Randy Bachman Wrote 'American Woman' On Stage

(Radio.com) Randy Bachman tells WCBS-FM's Scott Shannon that he wrote the classic songs "Taking Care Of Business" (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) and "American Woman" (The Guess Who) on stage.

"This magic was happening on stage, like when I wrote 'American Woman' on stage." The Guess Who had been playing a show outside of Toronto near the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo in a curling rink where they placed plywood on the ice in February.

"I broke a string on my Les Paul' I had no roadie, no tech, no spare guitar, no tuner; so Burton [Cummings] said, 'We're taking a break.' I got on my knees in front his piano to tune to the piano, put the string on my guitar, and as I was tuning it up I went [hums opening chords to 'American Woman']. And the whole audience - who was all talking, there was no music - their heads snapped around. I went, 'Oh my god, I have to keep playing this riff," says Bachman. "I was alone on stage. Then I got the drummer on stage. And I got the bass player. Finally, the last guy on stage was Burton Cummings and he said, 'What is this? It's great.' I said, 'Sing anything. Sing something.' Because when you sing something weird it helps you remember the notes your playing." Read more here.

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Copyright Radio.com/CBS Local - Excerpted here with permission.

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