5th August 2008 - by Cameron Morrison
Bon Jovi Still “livin’ on a Prayer”
Few rock bands have dominated the era of pop-metal like Bon
Jovi has. By merging Def Leppard's loud but tuneful metal with
Bruce Springsteen's working-class sensibilities, the New
Jersey-based quintet has developed an ingratiatingly melodic
and professional variation of hard rock; one that appeals as
much to teenagers as to housewives.
Bon Jovi skillfully employed professional songwriters to give
their songs, especially their power ballads, an appropriately
commercial sheen, inaugurating a trend that dominated
mainstream hard rock and metal for the next decade.
Jon Bongiovi spent most of his adolescence ditching school to
play rock & roll, usually in local bands with his friend
David Rashbaum. Bongiovi's cousin Tony owned the famous New
York recording studio the Power Station, which was where Jon
hung out. He was hired as a janitor, and soon he was recording
demos at the Power Station with several famous musicians,
including members of the E Street Band and Aldo Nova. One of
these demos, "Runaway," became a hit on local New Jersey radio,
and Bongiovi formed Bon Jovi to support the song, recruiting
not only Rashbaum, but also guitarist Dave Sabo, bassist Alec
John Such, and drummer Tico Torres.
Bon Jovi replicated the Slippery When Wet formula for 1988's
New Jersey , which shot to number one upon its release. New
Jersey was only slightly less successful than its predecessor,
selling five million copies and generating two number one
singles, "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You," as well as
the Top Ten hits "Born to Be My Baby," "Lay Your Hands on Me,"
and "Living in Sin."
The soundtrack for the move Young Guns II , written by Jon Bon
Jovi, produced two hit singles in the number one title track
and the number 12 "Miracle," as well as earning Grammy and
Oscar nominations. The following year, Bon Jovi reunited to
record their fifth album, Keep the Faith , which was released
in the fall of 1992. While the album didn't match the
blockbuster status of its predecessors, largely because musical
tastes had shifted in the four years between New Jersey and
Keep the Faith , it was nevertheless a big hit, and it’s more
straightforward sound produced the hit single "Bed of
Roses."
A Bon Jovi hits collection, Cross Road , followed in 1994, and
in the fall of 1995, they released These Days , which proved to
be a bigger success in Europe than America. After appearing in
the 1996 film Moonlight and Valentino , Jon Bon Jovi released
his first official solo album in the summer of 1997. Three
years later, Bon Jovi regrouped and released Crush .
"It's My Life" and "Thank You for Loving Me" were a chart hits
and Bon Jovi's star power soared beyond their wildest dreams.
Crush eventually went double platinum in the U.S. and sold
eight million copies worldwide. Within a year they returned
with an eighth studio effort, Bounce , which appeared in fall
2002. In 2003 Bon Jovi re-recorded many of their most
well-known songs for the release of This Left Feels Right and
followed it in 2004 with a DVD companion of the same
title.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
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