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Originally Posted by JackieBlue
IIRC, the story goes that it was originally started by the mothers of all 5 members of the band and was called the Bon Jovi fan club or "Jersey Syndicate" or something like that. Then at some point Jon's mother felt like the others weren't contributing information for the communications from the fan club, so she changed it to BSWJBJ.
I don't know when that happened; but I would suspect that it probably started changing sometime around KTF, or shortly thereafter. I didn't follow them in the back in the 80s, but just from interviews and shows, I think they really were more like a "band of brothers" and were closer to functioning as equals. Even if it was Jon's name on the contract, there still seemed to be a "gang" mentality when they recorded and toured NJ. But when things headed south as the NJ tour wound down, it seems like that dynamic started changing. Jon fired Doc and took over managing the band himself, and by the time they recorded KTF, it was all about Jon's vision; and he was clearly calling the shots. Or that's what Bob Rock said, anyway, about the difference he observed between the way they were when they did NJ vs what it was like when they recorded KTF. And I believe Jon supports that statement because, if I'm not mistaken, he is the one who said that after the sessions with Lou Cox they all agreed to follow his vision. I don't doubt that they all agreed; I'm just not sure that at that time, any of them - including Jon - realized how far into I-me-mine territory it was eventually going to go.
Others who were fans back then may see it differently, and could probably shed more light on the subject; but that's how it looks, in retrospect, from a spectator's seat.
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Thanks for clearing up the origins of the fan club.
As for how they were in the 80s, we may have to agree to disagree. They were a gang for sure, just as much as any five young guys grouped together would be. However, I think even on Access All Areas you could see it was Jon and the rest. Less than today and even the 90s yes, but my perception even of the 80s was that it was Jon's show.
Btw, I wholeheartedly dislike that, not least because Richie co-wrote many of the songs. How he was never included on any contract negotiations is beyond me. It should have been something like Jon 50%, Richie 40%, the rest of the guys 10% (play with those figures, but you get the point). Richie was so fundamental to Bon Jovi's sound and direction in the 80s and 90s.
As for Tico, David, Alec, and Hugh, they have always been hired hands in my opinion. When I was in university I worked construction and became almost best friends with my boss.... he was still my boss.