Interesting Swedish article from 2000 about the collaboration with Max Martin

DryCounty · #1 12-06-2016, 04:36 AM

Just stumbled upon a pretty interesting article from 2000, done by the biggest Swedish magazine Aftonbladet where the band is questioned about how involved Max Martin was in writing It's My Life. I don't think it has been posted here before so I thought I would try to do a translation, there are som interesting quotes there.

Here's the link: http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/noje/0008/10/martin.html

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BON JOVIS ATTACK TOWARDS MAX MARTIN

"Max Martin? We don't know him."

After the success Bon Jovi are more cocky than ever. With the help from Max Martin, the hit song It's My Life has taken Bon Jovi back to the top once again. But now Bon Jovi barely wants to acknowledge the Swedish producer.

"We don't know the guy. He was just one out of many who spent a day with us", says Jon Bon Jovi.

Q: Well, Max Martin did do more than that, didn't he?

"He was a young fan who didn't thought we could write a song in the vein of our old material. 'Of course we can', we said and did it", replies Jon Bon Jovi.

It's My Life sounds like the old 1986 arena hit, Livin' on a Prayer, and Bon Jovi has nothing else to follow up the song with. The rest of the album sounds like the laid back solo album released by Jon Bon Jovi in 1997.

"Kiss my ass!", Jon Bon Jovi shouts regarding Aftonbladet statement. "We will become even bigger. Say It Isn't So will become a huge hit and Thank You For Loving Me will become the next big ballad."

The bands self-confidence is at its peak, though the band had to cancel their 1996 concert in Sweden because of poor ticket sales.

Q: Do you want to work with Max Martin again?

"I wouldn't have anything against it, but it's nothing I will aim for," says Jon Bon Jovi.

It's my faith · #2 12-06-2016, 08:29 AM

Interesting article! Although I can't see why Jon is so aggressive towards Max Martin. Ok, he maybe have worked/spent with them "for one day" but it's obvious that he structured a big part of IML (check Larger than Life 1999 by that boyband), the song which let them survive as a band. I wonder what's the real story behind this...

Gadden · #3 12-06-2016, 08:57 AM

Aftonbladet has always been extremely negative towards (and lacks knowledge of) Bon Jovi. So take this article with a pinch of salt.

Gabriel Shoes · #4 12-15-2016, 06:19 PM

Nice! I remember this interview, and the continuation in 2001 where the interviewer had a little payback on Jon's cocky behavior:

You can kiss my ass"
Words and any songs from a confident gentleman, even though no song has worked for the group for last year's hit "It" s my life ".
- I remember what you told me last fall, says Jon. That there was no natural sequel to "It" s my life "on the album.
■
*In which you said "kiss my ass"! "Say it isn" t so "becomes a smash hit, and" Thank you for loving me "becomes the great ballad. How does that statement now, when the singles have failed?
- Damn good, ha ha! The album has sold eight million copies. So you can still kiss my ass.
■
*Forget it, none of the songs you mentioned was find.
- Uh, "Thank you for loving me" is still hanging in the USA.
But here the blinds Jon, for the domestic market were not even "It" s my life "one hit.
To hopefully get another hit from the album "Crush", the band released the song "One wild night" in a new version of their famous voicebox and a sound reminiscent of the "It" s my life ", which was a return to how their classic "Livin 'on a prayer" and "You give love a bad name" sounded in the 80s, the style of Bon Jovi fans still prefer.
- Actually, I think "One wild night" would have sounded like this from the beginning, says Jon today.

It was obviously translated by Google.

Full interview: http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesblade...cle10213651.ab

Captain_jovi · #5 12-15-2016, 06:22 PM

i remember reading this when I became a fan and it never sat right with me. The idea of an interviewer asking "How does that statement now, when the singles have failed?" was it just a bad translation or was he/she just an asshole?

Gabriel Shoes · #6 12-15-2016, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_jovi

i remember reading this when I became a fan and it never sat right with me. The idea of an interviewer asking "How does that statement now, when the singles have failed?" was it just a bad translation or was he/she just an asshole?

Well, that is not the behavior I'd like to see in a journalist, the guy should act as a professional. But... Jon was really cocky first, and he was really cocky back at that time. I know a few people in the press that used to hate him because of his behavior in interviews in the Crush/OWN/Bounce eras.

Jon seems so much different now.

Captain_jovi · #7 12-15-2016, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabriel Shoes

Well, that is not the behavior I'd like to see in a journalist, the guy should act as a professional. But... Jon was really cocky first, and he was really cocky back at that time. I know a few people in the press that used to hate him because of his behavior in interviews in the Crush/OWN/Bounce eras.

Jon seems so much different now.

I guess that's debatable. Jon made the assertion that Max's involvement was forced upon them assumedly by the label and he didn't do much. Cocky or not to be called out by a professional journalist is really strange. I still don't know if I buy it.

Interesting Swedish article from 2000 about the collaboration with Max Martin

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