The Babys - Isn't It Time

The Babys - Isn't It Time

The Babys were a British rock/pop group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time" and "Everytime I Think of You". Both songs reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 1970s.

The 1976-1978 Babys line-up consisted of vocalist/bassist John Waite, drummer Tony Brock, Keyboard player/guitarist Michael Corby, and guitarist Wally Stocker.

After Corby was sacked by Chrysalis in August 1978 a replacement was sought. The company brought in two musicians to replace the co-founder: Jonathan Cain on keyboards and Ricky Phillips to play bass. From 1979 until the final breakup in 1981 the Babys line-up consisted of vocalist Waite, drummer Brock, bassist Phillips, guitarist Stocker and keyboardist Cain.

Corby had been dismissed and the control of the name of the band was never relinquished by him, in effect making the 1979 band a breakaway group from the original contract and not entitled to use the name.

The Babys Archives states a very strong case against the name being used after Corby and Millar were sacked, the original contract clearly has Corby as a member and never lists Cain and Phillips. Corby commissioned The Babys Archives a number of years ago to correct a number of misconceptions about the origins of the group.

Cain's piano work on Don't Stop Believin' is "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock" according to All Music Guide.

John Waite went on to produce a major solo hit, "Missing You", in 1984. Stocker and Brock worked with Rod Stewart and other mainstream artists including Elton John and Air Supply. Cain enjoyed major success with Journey and Phillips with Bad English.

During a performance in Cincinnati, OH on December 9, 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. Following a subsequent final performance by the group in Akron, OH, the remainder of the tour was cancelled. The group disbanded following the tour. 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. Waite later mused, "We were better than people thought we were."[6] The band's marketing image as a teen pop band (reinforced by their name) was also out of sync with the twin and opposing styles dominating the popular music of the time: punk and disco.

John Waite, Ricky Phillips and Jonathan Cain later played together in the hard rock/glam rock-infused supergroup Bad English. By this time, Cain had already gone on to enjoy great success with Journey. Tony Brock spent many years drumming for Rod Stewart, as well as drumming and co-producing for Jimmy Barnes and producing for Keith Urban. Wally Stocker went on to play guitar for Rod Stewart and Air Supply as well as a reformed version of Humble Pie in the 1990s. Wally Stocker and Tony Brock have not worked with John Waite since the breakup and there have been no rumours of any kind of reunion for the 1979 lineup. And given the persistent acrimony surrounding Corby's departure from the group, there is also little chance of the original 1976 lineup ever getting together again. Queen guitarist Brian May chose "Back on my Feet Again" as one of his Desert Island Discs. The Archives have the final word from the late Adrian Millar on the band's demise:

The inherent built-in design fault that's always going to come back and trip you up, electrocute or drown you in a cup of coffee was the fact that Mike Corby had all the looks and should have been the lead singer. The only problem here was that Mike didn't [rather couldn't] sing, and it just goes to show how a tiny little element can change everything. If Mike had been the one with 'the voice,' it would have balanced the status quo between him and John. Then, if you want to look at the bright side of things, we wouldn't have been forced into employing somebody like John Waite... A person who was so completely opposite of Mike Corby.

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• musicmanzion

[bHuffy82]

@lola9343....keep telling yourself that. It's why they're "backup singers" in the industry.

[lola9343]

makes me believe you recorded this from vinyl.  THANK YOU!

[sweetgyy]

love is an illusion created within

[katinasvenska]

Makes me almost believe it is possible to fall in love again