"Don't Lose Any Sleep" by John Waite

Song#:  3275
Date:  09/26/1987
Debut:  85
Peak:  81
Weeks:  4
Genre:  Rock, Pop



Pop Bits:  Waite's fourth solo album, Rover's Return, didn't get off to a great start with its first single, "These Times Are Hard for Lovers," stalling at #53 on the Pop chart (#6 Rock). Waite then pegged his hopes on this second single that was written by star composer Diane Warren. This time around the track failed to reach the Rock chart while only spending a short month at Pop. With little to help promote it, the album stopped at a minor #77, which was the lowest peaking of his solo discs. It would be eight years before Waite would release another solo effort.

ReduxReview:  I can understand why Waite and his record company were drawn to this song. It has a bit of the ol' "Missing You" feeling while not sounding like a copy or pale imitation. The tune is actually better than a good chunk of his previous singles, but it kind of came too late. It probably should have been the album's first single, but I suspect that Waite wanted to keep his rock cred intact and opted to push out the Desmond Child co-write "These Times Are Hard for Lovers" first. I think that was a bit of a mistake. If this song had been released first with good promo/backing from the label, I think it could have easily got inside the Top 40. But after the first single failed at Pop, no one was interested in the second one.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Following the tepid results of Rover's Return, Waite decided on a new strategy. He formed a band with his old Babys bandmate Jonathan Cain along with Cain's Journey bandmate Neal Schon that would be called Bad English. The lineup would be filled out with Ricky Phillips (who had played with the Babys) and Deen Castronovo. The band's 1989 self-titled debut album would be a platinum hit thanks to the #1 hit "When I See You Smile." After recording their second album, 1991's Backlash, the band parted ways.  2) After Bad English dissolved, Waite returned to solo work. He contributed a couple of songs to soundtracks and then issued out his fifth album, 1995's Temple Bar. The LP's first single, "How Did I Get By Without You?," didn't do well at Pop (#85), but it did reach #20 at AC. His next two albums each featured singles that reached the AC Top 30. In 2006, Waite would record an album on which he re-recorded some of his hit songs along with a couple of covers and originals. Titled Downtown: Journey of a Heart, the album would feature Waite remaking his #1 his "Missing You" with country/bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss. It was released as a single and got to #34 on the Country chart.

_________________________________________________________________________________