Bachman Turner Overdrive – ‘Taking Care Of Business’
  • Writer: Randy Bachman
  • Producer: Randy Bachman
  • Recorded: Summer 1973 at Kaye-Smith Studios, Seattle
  • Released: December 1973
  • Players:
    Randy Bachman — vocals, guitar
    C.F. Turner — bass, vocals
    Tim Bachman — guitar, vocals
    Rob Bachman — drums
    Norman Durkee — piano
  • Album: Bachman-Turner Overdrive II (Mercury, 1973)
  • Also Appears On:
    The Best of BTO (So Far) (Mercury, 1976)
    BTO’s Greatest (Mercury, 1981)
    All Time Greatest Hits — Live (Curb, 1990)
    The Anthology (Mercury/Chronicles, 1993)
    Plugged In — The Garage Tapes (Randy Bachman solo EP) (Ranbach, 1993)
  • Randy Bachman was a member of the Guess Who until 1970 when he left to form Brave Belt, the group that morphed into Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1972.
  • “Takin’ Care of Business” started life under the title “White Collar Worker” in 1967, when Bachman was still with the Guess Who, as he explains: “With the Guess Who, I was really blown away when we went to Chicago and New York to record to see people who lived out in the country coming into the city on the 8:15 train. I had never been privy to that in Winnipeg because it’s so small you can drive anywhere in 10 minutes.”
  • Bachman says the song was inspired by the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer.”
  • “Takin’ Care of Business” was BTO’s breakthrough hit, reaching Number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • The BTO II album soared to Number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 charts and earned a gold record.
  • BTO II was also Tim Bachman’s last album with the band. He left in March 1974 and was replaced by Blair Thornton.

FAST FORWARD:

  • BTO continued to score hits until 1976, when Randy Bachman left the group.
  • Bachman continues his solo career, and his last couple of albums have featured guest appearances by old friend Neil Young.

Bachman has also regrouped the Guess Who and occasionally works as a duo act with Guess Who partner Burton Cummings.