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Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 4:40 pm
by Chieftan44
If you can stomach it, the chorus may sound familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJOo67D ... rt_radio=1

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 5:14 pm
by Chieftan44
They even stole the keyboard "riff":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TwITFeBlm4&t=876s

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 5:22 pm
by inextrem
Welcome to 1986

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 6:17 pm
by Rocker4Real
Shot Through The Heart was BJs line!

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 7:45 pm
by windycitycane
Desmond in his book readily admits to taking the Bonnie Tyler song and reworking it for Bon Jovi.

He wrote both tunes.

Also the guitar riff of the song Poison from Alice Cooper is a direct copy of a John Waite song called Encircled. He wrote both tunes.

I guess that’s how it works sometimes.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 8:59 pm
by risingfarce
inextrem wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 5:22 pm Welcome to 1986
What is the name of the movie in your signature?

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 9:58 pm
by Tommy2Tone84
Chieftan44 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 4:40 pm If you can stomach it, the chorus may sound familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJOo67D ... rt_radio=1

A couple of differences, Desmond wrote this song by himself for Jim Steinman and Bonnie Tyler. The song wasn’t a hit and it pissed Desmond off because he thought it was a hit.

Desmond co-wrote Bad Name in collaboration with Bon Jovi and Sambora. Bad Name was a massive hit. Other than the melody in the chorus, I wouldn’t call this a direct lift.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 3:24 am
by GoodJudge
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 9:58 pm
Chieftan44 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 4:40 pm If you can stomach it, the chorus may sound familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJOo67D ... rt_radio=1
Other than the melody in the chorus, I wouldn’t call this a direct lift.
Other than the chorus melody and the prominent low-register that forms the intro and.powers the entire song, theyre nothing like. I.e. two of the three bits that make the song (the catchy chorus lyrics being the third)? :roll:

Also two bouffant blonde singers, thoigj that covers a lot of people in music back then.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:29 am
by keyofgee
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 9:58 pm
Chieftan44 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 4:40 pm If you can stomach it, the chorus may sound familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJOo67D ... rt_radio=1

A couple of differences, Desmond wrote this song by himself for Jim Steinman and Bonnie Tyler. The song wasn’t a hit and it pissed Desmond off because he thought it was a hit.

Desmond co-wrote Bad Name in collaboration with Bon Jovi and Sambora. Bad Name was a massive hit. Other than the melody in the chorus, I wouldn’t call this a direct lift.
the main guitar single notes melody in YGLABN is Layla by clayton.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:03 am
by LAglamrocker
Jon is hot’r with hair and image
That whore should be jealous

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:59 am
by Anthrax442
I had never heard that song before, so clearly it WASN'T a hit here, regardless of how well it might have done in Europe.

The verses are changed up a bit, but there's no mistaking that chorus.

Bonnie is just the female Meatloaf, right? She never did anything without him worth mentioning?

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 6:58 am
by Tommy2Tone84
GoodJudge wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 3:24 am
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 9:58 pm
Chieftan44 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 4:40 pm If you can stomach it, the chorus may sound familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJOo67D ... rt_radio=1
Other than the melody in the chorus, I wouldn’t call this a direct lift.
Other than the chorus melody and the prominent low-register that forms the intro and.powers the entire song, theyre nothing like. I.e. two of the three bits that make the song (the catchy chorus lyrics being the third)? :roll:

Also two bouffant blonde singers, thoigj that covers a lot of people in music back then.

You’re reaching there. That song wasn’t a hit at all for Bonnie, Desmond and Jim. It didn’t catch on and Bonnie had a track record by then.


That generic keyboard riff, I’m sure Desmond took from some new wave band years before. That could have been in some Duran Duran or Spandau Ballet song years before. Bad Name doesn’t sound new wave in the slightest.

