Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often abbreviated BTO, are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded by three brothers: Randy Bachman, Robbie Bachman and Tim Bachman; along with Fred Turner, in 1973. Their 1970s catalogue included seven top-40 albums and 11 top-40 singles in Canada. In Canada they have six certified platinum albums and one certified gold album; in the US they have five certified gold albums and one certified platinum album. The band has sold nearly 30 million albums worldwide and has fans affectionately known as "gearheads". Many of their songs, including "Let It Ride", "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", "Takin' Care of Business", "Hey You" and "Roll on Down the Highway", still receive regular play on classic rock stations.
Bachman–Turner Overdrive II is the second album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1973. The album reached #4 in the US and #6 in Canada.
Bachman–Turner Overdrive is the self-titled debut studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1973. It was originally to be titled Brave Belt III, following the Brave Belt II album, made by the previous line-up of the group, called Brave Belt.
Not Fragile is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive (BTO), released in 1974. It proved to be the group's most popular studio album, and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200.
Head On is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in December 1975. On the original vinyl release, the outer album cover expanded into a 24x24 inch poster featuring all four members of the band at that time. It was re-released in 2003 on Repertoire Records in conjunction with Mercury Records. The re-release featured the bonus track "Down to the Line", which was released as a single in 1975 but not included on the vinyl nor the original Mercury CD release of Head On.
Freeways is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1977. It was the last album that Randy Bachman would be a part of with BTO until seven years later when a "reunion" Bachman-Turner Overdrive studio album was made and released in 1984. This is also the last studio album to be made with the band's classic and most successful Not Fragile line up. It was the first BTO studio album to become a commercial failure, featuring the first BTO single that did not chart. Randy Bachman wrote every song besides "Life Still Goes On", while only two of the album's eight songs featured Fred Turner as the lead vocalist.
Street Action is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive (BTO), released in 1978. It was the first BTO album released after the 1977 departure of co-founder Randy Bachman. As part of an agreement upon leaving, Randy requested the rights to the full Bachman surname to use for his pending solo album, then sold the rights to "BTO" and its trademarks to the remaining three band members. Thus, the band was required to release its next two albums using only BTO as the band name, and not Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Bachman–Turner Overdrive is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1984. It is the last BTO studio album of original material to date and the only one without Robbie Bachman on drums. He disputed some of the agreements for the recording and reunion, including the choice of Tim Bachman instead of Blair Thornton, and declined to join. Garry Peterson, who was Randy Bachman's bandmate in The Guess Who, plays drums on the album. The album was originally released on Compleat Records, but it is currently in print under the Sun Record label. The leadoff song, "For the Weekend", was released as a single and also included an accompanying music video. Reaching #83 in the Billboard Hot 100, "For the Weekend" was the last BTO single to chart by any formation of the band.
Charles Frederick Turner is a Canadian rock bassist, vocalist and songwriter, and was a founding member of the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive (B.T.O.). He is credited on most B.T.O. albums as "C.F. Turner".
Bryan Adams is the debut solo studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, after previously being the lead vocalist of Canadian hard rock band Sweeney Todd, released on 12 February 1980 by A&M Records. "Hidin' From Love" reached number 64 and "Give Me Your Love" reached number 91 on Canada's RPM 100 Singles chart.
James Douglas Vallance is a Canadian songwriter, arranger and producer. He is best known as the songwriting partner of Canadian musician Bryan Adams. Vallance began his professional career as the original drummer and main songwriter for Canadian rock band Prism under the pseudonym "Rodney Higgs." In addition to Adams, Vallance has written songs for many famous international artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Roger Daltrey, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Europe, Kiss, Scorpions, Anne Murray, and Joe Cocker. His most recognizable songs are "What About Love" (Heart), "Spaceship Superstar" (Prism), "Run to You", "Cuts Like a Knife", "Heaven", "Summer of '69", "Now and Forever ", and "Edge of a Dream". He also co-wrote "Tears Are Not Enough" for Northern Lights for Africa, an ensemble of Canadian recording artists in support of the 1985 African famine relief. He has won the Canadian music industry Juno award for Composer of the Year four times. Vallance is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Four Wheel Drive is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1975. It peaked at No. 1 in Canada on the RPM national albums chart on October 4 and again on October 18, 1975 while hitting No. 5 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart. The most popular single from the album, "Hey You," was written by Randy Bachman. It reached No. 1 in Canada, holding the top position on the RPM national singles chart for two weeks in June, 1975, and No. 21 on the U.S. charts. Some reviews stated the song was directed at Bachman's former Guess Who bandmate, Burton Cummings. "Quick Change Artist" was released as a single in Canada only, and reached No. 13 on the RPM chart.
Best of Bachman–Turner Overdrive Live is an album of concert material from a 1985 Bachman–Turner Overdrive performance in Tallahassee, Florida. The album was released on Curb Records in 1994, and should not be confused with All Time Greatest Hits Live, which was a 1990 re-release of the 1986 album Live Live Live, featuring other material sourced from the same concerts.
Blair Montgomery Thornton is a Canadian guitarist and songwriter most widely known for his work with the rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO). He also played in the band Crosstown Bus prior to joining BTO.
Best of B.T.O. is a compilation album by Bachman–Turner Overdrive that contains material from their first five studio albums. "Gimme Your Money Please," a cut from the band's 1973 debut album, was released as a single in 1976 to support this greatest hits package.
The Anthology is a 2-disc set that contains previously released and unreleased material of Bachman–Turner Overdrive studio and live recordings. In addition, the first two songs on Disc One are from BTO's precursor group, Brave Belt.
BTO's Greatest is a U.S. CD-only compilation album by Bachman–Turner Overdrive. It was released in 1986 by Mercury Records. It was released in Europe also on vinyl.
Bachman–Turner Overdrive Gold is a compilation album by Bachman–Turner Overdrive. It was released in 2005 by Mercury Records.
James Patrick Clench was a Canadian bassist, vocalist and songwriter known for his roles in the rock bands April Wine and Bachman–Turner Overdrive.
"Jamaica" is a song by Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive that appears on the 1979 album Rock n' Roll Nights. It features Jim Clench on lead vocals. It was written by well-known songwriter Jim Vallance. It was released as a single but did not chart. The song, along with "Heartaches," was played live on American Bandstand in February 1979 to support the Rock n' Roll Nights album release.
