Randy Bachman
Encyclopedia
Randolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC
, OM
(icon; born September 27, 1943, in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
) is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist
, songwriter
and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who
, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Bachman was also a member of the band Brave Belt
with Chad Allan
, Union and a band called Ironhorse
, and has recorded numerous solo albums.
He is also a national radio personality
on CBC Radio One
, hosting a weekly music show called Vinyl Tap
.
's King of the Saddle program and age 5 he had started studying the violin in the Royal Toronto Conservatory system. He studied violin until the age of 12 when he grew dissatisfied with the structured lessons. He found that while he couldn't read music, he could play anything if he heard it once; he referred to it as his phonographic memory.
At age 15, Bachman saw Elvis Presley
play on Tommy Dorsey
's television show and the sight of the guitar around Presley's neck inspired him. He learned three chords from his cousin, then started practising on a modified Hawaiian dobro
. At age 16, Bachman met up with Lenny Breau
; over the next two years Breau taught Bachman finger picking
and also introduced him to the music of Chet Atkins
.
In 1959 Bachman bought a ticket to see Les Paul
in concert at a Winnipeg supper club but was unable to get in as he was too young. He instead helped Paul set up before the show and also helped him reload everything into the car after the show. Still a budding guitarist at this point, Bachman asked Paul if he could teach him a guitar lick; Paul ended up teaching his version of "How High the Moon".
. In 1965, the Guess Who had a #1 hit in Canada with their cover of Johnny Kidd's "Shakin' All Over
", which also charted in the U.S. at #22. In 1966, Chad Allan left the band and Burton Cummings
became the primary vocalist. Starting in 1968, the group released three successful albums: Wheatfield Soul
(1968), Canned Wheat
(1969), and American Woman
(1970), which brought them mainstream attention. Bachman wrote or cowrote (primarily with Cummings) most of the group's songs during this period.
In early 1970, the single "American Woman" hit #1 on the U.S. charts, a first for a band from Canada. A group composition, the song critiques the "ghetto scenes" and "war machines" of the U.S., reflecting the Guess Who's experiences of extensive touring in large American cities. With the Vietnam War at its peak, many American males went to Canada to seek refuge from the military draft, a fact that the group's members surely recognized. Surprisingly, Bachman left the band at the height of its popularity, shortly after the release of American Woman. He has been quoted for leaving due to the other band members' lifestyle choices conflicting with his (at that time) Mormon
beliefs and because he wanted to spend more time with his brothers and other family members. He also was suffering health problems from the constant touring and needed to be under a doctor's care, something that was impossible to do on the road.
, Axe, over three days in March 1970. The following year, he formed the group Brave Belt
with Chad Allan. Brave Belt released its first LP, Brave Belt I, in 1971. It had much more of a country-rock
sound than a rock 'n' roll sound, a departure from both Axe and the albums by The Guess Who. Robbie Bachman
, one of Bachman's brothers, was the drummer for Brave Belt, despite being barely 18 years old. Fred Turner
subsequently joined Brave Belt on bass and vocals, resulting in a much heavier sound, which led to the departure of Chad Allan, though Allan still contributed two songs to Brave Belt II in 1972. Left with a three member lineup, Tim Bachman
was added to Brave Belt as the second guitarist.
The group then signed with Mercury Records
in 1973 and changed their name to Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often referred to as "BTO". They released their first self-titled album, Bachman–Turner Overdrive in May 1973.
In December 1973 BTO released their second LP, Bachman–Turner Overdrive II. This album brought the band much more success than their debut, largely due to the hits "Takin' Care of Business
", which charted at #12 in the U.S., and "Let It Ride", which rose to #23. In 1974, they released the LP Not Fragile
, which hit #1 on the album charts. It also contained the #1 single "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" (written by Bachman) and the hit "Roll On Down The Highway", which charted at number 14.
BTO stayed on the charts through the mid-1970s with their next two albums, Four Wheel Drive and Head On and charted more hits with "Hey You", "Take It Like a Man", and the jazz-oriented "Lookin' Out For #1". In late 1976, with the recording of the Freeways
album, some disagreements surfaced within the band. Bachman wrote all but one song and sang on every song but two. Some of the other band members felt that they didn't have enough good material to record and wanted to delay the record. The album did manage to chart at #70 in the U.S., but had no hit singles. Bachman left the band in mid-March 1977.
