song?

  • One of my favorite songs to creep out to. Bloodrock - DOA is right there on the list with it.

  • Very close to The Doors Jim Morisson. And Scorpions, yes too influence.

  • Very dark this is, the Doors very close to the doors.

  • "I got to do it to a duck on a 2 ton truck" Maybe this is where the saying phuck a duck came from???

  • The Guess Who were with out a doubt, Canada's Beatles and I wish they get back together. I've seen them only once in Toledo,Ohio and the acoustic set was so good before they elecrified everybody with the electric set. The pride and joy of Canada and mighty loved here in the states too. I've never heard a unsavory tune by them and we need them back.

  • mrchrled They go over big in Michigan as well

  • Groovy man....

  • love this tune along w/ white bird

  • Holy 1960s, Batman. Its Jim channeling through Burton. I DO love the part where he says about hell, " .... but none of us will ever go there, because we're far too groovy"... !!! I LOVE it !! Long live Burton Cummings. :)

  • Four people are not friends of mine

  • sorry folks about all the posts, It wasn't showing that it posted at all.

  • This song is "Wheatfeild Soul" They changed the name to "Friends Of Mine", go figure, have we heard some of the garbage of music today? This is an awesome song. It was made to be changed!

  • This song is called "Wheatfeild Soul"after 20 years I see why I couldn't find it. They changed the name to "Friends Of Mine", go figure, have we heard some of the garbage of music today? This is an awesome song. It is Wheatfeild Soul folks...

  • This song was originally called ""Wheatfeild Soul"" well after 20 years of searching, I see why I couldn't find it. They changed the name to ""Friends Of Mine"", go figure, have we heard some of the garbage of music today? This is an awesome song. It is Wheatfeild Soul folks... 

  • This song was originally called ""Wheatfeild Soul"" after 20 years of searching, I see why I couldn't find it. They changed the name to ""Friends Of Mine"", go figure, have we heard some of the garbage of music today? This is an awesome song. It is Wheatfeild Soul folks...

  • This song was originally called ""Wheatfeild Soul"". They made The Guess Who take it off the charts, well after 20 years of searching, I see why I couldn't find it. They changed the name to ""Friends Of Mine"", go figure, have we heard some of the garbage of music today? This is an awesome song. It is Wheatfeild Soul folks...

  • I used to listen to this song on underground radio. KAAY in Little Rock used to play this song on their program from 11pm till 2am. Wow - what memories.

  • @Trying00 me too! great memories of those days.

  • Haven't heard this in forever..thanks for posting! Awesome!!

  • It's on the album Wheatfield Soul (1968).

  • I have not heard this since the orange sandoze tim leary all nighters, good times

  • From the same album that has These Eyes, Burton does his best Jim Morrison impression in this tripped out tune.

  • I asked Burton Cummings just last night on Rock Line what the meaning was behind this song. I was on hold for an hour and 17 minutes but have always wondered what kind of meaning was behind this song. It was totally cool to hear the explanation behind it from the man who sang it. Totally awesome.

  • @TheRroocckkeerr

    This song is "Wheatfeild Soul" They changed the name to "Friends Of Mine", go figure, have we heard some of the garbage of music today? This is an awesome song. It was made to be changed!

  • @usamombmw The song was never "Wheatfield Soul".  It's off their first RCA album Wheatfield Soul. It's always been Friends of Mine.

  • alright...

  • i gotta getta two-ton truck!!! that's the balls!!!

  • Wow, iremember this one from high shool back in 1970.

  • Kurt is the Walrus?

  • @willmilano Kurt Winter

  • The opening to If 6 was 9, on the mighty 1090 KAAY Little Rock with Clyde Clifford, Let's hear a little from Dr. John the Night Tripper, then we will hear Deep Water Reunion's rendition of Cindy's Crying, followed by Mason Profit and Hangman.The FM sound before FM really took hold. Chubby Checker and the Hooka Tooka Song..All Friends of Mine and as the condemned man walked up thesteps. WOW what a blast from the past. I just Pray this isn't a flashback.

  • I love the posters brings back so many thoughts of wat my memories might of been!!

