Artist

The Babys

London, United Kingdom • 1974 – 1981

The Babys is a music group from London, United Kingdom, active 1974–1981. Their discography on Gatefold includes 14 records.

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Albums tracked

In collections

1974

Since

Biography

The Babys, a British pop rock band, chose their name to give them a greater chance of a recording contract as they felt the record labels were leaning more towards the teen market. They released their eponymous first album in 1976 and followed it up with 'Broken Heart' the next year. The group's songs were melodic, sensitive, and far from the shallow teen pop market that the Babys ended up boxed into (albeit something that they had partly done themselves).

The Arc of The Babys

The pivots — what forced The Babys to reinvent.

The Ezrin/Chrysalis Hype
The debut and 'Broken Heart' were all about that cinematic Bob Ezrin sheen. Chrysalis wanted a British version of Raspberries with more muscle, so they threw orchestras at the tracks and pushed the power-pop elements to the front. You can hear the struggle between the band's natural rock instincts and the high-gloss production on tracks like 'Isn't It Time.' It was an expensive, calculated attempt to manufacture a superstar act right out of the gate.
The Arena Expansion
Everything changed when Michael Corby got the boot and the band brought in Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips. This turned them into a different beast on 'Union Jacks' and 'Head First,' leaning into the slick, keyboard-driven rock that would eventually define the 80s. Keith Olsen took over production duties, drying out the sound and focusing on radio-ready hooks. This lineup was the blueprint for the corporate rock era, but it fell apart when Waite went solo and Cain got the call from Journey.

Influences

The Small Faces — John Waite has repeatedly cited Steve Marriott as his primary vocal template. You hear it in that raspy, blue-eyed soul delivery on the verses of 'Head First.' They took the Mod-rock energy and smoothed it out for American FM radio.
Badfinger — The early Chrysalis years were a direct attempt to capture the tragic power-pop melodicism of the Apple Records era. The guitar stacking and vocal harmonies on their self-titled debut are a straight line back to 'No Matter What.' They wanted that same mix of British melancholy and massive hooks.
Free — Before the synthesizers took over, the rhythm section was chasing the minimalist thud of Andy Fraser and Simon Kirke. The band spent their early days covering Free tracks in UK clubs to learn how to leave space in a mix. It’s why even their poppiest moments have a heavier low-end than their peers.
The Beatles — The band worked with Beatles engineer Ron Nevison and recorded at Air Studios, intentionally hunting for that late-period McCartney bass tone. The melodic counterpoint in 'Every Time I Think of You' is a masterclass in 'Abbey Road' style arrangement. They were students of the George Martin school of pop sophistication.
Mott the Hoople — The Babys inherited that specific brand of British glam-rock swagger that Ian Hunter perfected. They took the theatricality of the 'All the Young Dudes' era and stripped away the grit for a more commercial L.A. finish. It's the bridge between 72' London and 79' Sunset Strip.