A new documentary about famed Canadian rocker Randy Bachman, co-founding member of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, will get its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Takin’ Care of Business tells the story of how Bachman was reunited with a beloved 1957 Gretsch guitar decades after it was stolen in 1977.
The movie’s debut screening will take place on Friday, September 13, at Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto.
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Described as a “brisk, fun ride,” Takin’ Care of Business features Bachman discussing his journey to rock stardom, first with The Guess Who and then with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The talented singer, songwriter, and musician also shares tales about the orange 1957 Gretsch guitar that was his favorite instrument, on which he composed some of his bands’ biggest hits.
The movie, which was directed by Tyler Measom, also features previously unseen footage from the 1970s and ’80s. It also includes appearances by Bachman’s son Tal and some other people close to Randy. Tal, who had some pop success of his own with the 1999 hit “She’s So High,” is now touring with his dad as a current member of Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
More About Bachman’s Stolen Gretsch and the Documentary
After the guitar was stolen from a hotel room in 1977, Bachman was shattered. He spent decades searching for the instrument, while also struggling to find a perfect replacement guitar. In 2021, Randy finally got a lead on where his Gretsch guitar might be.
Tal Bachman shared more details about the search for the guitar and the making of the documentary in a post on his social media pages.
[RELATED: The Guess Who’s Randy Bachman Shares Advice for Aspiring Songwriters: Listen to ABBA, The Beatles, and The Eagles]
“Growing up, my siblings and I heard my dad talk every day about his long lost magic Gretsch guitar,” Tal wrote. “That orange 1957 6120 was the guitar he’d saved up for as a kid. It was his best, and oldest, musical friend, and a guitar which seemed to write hit songs on its own. It also turned out to be a good luck charm.”
He noted that after the guitar was stolen, “everything started to go wrong—not just professionally, but personally, too. More than anything else in the world, Dad needed that magic guitar back.”
Tal said that in late 2021, he received “one of the most shocking emails of my life,” from an amateur internet sleuth who claimed he had a lead on the guitar’s whereabouts.
He explained that the information started “a cascade of recovery attempts” complicated by several factors, including his father’s recent cancer diagnosis.
“We began filming every step of this story nearly from the beginning, and pulled in a team to help us turn the story into a documentary,” Tal shared. “We are now pleased to announce that this documentary, Takin’ Care of Business, will be shown this year at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.”
About Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Tour Plans
Randy Bachman relaunched Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 2023 with a new lineup that, as mentioned earlier, features his son Tal. The band currently has a dozen upcoming shows lined up this year in the U.S. The trek continues on Friday, August 30, in Saint Michael, North Dakota. It’s mapped out through a November 4 concert in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Tickets for Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s shows can be purchased now via a variety of outlets, including StubHub.
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