  • Listen to The End by Morrison then this..scary Burton

  • OMG, I had forgotten about this song, and I have this LP. Now a gptta go dig it up thank you for the reminder.

  • I love this song. Baby, baby, baby, baby, bay, baby,

  • "nd the Walrus does funny things to the veins in his left arm"

    I love that line!

  • Woo! It's been a long time since I heard this piece. I remember reciting this as a poem in an English class back i '68 (from 'Up the 13 steps of the gallows'...to 'where was God') The teacher who had no idea that it was lifted from this song gave me a high mark as the whole class was snickering behind his back

    I don't know what's with me but my retention for lyrics are better from a song than on a poem.

    Thanx for posting! You are the Backmaskman!

  • back in the late 60's The Guess Who came to my home town, played this song and I have been a fan ever since.......

  • Trying to do Morrison's thing. Ride the snake.

  • memories man!!

  • Les soiree bizarre de Mushroom pis dacid!...Rick as tu vue j'ai ajouter Thierry vignault sur Facebook!

  • cool vid keep it up

  • "WE are far too groovy " was in 9th grade here , still can sing it all !!!!

  • none of us will ever go there!!

  • We are already there!

  • I first heard this when I was learning back in '72 I was 16 and still remember all the words. Very cool.

  • you people need to get out more.

  • I remember really liking this song, and the label re-issued the lp without this track for years! I always wondered why they had done that! It wasn't on the early issues of the cd either, but is finally out there where it can be purchased! Great song!! Thanks for posting!

  • You know that's funny...all this time I thought it was The Doors as well... Even though I remember when I first heard this song I was going to the same high school Burton went to, and in the park that's next to it, with friends, high........ Listening to 8 tracks.... lol... Thanks for posting!

  • oh my god. I thought Jim Morrison made a guest appearance in this song. This is crazy.

  • The Doors and JM are one of my favorite bands of all times, I have to say this is FANTASTIC . What a trip!!! Almost lile listening to JM. But is Guess Who.....

    AWESOME! freaking song is right!

    B

  • AWESOME freakin' song! Thank god my brother is 10 years older and intro'd me to the good rock!

  • Burton Cummings doing his JM impersonation, kinda kewl! :o)

  • At 2:55, that's an octavia pedal fx. Thankx for posting. I'm having flashbacks!

  • I like Bachman's special effect at 2:55 - talk about "far too groovy."

  • Why the hell would you wanna live the 60's? The reason we partied like we did was to kill the pain inflicted from the beatings that cops and rednecks gave us!

  • Im such a hippy. why couldnt I have lived in the 60's?

  • I liked this song a lot better when it was called "The Soft Parade".

    If you don't think it resembles it "one little bit", "It shows what they don't know about music". Right you are, Ken!

    If you don't see it at least from 2:47-2:51, you're in denial.

  • Both songs were released in '68. Which one came first?

    Maybe Jim was diggin' Burt.

  • Dude, he sounded just like Jim at like 5:30 or so..

  • combatCommohooah,

    You are so right! I thought I was listening to Jim M for a while, great fucking song! dude.

    B

  • "We will never go there, No, We are far too groovy".. Awesome quote.. "To flanders feilds the HIPPYS go to smoke the poppies down below".. BEST LINE.

  • I get so tired of people saying this song sounds like the Doors, or resemebles Jim Morrion, etc. one little bit makes me want to heave. It shows what they don't know about music. Go ahead give me bad comments for telling the fuckin truth!

  • How about a good comment!

    In fact, you get a great comment!

  • Actually this did sound like the Doors and for good reason....Burton idolized Jim and still does. He was trying to catch Morrisons sound at that time and Burton has said so himself.

  • The "Wheatfield Soul" album has been remastered and reissued with bonus tracks! I just got a copy two weeks ago. It sounds fantastic, dare I say, even better than my original vinyl copy. Both Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman talk about this track in the liner notes. Yes, it was obviously influenced by The Doors but also by The Who's "A Quick One While He's Away" as a mini-operetta.

  • B-bab-b-bab-b-bab-b-bab-b-bab-­b-baby

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jim Morrisonish?

  • You are correct.

