The Babys

The Babys forged a brief yet fruitful path by bridging the divide between late-1970s hard rock and emerging new wave, generating singles that spanned sweeping orchestral ballads and polished pop/rock. Centered on John Waite’s voice and the group’s agile instrumentation, they began as Free-influenced rockers carrying a sentimental bent and scored early success with ballads such as “Isn’t It Time” and “Every Time I Think of You.” Hook-laden, brisk numbers like “Back on My Feet Again” and “Midnight Rendezvous” turned them into an AOR radio fixture, while their 1980 release Union Jacks became their top-selling effort. More than three decades after disbanding, Stocker and Brock revived the act without Waite and issued the album I’ll Have Some of That in 2014.

The band’s origins trace to a 1973 encounter between guitarist Mike Corby and music impresario Adrian Millar, who agreed that Corby would assemble a group Millar would oversee. Auditions commenced in 1974, bringing aboard drummer Tony Brock—previously active with Spontaneous Combustion and other ensembles—and guitarist Gordon Hawtin. Bassist John Waite joined next; after Hawtin departed, Waite assumed vocal responsibilities as well. The quartet initially cultivated a riff-driven hard-rock approach shaped by Free and Mott the Hoople. Working with Millar, they cut a ten-song demo that failed to secure a contract. Corby exited in 1976 and was succeeded by Wally Stocker, yet Corby soon returned, this time on keyboards, to help produce a video demo of five fresh tracks that was submitted to record companies. The innovative tactic succeeded when Chrysalis Records extended a generous deal the four musicians accepted.

Producers Bob Ezrin and Brian Christian guided the self-titled debut, which juxtaposed heavy rockers with string-enriched ballads. Although the lead single “If You’ve Got the Time” adopted a more radio-friendly polish, neither the track nor the album connected with buyers. Caught between prevailing hard-rock, punk, and pop currents, the Babys struggled for footing, a point underscored by a troubled short U.K. tour alongside the Damned. Modest U.S. interest prompted a move to Los Angeles, where they enlisted manager Elliot Roberts, then best known for representing Neil Young. At the Record Plant they recorded their sophomore album with Bad Company producer Ron Nevison. Released in 1977, Broken Heart blended hard-rock cuts with lavishly orchestrated ballads, among them “Isn’t It Time,” co-written by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy—the same team behind the Beach Boys’ “Sail on Sailor.” The single climbed to number 13 on the Billboard chart, the LP reached the Top 40, and momentum followed. Internal disputes over whether to pursue Corby’s vision of an orchestrated pop record or Waite’s preference for country material led to wasted studio time and an abandoned project. After Corby’s second departure, the remaining trio completed a new batch of songs that satisfied the label. The resulting 1978 album Head First yielded the lush ballad “Every Time I Think of You”—again a Conrad/Kennedy composition—which peaked just shy of the Billboard Top Ten, while the title track received substantial radio play and the album itself reached number 22. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain and bassist Ricky Phillips were added for touring, allowing Waite to focus on frontman duties. After supporting Alice Cooper, the expanded lineup began work on their third album. Cain contributed to the songwriting, producer Keith Olsen supplied a radio-ready gloss, and the band adopted a sound lighter on ballads, richer in synthesizers, and more overtly new-wave flavored. Issued in 1980, Union Jacks performed nearly as strongly on the charts and spawned AOR staples such as “Midnight Rendezvous” and “Back on My Feet Again.” A tour with Journey preceded a swift return to the studio at Chrysalis’s urging. Sessions proved fractious, though Olsen again produced and the sonic approach remained consistent. Releasing two albums in one year strained relations and resources; despite the potent single “Turn and Walk Away,” the follow-up LP stalled just outside the Top 40. The ensuing tour ended prematurely when Waite sustained an injury onstage in Ohio, prompting the members to part ways. Waite subsequently enjoyed solo success highlighted by the hit “Missing You,” Cain joined Journey, and Stocker and Brock later spent years in Rod Stewart’s band. In the late 1980s Waite, Cain, and Phillips reconvened in the AOR supergroup Bad English, scoring a major hit with “When I See You Smile.”

The Babys declined to reunite until 2013, when Stocker and Brock, with Waite’s approval, formed a new configuration and began writing fresh material. Adding vocalist/bassist John Bisaha and guitarist Joey Sykes, they released I’ll Have Some of That in 2014 and maintained an active touring schedule thereafter. In 2019 HNE Recordings issued the retrospective box set Silver Dreams: Complete Albums 1975-1980, featuring rare live recordings and the 1975 demo.