Bachman-Turner Lose Their Overdrive, Still 'Takin' Care of Business'

Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, the two founding members of iconic Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, have recently been going by just Bachman & Turner after being served with a lawsuit last May. Former members Robin Bachman (Randy's brother) and Blair Thornton sued the pair over the rights to their original name, but in hindsight some good came out of the ordeal.

"We didn't realize it at the time, but they did us a huge favour," Turner tells Spinner. "Using BTO would've taken us backwards and using Bachman-Turner gives us the recognition that we had, but takes us forward, and we're moving in another direction now. So it was probably a very fortunate thing that happened.

"I still don't know why they didn't want the name to go on. I couldn't see it doing any harm to them, but they had their reasons and it worked for us," Turner adds.

Bachman wouldn't comment on his relationship with his brother, but agreed with Turner and added that they have "no thought of looking back."

Their new record, the first in "twenty or so years," began awhile ago as a Bachman solo project, featuring guest appearances by Neil Young and Jeff Healey (who died in 2008). Bachman wrote 'Rock 'n' Roll is the Only Way Out,' intending for British rock crooner Paul Rodgers to sing on it, but Rodgers happened to be away on tour so Turner was asked to replace him. "I had no idea it was going to come back and sound the way it sounded -- a light went off."

"The timing was just right, like the planets were aligning or something," says Bachman. "It's all been there waiting for me to uncover and now for the world to uncover as well."

Bachman describes the band's revival as "going to heaven without dying," adding that, "As long as there are the B.B. Kings, the Mick Jaggers and the Keith Richards' around, people will be interested in rock 'n' roll.

"I saw the Who in London two years ago, and I just sat there with my daughter and I cried because I never I'd never heard them live onstage in my generation," Bachman shares. "It's just a really touching thing to see guys playing music that's been with you for so long and I know we bring that to a lot of people when we go onstage and play."