  • There's a bio on the G.W. I read-"No Sugar Tonight" and "New Mother Nature" are expressions of Bachman & Cummings diverging philosophies. Like, wow-"Friends of Mine" never turns up on best-of Guess Who comps, for some reason. I appreciate hearing this again-oh no! The 13 steps...

  • The Guess Who used to cover Doors tunes on the Canadian TV show they were on. I have two Doors songs they did, Touch Me and Light My Fire. Sounds pretty close to Morrison. But there's also a version of Light My Fire in the Jose Feliciano style too. I guess he wanted to be Jose too.

  • groovy...thanks for creating!

  • Yeah alright... Brings me back to clyde clifford on KAAY and those late night tunes. They should bring this one back to their concert tours.

  • I use to listen to Clyde Clifford all the time. Up in North Wi. What a great show he had, Beaker Street.

  • Wow, What a blast from the past !!! It's amazing that Little Rock could be recieved in South WI much less North WI.

    Where have the good times gone??

  • The whole upper midwest use to listen to good old Clyde. We would all be tripping and driving around and when you heard that strange music to begin the show the joints would fire up...I found him on youtube about a year ago.

  • Cool tune. First time hearing it. Too bad all those years without this tune......

  • somebody gave you a thumbs downs, obviously not understanding your comment. so I leveled you off with a thumbs up.

  • Holy crap. Ive never heard this song before. But The Guess Who is one of my favorite bands just behind The Doors. With this song I get both of them lol. Never had any idea Burton Cummings wanted to be Jim Morrison so badly. Listened to this song and then Horse Latitudes or When The Musics Over. Eery

  • In all honesty, I don't think Burton wanted "to be Jim Morrison". I could be wrong, but just because a certain song has a similar style doesn't necessarily mean that artist is trying to imitate a previous one.

    That's like saying every heavy metal band wants to be like black Sabbath or every Country singer wants to be like Johnny Cash.

  • Ok saying he "wanted to be Jim" was over the top. But I think its pretty apparent that The Guess Who has been listening to The Doors heavily before recording this song. It is a very unique song and its hard to point out any influences apart from The Doors and Jim Morrison.

  • backmaskman,

    Not meant to disagree, but if you listen (which you probably have) to the last :30 seconds of "Hang On To Your Life," you get a bit of Morrison like poetry from Burton Cummings.

    Peace.

    Rock

  • thats a cite from the bible

    psalm 22 i believe

  • I did read somewhere, an interview with Bachman, that Burton was heavily into the Doors at that time (he was 19) and that's why they did that tune. Bachman tried to talk Burton out of it.

  • Well alright then, problem solved.

    But being influenced by The Doors and being a wanna-Doors are two different things.

    Which was the whole point of my side of the argument to begin with.

  • I think as fare as the key boards go burton has a little more artistic talent, what could it have been if burton was in the doors?

  • Wouldn't it have been interested if the surviving members of The Doors had invited Cummings to be their lead vocalists in 1971 after Morrison's death? Not sure if Cummings would have accepted of course, or if The Doors would have even considered asking him, since The Guess Who hadn't started going downhill at that point. Plus, it would have been a bit awkward since both Cummings and Manzarek were both keyboardists. Cummings certainly was as good as singer as Morrison, & just as theatrical.

  • I am just imagining in my mind Cummings/Doors versions of "Friends of Mine", "Talisman", "Undun", "Hang On to Your Life", etc., and also Cummings singing "Light My Fire", "The End", not to mention the songs on The Doors "Other Voices" and "Full Circle".

  • @christomacin well good sir,did you know that the guess who covered light my fire (both the doors way and the jose feliciano way) and touch me. they also covered white room by cream. its all on the album "lets Go",

  • I'm not denying that, I mean that could very well be the case.

  • @Barbon34 listen to this,then listen to "Soft Parade".

  • @Barbon34

    After the release of this album this song was taken off and I researched and could find no mention of it. I have the original vinyl and this song blew every ones mind. I think it was to graphic so they took it off the album. No one will say anything about it.

  • Restnpeac is my dead brother. I just talk for him. Killed by a psychiatrist with a little help from his friends.l (A Hospital)

  • Didn't finish. My fault! Such a true, believing song, Oh My! Whispers such sweet words into my tiny ears & brain. I love the part about "And where was God?" Do you know where God is? Who in the Hell fuck knows? EVERWHERE. but it's all over but it's alright!!!!!

