Randy bachman Remembers His Musical Journey with Neil Young
In early 2025, Randy Bachman was thrilled to discover that a bridge in Winnipeg woudl be renamed the Bachman-Turner overpass. This inspired him to revive a song he had penned but never recorded, a tribute to his beloved hometown. He quickly reconnected with Fred Turner,the former lead singer of Bachman-Turner Overdrive,to bring the track to life,adn even invited a familiar face from his Winnipeg days to join them.
“I thought, ‘This is amazing! I have a song that celebrates Winnipeg,’” Bachman shared with Guitar Player. “I’ll give it a rock twist with BTO, have Fred sing, and get Neil to play on it.”
The “Neil” he referred to is none other than Neil Young,his longtime freind from the 1960s,who contributes a raw and powerful solo to the track. This collaboration isn’t their first; Young previously lent his talents to Bachman’s 1997 song “Prairie Town,” and they teamed up for a cover of the Shadows’ “Spring Is nearly Here” for a tribute album in 1996.
Musical Roots and Early Collaborations
Interestingly, despite their shared passion for music and similar influences, Bachman and Young never formed a band together during their formative years. Bachman was part of the Silvertones, which evolved into Chad Allan and the Expressions, eventually becoming the guess Who. Simultaneously occurring, Young was performing with the Squires.
“Neil has always been incredibly generous with his time,” Bachman remarked.”He played in Toronto last year with Crazy Horse, and they were phenomenal. He performed every song that I or the audience could have wished for.”
Though their paths diverged,Bachman cherishes every opportunity to collaborate with Young,whether in the studio or on stage,including performances with Crazy Horse.
Generosity and Musical Bonds
“Neil has always been vrey generous with his time,” Bachman reflected. “He invited me to his studio, and I attended his concert in Toronto. It was an unforgettable experience. I even sent him an acoustic version of ’60 Years Ago,’ and he replied the next day, saying, ’I love this song. It’s so historical. Daryl loves it too. We’re playing it on the bus all the time.’”
Currently, Bachman is touring with Burton Cummings in a refreshed lineup of the guess Who, with their Takin’ It Back tour running until August 25.
Creative Freedom and Respect
When asked if he gives Young any direction when sending him a track, Bachman chuckled, “Let’s just say, nobody tells Neil what to do.”
“That makes sense,” he continued. “But our relationship is built on mutual respect for his artistic vision. When we worked on the Shadows song, there was a part in the bridge that had a peculiar note sequence.I called Neil’s manager to ask if I could correct it, but I was told, ‘Neil would prefer you to leave it as is. It was captured in the moment.’”
“It’s like the Godfather saying you can have one meatball; you don’t ask for another,” he added with a laugh.
Shared Experiences and Influences
Reflecting on their early days, Bachman noted, “We were both good players. We started off clumsy, but with practice, we became smoother. Everyone struggles with chords at first, especially the F chord.”
Although they didn’t hang out much, they would occasionally meet on the bus, sharing dreams of making it big in music. “we both wanted to be on the radio,like Hank Marvin or Elvis. There was a camaraderie among guitarists, especially since we both loved Gretsch guitars.”
“I remember when I joined the Silvertones, we had a rare amplifier. neil would frequently enough call to borrow it for his gigs,” Bachman recalled. “He wanted to emulate Hank Marvin’s sound, and we had a makeshift echo effect using a tape recorder.”
Guitars That Shaped Their Careers
Eventually, a Gretsch guitar became available at Winnipeg Music Supply, and Bachman purchased it. Though, it didn’t have the right sound, so he traded it for a different model that Neil ended up using on iconic tracks like “Mr. Soul” and “For What It’s Worth.” Bachman kept the other Gretsch, which he used on hits like ”Takin’ Care of Business.”
“I took mine back, and neil bought it. That became his Gretsch that he played on ‘Mr. Soul’ and ‘For What It’s worth’ on American Bandstand,” Bachman shared.
Recognizing Talent and Future Paths
When asked if he sensed Young’s potential early on, Bachman replied, ”Absolutely. We both had a determination to succeed, regardless of who came and went in our bands.”
After bachman left for a tour in 1965, he sent Young a postcard encouraging him to leave Winnipeg, which led Young to Thunder Bay, where he met Stephen Stills and formed Buffalo Springfield.
Missed Opportunities and Lasting Friendship
Despite their close friendship, Bachman never joined Young in CSNY.”by then, I had a family to support, and I couldn’t just leave for a place with no job opportunities,” he explained.
“I do envy his relationship with Stephen stills.I would love to be that other guitarist, especially during those long solos,” he admitted. “Neil has played in Vancouver many times, and I’ve joined him for encores, but he always picks songs I’m not expecting.”
“I’d love to play ‘Down by the river’ or ‘Southern Man’ with him, but you just go with whatever he wants,” Bachman concluded with a smile.
