John Waite is not a Journey fan....

[Hollywood]

From an interview with Gerri Gittelson:
“I think it’s garbage. I mean, I hate to say it, but I listen to Journey and think, ‘Jesus Christ, that is just wrong.’ That’s why there will never be a Bad English reunion,” Waite said. “It’s for super white people listening to super white music. Fuck that. I’d rather shoot myself.”

http://www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.ph ... &Itemid=38

[Ehwmatt]

This coming from the king of adult contemporary? John, don't forget your two biggest songs feature prominently in dental commercials and chick flicks. What a douche

[Eric]

Fucker plays in front of 20 people. What a bitter clown.

[SF-Dano]

What a fucking tool!!!

[annpea]

Did he drink a 40 oz of Bitter Bitch? because he's talking much shit.

[Majestic]

Sour grapes?

I doubt he regrets Bad English since he was making money then. Or does money spoil his artistic integrity?

Anyway, you've got to admit that Missing You blows Open Arms and Faithfully away. Or maybe it just plain blows.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Does anyone really have to ask "maybe"?

[Ehwmatt]

Sour grapes?

I doubt he regrets Bad English since he was making money then. Or does money spoil his artistic integrity?

Anyway, you've got to admit that Missing You blows Open Arms and Faithfully away. Or maybe it just plain blows.

Missing You DOES blow Open Arms away, and it's every bit as good of a song as Faithfully. Nonetheless, Waite appears quite the bitter clown here considering his LONG history of writing and/or performing mostly mid-tempo sappy love songs (many of which I enjoy when in the right mood).

[JohnH]

Missing You better than those songs??? That's nuts .

[Ehwmatt]

Missing You better than those songs??? That's nuts .

Open arms is awful

[The_Noble_Cause]

With a few tweaks and a different singer, alot of Bad English songs could very easily become Journey material. 1 or 2 BE demos even made their way onto Arrival. What's this guy talking about?

[Don]

I think the Asian singer soured him. Probably too many Karaoke nights in Hong Kong or Singapore watching the locals destroy Open Arms with their Brit/Canto/Mandarin/Malay accents.

[brandonx76]

wow...his comments (if they are legit) definitely surprise me...thought he had more class than that, but also, maybe he's plugging into something I've never thought of when I think of Journey... White people music...hahaha, it definitely didn't bother Randy Jackson

I've always thought of them as rock / pop with elements of progressive / jazz. Color inspecific...but also Steve Perry, I mean come-on, one of the most soulful singers of all time. Guess it's easy for people to dismiss something on facets of taste, rather than substance.

[Don]

wow...his comments (if they are legit) definitely surprise me...thought he had more class than that, but also, maybe he's plugging into something I've never thought of when I think of Journey... White people music...hahaha, it definitely didn't bother Randy Jackson

I've always thought of them as rock / pop with elements of progressive / jazz.

Randy is white so why would it bother him? "Yo Dawg" does not a brother make.

[brandonx76]

wow...his comments (if they are legit) definitely surprise me...thought he had more class than that, but also, maybe he's plugging into something I've never thought of when I think of Journey... White people music...hahaha, it definitely didn't bother Randy Jackson

I've always thought of them as rock / pop with elements of progressive / jazz. Color inspecific...but also Steve Perry, I mean come-on, one of the most soulful singers of all time. Guess it's easy for people to dismiss something on facets of taste, rather than substance.

Randy is white so why would it bother him? "Yo Dawg" does not a brother make.

that was almost too easy...and he plays bass whiter than Ross...Just sayin'

[Pelata]

Yeah, that was kinda rude...haha!

[Jeremey]

Keep in mind, Waite said "SUPER" white people, so unless you are also super - in addition to being a white person - This music will not appeal to you. In fact, in talking to people over the past ten years of performing Journey music, I can't think of a single time that I mentioned Journey to a single white person that WASN'T super without them looking at me like, "huh?"

[STORY_TELLER]

Keep in mind, Waite said "SUPER" white people, so unless you are also super - in addition to being a white person - This music will not appeal to you. In fact, in talking to people over the past ten years of performing Journey music, I can't think of a single time that I mentioned Journey to a single white person that WASN'T super without them looking at me like, "huh?"

So if I like Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye -- AND Journey -- according to Mr. Waite, does that fall under the category of being super white? Or am I the exception to his rule?

In all honesty, it sounds like Waite's real complaint is with Jon Cain's choices more so than Neal's. Imagine what a progressive album between Schon, Mendoza, Waite and Steve Smith would sound like?

[Jubilee]

From an interview with Gerri Gittelson:
“I think it’s garbage. I mean, I hate to say it, but I listen to Journey and think, ‘Jesus Christ, that is just wrong.’ That’s why there will never be a Bad English reunion,” Waite said. “It’s for super white people listening to super white music. Fuck that. I’d rather shoot myself.”
http://www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.ph ... &Itemid=38

Seriously. Journey fans aren't really getting their undies in a bunch over that comment...are they??

I mean a quick scan of any Journey concert demographics should pretty much support his comment. With the exception of the (very) recent Filipino fan base...and MBPL that one time in '81 or '82, he's pretty much spot on. And that's okay. It's nothing to get your back up about. It is what it is...

Perry may have been one of the most soulFUL singers, but he wasn't a soul singer. And the one time Journey tried to venture in that direction (Raised on Radio), the (self-proclaimed true)fans stayed away in droves.

Now, having said all that, it's hard to imagine a whiter fan base than John Waite's, but, okay...whatever, John.

[steveo777]

From an interview with Gerri Gittelson:
“I think it’s garbage. I mean, I hate to say it, but I listen to Journey and think, ‘Jesus Christ, that is just wrong.’ That’s why there will never be a Bad English reunion,” Waite said. “It’s for super white people listening to super white music. Fuck that. I’d rather shoot myself.”

http://www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.ph ... &Itemid=38

When did Waite turn into an Uncle Festus?

[jrny84]

I could care less what John Waite's opinions are. The guy has two hits (only one solo hit) and both are pop/rock very similar to Journey material. Besides, most people dont even know who the guy is or cares who he is. I like my white people music thank you very much!

Talk about wrong..."missing you".

[Journey/Survivor]

I love John Wait's singing and most of his lyric writing. I own both "Bad English" CD's, several of the "Babies" albums and a couple of his solo albums.

I especially love the "Bad English" CD's!

But John Wait is an asshole. I've known that since he first joined "Bad English."

He has always been jealous of Steve Perry. Back when "Bad English" put out their first album, Wait was being interviewed, and when the journalist asked Wait about Steve Perry, Wait grabbed the guys tape recorder, backed up the tape, and started erasing the part of the interview where the question about Perry was asked. And Wait said he would not talk about Perry. I believe that it was said at the time that the other 4 members of "Bad English" wanted to through in a Journey song into the set list each night, but Wait refused. Even if Wait couldn't have done the Journey song justice, they could have had Castronovo sing it.

I've heard Wait accuse Journey of playing nothing but light sounding chick music. Journey's Rockers Rock way harder than anything that Wait ever recorded solo or in the "Babies."

The reason there will never be a "Bad English" reunion is because of what an asshole John Wait is.
During the recording of the BE album "Backlash," Wait pulled all kinds of shit screwing over the rest of the band by removing some of the guitar parts and other things from what they had recorded.

I love John Wait's singing, but I have no respect for John Wait the man.

[brandonx76]

I heard some interviews online, and stories from people that can attest to the guy being a bit of a prick....but everytime I've seen him interviewed live / in person (the most recent was an in studio performance he did on Mark & Brian) he was very cool, and down to earth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiABZTgJZ6c).

If he has a beef with Perry - then that's one thing. Perry's no saint. He is a lead singer tho, and most if not all of them suffer from some form of LSD

[FamilyMan]

What do we expect from a guy who called Cain's piano intro to Open Arms "sentimental rubbish"?

[Gideon]

What do we expect from a guy who called Cain's piano intro to Open Arms "sentimental rubbish"?

Nah, he was on the mark with that one. I love JC, but Open Arms is trite as hell. Arnel manages to bring some power to an otherwise powerless ballad.

[Majestic]

I think John should record his next album as "The Baby."

[brywool]

So many here rag about every move Journey makes 24/7 but Waite can't give his honest opinion based on his experiences with the actual band? Surprised he's not made the Forum moderator. At least he's still out there making music- though sales are and have been in the toilet for years. It's a known fact that that there's no love between him and the BE guys and that he'd go in and erase tracks and stuff. Cain and Schon have definitely expressed their dislike of the dude on more than one occasion. The fact that he's not a Perry fan most likely isn't due to his talent as a singer but his experiences with him.

[Rick]

Fuck John Waite and his paper thin, hollow voice. He couldn't carry any singer Journey has ever had's jock strap.

[Navarro]

From an interview with Gerri Gittelson:
“I think it’s garbage. I mean, I hate to say it, but I listen to Journey and think, ‘Jesus Christ, that is just wrong.’ That’s why there will never be a Bad English reunion,” Waite said. “It’s for super white people listening to super white music. Fuck that. I’d rather shoot myself.”

http://www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.ph ... &Itemid=38

LMAO! I have never had a very high regard for John Waite. I don't really hear very much r and b, blues, or funk influence in his songs. He is a pretty uninspired musician with a pretty run of the mill, vanilla, 80s pop sound. I would rather listen to OA on loop than any JW tune. That shit is like nails on a chalk board. As a singer, Waite isn't a boil on Perry's ass. SP at his worst, ROR, blows Waite away, as a singer or a writer. The funny thing about the white comment is that Perry (the legacy sound) sounds like Sam Cooke, an African American. What a dumb ass!

[def]

JW is a great musician. Love his voice, love his lyrics and I absolutely adore the two BE albums. Besides, without knowing him personally and just reading his interviews for the last decades, I remember several remarks over the years, when he has not been very diplomatic. I also remember a lot interviews of musicians, who worked with him. It seems the one half rather enjoyed working with with him, whereas the other half did not seem to be too fond of him. If I were a hardcore JOURNEY fan - which I am not, although I like the band and possess several albums (Time3 is great!) - I would not put too much in this interview. Maybe he had a bad day. One thing is sure: He does not miss a chance for years now to mention that he does not care for his hair/arena rock days.
Personally I think, it is a pity, because he had some of his strongest moments in those days and I would love to hear all the unreleased stuff he recorded with people like Mandy Meyer, Adrian Vandenberg, Mark Spiro and with his former fellows of BE.