Vital Signs' CD is dedicated to the memory of their friend and long-time supporter, Randy Bachman. During the 1980's, Randy was one of best known and most successful rock photographers on the West Coast. From the very beginning of Vital Signs, Randy Bachman was a regular visitor to the band's rehearsal studio and office. He rarely missed any of the band's shows. We could always count on seeing "The Bachman" on the side or front of the stage, shooting photos of the performance. He never asked for a penny in return, something he seldom did for any other act. It's not that Randy was wanting for work. 
He regularly photographed concerts by most of the San Francisco Bay Area's best known bands, including Journey, Sammy Hagar, Santana, Y&T and Night Ranger. His photo credits were a Who's Who of 1980's rock. His photos appear on album covers such as Journey's "Escape", Sammy Hagar's "All Night Long" plus albums by Santana, Y&T and many others.
I remember one time inviting Randy to join me at a big concert I was working in Central California with Loverboy and Joan Jett. The minute we arrived onsite, Randy headed backstage to talk to all of his friends in the bands. Before I knew it, Randy was onstage, accompanied by Loverboy's Production Manager, who was carrying Bachman's ladder. In no time at all, The Bachman was set up onstage with the best possible view of the show. This was not at all unusual. The Bachman was legendary for talking his way onstage and ending up with the best photos.
Standing less than four foot tall, the result of a rare bone disease, The Bachman possessed a spirit of giant proportions. He accompanied the band on the road, critiqued their rehearsals, promoting Vital Signs to anyone who would listen. He was never shy about his enthusiasm for the band. One day Randy barged into the offices at Bill Graham Presents, demanding to know why Vital Signs wasn't playing on any of their shows. Anyone else would have been tossed out the door, but everyone in the office was a friend of The Bachman. Not long after that, Vital Signs was opening a BGP show and, naturally, The Bachman was onstage shooting roll after roll of film during the concert. He was, without a doubt, Vital Signs most loyal and enthusiastic fan.
1987 saw Vital Signs' career growing to new heights. Constant touring and frequent trips to L.A. for recording sessions began to show results. A&M Records was beginning to show interest in the band. Jimmy, Dave and Dan were cranking out new songs at an unbelievable rate! In the midst of all this good fortune, the unthinkable happened.
I was in the office that morning in September, working on a press release for the band. David Notary called and he sounded really strange. 'Randy's dead!' I almost made a joke, thinking he was kidding. Something stopped me though, perhaps the tone of his voice. "What are you talking about, Dave?", I asked. "He's dead! Some drunk driver ran him down and killed him outside of a nightclub in The City." I had never heard Dave sound this way. "I've gotta go see his mom. Call the band. We have to do something for Randy!" Dave hung up. I looked up at the press release I had been working on, but the computer screen was blurry. (Damn computer!) It was a bright, sunny day in Oakland but, strangely, there were raindrops on my keyboard, at least they looked like raindrops...
The press release was never finished. I don't even remember what it was about. Some things are more important than rock and roll, like friends and family and life and death. The next few days were a blur. Everyone was in shock. Death is always hard to deal with, especially when it hits so close to home. The funeral chapel was filled and overflowed into the parking lot on the day we buried Randy. Promoter Bill Graham hired a bus and brought the entire staff from Bill Graham Presents. Every band was represented, every rock radio station, every critic, every photographer in the business gathered around the tiny casket to say good bye to Randy.
The funeral was over and no one knew what to say but everyone knew what we had to do. The tributes to Randy didn't stop at the funeral. Vital Signs and several other bands performed at a sold-out benefit concert in an Oakland nightclub, just blocks from Randy's home. The members of some of the Bay Area's top bands gathered at Fantasy Studios to record "Fly Angel Fly", a tribute to Randy. The performers included members of Y&T, Journey, Night Ranger, Eddie Money, Eric Martin, David Notary of Vital Signs, Greg Kihn and many others. On a November night in 1987 the San Francisco rock community gathered one final time to honor The Bachman at The Warfield Theater. The huge benefit concert, featuring just about every major Bay Area band, raised money for The Bachman Fund, which was set up to provide support for Randy's family. At the close of the show Vital Signs' David Notary joined Eric Martin, Eddie Money, Greg Kihn, and Y&T on-stage to sing "Fly Angel Fly".
Randy Bachman may have been small in stature but he made a big impression on San Francisco rock and roll. In 1995, "Photopass", a book containing the best of Randy's photos was published. Narrated by San Francisco Chronicle critic Joel Selvin, with a forward by Sammy Hagar, "Photopass" is a lasting monument to Randy's talent. Flipping through it's pages, one is presented with a vision of the San Francisco rock scene of the 1980's that could only have been captured by a very special photographer and very special human being. Vital Signs chose to dedicate their CD to his memory because they owed him a debt of gratitude for his years of support and friendship. Vital Signs also wanted to honor his life, which was a shining example of the best aspects of the Rock and Roll lifestyle. Rock photography was the only thing he knew..the only thing he wanted to know. At the moment of his death, The Bachman was taking a photo of the marquee at City Nights, the nightclub he was about to enter to photograph a concert. This fact, more than any other explains what Randy was all about. Randy Bachman was so dedicated to his work that he never saw the speeding automobile or the drunk driver who took his life. All Randy saw was the viewfinder on his camera, looking out onto the world of rock and roll. That was the way he lived and that was the way he died. Vital Signs is honored to have known him.
Scoop Sweeney
January 1, 2002