  • Great tune, really Doors-ish in my opinion.

  • nofortunatesonII!

    You said it! It's a great song but it sounds just like JM & The doors... But I really like it and I am buying the CD! I think Burton did a great job and you can't deny that!

  • GREAT SONG! Was thinking about it the other day. Great job! Thanks!

  • I would listen to this song on the BIG 1090 KAAY, A.M. Little Rock on Beeker Street with Clyde Cllifford, when I was in high school, 1968, my Jr. year.I was never able to find the album Wheat Field Soul. I am going to see if they released it on cd.. I haven't found a quality posting for Jamie Brockett and the legend of the USS Titanic.

  • The rare & great titanic post is up in two(2) parts:

    Legend of the U.S.S. Titanic - Jaime Brockett

  • My folks have it on vinyl.

    .fun fact

  • @checotahki it is one line in CDb just gotta look around to find it

  • @checotahkid

    Wow you gave me goose bumps. I grew up in Kansas City and we would sit out on our front steps and listen to KAAY and hear all the music they would not play on the radio. That is where I heard this song. Clyde is still around

  • And that means Michael's wife is now a mother...

  • gotta get a 2 ton truck ......haha i heard this when i was a fukn kid........and i aquired it on album sumthin the elders could never do .........at least here in THA STATES

  • ♥♫

  • OH MY GOD! Almost forgot how good this song is! Great post!

  • killer song! one of the era's best!! this, and Truckin' Off Across the Sky are 2 of my all-time Guess Who favorites!!

  • "none of us will ever go there because we're far too groovy"

  • greatest line ever :P

  • get off the Doors comparson

  • where is my bong?

  • Such an underrated tune for the psychedelic classics.

  • a good rock, nothing compare with the doors, the doors are the doors and the guess who are the guess who, remember the year and you will find that this kind of songs were common.

  • this is the guess who trying to be like the doors

  • I don't think they're really trying to be the doors, but even if they were I say they did a pretty good job.

    but still, a lot of music in this generation in particular sort of had that weird, trippy feeling.

  • here ,here...!

  • But Buton Cummings is still with us. And where is Jim Morrison? Dead fuck. I rest my case.

  • drugs werent as good in Canada, lol, j/k im sure burton just draank the pints.maybe smoked some grass, best vocalist well top 5 in canada...

  • thats not fair to say, there are plenty of people who were smart with drugs, we just don't hear about em. like Paul Mccartney, he was a cokehead, and now hes out savin baby seals!

  • Actually, I'm not sure about the rest of the band but Burton was and is a big fan of Jim Morrison and the Door.  And if I remember correctly (From the 'American Woman' biography) this was his tribute to them.

  • well, chances are this is a tribute.

    I think the phrase "trying to be Morrison" is a little sketchy though.

  • Oh yeah, of course, I wasn't disagreeing with you...Just offering an explainition as to why this tune has a Doors vibe.

  • I know, I was just quoting the phrase in general.

  • haven't heard this song in a few decades. always loved it. morrisonish rock..art..poetry...music

  • Groovy flashback to the past

  • One of the best drummers in the biz. Trippy ass song. Good times to party to!!

  • Incredible song, thanks for the post!

  • trippy song

  • anyone else thinks this sounds like the doors the end? if i remember right, just with out the organ

  • i gotta get a 2 ton truck. brilliant.

  • i've got to do it to a duck on a two ton truck

  • And Fade Away!!

  • too bad you couldnt fit the whole song lol

  • it's only missing a few seconds where it fades out at the end

  • i first heard this while in a van at nags head NC during a terrible storm, the roads were flooded and the weather was just horrid.

    i shit bricks, i kid you not...

    [Matt]

  • i hear this song once a while on q107 out of toronto on phychedelic sunday  i am in buffalo ny great recertion

    great song

  • YES! I go to sleep and I wake up every morning to the mighty Q107.

  • haha me too

    the lake ftw

  • Trippy Song.....Great

  • and where was GOD?

  • this song is bad ass

    morrison voice!!!