Tribute to the Bachman Brothers, featuring Sheldon Zoldan

Writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan is the creator of Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to a list of subscribers. In the past couple of years, he's also written and recorded tributes to music industry greats who are no longer with us.

In this episode, we're focusing on brothers Robbie Bachman and Tim Bachman, two of the founders of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This is one of Sheldon's 44 tributes to artists, songwriters and producers who passed away in 2023. To hear “Roll On Down The Highway,” the song referenced in the tribute, go to the YouTube video.

The public domain photo in the chapters is courtesy of Mercury Records and appeared in Billboard in September 1974. You can download a copy here. 

And to get on Sheldon’s Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

The tributes in this series are intriguing glimpses into the lives and impact of those who made the soundtracks of our lives. Although some of Sheldon's subjects are less famous than others, you may find that their songs and stories are equally worth your time. I sure did.

Audio engineer Mike Villegas (who’s also a musician) and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

Transcript

Kate:
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.120
Hello, and welcome to Everyday Creation. This is

00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:06.500
your host, Kate Jones, with one of 44

00:00:07.255 --> 00:00:07.755
tributes

00:00:08.135 --> 00:00:10.475
to significant figures in the music industry

00:00:10.855 --> 00:00:12.955
who passed away in 2023.

00:00:14.215 --> 00:00:15.915
My guest Sheldon Zoldan,

00:00:16.340 --> 00:00:18.600
a longtime writer and newspaper editor,

00:00:19.060 --> 00:00:20.520
wrote these short biographies

00:00:20.900 --> 00:00:22.040
and recorded them.

00:00:22.740 --> 00:00:24.840
Each one is an intriguing

00:00:25.485 --> 00:00:28.765
glimpse into the life and impact of someone

00:00:28.765 --> 00:00:29.665
who contributed

00:00:30.045 --> 00:00:32.845
to the soundtracks of our lives. Here's what

00:00:32.845 --> 00:00:34.705
Sheldon has to say in this tribute.

Sheldon:
00:00:36.110 --> 00:00:38.510
2023 was a year of sadness for the

00:00:38.510 --> 00:00:39.650
Bachman family.

00:00:40.510 --> 00:00:44.510
Robbie Bachman died January 12th in Vancouver, British

00:00:44.510 --> 00:00:45.010
Columbia.

00:00:45.775 --> 00:00:48.415
No cause of death was given. He was

00:00:48.415 --> 00:00:48.915
69.

00:00:50.015 --> 00:00:53.135
Brother Tim died of cancer April 28th in

00:00:53.135 --> 00:00:54.275
Winnipeg, Manitoba.

00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:55.940
He was 71.

00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.600
"I've lost my three brothers in the past

00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:02.880
couple of years," Randy Bachman, the founding member

00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.845
of Bachman-Turner Overdrive,

00:01:05.385 --> 00:01:08.445
told the Canadian Press. "My heart is heavy."

00:01:09.305 --> 00:01:12.105
Robbie, Tim and Randy Bachman along with Fred

00:01:12.105 --> 00:01:15.470
Turner joined forces in the early 1970s.

00:01:16.250 --> 00:01:18.670
Robbie played drums and Tim guitar.

00:01:19.610 --> 00:01:22.605
Robbie joined Randy in Brave Belt in 1971.

00:01:23.705 --> 00:01:26.025
Tim joined a year later, and they became

00:01:26.025 --> 00:01:27.565
Bachman-Turner Overdrive,

00:01:28.270 --> 00:01:29.810
sometimes known as BTO,

00:01:30.190 --> 00:01:31.010
in 1973.

00:01:32.350 --> 00:01:35.170
They had five top 40 albums,

00:01:35.675 --> 00:01:39.195
six U.S. top 40 singles, and 11 top

00:01:39.195 --> 00:01:40.735
40 singles in Canada

00:01:41.115 --> 00:01:42.175
between 1973

00:01:43.355 --> 00:01:43.855
76.

00:01:44.720 --> 00:01:46.420
Tim left the group in 1974.

00:01:47.440 --> 00:01:48.980
Robbie left in 1977.

00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:52.580
Neither left on good terms with Randy.

00:01:53.275 --> 00:01:56.075
Robbie battled Randy over the name, giving the

00:01:56.075 --> 00:01:58.415
band permission to continue as BTO,

00:01:58.875 --> 00:02:00.975
but not Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

00:02:01.800 --> 00:02:04.620
He and his brother never reconciled their differences

00:02:05.080 --> 00:02:07.160
though they played together at a couple of

00:02:07.160 --> 00:02:08.220
award ceremonies.

00:02:09.175 --> 00:02:11.835
Tim made his own headlines. He was accused

00:02:11.895 --> 00:02:14.795
twice of sexual assault against a minor.

00:02:15.335 --> 00:02:17.595
The first time he was found not guilty

00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:19.980
and the second case was dropped.

00:02:20.440 --> 00:02:22.440
Tim and Robbie wrote a few songs for

00:02:22.440 --> 00:02:25.080
the band. Our song of the day, "Roll

00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:26.140
On Down the Highway,"

00:02:26.475 --> 00:02:29.275
co-written by Robbie and Turner, was the most

00:02:29.275 --> 00:02:29.775
successful.

00:02:30.635 --> 00:02:32.795
They wrote it for a Ford commercial, but

00:02:32.795 --> 00:02:34.955
the automaker didn't use it so they turned

00:02:34.955 --> 00:02:36.015
it into a hit.

00:02:36.380 --> 00:02:39.260
The song reached number 18 on Billboard's Hot

00:02:39.260 --> 00:02:40.480
100 in the U.S.

00:02:40.780 --> 00:02:42.320
and number 4 in Canada.

Kate:
00:02:43.260 --> 00:02:45.365
This is Kate again. Please go to the

00:02:45.365 --> 00:02:47.845
description for more information and to hear the

00:02:47.845 --> 00:02:49.305
song that Sheldon referenced.

00:02:49.685 --> 00:02:52.005
If you enjoyed this tribute, please check out

00:02:52.005 --> 00:02:53.930
the rest of them. Although some of the

00:02:53.930 --> 00:02:56.490
names are not as familiar as others, the

00:02:56.490 --> 00:02:56.990
biographies

00:02:57.690 --> 00:02:59.150
are equally intriguing.

00:03:00.010 --> 00:03:02.670
Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation.

00:03:03.175 --> 00:03:05.575
Please share this episode with anyone who might

00:03:05.575 --> 00:03:06.000
enjoy it.