Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Sleep When I'm Dead + Takin' Care of Business in Moncton

Here is another video I've been waiting for from the Magnetic Hill show.

SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD w/ TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS - I grew sick of "Sleep" on the record quite some time ago, and would probably rather here "Lay Your Hands on Me" as a standalone song. But "Sleep" becomes a really fun live song when they do the juke box medley routine. It's always cool to get a rare or new cover in the middle too.



Hath has a video link library from this show as well as Summerfest on her blog. We're still on the lookout for a full clip of "Last Man Standing". I mean, Bon Jovi did it two shows in a row and no one captured/uploaded the whole thing on either night? What kind of information age is this? :P

Everybody's got a hungry heart...

Apparently our man Jon Bon Jovi was supposed to join his fellow Jerseyite Bruce Springsteen to perform "Hungry Heart" at Hyde Park last night but was denied because of a curfew:
“The show had run for three hours, and sadly had just nudged over the curfew limit when the organisers have to shut the sound off.

Jon was waiting at the side of the stage, ready to go, but when the plug was pulled it was just too late.

“It would have been an incredible ending to the show, and it's a huge shame it couldn't happen.

Bruce and Jon were gutted. It's probably just as well the crowd didn't know he was waiting on the side of the stage, as they would have been gutted as well.”

I don't think I'm being too biased in saying Bruce and Jon are two of the best live performers going around (I only hope I have as much energy and enthusiasm as Bruce when I'm 60!)... But to partially make up for the loss, here is an awesome joint performance of "Hungry Heart" from 1999.



Stand By Me with Don Was intro

While I already posted a video of this version of "Stand By Me", here it is again with an introduction from the producer and bassist on the recording, Don Was:



On June 24, Iranian Superstar Andy Madadian went into an LA recording studio with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and American record producers Don Was and John Shanks to record a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran.

This version of the old Ben E. King classic is not for sale - it was not meant to be on the Billboard charts or even manufactured as a CD.....it's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people...to give voice to the sentiment that all people of the world stand together....the handwritten Farsi sign in the video translates to "we are one".

If you know someone in Iran - or someone who knows someone in Iran - please share this link:

http://www.MyDamnChannel.com/DonWas

Monday, June 29, 2009

Rare Magnetic Hill videos

The two genuine rarities Bon Jovi played at Magnetic Hill were "Last Man Standing" and "Takin' Care of Business" (in the "Sleep When I'm Dead" medley). I'm hoping for complete videos of both, but here are a couple of snippets to pass time with.

LAST MAN STANDING (42 seconds)


TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS (53 seconds)


HALLELUJAH (complete). I'll be honest; I really hate hearing out of key/out of tune crowd singing on videos. But I included this because it's a clear shot of a beautiful song that is still reasonably rare, as evidenced by Jon constantly looking down at what I suspect are lyric sheets. ;)

Magnetic Hill set list

Set list for Bon Jovi's Magnetic Hill festival gig in Moncton, New Brunswick:

GLAD ALL OVER (Dave Clark Five cover)
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
LOST HIGHWAY
BORN TO BE MY BABY
RUNAWAY
LAST MAN STANDING
RAISE YOUR HANDS
SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD w/ Takin' Care of Business (Bachman-Turner Overdrive cover)
MAKE A MEMORY
WHOLE LOT OF LEAVIN'
SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT
WE GOT IT GOING ON
IT'S MY LIFE
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (Richie Sambora lead vocals)
SUMMERTIME
HAVE A NICE DAY
KEEP THE FAITH
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME
BAD MEDICINE w/ Shout!

Encore:
HALLELUJAH (Leonard Cohen cover)
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

I'm very keen for videos of the "Sleep" medley and "Last Man Standing" to surface. Here's hoping!

