Canned Wheat

Canned Wheat
Studio album by The Guess Who
Released September 1969
Recorded 1969 at RCA Studio A, New York, New York
Genre
Length 40:12
Label Nimbus 9 4157 (CAN)
RCA Victor 4157 (US)
Buddha (re-release)
Producer Jack Richardson
The Guess Who chronology
Wheatfield Soul
(1969)		 Canned Wheat
(1969)		 American Woman
(1970)
Singles from Canned Wheat
  1. "Of a Dropping Pin"
    Released: 1968
  2. "Laughing"
    Released: 1969
  3. "Undun"
    Released: 1969

Canned Wheat is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. It peaked at #91 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.[1] Two of the band's hits were taken from the album: "Laughing" and "Undun". The album also includes a version of "No Time" which would later be re-recorded for their American Woman album and released as a single.

The band was sent to record the follow-up to Wheatfield Soul at RCA Studios in New York City. As per company policy at the time, RCA artists were to use the company's own studios. Wheatfield Soul was cut independently and before the band signed with RCA. The band and their producer Jack Richardson felt that the sound at RCA was inferior to that of the independent A&R Studios, where Wheatfield Soul was recorded. They duly recorded Canned Wheat at RCA and secretly re-recorded two of the strongest numbers "Laughing" and "Undun" at A&R. To prove the point that the RCA studio was unsuitable, A&R dubs of "Laughing" and "Undun" were sent to RCA. When RCA released "Laughing" and "Undun" as a two-sided single and it began to hit the charts, RCA wanted an album put out as soon as possible. There was no time to re-record the rest of the material, so Canned Wheat was released, as recorded at RCA studios, yet including the "Laughing" and "Undun" versions cut at A&R.

Canned Wheat was first issued as RCA Victor LSP 4157. It was re-issued as an RCA budget line release ANL1 0981 and later reissued by budget label Pickwick as ACL 7067. A Quadraphonic mix was available only on the Quadraphonic 8-track cartridge format.

The first CD issue was by RCA in the late 1980s. It was then remastered and re-released on CD by Buddah Records in 2000 and included two bonus tracks. The first run of Buddah CD pressings accidentally replaced the song "Species Hawk" with "Miss Frizzy". This was corrected on the second run and the pressings with "Miss Frizzy" are collector's items now. Both songs ("Silver Bird" and "Miss Frizzy") are featured on the 1976 album The Way They Were. The album consists of a string of the groups pop rock and psychedelic hit singles and remains a rock classic.[2][3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Rolling Stone(favorable) link

Original track listing

All songs written by Randy Bachman/Burton Cummings except as noted.

  1. "No Time" - 5:37
  2. "Minstrel Boy" - 3:18
  3. "Laughing" - 3:05
  4. "Undun" (Bachman) - 4:17
  5. "6 A.M. or Nearer" (Bachman) - 5:24
  6. "Old Joe" (Cummings) - 3:07
  7. "Of a Dropping Pin" - 3:42
  8. "Key" - 11:24
  9. "Fair Warning" - 1:44

2000 re-issue bonus tracks

  1. "Miss Frizzy" - 5:06
  2. "Silver Bird" - 2:43

Notes

The single version of Undun is 3:28, omitting the frantic piano intro and the country-folk like guitar at the end.

Personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Peak Position
1969 Billboard 200 91

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1968 "Of a Dropping Pin" Canada 97
1969 "Laughing" 1
Billboard Hot 100 10
"Undun" Canada 21
Australia 73
Billboard Hot 100 22

References

  1. ↑ The Guess Who, Canned Wheat Chart Position Retrieved March 16, 2015
  2. ↑ Canned Wheat at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Dave Marsh; John Swenson (12 October 1983). The new Rolling stone record guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-394-72107-1.
  4. ↑ The Guess Who, Canned Wheat Credits Retrieved March 16, 2015
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