. It did not chart in the U.S. He formed a band with bassist/singer Tom Sparks, called Ironhorse
, which released its debut album in 1979. It contained the single "Sweet Lui-Louise", which charted at #36 in the U.S. and #26 in Canada, and did well in Europe, particularly Italy. After the tour for this album, Tom Sparks left the band and was replaced by Frank Ludwig. With Ludwig, Ironhorse released a second album, Everything Is Grey, in 1980. In comparison to the rock sound of the first album, the follow-up album had a more pop sound. In 1981, Fred Turner rejoined Bachman and the band released an album under the name Union. (The Turner-led BTO had broken up in early 1980.) Union released one album, titled On Strike.
as himself with his former Bachman–Turner Overdrive bandmates, C.F. Turner and Robin Bachman. Simpsons creator Matt Groening
(whose father is originally from Winnipeg) is a well-known BTO fan. Homer Simpson
yells at Bachman to "get to the working overtime part" while playing "Takin' Care of Business
".
In 2001 Bachman received an honorary Doctorate of Music
from Brandon University
in Brandon, Manitoba
, along with the other members of The Guess Who. In 2005 Bachman was awarded the Order of Manitoba
, the highest award in the Province of Manitoba
.http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/story.php?id=173167 Bachman, along with The Guess Who, was also the recipient of The Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, Canada's foremost distinction for excellence in the performing arts, in 2002. In 2008, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
Bachman travels the world with his wife Denise McCann
to write with many European songwriters, including Douglas Carr
(producer of the Swedish band Ace of Base) and Michael Saxell
in Sweden. Bachman has also performed with Swedish rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives
and appears on a vinyl picturedisc with them from a live performance at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2004.
In the summer of 2005, Bachman started hosting the coast-to-coast show Vinyl Tap
on CBC Radio One
, where he plays audio recordings and reminisces about personal encounters with famous artists and musicians from his 50-year career in rock. This show runs from 7–9 pm every Saturday night, and can be accessed via the CBC Radio One web site and Sirius
channel 159. There is a replay of the Saturday show on the following Friday night at 11 pm. It also repeats on CBC Radio 2 on Sundays at 6 pm.
On July 2, 2005, Bachman performed at the Canadian leg of the global Live 8
megaconcert organized by Bob Geldof
.
Bachman helped Kalan Porter
on his CD 219 Days
. He suggested that Kalan do a drone on his violin on one of his songs, "In Spite Of It All". He was also featured in his song "And We Drive", playing a guitar solo near the end of the song.
Bachman tours with his own band, the Randy Bachman Band and the Bachman-Cummings Band. He has also created a popular theatre show called "Every Song Tells A Story", featuring Bachman live and unplugged with his band, telling the stories behind the writing of his famous hits from the 1960s and '70s. Bachman and Burton Cummings
toured throughout Canada as Bachman & Cummings in the summer of 2006 with Toronto, Ontario's The Carpet Frogs
.
Bachman has also released an album of original melodic jazz songs called "Jazz Thing", which is available on his official website.
Bachman and Fred Turner completed a new Bachman & Turner CD that was released in September, 2010. A radio pre-release single, "Rollin' Along," was posted in June, 2010 for sale on iTunes. The pair launched a two-year world tour (2010–11) under the name Bachman & Turner, which started at the Sweden Rock Festival in June, 2010. Other confirmed dates included the High Voltage Festival in London, UK in July, 2010 and the Manitoba Homecoming Event in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A new website, http://www.bachmanandturner.com, was launched on April 19, 2010. A sample single, "Rock n' Roll Is the Only Way Out," is posted on the site.
Guitar influences he has mentioned in interviews include Lenny Breau
, Leslie West
, Wes Montgomery
and Hank Marvin
.
, near Vancouver Island
, and is married to singer/songwriter Denise McCann
. They were married on March 27, 1982.
Bachman has had gastric bypass surgery to reduce his weight.
Bachman had a successful operation on his shoulder in November 2007 to repair a torn rotator cuff
.
His son Tal Bachman
is a recording artist, best known for his 1999 song "She's So High
".
Bachman was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During his early Guess Who years, his religious beliefs conflicted with the sex, drugs & rock n roll
lifestyle of the other band members and caused some bitterness between Bachman and bandmate Burton Cummings
. Bachman later renounced his Mormon beliefs, saying, "We found some things that couldn’t be reconciled," and declaring, "Religion is a bunch of rules, a fear factor."