Also, if you haven't checked out Jon and Richie's rendition of "Stand By Me" with Andranik Madadian yet, I highly recommend you do so. You can also read more about the project here and here.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Stand By Me

On June 24, 2009, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Armenian-Iranian singer/songwriter Andy Madadian recorded an English and Farsi version of the Ben E. King classic "Stand By Me" in support of the Iranian people.



Peace and love.

EDIT: You can download a free mp3 of "Stand By Me" here.

CREDITS: STAND BY ME
Andy - Vocals
Jon Bon Jovi - Vocals
Richie Sambora - Electric Guitar and Vocals
John Shanks - Acoustic Guitar
Don Was - Bass
Patrick Leonard - Keyboards
Jeff Rothchild - Drums
Tiffany Madadian and Nikki Lund - Background Vocals

Produced by Don Was & John Shanks
Recorded and Mixed by Jeff Rothchild at Henson Studio C, Hollywood, CA June 24, 2009
Thanks to Faryal Ganjehei
Written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller
Farsi lyric by Paksima Zakipour
Video Edited by Gemma Corfield
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen

First Magnetic Hill videos

I still don't have a confirmed set list but a few early videos of Bon Jovi's gig at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival in Moncton have popped up.

I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (Richie Sambora lead vocals)


MAKE A MEMORY; partial


HALLELUJAH; partial


There's also video here of an incident between security staff and a member of the crowd during "Raise Your Hands".

Summerfest reviews

This one hot off my blogroll, from Big Apple Jovi Girl. Not pretty perhaps, but worth reading:
http://jovijunction.blogspot.com/2009/06/one-wacky-night.html

A more positive review from Meg Jones for the Journal Sentinel:
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/49151092.html

I've never thought of "You Give Love a Bad Name" as "slightly angsty" but apparently Julie Lawrence from OnMilwaukee.com does here:
http://onmilwaukee.com/seasonal/summerfest/articles/bonjovi.html

And a couple of new videos from the show:

LOST HIGHWAY


WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Summerfest videos Round 2

Set list is here.

Previously posted videos can be found here.

(YOU WANT TO) MAKE A MEMORY


LIVIN' ON A PRAYER


HUGH MCDONALD IS BACK IN THE BOW!! :D On the Lost Highway tour, you might recall, they would have one bow with everyone on stage and then Hugh would have to leave with Bobby Bandiera and Lorenza Ponce while the four "official" band members bowed again. Being the massive Hugh fan that I am, I thought that was a bit poor because Huey might be unofficial but he's more than just a tour musician in the band. So yes... humour my excitement, even if you can't relate to it. :P

As I type this, no one has yet posted "Last Man Standing"; then again it's barely been 12 hours since the show ended. :P I hope someone managed to capture and Youtube it.

Friday, June 26, 2009

First Summerfest videos

Set list from Summerfest here.

Videos below (is it just me or does the audio seem awfully... jumpy?).

I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU - featuring Richie on lead vocals and fireworks.


SUMMERTIME


HAVE A NICE DAY (my favourite of the "It's My Life clones")


KEEP THE FAITH


WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

Summerfest set list

Bon Jovi played Summerfest 2009 in Milwaukee today. Apparently the new record is finished and about to be mixed. Anyway, the show just wrapped up a few minutes ago so here's the set.

Glad All Over (Dave Clark Five cover)
You Give Love a Bad Name
Lost Highway
Born to be my Baby
Runaway
Last Man Standing
Raise Your Hands
Sleep When I'm Dead
Make a Memory
Whole Lot of Leavin'
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
We Got It Goin' On
It's My Life
I'll Be There For You (Richie Sambora on lead vocals)
Summertime
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Bad Medicine w/ Shout

ENCORE:
Wanted Dead or Alive
I Love This Town
Livin' on a Prayer

***

Notes:
1. Pretty standard Lost Highway tour type of set, with the exception of "Last Man Standing" which is a welcome inclusion.
2. Obviously I wasn't there but opening with a cover rarely works. Opening with a cover that a) isn't a big "rocker" and b) hardly anyone under the age of 50 knows almost never works.
3. I hate having "I Love This Town" in the encore but at least it wasn't the closer.
4. Couldn't we have had at least one new song, guys? ;)

Anyway, hopefully there are some decent videos, especially of "Last Man Standing". I believe Big Apple Jovi Girl was at the show so I'll expect a comprehensive review from her, no pressure or anything. ;)

And finally, the entertainment industry is today mourning the deaths of king of pop Michael Jackson and original Charlie's Angel Farrah Fawcett. Rest in peace.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

More of JBJ on volunteering

More videos from the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.

