Bachman back in time for heavy blues album

Randy Bachman can’t contain his excitement over his upcoming heavy blues album, which features his new band of female collaborators, and is being produced by Kevin Shirley.

The Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Guess Who founder feels like he’s found a new lease of life at the age of 70, and can’t wait to release the as-yet untitled work. It features drummer Dale Anne Brendon and bassist Anna Ruddick – and also includes a guest spot from Joe Bonamassa, with others guitarists to be named in due course.

Bachman tells Classic Rock Magazine: “I was in Ontario watching the live premiere of Tommy with Pete Townshend. He says to me, ‘The drummer’s fucking incredible – she sounds like Keith Moon!’ We met Dale after the show and she’s really, really incredible.

“Anna plays in a couple of bands in Toronto. She loves 60s and 70s rock, and she plays like Jack Bruce and John Entwistle.

“I said to them, ‘I’m going to do a blues album. Let’s not make it Muddy Waters blues – let’s do it the way Cream and Led Zeppelin did.’ The three of us together sound like Cream live.

The turbulent history of Bachman-Turner Overdrive

“When I was playing I kept looking at Kevin, and he was saying, ‘These girls are your secret weapon – they’re going to wow the world.’”

Bachman’s even excited at how things are coming together at the business end. “Ay my age, and at this time, to get a really good record deal from a label who says, ‘We believe in you, do what you want to do’ … This is like the 70s for me. It’s incredible.”

The record, which was tracked in five days earlier this month, is likely to be launched next year under the band name Bachman. He concludes: “I think it’s the best album of my life. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve done in many years – it’s a step out of my box.”

He’ll be featured in the 200th edition of Classic Rock Magazine, on sale July 16.

Polly is deputy editor at Classic Rock magazine, where she writes and commissions regular pieces and longer reads (including new band coverage), and has interviewed rock's biggest and newest names. She also contributes to Louder, Prog and Metal Hammer and talks about songs on the 20 Minute Club podcast. Elsewhere she's had work published in The Musician, delicious. magazine and others, and written biographies for various album campaigns. In a previous life as a women's magazine junior she interviewed Tracey Emin and Lily James – and wangled Rival Sons into the arts pages. In her spare time she writes fiction and cooks.