ill quote from the book:

'Runaway' was the very first song to gain BJ any attention. It was entered for a contest being organised by Long Island Radio Station WAPP, on the instigation of Power Station employee Ray Willhard, and even ended up being used on a local compilation called 'rock to Riches', designed to showcase local talent deserving of a wider audience. And of course, this version had a vastly different lineup to the one that recorded the album rendition. Indeed, the bandweren't even called Bon Jovi at the time, going under the early moniker of The Wild Ones.

It is interesting to compare the two versions.

ok the important bit....

The original, if anything, is more breathless, more naive and has more charisma. Here was a band reaching out more in hope than anticipation. The 'Bon Jovi' version is far more studied , a little slower and perhaps less enjoyable. This is probably due to production impositions, rather than any deliberate change in the bnad's outlook, although one has to bear in mind that the two versions were recorded by different bands.