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, OM
Order of Manitoba
The Order of Manitoba is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter M...
(icon; born September 27, 1943, in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
) is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Bachman was also a member of the band Brave Belt
Brave Belt
Brave Belt was a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba originally consisting of Randy Bachman , his former The Guess Who bandmate, Chad Allan , and Randy's brother Robbie . Randy also provided bass tracks for the recording of the band's first album, Brave Belt I . But C. F...
with Chad Allan
Chad Allan (musician)
Chad Allan is a Canadian musician and founding member of The Guess Who. He was the group's original lead singer and front man, as well as rhythm guitarist, songwriter and occasionally drummer and pianist....
, Union and a band called Ironhorse
Ironhorse
Ironhorse was a Canadian rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, formed by the former The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive member, Randy Bachman along with Tom Sparks , Chris Leighton and Ron Foos ....
, and has recorded numerous solo albums.
He is also a national radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
on CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
, hosting a weekly music show called Vinyl Tap
Vinyl Tap
Vinyl Tap is a Canadian radio show hosted by Randy Bachman, musician alumnus of the famous Canadian rock bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Each episode of the show first airs on CBC Radio One Saturday nights from 7 to 9 p.m., and is then repeated on CBC Radio 2 Sunday evening from 6...
.
Early years
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Karl (Charlie) Bachman and Anne (Nancy) Dobrinsky, Bachman is half-German, half-Ukrainian in ancestry. At age three he won a singing contest on CKYCKY-FM
CKY-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts a adult contemporary format on 102.3 FM in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is owned by Rogers Radio, and shares studios with sister station CITI-FM. CKY-FM competes with Hot 103 and Energy 106.-History:...
's King of the Saddle program and age 5 he had started studying the violin in the Royal Toronto Conservatory system. He studied violin until the age of 12 when he grew dissatisfied with the structured lessons. He found that while he couldn't read music, he could play anything if he heard it once; he referred to it as his phonographic memory.
At age 15, Bachman saw Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
play on Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
's television show and the sight of the guitar around Presley's neck inspired him. He learned three chords from his cousin, then started practising on a modified Hawaiian dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
. At age 16, Bachman met up with Lenny Breau
Lenny Breau
Leonard Harold "Lenny" Breau was a musician, guitar player, and music educator. He was known for blending many styles of music including: jazz, country, classical and flamenco guitar...
; over the next two years Breau taught Bachman finger picking
Fingerstyle guitar
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking ....
and also introduced him to the music of Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
.
In 1959 Bachman bought a ticket to see Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
in concert at a Winnipeg supper club but was unable to get in as he was too young. He instead helped Paul set up before the show and also helped him reload everything into the car after the show. Still a budding guitarist at this point, Bachman asked Paul if he could teach him a guitar lick; Paul ended up teaching his version of "How High the Moon".
The Guess Who
In 1960, Bachman and Chad Allan co-founded Al and The Silvertones in Winnipeg. By 1962, the band changed their name to Chad Allan and the Expressions and later to The Guess WhoThe Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
. In 1965, the Guess Who had a #1 hit in Canada with their cover of Johnny Kidd's "Shakin' All Over
Shakin' All Over
"Shakin' All Over" is a rock and roll song originally performed by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It was written by frontman Johnny Kidd and reached #1 in the United Kingdom in August 1960...
", which also charted in the U.S. at #22. In 1966, Chad Allan left the band and Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
became the primary vocalist. Starting in 1968, the group released three successful albums: Wheatfield Soul
Wheatfield Soul
Wheatfield Soul is an album released in 1968 by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. "Lightfoot" is a tribute to fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot, while "Friends of Mine" is performed in the style of The Doors.-About the album:...
(1968), Canned Wheat
Canned Wheat
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"...
(1969), and American Woman
American Woman
American Woman is the seventh album by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, released in 1970. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts...
(1970), which brought them mainstream attention. Bachman wrote or cowrote (primarily with Cummings) most of the group's songs during this period.
