''Head On'' is the fifth studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by Canadian rock band

Bachman–Turner Overdrive Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often abbreviated BTO, is a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded by three brothers: Randy Bachman, Randy, Robbie Bachman, Robbie, and Tim Bachman; along with Fred Turner (musician), Fred Turner, in 19 ...

, released in December 1975. On the original vinyl release, the outer album cover expanded into a 24x24 inch poster featuring all four members of the band at that time. It was re-released in 2003 on Repertoire Records in conjunction with Mercury Records. The re-release featured the bonus track " Down to the Line", which was released as a single in 1975 but not included on the vinyl nor the original Mercury CD release of ''Head On''. The single " Take It Like a Man" reached #33 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts and received significant airplay at that time. It was the last of the band's six U.S Top 40 singles. Pioneering rocker

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

played piano on the recording. Near the end of the song, C.F. Turner tells him to "play it Richard", and he does, with heavy expression. Another single from this album, the jazzy " Lookin' Out for #1", did not crack the Top 40 on the U.S. pop charts, but reached #15 on the Adult Contemporary chart, receiving heavy airplay upon its release on both conventional rock and soft rock stations. "Away from Home" was also released as a single in the UK only, with " Down To The Line" on the B-side. It did not chart.

Commercial performance

By February 1976, ''Head On'' had sold 900,000 copies in the US. It was a top five album in Canada, hitting the #3 position on February 21, 1976. It was the last non-compilation BTO album to reach the Top 40 on the US ''

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

'', hitting the #23 position on March 6, 1976.

Track listing

*''(*) Available only on the 2003 rerelease on CD and the 2013 Japanese Mini LP Remastered CD (as non-album single of 1975)'' The Randy Bachman-penned "West Coast Turnaround" was recorded during the ''Head On'' sessions but was not released until 2013, when it appeared as a bonus track on the ''Bachman-Turner Overdrive 40th Anniversary'' album.Bachman-Turner Overdrive: 40th Anniversary
Track listing at discogs.com, retrieved January 3, 2019.

Personnel

Randy Bachman Randolph Charles Bachman ( ; born September 27, 1943) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. He was the writer and singer of several hit rock songs, ...

- vocals, guitar * Blair Thornton - guitar * C.F. Turner - vocals, bass guitar *

Robbie Bachman Robin Peter Kendall Bachman (February 18, 1953 – January 12, 2023) was a Canadian drummer and the youngest brother of guitarist, singer and songwriter Randy Bachman. He was the original drummer for both the Brave Belt and Bachman–Turner Ov ...

- drums, percussion, backing vocals on "Down to the Line" Additional musicians *

- piano (6, 9) *Barry Keane -

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...

Production

*Producer: Randy Bachman *Engineer: Mark Smith

Charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Head On (Bachman-Turner Overdrive album) Bachman–Turner Overdrive albums 1975 albums Mercury Records albums