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During The Coast’s recent (June 10) Halifax Poll, it was asked who should be fired at the CBC now that Evan Solomon is gone. I was struck by the fact that musician/radio host Randy Bachman was not included in the poll. This disappoints me and (I suspect) many others in The Coast’s poll vicinity. I have been consistent for my disdain of Randy Bachman (the host and his musical stylings) on the public airwaves but, alas, I cannot keep my voice unheard anymore.
It is time for me to speak for those who want to remove Mr. Bachman off the public airwaves. Why wait for a future scandal? It is in plain sight (and earshot) that this is a man whose time has come to be stricken from the annals of great CBC hosts such as Ralph Benmergui, Lister Sinclair and Holger Petersen.
I think I (and most of your readers) are aware of the musical stylings of one Mr. Bachman. A legend in his own mind. A man who hosts a music-themed show which has viciously ripped off Bob Dylan’s “Theme Time Radio Hour” program. A man who will tell anyone within earshot that his former band (who shall not be named here) sold more records than The Beatles (in a one-year period). A man whose radio theme song is an earworm and a song from his own catalogue (I have been told by a fellow musician it’s called “double-dipping” when you play your own songs on your own show repeatedly). Did you know BBC6 Radio has a rule for radio hosts that they can’t play their own songs on their shows?
Randy Bachman is a man who actively talks above his own noodling on the guitar. A man who fired his own brother from his band. A man who has “nicked” a riff from guitarist Lenny Breau and claims it as his own. A man whose jazz stylings are akin to water running off a cliff and, hopefully (crosses fingers), never making a sound. Are these the ideals of CBC hosts? I actively (as Mr. Bachman states) “do something green” and save electricity by turning off CBC radio during his time slot. (You should thank me NS Pow…er, Emera.) With the recent cuts to CBC, why not make a simple accounting ledger change and move the money from Randy’s salary to Radio Three?
The CBC need not wait for another scandal. Randy Bachman’s voice is a ticking time-bomb of insanity to my ears. I hate to throw Randy onto the pile of previous on-air personalities rife with scandal, but this is a travesty which has to come to a sad (for me, glorious) ending.
So, I ask of you, CBC Radio management: The time has come. With the recent CBC cuts, and future cuts, please remove Randy Bachman’s voice (also: please remove any solo material from Randy and his cohort, Burton Cummings) from the airwaves and the hosting chair. Permanently.
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This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2015.
YES
Love the Bachman and the themed shows. I think he brings a wealth of interesting inside information to the mix. Do NOT fire Randy Bachman!
I agree. Someone so in love with themself shouldn’t be allowed to parade his copied music and style over the radio.
Ha hah, I love vinyl tap. So I take your comment as a statement that the CBC should continue to get rid of the best of its staff so that it will die as an organization and leave the airwaves to schlock private media.
Ha HA. I heard Bachman recently make the same mistake as Donald Trump about his good friend Neil Young’s Rockin in the Free World. I don’t think he ever listened to the words either:)
Oh come on! He’s friendly and interesting. We’re lucky to have him.
Randy’s music lessons live on radio with his guitar are well meaning but melodically, harmonically and theoritically wrong. Randy is the last guy one would want to take guitar coaching from if his on air suggestions are any indication of his musical knowledge of theory, chords and scales.
As a guitar player and musician I can sadly only laugh when Randy attempts to explain and teach guitar riffs. So sad.
On the positive side he at the very least brings some great tunes to the show. If he would only stop talking about himself and trying to teach guitar it could be a good show?
everything on the show somehow makes its way back to himself and “takin’ care of business”… he is so self flagellating it drives me crazy. def a rip off of Dylan’s way more interesting TTRH shows, except that Dylan never talked about himself. it was always about the music and other musicians, for Dylan. With Bachman, it is always Takin’ Care of Bachman. i know alot of people like him – – so be it, leave him be as it bring more people to the CBC. But i too turn him off and wait for Strombo. WAYYYYY more interesting and provocative discussion on music.
start a FIRE RANDY petition. I’ll sign that
I agree, let’s consign him and his tired old entitled white man blues rock show to Tuesday nights at the local strip mall bar, where it belongs.
I sent him an email 6 years ago calling him a washed up hippy dippy always playing his own tired music…i was surprised he read it over the air…still, nothing has changed as in the format of his “show” glad im not the only one who finds him stale and self worshiping…
Who cares? Whatever… It’s just a radio show. Who cares
He’s a narcissist and narcissists love publicity…I liked the show for awhile until Randy’s self-promotion was endless and so utterly transparent…even though he fails to be humble about it. Listening to Bachman’s commentary of classic rock, one would think that BTO and The Guess Who were the creators of the music universe. I cannot really stomach the show anymore…esp Bachman’s voice..puke
I could not agree more. Randy Bauchman is the Uncle Rico of the music world.
