Head First (The Babys album)

Head First
Studio album by the Babys
Released	December 1978
Recorded	1978
Studio	Hidden Valley Ranch Studio, Malibu, California
Genre	Rock
Length	35:52
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	James Stroud, Ron Nevison
the Babys chronology
Broken Heart (1977) Head First (1978) Union Jacks (1980)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Record Guide	[2]
Smash Hits	5/10[3]

Head First is the third album by the Babys. Internal conflicts led to founder, guitarist and keyboard player Michael Corby being removed from the group by Chrysalis on 28 August 1978. The three remaining members—John Waite, Wally Stocker and Tony Brock—completed the album for a December 1978 release.^[4] Head First peaked at number 18 on the Australian chart.^[5]

Chrysalis had re-teamed the band with Ron Nevison, but there was disagreement on whether to focus on rockers or ballads. Consequently, Head First was recorded in a pressure-cooker environment with the Record Plant 24-track mobile at Hidden Valley Ranch in Malibu. Corby had imagined more of a "progressive rock type" of album, while Waite was moving towards more country-oriented material (evidenced by outtakes "Restless Heart" and "World In A Bottle"). They band had spent $300,000 in six weeks. But the album was rejected by Chrysalis and an irate Corby was shocked to find songs on there he had never played on or heard of before.

Some two weeks later, after Corby had been let go, the remaining trio returned to the studio in an effort to revamp Head First, its release delayed to the end of the year. They re-recorded it in stripped-back form, Corby’s contributions relegated to keyboards only, while they added a swaggering opener, "Love Don’t Prove I’m Right", plus the visceral, gospel-backed "Every Time I Think Of You".