PowerPop: Songs I Wish I'd Played Live With a Band (A Mini-Series): Part One -- A Salute to Our Neighbors From the North!!!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Songs I Wish I'd Played Live With a Band (A Mini-Series): Part One -- A Salute to Our Neighbors From the North!!!

From 1970, please enjoy incomparable Canucklehead rockers The Guess Who, who ask the musical question "Does Anybody Know What Time It Is?"

No wait, that was Chicago. This is "No Time."

I regret the error.

This is a nearly perfect record in my book -- that great psychedelic guitar riff as a hook, gorgeous harmonies, and the lovely folk rock guitars on the verse (somebody, presumably Randy Bachmann, is doing a pretty cool Zal Yanovsky impression).

In any event, the Floor Models talked about covering this at some point, but for whatever reason we never got around to it. Pity; I bet it would have been a gas on-stage.

14 comments:

Sal Nunziato said...: Before Ringo's "All-Starr" tours started resembling the cast of "The Cannonball Run 3," there were some really killer line-ups, like 1992. Todd Rundgren, Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe and Burton Cummings. "No Time" was in the set and man was it superb, especially with those guys doing the harmonies.

I'm with you. This song is just about perfect.; 9/30/2013 7:37 AM
buzzbabyjesus said...: I'm with both of you. This song made a huge impact when it came out, and suddenly everyone knew who The Guess Who were.; 9/30/2013 8:14 AM
steve simels said...: Sal -- that Ringo and Friends version of "No Time" is on YouTube, and you are absolutely correct.; 9/30/2013 8:25 AM
Anonymous said...: Hello all...no, please remain seated,

Nice song choice - a real classic. I don't know about you guys but I always heard a bit of the Byrds in the main riff and fills. Which, to be clear, is a compliment.

regards,
RichD; 9/30/2013 9:10 AM
Shemp said...: The song was always the opening number in an old band of mine.; 9/30/2013 10:23 AM
cthulhu said...: I was still in the single digits when this song came out, but it (and "No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature") made enough of an impression on me that I bought a Best of the Guess Who 8-track (sigh...) a few years later, and played it until it wore out. Still will stop and listen to this whenever it comes on the radio.; 9/30/2013 10:36 AM
Anonymous said...: completely under-rated band.

Sour Suite
Rain Dance
Share the Land
Hang on to Your Life
Hand Me Down World

And there was an earlier version of "No Time" recently revealed to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqeSUAlI5uI; 9/30/2013 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...: I prefer the studio version from Canned Wheat!

ROTP(lumber); 9/30/2013 7:46 PM
buzzbabyjesus said...: I like "Rockin'". "Heart Broken Bopper" rocks and so does "Back To The City".; 10/01/2013 12:40 AM
buzzbabyjesus said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/01/2013 12:41 AM
Billy B said...: Cool. I like the original from Canned Wheat ROTP(lumber) mentions above.

Great tune from a great band.; 10/01/2013 8:47 AM
Billy B said...: Oh, and forgot to mention Burton Cummings is a hell of a singer.; 10/01/2013 9:21 AM
Feral said...: Billy B - Seconded! Cummings could do justice to almost any style and genre.; 10/01/2013 2:21 PM
tommy quest said...: only ringo could put together such a line-up of players; 10/01/2013 2:48 PM