Happy Birthday Randy Bachman!

Celebrating Randy Bachman's 80th birthday with The Guess Who's classic ripper "It's My Pride" and a Valerie Pringle interview. 

How Randy Bachman developed his own fuzz distortion unit with Gar Gilles

The Guess Who's Randy Bachman and Gar Gilles of Garnet Amps developed the "Herzog" pre-amp in 1962 – before fuzz pedals. 

Writes Randy...

“Me with a Herzog unit (above). This was a two 12AX7 tube preamp invented by myself and Gar Gillies who built Garnet Amps in Winnipeg. This preamp with my ‘59 Les Paul into a Garnet Amp was the sound of American Woman.  The result was called the “woman tone.”  

“We made the Herzog in about 1962 before there were any foot pedals or fuzzy ones.  I was reading the book Herzog by Saul Bellow. Gar and l kept calling it “the thing” or the “noise thing”. He suggested we get an actual name for it. I pulled the book out of my pocket and voilà.”  

 

Nicky Thomas vs. The Guess Who

The Nicky Thomas tune credited as "Lonely Feeling" is actually the Guess Who's "No Sugar Tonight" – you're welcome Randy Bachman. 

The Thanes vs. The Fleshtones

Watch The Thanes take on The Fleshtones in a battle over The Guess Who's It's My Pride.