Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Ep. 90 - RANDY BACHMAN ("American Woman")

Episode Summary

Randy stops by Songcraft to talk about how The Guess Who got its name by accident; his Alex Trebek connection; how he bluffed his way into musical success; why his approach to songwriting is all about borrowing and re-purposing; the '60s band he thought was even better than The Beatles; what he spent all his money on instead of drugs; and the Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit that ripped off an Antonín Dvořák classical piece only to then be ripped off by The Doobie Brothers.

Episode Notes

PART ONE Scott and Paul reveal the winner of their latest contest. Find out who's getting an autographed copy of Steve Dorff's memoir! PART TWO - 02:39 mark Is "Stutter Rock" a thing? The guys connect some dots and dig into a surprisingly pervasive trend in music history. PART THREE - 8:05 mark Scott and Paul's origin story - including a particularly disappointing night backstage at a Guess Who reunion show PART FOUR - 12:52 mark Randy stops by Songcraft World Headquarters to talk about his new George Harrison tribute album; how The Guess Who got its name by accident; his Alex Trebek connection; how he bluffed his way into musical success; why his approach to songwriting is all about borrowing and re-purposing; the '60s band he thought was even better than The Beatles; what he spent all his money on instead of drugs; the Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit that ripped off an Antonín Dvořák classical piece only to then be ripped off by The Doobie Brothers; and why one of his biggest hits was an inside joke with his brother that was never intended to be heard by the public. ABOUT RANDY BACHMAN As the co-founder, guitarist, and primary songwriter of two legendary classic rock bands, Randy Bachman has earned over 120 gold and platinum records. After landing a handful of Top 10 singles in Canada, The Guess Who scored a string of Bachman-penned hits, beginning with “These Eyes,” a Top 10 single Randy wrote with bandmate Burton Cummings. They went on to find success with “Laughing,” “Undone,” “No Time,” and “American Woman,” which was the first single by a Canadian band to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The B-side, “No Sugar Tonight,” claimed the #1 spot soon after. Randy walked away from The Guess Who at the height of the band’s success, recording an instrumental album and forming the group that would come to be known as Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Like Paul McCartney before him and Dave Grohl after him, Randy is one of only a small handful of artists to find major success with more than one band. During his stint with BTO he wrote their biggest hits, including “Let it Ride,” “Takin’ Care of Business,” “Hey You,” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” which was an international hit that topped the charts in multiple countries. Bachman has reunited in various configurations with his Guess Who and BTO bandmates over the years, in addition to collaborating on various projects with artists ranging from fellow Canadian rock legend Neil Young to his son, Tal Bachman, who is best known for the 1999 hit “She’s So High.” Randy is a best-selling author, a member of the Musicians Hall of Fame, the host of the Vinyl Tap radio show, and a continually prolific songwriter, musician, and recording artist. His most recent album is By George – By Bachman, a tribute to the songs of George Harrison.