Over a 45-minute interview recently, Guess Who and BTO legend Randy Bachman simply could not contain his excitement - and usually over things that had nothing to do with his own considerable accomplishments.

Bachman, who performs tonight on the K-Days Telus Stage, is excited about Neil Young's theatrical Greendale concerts, and about what a generous guy Simpsons creator Matt Groening is.

He makes special note of Edmonton for being the city where his lost credit card was hand-delivered to his hotel by a waiter a couple years ago, a sharp contrast to the recent robbery in Glace Bay which crippled his band.

"I love Edmonton," he says, from his Winnipeg studio. "The last honest person in the world lives there."

But we'll get to that.

FISH: How are things lately? You look good in pictures.

RANDY: I'm having the most fun I've had in a long time. I lost 150 pounds, and I found a new voice. Instead of taking two breaths a line, now I can do two lines in one breath. I just have a little bit of extra body to it. My biggest challenge has been writing songs in a kind of '40s, '50s jazz thing, almost schmaltzy lyrics, in a way.

FISH: You've been a big part of two important bands, the Guess Who and BTO. Will you play with them again?

RANDY: Just so long as it's like a job I enjoy. I just came back from Neil Young's Greendale. I've seen the rebirth of rock 'n' roll. He just wants to play on, but he understands that you gotta keep doing something different. I'm gonna do the Neil Young thing, the Guess Who's turned into my Crosby, Stills and Nash. When he gets tired of doing the same set list, he flips out and goes to Europe. My head's now in the jazz thing; I really enjoy the diversity.

FISH: There are lots of different reasons cited for your leaving the Guess Who. What's the main one?

RANDY: Three words: Gallbladder attack. We had difference of music and lifestyle, yeah, but nothing prompts a quick decision every once in awhile like falling on your knees saying you need an operation. It was the little spark that lit the fire. Like you wanna break up with your girlfriend and you don't and she wants to break up with you and she doesn't, but then you both meet other people and you're happy for each other.

FISH: What are you in the Guinness book for?

RANDY: (Laughs) Ten years ago, there was a record set by a bunch of goons playing Louie Louie and these guys phoned me up and asked, 'Would you let us use Taking Care of Business for the new record? And will you come lead the band?' They put out the call and we had 3,800 guitars playing TCB. I've been asked to break that many times since overseas, but if I want to break it, I want to do it in Canada for charity.

FISH: Can you tell me about BTO being on The Simpsons? How insane is it to see yourself in cartoon format?

RANDY: Fish, man, it was one of the most surreal things. Most of your life you dream that you're going to be an actor or a writer or an astronaut. This, I had never thought of. I was treated like Elvis, like I was a superstar. I realized Matt Groening was a huge BTO fan, we basically broke in the Northwest where he grew up.

FISH: And his dad, Homer, is from the 'Peg.

RANDY: No kidding? Afterwards, he sent me an animation cel from the show of me and Homer, and it's one of my most prized possessions, up here in the studio.

FISH: What's your favourite cover version of Takin' Care of Business?

RANDY: I don't think there's ever been that great a version. David Lee Roth did a good one, I think Steve Vai was on guitar. Oh, the Chili Peppers did one that blew me away, but it was never released! I did a version with Soundtrack of Our Lives that we're releasing on vinyl in the fall.