Randy Bachman has no flies on him when it comes to playing guitar. Some of neighbor Lennie Breau’s licks rubbed off on him and Bachman remains an icon in Canadian music. However, the Guess Who never fell apart when he left. In fact some of their biggest and most memorable hits came afterward penned and guitared by another Winnipegger, Kurt Winter.

Kurt Winter

Kurt Winter was no rock star. He looked “frumpy” dressed in his jeans and familiar Sound by Garnet sleeveless sweatshirt while the band’s peacock, Burton Cummings strutted the stage. But his guitar was rock solid.

Not only that he was a great songwriter. In fact he wrote Bus Rider and Hand Me Down World, two of my all-time favourites and he co-wrote Albert Flasher with Cummings. He was also in the band for the hit Star Baby.

So, it would seem that Winter was in the band for more hits than Bachman yet he is rarely mentioned by Cummings and Bachman. Of course Bachman never mentions BTO either. It seems he has a very selective memory

Anyway, here’s to Kurt Winter, a real Canadian rocker.