Bad Company, the hard rock supergroup, created a series of timeless hits, including the 1974 track “Can’t Get Enough,” which remains part of the band’s lasting legacy.
More than five decades after its release, it continues to have a lasting influence on the beloved supergroup’s legacy and is celebrated as a classic rock favorite by generations of listeners.
Written by guitarist Mick Ralphs, a former member of Mott the Hoople, “Can’t Get Enough” was featured as the opening track on the band’s self-titled debut album, Bad Company.
However, the song was not originally intended for the band’s debut record.
Ralphs wrote it while he was still with Mott the Hoople, but it was ultimately rejected by the band after it was considered unsuitable for Ian Hunter’s vocal range.
When Bad Company was formed in England in 1973, the band considered adding “Can’t Get Enough” to its tracklist, along with several other Ralphs-penned songs, including “Movin’ On” and “Ready for Love.”
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Drummer and former Free member Simon Kirke recalled the complicated setup during their recording session.
“We were scattered all over this country house,” he mentioned in a 2017 interview with Songfacts, adding, “Bad Company were doing their first album and I believe it was one of the first songs that we did. I was in the basement, Boz [Burrell] the bass player was in the boiler room, Mick Ralphs and Paul Rodgers were up in the main living room where the guitar amps were. So, in order to get their attention, because we couldn’t see each other, I did the count: ‘1, 2… 1, 2, 3…’ and then I did this ‘guh-brah’ to get everyone’s attention. And that’s how we kicked it off. It was born out of necessity.”
Released as the lead single, “Can’t Get Enough” officially introduced the rock supergroup to the world and eventually became a massive commercial hit.
Not only did “Can’t Get Enough” dominate the airwaves, but it also peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974.
With its remarkable appeal to the public, the song became one of the band’s signature songs even earning recognition from various publications.
One was Ultimate Classic Rock’s ranking of Bad Company’s album-opening songs from worst to best, with the 1974 hit securing the No. 1 spot.
In addition, American Songwriter named “Can’t Get Enough” one of four rock songs that helped ‘70s kids pick up a guitar.
This only shows that the song has maintained its status as an influential rock classic and continues to resonate with new generations of listeners.
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