John Waite (Babys, Bad English, solo): C or D?

When I was a kid more often than not "When I See You Smile" was Casey Kasem's Dedication song. In the video two of the band members do a nifty handshake where they reach past each other and shake each other's ANKLES. The image is permanently etched in my memory.

HS

"missing you" was pretty great, though.

we MUST start a rock 'n' roller mullet thread, sometime.

God, that's sort've tragic.

I need to see this "Change" video bad.

omigod "Change" is great.

I'll always have a soft spot for "Isn't It Time"...saw the Babys back in the late 70's, opening up for Alice Cooper...I recall they seemed pretty "glammy" at the time...

The video for "Change" (a cocainey Faustian narrative regarding a feathered haired model-wannabe who ends up taking a window dive after she failed to take advice from a bedenimed Waite) is also the stuff of genius.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, April 26, 2004 8:33 AM (4 years ago) Bookmark

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=C5O4ZGbWKaM

Am I the only person who sometimes is afraid to put on headphones late at night, lest I miss an ex-girlfriend knocking on my door?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, April 24, 2004 1:51 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark

sometimes miccio was 1,000% OTM

Sometimes a burger, a car, and a girl are all you need.

John Waite's been done all right over the past few years. He was the best part of the video in his duet over "Missing You" with Allison Kraus. There have been an assortment of anthologies released covering his stuff, all of them pretty good. Even The Babys records got deluxe re-release treatment. My favorites were always the first two but Union Jacks is also much better than fair, particularly for the title track, about being banged up to the old Bill, much less known than "Midnight Rendezvous," the single.

I saw Bad English when they were headliners in a theater packed mostly with screaming teenage girls. They would have definitely been perfect as a Disney network band, even with all the geezers in the act. They had that sound well before the Jonas Brothers, Miley/Hannah Montana, Demi Lovato, etc.

The video for "Change" (a cocainey Faustian narrative regarding a feathered haired model-wannabe who ends up taking a window dive after she failed to take advice from a bedenimed Waite) is also the stuff of genius.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, April 26, 2004 5:33 AM (4 years ago) Bookmark

Barely sung first verse, muted guitar, insistent drums, tinkly piano, male/female backing vox, huge singalong chorus and the Big Slamming Guitar Riff all within the first 60 seconds. Power pop at its finest.

Went out for lunch in a foul mood..."When I See You Smile" started playing out of nowhere and for some random reason just totally made my day. Who knew?

It made you smile.

Yes. Song delivers!

I heard it the other day out shopping as well. I can't get over how he looked at the time:

http://earbuds.popdose.com/jason/john_waite.jpg

Because I'd been so used to him looking like this:

http://www.thestevervault.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/waite_j2a.jpg

Also:

omigod "Change" is great.

My sis has said numerous times, on various occasions, in front of many witnesses, that we're to play this very, very loud at her funeral whenever the time comes. It is a slightly strange experience to be barrelling down a street in San Francisco in a crammed VW with her at the wheel blasting this out on the stereo.

the slow-mo's of him tossing his hair in the 'When I See You Smile' video are lololol

I'm amazed by how well "Missing You" has held up: such an amazing vocal and performance.

Obviously a real singer and I would not diss. I could hate the 80s singles but they're far better than any number of shit bar bands working at the time.

"i hear your name in certain circles and it always makes me smile"

idk what it is about that line that gets me

Found this letter to the editor in CREEM magazine, June 1980:

RE: MAIL (PILGRIM'S PROGRESS), APRIL '80 IN CREEM

To: Robert J. Moorhouse, A.K.A. retarded, luded-out, outdated, shit-lapping, rude, conditioned, docile, dirty & grimy, lobotomized, low life, scum-sucking fan:

YOU ARE RIGHT!
John Waite
(The Babys)
(ENGLISH SCUM)
X.O.X.

sounds pretty good for being 70. voice in good shape

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeCdTAIn-x8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mUtele6ONU

the tune's been transposed down a step or two from the studio track but I still agree, he sounds pretty good. you can hear there's some push in the higher notes.

a little raspy yeah.