Bad English (album)
Encyclopedia
Bad English is the self-titled platinum-selling debut album by American rock supergroup
Bad English
, released in 1989.
The band scored two huge hits on the Billboard charts
including the #1 hit "When I See You Smile
" and #5 hit "Price of Love". In all, five singles were officially released from the album, all charting on the Hot 100.
First single "Forget Me Not" was a major hit at rock radio, spending two weeks at #2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart, but it narrowly failed to hit the pop Top 40. The second single was the Diane Warren
-penned power ballad "When I See You Smile", which was a massive multiformat hit, spending two weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, two weeks in the top 10 at rock radio, and getting significant and sustained play at Adult Contemporary radio. But "When I See You Smile" lingered in the pop Top 40 and was still climbing the Adult Contemporary charts, and close to being certified Gold, long after the song had peaked at rock radio. When the decision was made to release a second consecutive power ballad as the album's third single ("Price of Love"), the band released the stomper "Best of What I Got" as a promo
to U.S. rock radio, hoping to maintain interest and credibility with the rock audience for their live headlining tour. The plan worked, as "Price of Love" hit the pop top five but did not receive enough rock radio airplay to hit the 40-place Rock Tracks chart, while "Best of What I Got" surged to #9 there (the band's second-highest showing on that chart), and the band was invited to join the Whitesnake
tour beginning in the spring for a second jaunt around the U.S.
A five-video collection was released, containing the music video
s for "Best of What I Got", "Heaven is a 4 Letter Word", "Forget Me Not", "When I See You Smile", and "Price of Love".
(* "Best of What I Got" was released only to U.S. rock radio)
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Bad English
Bad English
Bad English was an American/British hard rock supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.- History :...
, released in 1989.
The band scored two huge hits on the Billboard charts
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
including the #1 hit "When I See You Smile
When I See You Smile
When I See You Smile is the second single of American/British hard rock band Bad English, taken from their self-titled debut album of the same name, released in 1989....
" and #5 hit "Price of Love". In all, five singles were officially released from the album, all charting on the Hot 100.
First single "Forget Me Not" was a major hit at rock radio, spending two weeks at #2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart, but it narrowly failed to hit the pop Top 40. The second single was the Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
-penned power ballad "When I See You Smile", which was a massive multiformat hit, spending two weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, two weeks in the top 10 at rock radio, and getting significant and sustained play at Adult Contemporary radio. But "When I See You Smile" lingered in the pop Top 40 and was still climbing the Adult Contemporary charts, and close to being certified Gold, long after the song had peaked at rock radio. When the decision was made to release a second consecutive power ballad as the album's third single ("Price of Love"), the band released the stomper "Best of What I Got" as a promo
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
to U.S. rock radio, hoping to maintain interest and credibility with the rock audience for their live headlining tour. The plan worked, as "Price of Love" hit the pop top five but did not receive enough rock radio airplay to hit the 40-place Rock Tracks chart, while "Best of What I Got" surged to #9 there (the band's second-highest showing on that chart), and the band was invited to join the Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
tour beginning in the spring for a second jaunt around the U.S.
A five-video collection was released, containing the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for "Best of What I Got", "Heaven is a 4 Letter Word", "Forget Me Not", "When I See You Smile", and "Price of Love".
Track listing
- "Best of What I Got" (John Waite, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon)
- "Heaven is a 4 Letter Word" (Schon, Cain, Waite, Mark SpiroMark Spirois an American Songwriter, Record Producer, Recording Artist, and TV Series Original Music Producer. He is represented on over 100 Million Records sold World-Wide.-Discography and Soundtrack Filmography:SONGWRITER* JULIAN LENNON - “”...
) - "Possession" (Waite, Cain, Ricky Phillips)
- "Forget Me Not" (Waite, Cain, Spiro)
- "When I See You SmileWhen I See You SmileWhen I See You Smile is the second single of American/British hard rock band Bad English, taken from their self-titled debut album of the same name, released in 1989....
" (Diane WarrenDiane WarrenDiane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
) - "Tough Times Don't Last" (Cain, David Roberts, Waite)
- "Ghost in Your Heart" (Waite, Martin PageMartin PageMartin Page is a musician, singer, bass player, session musician, and noted pop songwriter.Martin George Page was born at Southampton, Hampshire, England, September 23, 1959 to Alan Richard Page and Ruth Pamela Page...
, Cain) - "Price of Love" (Waite, Cain)
- "Ready When You Are" (Cain, Waite, Schon, Todd CerneyTodd CerneyTodd Cerney was an American songwriter and musician.He composed "Good Morning Beautiful", a 2002 five-week country number one hit for Steve Holy ; "The Blues Is My Business" , part of Etta James' 2003 Grammy Award winning album "Let's Roll"; and "I'll Still Be Loving You", a 1987...
) - "Lay Down" (Waite, Schon, Cain)
- "The Restless Ones" (Waite, Cain, Phillips)
- "Rockin' Horse" (Schon, Waite, Cain)
- "Don't Walk Away" (Andy Hill, Peter SinfieldPeter SinfieldPeter John Sinfield is an English poet, lyricist and artist, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever...
)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Mainstream rock Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:... |
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1989 | "Forget Me Not" | 45 | 2 | - | - |
| 1989 | "When I See You Smile When I See You Smile When I See You Smile is the second single of American/British hard rock band Bad English, taken from their self-titled debut album of the same name, released in 1989.... " |
1 | 10 | 11 | 61 |
| 1989 | "Best of What I Got" | * | 9 | * | * |
| 1989 | "Price of Love" | 5 | 30 | - | 80 |
| 1990 | "Heaven is a 4 Letter Word" | 66 | 12 | - | - |
| 1990 | "Possession" | 21 | - | - | - |
(* "Best of What I Got" was released only to U.S. rock radio)
Personnel
- John WaiteJohn WaiteJohn Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
- lead vocals - Neal SchonNeal SchonNeal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
- lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars, backing vocals - Jonathan CainJonathan CainJonathan Cain is an American musician, best known for his work with The Babys, Journey and Bad English.-Early life:...
- keyboards, backing vocals - Ricky PhillipsRicky PhillipsRicky Phillips is an American bass guitarist and the current bass player for the rock band Styx. He has also played in Nasty Habit, The Babys, Bad English, and Coverdale-Page....
- bass, backing vocals - Deen CastronovoDeen CastronovoDeen Castronovo is an Italian American drummer who has played in various bands, including Kandles at Nine, Cacophony, Bad English, Journey, The Enemy, Wild Dogs, Dr. Mastermind, Hardline, Planet Us, Soul Sirkus, Social Distortion, and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler's G/Z/R, as well as in...
- drums, percussion, backing vocals
Production
- Produced By Richie Zito
- Engineered By Phil Kaffel
- Mixed By Mike Fraser & Phil Kaffel
- Mastered By George Marino At Sterling Sound