 Bachman-Turner
Overdrive parlayed workmanlike heavy metal, a blue-collar image, and nonstop touring into
over seven million records sold in the U.S. by 1977. The group -- in various personnel
combinations -- has retained an impressive following in its homeland, where Randy Bachman
is a respected guitar hero and successful solo artist.
Guess Who founders Chad Allan and Randy Bachman had left that
group in 1966 and 1970 respectively.. After Bachman made a solo album (Axe, 1970),
he teamed up with Allan and younger brother Robbie Bachman in Brave Belt. After two albums
(Brave Belt I and Brave Belt II), Tim Bachman [April 1972] and vocalist/bassist
Fred Turner [1971] replaced Allan, and Brave Belt became Bachman-Turner
Overdrive, named in part after the truckers’ magazine Overdrive.
Randy shopped over 30 record companies [80] rejected the band before
finally being signed by Mercury
Records which had rejected them before. Mercury then released its 1973
debut album; extensive touring netted BTO several hit singles,
including "Taking Care of Business " (#12, 1974) and "You Ain’t Seen
Nothin’ Yet " (#1, 1974). In 1975 Tim Bachman left to become a producer. That
year Warner Bros. rereleased Brave Belt II under the title As Brave Belt.
With Randy Bachman’s departure in 1977 for a solo career (he released Survivor
and later formed Ironhorse, which recorded two LPs, Ironhorse and Everything Is
Grey), BTO’s momentum slowed considerably, although the group did release two
more LPs.
The group disbanded for the first time in 1979, but has
regrouped several times since to tour under the names Bachman-Turner Overdrive and BTO.
Randy Bachman toured as Bachman-Turner Overdrive (sometimes with Turner, sometimes
without) while brother Robbie Bachman performed under the BTO moniker (again, not always
with Turner along). The ensuing confusion caused Randy to file suit against his exbandmates brother Robbie, Turner, and Thornton for rights to the band’s logo.
Tim Bachman* carried on as BTO [the only original in the band] until
February 1989. thanks to Tim Bachman for
additional information
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