Friday, June 8, 2012

John Waite Concert Tonight: The Babys, Solo Years, Bad English, New John Waite Video

Tonight I'm seeing John Waite at the historic Capital Theater in downtown Clearwater.    Located right near the Scientology headquarters is a cozy, movie theater/intimate concert venue where John Waite will be performing his greatest hits tonight.   One of the definitive rock music vocalists of the past 40 years, here's a timetable of some of his most memorable songs.

Late 70's   "BACK ON MY FEET"  The Babys
An underrated English pop-rock band known for their hits, "Isn't It Time", "Every Time I Think Of You", and "Midnight Rendezvous".   Keyboardist Jonathan Cain was in The Babys prior to joining Journey.  

1984   "MISSING YOU" - From No Brakes
The biggest hit of John's career, a epic #1 MTV smash, is one of the most played videos of all-time.   Tina Turner has covered it and even John recorded a haunting version with bluegrass master, Allison Krauss.   Love the smashing telephone scene in the video here!!

1985   "RESTLESS HEART" 
Possibly my favorite solo John Waite song, the follow-up to his signature song gets a full "mini-movie" music video treatment.  The scene at the bar where John's singing to the girl is perfect!   His simple facial expressions say more than words.

1988-1991   The Bad English Years  "POSSESSION" and "TIME ALONE WITH YOU"
John teams up with Journey's Neil Schon and re-enlists Jonathan Cain to form a 90's rock supergroup.   "Backlash" and "Bad English" were loaded with rock classics including the power ballads, "When I See You Smile" and "The Price Of Love".   Two of my other favorite tracks are the drum-driven "Don't Walk Away" and the Spanish guitar intro on "Time Stands Still"


1993   "IN DREAMS"   TRUE ROMANCE Soundtrack
Commercial success didn't follow John through the 90's until now but his solo CD's have been consistently filled with well-written songs and John's ability to effortlessly capture the song's emotional message.   "In Dreams" is pure poetry and the perfect addition to a Quentin Tarantino action/love story film. 

2012  "SHADOWS OF LOVE"  NEW JOHN WAITE!
Not content to tour as a nostalga act, John's 2012 CD, Rough & Tumble, is a worthy addition to his amazing rock discography.    Here's the new single:

2 comments:

  1. Nicely done Mike! I should've gotten tickets. Dang! Lol maybe next time. I've never been to the Capitol theater. I bet it's nice in there. Enjoy the show Mike! :)

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  2. My favorite ones are restless heart and missing you. I absolutely love shadows of love, reminds me of a good friend.

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