Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 13, 1990 TAG: 9004130137
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TRACY WIMMER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Some would say it's debatable who should get top billing on this tour. Bad English was added as the opening act for Whitesnake a month ago. Now it seems the two are neck and neck on Top-40 radio.
"Slip of the Tongue," is Whitesnake's latest album on Geffen Records. Since its November release, it's hung tight on the Billboard pop album chart and spawned hit singles such as "Fool For Your Loving" and "The Deeper The Love."
But then came Bad English. The newcomers' success is not so surprising considering the band's line up. Three of the members, lead singer John Waite, keyboardist Jonathan Cain and bassist Ricky Phillips, were members of the early '80s group, the Babys, which made its mark on the pop charts with a blend of rhythmic jolt and melodic flair. When the group disbanded, Cain joined guitarist Neal Schon in Journey. Meanwhile Waite pursued a solo career, hitting No. 1 with "Missing You" and Phillips did session work with other artists.
Waite had been planning to record a solo album for Epic, but his plans changed after he saw Cain backstage at a Heart concert in New York.
Both wanted to be in a harder-rock situation. Waite moved to San Francisco and promptly began writing new material with Cain.
Eventually Schon, who had been working on a solo album, wound up on their doorstep. He, too joined the lineup along with drummer Deen Castronovo, who'd been playing with Schon.
In 1988, Bad English cut their first Epic album, "Bad English."
With three songs, "Price of Love," "Best of What I've Got" and "When I See You Smile," on Billboard charts, as well as the video for "Price of Love" in active rotation on MTV, Bad English's intense style is exactly what people want.
Only a month into the tour, there's no change in lineup yet. But things have a way of changing.
Whitesnake will perform at the Roanoke Civic Center colisseum on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. Opening will be Bad English. Tickets are $16.50 in advance; $17.50 day of the show. For more information, call 981-1201.
by CNB