Bon Jovi: This Left Feels Right. (Mercury) LIVIN' On A Prayer was one of 35 songs written for Bon Jovi's 1986 album slippery When Wet, but it almost didn't make the final cut. Vocalist Jon Bon Jovi was less than thrilled with it.

It took producer Bruce Fairburn to persuade Bon Jovi and co-writer, guitarist Richie Sambora, that the song could be a major singles hit. Fairburn says: "I really heard the lyric in that song as being something that spoke to a lot of people so I fought for it." What gave the song added impetus was the use of a guitar effect known as a 'talk-box'. Fairbarin remembers: "We tried a wah-wah pedal, but it didn't sound right. So we had a rummage around Richie's effects box. I grabbed hold of the talk-box and I thought 'Stick this in. I haven't heard one of these since the Frampton Comes Alive record'. And it worked." Another key player was Mercury A&R man Derek Shulman, who suggested Bon Jovi and Sambora team up to write songs with Desmond Child. He was best known for his work with Kiss. Jon Bon Jovi says: "We got together to write a song called You Give Love A Bad Name for a band called Loverboy. Then, I said, I think we'll keep that one for ourselves". On November 29, 1986, You Give Love A Bad name became Bon Jovi's first chart-topping single in the US and went on to sell a million copies. Less than three months later, Livin' On A Prayer repeated the achievement.

Ian Dooley

Published: ??/??/2003