Wow … the hate. Ego drives all successful people. It spills out of him. That is creativity. He does seem to be ‘friends’ with everyone though … funny and maybe true?? I was saddened when he stopped using Denise on his show to read the fan mail.. It added a folksy element to the show. He is and has been a great rock guitarist no matter what you music theory snobs say.
Aaron, let us know where we can tune in to your show so we can compare/contrast and hear what we’re all missing. Or should I try BBC6? I wonder if those hosts are jealous of all the other BBC# hosts get to play their own stuff? And please don’t fault him for firing his brother, it’s not unheard of – I suggest you google the Knopfler or Gallagher boys. In all seriousness however, please stop this silly vendetta – you dislike his music, thats fine but thats YOUR opinion. The rest of us will continue to tune in to hear Mr. Bachman, a successful musician, businessman and radio host, to listen to his entertaining stories and well researched playlist. I am quite sure we are in the majority.
Seems like a lot of sour projection here. Sure Randy talks about himself, big deal. And he did live directly within the rock n roll scenes of the sixties (and into the seventies) and has spent time with (or toured with) just about every major rock figure. He’s been in two massive bands and penned several monster riff hit songs. Good for him. I find him an affable chap with some good stories. And Bob Dylan is hardly the first person to do a themed radio hour; I was making themed mixed tapes many years before that, the form is probably as old as the hills. This is a sad article full of resentiment.
Love Randy Bachman. Love his music. Love his show. Love his ability to pass on guitar hints and info about the music he plays. did i mention that i love Randy Bachman?
My comment is why do people think they have the ultimate power to undo another person’s career?
Just because you don’t like someone you have a right to smear them on social media and then hope your words will destroy them? Self righteousness is getting so OLD!
As a musician and former Winnipegger, I have always been proud of what Randy, The Guess Who did for our city on the international scene. Most places I have been since leaving do not know anything about Winnipeg, but if I mention Randy or the Guess Who, they make the connection and want to hear more about other artists from the Prairies. And as well he is a great guitar player & composer. I listen to his show when I can, and have tuned in others here in Québec where I live and all enjoy the show. I had never heard of the man who wrote this pathetic article that only seeks to be demeaning and disrespectful.
Obviously hated by some, Bachman’s show is for me the only show on CBC worth my time. Because it is entertaining. The only other entertaining show on CBC is the debaters, but even that has grown old. Fire Randy? Go ahead. it will only reduce the already tiny audience.
I love the show! I also listened to Ralph Benmergi, Augusta Lapaix and other CBC personalities who brought a unique style to radio back in the 80’s.
I love Vinyl Tap. I like the themes, and I like when Randy plays something completely unexpected.
I have learned a tremendous amount about the incredible rich history of western pop/rock/blues and even jazz from his show.
So maybe it’s not cool that he plays a few of his own greatest hits now and then. It’s 4 cents a spin, so he’s hardly getting rich from slipping “No Sugar Tonight” or whatever into the playlist from time to time.
PS: I tried radio myself for a brief while, at two college stations and one teeny-tiny commercial one. You know what I learned? Radio seems easy, but is one of the most difficult things in the world to do well, and I failed at definitively and spectacularly.
Radio is an extraordinarily complex technology and yet also an extremely intimate medium. It is difficult to speak into a microphone to no one and to everyone and still sound like you are speaking to a single person sitting close to you. It’s a unique art form, and I commend anyone who can do it well.
CBC is one of the last bastions of radio as something bigger than a glorified playlist. It’s a national treasure, and if you don’t like certain shows there are many others that are worth your while.
AMEN MR. HARTLING!! Bachman is a self-serving braggart who plays his own songs any chance he can. He used to have his wife as a co-host who was unbelievably painful to listen to…what happened to her? No worries about double or triple dipping, as he wrangled his son Tal to ‘produce’ the show, and then plays that dumb single (She’s so high) any chance he can. And he totally stole Dylan’s theme timed radio hour…who else was doing it (within recent times and successfully) before Dylan? Even ‘Vinyl Tap’ is a blatant rip-off of Spinal Tap…he couldn’t even come up with an original title for his dumb show.
Aaron, I would have gotten far more out of this if you had some alternative suggestions to replace Bachman and why they would do better. Pumping up someone elses tires is more effective than shitting on somebody else. Projecting potential scandal onto a host who you simply dislike just doesn’t cut it and comes across as whiney rant reminiscent of a scene in High Fidelity.
Personally Stuart Maclean and Rex Murphy are way higher up on my CBC host shit-list, but sadly they too are pretty darn popular.
I learn a lot about music from listening to this show. Lots of people in the music business have egos. If you accept that as part of show biz, Mr. Bachman offers entertainment and information , and I like it , a lot.
Jian Ghomeshi is facing seven counts of sexual assault. Randy Bachman plays his own songs. Of course the acts are morally equivalent and Bachman should be fired the same as Ghomeshi was.
Someone mentioned Rex Murphy. If anyone deserves to go it is that pompous, reactionary twit, but why should anyone have to go? Ghomeshi is accused of criminal acts. Solomon violated the CBC’s code of ethics. What has Bachman done, other than displease some guy in Halifax?
Sounds like someone is jealous. He’s had more gold records than the writer, played with more bands and single artists than the writer. Never fell into booze or drugs. Bachman is straight shooting and speaking with lots of interesting stories of who he’s worked with and the places he played. And he’s still going strong. So Mr Writer you’re jealousy is way out in front and most people will ignore you.
wow, you have the ramblings of a jealous young child. You don’t get older in life without making mistakes along the way. Shall dig into and post yours?
I can live without RB on the CBC, but I’d vote Sook Yin Lee off the island first.
To those who think Randy is the bomb — try reading his autobiography. He doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s a creep and an asshole, presumably because he is blissfully unaware.
it’s easy to judge, not so easy to fill the seat. Anyone, including the author of this piece, thinking they can do better….get going and submit your audition tape.
tune in wednesday Dec.9 (and every wednesday) 9am-10:30am AST to ckdu.ca or 88.1FM to hear huskermould play alt-country, singer/songwriters and bob mould tunes.
anyone miss my show? don’t worry! you can listen to the archives : https://soundcloud.com/user-51464396
Bachman’s approach to the show is a self aggrandizement put together at his convenience. A great guitarist, some iconic tunes to his credit; but the spirit of performance is to be committed to the art for the sake of the audience. I get frustrated with the guff he makes up and passes of as accurate, or truth. The best part of the show was when his now ex wife , Denise, contributed a segment. And, to my ears, he did not appreciate the competition. His mention of ,’other great artists,’ is so name dropping. The allusion to his wealth, referencing the value of his guitar collection, his condos, homes and apartments, abroad; his being able to pick up the phone and securing front row/back stage pass tickets for his kids to, ” SOLD OUT,” performances, are simply boasts. There is no apparent humility nor generosity in his make up; reference his inability to let go of his war with Burton Cummings, who offered him an olive branch several years back and tried to do a reunion tour with him. And his , ” I gotta be right, ” childishness, illustrated in the exchange with Denise about the Hendrix quote, ” ‘Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy.” Denise was a back up singer in Hendrix stage show. She was at the party where,…”… Jimmy said exactly that,” and, ” directed towards his producer; “.. before the Purple Haze release,”said Denise. But Randy poopoo’d that; she must have heard wrong, dismissing her with a guffaw. His response to some who write in sounds like, ” Are you stupid or something ? “Luckily she moved on. His new wife is never mentioned. On one show he expounded, noting his German heritage that, ‘ luftballon,’ meant red balloon in English; actually it translates, ‘air balloon”; ‘red,’ in German is , ‘rot.’ …Which also describes the program, self serving rot.
I listened to his Bass show,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,what a fucking joke,,,,,,,,,,,,,,no Geddy Lee,,,,,,,,,,,and strangely enough he claims YOU REALLY GOT ME as a great bass tune,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WTF,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
In a perfect world, I wished Randy would have explained Denise’s departure from the show. Marriages end, fans understand. But many dedicated listeners were left scratching their heads when she disappeared in, I believe, the fall of 2011. They’d certainly sounded in sync the previous season, especially in the live concert recording of their Vinyl Tap tour.
I remain impressed that Randy still extols on air the talent of Burton Cummings, despite their own disharmonious parting in 2009 over Burt’s ownership of all Guess Who publishing from 1968 on. Randy also has played Guess Who songs recorded long after he left the band and which he has no songwriting or airplay performances due.
As for nicking a lick or two from Lenny Breau, I think he’s more than made up for it by remastering and releasing on his Guitarchives label long unavailable Breau recordings. Lenny’s heirs earn some bucks out of the arrangement and have the satisfaction of knowing their dad (who woodshedded with Randy when both were Winnipeg teens) is remembered.
No question, Randy’s a complicated and litigious dude. But Vinyl Tap remains a very worthy successor to Finkelman’s 45s on Saturday night CBC radio.
I have seen a lot of concerts in my day:Boz Scaggs, Brian Wilson, Elton John, Roger Waters, Barry Manilow, Burton Cummings, April Wine, Steely Dan, Rush, James Taylor, Sting, The Police, Nazareth, Joan Armatrading, the B52s, Streetheart, SuperTramp, Van Morrison, Chicago, George Thouroughgood…the list goes on and on. And you know which was the best concert of them all? Randy Bachman’s Every song Tells a Story right here at the Casino NS about 12 years ago.
Good grief. Get a grip. If you don’t want to hear the show, shut your radio off. You have some pathetic and whiny complaints against Randy ? Have you thought of counseling ? Drugs ?
Wow. Its February 2017. I went looking for info on Randy so I could recommend that a major show interview him and found this piece of garbage from a nobody windbag named Aaron Hartling whose sole claim to fame is that he can tear down the accomplishments of others. I tune in to CBC specifically to hear Randy’s shows. I like Randy’s knowledge, his music, his themes, his mixes, his receptivity to his audience. And I remember, fondly the BTO. Randy accomplishes, has played well and still plays well and he DOES something productive with his time and his life by entertaining others and making us happy. Thank you, Randy.
“why not make a simple accounting ledger change and move the money from Randys salary to Radio Three?” … Ummm, hate to tell you this, Aaron, but Randy does the show for free.
Wow what a dork. I live in Portland, Or. and know a number of people in this area that catch Randy’s show and I recommend it to other people as well. The first thing I would do is make Aarron take a “How to Write” class, what a silly letter. And hey do you like Husker Du? I Du too but your email is a bit obsequious. Randy puts on an interesting and enjoyable show every week, something you do not and I hope never will.
Amen, and spot on. I find his self-aggrandizement, self-promotion, “double-dipping,” and apparent nepotism off-putting as hell. I used to love Jeff Healey’s “My Kinda Jazz.” Now there was a man with class and humility. A guitar virtuoso who never once boasted or promoted his own stuff. I’ve taken a real dislike to Bachman just from listening to his show. He plays good music sometimes, but way too much of his own material. And I can’t stand hearing him talk. All in all, just a crass and boastful guy…
you forgot to add the repeated factual errors that litter his show every week. research and fact checking are atrocious. and inexcusable in this age of the internet.
As a U.S. XM Radio listener I have begun to listen to CBC through happening on Vinyl Tap and loving it. Hate to see a dump movement take hold.
I wholeheartedly agree, although mostly for reasons not described in your article. I do agree that the constant ramblings of this burned out former rockstar, citing all of his tirades when he was relevant are annoying at best, his choice of music is also largely terrible. He is doing this show out of boredom. “Songs that start with the letter A” is a pretty thoughtless show topic – especially given that his show blares for 2-3 hours a day. I too am in the authors’ camp: I save the planet whenever he comes on by turning the radio OFF.
If CBC really wants to keep this burnout around, they should at least move him to CBC Radio 2 (or CBC Music), or see how many people really give a damn about his show by reducing him to a podcast only temporarily.
I listen to CBC Radio 1 for news, information, documentary, and Canadiana. Not for some hodgepodge of weird interconnected songs.
I also agree with the author in comparing Vinyl Tap to “Q” and it’s likes. I don’t think Randy is particularly violent or sadistic or oddly sexual, but it’s CBCs ramming it down our throats not unlike Q that is a problem. He is using the CBC as a mattress to rest his ego (something Rex Murphy said about Ghomeshi on The National). Q is repeated and sucks back 4 hours of airtime – every weekday. At times it seems that almost any time I turn on the radio it’s Q (or q or whatever).
CBC has a small army of proper journalists who want to get on the air and make a name for themselves by doing something they were trained to do. Yet we give a combined 6-7 hours a day of Entertainment Tonight style coverage on the taxpayer dime on Radio 1, nearly half of it reruns.
CBC seems to have this oddball trend cropping up in a variety of places, it has to be some “strategic objective” created by people who never listen to it. At 5 am in Vancouver, I am greeted with usually grating awful music masquerading as “a song to wake up to” on the Early Edition. Music gets popped in all over the place throughout the day. Like, if I want to listen to music, I can just flip the dial to my favorite station, or better yet to my own collection of what I like.
