Jon called "Snooky" his BFF, his partner, and his shrink; so it's likely a combination of things: stability, friendship, a shared vision, chemistry in the studio, just to name a few. Plus, I imagine the paycheck's not too bad either. Jon could probably outbid almost anybody who wanted to hire Shanks away from him, if it were to come to that. But I doubt it will. If @IleneToTheWrite can be trusted, one of them has wanted Shanks in the position he's in for quite some time. Jon clearly believes what they have now is working; and he's said numerous times that he doesnt like change. Barring something unforeseen happening, my guess is that Shanks is here for the duration.

From the recent video of Richie and Bob in studio it appears that Richie is still on the booze train so I expect either nothing to come of this or a very patchy strange RSO type album without Borinathi.

Sigh, and here we go again. there was nothing wrong with Richie in that video with Bob Rock...at all.

He was drunk and playing his guitar over Bob talking which was annoying and not even that great.

Do you think there's a conspiracy or something? Have you never seen how a drunk person behaves? I'm a Richie fan above all but I'm also not blinded by fandom. He's a mess. He couldn't even play his parts properly at the Hall Of Fame show.

We're talking about the recent video, Richie looks in better place to me now, and never liked that Orianthi.

I go on the road with bands here in the UK, trust me, I know what a drunk and/or high person looks like...

If you think Richie was wasted in that interview then I have to ask if you have ever really watched a Richie interview in the last 30 years? He's a goofball whenever he can get away with it. This was a relaxed interview in his own studio with friends he's known for years...it's the same old Richie to me...certainly not the mumbling incoherent Richie of 2014ish....not even close...

I'll agree that it wasn't Richie at his most messed up but I think he was still slurring his words and had a glazed over look in his eyes. The youtube comments refer to him looking boozed up too.

As I said, I love Richie and constantly hope he chooses the path the gets him back to being the man we know he can be. If you don't think he's on anything then that's fair enough. Neither of us can prove anything anyway so it's futile arguing it.

The YouTube comments is just the JBJ fangirl/boy brigade that like to trash Richie every time he posts something, and have their heads too far up JBJs ass to see otherwise.

Richie has been slurring more and more the past decade and I'm in the camp that thinks it might not be from being ON drugs but either the effects of them or something medical. He used to speak a whole lot clearly.

Exactly right! He's obviously done a lot of drugs in his lifetime and it does mess with your body permanently, especially as you get older. People forget that these guys are pushing 60 now...