In early 1970, the single "American Woman" hit #1 on the U.S. charts, a first for a band from Canada. A group composition, the song critiques the "ghetto scenes" and "war machines" of the U.S., reflecting the Guess Who's experiences of extensive touring in large American cities. With the Vietnam War at its peak, many American males went to Canada to seek refuge from the military draft, a fact that the group's members surely recognized. Surprisingly, Bachman left the band at the height of its popularity, shortly after the release of American Woman. He has been quoted for leaving due to the other band members' lifestyle choices conflicting with his (at that time) Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
beliefs and because he wanted to spend more time with his brothers and other family members. He also was suffering health problems from the constant touring and needed to be under a doctor's care, something that was impossible to do on the road.
Brave Belt and Bachman–Turner Overdrive
Before his departure from The Guess Who in May 1970, Bachman recorded a solo album for RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, Axe, over three days in March 1970. The following year, he formed the group Brave Belt
Brave Belt
Brave Belt was a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba originally consisting of Randy Bachman , his former The Guess Who bandmate, Chad Allan , and Randy's brother Robbie . Randy also provided bass tracks for the recording of the band's first album, Brave Belt I . But C. F...
with Chad Allan. Brave Belt released its first LP, Brave Belt I, in 1971. It had much more of a country-rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
sound than a rock 'n' roll sound, a departure from both Axe and the albums by The Guess Who. Robbie Bachman
Robbie Bachman
Robin "Robbie" Bachman is a drummer and the youngest brother of Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter Randy Bachman. He was the original drummer for both the Brave Belt and Bachman–Turner Overdrive bands.While growing up, Bachman practiced the drums at home, often playing along with his older...
, one of Bachman's brothers, was the drummer for Brave Belt, despite being barely 18 years old. Fred Turner
Fred Turner (musician)
Charles Frederick "Fred" Turner is a Canadian rock bassist, vocalist and songwriter, and was a founding member of the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive . He is credited on early Bachman–Turner Overdrive and B.T.O. albums as "C.F...
subsequently joined Brave Belt on bass and vocals, resulting in a much heavier sound, which led to the departure of Chad Allan, though Allan still contributed two songs to Brave Belt II in 1972. Left with a three member lineup, Tim Bachman
Tim Bachman
Timothy Gregg Bachman is a guitarist and vocalist best known for his work with rock bands Brave Belt and Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
was added to Brave Belt as the second guitarist.
The group then signed with Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
in 1973 and changed their name to Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often referred to as "BTO". They released their first self-titled album, Bachman–Turner Overdrive in May 1973.
In December 1973 BTO released their second LP, Bachman–Turner Overdrive II. This album brought the band much more success than their debut, largely due to the hits "Takin' Care of Business
Takin' Care of Business
"Takin' Care of Business" is a song written by Randy Bachman and first recorded by Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive for their 1973 album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II.-Development:...
", which charted at #12 in the U.S., and "Let It Ride", which rose to #23. In 1974, they released the LP Not Fragile
Not Fragile
Not Fragile is the third album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1974 . The title could be thought of as a response to Yes' Fragile. Some feel that the group achieved a more original sound in this album; it has been described as a cross between Mountain and early ZZ Top...
, which hit #1 on the album charts. It also contained the #1 single "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" (written by Bachman) and the hit "Roll On Down The Highway", which charted at number 14.
BTO stayed on the charts through the mid-1970s with their next two albums, Four Wheel Drive and Head On and charted more hits with "Hey You", "Take It Like a Man", and the jazz-oriented "Lookin' Out For #1". In late 1976, with the recording of the Freeways
Freeways (album)
Freeways is an album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1977. It was the last album that Randy Bachman would be a part of with BTO until the "reunion" in 1983. This is also the last studio album to be made with the classic and successful "Not Fragile" line up...
album, some disagreements surfaced within the band. Bachman wrote all but one song and sang on every song but two. Some of the other band members felt that they didn't have enough good material to record and wanted to delay the record. The album did manage to chart at #70 in the U.S., but had no hit singles. Bachman left the band in mid-March 1977.
Post Bachman–Turner Overdrive
After his departure from BTO, Bachman recorded a solo album called SurvivorSurvivor (Randy Bachman album)
Survivor is the second solo album by The Guess Who's and Bachman–Turner Overdrive's guitarist and singer Randy Bachman, released in 1978 on Polydor.A 1st Concept album about the rock and roll stars come and gone....
. It did not chart in the U.S. He formed a band with bassist/singer Tom Sparks, called Ironhorse
Ironhorse
Ironhorse was a Canadian rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, formed by the former The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive member, Randy Bachman along with Tom Sparks , Chris Leighton and Ron Foos ....
, which released its debut album in 1979. It contained the single "Sweet Lui-Louise", which charted at #36 in the U.S. and #26 in Canada, and did well in Europe, particularly Italy. After the tour for this album, Tom Sparks left the band and was replaced by Frank Ludwig. With Ludwig, Ironhorse released a second album, Everything Is Grey, in 1980. In comparison to the rock sound of the first album, the follow-up album had a more pop sound. In 1981, Fred Turner rejoined Bachman and the band released an album under the name Union. (The Turner-led BTO had broken up in early 1980.) Union released one album, titled On Strike.
1980s and 1990s reunions
Bachman joined The Guess Who reunion in 1983 with Burton Cummings and other members of the American Woman era. They did a tour of Canada and released a live video performance of it. After The Guess Who reunion ended, Bachman rejoined a new BTO reunion, consisting also of Fred Turner, Tim Bachman, and Garry Peterson of The Guess Who on drums. Robbie Bachman and classic lineup guitarist Blair Thornton chose not to join the reunion. Bachman stayed with this version of the band until 1987, and they put out an album in 1984. The classic Not Fragile lineup reformed in 1988 and toured together until 1991, when Randy again left the group. It was the last time he played with BTO. The Guess Who reunited, including Bachman, on August 8, 1999.2000s
Bachman played on several tours with The Guess Who until July 31, 2003. Both he and Burton Cummings left the band and formed Bachman Cummings. In 2000, he made a guest appearance on The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
as himself with his former Bachman–Turner Overdrive bandmates, C.F. Turner and Robin Bachman. Simpsons creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
(whose father is originally from Winnipeg) is a well-known BTO fan. Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
yells at Bachman to "get to the working overtime part" while playing "Takin' Care of Business
Takin' Care of Business
"Takin' Care of Business" is a song written by Randy Bachman and first recorded by Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive for their 1973 album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II.-Development:...
".
In 2001 Bachman received an honorary Doctorate of Music
Doctor of Music
The Doctor of Music degree , like other doctorates, is an academic degree of the highest level. The D.Mus. is intended for musicians and composers who wish to combine the highest attainments in their area of specialization with doctoral-level academic study in music...
from Brandon University
Brandon University
Brandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....
in Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
, along with the other members of The Guess Who. In 2005 Bachman was awarded the Order of Manitoba
Order of Manitoba
The Order of Manitoba is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter M...
, the highest award in the Province of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/story.php?id=173167 Bachman, along with The Guess Who, was also the recipient of The Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, Canada's foremost distinction for excellence in the performing arts, in 2002. In 2008, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Bachman travels the world with his wife Denise McCann
Denise McCann
Denise McCann is an American-Canadian singer/songwriter.-Biography:Growing up in a musical family, Denise McCann (born December 16, 1948, in Clinton, Iowa) is an American-Canadian singer/songwriter.-Biography:Growing up in a musical family, Denise McCann (born December 16, 1948, in Clinton, Iowa)...
to write with many European songwriters, including Douglas Carr
Douglas Carr
Douglas Ward Carr was an English amateur cricketer.Carr went to Brasenose College at Oxford University and while there played both football and cricket...
(producer of the Swedish band Ace of Base) and Michael Saxell
Michael Saxell
Michael Saxell is a singer-songwriter, composer, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He was born in Helsingborg, Sweden but has spent many years on the Canadian west coast...
in Sweden. Bachman has also performed with Swedish rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
The Soundtrack of Our Lives, alternatively known as T.S.O.O.L. or Soundtrack, is a Swedish rock band that formed in 1995 after the dissolution of the punk band Union Carbide Productions....
and appears on a vinyl picturedisc with them from a live performance at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2004.
In the summer of 2005, Bachman started hosting the coast-to-coast show Vinyl Tap
Vinyl Tap
Vinyl Tap is a Canadian radio show hosted by Randy Bachman, musician alumnus of the famous Canadian rock bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Each episode of the show first airs on CBC Radio One Saturday nights from 7 to 9 p.m., and is then repeated on CBC Radio 2 Sunday evening from 6...
on CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
, where he plays audio recordings and reminisces about personal encounters with famous artists and musicians from his 50-year career in rock. This show runs from 7–9 pm every Saturday night, and can be accessed via the CBC Radio One web site and Sirius
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
channel 159. There is a replay of the Saturday show on the following Friday night at 11 pm. It also repeats on CBC Radio 2 on Sundays at 6 pm.