Jon talks about the Philadelphia Soul Foundation and the "power of we". The video includes the first 45 seconds of "Working Man".


Freelancer Melissa Jun Rowley interviews Jon Bon Jovi for Causecast:


Also, Part 2 of Anthony Kuzminski's These Days review is now up at The Screen Door. One particular line I think sums up Bon Jovi quite well:
Bon Jovi’s 1995 reflective and somber These Days is a record that would be hailed as a masterwork only if it had been created by any other artist on the planet.

But this part of the review is particularly interesting because Tony delves into his personal connection with this album. These Days is a great record musically, but what makes it special is the way it has touched and changed people's lives. Check out the rest of the review here.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

NEW BON JOVI SONG debuts in San Francisco

Jon Bon Jovi, representing the Entertainment Industry Foundation at a national volunteering conference, performed a new song for the first time. Here is a 30-second snippet:



If this is on the new album, it doesn't quite scream "big loud rock". ;) Then again, it's an acoustic "JBJ & Friends" performance, and the clip is quite short so it's probably best to reserve judgment. And it does seem like a more socially conscious song (see article below) than much of what has been released this decade which is what I've been pining for. In these tough economic and indeed political times, I want music that I can feel and bleed to, not music that glosses over the harsh realities of the world. In the 90s, Bon Jovi captured a level of social and political awareness and creativity that they've never reached since.

At the end of the day, Bon Jovi will still be my favourite band and the critics will still pan them. But it would be great if this album could prove they are still be those amazing artists we heard on These Days, Keep the Faith, Stranger in this Town, Destination Anywhere, Blaze of Glory, and Undiscovered Soul. I'm just after an awesome album whether it is the rock record Jon promised or not.

Here is most of "Livin' on a Prayer" from the same performance:


And from the San Francisco Business Times:

Those who stayed found almost greater reason to cheer when Jon Bon Jovi arrived as a surprise guest.

An afternoon that had the distinct feel of a rock concert finally became one.

“I’m preaching to the converted,” he said. So he started to sing.

Bon Jovi started with a not-yet-released song from a forthcoming album that he clearly sees as the working stiff’s anthem for this recession and the unemployed.

Called “Work for the Working Man,” the refrain was a catchy, if unsubtle, “Who’s gonna work for the working man?”

The lyrics are as direct: “Empty pockets, full of worry/Had to get two jobs and hard enough just getting by,” goes one line. Near the end, the song lists the woes of the laid off: “Lost my pension/They took my I.D./These were my friends/These were my dreams/These were my hopes/These are my streets/Can you hear me?”

The new song was followed by a down tempo arrangement of “Living on a Prayer” and a decidedly upbeat “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.”

And while the message was a downer, Bon Jovi garnered cheers almost as loud as did Mrs. Obama.

Monday, June 22, 2009

More Songwriters Hall of Fame videos

More from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.


Click here
for an Artisan News Service report that includes part of Richie and Jon's touching speeches. (I didn't know Richie wore those specs?)

CHRIS DAUGHTRY SINGS "I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU" (partial):
He's actually got a pretty powerful rock voice; I've never really noticed before.


