THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

873-Bachman-Turner Overdrive-Roll On down the Highway.

1975-Number 22 single.

Best Bit- At 2.34. ‘Ah, breaker one-nine, this here’s the Rubber Duck, you got a copy on me, Pig Pen, c’mon?’

Bachman-Turner Overdrive, (see also best songs 1005) or as is it often abbreviated, ‘BTO,’ were formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1973, by the brothers Randy Bachman, (lead guitar) Robbie Bachman, (1953-2023) (drums) Tim Bachman, (1951-2023) (guitar) and Fred Turner (lead vocals, and bass guitar.) In 1974 Blair Thornton (guitar) joined the group, replacing Tim Bachman, who had been fired after the release of the bands second studio Album ‘Bachman-Turner Overdrive 2.’ It was while on their way back from a gig in Toronto, that the group had spotted a copy of a trucker’s magazine called ‘Overdrive,’ while in a diner. Turner wrote ‘Bachman–Turner Overdrive, and the initials ‘B.T.O.’ on a napkin. The rest of the band decided the addition of ‘Overdrive’ was the perfect way to describe their music. ‘BTO’ were active between 1973-1980, and with varying members have reformed again between 1983-2005, and again as ‘Bachman & Turner,’ between 2009-2018. In total there have been nine official members come and go.

The discography of the Bachman-Turner Overdrive includes 10 studio Albums released between 1973-1996, and 28 singles issued in the same time period, there are also 14 official compilations, and four live Albums available. In Canada on the ‘RPM’ music industry chart top 40, ‘BTO’ achieved 11 hit singles, with ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,’ (1974) and ‘Hey You,’ (1975) both reaching Number 1. While on the American Billboard Hot 100, five of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,’ making Number 1. In the UK, they have charted within the top 40 on two occasions, with this song peaking at Number 22, and ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,’ peaking at Number 2.

Randy Bachman was born Randolph Charles Bachman, on September 27th, 1943, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, as well as being a founding member of ‘BTO,’ he was also a founding member of ‘The Guess Who’ in 1965. Bachman left ‘The Guess Who’ in 1970, stating lifestyle differences between himself and the other band members as the main reason for him leaving. Bachman has said that immediately following the split he was labelled a ‘lunatic and a loser,’ and was told that nobody would want to work with him again. With ‘The Guess Who’ he recorded seven studio Albums between 1965-1970, and had four Canadian Number 1 singles, including ‘American Woman,’ and ‘No Sugar Tonight,’ which were both also American Billboard Number 1 songs in 1970. It was in 1971 that Randy Bachman first began working with Fred Turner, Turner had been recommended to Bachman by Neil Young (see also best songs 602 and 559.)

‘Roll On down the Highway’ was the second of two singles released from ‘Not Fragile,’ the third studio Album by ‘BTO,’ from September 1974. The song was co-written by Randy Bachman, and Fred Turner, with the production being by Bachman. Turner and Bachman had been contacted by ‘The Ford Motor Company’ to write a song for the automotive company’s advertising, but the company decided to not use any of their compositions. Randy Bachman and Fred Turner developed one of those rejected tracks, which would become ‘Roill On down the Highway,’ Bachman has said,’It’s like getting an assignment: write a new commercial for Ford and you’ll get paid $100,000. Well, I’d sit down and I’d write a commercial for Ford, ‘let it roll down the highway.’ Ford never picks it up, and I have a song called ‘Roll On Down the Highway.’

‘Time’s real short, you know the distance is long, I’d like to have a jet but it’s not in the song. Climb back in the cab, cross my fingers for luck, we gotta keep moving if we’re going to make a buck.’