Can't Get Enough (Bad Company song)

"Can't Get Enough" is the debut single by English rock supergroup Bad Company. Appearing on the band's 1974 self-titled debut album, it is their biggest hit and is considered their most popular song. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 1 on Cashbox magazine's Top 100 Singles chart. The song is also frequently played on classic rock radio stations.[4]

"Can't Get Enough"
Cover of the 1974 German single
Single by Bad Company
from the album Bad Company
B-side"Little Miss Fortune"
Released10 May 1974 (1974-05-10)[1][2]
Recorded
Genre
Length4:17
Label
Songwriter(s)Mick Ralphs
Producer(s)Bad Company
Bad Company singles chronology
"Can't Get Enough"
(1974)
"Movin' On"
(1974)

Composition edit

The song is credited to guitarist Mick Ralphs, who tuned his guitar in the open-C tuning C-C-G-C-E-C. Ralphs stated that "It never really sounds right in standard tuning. It needs the open C to have that ring."[5] It borrows from the riff Ralphs used for his 1972 Mott the Hoople song, "One of the Boys".[6][7][8]

Reception edit

Billboard described "Can't Get Enough" as a "good, solid rocker" and praised Paul Rodgers' vocal performance.[9] Cash Box called it "one of the best rockers to come out of Britain in years," describing it as "Top 40 oriented with a heavier flair."[10] Record World said that "lead singer Paul Rodgers is just enough of a controlled powerhouse to turn this into a solid top 40 item."[11]

Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Bad Company's 2nd best song, saying that it "combines a shuffling riff with a classy melody, all done with a big production that still sounds intimate."[12] Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated it as Bad Company's 3rd best song, saying that "the three chord progression to 'Can’t Get Enough' became a favorite of young guitar players growing up in the 1970s."[13] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw rated it as Bad Company's 5th best song, saying that the song "finds Paul Rodgers exuding complete confidence in his ability to land the girl that he wants."[14]

Personnel edit

Track listing edit

7" vinyl
No.TitleLength
1."Can't Get Enough"4:17
2."Little Miss Fortune"3:55
45 RPM
No.TitleLength
1."Can't Get Enough"4:17
2."Bad Company"4:47

Chart positions edit

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top Singles 3
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 5
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 1
UK Singles Chart (The Official Charts Company)[16] 15

In popular culture edit

  • The song was made available to download on November 30, 2010 for use in the Rock Band 3 music gaming platform in both Basic rhythm, and PRO mode which allows use of a real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to vocals.
  • The song was performed by Lenny Henry and Tom Jones as part of Comic Relief
  • The song was featured in the 1993 sequel film Wayne's World 2.[17]
  • The song also features in the film "What the Bleep Do We Know!?" (2004).

References edit

  1. ^ "Bad Company - Can't Get Enough". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Bad Company - Can't Get Enough". Official German Charts. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  3. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "Planet of the Apes: Hard Rock". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 102. ISBN 031214704X.
  4. ^ Denise Sullivan. "Can't Get Enough - Bad Company | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  5. ^ Sharken, Lisa (15 May 2001). "Mick Ralphs: The rock 'N' roll fantasy continues". Vintage Guitar. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  6. ^ Thompson, Dave. "Ready for Love". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  7. ^ "Mott the Hoople Greatest Hits liner notes". Album Liner Notes. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  8. ^ Scoppa, Bud (August 29, 1974). "Bad Company". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  9. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. July 13, 1974. p. 47. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  10. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 29, 1974. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  11. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 29, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  12. ^ Dome, Malcolm (July 13, 2016). "The Top 10 Best Bad Company Songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  13. ^ Roberts, Janey (October 19, 2022). "Top 10 Bad Company songs". Classic Rock History.
  14. ^ Wardlaw, Matt (December 17, 2011). "Top 10 Bad Company Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  15. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 53.
  16. ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  17. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 20 February 1999. p. 7. ISSN 0006-2510.