Wheatfield Soul is the fourth studio album by the Canadian rock band the Guess Who, released in March 1969. Their first RCA Records release, the album is also notable for being the first full-length Guess Who album to feature Burton Cummings exclusively on lead vocals, without original lead singer Chad Allan. Featuring the US top 10 hit "These Eyes", it marked the beginning of the band's international success.
| Wheatfield Soul | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1969 | |||
| Recorded | September 1968 | |||
| Studio | A & R Studios, New York | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:27 | |||
| Label | Nimbus 9, RCA Records | |||
| Producer | Jack Richardson | |||
| The Guess Who chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Wheatfield Soul | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[2] |
| Rolling Stone | (positive)[3] |
Release history
editWheatfield Soul was not a commercial success. "These Eyes" was released as a single. Wheatfield Soul is the group's first psychedelic LP[4] that also focuses on British influenced pop and rock.[5] An original version of "Friends of Mine" is on the Guess Who's posthumous compilation This Time Long Ago.
Added to the 2009 remastered CD version was "When Friends Fall Out," "Guess Who Blues," and "Of a Dropping Pin." This version of "When Friends Fall Out" never made it to any original, early Guess Who albums. A later re-recording appeared on American Woman.
Track listing
editOriginal release
editAll songs written by Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings except where noted.
Side one
- "These Eyes" – 3:45
- "Pink Wine Sparkles in the Glass" – 2:13
- "I Found Her in a Star" (Cummings) – 2:36
- "Friends of Mine" – 10:04
Side two
- "When You Touch Me" (Bachman, Cummings, Rob Matheson) – 3:38
- "A Wednesday in Your Garden" (Bachman) – 3:20
- "Lightfoot" (Bachman, Cummings, Matheson) – 3:07
- "Love and a Yellow Rose" – 5:05
- "Maple Fudge" – 1:49
- "We're Coming to Dinner" – 2:43
2009 Remastered CD (IconoClassic ICON 1008)
edit- "These Eyes"
- "Pink Wine Sparkles in the Glass"
- "I Found Her in a Star"
- "Friends of Mine"
- "When You Touch Me"
- "A Wednesday in Your Garden"
- "Lightfoot"
- "Love and a Yellow Rose"
- "Maple Fudge"
- "We're Coming to Dinner"
- "When Friends Fall Out" – 3:17 (#75 Canada, July 1968)
- "Guess Who Blues" – 3:31
- "Of a Dropping Pin" – 3:24 (#97 Canada, December 1968)
Personnel
editThe Guess Who
- Burton Cummings – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, flute
- Randy Bachman – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Kale – bass, backing vocals
- Garry Peterson – drums
- Production
- Jack Richardson − producer
- Ben McPeek − musical director
- David Greene − engineer
- Elliot Scheiner − engineer
- CD Mastered by Bob Irwin at Sundazed Studios, Coxsackie, New York, and Vic Anesini at Sony Music Studios, New York City
Charts
edit| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 45 |
References
edit- ^ Wheatfield Soul at AllMusic
- ^ Christgau, Robert (July 31, 1969). "Consumer Guide (2)". The Village Voice. Music section. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- ^ Edmonds, Nancy (14 June 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone. No. 35. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 36.
- ^ Riley Haas (13 September 2013). The Beatles Are the Greatest Rock Band of All Time and I Can Prove It. Riley Haas. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-9921513-0-0.
- ^ Wheatfield Soul at AllMusic
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5989". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "The Guess Who Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
External links
edit- Wheatfield Soul at Discogs (list of releases)