Canned Wheat

Canned Wheat
Studio album by The Guess Who
Released	September 1969
Recorded	1969 at RCA Studio A, New York, New York
Genre	Rock
Length	40:12
Label	Nimbus 9, RCA
Producer	Jack Richardson
The Guess Who chronology
Wheatfield Soul (1968) Canned Wheat (1969) American Woman (1970)

Canned Wheat is an album released in 1969 by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. It peaked at #91 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts. 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 hit 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, dubs of "Laughing" and "Undun" were sent to RCA. When RCA released "Laughing" and "Undun" as a single and began to hit the charts, RCA wanted an album put as soon as possible. There was no time to re-record the rest of the material and Canned Wheat was released, as recorded at RCA studio, yet including "Laughing" and "Undun" 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 1980's. 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.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Rolling Stone	(favorable) link

Original track listing

All songs written by Randy Bachman and 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

10. "Species Hawk" - 5:06
11. "Silver Bird" - 1:44

Personnel

• Randy Bachman – guitar, sitar, background vocals
• Burton Cummings – vocals, organ, harmonica, piano, guitar, keyboards, flute
• Jim Kale – bass, background vocals
• Garry Peterson – drums, percussion, conga, tabla, background vocals