September 6, 1969 (1 week)
It had been over four years since the group that had now fully committed to their alter ego last appeared at the top of the Canadian pop charts. Back then they were officially known as Chad Allan and the Expressions but their quaint name no longer meant much since all but guitarist Randy Bachman had left just a year after their eye-popping version of "Shakin' All Over" hit the top. The novelty of having everyone try to guess who they were then turned into a permanent name, one that would completely overtake their previous monkier. Guess Who? No, now they were The Guess Who.
While it took them a while to return to the top of the RPM hit parade, The Guess Who were chart regulars throughout the mid to late sixties. They would have nine further Top 40 entries following "Shakin' All Over", with "Tossin' and Turnin'", "Hey Ho, What You Do to Me" and "Believe Me" all reaching the Top 10. The former is most significant as it was Bachman's first self-composed hit. Though still featuring Chad Allan on vocals, it marked the entry point for a young Burton Cummings who filled in on piano. An invigorating single, "Believe Me" mixed British Invasion hooks with American garage rock sass. As if auditioning for a spot, Cummings' keyboard solo is incredible and invites speculation as to how they would've turned out had Allan remained behind the mic. (I say they would've been more accomplished musically even though their records wouldn't have been as good)
Despite the continuing hits there were signs that diminishing returns were setting in. After the single "His Girl" peaked at number nineteen, they would would struggle to make much of an impact on the upper section of the charts. The group still relied on outside composers and cover versions but the Bachman/Cummings team were beginning to write together. Little of quality resulted at first but then in 1969 "These Eyes" returned them to relevance.
It's actually surprising that I am reviewing the relatively forgettable "Laughing" rather than its predecessor. "These Eyes" has Cummings' soulful, laid back vocals and has a middle-of-the-road quality to it that ought to have put it over the top. Sure, its chart placings — number seven in Canada, six down in the States, their highest placement on the Hot 100 to date — were encouraging but they seem a little harsh in retrospect. For one thing, it is sometimes credited as being the catalyst for the Canadian Invasion of the United States which would make more sense had it gone all the way to number one. Up in Canada "These Eyes" would end up walking so that "Laughing" could run.
I did wonder if perhaps "Laughing" benefited from a lull in the quality of singles as Canadian kids were heading back to school that September but it faced respectable competition (The Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women", Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue", Motherlode's "When I Die" and The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar" made up the rest of the Top 5 that week). Hot on the heels of a pair of Canadians who'd had the previous two number ones, it's possible there was a push to complete the trio — although I have to say this seems pretty unlikely. For whatever reason, a passable rocker managed to return the Winnipeg foursome to the top when a much better single had failed to do so. Them's the breaks, I guess.
Not so much a welcome return as a minor let down, "Laughing" is the only one of a quartet of Guess Who chart toppers that really didn't need to peak that high. They did far better way back when they were still known as Chad Allan and the Expressions, they did far better with their previous single and they would have far better to come. With changes in lineup and yo-yoing popularity, The Guess Who were still very much a work in progress.
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As I mention above, "Laughing" was the third straight RPM number one by a Canadian group or artist. Considering the scarcity of domestic chart toppers up until this point, this is a considerable achievement. Whatsmore, all three — Andy KIm's "Baby, I Love You", Motherlode's aforementioned hit and The Guess Who themsevles — managed to make it into the Top 20 of the Hot 100 as well. Even with Canadian pop reaching its zenith, three homegrown number ones on the bounce isn't something that will happen for a long time. I haven't looked it up specifically though I do think it will occur again in 1996. Can it happen between now and then? Only time will tell. (But no, it almost certainly won't)
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