John Waite, without question, has one of the most iconic voices in rock. Think of the songs he’s written and sang — from “Isn’t It Time,” “Every Time I Think Of You” and “Head First” in the late 70s with the Babys to Number One 80s hits like “When I See You Smile” with Bad English and his very own “Missing You.” And while his days on the charts are not as frequent as they once were (a remake of “Missing You” with Alison Krauss hit the Top 40 on the Country Charts in 2006), he has continued to make records and tour.
For his most recent studio album, Rough & Tumble, Waite hooked up with Matchbox 20 lead guitarist and songwriter Kyle Cook, and they recorded one of the singer’s edgiest records. That sensibility extended itself to Waite’s live performances, where together with his guitarist Keri Kelly, bassist Tim Hogan and drummer Rondo (sounds dangerous, doesn’t it?), they sauté and filet the songs with riffs galore, a rigid bottom-end, and that iconic voice, which, after all these years, sounds relatively untarnished.
Now, John Waite is on a mission to bring his live show to the people. If they can’t see him in person, then his first live album, Live: All Access is an accurate representation of what he and his band are like on stage. I had the opportunity to talk with Waite about the eight-song live record (there’s a perfectly good reason why there’s only eight), his band, his past, present and future plans. Truth be told, Waite is his own man with no major agenda other than to live life and make music on his own terms. At this point in time and an iconic voice to boot, he’s earned it.
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