Posted on 07/02/2022 10:46:33 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Nearly 50 years ago, Randy Bachman's Gretsch guitar – on which he wrote "American Woman" and other hits — was stolen from a hotel in Toronto. Decades later, the instrument has been returned to him by a Japanese musician who had bought it at a store in Tokyo, unaware of its history.
Bachman, former guitarist for the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was understandably distraught when he first noticed the guitar had gone missing in 1977. It was the first expensive instrument he'd ever bought as a teenager, having worked odd jobs to save up the $400 for it. "I cried for three days – it was part of me," he recently told the Guardian. "It was very, very upsetting."
Over the years, Bachman attempted to fill the void with other, similar guitars, but nothing compared to the bright orange 1957 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins. "It made my whole life," he said. "It was my hammer and a tool to write songs, make music and make money."
In 2020, a Canadian fan named William Long decided to launch an internet hunt for the missing guitar, carefully studying old photographs for distinct markings on it. Within a few weeks, he'd tracked the instrument to Japanese rock musician Takeshi. After communicating, Takeshi agreed to return the instrument to Bachman in exchange for a "sister" guitar made during the same week and featuring a similar serial number.
"I owned it and played it for only eight years and I'm extremely sad to return it now. But he has been feeling sad for 46 years, and it's time for someone else to be sad," Takeshi said. "I felt sorry for this legend."
The two musicians met up in Tokyo to exchange the instruments, where they performed together at Tokyo's Canadian embassy, marking Bachman's first time performing in Japan since 1995, when he appeared with Ringo Starr. Bachman and Takeshi are now planning on appearing in a documentary about the long-lost guitar, in which they will perform a new song together, penned by Bachman, called "Lost and Found."
Speaking with Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, Bachman relayed his gratitude for the happy ending: "This whole trip to Japan and my guitar return is a dream come true."
I bet when he got his guitar he went on overdrive!
What a great story. Gavin McInnis was just talking about how great this guy was on his Canada Day special yesterday.
BTO was the soundtrack of my high school years.
You ain’t seen n-n-nothing yet!
That The Guess Who is not in the RRHOF is an injustice.
His son is aregular on Mark Steyn’s show and website.
Velly intelesting, Takeshi is the new BTO, and Tak[ing] It Like a Man.
In 1978, i forgot a $400 dollar camera on a commuter train. It was returned to lost and found.
Happy endings.
One of the best rock songs of the 1960s was the Guess Who’s “No Time.” Loved it then, love it still.
“Undun” is my favorite GW song
Randy Bachman (guitar) + Burton Cummings (flute) “Undun” - LIVE and they tell the story how “Undun” was written
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drtZ7PmzfP8
Good song
Also one of my favorites.
“Laughing” and “No Sugar Tonight” were always two of my favorites. Still listen to them today.
1957 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins -hell yes. Great axe.
I’ll bet he pronounces his name so it rhymes with “pacman”. Randy has said people have mispronounced it as bach-man for decades.
Bachman to wife, “I’ll be right back, dear. I have to go to Japan to pick up my guitar”.
I was thinking “overdrive in terms of these guys.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachman%E2%80%93Turner_Overdrive
Not aware of THAT! I have been on rant about Jethro Tull and Johnny Rivers not being in. Now there are three....
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