John Waite
Encyclopedia
John Charles Waite is an English
rock
singer and musician
. He was lead vocalist for The Babys
and Bad English
. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You
", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100
and the UK Singles Chart
, reaching #1 in the US.
, England. He first came to attention as the lead singer and bassist of The Babys
, a British group which had moderate chart success, including two pop hits that both coincidentally peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Isn't It Time" (1977) and "Everytime I Think Of You" (1979), and a solid following for their concert tours. Over the course of five years, the band produced five albums ending with the final album On the Edge in October 1980, after which the group broke up.
Waite subsequently launched his solo career with his 1982 debut album Ignition, which produced the hit single "Change". The Chrysalis 45 failed to chart on Billboard's Hot 100 during its initial release but was a top track on AOR
radio stations as well as a very popular music video on MTV as the 'new' cable channel celebrated its first full year of operation. The pulsating track was written by Holly Knight
(The song was originally recorded in 1981 by Knight's band Spider
) and in 1985 was included on the Platinum selling Vision Quest
soundtrack
. (The single was reissued and this time it reached the Top 50 on the Hot 100.) "Going To The Top" was released as the original follow-up single to "Change".
His next album, No Brakes
, resulted in international attention - and was a Top 10 Billboard album in the US - due to the smash hit "Missing You
" which went to #1 on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
singles chart. It knocked Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?" out of #1. For that very reason, Turner later recorded and released Waite's smash song herself. (Turner's single peaked at a disappointing #84 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1996.) "Missing You" also hit #1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks as well as the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. No Brakes
sold over a million and a half US copies yet has never been certified above the RIAA Gold standard (a record company must apply to the RIAA for such certification). Two more singles from No Brakes followed, including "Tears" which was a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.
The next album Mask of Smiles followed in 1985 featuring the hit single "Every Step of the Way". Another single, "If Anybody Had a Heart", was released from the soundtrack of the 1986 film About Last Night..., starring Demi Moore
. In 1987, "Rover's Return" was released with the single "These Times Are Hard For Lovers". Waite would have another soundtrack appearance in 1990 from Days of Thunder
with "Deal for Life", written by Martin Page
and Bernie Taupin
.
In 1988, Waite joined former Babys bandmates Jonathan Cain
and Ricky Phillips
along with Neal Schon
from Journey and drummer Deen Castronovo
, to form the supergroup
Bad English
. In 1989, the Bad English ballad "When I See You Smile
" (penned by Diane Warren
) went to #1 on Billboard
s Hot 100 and earned a Gold-certified single. Its parent album reached Billboard's Top Five and sold nearly two million copies in the United States alone. Bad English released two albums before tensions amongst the members led to the band's dissolution by 1992.
Waite returned to solo work and since 1995 has produced five solo albums including his latest album Rough And Tumble. He still tours, including in 2003 with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
, and as an opening act for Journey
in 2005.
In 2006, "Missing You" was released as a duet with Alison Krauss
and reached the Top 40 on the Country Charts in the United States. Waite appeared with Krauss on the Tonight Show on February 5, 2007 to perform "Missing You."
In 2008 he recorded as a guest vocal the track "In God's Shadow" from the Keith Reid
Project's The Common Thread.
Waite appears as himself and performs two songs in the 2010 feature film, New Day, from L'Oiseau Blanc Films.
In 2011 the title track from his tenth solo album " Rough and Tumble " went number one on Classic Rock radio.
, Waite currently resides in Santa Monica, California
. He is currently divorced.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He was lead vocalist for The Babys
The Babys
The Babys were a British rock/pop group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time," and "Every Time I Think of You." Both songs were composed by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy, and reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 1970s...
and Bad English
Bad English
Bad English was an American/British hard rock supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.- History :...
. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You
Missing You (John Waite song)
"Missing You" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by British musician John Waite. It was released in June 1984 as the lead single from the album No Brakes...
", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, reaching #1 in the US.
Biography
Waite was born in LancasterLancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, England. He first came to attention as the lead singer and bassist of The Babys
The Babys
The Babys were a British rock/pop group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time," and "Every Time I Think of You." Both songs were composed by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy, and reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 1970s...
, a British group which had moderate chart success, including two pop hits that both coincidentally peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Isn't It Time" (1977) and "Everytime I Think Of You" (1979), and a solid following for their concert tours. Over the course of five years, the band produced five albums ending with the final album On the Edge in October 1980, after which the group broke up.
