News archive
I was one of those that fell in love with the Babys, and the dreamy voice of John Waite. I will never forget discovering them with my besties, Penny, and Rose. We kept playing it over, and over for the entire afternoon. I am not sure who's album that was, if it was Piper's or not, I hope we didn't scratch it too bad! I along with the rest of the world, followed John Waite throughout the years, and reveled at each new turn his career took. I was thrilled beyond words, to say the least, to have the opportunity to interview with him. I hope you enjoy the silly school girl in me getting to ask her crush a few questions. May I introduce to you, the one, the only....John Waite~
15 th December through Johnwaiteworldwide and I tunes worldwide
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John Waite: "Started in on new songs. Back in studio on Monday to start part 2 of next years releases. I think I'll go full out till mid dec then stop. Songs are coming right and left. Winter is in the air. It's always easier to write in winter. This is good !!!!! Inspired !" And again John Waite: "finishing up tracks in studio. Mastering and okaying artwork and ads. I worked with some great people on this one so it wasn't like work although I would wake up in the middle of the night convinced I'd got it wrong. It's always the same! There will be odd bits of sound bites and photos along with artwork onJohnwaiteworldwide.com in the coming weeks. Check in there and check it out!!! Best J." |
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November 7th.
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John Waite: Compiling "Best" Album "Cleared My Head" for New Music Project
John Waite recently released a compilation titled, simply, Best, that features highlights from many eras of the veteran British pop-rock star's long and varied career.
TW LW TITLE Artist – Weeks on Chart (Peak Position)
3 3 SHE BOP –•– Cyndi Lauper – 10 (3)
4 1 WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT –•– Tina Turner – 19 (1)
5 7 DRIVE –•– The Cars – 8 (5)
6 6 IF THIS IS IT –•– Huey Lewis & The News – 10 (6)
7 8 THE WARRIOR –•– Scandal Featuring Patty Smyth – 13 (7)
8 10 THE GLAMOROUS LIFE –•– Sheila E. – 15 (8)
9 18 I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU –•– Stevie Wonder – 6 (9)
10 13 CRUEL SUMMER –•– Bananarama – 10 (10)
PEACE OF MIND
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These were taken by Brandon Nagy at the Saint Clair River Fest. July 25th. Beautiful shot from each member of the band |
| Wiles-Barre, PA | Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs |
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John Waite keeps audience singing during casino showMany musicians encourage the audience to sing along, but John Waite drops the music to do it. His a capella version of Bad English’s "When I See You Smile” highlighted a rocking time Friday at the Keystone Ballroom at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The English musician, known for his work with The Babys, Bad English and solo, gave the audience a great mix of songs from his past. That included "When I See You Smile,” Bad English’s 1989 number one song. The audience shouted and sang along with glee, putting emphasis on the "OH OH” in the chorus and shouting things like "I love you!” whenever they got a chance. Waite opened the show with a tune from The Babys — "Head First” from the 1979 same-titled album. A strong drumbeat supported The Babys’ "Back on My Feet Again,” a song Waite re-recorded for his greatest hits record "Best” released in May. "Thank you very much. It’s nice to be here tonight,” Waite said. "Thank you for coming to see us play. Here’s something you might remember from the past.” That turned out to be "Every Time I Think of You,” a 1979 hit that went to 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Here’s something new. Well, kind of new,” Waite said, jumping ahead a few decades to "Better Off Gone,” from his 2011 solo album "Rough and Tumble.” Waite went a little bit country, picking up the acoustic guitar for a cover of Vince Gill’s "Whenever You Come Around.” He delved into the blues with his own "Rough and Tumble.” As the audience shouted their love, Waite replied, "I love you too. I love you more. All of you. Thanks for sticking with me all this time.” He told the audience how he forgot to bring toothpaste on his trip here, meaning he had to brush his teeth with shampoo. "I was foaming at the mouth,” he joked. Waite shone during his best-known ballad, "Missing You,” which this year found new fame as it figures in the plot of Harlen Coben’s same-titled bestselling novel. He kicked the tempo back up with "Best of What I Got,” a Bad English song he co-wrote that appeared on the 1989 "Tango and Cash” movie soundtrack.
