Tag: Randy Bachman

BTO booking at the PNE sets off search for ’70s-rock souvenir

By Steve Newton Yesterday the Pacific National Exhibition announced the lineup for its Summer Night Concerts series at the Pacific Coliseum, and when I saw that Bachman-Turner Overdrive was booked to play on August 20, I had an old-school PNE flashback. Way back in the summer of 1975 a teenaged me had driven in from … Continue reading BTO booking at the PNE sets off search for ’70s-rock souvenir

Album review: Jeff Healey, Songs from the Road (2009)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 30, 2009 By Steve Newton I saw the original Jeff Healey Band play numerous times in the ’80s at Vancouver venues like the Yale and the 86 Street Music Hall. While always blown away by the searing talent of the young blind dude with the Strat on his … Continue reading Album review: Jeff Healey, Songs from the Road (2009)

Album review: Robillard/Beaudoin/Geils, New Guitar Summit (2008)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 5, 2008 By Steve Newton New Guitar Summit is an ongoing jazz project featuring guitarists Duke Robillard, Gerry Beaudoin, and Jay Geils, who some may remember as the guitarist for a kick-ass ’70s blues-rock band out of Detroit that turned lame in the ’80s and made hit records … Continue reading Album review: Robillard/Beaudoin/Geils, New Guitar Summit (2008)

Bachman-Turner Overdrive gig draws comparisons to the horror of BTO freak Stephen King

photo by narking/Wikipedia ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 3, 1989 By Steve Newton In the book Kingdom of Fear, a collection of essays on the fiction of Stephen King, the top-selling horror author explained how he came up with the pseudonym he used on novels like The Running Man and Thinner. Once the prolific scaremeister had … Continue reading Bachman-Turner Overdrive gig draws comparisons to the horror of BTO freak Stephen King

Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Randy Bachman once tried paying a surprise visit to Stephen King

By Steve Newton Hardcore fans of Stephen King are aware that he used the pen name Richard Bachman for a number of his early novels because he was a huge fan of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. But not many BTO fans know that the band's founding guitarist, Randy Bachman, once went looking for King in the horror … Continue reading Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Randy Bachman once tried paying a surprise visit to Stephen King

Randy Bachman recalls how Dylan lyrics and Vancouver acid inspired the Guess Who’s “Undun”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 2, 2001 By Steve Newton Most red-blooded Canuck-rock fans over 40 have memories of their favourite Guess Who tune. Some prefer the riff-driven bluesiness and sneering attitude of “American Woman”; others are more drawn to the celebratory, peace-and-togetherness vibe of “Share the Land”. There may even be a few sad sacks … Continue reading Randy Bachman recalls how Dylan lyrics and Vancouver acid inspired the Guess Who’s “Undun”

Anti-fragile Bachman Turner puts it into overdrive this spring

Less than two weeks ago, Universal Music Canada announced that it would be releasing a remastered 40th-anniversary edition of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's best-selling album, Not Fragile, on March 18. That was great news for anyone who was a teenager back in '74, when BTO was battling it out with the likes of Thin Lizzy, Foghat, and Blue Oyster Cult for time on … Continue reading Anti-fragile Bachman Turner puts it into overdrive this spring