BILL and SUE-ON HILLMAN: A 60-YEAR MUSICAL ODYSSEY
ROOTS AND WINGS SECTION
Presents
www.hillmanweb.com/chadallan/press3.html
CHAD ALLAN
Remembered by Rock Historian
John Einarson
www.facebook.com/groups/johneinarsonremembersBorn on March 29, 1943, Allan Kowbel better known as Chad Allan, the godfather of Winnipeg rock 'n' roll. Allan formed Al & the Silvertones (aka Allan's Silvertones) at Miles MacDonell Collegiate in East Kildonan in 1959. With personnel changes including the recruitment of St. Vital musicians Jim Kale on bass and piano player Bob Ashley and long after, the addition of lead guitarist Randy Bachman and youngest member, drummer Garry Peterson, both from West Kildonan, the band renamed themselves Chad Allan & the Reflections with Chad on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. The band released two singles in 1963, "Tribute To Buddy Holly" and "Shy Guy", becoming one of the finest bands on the local and provincial scene and the first local band to play Beatles and Merseybeat songs. In 1964 the group released the instrumental single "Made In England" backed by "Inside Out" as Bob Ashley & the Reflections followed by the very British sounding "Stop Teasing Me", credited to Chad Allan & the Original Reflections in deference to Detroit group The Reflections who scored a big hit that year with "Just Like Romeo & Juliet". However our guys had not copyright the Reflections name and were forced to change their name to Chad Allan & the Expressions.The newly renamed band entered CJAY televisions Polo Park studio where, in a frigid late night December in 1964 in the cavernous room where Teen Dance Party was shot each week, Chad Allan & the Expressions recorded what would become not only their signature recording but a national and international hit, "Shakin' All Over". Chad's voice was raw after singing an entire night's show prior to the session as well as suffering a cold. Nonetheless, his voice and the band's playing made history that night.
In an effort to curry interest from Canadian radio programmers, Toronto-based Quality Records released the single to stations in January 1965 with the single credit "Guess Who?". The single quickly climbed the charts becoming either Top 5 or better right across Canada by March. The single was released to the public as alternatively simply as Guess Who or Chad Allan & the Expressions Guess Who. With a hit record on their hands, Quality Records informed the band that their new name was Guess Who or The Guess Who. While none of the band members liked the name, Chad was particularly miffed since his name and role as leader of the band was no longer singled out.
The Guess Who followed with further Canadian hits and also traveled to New York in June 1965 to record for Scepter Records after that label licensed "Shakin' All Over" for US distribution. The US release made it to #22 on the Billboard charts. Pianist Bob Ashley left the group in December of that year. The other band members wanted a feisty North End teenager, Burton Cummings, to join. Chad was not a party to that decision and found himself at odds with Cummings who was hired as a keyboard player and second vocalist. As a result, Chad left the group he founded and lead to fame at the end of May 1966 after the recording of the band's third album, It's Time, featuring both vocalists.
Chad returned to United College (later the University of Winnipeg) to complete a degree in psychology meanwhile playing lounges and clubs often as Chad Allan & the Sticks and Strings. In 1967 he was hired as host of CBC TV's Winnipeg edition of 5:30 pm's Music Hop. Later that year, CBC renamed the show Let's Go and hired his former band The Guess Who as house band. It was an uneasy alliance between the two.
In the fall of 1970, Chad chanced to run into Randy Bachman at CBC in Winnipeg. Bachman had left the Guess Who back in May of that year after an amazing two year run of million-selling records. Ostensibly recording a solo album, Chad invited Randy to participate and from that emerged Brave Belt, a Bachman-fronted country-rockish band with Chad as lead singer. By the time of their debut album and single "In A Rock 'n' Roll Band" penned by Chad, Beefy singer/bassist Fred Turner had joined Brave Belt. Once again Chad found himself at odds with another singer in the band. For their second album, Fred and Randy were beginning to push for a tougher sound. Chad stayed long enough to contribute two tracks to that album, notably one of his finest if not the finest song he's ever recorded, "Dunrobin's Gone" co-written with Barry Erickson. Not long after, the band morphed into hard rockers Bachman-Tuner Overdrive. Once again Chad exited a group on the cusp of fame and fortune.
Chad remained a fixture on the local scene as well as on CBC. He released further singles and a solo album, Looking Through Crystal Glass in 1968 as well as recording with Karen Marklinger and Corrine Cyca as The Metrognomes before relocating to Vancouver where he taught songwriting at Kwantlin College and played lounges for the next three decades. In 2015, he was made a member of the Order of Manitoba "for his contributions to the Canadian music industry including the pivotal role he played in the creation of two legendary Winnipeg rock bands: The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive." Neil Young sent a laudatory note acknowledging Chad's role in inspiring his own career.
On August 27, 2017, it was reported by the CBC that Allan had suffered a "serious stroke" four days earlier (August 23) and was recovering in a British Columbia hospital. He continues to be in recovery.
Quite simply, without Chad Allan there would have been no Guess Who and thus no Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Burton Cummings may have remained a local phenom as might guitarist Kurt Winter, Greg Leskiw, Donnie McDougall and bassist Bill Wallace. Without the Guess Who there would have been no Mood Jga Jga, no Crowcuss and no Kilowatt. The list goes on. Despite not reveling in the wealth and fame of his two former bands, Chad Allan was a king maker and a key figure in Canadian rock 'n' roll's evolution to world class status.
Below is the note Neil Young sent to the Order of Manitoba ceremony on the occasion of Chad Allan's induction. The note was read out to the assembled crowd by the Lt. Governor and received a huge loud positive response. Chad was blown away by Neil's words.
Congratulations Allan, on this long overdue recognition. Your contribution to Winnipeg and Canadian rock and roll history is huge! You have been a huge inspiration to me since the early days of Allan and the Silvertones. I stood on the floor looking up at you, Randy and Jimmy as you led the Silvertones through many great Winnipeg appearances, forever influencing me.
Thanks Allan and everyone in the Silvertones! You Rock!
Neil Young
Chad Allan and the Expressions
