Runaway by donnica59

donnica59 - Runaway

donnica59

Mar 30, 2024 09:55am

<ul><li><img src="https://singsnap-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/message-board/threads/T4C4/ac93f1da82_3PIP_media.gif?w=700"></li></ul> <ul><li> </li><li>ROUND 3 - ROCK SONG FROM THE 80s</li></ul> <ul><li><img src="https://singsnap-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/message-board/threads/CU2Q/56c09157fb_4PKC_media.gif">"Runaway" was the first hit for Bon Jovi. </li><li>Jon Bon Jovi wrote it in 1982 with his early collaborator, George Karak, and it gained popularity in the band's home state of New Jersey. </li><li>Despite the success of the song, the band continued to struggle. </li><li>They were a popular live act, but didn't make much money until they released their Slippery When Wet album two years later.</li><li>This song tells the story of a young girl who gets so little attention from her parents that she runs away from home and lives on the streets, doing what she can to survive. </li><li>Jon Bon Jovi would often take a Greyhound bus from New Jersey into Manhattan, where he saw many young people trying to get away in desperation. </li><li>These are the people who inspired the song.</li><li>Jon Bon Jovi recorded "Runaway" with studio musicians because he didn't have a band yet. On guitar was Tim Pierce, whose work can be heard on albums by Rod Stewart, Demi Lovato, Joe Cocker and many others. </li><li>Roy Bittan of Bruce Springsteen's E Street band played keyboards and Frankie La Rocka on drums.</li><li> </li><li>On bass was Hugh McDonald, who played on Bon Jovi's early albums and replaced Alec John Such as Bon Jovi's bass player in 1994. </li><li>McDonald, though, was not considered an official member of the band.</li><li>Jon Bon Jovi would often introduce this song in concert with a story about how he brought it to the Long Island radio station WAPP. </li><li>His rap usually went something like this:</li><li> </li><li>It's 1983, and some young punk kid walks in a radio station. He grabs this DJ by the collar, he says, "Hey Mister, I've go the right chords, and a cool melody. What do you say to do me a favor, and in three minutes and thirty seconds, what you're going to see is a rock and roll star."</li><li> </li><li>Jon had sent the cassette of the song to every record label and manager he could think of, but he got no response. WAPP was a new station and didn't even have a receptionist, so he was able to walk in and plead his case to the DJ, Chip Hobart, and the promotion director, John Lassman. </li><li>They played the song and included it on their "Homegrown" compilation album of local bands. </li><li>Another radio station, WDHA in New Jersey, also put the song on their compilation album of unsigned acts, which got the band some attention. </li><li>Derek Shulman, who led the prog-rock band Gentle Giant before taking a job at Mercury Records, signed the band. </li><li>In a <a href="https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/gentle-giant" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Songfacts interview</a>, Shulman explained that it wasn't so much the music that led him to sign the band, but the "potential of marketing and promotion" - he knew these guys were driven to succeed and had a great story - on Jon Bon Jovi would tell from the stage decades later.</li><li>The song aged well, remaining a fan favorite and usually getting a slot on Bon Jovi's setlists. </li><li>It's one of Jon Bon Jovi's favorites, as it glossy and anthemic, but also with a socially conscious message.</li><li class="ql-align-center"> </li><li>Dave "The Snake" Sabo played guitar when Jon Bon Jovi toured to showcase the song but was replaced by Richie Sambora before the album was released. </li><li>Sabo went on to form Skid Row; when they released their debut album in 1989, Bon Jovi brought them on tour.</li><li> </li><li>In a 1986 interview with Spin magazine, Jon Bon Jovi had some harsh words for the music video. </li><li>He said: "I hate videos. </li><li>If you wanted to torture me you'd tie me down and force me to watch our first five videos. </li><li>Five times you're chump before you learn what you're doing. </li><li>The first time we'd just made a record and we were all excited and some a--hole decides we're going to make a video for 'Runaway.' </li><li>So instead of making it about what the song's about, he decides to put a concept to it with his little niece in it. </li><li>It's the worst piece of s--t I ever saw in my life. </li><li>There's a girl with like fire coming out of her eyes. </li><li>They dressed the band. </li><li>Richie's wearing a jumpsuit and shoes that are three sizes too big. </li><li>They kept squirting us down with this greasy solution to make it look like we were sweating. </li><li>We all look like a**holes."</li><li> </li></ul>