On July 2, 2005, Bachman performed at the Canadian leg of the global Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
megaconcert organized by Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
.
Bachman helped Kalan Porter
Kalan Porter
Richard Kalan Porter is a singer-songwriter from Medicine Hat, Alberta, and the winner of the reality television series Canadian Idol in season 2. He started to sing at an early age and is classically trained, playing several instruments, most notably, the violin and viola...
on his CD 219 Days
219 Days
219 Days is the debut album of Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter. The album was released on November 23, 2004 through Sony Music Canada. The album title refers to the number of days from his first audition to the release of his debut CD...
. He suggested that Kalan do a drone on his violin on one of his songs, "In Spite Of It All". He was also featured in his song "And We Drive", playing a guitar solo near the end of the song.
Bachman tours with his own band, the Randy Bachman Band and the Bachman-Cummings Band. He has also created a popular theatre show called "Every Song Tells A Story", featuring Bachman live and unplugged with his band, telling the stories behind the writing of his famous hits from the 1960s and '70s. Bachman and Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
toured throughout Canada as Bachman & Cummings in the summer of 2006 with Toronto, Ontario's The Carpet Frogs
The Carpet Frogs
The Carpet Frogs are a Toronto based rock band. They are best known for their work with Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings.-Band members:Nick Sinopoli - Percussion and vocalsDavid Love - Guitar and vocals...
.
Bachman has also released an album of original melodic jazz songs called "Jazz Thing", which is available on his official website.
Bachman and Fred Turner completed a new Bachman & Turner CD that was released in September, 2010. A radio pre-release single, "Rollin' Along," was posted in June, 2010 for sale on iTunes. The pair launched a two-year world tour (2010–11) under the name Bachman & Turner, which started at the Sweden Rock Festival in June, 2010. Other confirmed dates included the High Voltage Festival in London, UK in July, 2010 and the Manitoba Homecoming Event in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A new website, http://www.bachmanandturner.com, was launched on April 19, 2010. A sample single, "Rock n' Roll Is the Only Way Out," is posted on the site.
Guitar style
Bachman has stated that his guitar sound was influenced by his early violin studies, saying "when I wanted to play a rock solo, I played like it was violin... Violin is mostly slow, melodic stuff. So my guitar solos tend to be smooth, slow lines."Guitar influences he has mentioned in interviews include Lenny Breau
Lenny Breau
Leonard Harold "Lenny" Breau was a musician, guitar player, and music educator. He was known for blending many styles of music including: jazz, country, classical and flamenco guitar...
, Leslie West
Leslie West
Leslie West is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter.-Biography:Originally named Leslie Weinstein, West was born in New York City, grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, and in East Meadow, Forest Hills and Lawrence. After his parents divorced, he changed his surname to West...
, Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...
and Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
.
Personal life
Bachman now lives on Salt Spring Island, British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, near Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, and is married to singer/songwriter Denise McCann
Denise McCann
Denise McCann is an American-Canadian singer/songwriter.-Biography:Growing up in a musical family, Denise McCann (born December 16, 1948, in Clinton, Iowa) is an American-Canadian singer/songwriter.-Biography:Growing up in a musical family, Denise McCann (born December 16, 1948, in Clinton, Iowa)...
. They were married on March 27, 1982.
Bachman has had gastric bypass surgery to reduce his weight.
Bachman had a successful operation on his shoulder in November 2007 to repair a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
.
His son Tal Bachman
Tal Bachman
Talmage "Tal" Bachman is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for his late 1999 hit, "She's So High," from his self-titled 1999 album.-Biography and musical career:...
is a recording artist, best known for his 1999 song "She's So High
She's So High (Tal Bachman song)
"She's So High" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Tal Bachman. It was released as a single in 1999 from his eponymous album, Tal Bachman. The song won a BMI award and a Juno Award for Best Producer.- Music video :...
".
Bachman was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During his early Guess Who years, his religious beliefs conflicted with the sex, drugs & rock n roll
Wine, women and song
The cliché "wine, women, and song" is a rhetorical figure of a triad or hendiatris. It describes a lifestyle or set of behaviors which are indulgent or pleasure-seeking...
lifestyle of the other band members and caused some bitterness between Bachman and bandmate Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
. Bachman later renounced his Mormon beliefs, saying, "We found some things that couldn’t be reconciled," and declaring, "Religion is a bunch of rules, a fear factor."
