The precursor to BTO was the band
Brave Belt, formed in 1970 by
Randy Bachman and
Chad Allan (both of
The Guess Who), Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner. An original plan included Keith Emerson of The Nice, though he was dropped due to illness. After two moderately successful Brave Belt albums, Allan was replaced by Tim Bachman, the third of the Bachman brothers, and the band changed its name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive.