Towards the end of the 80s, a new generation of "supergroups" emerged from the USA, including Mr. Big,
Badlands, Damn Yankees, Alias, and, arguably the most successful of them all, Bad English. The group was formed in 1988 by ex-Babys vocalist and successful solo artist John Waite (b. 4 July 1952, Lancaster, Lancashire, England), ex-Santana and Journey guitarist Neal Schon (b. 27 February 1954, San Mateo, California, USA), ex-Babys and Journey keyboard player Jonathan Cain (b. 26 February 1950, Chicago, Illinois, USA), ex-Babys bass player Ricky Phillips, and ex-Wild Dogs drummer Deen Castronovo. Their 1989 self-titled debut album was an instant success in the USA, combining hard-edged, melodic rock with big ballads. It reached the US Top 10, helped on its way by the Dianne Warren-penned "When I See You Smile", which was a US number 1 hit in 1990 (UK number 61). Success in the UK was not forthcoming and the album barely dented the Top 40, while a similar fate befell the single. The follow-up, Backlash, was promoted by the single "Straight To Your Heart". Internal disagreements plagued the band, causing them to split soon after its release, with Waite resuming his solo career; Phillips and Castronovo joined the Jimmy Page and David Coverdale project, while Schon and Cain re-formed Journey. Castronovo and Schon also formed Hardline. Despite their short history, Bad English left behind a legacy of high-quality melodic rock that achieved a considerable degree of commercial success.
