Bon Jovi (album)

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Bon Jovi
Studio album by
Bon Jovi
ReleasedJanuary 21, 1984[1]
Recorded1982–1983
StudioPower Station, New York City
Genre
Length38:33
Label
Producer
Bon Jovi chronology
Bon Jovi
(1984) 		7800° Fahrenheit
(1985)
Singles from Bon Jovi
  1. "Runaway"
    Released: February 1984
  2. "She Don't Know Me"
    Released: 22 May 1984
  3. "Burning for Love"
    Released: 17 October 1984

Bon Jovi is the debut studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on January 21, 1984, by Mercury Records. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, it is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album in which a song ("She Don't Know Me") appears that was not written or co-written by a member of the band. The album charted at number 43 on the US Billboard 200.[4]

Aside from the hit single "Runaway", songs from the album were rarely performed live after Bon Jovi released Slippery When Wet in 1986. However, on the band's 2010 Circle Tour, songs including "Roulette", "Shot Through the Heart" and "Get Ready" were performed. The album was ranked the 11th best rock album of 1984 by Kerrang! magazine.[5]

The song "Shot Through the Heart" should not be confused with the much better-known "You Give Love a Bad Name" from Slippery When Wet.[6]

On 25 January 2024, the band announced and released the 40th anniversary edition of the album on the same day.[7]

Background[edit]

In 1980, Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi) began work at Power Station, a Manhattan recording facility co-founded by his cousin, Tony Bongiovi. Jon made several demos and sent them out to record companies, but failed to make an impact.

In 1982, Jon went to local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple". DJ Chip Hobart listened to the demos and loved "Runaway", deciding to include it on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" were known as The All Star Review. They were: guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, bass guitarist Hugh McDonald, and additional singers David Grahmme and Mick Seeley (Seeley also composed the distinctive keyboard riff that opens the song). In 1994, McDonald would later replace Alec John Such as Bon Jovi's bass guitarist, initially only as a touring and session musician, before becoming a full member in 2016.

The song began to get airplay around New York. Jon signed to Mercury Records, part of the PolyGram company. He wanted a band name and the A&R staff at PolyGram came up with Bon Jovi.

In March 1983, Bon Jovi called David Bryan (then known as Rashbaum), who in turn called bass guitarist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres. At that time Bon Jovi's lead guitarist was Dave Sabo, who later formed the band Skid Row. Sabo was soon replaced by Richie Sambora.

"We weren't a good band", Bon Jovi said in 2007. "We didn't become a good band until the third record, but we had a drummer who could keep time, which you should never take for granted. But I did okay for a 22-year-old. I'd only been in a studio for three years total prior to that record and I didn't know anything about comping a vocal – where you take a word or a line from one track and piece it together. I was thinking, My God, I'm so bad that they have to put my vocals together for me. The engineer was saying, Don't fret, Jon: even Freddie Mercury and the greats have to comp a vocal."[8]

Release and reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]

AllMusic has retrospectively rated Bon Jovi three-and-a-half out of five stars. Leslie Mathew, who reviewed the album, said: "The songs may be simple and the writing prone to all clichés of the form, but the album boasts a pretty consistent hard rock attack, passionate playing, and a keen sense of melody", and called the album "an often-overlooked minor gem from the early days of hair metal".[1]

Track listing[edit]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Runaway"
3:50
2."Roulette"
4:38
3."She Don't Know Me"Mark Avsec4:02
4."Shot Through the Heart"
4:16
5."Love Lies"
4:06
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Breakout"
  • Jon Bon Jovi
  • Rashbaum
5:20
7."Burning for Love"
  • Jon Bon Jovi
  • Sambora
3:51
8."Come Back"
  • Jon Bon Jovi
  • Sambora
3:56
9."Get Ready"
  • Jon Bon Jovi
  • Sambora
4:07
1998 special edition bonus CD PHCR-90011/2
No.TitleLength
1."Runaway" (live Le Zenith 1988)5:18
2."Roulette" (live BBC Friday Rock Show)5:39
3."Shot Through the Heart" (live Japan Tour 1985) 
4."Burning for Love" (live Japan Tour 1985) 
5."Get Ready" (live Japan Tour 1985)7:04
6."Breakout" (live Super Rock '84)6:26
7."Runaway" (live Super Rock '84) 
2010 special edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Runaway" (live Japan Tour 1985)5:18
2."Roulette" (Live Japan Tour 1985)5:39
3."Breakout" (live Japan Tour 1985)6:26
4."Get Ready" (live Japan Tour 1985)7:04

Personnel[edit]

Bon Jovi

Additional musicians

Production staff

  • Tony Bongiovi – producer
  • Lance Quinn – producer
  • Larry Alexander – engineering
  • Jeff Hendrickson – engineering
  • John Bengelshmy – engineering
  • Arthur Mann – executive producer

Design

  • Spencer Drate – album design
  • Judith Salavetz – album design
  • Geoffrey Hargrave Thomas – photography

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Bon Jovi
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Gold 50,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[20] Gold 10,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[21] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[23] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Bon Jovi at AllMusic
  2. ^ Popoff, Martin (2014). The Big Book of Hair Metal: The Illustrated Oral History of Heavy Metal's Debauched Decade. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-7603-4546-7. OCLC 858901054.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ McPadden 1/26/2015, Mike. "Kingmakers In Makeup: 15 Future Metal Superstars That Opened For Kiss". VH1 News. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved 2021-05-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Allmusic (Bon Jovi charts & awards) Billboard albums".
  5. ^ "Rock List Music.uk".
  6. ^ Schonfeld, Zach (May 10, 2018). "Every Bon Jovi Album, Ranked: Celebrating 'Slippery When Wet,' 'New Jersey,' and All the Rest". Newsweek. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  7. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (2024-01-21). "40 Years Ago: Bon Jovi's Debut Album Points to Bigger Things". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  8. ^ Blake, Mark (August 2007). "My brilliant career: Jon Bon Jovi". Q #253. p. 67.
  9. ^ "Rolling Stone Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  10. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums – Week Commencing 28th January 2008" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 935. January 28, 2008. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  11. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  12. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  13. ^ "Charts.nz – Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  14. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  16. ^ "Bon Jovi Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "Top Pop Albums of 1984". Billboard. June 23, 2022. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  18. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  19. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi". Music Canada. March 31, 1987. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  20. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1989". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  21. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('1st Album')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  22. ^ "British album certifications – Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi". British Phonographic Industry. July 22, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  23. ^ "American album certifications – Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi". Recording Industry Association of America. April 14, 1987. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
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