Jon Bon Jovi and the songs he secretly stole from others.

Intersting thread Seb. Very funny, because just a few weeks ago I contacted Eric Bazilian over Facebook and asked him a couple of questions about the songwriting on Ugly, and it was a very intersting answer:

Eric Bazilian: "I was totally involved in the process with “Ugly”. I had already written a version of the song which Jon heard me perform at a songwriters' show at the Bottom Line in New York. He was intrigued by the song and wanted to try adapting it for himself. We spent a day in my studio making a demo. It was actually Jon who sang me the signature guitar line which I played. We then took my demo and built on it with live drums and some overdubs but it was mostly that original demo that we'd done together at my studio.
By the way, the version of “Ugly” on the Optimist is totally different because once Jon had recorded his version of my original song I wanted to find another angle into the chorus so I took a verse melody from a song that I had written with Amanda Marshall and wrote a whole new story to it. The song has had quite an interesting life. "

So yeah, you have a point. Jon didn't write it from a start but from what it seems, he actually had some input, like the guitar riff.

In a Kerrang interview 1997 Jon was asked what the song was about and he didn't mention anything about pregnant wife. I have it documented:

JBJ: Eric and I have written a very cool song together called “Ugly”. It’s not about anyone in particular, just the feeling we all get some days. Everyone feels ugly once in a while."

Regarding "All About Lovin' You" I don't know how much Jon and Richie are involved. I guess you are right, it very much sounds like an Andreas Carlsson song. But in a track-by-track interview 2002 regarding Bounce Jon said about All About Lovin' You:

JBJ: All About Lovin’ You” is the classic Bon Jovi love song. It's simple and endearing in its message. In the wake of the events of September 11th many people rediscovered what was truly important in life. And appreciating the love of another has always been at the top of that list, but many people were reminded. This song puts priorities where they belong. And yew, I document EVERYTHING I read in interivews regarding the Bon Jovi songs. There is much information to find if you just look!

Hope this solves some problems, especially Ugly. I love this kind of threads!

That is fine with me. IMO Ugly is the worst song he had been involved with up to that point... well since before SWW.

...I'll rephrase. My least favorite...

Ah man. I really dig the sincerity of it. "If you're Ugly I'm ugly too, if you're a nut then I must be a screw" is a really interesting line.

According to the quote I got for your original thread on that, which was from Joe Thomas the albums producer, the BBs wrote one verse - from what he said they basically co-wrote the music, co-wrote some of the verses and Jon wrote the other verses (which are which isn't specified) - one verse is not exactly a song that had already been written though so it's not such a bad example, although I agree, hardly 'thrown at them'

I'm not really questioning the IML story in the bigger context, cause it seems to be true. But I've always thought the lyrics are VERY Jon, in both phraseology and content so I would lean towards them doing a re-write of the lyrics, unless MM wrote the song for them and mimicked their style.

Agreed. "This ain't a song for the broken hearted" sounds like something Jon would write. I know Richie has a song called "For all the love departed". They just sound like JBJ/RS style song-writing. As does "Live while I'm alive" of course.

lol... I agree...

Great post DC..... Awesome back-up of facts..... Even after reading this, Jon definitely has talent with the entire overall songwriting process. Not just lyrics but overall. And he seems to be well respected as a writer and with his involvements of songs by his peers.

[QUOTE=Supersonic;1084874]Aloha !



That's not a hole in the story at all. Like Captain_jovi says, Sex Sells was supposed to be Jon's solo record in 1998. That changed when Jon and Richie started writing in late 1998, early 1999.



Yeah, and by saying this you're pretty much explaining It's My Life. It'd be 90% Max Martin and then 10% Jon by tweaking the lyrics here and there and Richie adding some breaks in the song.



Again, you're telling the same story I just told you, yet you refuse to believe me?



Really, how would you know? Again, you're making some statement saying it happens more in the music business yet considering the amount of artists I follow as much as I follow Bon Jovi I'm yet to find one that has put a song on an album they didn't write yet added their co-writingship to. Aerosmith didn't add Joe Perry's name to I Don't Want To Miss A Thing either, despite him tweaking the song here and there. They felt it was a Diane Warren song, but Jon lives by the idea of not putting anything out he didn't write so he just had to add their names to it. But go on, tell me about a few other examples, considering how it happens so often in the music industry. Back up your statements with some examples, please.



I never said they're not talented songwriters. They've got a good ear as to what works for their audience, and it's been the co-writers of the past 10 years and the sound they're going for that have pretty much ruined the last 10 years on a creative level for me. If they'd use producers that would push them in the right direction creatively as opposed to the right commercial direction we'd be having albums that would sound a lot more like the classic Bon Jovi records of the eighties and nineties than the dire crap they've released the past 10 years. And that's got nothing to do with going with the times.

The more control Jon has over the record company, the less backing he'll receive. Sure he can do a solo record tomorrow but he won't get the funding as if it was a Bon Jovi album..... The record co has the last say. Look what happened to the original HAND, that was all the record co doing.

Jon/Richie penned some great songs by themselves. Wanted, Always, Etc....

How involved was Desmond with Prayer? There are 3 people who really know that answer but that song would not exist without Jon and Richie's input. Lyrics, Guitar, Etc. Jon credits him and Richie because they are in the band. He's not going to mention some third wheel.

Your Aerosmith example is a poor because they were not the only ones to record that song.... Aerosmith couldn't take the credit even if they wanted to.

That's a really good point!!!