I always had a soft spot for The Guess Who. Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings could write some really great songs. Both of them shared the credit on this one. I had a greatest hits package by the Guess Who given to me by a relative. At the time, I thought the Guess Who and The Who were the same. The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive were regulars on A.M. Radio in the 1970s. Randy Bachman would leave The Guess Who in 1970 and form BTO.
The Guess Who formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1958. They would release their version of Shakin’ All Over in 1965. Their name came about when their label Quality Records released their first hit single (“Shakin’ All Over”) credited only to “Guess Who?” in an attempt to build a mystique around the band. They wanted the public to believe that this was a possible British band. The real name of the band was “Chad Allan & The Expressions,” but radio station DJs continued to refer to them as “The Guess Who.” when playing subsequent singles.
This song was on the album Canned Wheat released in 1969. The album had three charting singles No Time, Undone, and Laughing. The album peaked at #91 on the Billboard Album Charts and #23 in Canada. The song peaked at #1 in Canada, #5 on the Billboard 100, and #16 in New Zealand in 1969-1970.
The most significant reunion occurred in 1983 when Bachman, Cummings, Kale, and Peterson reunited for a concert and the live album Together Again. In 2000, another major reunion tour, “Running Back Thru Canada,” featured Bachman and Cummings and was a huge success, reviving interest in the band.
No Time
(No time left for you)
On my way to better things
(No time left for you)
I’ll find myself some wings
(No time left for you)
Distant roads are calling me
(No time left for you)
Mm-da, mm-da, mm-da, mm-da, mm-da
No time for a summer friend
No time for the love you send
Seasons change and so did I
You need not wonder why
You need not wonder why
There’s no time left for you
No time left for you
(No time left for you)
On my way to better things
(No time left for you)
I’ll find myself some wings
(No time left for you)
Distant roads are calling me
(No time left for you)
Mm-day, mm-gay, mm-day, mm-gay, mm-day
No time for a gentle rain
No time for my watch and chain
No time for revolving doors
No time for the killing floor
No time for the killing floor
There’s no time left for you
No time left for you
No time for a summer friend
No time for the love you send
Seasons change and so did I
You need not wonder why
You need not wonder why
There’s no time left for you
No time left for you
No time, no time, no time, no time
No time, no time, no time, no time
I got, got, got, got no time
I got, got, got, got no time
I got, got, got, got no time
No, no, no, no, no, no, no time
No, no, no, no, no, no, no time
I got, got, got, got no time
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no time
I got no time, got no time, got no time, no time, got no time
Got no time, got no time
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Great tune and for a brief time with Bachman, the band’s best music. Although Burton did alright without Randy, it wasn’t quite the same.
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I agree there was a drop off.
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I always loved Burton Cummings voice and the songs of The Guess Who! Something so melodic and haunting about it.
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I always loved them too
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Good stuff Max. I’m glad they settled that law suit with the other Guess Who but you can’t blame these old rock dudes that are all trying to make a living lol. Now I wait for Burton and Randy to sue each other and the cycle will be complete. lol
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LOL…I’m sure it will happen….probably…again!
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Quality song I grew up with. Up to about ’74 they could do no wrong in the eyes (ears) of Canadian radio…and it had a point. Excellent run of singles and as Randy points out, probably at their peak when the other Randy, (Bachman) was part of it.
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They did have a great run of singles and BTO didn’t do too bad themselves…I hated that Randy left though.
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What a classic voice…my brother & I discovered a couple of their old 45’s from the early 70’s in the middle to late 70’s. ‘American Woman’…Lenny Kravitz did a great version of that song on his best album 25 years ago.
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He did a good version of that song…but yea I grew up with them and BTO on A.M. Radio
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I like the way the bass notes in this song just seem to go boom right at you and that, “got, got, got no time” in the end is classic.
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I love the ending as well…I like the sustained note Randy keeps at the end.
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One of my favorites from that era.
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They did have a string of really good singles for a while.
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I like this one with the strange intro
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Yes it is! I never noticed it before.
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So strange DJs refused to use their real band name. I like those 3 hits you mention. All radio fodder for those times.
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They had quite a few hits…a band that is not remembered as well.
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They were damned good for that 5 year period. This song is a nice fusion of heavy rock and pop. ‘No Sugar’ uses that same template. Hell of a good vocal, crunchy guitars, thumping drums- what’s not to like?
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Yea I liked them and BTO…between the two they came up with some good songs.
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“No Time” is such a catchy song, and the harmony singing is pretty sweet. While I’ve yet to explore The Guess Who in greater detail, I really like what I’ve heard thus far.
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They really had quite a few hits along with BTO…for some reason I think BTO is known more.
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I think you’re right about BTO’s greater popularity. I heard of them long before I did of The Guess Who.
“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” got plenty of airtime on my favorite pop radio station back in Germany. Interestingly, I recall it much better than “Taking Care of Business,” which I know got lots of (over)exposure in the U.S.
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It’s kinda weird…they had hits but I don’t think as much as The Guess Who…maybe it’s because they came a little later and they rocked more…Randy really cranked his guitar up in those songs.
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Always loved the Guess Who. So many good hits. Actually saw a band calling itself The Guess Who in the late ’80s or early ’90s. One original band member, and it wasn’t Bachman or Cummings.
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Yea they have had a lot of troubles at the other people running around with the name.
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Good song. I loved The Guess Who.
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They were really good…
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Oh, yes…
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They were all over the radio back then. That one album was their best. Good choice to write about, Max.
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If “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, they loved Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.
I guess a note-for-note copy as a cover is one way to get a recording contract. Once they had a foot in the door they made some catchy pop music. I did like the cleverness of the album cover – combining the reference to being from the wheat fields of Manitoba with a nod to Canned Heat.
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The Best of the Guess Who was the very first album i ever owned! (i think i was in eighth grade). thanks for the memories ❤
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They really are underrated in a way…a lot of hits!
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I love(d) the Guess Who’s string of singles beginning with “These Eyes” (which was one of the earliest 45 singles I remember buying) up to and including this song. I can’t stand “American Woman”.
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The Guess Who represents one legendary band I will definitely buy tickets to see even if they lack original members to watch. They highly deserve to be in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame
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