CBC also has an odd “keep ’em until the day they die” mentality. They will ram a host down our throats over and over and over again until something sticks, when in actuality, it’s the host who sucks and should be fired. Ghomeshi got three or four tries, and was only fired when the scandal came out and they had no other choice. Sheilagh Rogers has had at least three times the reiterations, from the “Sounds Like Canada” gaggle of old women and homosexuals to a book club, to the great wonders of Canada thing and many more I haven’t had the pain of listening to, riding Peter Gzowski’s coattails still even though he’s in the grave for a very long time.
Mansbridge is yet another example. The guy was known as “Peter is away” for nearly half of The National in his latter years, was getting an exorborant amount of money. Eventually he decided to go himself. His salary could pay for 5 or 6 journalists alone who do something other than read off a teleprompter.
CBC needs a wake up call, and it isn’t playing pop or classic rock music. There are so many competitors in that space that do it so much better, it’s hardly worth the bother and dollars. Play Canadian artists, and keep it to that. It was sickening actually listening to Q, it was just an endless stream of publisicsts hawking their latest book, album, or movie – most of them American. Free advertising on the taxpayer dime masquerading as journalism? No thank you, I’ll take a boring story about how the Saskatoonberries are being cut down by farmers to make way for soy crops or something any day over that drivel.
Weather any of the Bachman detractors accept it or not. The Guess who was & is still the Greatest
Rock band to ever come out of Canada. Bachman & Cummings were also the greatest team of Song Writers to come out of this Country. They were Canada’s answer to Lennon & McCartney. They were also the 1st Canadian Rock Band to really get noticed south of the boarder in the U.S. when Canadian Rock Music & the Bands playing were considered inferior to groups in the states. They shattered the American Pop charts starting with These Eyes with many more incredible hits to follow. All of this paved the way & opened the door to the US music charts for many other Canadian groups.The Guess Who helped the States & other Nations to stand up & take notice of Canadian Rock Artists. The long track record Solid Gold hits of the Guess Who as well the powerful,popular music of BTO don,t lie! Randy Bachman is a Great Canadian Rock Legend who does a Great job of giving us some history on the Background of many great Artists & their music from the incredible Classic Rockn’Roll Era! So instead of criticizing this Canadian Rock hero give him the commendation & respect that he richly deserves!!! I am very confident I have millions of baby -boomers out there just like me who would agree with me!! The facts don’t lie!! Take a long hard look at all of this man’s musical accomplishments & the joy he’s brought to Millions of Rock fans over the years & maybe then you’ll understand what I’m talking about!!
Aaron Hartling? Failed artist is he?
This is the first I’ve heard of one Aaron Hartling, but I’ve loved The Guess Who since the mid-sixties and BTO since the seventies. It looks to me that the purpose of this whole page is to bring Hartling’s name to the fore. Bachman is an accomplished musician, has written a great book, and I believe has a radio fan-base rivaling that of anyone working for the CBC. Through my first 30 years on this planet, I thought of the CBC as a station for old folks. That may not be true these days, and Vinyl Tap may be one of the reasons. All I can say now is, Randy! Keep the rock a rollin’!!
“A man who hosts a music-themed show which has viciously ripped off Bob Dylans Theme Time Radio Hour program.”
Even for what Hartling says about Randy Bachman, that is truly impressive! Vinyl Tap was on the air in 2005……a FULL YEAR BEFORE Bob Dylan’s radio program!
Really? The most outrageously bad host was Danny Finkleman. Now he was boring!
tell the guy to turn of HIS RADIO
Leave CBC alone
I am not a huge fan of vinyl tap because of the playlist, often I find it rarely plays music I like. To his defence his vast historic knowledge on Canadian music can be interesting.
However the are other CBC Radio shows interviewing whining guests and lecturing Canadians on social issues has me clicking off my radio daily.
Somebody is JEALOUS
Randy Bachman’s show is fun, entertaining and informative. You need to get off your hate couch. The man has achieved much in his career and earned all of it. He speaks with modesty and intelligence. GOT TO LOVE VINYL TAP!
East coast crapping on the West
It would be more useful to suggest who could improve the CBC rather than being so negative.
You can’t dump on Randy, he’s Canadian gold and grandfathered in!
While we’re at it, and since we’re in NS… please stop CBC Weekend Mornings with Bill Roach. The most embarrassing CBC weekend morning show in Canada.
randy bachman, is bringing down as many as he can with him lol.