Summary
Four Wheel Drive is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). It peaked at No. 1 in Canada on the RPM national albums chart on October 4 and again on October 18, 1975[3][4] while hitting No. 5 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart. The most popular single from the album, "Hey You," was written by Randy Bachman. It reached No. 1 in Canada, holding the top position on the RPM national singles chart for two weeks in June, 1975,[5][6] and No. 21 on the U.S. charts. Some reviews stated the song was directed at Bachman's former Guess Who bandmate, Burton Cummings.[7] "Quick Change Artist" was released as a single in Canada only, and reached No. 13 on the RPM chart.[8]
| Four Wheel Drive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1975 | |||
| Studio | Sounds Interchange, Toronto, Canada | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 33:32 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer | Randy Bachman | |||
| Bachman–Turner Overdrive chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
According to liner notes supplied with the BTO compilation CD The Anthology, Mercury Records had wanted a quick follow-up to the highly successful Not Fragile album. Thus, Four-Wheel Drive was recorded in six days, much of it containing material that was left over from the Not Fragile sessions.[9]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Four Wheel Drive" | Randy Bachman, Thornton | Turner | 4:20 |
| 2. | "She's a Devil" | Thornton, Turner | Turner | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Hey You" | Randy Bachman | Bachman | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Flat Broke Love" | Turner | Turner | 3:56 |
| 5. | "She's Keepin' Time" | Randy Bachman | Bachman | 4:09 |
| 6. | "Quick Change Artist" | Randy Bachman, Turner | Turner | 3:19 |
| 7. | "Lowland Fling" | Randy Bachman, Thornton | Bachman | 5:20 |
| 8. | "Don't Let the Blues Get You Down" | Turner | Turner | 4:11 |
Personnel edit
- Randy Bachman – vocals, lead guitars, acoustic guitar
- Blair Thornton – lead guitars, slide guitar, background vocals
- C.F. Turner – vocals, bass guitar
- Robbie Bachman – drums, percussion, background vocals
Production edit
- Producer: Randy Bachman
- Engineer: Mark Smith
- Mastering: Tom "Curly" Ruff
- Director: Bruce Allen
- Art direction: Jim Ladwig
- Design: Joe Kotleba
- Cover construction: Parvis Sadighian
- Art Design: Ryan Walsh, Alex Does
- Photography: John Brott, Tom Zamiar
Charts edit
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] | 10 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[11] | 1 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[12] | 23 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] | 19 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] | 5 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[15] | 10 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[16] | 42 |
| US Billboard 200[17] | 5 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ "Library and Archives Canada".
- ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4055a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=5pc8q9tgdri26dujjlok7ep2f0%7Ctitle=Library and Archives Canada
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- ^ Heatley, Michael (May 2, 2014). "The Turbulent History of Bachman-Turner Overdrive". teamrock.com. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 6, 1975" (PDF).
- ^ LeBlanc, Larry. Liner notes from BTO: The Anthology album.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4055a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bachman–Turner Overdrive – Four Wheel Drive" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Bachman–Turner Overdrive – Four Wheel Drive". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Bachman–Turner Overdrive – Four Wheel Drive". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Bachman–Turner Overdrive – Four Wheel Drive". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Bachman–Turner Overdrive Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Four Wheel Drive". Music Canada. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- ^ "American album certifications – Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Four Wheel Drive". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 14, 2022.