In 1986, John starts at New York´s Right Track-Studios recording his next album, which is going to be co-produced by Frank Fillipetti. John spends 11 months at the studios and records 22 songs. But he is discontent with the result. „I hated it. So I scrapped it and started again. It was too much like a fourth album“, he comments his decision. „Like most bands stick with it for five albums and then drop dead.“ The record company isn´t that pleased, his bank manager isn´t cheering either. And John himself is waking up in cold sweats, wondering if he´d better just put out some pretty tearjerkers just for the sake to square the accounts. „It was quite terrible“, John goes. „But it was exciting, too, because I think when you´ve got to that kind of situation you play for your life.“
„I think I work best under that kind of pressure“, he ponders. „Actually I got pretty hilarious in the middle of the recordings. Pretty dangerous.“
„Encircled“ and „Wild One“ are two of the remaining songs.

In August ´87 „Rover´s Return“ finally appears. A flawless rock album out-and-out, named after the famous pub in Britain´s long running soap opera Coronation Street, which is one of John´s favourites.  The soap, not the pub...

Together with a top selection of musicians („The best in New York“) it is one of his strongest recordings, with which he -- especially with „These Times Are Hard For Lovers“ and the incomparable „Act Of Love“ -- returns to his English Rock´n Blues roots. „It´s exactly that record that I wanted to make when I started off when I was 15. I think I´ve done it.“

John Waite promotes his new single „These Times Are Hard For Lovers“ in English TV shows, and with a video clip. The song even finds its way to Germany, although it´s not enough to beat „Missing You“. But it proves that John Waite is still around. Unfortunately the planned tour as an opening act for Bryan Adams fails.

Repeated internal changes at EMI are to blame that this promotion miserably fails again. „When I went to Germany to push 'Rover´s Return', 'These Times Are Hard For Lovers' was on the top of the radio charts. When I came back two weeks later it was only #50. My record company was in deep trouble again, this time financially and EMI America turned into EMI Manhattan. So again an album, that had cost me very much effort went down the toilet.“

John Waite seems to stick on bad luck with these institutions... Frustrated, he quits the business again for a while. He bethinks himself and what he wants actually. „My motivation was gone. It was just staying in and watching a lot of TV, drinking cases of wine and walking around the garden.“
Unnecessarily to that he lost his voice what turned out as an infection of his vocal chords.

„Woman´s Touch“ is going to be released on the soundtrack for the movie The Principal (1987, photo below) with James Belushi playing a rebellious and stubborn, well - principal that is consequently transferred for disciplinary reasons. „Interesting little story“, John remembers later on. „When I had left BAD ENGLISH and went to Italy, I was staying in a hotel and the night watchman was watching this tiny, little TV when I came in one morning from a club. The film was just starting and I said: 'That´s me.' He didn´t believe it. I think he didn´t understand me.“

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