| Five Hundred ThirtyFifth in the Famous People (FP) Series - Randy Bachman |
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In 1960, Randy Bachman and Chad Allan co-founded Al and The Silverstones in Winnipeg. By 1962, the band changed names to Chad Allan and the Expressions and later on to The Guess Who.
In 1965, the Guess Who had a #1 hit in Canada with their cover of Johnny Kidd's "Shakin' All Over", which also charted in the U.S. at #22. In 1966, Chad Allan left the band and Burton Cummings became the primary vocalist. Starting in 1968, the group released three successful albums: Wheatfield Soul (1968); Canned Wheat (1969); and American Woman (1970) which brought them mainstream attention. Bachman wrote or co-wrote (primarily with Cummings) most of the group's songs during this period.
In early 1970, the "American Woman" single hit #1 on the U.S. charts, a first for a band from Canada. A group composition, the song critiques the "ghetto scenes" and "war machines" of the U.S., reflecting the Guess Who's experiences based on their extensive touring in large American cities. With the Vietnam War at its peak, many American males went to Canada to seek refuge from the military draft, a fact that the group's members surely recognized.
Surprisingly, Bachman left the band after the release of American Woman. He has been quoted for leaving due to the other band members lifestyle choices conflicting with his (at that time) Mormon beliefs and wanting to spend more time with his brothers and other family members. He also was suffering health problems from the constant touring and needed to be under a doctor's care, something that was impossible to do on the road.
Before his departure from The Guess Who in May 1970, Bachman recorded a solo album, Axe over 3 days in March 1970. The following year, he formed the group Brave Belt with Chad Allan. Robbie Bachman, one of Randy's brothers, was the drummer for Brave Belt despite being barely 18 years old. Fred Turner subsequently joined Brave Belt on bass and vocals, resulting in a much heavier sound which led to the departure of Chad Allan, though Allan still contributed two songs to Brave Belt II in 1972. Left with a three member line-up, Tim Bachman was added to Brave Belt as the second guitarist.
The group then signed with Mercury Records in 1973 and changed their name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive, often referred to as "B.T.O." And, as they say in the business, the rest is history.
As quoted from 9key's original cache page here, "Park to the south of the cache in the driveway and enter at the gate. It's not locked, but make sure to close it when you enter and leave as there are cattle in this pasture, as you'll see from the many cow patties laying about. It's about .15 mile walk from the first gate to the cemetery gate. The cattle have been doing some damage to the headstones over the years it seems."
FP cemetery caches are always placed with regards to the location, so please be mindful of your presence here, watch where you step and be respectful of the residents interred here. Please carefully re-hide the container better to maintain the integrity of the cache.