The Babys generated extensive hype upon formation in 1976 as one of mainstream pop/rock's brightest hopes for the future. While competent, their music never broke away from its Raspberries-meets-AOR style.
This weeks Throwback Thursday band is The Babys.
CONDENSED BIO
The Babys are a British rock 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 each reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #8 on the Cashbox chart in the late 1970s. The 1976–1978 Babys line-up consisted of keyboardist/guitarist Michael Corby, vocalist/bassist John Waite, drummer Tony Brock and guitarist Wally Stocker.
The brainchild of Michael Corby and Adrian Millar, the group signed a contract that was the highest ever for a new music act at the time. Two studio albums, Broken Heart and The Babys went without incident and were well received. However trouble emerged with Head First and while Brock, Waite and Stocker remained with Chrysalis and continued to record as The Babys, Corby tried to legally deny their right to do so.
In August 1978, The Babys replaced Michael Corby and added two musicians: Jonathan Cain on keyboardis and Ricky Phillips as the group's new bassist. From 1979 until their total breakup in 1981, The Babys line-up consisted of vocalist Waite, drummer Brock, bassist Phillips, guitarist Stocker, and keyboardist Cain.
John Waite went on to produce a major solo hit, Missing You in 1984.
Stocker and Brock worked with Air Supply and other mainstream artists including Elton John and Air Supply and Rod Stewart.
Cain left to join Journey.
Waite and Phillips joined Bad English in the late 1980s, with some freelance assistance from Cain before he fully joined the band. Phillips currently plays for Styx.
-- Referenced via Wikipedia Entry
CAREER ARC
The Babys generated extensive hype upon formation in 1976 as one of mainstream pop/rock's brightest hopes for the future.
While competent, their music never broke away from its Raspberries-meets-AOR style and developed its own distinctive sound. Overshadowed by the punk and new wave movement in their native U.K., the band concentrated on the American market and did score two Top 20 singles with Isn't It Time and Every Time I Think of You.
By 1981, The Babys' future didn't look so bright anymore and the group disbanded, with Stocker joining Air Supply's road band. Waite went solo and finally broke through on the charts in 1984 with the number one smash Missing You, while Cain joined Journey; the two later reunited in the AOR supergroup Bad English.
-- All Music Guide
DISCOGRAPHY
- The Babys (1976)
- Broken Heart (1977)
- Head First (1978)
- Union Jacks (1980)
- Anthology (1981)
MUST OWN SONGS BY THE BABYS
- Give Me Your Love (The Babys)
- If You've Got The Time (The Babys)
- I Love How You Love Me (The Babys)
- Head Above The Waves (Anthology)
- Isn't It Time (Broken Hearts)
- Everytime I Think Of You (Head First)
- Head First (Head First)
- Money (Anthology)
- Back On My Feet Again (Union Jacks)
- Midnight Rendezvous (Union Jacks)
- Sweet 17 (Anthology)
WHAT ARE THEY DOING NOW?
A successful Pledge Music campaign raised sufficient funds to release the album I'll Have Some Of That which is in fact, quite good. The new iteration of the band includes John Bisaha, Tony Brock, Wally Stocker and Joey Sykes. The band recently started touring for the first time in 30+ years and had a gig upcoming in Newport Beach at Lido Live on January 31, 2015.
All kinds of great things happening for The Babys these days, so please check out their website to stay up to date and to purchase their new album.
I may try to score two tickets to the show in Newport Beach.