John Waite
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 didn't consistently have hits, several of his songs -- including "Missing You," the Babys' "Isn't It Time," and Bad English's "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 Babys 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 "Isn't It Time" becoming a hit in the U.S. and U.K. in 1977. As their career progressed, the Babys began to experiment with synthesized, new wave-inspired power pop, which resulted in a handful of minor hits. Jonathan Cain became the band's 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, 1984's 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 Waite's solo career would proceed. Mask of Smiles (1985) barely managed a Top 40 entry ("Every Step of the Way"), but Rover's Return (1987) produced no hits, bringing Waite's 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 group's 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 the lack of one. Bad English broke up shortly after the album's 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 No Brakes in 2004 and Downtown: Journey of a Heart on Frontiers in 2006. After a five-year hiatus, Waite returned with the appropriately named Rough & Tumble in early 2011.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
Artistas semelhantes
Discografia
11 álbum(ns) • Ordenado por Mais vendidos
-
No Brakes
Pop - Lançado por Capitol Records em 1 de jan. de 1984
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ignition
Pop - Lançado por Capitol Records em 1 de jan. de 1982
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rover's Return
Pop - Lançado por Capitol Records em 1 de jan. de 1987
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mask Of Smiles
Pop - Lançado por Capitol Records em 1 de jan. de 1985
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Missing You
Rock - Lançado por No Brakes Records em 23 de abr. de 2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Missing E.P. (Rerecorded)
Pop - Lançado por Marathon Music International em 14 de nov. de 2018
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Every Time I Think of You
Rock - Lançado por New Jersey em 25 de jul. de 2018
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
When I See You Smile (UK Chart Top 100 - No. 61)
Pop/Rock - Lançado por Music Manager em 9 de out. de 2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Missing You (UK Chart Top 40 - No. 9)
Rock - Lançado por Music Manager em 9 de out. de 2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Every Time I Think of You (Billboard Hot 100 - No 13)
Pop/Rock - Lançado por Music Manager em 23 de out. de 2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo