Chad Allan was the voice of Winnipeg music in the 1960s. Just hearing him singing the opening lines “When you move in right up close to me, that’s when I get the chills all over me,” from the Guess Who’s 1965 hit single Shakin’ All Over instantly transports us back to community club dances and high school sock hops. “Shakin’ All Over” put Winnipeg on the international music map and turned Chad Allan into a bona fide rock star right on our doorstep.
That distinctive voice was silenced on November 21, 2023. Chad Allan passed away peacefully at his home in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife Christine by his side. He was 80 years of age.
Born Allan Peter Stanley Kowbel in 1943, Allan was raised on Melbourne Avenue in East Kildonan. His musical journey began on accordion where he soon proved proficient enough to teach accordion to younger players. He would switch to guitar in the latter 1950s after discovering rock ‘n’ roll, forming his first band with school mates at Miles MacDonell Collegiate around 1958. Taking the name Allan’s Silvertones or Al & The Silvertones, Allan was the singer, frontman and lead guitarist. The band’s reputation gradually grew beyond East Kildonan attracting interest from other players across the city. As band members began dropping out, Allan was able to recruit some of the best players in town including pianist Bob Ashley and bass player Jim Kale from St. Vital, and West Kildonan’s Randy Bachman on lead guitar, relieving Chad of that role, and drummer Garry Peterson. By 1963, having changed their name to Chad Allan & The Reflections, Allan taking his stage name from the Chad Mitchell Trio and the band name inspired by British instrumental group The Shadows, they were the top band in the city.
Chad Allan & The Reflections released their debut single, “Tribute to Buddy Holly”, a cover of a UK single by Mike Berry & The Outlaws, in February 1963. The single allowed the band to tour across western Canada. Further singles followed, all featuring Chad Allan’s voice and solid instrumental backing. After Detroit vocal group The Reflections scored a North American hit in 1964 with “Just Like Romeo and Juliet”, Winnipeg’s Reflections quickly transformed into The Expressions and carried on.
In December 1964, having played a high school dance earlier in the evening, Chad Allan & The Expressions convened at CJAY’s TV’s Polo Park facility to record their next single. Manager Bob Burns, best known as host of Teen Dance Party, arranged for the group to use the large empty television studio to record two songs, both cover songs. With only one microphone suspended from the ceiling, the group crowded together to lay down the tracks. “Till We Kissed”, a cover of a song by American rhythm ‘n’ blues artist Arthur Alexander, was designated as the A-side. The group then ran through the intended B-side, a song they had been playing in their live sets for a couple of years. Shakin’ All Over had been a UK hit in 1960 for Johnny Kidd & The Pirates but Chad and the band gave the song a raw, raucous, uptempo arrangement. Suffering a cold as well as the ravages of a full night’s singing, Chad’s voice had a gritty sound along with a slight nod to an English accent.
When the tape was sent to Quality Records in Toronto, the label decided to use a ploy to get radio station programmers to
give the single a spin. In January 1965, the single was sent out to radio stations across the country with “Guess Who” as the lone credit as the recording artist. The subterfuge piqued the curiosity of programmers who gave the 45 a spin. But it was the B-side that grabbed their attention and by March, Shakin’ All Over was Top 5 or better across Canada. Released in the US in June, the single reached #22 on the coveted Billboard singles chart. Quality Records informed them that they now had a new name, Guess Who.
Chad would remain as lead singer with the Guess Who, releasing a half dozen more singles and three albums, until June 1966 when, weary of life on the road, he left citing continuing voice problems. Burton Cummings, already in the band on keyboards since January 1966, took over lead vocals. Chad completed his degree in psychology at the University of Winnipeg before becoming a school guidance counsellor. But music continued to call him.
While recording with ex-band mate Randy Bachman in the fall of 1970, the two decided to turn a Chad Allan project into the band Brave Belt’s debut release. Chad stayed with that band, contributing one of his best songs, Dunrobin’s Gone (“She’s gone and she won’t be back, you must be a happy man”) before bowing out as the band took a harder rock turn, changing their name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Chad carried on as a solo performer, songwriter, and television personality. He released several solo albums as well as recording with vocal group The Metro-Gnomes. In the latter 1970s he moved to Vancouver where he taught songwriting at Kwantlen College.
In 2015, Chad returned to Winnipeg where he was inducted into the Order of Manitoba in recognition of his pivotal role in both local and Canadian music history. Congratulatory messages were read out from both Neil Young and Randy Bachman at the ceremony.
Despite the later success of the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Chad was never bitter about missing out on the financial rewards. He remained upbeat and positive the rest of his life. A series of health issues slowed him down in later years, but his indomitable spirit remained strong. In an often-ruthless music business, Chad was one of the nice guys.
Chad Allan’s legacy will live on every time someone plays Shakin’ All Over.
