John Waite

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine As a solo artist and as the lead singer of the Babys and Bad English, John Waite was a fixture of album-oriented rock radio stations during the 70s and 80s. Waite had a talent for power ballads and driving arena rock, occasionally touching on new wave-styled power pop, as well. Though he didnt consistently have hits, several of his songs — including Missing You, the Babys Isnt It Time, and Bad Englishs When I See You Smile — became radio staples. John Waite formed the Babys in London, England, in 1976 with Wally Stocker (guitar), Mike Corby (vocals, keyboards), and Tony Brock (drums). Initially conceived as a teen pop band, the group earned a record contract based on the strength of a video demo they constructed with producer Mike Mansfield. Chrysalis pushed the band heavily, resulting in Isnt It Time becoming a hit in the U.S. and U.K. in 1977. As their career progressed, the group began to experiment with synthesized, new wave-inspired power pop, which resulted in a handful of minor hits. Jonathan Cain became the bands keyboardist in 1978, and he and Waite developed a close relationship. When Cain left the Babys to join Journey in 1981, the group disbanded. Waite began his solo career the following year, releasing Ignition on Chrysalis. While the album generated the minor hit Change, his second album, 1984s No Brakes, became a genuine Top Ten hit on the strength of the number one single Missing You. While Missing You was an international smash, eventually becoming one of the best-remembered songs of the early MTV era, No Brakes produced only one other hit, the Top 40 Tears. Its failure to produce another blockbuster was indicative of how Waites solo career would proceed. Mask of Smiles (1985) barely managed a Top 40 entry (Every Step of the Way), but Rovers Return (1987) produced no hits, bringing Waites career to a standstill. With his career stalled, Waite formed the supergroup Bad English with former Babys Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips (bass), ex-Journey guitarist Neal Schon, and drummer Deen Castronovo. The groups eponymous debut, released in 1989 on Epic Records, became a platinum success after the power ballad When I See You Smile became a number one hit. Price of Love was a Top Ten hit in the wake of When I See You Smile, but their 1991 follow-up, Backlash, suffered from one. Bad English broke up shortly after the albums release. Waite resumed his solo career in 1995, releasing Temple Bar on Imago. Several albums appeared on various labels as the 21st century got under way, including Figure in a Landscape and Live & Rare Tracks from Gold Circle and One Way Records, respectively, in 2001, followed by Hard Way on Hard Brakes in 2004 and Downtown Journey of a Heart on Frontiers in 2006.