Years active 1987–1991 Genres Hard rock, Glam metal | Labels Epic | |
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Associated acts Journey, The Babys, Styx, Santana, Hardline Past members John Waite
Neal Schon
Jonathan Cain
Ricky Phillips
Deen Castronovo Origin Los Angeles, California, United States (1987) Albums Backlash, Bad English, Greatest Hits Members John Waite, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Deen Castronovo, Ricky Phillips Profiles | ||
Bad english time alone with you
Bad English was an English/American hard rock/glam metal supergroup formed in 1987, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain from Journey with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.
Contents
History
The members decided on a name for the band while playing pool. John Waite missed a shot and Jonathan Cain made a comment on how bad his "english" was (referring to the spin a player puts on the cue ball) and the band decided to use the phrase. The name is also thought to be a reference to The Babys, since the name was misspelled and an example of bad English.
Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon, who had enjoyed enormous success in Journey, formed Bad English with Waite after Journey disbanded. The first album, eponymously titled, was a big seller containing three hit singles: the number one hit "When I See You Smile" written by Diane Warren, the top 10 hit "Price of Love," and "Possession." Another track from the debut album, "Best of What I Got", was featured in the soundtrack to the 1989 feature film Tango and Cash.
The band's second album, Backlash (1991), came and went without any fanfare. The only single, "Straight To Your Heart," just missed the Top 40, peaking at No. 42. Ricky Phillips writes on his website that the group had parted company before the second album had been mixed. Both Phillips and guitarist Neal Schon expressed frustration with the "pop" side of the band's songs and wanted a harder edge. In the end, it proved to be the band's undoing as everyone left to pursue other projects.
In later interviews, Waite revealed that although he loved playing to stadium-sized audiences, he was uncomfortable with the corporate rock image that he felt the band had presented and has been a solo artist ever since.
Schon and Castronovo went on to join the fledgling rock band Hardline in 1991; however, both would leave the group not long after the release of their debut album, with Schon pursuing other projects and Castronovo joining Ozzy Osbourne's band. In the mid-1990s, Schon rejoined Cain in a reformed Journey. Castronovo later joined Journey as well. Meanwhile, Phillips returned to session work, recording with artists such as Coverdale/Page, Bobby Kimball, and Eddie Money, before joining Styx in the early 2000s. John Waite returned to his solo career.
Band members
Songs
When I See You SmileBad English · 1989
Price of LoveBad English · 1989
Straight to Your HeartBacklash · 1991