I remember first hearing "Runaway" by Bon Jovi and thinking "Is this the new Aldo Nova single?"
While catchy, the song itself sounded like one of those minor hits released by a minor band destined to cut two albums before drifting off into '80s Trivia Night obscurity. With the release of the sub-par second effort 7800° Fahrenheit, an album the band has all but disowned in the years since its release, my prediction appeared to be coming to fruition.
Then a funny thing happened; the man formerly known as Jon Bongiovi decided to hedge his bets.
Mind you, getting others to help you write your songs isn't illegal, but it is a little like taking steroids and then turning in someone else's urine sample as your own.
Yes, I am one of the few who consider relying upon outside "song doctors" like Desmond Child, Diane Warren, and Holly Knight (all of whom co-wrote songs with Jon and Richie Sambora) as a form of artistic "cheating".
And, yes, if I am to condemn Bon Jovi for doing so, I must also lay equal blame upon my own favorite band Cheap Trick, who, after their 1986 album The Doctor cratered, brought in a whole gaggle of ringers (including Warren and Knight) for their 1988 album Lap Of Luxury and were immediately rewarded with their first #1 single, "The Flame" - a song that they have since come to dread performing, but can't disown because, well, it is their biggest hit.
While I don't necessarily dislike the song, I sure as hell wouldn't wanna be a lead singer in my 60's trying to hit a couple of those high notes every night, but did they not think that would happen?
See, the minute your label comes to you with the idea of "writing some songs with (insert name of renowned song doctor here)" you as an artist have failed in the eyes of your label and, in all fairness, are as good as dead to them and your slot on said label's roster should go to a new act that doesn't need to be propped up by outside writers under the guise of artistic integrity.
As far as such integrity goes, Bon Jovi may as well have just started recording pop metal covers of "Sugar Sugar" or "Hanky Panky", except doing so would have netted them zero songwriting royalties. By co-writing with a song doctor, though, you maintain that valuable revenue stream.
Thus, the first two singles from the band's third album, (Slippery When Wet) that essentially saved Bon Jovi's career after a lackluster second album - "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Livin' On A Prayer" - may not owe their existence to co-writer Desmond Child, but they sure as hell owe their success to his ability to turn a chunk of fool's gold into platinum.
And while the album's third single, "Wanted Dead Or Alive", was written by Bon Jovi and Sambora without any outside assistance and did go Top 10, it did so only after the album had been set up by the unbridled success of those first two singles. Without that build-up, its highly doubtful "Wanted" would have found such immediate support from radio and MTV.
The fact that the band had initially envisioned calling the album Wanted Dead Or Alive. going so far as to shoot a western-themed album cover with this title in mind, only confirms that they had initially seen the song as the centerpiece for their third effort before Desmond Child, song doctor, was asked to make a house call.
For the band's fourth album, New Jersey, Bon Jovi and Sambora began writing new songs with the best of artistic intentions, but quickly realized that none of the tunes they were writing had the same "it" factor as those two monster singles that Child had co-written for Slippery When Wet.
Fearing they may have another 7800° Fahrenheit on their hands, they immediately called Desmond Child.
This time, Bon Jovi and Sambora co-wrote four songs with Child (one of which was also co-written by Diane Warren), and one with Holly Knight (best known for co-writing Animotion's "Obsession" and Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield"), thereby developing the formula they have utilized on every Bon Jovi studio album since: try to write killer songs themselves and, when that fails, call in the song doctors.
So, when the band is inducted into the Rock Hall next year, will they include Desmond Child?
In this writer's estimation, they should.
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