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March 13, 1979. A group of friends and I are at the Lakeland (Florida) Civic Center to take in a concert by STYX. The opening band that night is The Baby’s, fronted by singer/songwriter John Waite. As the concert begins, I meet a young lady who surprisingly takes a keen interest in me. As a gentleman never reveals his secrets, I’ll just say that every time I hear the song "Every Time I Think of You”…I think of her. I recount this story to John Waite as we meet up to talk about his long musical career and the new release of "BEST,” an 18-song collection of Waite’s favorite songs, both as a member of the Babys and Bad English as well as his successful solo career, which includes the huge #1 hit "Missing You.”
Read the whole interview here:
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John Waite and band At New Lennox. With: Keri Kelli, Tim Hogan and Rhondo on Drums! They play "Change "and "Whole Lotta Love : See the videos and pictures here |
So, what are you most looking forward to now?
You know, it’s funny you should ask me that because after making an album like I’ve just made, it’s almost like I’ve closed the book. And I’ve explained what I had to explain. There are very obscure songs on this record. There’s a completely acoustic song with me playing an acoustic guitar by myself called "I’m Ready.” It’s about reincarnation. And then it overlaps with hits, and then there’s the duet I did with Allison Krauss… it’s a very, very long album. It’s the story of my life. There’s a sadness to it when you close the book and say, "Really? That’s what I did?”
But two days ago, I brought twenty bucks to the Radio Shack and bought myself one of those small, flat cassette players you used to see in the ‘70s. And I brought it home and I got all my cassettes out and transferred all the best ideas I had from these cassettes in a Converse tennis shoe box onto this new machine. I got twenty-two rough ideas, and now I’m thinking of starting a new record almost immediately. But it won’t be anything like I’ve done before, and it probably won’t sound very modern… I’m wondering, I’m actually questioning whether there’s a point in making an album just for yourself. This music is that indulgent… some of this stuff is dark and so personal, but some of it is really melodic and personal… I’m wondering after closing the book on this life with this album, is that really the way I want to go out? [Laughs] I have such a great live band.
read the whole interview here: The TVD interview , july 2014
with Jonathan Clarke on Out of the Box.What's the future for John Waite? What do you want to do?
JW: Well, I think I got very close in '96 when I did the When You Were Mine album, "Suicide Life" is off that, and that was dark and it was lyrical and it was way out, and "Bluebird Cafe" was on that record, too. I think I'm going back to that. It's in my nature to keep taking a left turn and taking a right turn and trying to get out of the maze of where I am and find somewhere new, but I think I was on ground there that was really truthful. The songs that I've written so far for the new record are pretty extreme, they're pretty out. That doesn't mean to say I'm not going to go out and sing hard rock and do "Missing You" and do all theo ther things as well, but I might tour smaller places just for a few months, just coffee houses or something just to get that vibe back of being on the acoustic guitar. Everything about my life comes from the acoustic guitar, and I'm a rock singer and I'm influenced by western music and blues, so I haven't a clue. And I'm glad I don't! I take it as it comes. There's so much more to do and I want to do it while I can still sing full out. My voice is in incredible shape for some reason, and I'm enjoying the hell out of my life and I'm enjoying the new record. Tomorrow's pretty bright.
the interview :
discussing the new fabulous thriller written by Harlan Coben called Missing You, and the song Missing You by John Waite offcourse fantastic too. John Waite even sings a verse a capella.
You recorded two great albums with Bad English, and while the first one was immensely successful, the second one, Backlash, despite featuring great music, didn’t achieve the same level of success. Why do you think this was the case?
John Waite : "I think that the band split up. We all just left it. We finished the album, I had done the vocals, and I said, "Let’s just leave it. Let’s put it out, and let’s take a break from each other. Let’s walk away.” And Neal went in the paper about two weeks later and said he left the band. It just blew the album out of the water. That was the end of it.
There was a slight possibility that we could have continued. Just cool off. It’s hard to start a record in like six weeks when you’ve got no songs going in. And it was a very tough situation. It was rough. And I think we could have gotten together a month or two later for a series of gigs; it was possible. But, you know, Neal being Neal he just wanted to move on, I guess. He didn’t want to wait two months to see what would happen. He just left the band and went on with his life. God bless him. Good luck. "
the whole interview : John Waite: Michael Cavacini ( 2014)
John Waite's thought on this :
"Really looking forward to Milan! Haven't been there since I left Bad English. I took some time off and stayed for two weeks. Would be nice to play more European dates although America seems to be heating up. BEST is an 18 song retrospective rather than just a greatest hits so there's a story behind the cd. It's kind of a look back with a couple of new versions and a live surprise! My fingers are firmly crossed !!!!!!!!!"
May 3rd Frontiers festival, Milan Italy: John Waite and band live
