White Collar Worker

"Takin' Care of Business" is one of the best-known hits from the Canadian band Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Randy Bachman had written the song some eight years before it's release while he was a member of The Guess Who and had titled it "White Collar Worker.”  His idea was to write a song about a recording technician who worked on The Guess Who's recordings. This particular technician would take the 8:15 train to get to work, inspiring the lyrics "take the 8:15 into the city." The standard uniform worn by technicians at the studio was a white collared shirt, which gave Randy the name "White Collar Worker.”

When Randy first played the song for Burton Cummings, lead singer of The Guess Who, Burton said the opening guitar riff Randy had arranged for the song was similar to that of the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" that he was ashamed of him and that The Guess Who would never record the song.

Eight years after writing the song, and during the supporting concerts for BTO's first album, Randy was driving and listening to the radio when he heard radio DJ Darryl Burlingham say the day before a gig, "We're takin' care of business on C-Fox radio," and Randy decided to insert the lyrics "takin' care of business" into the chorus where "white collar worker" previously existed.

The next night lead vocalist Fred Turner's voice gave out before the band's last set and Randy sang some cover songs to get through the gig and on a whim he told the band to play the C, B-flat and F chords over and over while he sang "White Collar Worker" with the new words "Takin' Care of Business" inserted to the chorus.  The crowd loved the song and Fred Turner who was the normal vocalist for the band insisted that Randy record it for their next album.

The band included the song on their second album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II with a new opening guitar riff giving it the signature sound it has today. Randy also continued to sing the song in concerts providing Fred Turner with a much needed opportunity to rest his voice during shows. The song would eventually reach #12 on the Billboard singles charts and become one of BTO's most recognizable songs.