Category: Randy Bachman

There Is A Truth About This Blog

by barbstruestories, posted in Life's observations, Randy Bachman, Simply Biscotti Project

One of my friends uses the phrase “there is a truth” to preface some of his remarks.  It’s an unusual phrase.  I imagine the idea is to add credibility to what comes next.  It’s never been clear to me if it’s a “truth” known world-wide or just in his mind. 

Here’s my go then, at ‘there is a truth’, about this blog (the year-end stats WordPress provides follows below if you are at all interested).  I will try to be as objective as I can about the whole thing.

  1. 55 posts in 2012-not exactly a house on fire.  The first year was only 8 months and there were 53 posts in that time.  I seem to be flagging.  Question: if you read this blog routinely, is its regularity (or lack thereof) an issue for you?  People who blog daily must be very organized or full of ideas and it seems I am neither.
  2. 5800 views in 2012-not exactly viral.  Now, my husband once teased that most of those views are mine but I know someone else is reading the blog because I hear from you and I thank you.  Question: what is your taste in blogs?  Is it certain topics or bloggers, controversy, photos, hobbies?
  3. The quest to eat my way through the counter at Simply Biscotti (the reason for this blog at the onset) is moving at a slow pace.  Not because it isn’t enjoyable, it’s just there have been many other things to keep my days occupied.  Question: if you live in Ottawa, have you visited Simply Biscotti?  I’ve visited the bistro with a number of friends-from in town and out-of-town and I’ve had some great visits with Rosa, the owner as a result of this blog.  That’s a plus and a good reason to keep up the quest.  
  4. The most views of the blog in 2012 was about my friend Ella.  The title was Ella’s Tree. 
  5. Randy Bachman brings more people to my blog site than any other search.  Now, there’s some humour in that, isn’t there?  People are interested in Mr. Bachman’s marital status.  I noticed hits on the topic shortly after I did a blog about seeing him at a book launch.  And people keep asking the question about whether he is separated.  There’s no search on our garden bounty this year or many other topics that have struck me as blog worthy but lots of queries about a rock legend.  Question: Should I start writing about public figures and not expound on the value of horse manure in taking little things and growing them into big things.  Oh, wait, they may be the same thing!

And so to those of you who are good enough to read this blog regularly or sporadically, thank you.  I always appreciate feedback, whether a comment on the blog or by email.  Any comments or suggestions you have for me are most welcome.

I wish you all the best in 2013.  

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 5,800 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 10 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

A Blog Topic Can Keep You Current-Even If You Aren’t Interested

by barbstruestories, posted in Arts and entertainment, Randy Bachman

Background: When you have a blog you can see some of the ways people find your site.  They may google a certain topic-for example, “scotch and chocolate” and since there’s a blog about that subject on my blog they may click on my site.  I understand how that can happen.  Some searches though come in through a bit of a tangent and one search that started to appear recently was about Canadian rock and guitar/singer/songwriter legend Randy Bachman.  He spoke at the Ottawa International Writers Festival this fall about his new book “Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Stories”.  

Gossip Search:  I noticed searches over the last while that were not about plain ol’ Randy Bachman or about his book but they ran along the lines of “Is Randy Bachman separated?” or “Who is Randy Bachman dating?”.  What is this, I thought.  I have no business in Mr. Bachman’s personal life, nor am I particularly interested.  However  just as once in a while one might peek at that gossip magazine when in the line up at the local grocery store, I found myself wondering what was up.  If I find that this blog leads me to the equivalent of reading gossip magazines, then it’s time to call it a day on the whole thing.  

I’m sure you aren’t interested-you don’t look at tabloids, or read articles about the lives of people in the public eye.  Just to keep you up to date though the question about Randy Bachman’s marital status seems to have an answer.  And if you click on the link, I’ll know someone is interested.  You can run, but you can’t hide.  

 

Guess Who? Randy Bachman

by barbstruestories, posted in Arts and entertainment, Barb's "best"..at this moment, Randy Bachman

The 15th Annual Ottawa International Writers Festival is about to get underway.  There have been a number of pre-festival events.  Last night I went to see Randy Bachman. It was lovely evening.  Lawrence Wall of CBC radio one introduced Randy Bachman.  Both men are originally from Winnipeg and they shared a number of reminiscences.  Lawrence recounted The Guess Who playing a noon hour concert at their Winnipeg High School when the band was at the peak of its popularity.  It was an example of what made the Guess Who beloved in their home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba.  

Musician, singer, songwriter and storyteller

Randy Bachman Ottawa International Writers Festival

Bachman regaled the audience for well over an hour (more time than initially promised) with stories that are found in his recently published book (this is the writers festival) Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap Stories.  If you are of a certain vintage, or you like rock (and roll) music dating back several decades, you will be familiar with Bachman’s program on CBC radio.  It airs a number of times during the week and Bachman and his wife Denise play songs and he tells stories of his experiences over decades in the business.  He often plays his guitar (s) and provides an interesting and varied dialogue on a world most of us never will have never known.  It’s not all roses for Bachman spoke of the time he spent away from his family (8 children) as they were born and grew.

Bachman had great rapport with the audience last night.  He talked about how he got started in music (with violin lessons) and how in his teens he would skip school in the afternoons and hang out with Lenny Breau.  He has so many experiences to recount-from living the life of a musician in obscurity to one who was at the top of the charts.  From living in a beat up van while on the road, to meeting Gerry Dorsey before he entered the agent’s office and came out with a new name-Englebert Humperdinck! There were great tales of how songs and song titles came to be. Bachman played his guitar and did some singing-all to the audience’s delight. He announced that next year he and his full band will do a cross-country tour that will be  2.5 hours of story telling and music based on his book.  

Small world-art imitating life

To my quiet delight, as the event seats filled, the Ottawa based actor and playwright Pierre Brault sat beside me.  We have seen and enjoyed Brault in a number of performances here in Ottawa.  One of those was the one-man play  5 O’Clock Bells Brault both wrote and performed based on the life of Lenny Breau.  I spoke briefly to Pierre-he has not had the opportunity to meet Randy Bachhman. That seems like a shame.  There is only one degree of separation-Pierre Brault-Lenny Breau-Randy Bachman.

And finally

Bachman has a great sense of humour, enough truly interesting stories to fill a book (funny thing) and for all his accomplishments he appears approachable and grounded.