It’s been half a century since Burton Cummings wrote his biggest hits.
But for anyone who grew up in Canada in the 1970s, chances are their formative years were saturated in the soundtrack of such Cummings classics as: American Woman, No Time, Share the Land, Hand Me Down World, Laughing, Undun, These Eyes, Clap for the Wolfman, Stand Tall and other songs.
The Winnipegger, known for having one rock ‘n’ roll’s smoothest voices, will be performing for Central Alberta fans at a sold-out Up Close and Alone show Friday at Red Deer’s Memorial Centre.
Although Cummings can’t quite hit the high notes like he used to (he turns 70 on Dec. 31), his still-resonant tones will take audience members on a nostalgic trip back to a more idealistic decade, as he accompanies himself on the piano.
Cummings was raised by his mother and grandparents after his father left when he was a year old. He got into music from an early age, taking piano lessons, and later forming his first band at age 16, upon dropping out of high school.
After recording his second single with the group The Deverons, he was asked to join another Winnipeg band — The Guess Who.
Cummings started as a keyboardist early in 1966, but he soon stepped into the lead singer’s shoes after original frontman, Chad Allan, left the group.
The Guess Who toured the country (and landed a regular stint as house band on the CBC-TV music show Let’s Go!) before recording These Eyes. It became the band’s first international hit in 1969, receiving gold status, with more than a million record sales. Cummings and the group’s guitarist, Randy Bachman, continued their fruitful songwriting partnership with Laughing.
But the band’s greatest success came in 1970 when American Woman climbed to No. 1 in both Canada and the U.S.
The tune was written alternatively, either as an anti-Vietnam War protest song, or as a backhanded compliment to Canadian woman (the lyrics urge American Woman to “stay away from me.”) Either way, it had legs. It was covered by various bands over the years, including the Butthole Surfers and Lenny Kravitz.
As things go in the music biz, the creative partnership between Bachman and Cummings barely outlasted the band’s break-out success. A rift famously formed between the two musicians causing Bachman to depart the band in 1970.
Cummings went on to write and record more iconic Canadian songs as leader of The Guess Who, including Share the Land, Hand Me Down World, Albert Flasher, Sour Suite, and Clap For the Wolfman.
In the mid-70s, he also left the group and was rewarded with a 1977 Juno for his work as a solo artist. Cummings success streak continued with the songs I’m Scared, Break It To Them Gently, and Fine State of Affairs. He charted in and outside of Canada with You Saved My Soul, I Will Play A Rhapsody, and Stand Tall — which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The singer has written for the movies and performed shows — on and off — with Bachman. Cummings was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2009, marking a lifetime of outstanding achievement.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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