Bad English
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Bad English

Bad English formed in the late 1980s around singer John Waite and guitarist Neal Schon, who had worked together before. They brought in drummer Deen...

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Editor's note

Bad English's late-80s rock balladry and reunion attempts

A late-80s supergroup anchored by John Waite and Neal Schon, remembered for one massive hit and a handful of solid rock tracks.

For the big hit, obviously When I See You Smile. For something with a bit more rock edge, try Price of Love from that first record.

When I See You Smile became one of those late-80s radio fixtures that still turns up on classic rock stations, a power ballad that somehow felt both slick and genuinely earnest. The band's self-titled debut had other moments like Price of Love and Walk Through Fire that showed they could do more than just the slow stuff. Their story is a pretty classic late-80s rock tale, a quick flash of success, some internal friction, and then a couple of later attempts to recapture it.

They formed in the late 1980s around Waite and Schon, released their debut in 1989, and saw When I See You Smile take off. Personal issues and scheduling conflicts led to a break in the early 90s, followed by a reunion later that decade for a live album and tour. A second studio album, Backlash, arrived in 1999 but didn't really connect, and they haven't been active since.

edit_note Ethan Walker · LyroVerse team · Apr 19
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Bad English formed in the late 1980s around singer John Waite and guitarist Neal Schon, who had worked together before. They brought in drummer Deen Castronovo, bassist Ricky Phillips, and keyboardist Jonathan Cain. Their self-titled debut album came out in 1989 and did well, with the ballad 'When I See You Smile' getting a lot of radio play. Other tracks like 'Price of Love' and 'Walk Through Fire' also got attention.

Waite had some personal issues with alcohol that affected the band's momentum, and Schon's commitments to Journey created scheduling conflicts. They took a break in the early 1990s, and Waite did some solo work. They got back together later in the decade for a live album called 'Live: Straight to Your Heart' and a tour.

In 1999 they released a second studio album called 'Backlash', but it didn't connect the way the first one had. They haven't been active as a band since. People still remember them for 'When I See You Smile' and a handful of other songs from that first record.

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Where should I start with Bad English on LyroVerse?

The Start here section opens with Possession, Best Of What I've Got, and Straight To You Heart so you can move through the artist's stronger lyric pages first.

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LyroVerse currently has 28 visible lyric pages for Bad English.

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Does LyroVerse have an editor's note for Bad English?

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