Bad English (the music group) Trivia Game | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. According to "The Billboard Book of Number One Hits" what does the band's name, Bad English, mean?

Answer: It's a term from billiards meaning the amount of spin put on the cue ball.

The group's name came about while the members were playing pool. During a break from the recording session for the first album, Jonathan Cain made a remark about how bad John Waite's "english" -- the spin put on the cue ball -- was. The name stuck.

2. Three members of Bad English -- Jonathan Cain, John Waite, and Ricky Phillips -- had played together previously in a successful band from the 1970s. What was that band's name?

Answer: The Babys

The Babys -- known for hits like "Every Time I Think of You" and "Isn't It Time" -- were an all-British rock group, unlike Bad English which featured members from both the U.S. and the U.K.

3. Two members of Bad English -- Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon -- had previously played together in another famous rock band from the 1970s and 1980s. What band were they members of?

Answer: Journey

Jonathan Cain certainly gets around! After the demise of The Babys in 1980 he joined Journey, just in time for their rise to superstardom with albums like "Escape" and "Frontiers", where he played alongside guitar god Neal Schon. After Journey's bitter breakup Jonathan and Neal still had the itch to play together, so Bad English came into being.

4. The only member of Bad English who did not have previous experience with a major band was Deen Castronovo from the U.S. What instrument does Deen play?

Answer: Drums

Drummer Deen Castronovo had bounced around in a series of bands without much record chart success. Deen had been a session drummer for Neal Schon's 1988 solo album "Late Night", which paved his way into Bad English. Following the group's demise Castronovo played as both a studio musician and backup band member for several notables, among them Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Vai, before joining Schon and Jonathan Cain in a reconstituted Journey.

5. How many singles were released to U.S. Top 40 radio from the Bad English debut album?

Answer: Five

A total of five songs were released to American Top 40 radio stations off the first Bad English album (the self-titled album released in 1989): "Forget Me Not", "When I See You Smile", "Possession", "Price of Love" and "Heaven is a 4 Letter Word". A sixth single released only to U.S. rock radio, "Best of What I Got" also became a top ten hit on the rock charts.

6. Which song off the Bad English debut album became a number one hit on the U.S. Top 40 charts?

Answer: When I See You Smile

The power ballad "When I See You Smile", the band's only number one U.S. hit, was the second release off their debut album in the fall of 1989. The song was written by Diane Warren, also known for songs like Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing", and the Trisha Yearwod/LeAnn Rimes ballad "How Do I Live".

7. How many ORIGINAL albums (not counting their Greatest Hits compilation) did Bad English release?

Answer: Two

At least they avoided the one-hit wonder label! The debut self-titled album "Bad English", was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Gold in Canada. "Backlash", their 1991 followup, didn't perform nearly as well; reaching number 74 on the U.S. charts and number 34 in Canada. Like many of the late 1980s bands, their career was derailed by the rise of grunge music and the Seattle Sound following Nirvana's success.

A Greatest Hits album was issued in 2003 but contained no new materiel.

8. Which Bad English music video features John Waite singing while riding through city streets on the top of a vehicle?

Answer: The Price of Love

Hoping to quickly follow up on the huge success of "When I See You Smile", the band's record label, Epic, combined live concert footage with John Waite riding through city streets. It worked, as "The Price of Love" became the band's second Top Ten hit, peaking at number five in 1989.

9. Long before Bad English and before his days in Journey, guitarist Neal Schon played in a legendary band that is now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What band was it?

Answer: Santana

Neal Schon was only 15 years old when asked by Carlos Santana to join his group in 1969. A true musical prodigy, Schon had been asked to join Eric Clapton's band Derek & The Dominos at virtually the same time Santana asked. Schon stayed with Carlos until 1973 when he and Santana keyboardist Greg Rollie left to form the band Journey.

10. In 2006 Bad English frontman John Waite reached the Top 40 on the U.S. Country music charts, by dueting with a bluegrass artist on a remake of his solo hit "Missing You". Who did he sing with?

Answer: Alison Krauss

As improbable as one would first think, Alison Krauss and John Waite blended vocals beautifully as they re-recorded his American chart-topping hit from 1984, "Missing You". A video followed, as did live performances on several television shows including "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

Source: Author JimHadar

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Bad English (the music group) Trivia Quiz

The 1980s were the era of the rock "supergroup", bands formed by members of previously successful bands. One of those supergroups was Bad English. How well do you know their history?

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