The Babys are a British rock group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time" and "Every Time I Think of You". Both songs were composed by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy, and each reached No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Cashbox chart in the late 1970s. "Back on My Feet Again" also reached the U.S. Top 40 in 1980. The original Babys line-up consisted of founding member keyboardist/guitarist Michael Corby, and in order of joining the group, vocalist/bassist John Waite, drummer Tony Brock and guitarist Wally Stocker.
The group signed a contract with Chrysalis Records that was the highest ever for a new music act at the time. Two studio albums, The Babys and Broken Heart, were well received. After recording their third album, Head First, in 1978, co-founder Michael Corby was replaced by Jonathan Cain as keyboardist and Ricky Phillips took over as bassist. From late 1978 until the breakup in 1981, The Babys line-up consisted of vocalist Waite, drummer Brock, bassist Phillips, guitarist Stocker, and keyboardist Cain.
Origin and name
Founding member Mike Corby places the origin of the idea for the band at Smalls Café on the Fulham Road in London in 1973, during a chance meeting with Adrian Millar. A management agreement was signed between Corby and Millar on 4 September 1974 and auditions were held in 1974-75 to fill out the remaining members.
Among those who auditioned were Mandrake Paddle Steamer bassist Paul Riordan and drummer Lucas Fox, who would go on to join Motörhead. One of their friends, singer/guitarist Gordon Hawtin (a.k.a. Gordon Rondelle), recommended an acquaintance, John Waite (ex-Graf Spee/Chalk Farm), who’d relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, to play bass with a band called The Boys, but returned to the UK to try out for Corby's new project. Riordin decided to pass and drummer Tony Brock was pursued instead of Fox.
Tony Brock was an established rock drummer, having played with Strider and Spontaneous Combustion. Financial difficulties with Strider, and the opportunity to join a group with sound financial backing, made him decide to take a chance with this group instead. But Irving was the next to leave (eventually to join Manfred Mann's Earth Band).
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Music videos were produced by Mike Mansfield for Supersonic, and Chrysalis Records signed the band in July 1976.
Career
The Babys' eponymous first album (highlighted by the single "If You've Got the Time") was recorded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with producers Brian Christian and Bob Ezrin and released in December 1976, although it appears that Millar and Corby were unhappy with the production and mix.
In 1977 the band purchased a 24-track mobile unit with which to record their music. They went to a ranch house in the Malibu mountains and laid down the tracks in six weeks. However, the record sleeve says it was recorded at the famous Sound City in Southern California.
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As stated above, two American musicians became a part of the lineup following the release of the third album, Head First. Keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Cain replaced Corby, and bassist Ricky Phillips (of Nasty Habit) joined in the late fall of 1978, making it a five-piece band.
The band's fourth album, Union Jacks, (released in January 1980), produced by Keith Olsen, had a more punchy sound; the single, "Back on My Feet Again," spent a short time in the Top 40. And Anne Marie Leclerc (a.k.a. Anne Bertucci), who guested on Union Jacks, appeared as a backup singer on tour with the band in 1979–1980. During an extensive tour in 1980, The Babys opened for Journey, the band that Jonathan Cain would soon join. And the band's fifth album, On the Edge, was made during the 1980 tour and released in October 1980. The single, "Turn and Walk Away", peaked at No. 42 on the Hot 100.
During a performance in Cincinnati, Ohio on 9 December 1980 (the day after John Lennon had been murdered), John Waite was pulled from the stage by an overzealous fan during an encore and seriously injured his knee. After a final performance by the group in Akron, Ohio with Waite attempting to perform on crutches, the remainder of the tour was cancelled, Cain left for Journey, Waite for a solo career and the rest of the group disbanded in early 1981 after being dropped by Chrysalis. Although different members of the group have given various reasons for the band's demise, the general issue seems to have been disillusionment that the group never really achieved the success they felt they deserved given the quality of their albums and live shows. and since that time, the reunion has continued with the group playing at least a handful of dates in the U.S. each year, with a revolving door of keyboardists, Francesco Saglietti (2013–2015, 2016–2018), Eric Ragno (2015), Brian Johnson (2015–2016), Louis Middleton (2018–2019) and Walter Ino (2019–present). Since 2022, singer Bisaha has also been playing with Firefall.
Band members
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Joey Sykes - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, mandolin
- Tony Brock - drums, occasional piano , backing and occasional lead vocals
Touring members
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
- Francesco Saglietti - keyboards
- Eric Ragno - keyboards
- Brian Johnson - keyboards
- Louis Middleton - keyboards
- Walter Ino - keyboards
Former members
- John Waite - lead vocals , bass
- Michael Corby - keyboards, rhythm guitar
- Matt Irving - guitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals
- Jonathan Cain - keyboards, backing and occasional lead vocals , rhythm guitar
- Ricky Phillips - bass guitar, backing vocals
- J. P. Cervoni - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!1975–1976
!1976–1978
!1978–1979
!1979–1980
|-
|
- John Waite - lead vocals
- Michael Corby - keyboards, guitar
- Matt Irving - guitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals
- Tony Brock - drums, vocals, piano
|
- John Waite - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Michael Corby - keyboards, rhythm guitar
- Tony Brock - drums, vocals, piano
|
- John Waite - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead and rhythm guitar
- Tony Brock - drums, vocals, piano
|
- John Waite - lead vocals
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Jonathan Cain - keyboards, backing vocals, rhythm guitar
- Ricky Phillips - bass
- Tony Brock - drums, vocals, piano
|-
!1980-2012
!2013
!2013-2015
!2015
|-
|disbanded
|
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- J. P. Cervoni - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Francescs Sagleitti - keyboards
- Tony Brock - drums
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
|
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Joey Sykes - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Francescs Sagleitti - keyboards
- Tony Brock - drums
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
|
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Joey Sykes - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Eric Ragno - keyboards
- Tony Brock - drums
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
|-
!2015-2016
!2016-2018
!2018-2019
!2019–present
|-
|
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Joey Sykes - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Johnson - keyboards
- Tony Brock - drums
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
|
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Joey Sykes - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Francescs Sagleitti - keyboards
- Tony Brock - drums
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
|
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Joey Sykes - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Louis Middleton - keyboards
- Tony Brock - drums
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
|
- John Bisaha - lead vocals, bass
- Wally Stocker - lead guitar
- Joey Sykes - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Walter Ino - keyboards
- Tony Brock - drums
- Holly Bisaha - backing vocals
- Elisa Chadbourne - backing vocals
|}
Timeline
Discography
Albums
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Album
! width="45"| <small>AUS</small>
! width="45"| <small>US</small>
! Record label
|-
| 1976
|The Babys
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| 133
| align="center" rowspan="6"| Chrysalis
|-
| 1977
|Broken Heart
| align="center"| 9
| align="center"| 34
|-
| 1978
|Head First
| align="center"| 18
| align="center"| 22
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1980
|Union Jacks
| align="center"| 58
| align="center"| 42
|-
|On the Edge
| align="center"| 98
| align="center"| 71
|-
| 1981
|Anthology (compilation album)
| align="center"| 73
| align="center"| 138
|-
| 2001
|Valentine Babys (live album)
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|EMI
|-
| 2008
|Live in America<br /> <small>(remastered expanded reissue of Valentine Babys) </small>
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|Indie Europe/Zoom
|-
| 2014
|I'll Have Some of That!
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|Indie - All in Time Records (iTunes/Amazon/Stores)
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single
! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| Certification
! rowspan="2"| Album
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="45"| U.S.
! width="45"| CAN
! width="45"| UK
! width="45"| AUS
| align="left" rowspan="2"| Broken Heart
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1978
| align="left"| "Silver Dreams"
| 53
| 53
| —
| —
|
|-
| align="left"| "Every Time I Think of You"
| 13
| 8
| —
| 6
|
| align="left" rowspan="2"| Head First
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1979
| align="left"| "Head First"
| 77
|
| —
| —
|
|-
| align="left"| "True Love True Confessions"
| —
|
| —
| —
|
| align="left" rowspan="3"| Union Jacks
|-
| align="left"| "Back on My Feet Again"
| 33
| 29
| —
| 92
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1980
| align="left"| "Midnight Rendezvous"
| 72
|
| —
| —
|
|-
| align="left"| "Turn and Walk Away"
| 42
| 15
| —
| —
|
| align="left"| On the Edge
|}
<!-- commenting out until sources are found |-
| rowspan="1"| 2014
| align="left"| "I See You There"
| —
| —
| align="left"| I'll Have Some of That!
|-
|-
| colspan="10" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or not released to that country
|} -->