The Happy Accident Of "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" By Bachman-Turner Overdrive

By | November 9, 2021

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A number 1 single scoring band from Winnipeg, Canada. (Pinterest)

When it comes to happy accidents, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive ranks right among the happiest. The Canadian rock band composed of two Bachman brothers, Randy and Robbie, along with Fred Turner and Blair Thornton sold almost 30 million albums worldwide. “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” scored the band their only US No. 1 single but boy, did the song have legs.

Perhaps the most famous song to utilize stuttering found its way into “The Simpsons,” “The Sopranos,” a Steven King collection, and much more. So how did “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” almost slip through the cracks and who do we have to thank for the song’s famous speech impediment? Read on to find out.

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An earlier rendition of the band including yet another Bachman brother. (louder)

Coming Together

As lead singer Randy Bachman recalls in 1973, “I’m looking for something, and then You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet comes along by accident. We needed an FM Top 40 hit, something light with a heavy bit in it. At that time, I was inspired by Traffic’s Dave Mason and his song, Only You Know And I Know, which had a dang-a-lang rhythm, and the Doobie Brothers’ Listen To The Music. So I copped those jangling rhythms, changed the chords, and then added some power chords of my own. I had a work in progress, in two parts: a great rhythm and a heavy riff.”