There are some artists whose music forms the soundtrack of our lives. For many Canadians of a certain generation – or two or three – one such artist is Randy Bachman. Whether your toes are tapping to one of the many Guess Who tunes Bachman made famous with fellow band member Burton Cummings or you’re singing along to a Bachman Turner Overdrive classic, his songs are the essence of rock and roll.
Texas may have its good ole boys but Canada has Randy Bachman, as down-home Canadian as any performer you’ll ever encounter. The winner of 120 gold and platinum album/singles awards around the world, he’s been ‘Takin’ Care of Business’ since he first began performing in Winnipeg, in a band called The Silvertones, which morphed into Chad Allan and the Expressions, and later, became The Guess Who.
Quickly, the Guess Who began topping the charts but in 1970, just when they were riding a wave of success from the hit single “American Woman”, Bachman chose to leave the group to spend more time with his brothers. Fans were aghast, but it was that move that led to the formation of Bachman Turner overdrive and the writing of another series of chart-topping songs.
And every one of those songs has a story. Like the one about the huge hit that was the result of a practical joke Randy played on one of his brothers. Or the one about meeting his wife’s family…who were less than impressed with her choice. Or the one about narrowly escaping a ‘tune up’ by some unexpectedly tough guys at a roadside gas station…
CBC radio fans who tune into Bachman’s show love getting the inside track and so will Centre For The Arts’ audiences.
“Thousands of Vinyl Tap fans have sent in letters asking me to tell the stories behind the hits,” explains Bachman, “this tour is in response to those requests, and it’ll be an amazing trip through music history.”
If Randy Bachman’s work has been part of your life soundtrack, then be sure to catch this performance at Brock University’s Centre for the Arts. Baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
Leave a Comment