In 1974, Bachman-Turner Overdrive released their iconic smash single “Takin’ Care Of Business.”
You’ve likely heard the classic rock radio staple at countless NBA and NFL games or on TV in “The Wonder Years,” “The Simpsons,” “The Sopranos,” “Arrested Development,” and commercials.
However, the timeless track didn’t materialize overnight. In fact, it was originally called “White Collar Worker” and lingered in singer Randy Bachman’s proverbial drafts folder for six years, left over from his stint with The Guess Who.
Then, lightning struck.
“One night I’m driving to a gig in Vancouver and a guy comes on the radio station,” Bachman told the New York Post in an exclusive interview. “He says ‘Hi, this is Daryl B and we’re taking care of business.’”
Yes, the memorable call and response “Takin’ care of business/Every day/Takin’ care of business/Every way/Takin’ care of business/It’s all mine/Takin’ care of business/And workin’ over time” was improvised.
“The crowd went crazy,” Bachman smiled. “We recorded it two weeks later and that’s what you hear.”
Over a half-century later, the wily 80-year-old frontman is still going strong touring with Bachman-Turner Overdrive including shows at Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino Music Box on Friday, Sept. 13 and Staten Island’s St. George Theatre on Friday, Sept. 20.
These days, Bachman shares the stage on the road with his son Tal.
Still, it’s just like the whole band — which included three of his brothers who have since passed — is onstage with the father-son team.
“We have a lot of film of my brother Robbie playing drums and Fred Turner singing and everybody else,” Bachman explained. “So we’re touring just like the whole band is there and we’re playing that way as well.”
And while the classic rockers play all the songs you know and love — including “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” “Let It Ride” and of course, “Takin’ Care Of Business” — Bachman still finds the time to cram in a tribute to his time with The Guess Who.
“I’m going to do two little medleys of stuff I wrote in The Guess Who. Stuff like ‘These Eyes,’ ‘Undun,’ ‘No Time,’ ‘No Sugar,’ ‘American Woman,’ to show where I came from.”
Plus, they also mix in Tal’s 1999 hit “She’s So High.”
“Everybody loves that song,” Bachman gushed.
On top of that, the band regularly receives emails from fans requesting obscure BTO gems like “Shotgun Rider” and ‘Welcome Home,” which they’re happy to perform.
As Bachman says, his favorite song to play live is “whatever you want to hear. Come to our show, you’ll see them all.”
If this sounds like the dream classic rock concert for you, we’ve got everything you need to know and much, much more about how you can see Bachman-Turner Overdrive “take care of business” on their 2024 tour.
A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues, and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:
