BTO's Early Successes

Though based in Vancouver after 1972, Bachman-Turner Overdrive built its career mainly in the US, appearing as an opening act and then, by late 1974, as a concert headliner on the strength of a high-powered stage show and the hit singles 'Blue Collar,' 'Let It Ride,' and 'Takin' Care of Business'. The single 'You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet' sold more than a million copies in 1974 and was followed by the popular 'Roll On Down the Highway,' 'Hey You,' 'Take It Like a Man,' Lookin' Out for Number One,' and 'Down the Line'. Describing the group's music, Larry LeBlanc wrote: 'They've merged a hard-edged Memphis country/rock instrumental sound with the sweaty 1956-7 rock and roll and the hardness of the earliest days of British Mod. Overall, it's an unabashedly commercial hard-rock framework' (The Music Scene, Nov-Dec 1974).

The band's Canadian appearances began with a national tour in 1975, that included concerts at the Pacific Coliseum, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), and other stadiums and arenas. The band also toured Europe (1975) and Japan (1976). Other albums issued by Mercury were Not Fragile (SRM-1-1004); Four Wheel Drive (SRM-1-1027) which became a platinum selling album during the first week of its release; Head On (SRM-1-1067); Freeways (SRM-1-3700); BTO Japan Tour Live (SRM-1-3703); and the compilation The Best of BTO (So Far) (SRM-1-1101).

The band received several Juno Awards beginning with most promising group (1974); in 1975 and 1976 they were named group of the year; they received Junos for best album of the year, three years in a row ((Bachman-Turner Overdrive, 1974;Not Fragile, 1975; and Four-Wheel Drive, 1976) and received single of the year for ('You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet', 1976), etc. Its first five LPs, and the The Best of BTO, each sold more than 100,000 copies in Canada and 500,000 in the USA. Total sales internationally exceeded an estimated 20 million.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Bachman-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, selling over 7 million albums just in that decade. The band has sold an estimated 20 million albums worldwide, and has fans affectionately known as "gearheads." Many of their songs, including "Let It Ride", "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", and "Takin' Care of Business", receive frequent play on many FM classic rock stations.

The Bachman family name is pronounced /ˈbækmən/, and the band uses this pronunciation when referring to themselves. However, a pronunciation of /ˈbɑːkmən/ has become so widespread, especially on American radio, that the band no longer makes the correction, and both pronunciations have become acceptable.

Discography

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

Bachman Turner Overdrive albums

Bachman-Turner Overdrive 05/73 New or Used 

Bachman-Turner Overdrive II 12/73 New 

Not Fragile 08/74 New 

Four Wheel Drive 05/75 New or Used 

Head On 12/75 New 

Freeways 02/77 New 

Street Action 02/78 New or Used 

Rock 'n' Roll Nights [live] 05/79 New or Used 

Bachman-Turner Overdrive 11/84 New 

Live!-Live!-Live! [aka The All Time Greatest Hits Live] 08/86 New 

Trial By Fire --/96 New 

King Biscuit Presents... [aka Live] 08/98 New

Bachman Turner Overdrive - Changes and Recordings 1974-87

In 1974 Tim Bachman left BTO, and in 1977 Randy Bachman left the band to resume the solo career he had begun in 1970. Turner and Thornton became co-lead guitarist in Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and the bassist and singer Jim Clench (once of April Wine) was added. After Tim and Randy Bachman left the group the remaining members bought the rights to the name BTO (the acronym which had been in popular use for some time) and officially adopted the name in 1978. The new lineup released Street Action (Mercury SRM-1-3713) in 1978 and Rock 'n' Roll Nights (Mercury SRM-1-3748) in 1979. The latter included the popular 'Heartaches'. Partly due to declining sales of their albums, the group temporarily disbanded in 1979.

While BTO was inactive, Turner, Randy Bachman and others formed Union (1981) and recorded On Strike (Portrait FR-37368). A revived BTO with Randy and Tim Bachman, Turner, Billy Chapman on keyboard, and drummer Garry Peterson (from the Guess Who) recorded BTO (Compleat CPL-1-1010) in 1983, and toured in Canada and the US - eg, opening (without Turner) for Van Halen in 1986. Using tracks culled from their concert tours, they released Live! Live! Live! (1986). Randy Murray (guitar), David Reimer (bass), and John Cody (drums) each briefly performed with BTO (1986-7).

BTO, 1988-2000s

The group went through more personnel changes in 1988 with a reunited BTO comprising Randy, Tim, and Rob Bachman; Vince Ditrich; Turner and Thornton, and toured until 1991. Randy Bachman left the group for the final time and was replaced by Randy Murray; the group toured until 2004 and in 2006 released Trial by Fire: Greatest and Latest, a mixture of BTO classics and new songs.

Both 'Blue Collar' and 'Roll On Down the Highway' were honoured at the SOCAN awards in 2008 for achieving the 100,000-airplay mark on domestic radio.