JON'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH:


WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE:

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Footage from Songwriters Hall of Fame

Jon and Richie interviews plus "Wanted Dead or Alive" clips, from the Associated Press:



Richie mentions writing a new song the day before these red carpet interviews from Entertainment Tonight:

Friday, June 19, 2009

Songwriters Hall of Fame

Here is an excerpt from Roger Friedman's article on the 40th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame:
Jon Bon Bovi and Richie Sambora gave two of the best speeches of the night accepting their award and playing “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Bon Jovi summed up the night when he said, “The business has changed a lot, but one thing they can’t take away is the song.” ... Luckily, the night was long on music and short on speeches. Richie Sambora said that when he met Jon Bon Jovi, he knew he had “it,” whatever “it” was.


Meanwhile, The Goddess Hathor has photos from the event here, here and here.

Haven't stumbled across any video footage as yet.

These Days review: The Screen Door

Check out Part 1 of Anthony Kuzminski's in-depth review of These Days.
http://the-screen-door.blogspot.com/2009/06/bon-jovi-these-days-album-reflection.html

There are few music writers who could have done justice to this masterpiece. I think Tony is one of those few. The passion and intensity with which he writes and the ability to give credit where it's due is second to none.

Do love letters mix with the old man's whiskey stains?

Well apparently Jon Bon Jovi's solo album Destination Anywhere was released June 17, 1997 in the US and he consequently made his solo tour debut. So I guess now is a good time to follow Hath and Big Apple Jovi's leads and post some videos from that release. ;) I was hoping to find some clips from Australia but no cigar. Nevertheless, here are a couple of my personal favourite Destination Anywhere songs... What are yours?

EVERY WORD WAS A PIECE OF MY HEART (audio and video out of sync but oh well)


MIDNIGHT IN CHELSEA (some of the subtitles aren't quite right)

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Morality Check covers Wanted

Cleveland metal/rock band Morality Check have covered Bon Jovi's national anthem for their latest record To Each His Own.
"We covered Bon Jovi's 'Wanted Dead or Alive' for the new record, and we did a version of the song the way it should have been recorded," [keyboardist Ron George] said. "It's a lot heavier, it's not acoustic at all. It's sort of like Disturbed's cover of Genesis ['Land of Confusion']."


I can imagine the comment about "the way it should have been recorded" rubbing some people the wrong way, haha. Anyway, here's a video of Morality Check playing "Wanted" live. The audio on the recording is not great but as Ron George said it's basically heavier.



What do you think?

Friday, June 12, 2009

New Bon Jovi single in August, album in November?

That's what this article seems to be implying anyway:
Bon Jovi is in the studio recording a new album. But don’t expect them to make the Grammy deadline of August 31st.

Band insiders say a single may make the early cut-off. The album, though, will likely drop later in the fall, maybe in November.

Sorry to say, and maybe just maybe I will be wrong, but I think Jon will lose all his hair three times over before Bon Jovi wins a Grammy on their own. ;)

However, August is only a couple of months away. And my birthday is in November so if there is a nice release waiting for me that month, I will not complain; although whether this is a greatest hits compilation with some new songs on it, or an album of entirely new material, is yet to be established. And will that new album really be the "big loud rock record" the band has been promising for the best part of 10 years? Seems we'll find out pretty soon.

Interesting times in Joviland! And of course, new album means new tour which is always great for YouTube goodness. :)

Anyway, The Screen Door recently posted a link to this 1998 article about Richie and Undiscovered Soul. Reminded me of the solo album he was supposed to be working on and releasing before the band got together again last year.
It's obvious that Sambora enjoys being a solo artist, so just what will happen when Bon Jovi eventually work together again? "We'll find out!" he chuckles. "I don't foresee a problem myself. When you get this thoughtful and do as much work as I've been doing here on my own, Bon Jovi will be a break. I'm interested to see what happens myself when we sit down to write. It really is like a marriage. People ask how it can stay fresh and you can stay together? We're independent people with our own lives too, we hold onto the commitment even though we're not together all the time. When we do get together, it's special because of that. And I don't see why this shouldn't be any different."