If the Bon Jovi guys couldn’t write you guys might have a point. Most of the first two albums are packed with great songs that should have been top ten hits but weren’t for some reason. Runaway, Shot Through The Heart, Love Lies, Burning For Love, Get Ready, Roulette are all bangers. I’ll take 7800 over Theater of Pain, Invasion of Your Privacy, the lame Condition Critical and the laughable Last Command and Come Out and Play. I’ll also take 7800 over Dave Roth’s lame covers ep that year. The Jovi guys also wrote songs like Wanted, Let It Rock, Never Say Goodbye, Wild In The Streets, Raise Your Hands, I’ll Be There For You and Lay Your Hands On Me without Desmond. To repeat my point, it’s not like they couldn’t write burning songs before and during their time working with Child. They could and did.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 7:02 am
by Tommy2Tone84
keyofgee wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:29 am
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 9:58 pm
Chieftan44 wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 4:40 pm If you can stomach it, the chorus may sound familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJOo67D ... rt_radio=1

A couple of differences, Desmond wrote this song by himself for Jim Steinman and Bonnie Tyler. The song wasn’t a hit and it pissed Desmond off because he thought it was a hit.

Desmond co-wrote Bad Name in collaboration with Bon Jovi and Sambora. Bad Name was a massive hit. Other than the melody in the chorus, I wouldn’t call this a direct lift.
the main guitar single notes melody in YGLABN is Layla by clayton.

I can hear that. It makes sense given what a fanboy Sambora was

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 7:16 am
by HueyRamone
Im amazed that it has 14M views on youtube.

Bon Jovi's version was a lot better.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 8:33 am
by Anthrax442
HueyRamone wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 7:16 am Im amazed that it has 14M views on youtube.

Bon Jovi's version was a lot better.
Lot of people in Europe, I guess. It's like one of those K-Pop songs having a billion views that you've never heard of.

It was clearly dead before then, as this song shows, but when Steinman decided to go back to Meatloaf for Bat Out of Hell 2, her career was DEAD dead.

Also, had no idea until this thread that Steinman wrote a song for Air Supply. Just listened to it, and it's Steinman all right. Would be better with Meatloaf singing.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 12:15 pm
by Hatchets Molly
Steinman's songs are unmistakable, whether it's Loaf, Bonnie, Celine, Air Supply, and probably a couple more. I don't think it's a bad thing for someone like Desmond to catalog riffs to be reworked for other projects.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 6:13 pm
by windycitycane
Desmond produced / wrote Bat Out Of Hell III

What Steinman thought about that? He went nuts and sued Meatloaf over it. However some Steinman songs were on the album. Not sure if they even mended fences.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 8:58 pm
by inextrem
risingfarce wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 8:59 pm
inextrem wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 5:22 pm Welcome to 1986
What is the name of the movie in your signature?
Not a real movie, it is a short movie, but I can't remember it's name now.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2025 3:18 am
by sunshinehead
It’s the same song to my ears, great find.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2025 5:09 am
by SchenkerFan
Killer tune! Robin Beck also did an awesome cover.

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2025 5:51 am
by DangerZone
Desmond also used this melody on a fairly recent pop song

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2025 6:31 am
by woblinweebles
DangerZone wrote: Sat Sep 06, 2025 5:51 am Desmond also used this melody on a fairly recent pop song
This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH1RNk8 ... rt_radio=1

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2025 7:02 am
by DangerZone
woblinweebles wrote: Sat Sep 06, 2025 6:31 am
DangerZone wrote: Sat Sep 06, 2025 5:51 am Desmond also used this melody on a fairly recent pop song
This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH1RNk8 ... rt_radio=1
yes.
He said he had a hit with that melody in 3 different decades

Re: Bon Jovi's biggest hit exposed by Desmond Child

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2025 4:05 pm
by ElectrickMagick
Anthrax442 wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 5:59 am I had never heard that song before, so clearly it WASN'T a hit here, regardless of how well it might have done in Europe.

The verses are changed up a bit, but there's no mistaking that chorus.

Bonnie is just the female Meatloaf, right? She never did anything without him worth mentioning?
1977's "It's a Heartache" was a pretty big hit. It got to number three on the pop charts and number ten on the country charts, not produced or written by Jim Steinman either. But I'm a big Steinman mark, and she was at her best with him.