singles released
 

Is it just me or are Bon Jovi's choices in terms of single releases in need of serious questioning. Let me explain.
First, let's go back to Crush. It's my Life was released and the world rediscovered Bon Jovi. So what do Bon Jovi do, they release Say it isn't so internationally as the second single. However, in the US they release Thank you for loving me. I go to college in the US but grew up in England. The one thing I can tell you is that ballads by veteran groups do not have the same response in the US as they do overseas. Say it isn't so was recieved well internationally but did not exactly set the world on fire. Say it isn't so, however was very much in tune with what was going on in American radio at the time, every american (non Bon Jovi fan) I played it to loved the song. If released in the US after It's my Life peaked, I believe that Bon Jovi would have cleared of any effects from Grundge that I believe still has an effect on Bon Jovi's status in The US.
Moving on to Bounce. I understand that Undivided was percieved by the band as too heavy for radio. (With all due respect to my favourite band of all time)...SCREW THAT! The emotional but subtle references to 9/11 and the powerful but catchy chorus are what make this song very endearing. However, I believe that with the "right" video this song could have really taken off. Maybe even outdoing It's my Life. Could you imagine the reaction if Bon Jovi played it at the Grammys or even the Super bowl. Finally here we are the Box Set. How can any true music fan, especially any Bon jovi or rock fan, not feel something after listening to Last man standing. Lyrically, I believe that this is Jon's best work outside of Dead or Alive and These Days. Bon Jovi have always been a target for critic bashings, this song I believe would have been a nice counter punch. Like undivided, the only way this song works is with the appropriatte video.
May I remind you all that Livin on a Prayer was close to getting axed from Slippery.
I know that many of you out there will consider my critcism as downright sinful, but I really want to hear what you guys think on this matter.

P.S if any of the band read this and are in need of a new publicist: Imagine a sign reading "WILL WORK FOR BACKSTAGE PASSES"

The Band's "Personal" feelings about certain songs may be different from yours. The band releases what they want to release and the fans don't have a say in it. What we may see as a huge hit, might be a big flop to them. Their taste, and our taste is totally different. On another note, have you not noticed the pattern here? Rock song, slow song usually. What can we do about it??? Nothing...

Ryan

The choice must difficult, anyway ...

But, when you see that don't even use big potential hit single, like "Neurotica" who wasn't even on the album, what's going wrong in the BJ management ???

In fact Neurotica is an official track. It was put on the Japenese Version of Crush. So you can't consider it a Demo. I think Bon Jovi wanted 12 songs and the ones they left off were the least liked. Other than that, Japan gets extra stuff with everything so they can get those products to sell.

Ryan

actually they did release say it isnt so in the uk ive seen the video 4 it loads they released thank you for lovig me after that

Sorry, but the band doesn't have a say either. The record company forces them a lot of times to release songs as singles that the band didn't want to release (for example Thank you for loving me and All about loving you).

Re: singles released
 

Subtle? Yeah right.

Because it's produced in a shitty way. It doesn't evoke any emotion because it lacks any punch. Hopefully the new, rock version will be better.

Dead or Alive is Jon's best work as a lyricist? :D And lyrics don't really count in the business, you know. It's My Life isn't really a masterpiece, neither is Always but they're the biggest hits.

It's not called music BUSINESS for nothing. There are loads of people like you, who think they know something about how people react, but really have no clue. There are people in the record companies that have spent years researching people, what kind of music they listen to, what kind of music they buy. And you should know better?

Granted, they do make mistakes, but you, like many others, mix the fellings of a fan with the way the general public thinks. You don't want to sell stuff to your fans, they will buy it anyway. You want to reach for the general public and if Bon Jovi were to release, let's say Undivided as a single, they would be laughed at as an American pussies who can't get over the 9/11. Last Man Standing wouldn't get any airplay, because A) it has no hit potential and B) it doesn't fit in any category. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but that's what would happen.

Ice

Re: singles released
 

Aloha !

Your Say It Isn't So story is a load of crap. It wasn't released in the US because It's My Life was such a hit over there. When the rest of the world got Say It Isn't So, the US still had It's My Life as a big hit. That's why it's never been released over there. At the time Thank You For Loving Me was released, It's My Life had disappeared from the charts, and therefore that song was released in the US as well.

Screw you, this was not the reason why Undivided wasn't released as a single. It was released because it had too many "subtle" references to the 9/11 disaster. Because of it's references only Americans would be impressed by the song. 9/11 influenced a lot of people's lives, but only really changed the ones from the people from the US.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Yea, I agree with you.... The record company is somewhat like a... Dictatorship??

Ryan