Bad English on DeBaser: AOR anthems, supergroup swagger

Bad English

Musical Group

Forfans of aor, journey, the babys, and late‑’80s melodic rock.
3 Reviews 1 Definitions 2 Charts

The Profile

Bad English were an American/British AOR/hard rock supergroup formed in 1988 by John Waite, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ricky Phillips, and Deen Castronovo. They released two studio albums—Bad English (1989) and Backlash (1991)—and scored a U.S. No. 1 with When I See You Smile before disbanding in 1991.

Supergroup featuring John Waite (The Babys), Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain (Journey), Ricky Phillips, and Deen Castronovo; formed in 1988; two studio albums (Bad English, Backlash); hit single “When I See You Smile” reached U.S. No. 1; disbanded in 1991; American/British AOR/hard rock.

DeBaser’s reviews celebrate Bad English’s sleek AOR craft, big choruses, and radio-ready sheen. The self-titled 1989 debut steals the spotlight with standouts like Forget Me Not, Possession, Ghost in Your Heart, and the U.S. No. 1 When I See You Smile. Writers highlight the Anglo‑American supergroup lineup from Journey and The Babys and the punchy mix of ballads and rockers. Career was brief, but the hooks endure.

Notable Quotes

❝ Despite their misleading name, Bad English are as American as they come, just like their genre, AOR, which is powerful and anything but predictable.

❝ It’s the self-titled Bad English album, which came out in June 1989.

❝ Born from the initiative of former Journey Neal Schon, the Bad English with their self-titled debut will be directly projected into the A.O.R. Olympus thanks to a highly radio-friendly sound with extensive airplay.