Randy Bachman

Passion, determination, dedication, focus, challenge. These qualities have remained consistent throughout Randy Bachman’s lengthy and remarkable career. He is a legendary figure in the music world through his talents as a guitarist, songwriter, performer, record producer and mentor. As founder of two formidable rock bands, The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Randy has accrued over 120 platinum, gold and silver album/singles awards from around the world. His songwriting has garnered the coveted #1 spot on radio play lists in over 20 countries and his total record sales exceed 40 million albums and singles.

Randy’s distinctive brand of guitar-driven, no-holds-barred hard rock is instantly recognized worldwide.

Randy’s music is a veritable soundtrack of the last forty years of popular music. “These Eyes”, “Laughing”, “Undun”, “No Time”, “American Woman” and “No Sugar Tonight” with The Guess Who all resonate with the Bachman touch. Between 1969 and 1970, The Guess Who sold more records than the entire Canadian music industry combined with the Bachman-Cummings songwriting team becoming the most celebrated partnership in Canadian music to that point. The Guess Who brought Randy’s music to North America.

He followed that with “Let it Ride”, “Roll on Down The Highway”, “Takin' Care of Business”, “Looking Out For #1”, “Hey You” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” with Bachman-Turner Overdrive, taking his name and hit-making abilities worldwide. In 1974, BTO was the biggest-selling recording act in popular music.

Randy also stands in rarified air as a member of a very exclusive handful of artists who have topped the charts in two different bands: “American Woman” (co-written by Randy) with The Guess Who and “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” (composed wholly by Randy) as leader and singer with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. In addition, “No Sugar Tonight”, written by Randy, was a double A-sided #1 hit paired with “American Woman”.

Randy’s songs have been recorded by a wide spectrum of artists including Lenny Kravitz’ version of “American Woman” which topped the charts 29 years after the original, as well as appearing on television and movie soundtracks including Seinfeld, The Simpsons, American Beauty, and Austin Powers 2. He has been animated on the SIMPSONS and is listed in the Guinness Book of Worlds Records.

Randy Bachman’s name is synonymous with the guitar. The instrument is an extension of who he is and he is rarely far away from a guitar. His playing has earned the respect and admiration of the finest guitar practitioners, many of whom have sought him out both as a kindred spirit and collaborator. Since first picking up the instrument in his teen years in Winnipeg, Canada and teaching himself to play, the guitar has been Randy’s first love. He was fortunate early on to be mentored by one of the greatest guitar players of all time, the legendary Lenny Breau. Those tutorials from Breau served Randy well allowing him to develop a versatility that is the envy of his contemporaries.

In 2006, Randy paid tribute his mentor by recording his acclaimed Jazz Thing album which, through digital technology, allowed Randy to duet with hero. To honour Lenny Breau’s legacy, Randy founded Guitarchives Records whose goal has been to rescue and release otherwise lost Breau recordings.

Randy’s career has been built on his indomitable drive and dedication to music. Never content to rest on his stellar laurels, Randy has consistently reinvented himself. He has released albums, in a variety of genres and styles throughout his career, from hard rock to blues, country, and jazz.

As host of the top-rated CBC and Sirius XM radio program Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap, Randy’s listeners each week worldwide number in the millions. He can also add best-selling author to his numerous list of accomplishments, having penned both Vinyl Tap Stories and Tales From Beyond The Tap.

Randy lived out the dream of a million Beatle fans, himself included, when he was invited to join Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band for their summer 1995 tour. Despite a cast of rock music legends, Randy brought the house down night after night with the one-two punch of “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” and “Takin' Care of Business”.

In recent years, Randy has enjoyed tremendous success both live and on CD and DVD with his Every Song Tells A Story multi-media production, sharing the stories behind his best-known songs and turned the veteran musician into rock music’s favourite storyteller.

In 2015, Randy released Heavy Blues, an album of stripped down, 1960s Cream-style hard-hitting original blues songs. The album included contributions from Bachman admirers Neil

Young, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, Peter Frampton and the late Jeff Healey. Critics hailed Randy’s fresh take on the classic rock power trio format.

In 2017, Randy embarked on his most ambitious project in many years, taking the music of one of his personal heroes, Beatles guitarist George Harrison, and re-imagining many of Harrison’s best-known songs in a contemporary musical context with all new arrangements. By George By Bachman became an international sensation on release the following year.

The release of the acclaimed full length documentary film Bachman, written and directed by award-winning director John Barnard, brings the oft described architect of Canadian rock ‘n’ roll’s story full circle with an insightful retrospective of his many remarkable career milestones while continuing to look forward to what is still ahead.

Backed by an elite group of musicians and singers - Marc LaFrance (drums), Mick Della Vee (bass), and Brent Knudsen (guitar), all talented in their own right - gives Randy’s live shows a tight, powerful and exciting sound that never fails to bring audiences to their feet. Recently Randy invited his son Tal Bachman (whose massive hit “She’s So High” is included in Randy’s live set) to join the band. The result makes for a powerhouse group that kills live.

With no plans to retire, the man who once wrote “Rock Is My Life” and whose business cards read “Write Songs, Will Travel” continues to focus on creating new music. He is back in the studio working on new material, curating an exhibit of guitars from his vast personal collection for a 2020 National Music Centre feature presentation, and involved with several theatrical and film productions.

Though his music industry awards include dozens of coveted acknowledgments and celebrated achievements, when asked which award is most prized, Randy responds, “The one I haven’t got yet.”

A FEW WORDS
“Randy has a way of playing and delivering solos that have emotion in them. He plays with feeling. It’s more than just guitar chops with Randy. I feel Randy when I hear him play. He was my biggest influence when I was starting out, watching him play guitar.”
- Neil Young

“You can see the passion when Randy’s playing guitar. He enjoys it so much. He’s very intense because he cares so much about music. He is totally immersed in music.”
- Peter Frampton

“Randy is still passionate and deeply in love with the guitar. That’s a testament to his personality and dedication. The guitar is so ingrained in who Randy is.”
- Alex Lifeson

“Randy’s not afraid to be playing with people who might have a different musical vocabulary. It challenges him and takes him to a different place.”
- Curtis Stigers