Solo discography
- 1970 Axe
- 1978 SurvivorSurvivor (Randy Bachman album)Survivor is the second solo album by The Guess Who's and Bachman–Turner Overdrive's guitarist and singer Randy Bachman, released in 1978 on Polydor.A 1st Concept album about the rock and roll stars come and gone....
- 1992 Any Road - referred to on the cover simply as Bachman
- 1993 Bob's Garage - live 5-track mini-album recorded for a radio show in Seattle
- 1996 Merge
- 1998 Songbook
- 2001 Every Song Tells A Story
- 2004 Jazz Thing
- 2006 Bachman-Cummings Songbook - a compilation that features tracks from The Guess Who, Burton Cummings, and Bachman–Turner Overdrive.
- 2006 The Thunderbird Trax - a compilation of previously unreleased material recorded by Bachman and Cummings in Bachman's tool shed in 1987.
- 2007 Jazz Thing II
- 2007 JukeboxJukebox (Bachman Cummings album)Jukebox is the first studio album from Canadian rock legends Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings under the Bachman & Cummings name. It was released on Sony BMG on June 12, 2007. The album features covers of songs from the 1960s that Bachman and Cummings believed inspired them while growing up in...
- Bachman & Cummings album and Cummings' first studio album in 17 years since Plus Signs. The album features covers of songs by such artists as Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
and The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. - 2008 Takin' Care Of Christmas - a compilation of Bachman performing classic Christmas songs, with the title track being a reworked version of BTO's "Takin' Care Of Business".
- 2010 Bachman & Turner, with former BTO vocalist/bassist Fred TurnerFred TurnerFred Turner may refer to:*Fred L. Turner, retired McDonald's Chairman*Fred Turner *Fred Turner , Australian botanist*Fred Turner , English footballer*Fred Turner *W. Fred Turner...
.
Video discography
- 2001 Every Song Tells A Story
- 2005 Live 8 Barrie - performs Takin' Care of BusinessTakin' Care of Business"Takin' Care of Business" is a song written by Randy Bachman and first recorded by Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive for their 1973 album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II.-Development:...
with The Carpet FrogsThe Carpet FrogsThe Carpet Frogs are a Toronto based rock band. They are best known for their work with Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings.-Band members:Nick Sinopoli - Percussion and vocalsDavid Love - Guitar and vocals...
. Burton Cummings was scheduled to perform with Bachman, but was unable to attend. - 2006 Jazz Thing Live in Toronto (featuring Curtis StigersCurtis StigersCurtis Stigers is an American jazz vocalist, saxophonist, guitarist, and songwriter.-Early life and career:Stigers was born in Boise, Idaho, and started his music career as a teenager, playing in jazz, rock and blues groups, as well as receiving formal training in clarinet and saxophone at high...
, Joel KroekerJoel KroekerJoel Kroeker is Winnipeg-born, Vancouver-based Canadian singer/songwriter of Mennonite heritage. He is signed to the True North Records music label....
, Tal BachmanTal BachmanTalmage "Tal" Bachman is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for his late 1999 hit, "She's So High," from his self-titled 1999 album.-Biography and musical career:...
, Stephan MoccioStephan MoccioStephan Moccio is a pianist, composer, producer, arranger, conductor and recording artist. He co-wrote Celine Dion's 2002 hit "A New Day Has Come" with Aldo Nova, which reached and held the number one spot on the Billboard AC Chart for a record breaking 21 weeks...
and Denise McCannDenise McCannDenise McCann is an American-Canadian singer/songwriter.-Biography:Growing up in a musical family, Denise McCann (born December 16, 1948, in Clinton, Iowa) is an American-Canadian singer/songwriter.-Biography:Growing up in a musical family, Denise McCann (born December 16, 1948, in Clinton, Iowa)...
Bachman) - 2006 First Time AroundFirst Time AroundFirst Time Around is a one-disk DVD by Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings recorded in 2006 at CBC Studios in Toronto, Ontario by CBC. First Time Around was originally featured on CBC in April 2006, but was later released as a DVD featuring extended footage of the concert...
(with Burton CummingsBurton CummingsBurton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
and The Carpet Frogs as Bachman-Cummings Band)