Bad English
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Jonathan Cain, John Waite, Ricky Phillips, Neal Schon, Deen Castronovo |
| Defunct | 1991 |
Area served | United States, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Bad English was a hard rock supergroup with American and British roots, established in 1987. The lineup brought together Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain with vocalist John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, all former members of the Babys, alongside Journey guitarist Neal Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo. The group is primarily recognized for their chart-topping single "When I See You Smile," which claimed the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1989.
History
The origin of the band's name traces back to a pool game incident, where John Waite missed a shot and Jonathan Cain remarked on his "bad English," referring to the cue ball's spin, which then inspired the group's name.
Following the breakup of Journey, Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon initiated Bad English with John Waite. They were joined by bassist Ricky Phillips, who had previously collaborated with Waite and Cain in the Babys, and drummer Deen Castronovo.
Debut album
Their first album, Bad English, achieved significant commercial success, producing three singles that reached the top 40: the number one hit "When I See You Smile", the top 10 track "Price of Love", and "Possession".
The initial single, "Forget Me Not", climbed to number 45 on the Hot 100 and secured the number 2 position on the Mainstream Rock chart. Their most successful track, "When I See You Smile," topped the Hot 100 and was notable as one of only two songs entirely penned by an external songwriter without input from band members. Additionally, "Best of What I Got" was issued as a promotional single aimed at Rock Radio, reaching the top 10.
Between March and June 1990, Bad English supported their album by touring across the United States alongside Whitesnake.
Second album
The follow-up album, Backlash, did not achieve commercial success. Its only single, "Straight to Your Heart," peaked at number 42. Ricky Phillips noted that the group had already dissolved before final mixing was completed. Both Phillips and Neal Schon expressed dissatisfaction with the band's pop-oriented direction, desiring a more aggressive sound. This creative disagreement prompted members to leave for other endeavors.
Disbandment
John Waite later disclosed that despite enjoying performing for large audiences, he felt uneasy with the band's corporate rock image and chose to return to his solo career. Meanwhile, Schon and Castronovo joined the rock outfit Hardline in 1991 but departed shortly after their debut release; Schon moved on to other projects while Castronovo became part of Ozzy Osbourne's band. In the mid-1990s, Schon reunited with Cain in a reformed Journey. Castronovo joined Journey in 1998, exited in 2015, then played with the Dead Daisies and Revolution Saints before rejoining Journey in 2021. Ricky Phillips resumed session work with artists such as Coverdale/Page, Bobby Kimball, and Eddie Money, eventually joining Styx in the early 2000s.
In popular culture
"Best of What I Got," featured on their debut album, is used during the closing credits of the 1989 film Tango & Cash, starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell.
Band members
- John Waite – lead singer, occasional guitarist
- Neal Schon – principal guitarist, backing vocals
- Jonathan Cain – keyboards, piano, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Ricky Phillips – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Deen Castronovo – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Studio albums
| Year | Album information | Highest chart rankings | Certifications (sales milestones) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | CAN | SWE | SWI | UK | ||||
| 1989 | Bad English
|
21 | 12 | 34 | 39 | — | 74 |
| |
| 1991 | Backlash
|
72 | 159 | 34 | 21 | 30 | 64 | ||
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart | |||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album information |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Greatest Hits
|
Singles
| Year | Single title | Highest chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
Album association | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | US Main | AUS | UK | NL | ||||
| 1989 | "Forget Me Not" | 45 | — | 2 | — | — | — | Bad English | |
| "When I See You Smile" | 1 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 61 | — |
|
||
| "Price of Love" | 5 | 38 | 30 | 44 | 80 | — | |||
| "Best of What I Got" | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | |||
| 1990 | "Heaven Is a 4 Letter Word" | 66 | — | 12 | 124 | — | — | ||
| "Possession" | 21 | 42 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Don't Walk Away" | — | — | — | — | 110 | — | |||
| 1991 | "Straight to Your Heart" | 42 | — | 9 | 116 | — | 41 | Backlash | |
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1987 establishments in California
- 1991 disestablishments in California
- American heavy metal supergroups
- American rock music supergroups
- Arena rock musical groups
- Epic Records artists
- Glam metal musical groups from California
- Hard rock musical groups from California
- Heavy metal musical groups from California
- Musical groups established in 1987
- Musical groups disestablished in 1991