written by John Waite, Mark Leonard and Charles Sandford

produced by John Waite, David Thoener and Gary Gersh

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I’m making this page July 4th, 2021, the 69th birthday of John

Charles Waite. Happy Birthday, JW!!

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Once again, as is the case in many a birthday tribute I’ve made thus

far on the site, when I found out it was John’s birthday, and hence time to select a song, the choice couldn’t have been more obvious. (Well, okay, “When I See You Smile” could also have been a contender, but that was a group effort, where “Missing You” was a solo smash hit.)

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John was born and raised in Lancashire, England, starting like many at a relatively young age, meeting and joining rock band The Babys in his early 20s. With John’s vocal power, the group achieved moderate success through the latter half of the ’70s. I personally am most acquainted with The Babys through their hit “Isn’t It Time,” off the 1977 release Broken Heart. It hit #1 in Australia.

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After The Babys broke up in ’81, John went solo, releasing debut album Ignition with Babys label Chrysalis. It spawned two singles, starting with the #16-charting “Change,” a song used a few years later in the Warner Bros. high school film Vision Quest. Just over two years after that, it was time for John’s second solo project, a contract shift to EMI Records... and by far the biggest hit of his career.

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Released the same month as the No Brakes album, as its leading single, “Missing You” claimed the #1 chart spot in Canada and the US, but reached no higher than #9 in John’s native UK. (A hit biggest in America... another reason to cover this song today, of all days.) Two albums later, John formed Bad English with Journey keyboardist and former Baby Jonathan Cain, reuniting the two. Their former fellow Baby Ricky Phillips and another Journey alum, guitarist Neal Schon, also joined. Bad English lasted four years, from ’87 to ’91, during which John and the lads nabbed another US #1 with “When I See You Smile,” as but one of six total singles released from their first of two albums.

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Bad English were signed with CBS’ (pre-Sony) Epic Records. Afterwards, John has since released six solo albums, attached to as many different labels. He hasn’t put out any new material since the 2010s, but he continues to perform. In the meantime, even if you don’t know his name, everyone (born before 2000) knows this song, and who do you know who doesn’t feel the compulsion to belt along with that iconically memorable chorus?

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I see, finally, that in 2018 John became an official US citizen. Perhaps in honor of the ironic fact that he’s an English fellow born on day four of month seven? (Whether in doing so facetiously or not, myriads of folks have to have pointed this out to him, as if he never noticed it himself.)

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Have notes to add? Let me know!

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YT:

full version

music video

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John’s official website

Lyrics

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(Missing you, missing you) / (Missing you, missing you) / (Missing you, missing you) / (Missing you, I’m missing you) / Every time I think of you / I always catch my breath / And I’m still standing here, and you’re miles away / And I’m wondering why you left / And there’s a storm that’s raging / Through my frozen heart tonight / I hear your name, in certain circles / And it always makes me smile / I spend my time, thinking about you / And it’s almost driving me wild / And there’s a heart that’s breaking / Down this long-distance line tonight / I ain’t missing you at all (missing you) / (Missing you) Since you’ve been gone, (missing you) away / (Missing you) I ain’t missing you / (Missing you, missing you) No matter what I might say (missing you, I’m missing you) / There’s a message, in the wire / And I’m sending you this signal tonight / You don’t know how desperate I’ve become / And it looks like I’m losing this fight / In your world, I have no meaning / Though I’m trying hard to understand / And it’s my heart that’s breaking / Down this long-distance line tonight / I ain’t missing you at all (missing you) / (Missing you) Since you’ve been gone, (missing you) away / (Missing you) I ain’t missing you / (Missing you, missing you) No matter what my friends say (missing you, I’m missing you) / And there’s a message that I’m sending out / Like a telegraph, to your soul / And if I can’t bridge this distance / Stop this heartbreak overload / x1 / I ain’t missing you (missing you) / I ain’t missing you (missing you) / (Missing you) I can lie to myself (I’m missing you) / x1 / x1 / Ain’t missing you (missing you) / I ain’t missing you, (missing you) I ain’t missing you (missing you) / I can lie to myself (I’m missing you) / Ain’t missing you, (missing you) I ain’t missing you (missing you) / I ain’t missing you, (missing you) I ain’t missing you (I’m missing you) / I ain’t missing you, (missing you) I ain’t missing you (missing you) / Ain’t missing you, (missing you) oh no (I’m missing you) / (Missing you, missing you) / No matter what my friends might say (missing you), I ain’t missing you (I’m missing you) / (Missing you, missing you) Ain’t missing you / (Missing you) I can lie to myself (I’m missing you) /[fade]