Waite subsequently launched his solo career with his 1982 debut album Ignition, which produced the hit single "Change". The Chrysalis 45 failed to chart on Billboard's Hot 100 during its initial release but was a top track on AOR
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
radio stations as well as a very popular music video on MTV as the 'new' cable channel celebrated its first full year of operation. The pulsating track was written by Holly Knight
Holly Knight
Holly Knight is a songwriter, vocalist and musician of pop and rock music.- Biography :She was born in New York City and started playing classical piano as a young child. She soon became interested in rock music, and left home at about sixteen to pursue her dreams...
(The song was originally recorded in 1981 by Knight's band Spider
Spider (band)
Spider were an American rock band from New York. They formed in 1977 and disbanded up in 1984. The band released two studio albums through Dreamland Records in the early 1980s, and scored a few moderate hit singles in the United States...
) and in 1985 was included on the Platinum selling Vision Quest
Vision Quest
Vision Quest is a 1985 coming of age drama film starring Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, and Ronny Cox. It is based on Terry Davis' novel of the same name. In some countries, it was released as Crazy for You to market on Madonna's emerging fame and the popularity of the song...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. (The single was reissued and this time it reached the Top 50 on the Hot 100.) "Going To The Top" was released as the original follow-up single to "Change".
His next album, No Brakes
No Brakes
No Brakes is a 1984 album by John Waite and was released in June 1984 the United States on the EMI America label. It features the number 1 hit single "Missing You." No Brakes was certified gold on September 4, 1984.-Track listing:...
, resulted in international attention - and was a Top 10 Billboard album in the US - due to the smash hit "Missing You
Missing You (John Waite song)
"Missing You" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by British musician John Waite. It was released in June 1984 as the lead single from the album No Brakes...
" which went to #1 on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. It knocked Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?" out of #1. For that very reason, Turner later recorded and released Waite's smash song herself. (Turner's single peaked at a disappointing #84 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1996.) "Missing You" also hit #1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks as well as the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. No Brakes
No Brakes
No Brakes is a 1984 album by John Waite and was released in June 1984 the United States on the EMI America label. It features the number 1 hit single "Missing You." No Brakes was certified gold on September 4, 1984.-Track listing:...
sold over a million and a half US copies yet has never been certified above the RIAA Gold standard (a record company must apply to the RIAA for such certification). Two more singles from No Brakes followed, including "Tears" which was a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.
The next album Mask of Smiles followed in 1985 featuring the hit single "Every Step of the Way". Another single, "If Anybody Had a Heart", was released from the soundtrack of the 1986 film About Last Night..., starring Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
. In 1987, "Rover's Return" was released with the single "These Times Are Hard For Lovers". Waite would have another soundtrack appearance in 1990 from Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
with "Deal for Life", written by Martin Page
Martin Page
Martin Page is a musician, singer, bass player, session musician, and noted pop songwriter.Martin George Page was born at Southampton, Hampshire, England, September 23, 1959 to Alan Richard Page and Ruth Pamela Page...
and Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
.
In 1988, Waite joined former Babys bandmates Jonathan Cain
Jonathan Cain
Jonathan Cain is an American musician, best known for his work with The Babys, Journey and Bad English.-Early life:...
and Ricky Phillips
Ricky Phillips
Ricky Phillips is an American bass guitarist and the current bass player for the rock band Styx. He has also played in Nasty Habit, The Babys, Bad English, and Coverdale-Page....
along with Neal Schon
Neal Schon
Neal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
from Journey and drummer Deen Castronovo
Deen Castronovo
Deen Castronovo is an Italian American drummer who has played in various bands, including Kandles at Nine, Cacophony, Bad English, Journey, The Enemy, Wild Dogs, Dr. Mastermind, Hardline, Planet Us, Soul Sirkus, Social Distortion, and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler's G/Z/R, as well as in...
, to form the supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Bad English
Bad English
Bad English was an American/British hard rock supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.- History :...
. In 1989, the Bad English ballad "When I See You Smile
When I See You Smile
When I See You Smile is the second single of American/British hard rock band Bad English, taken from their self-titled debut album of the same name, released in 1989....
" (penned by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
) went to #1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot 100 and earned a Gold-certified single. Its parent album reached Billboard's Top Five and sold nearly two million copies in the United States alone. Bad English released two albums before tensions amongst the members led to the band's dissolution by 1992.
Waite returned to solo work and since 1995 has produced five solo albums including his latest album Rough And Tumble. He still tours, including in 2003 with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
To date, Ringo Starr has toured with eleven versions of his All-Starr Band where "everybody on stage is a star in their own right." Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band is a concept that was created by producer David Fishof...
, and as an opening act for Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
in 2005.
