Bachman-Turner Overdrive

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This article is about the Canadian rock group. For eponymous albums by the group, see Bachman-Turner Overdrive (album).
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Bachman-Turner Overdrive
BTO in Örebro, Sweden in April 1991 (L-R: Randy Bachman, Fred Turner, Blair Thornton, Robbie Bachman)
BTO in Örebro, Sweden in April 1991
(L-R: Randy Bachman, Fred Turner,
Blair Thornton, Robbie Bachman)
Background information
Also known as BTO
Origin Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Genre(s) Hard rock
Years active 1972 - present
Label(s) Mercury
Associated acts Brave Belt, The Guess Who, Ironhorse, Union
Website http://www.btorocks.com
Members
Robbie Bachman
Blair Thornton
Fred Turner
Randy Murray
Former members
Randy Bachman
Tim Bachman
Jim Clench
Gary Peterson

Bachman-Turner Overdrive (pronounced Back-man Turner Overdrive, frequently known as BTO) is a Canadian rock group from Winnipeg, Manitoba that enjoyed a string of hit albums and singles in the 1970s.

Contents

[edit] History

The precursor to BTO was the band Brave Belt, which was formed in 1971 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan (both formerly of The Guess Who), Robbie Bachman, and C.F. "Fred" Turner.

Brave Belt released two albums, Brave Belt I and Brave Belt II. Neither scored major chart success, and in mid-1972 their tour in support of Brave Belt II was cancelled halfway through. During this period Chad Allen dropped out and Tim Bachman was subsequently added to the group, as their record label desired a four member band. They got a new recording deal from Mercury Records, one which Randy Bachman proclaimed as a pure stroke of luck. After their demo tape had been rejected 26 times, Bachman was prepared to tell the other band members that they would no longer be able to remain on salary, "and they had to go and get the dreaded day jobs." Fate took a different course - in April of 1973, Charlie Fach of Mercury Records returned to his office after a trip to France to find a stack of unplayed demo tapes waiting on his desk. Wanting to start completely fresh, he took a trash can and slid all the tapes into it except one, which missed the can and fell onto the floor. Fach then picked up the tape and noticed Bachman's name on it. He remembered talking to him the previous year and had told Bachman that if he ever put a demo together to send it to him. While playing the first song on the 7-1/2 inch reel, "Gimme Your Money Please," Fach called Bachman to tell him that he wanted to sign the band.[1] At this point the band's demo tape was still called Brave Belt III. Fach convinced the band that a brand new name was needed and the band agreed changing its named to Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The band had already mulled over using the band members' surnames (a'la Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young). While on their way back from a gig in Toronto, the group had spotted a copy of a trucker's magazine called Overdrive at a Windsor truckstop. They decided Overdrive was the perfect name to describe their music.

BTO released their eponymous self-titled first album in May 1973. The album broke through in the US via border towns such as Detroit and Buffalo, and stayed on the charts for weeks despite lacking a true hit single. It was a precursor to their upcoming success.

Their second album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, was released in December of the same year and became a massive hit in the US and their native Canada. It also yielded two of their best known hit singles, "Let it Ride" and "Takin' Care of Business." Randy had already written the core of "Takin' Care of Business" some eight years earlier as "White Collar Worker" while in The Guess Who, but that band had felt it was not their type of song.

Tim Bachman was let go from the band in early 1974 because of limited performance skills and personal lifestyle issues and was replaced by Blair Thornton, who had been in the Vancouver-based band Crosstown Bus. The first album with the modified lineup, 1974's Not Fragile, became a hit, including the #1 single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and AOR favorite "Roll on Down the Highway." The band continued to steadily produce successful albums through the mid-1970s including Four Wheel Drive and Head On (both 1975). Each of these albums produced a hit single: "Hey You" (from Four Wheel Drive) and "Take it Like a Man" (from Head On). The latter song featured a guest appearance by Little Richard, who wailed away on his piano.

After the release of Freeways in 1977, Randy Bachman left the group to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by bassist/vocalist Jim Clench, formerly of April Wine. Original bassist Turner moved to rhythm guitar with Thornton becoming the primary lead guitarist. Even though this lineup included drummer Robbie Bachman, the band had to record and tour only as "BTO" because of an agreement with Randy who was pursuing solo projects and wanted to retain the rights to his surname. The re-structured BTO released a pair of albums (1978's Street Action and 1979's Rock n' Roll Nights) before calling in quits in the summer of 1979.

Randy went on to form the short-lived Ironhorse in 1979 and the even shorter-lived Union in 1980 (with Turner).

BTO reunited in 1983. Their line-up for their first studio LP in 5 years consisted of Randy and Tim Bachman, Fred Turner, and former Guess Who drummer Garry Peterson. Younger brother Rob Bachman declined to participate after business disagreements with Randy and the others. The new album, simply titled Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was released in 1984 on Charlie Fach's new Compleat label. Billy Chapman, their drum tech, contributed keyboards to their stage shows. In 1986 they released a live album culled from their 1985 tour called Live! Live! Live!, and were the opening band for the new Sammy Hagar-fronted Van Halen. This plum opening slot was done by a trio lineup of Randy, Tim & Garry Peterson since Fred Turner had been unavailable when the group was first contacted by VH management. Chapman stepped in as drummer for Peterson after the latter severely injured his leg while playing softball during the group's downtime on the road.

After the VH tour ended, Randy split and Tim kept going briefly as BTO (see lineps below). The others reluctantly gave him permission to do so in order to get his way out of debt.

In 1988, the Not Fragile line-up (Randy, Fred, Blair, and Robbie) reformed and again took to the road. But by late 1991, Randy Bachman had quit again and was replaced by Randy Murray. This reconstituted version of BTO proved to be its most enduring as they toured together from 1991 until December of 2004. They have not played together since then, but have not announced plans of disbanding. Trial by Fire: Greatest and Latest, released in 1996, was their last album to contain any new material. In an interview in 2004, Rob Bachman stated that BTO was working on nine new songs.

[edit] Legacy

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What was not appreciated about BTO during their era has become much more appreciated today. Spanning early-1970s "glitter rock" and the emergence of disco in the mid-70s, BTO was an "everyman" band with songs about trucking and life in the working class. Their two front men, Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, were large and burly -- a stark contrast to glitzy performers like David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Alice Cooper. BTO's simplistic, riff-heavy songs and rough-edged vocals actually preceded the complete backlash against over-produced music that bands like The Ramones and Sex Pistols would bring later in the decade.

BTO's music and legacy continues today, as evidenced by the fact that their songs have been featured in numerous movies, television programs and advertising campaigns. The single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" became a key feature in the BBC's 1990s TV sketch show Harry Enfield's Television Programme. Two of the programme's more notable characters, Smashie and Nicey, would regularly be seen to end the sketch by exclaiming "let's rock!" and then playing the record. In addition, Randy Bachman recently published an autobiography, and "BTO" has been featured more than once in southern humorist Ed Williams' books. Bachman-Turner Overdrive has also been featured in an episode of The Simpsons titled "Saddlesore Galactica."

[edit] References

  1. ^ Interview track on King Biscuit: Bachman-Turner Overdrive, King Biscuit Flower Hour Records

[edit] Awards and Recognition

  • 1974: Juno Award winner, Most Promising Group of the Year
  • 1975: Juno Award winner, Group of the Year
  • 1976: Juno Award winner, Group of the Year
  • 1978: Juno Award nomination, Group of the Year


[edit] Discography

[edit] Lineups

1973-1974
  • Randy Bachman - lead guitar, lead vocals
  • C. Fred Turner - bass, lead vocals
  • Tim Bachman - guitar, vocals
  • Rob Bachman - drums, backing vocals
1974-1977
  • Randy Bachman - lead guitar, lead vocals
  • C. Fred Turner - bass, lead vocals
  • Blair Thornton - lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Rob Bachman - drums, backing vocals
1977-1979
  • C. Fred Turner - guitar, lead vocals
  • Jim Clench - bass, lead vocals
  • Blair Thornton - lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Rob Bachman - drums, backing vocals
1983-1986(Reunion)
  • Randy Bachman - lead guitar, lead vocals
  • C. Fred Turner - bass, lead vocals
  • Tim Bachman - guitar, vocals
  • Garry Peterson - drums, backing vocals
  • Billy Chapman - keyboards
1986
  • Randy Bachman - lead guitar, lead vocals
  • Tim Bachman - guitar, vocals
  • Garry Peterson - drums, backing vocals
  • Billy Chapman - keyboards
1986
  • Randy Bachman - lead guitar, lead vocals
  • Tim Bachman - guitar, vocals
  • Billy Chapman - drums
1987(Tim continues as BTO briefly)
  • Tim Bachman - guitar, vocals
  • Randy Murray - guitar, vocals
  • David Reimer - bass, backing vocals
  • Billy Chapman - drums
1987
  • Tim Bachman - guitar, vocals
  • Randy Murray - guitar, vocals
  • David Reimer - bass, backing vocals
  • John Cody - drums
1987-1988
  • Tim Bachman - guitar, vocals
  • Randy Murray - guitar, vocals
  • David Reimer - bass, backing vocals
  • Vince Ditrich - drums
1988-1991
  • Randy Bachman - lead guitar, lead vocals
  • C. Fred Turner - bass, lead vocals
  • Blair Thornton - lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Rob Bachman - drums, backing vocals
1991-2004
  • C. Fred Turner - bass, lead vocals
  • Blair Thornton - lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Rob Bachman - drums, backing vocals
  • Randy Murray - lead guitar, lead vocals

[edit] See also


[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachman-Turner_Overdrive"
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