1973 Rock Classic, Whose Famous Riff Was Scrawled on a Pizza Box, Became One of Rock's Greatest Anthems
One 1973 song has become an enduring hit that is still a fan-favorite decades later, and this is partially thanks to a piano part scribbled on a pizza box during recording. The song in question, Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business," was first released on the band's album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II, but over time, it became one of the group's strongest legacies.
The song was actually in its early stages when band member Randy Bachman was still a part of his earlier band, the Guess Who, but it eventually found a home with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The story behind how "Takin' Care of Business" came together is an interesting one, with a key detail revolving around a pizza box.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive member Robin "Robbie" Bachman talked about how the song came to be in an interview with New York Waste, recalling how the band was recording the song when someone in a neighboring studio booth came in and declared that it needed piano.
The man left, only to return when the music engineer pulled him back. He first asked the band if they wanted piano in the song, saying he only had six minutes to spare to make it work. Robbie said, "He then picks up a pizza box, proceeds to write the chord progression on the cardboard box, puts it down on the piano, and plays it once. It sounds great."
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"He then asks us to send him a check and he leaves us his card. The fellow's name is Norman Durkee," he went on, noting that the band credited Durkee on the song. At the time, Durkee was a young, rising musician, but he went on to be a successful composer, pianist, and music director, working with the likes of Bette Midler and Barry Manilow.
Durkee's piano part in "Takin' Care of Business" remains one of his most memorable musical contributions, and it helped the song rocket to success, with the track peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's since become an enduring anthem for rock fans everywhere.
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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 6:18 AM.