In 2006, "Missing You" was released as a duet with Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
and reached the Top 40 on the Country Charts in the United States. Waite appeared with Krauss on the Tonight Show on February 5, 2007 to perform "Missing You."
In 2008 he recorded as a guest vocal the track "In God's Shadow" from the Keith Reid
Keith Reid
Keith Reid is a songwriter who wrote the lyrics of every Procol Harum song that is not a cover...
Project's The Common Thread.
Waite appears as himself and performs two songs in the 2010 feature film, New Day, from L'Oiseau Blanc Films.
In 2011 the title track from his tenth solo album " Rough and Tumble " went number one on Classic Rock radio.
Personal life
A longtime resident of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Waite currently resides in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. He is currently divorced.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
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| 1982 | Ignition Ignition (John Waite album) Ignition is the debut solo disc from rock singer-songwriter John Waite . It was released on Chrysalis in May 1982, and produced by Neil Geraldo ....
|
— | — | 68 | |||||
| 1984 | No Brakes No Brakes No Brakes is a 1984 album by John Waite and was released in June 1984 the United States on the EMI America label. It features the number 1 hit single "Missing You." No Brakes was certified gold on September 4, 1984.-Track listing:...
|
64 | — | 10 |
Cria A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically... : Platinum |
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| 1985 | Mask of Smiles Mask of Smiles Mask of Smiles is the third full-length release by British rock singer-songwriter John Waite. It was released in 1985, just after the release of his hit " Missing You"....
|
— | — | 36 | |||||
| 1987 | Rovers Return
|
— | 28 | 77 | |||||
| 1995 | Temple Bar
|
— | — | — | |||||
| 1997 | When You Were Mine
|
— | — | — | |||||
| 2001 | Figure in a Landscape
|
— | — | — | |||||
| 2004 | The Hard Way
|
— | — | — | |||||
| 2007 | Downtown: Journey of a Heart
|
— | — | — | |||||
| 2011 | Rough & Tumble
|
— | — | — | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Live & Rare Tracks | One Way |
| 2010 | In Real Time | Frontiers Records |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Essential John Waite | Chrysalis |
| 1996 | Complete | Capitol |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
NZ | SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Main | US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
US Dance | US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
|||||||||||
| 1982 | "Change" | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | Ignition | ||||||||
| "Going to the Top" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1984 | "Missing You Missing You (John Waite song) "Missing You" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by British musician John Waite. It was released in June 1984 as the lead single from the album No Brakes... " |
9 | 1 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 27 | — | No Brakes | ||||||||
| "Tears" | — | 45 | — | — | 37 | 8 | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Dark Side of the Sun" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1985 | "Restless Heart" | — | — | — | — | 59 | 28 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Change" (re-release) | — | — | — | — | 54 | — | — | — | — | Vision Quest (soundtrack) | |||||||||
| "Every Step of the Way" | — | 39 | — | — | 25 | 4 | — | — | — | Mask of Smiles | |||||||||
| "Welcome to Paradise" | — | — | — | — | 85 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1986 | "If Anybody Had a Heart" | — | — | — | — | 76 | 24 | — | — | — | About Last Night... (soundtrack) | ||||||||
| 1987 | "These Times Are Hard for Lovers" | 77 | — | — | — | 53 | 6 | — | — | — | Rover's Return | ||||||||
| "Don't Lose Any Sleep" | — | — | — | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1988 | "Rover's Return" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1990 | "Deal for Life" | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Days of Thunder (soundtrack) Days of Thunder (soundtrack) The film's score was composed by Hans Zimmer, featuring Jeff Beck on guitar. A score album was never released, although a bootleg was later available in 2000... |
||||||||
| 1991 | "Time Stood Still" (Bad English Bad English Bad English was an American/British hard rock supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.- History :... featuring John Waite) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Backlash (Bad English) | ||||||||
| 1993 | "Missing You" (re-entry) | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Essential John Waite | ||||||||
| 1995 | "How Did I Get By Without You?" | — | — | — | — | 89 | 20 | — | — | — | Temple Bar | ||||||||
| 2001 | "Fly" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | Figure in a Landscape | ||||||||
| 2005 | "New York City Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | — | The Hard Way | ||||||||
| 2006 | "Missing You" (with Alison Krauss Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in... ) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | Downtown: Journey of a Heart | ||||||||
| 2011 | "Shadows of Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rough & Tumble | ||||||||
| "If You Ever Get Lonely" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||
External links
- John Waite The Singer
- John Waite
- johnwaitethegreatest
- John Waite on Myspace Music
- [ Discography at allmusic.com]