Waite was born in Lancaster, and was educated at Lancaster Art College (The Storey Institute).
Waite first came to attention as the lead singer and bassist of The Babys, a British rock band which had moderate chart success, including two pop hits that both coincidentally peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Isn't It Time" (1977) and "Everytime I Think of You" (1979), and a solid following of their concert tours. Over the course of five years, the band produced five albums ending with the final album On the Edge in October 1980, after which the group disbanded.
Waite subsequently launched his solo career with his 1982 debut album Ignition, which produced the hit single "Change". The Chrysalis 45 failed to chart on Billboard's Hot 100 during its initial release (June 1982) but was a top track on AOR radio stations, as well as a very popular music video on MTV as the 'new' cable channel celebrated its first full year of operation. The song was originally recorded in 1981 by another band, and in 1985 was included on the platinum selling Vision Quest soundtrack. When the single was reissued, it reached the Top 50 on the Hot 100. "Going to the Top" was released as the original follow-up single to "Change".
His next album, No Brakes, resulted in international attention. It was a Top 10 Billboard album in the US due to the smash hit "Missing You" which went to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[4] It knocked Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?" out of No. 1. For that very reason, Turner later recorded and released Waite's smash song herself. (Turner's single peaked at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1996.) "Missing You" also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks as well as the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. No Brakes sold over a million and a half US copies yet has never been certified above the RIAA Gold standard (a record company must apply to the RIAA for such certification). Two more singles from No Brakes followed, including "Tears" which was a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.
The next album Mask of Smiles followed in 1985 featuring the hit single "Every Step of the Way". Another single, "If Anybody Had a Heart", was released from the soundtrack of the 1986 film About Last Night.... In 1987, Rover's Return was released with the single "These Times Are Hard For Lovers". Waite would have another soundtrack appearance in 1990 from Days of Thunder with "Deal for Life"
In 1988, Waite joined former Babys bandmates Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips, along with Neal Schon from Journey and drummer Deen Castronovo, to form the supergroup Bad English. In 1989, the Bad English ballad "When I See You Smile" (penned by Diane Warren) went to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and earned a Gold-certified single. Its parent album reached Billboard's Top Five and sold nearly two million copies in the United States alone. Bad English released two albums before tensions amongst the members led to the band's dissolution by 1992.
Waite returned to solo work. He released the album Rough And Tumble. He has continued to tour, such as in 2003 with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
In 2006, "Missing You" was released as a duet with Alison Krauss and reached the Top 40 on the Country Charts in the United States. Waite appeared with Krauss on The Tonight Show on 5 February 2007 to perform the song. Waite's songs have reappeared in other media as well: 2013 saw "Missing You" featured heavily in the movie Warm Bodies, and "Change" is on the soundtrack of the US movie Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
In 2008 he recorded a guest vocal on the track "In God's Shadow" from the Keith Reid Project's The Common Thread.
Waite appears as himself and performs two songs in the 2010 feature film, New Day, from L'Oiseau Blanc Films.
In 2011 the title track from his tenth solo album Rough and Tumble went number one on Classic Rock radio.
A longtime resident of New York City, Waite now lives in Santa Monica, California. John Waite is divorced.
Anytime
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get home I got nowhere to go
Think about ya day and night
I'll be waiting so when it feels right
Anytime you want at all
Anytime
Anytime you want just call
A burnin' fever gets you alone
I need your love you're the only one
The night is passin' I could soon be gone
So anytime you want at all
Anytime
Anytime you want just call
Anytime you want to rock and roll
Anytime
Telephone telegram
Come on over
Make me feel like a man
A crack of thunder over my hometown
I read the future it has to go down
So anytime you want at all
Anytime
Anytime you want just call
Anytime you want to rock and roll
Anytime you need my love
Anytime
Anytime you want just call
Oh yeah
(Anytime anytime)
Anytime you want my love
Yeah yeah
(Anytime anytime)
Anytime you're on your own
(Anytime anytime)
Anytime you want my love
(Anytime anytime)
Oh
The lyrics to John Waite/The Babys's song "Anytime" express the desire of the singer to be with their loved one all the time. The message on the radio symbolizes the constant reminders of their love, and when they get home, they are lost without the other person. They think about them day and night, waiting for the moment when they can be together again. The chorus emphasizes the singer's willingness to be there for their loved one anytime they need them, whether it's to rock and roll or just to call. The burning fever and crack of thunder symbolize the emotional intensity of their love, and the fear that it may not last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear a message on my radio
I heard a message on my radio that keeps me thinking about you all day and night
I get home I got nowhere to go
When I get home, I feel lonely and lost without you
Think about ya day and night
I can't stop thinking about you, even when I'm trying to go about my day
I'll be waiting so when it feels right
I'll wait for you until the time is right for us to be together
Anytime you want at all
I'm always here for you, no matter what
Anytime
I mean it when I say that I'm available anytime you need me
Anytime you want just call
Just reach out to me and I'll come running to be with you
Heartbeat faster lose control
My heart beats faster when I'm with you and I lose all control
A burnin' fever gets you alone
When you're all alone, you might feel a burning desire for my love
I need your love you're the only one
I need your love to keep me going, you're the only one who can make me feel complete
The night is passin' I could soon be gone
Time is running out and I might not be able to stay with you for long
Anytime you want to rock and roll
I'm always ready to have a good time with you, anytime
Telephone telegram
I don't care how you reach out to me, just do it
Come on over
Come to me, and let's be together
Make me feel like a man
When I'm with you, I feel strong and confident
A crack of thunder over my hometown
A crack of thunder symbolizes the intensity of my feelings for you
I read the future it has to go down
I can sense that the future might not be easy, but I'm willing to face it with you
Anytime you need my love
I'm always ready to give you my love and support, whenever you need it
Oh yeah
I mean every word I say, and I'm passionate about our relationship
(Anytime anytime)
I'm always here for you, every single time
Anytime you're on your own
When you're feeling lonely or lost, just know that I'm here for you
Anytime you want my love
I'm always ready to give you my love and affection, anytime
Yeah yeah
I'm enthusiastic and excited about our relationship
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY PAUL BROCK, JONATHAN CAIN, RICKY LYNN PHILLIPS, WALTER FREDERICK STOCKER, JOHN CHARLES WAITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind