Bachman Turner Overdrive (Official Thread)

[LG]

BTO on Wikipedia
Randy Bachman Official Website
Bachman & Turner Website

I grew up with BTO, I bought all of their albums from the first one to Head On, after that record the line-up changed and they had lost something that made me lose interest. I will never forget playing the first one when I got it for Christmas in 1973, or the fact that my Mom borrowed it all the time and eventually wore the groove of Blue Collar out completely, but I didn't mind it's because of her that I got into music at a young age, and she always ordered at least one or two albums a month from her record club for me which was great.

One of my friends used to smack BTO all the time, called them, "Beat Twice for Orgasm"...lol...it didn't bother me at all, they were MY BAND and that was all that mattered. Besides there is nothing wrong with simple straight ahead rock and roll, not everything has to be innovative or leading edge to be good. There was a period for almost two years that BTO was the biggest band in the world, successful tours and lasting fame too. Not bad for a bunch of Canadians from Winnipeg who moved to Vancouver B.C. to seek their fame and fortune.

Of course the founder and leader was none other than Randy Bachman, who left the Guess Who after artistic differences with Burton Cummings in the early 70's, but I think things worked out for the best and they are good friends now all these years later.

Albums

1973 Bachman–Turner Overdrive
1973 Bachman–Turner Overdrive II
1974 Not Fragile
1975 Four Wheel Drive
1975 Head On
1977 Freeways
1978 Street Action
1979 Rock n' Roll Nights
1984 Bachman–Turner Overdrive
1996 Trial by Fire: Greatest and Latest
2010 Bachman & Turner

Hold Back The Water.



I always loved their logo on this cover.





Discography:

Bachman–Turner Overdrive - 1973
Bachman–Turner Overdrive II - 1973
Not Fragile - 1974
Four Wheel Drive - 1975
Head On - 1975
Freeways - 1977
Street Action - 1978
Rock n' Roll Nights - 1979
Bachman–Turner Overdrive (Hard and Fast) - 1984
Trial by Fire: Greatest and Latest - 1996
Bachman & Turner - 2010

 

[Slip'nn2Darkness]

So what?? You were saving "Not Fragile" for me to talk about..

Yep.. BTO is a kick but band from the 70's.. I'm not a kornacopia of info on them so I'll just say.. As long as it didn't get too "popish" like Foghat did after awhile.. I was happy with the songs they played..

Their logo looks like they could be a Metal band..

 

[LG]

Sure you can talk about one of their best albums if you like...I'm just happy someone else knows and likes them...

I used to play BTO II to psyche up before big games, one of my favorites for getting ready for war.

 

[Slip'nn2Darkness]

Sure you can talk about one of their best albums if you like...I'm just happy someone else knows and likes them...

Your kidding right?? BTO are serious.. Like do a poll and ask who DOSN'T know them and their songs.. Then it would be easy to rail road them out of the forum..
OK.. I'll post the one that's makes us Bass Players strap up and play along..
Not Fragile:

 

[LG]

Yup I was only joking.

When I got that album, and played it the first time on the new stereo Dad bought for us kids, I was stunned and amazed. It literally knocked my socks off, I know it's not complicated or anything but it was so intense, it started my love affair for bass guitar in my music.

 

[Dave78]

I, too, was a huge fan of this band in the early to mid 70's. Even though each album had a different sound to it, they all had well-crafted guitar-driven songs between both Randy and Tim Bachman and, later, Randy and Blair Thornton (love how you would hear one guitar fade out of one speaker and the other guitar fade in to the other speaker as they traded solos).

But as you know, LG... these guys had both the big radio hits (Takin' Care of Business, Let It Ride, Roll on Down The Highway, You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, Hey You and Four Wheel Drive), and even better album cuts such as Blue Collar (I know... this is the song a Detroit dj would eventually begin playing that would garner attention to the band), Don't Get Yourself In Trouble, Stayed Awake All Night (later covered by Krokus), Welcome Home, Give It Time, Not Fragile, Rock is my Life... She's a Devil and Flat Broke Love. And I love Average Man and It's Over from the Head On album!

I really wanted to see them in 1977 (which would have been my first real concert), but their tour was cancelled before they got to L.A. :

I know they sort of got a bad rap for their appearance (BTO =ing Bachman-Turner Overweight) and for their vocals but I think their music more than made up for any of that. Fred Turner's ultra low-end bass on Not Fragile's "Second Hand" is sweeeet!!!!!!!

One thing I think I remember reading about the band is that Randy wrote Blue Collar as another "Bus Stop" (Guess Who) song. And well done at that, I'd say.

Great topic, LG. Thanks.

And thanks for taking me back to my youth listening to my 8-Track tapes!

 

[Dave78]

Their logo looks like they could be a Metal band..

I remember they were classified as "Heavy Metal" back then. Hard to believe compared to Sabbath and Deep Purple but ok...

And their logo was designed by drummer Robin Bachman. But I'm not a cornacopia of BTO info either!

Oh and LG.. I used to listen to the Four Wheel Drive album before my little league baseball games in the summer of 75. You wern't the only one!

 

[LG]

You've got them pretty much nailed KMET...not much left to say. You should post the Brave Belt picture you have KMET,,,that was just before the change and bigger things to come. The word "Overdrive", was taken from a Trucker's magazine published back in the 70's, so they just added the names of the four members, Randy, Tim, Robbie Bachman, and Fred Turner and presto instant name. Yeah they were pretty big no doubt, they loved to eat. I didn't care like you it was the music I loved.

I LOVE Welcome Home off BTO II...one of my best friends loved Stonegates, we used to argue about which one was better all the time, but it was fun...lol.

I still have my original BTO debut and Not Fragile vinyl albums...but no 8 tracks I'm afraid.

Nice to see another fan here.

 

[Dave78]

"Stonegates" is another great song from BTO II, as is "Blown", imo. I wanted to mention that in my first post, but didn't know how many pixels I had left. hyeah:

 

[LG]

I think it's like 10,000 characters buddy, and I don't think I'll ever reach that limit. My copy of BTO II had a bubble in the middle of Blown, I got so used to it being there when I got the CD it sounded like something was missing...