How's This For A Bon Jovi Rarity ?
 

How's This For A Bon Jovi Rarity ?

In 1980, Jon Bon Jovi started to work at Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin, Tony Bongiovi, was a co-owner. Jon made several demos and sent them out to many record companies, but failed to make an impact.

In 1982, Jon went to local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple". DJ Chip Hobart listened to Jon's demos and loved "Runaway", deciding to include it on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" were known as The All Star Review. They were: guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, bassist Hugh McDonald, and additional singers David Grahmme and Mick Seeley (supposedly, Seeley also composed the distinctive keyboard riff that opens the song). McDonald would later unofficially replace Alec John Such as Bon Jovi's bassist.

The song began to get airplay around New York. Jon signed to Mercury Records, part of the PolyGram company. He wanted a group name and the A&R staff at PolyGram came up with Bon Jovi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Jovi_(album)

Bon Jovi visited local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple" in Lake Success, New York. In 1983, a then-unknown Bon Jovi visited the station and wrote and sung the jingles for the station. He spoke with DJ Chip Hobart and to the promotion director, John Lassman, who suggested Bon Jovi let WAPP include the song "Runaway" on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. Bon Jovi was reluctant, but eventually gave them the song, on which Bon Jovi had used studio musicians to play on the track "Runaway" (which was written in 1982). WAPP worked with WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV) in nearby Secaucus, NJ on a music video show, Rock 9 Videos, for a short time in 1984. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway"—known as The All Star Review—were guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald.

The song began to get airplay in the New York area, then other sister stations in major markets picked up the song. In March 1983, Bon Jovi called David Bryan, who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres, both formerly of the band Phantom's Opera. Tapped to play lead guitar was Bon Jovi's neighbor, Dave Sabo (a.k.a. The Snake)—although he never officially joined the band. He and Jon promised each other that whoever made it first, would help out the other. He later went on to form the group Skid Row. Jon saw and was impressed with hometown guitarist Richie Sambora. Sambora had toured with Joe Cocker, played with a group called Mercy and had been called up to audition for Kiss. He also played on the album Lessons with the band Message, which was re-released on CD through Long Island Records in 1995. Message was originally signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records label, although the album was never released.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_jovi

i have this in my collection :)

It's quite a piece of FORGOTTEN history, isn't it ?

No, I don't think it's forgotten. Pretty much any long time fan knows about this album. But thank you for posting the pictures because I'm sure many people have never seen it.

I've always wondered: Does the mix of Runaway sound any different on the WAPP compilation album in comparison the version on the first Jovi record?
I know it wasn't re-recorded with the band for it, but was the mix re-done?

Don't ask me, have NOT played mine, and I'm not going to play mine, to find out ! IT HAS BEEN TEMPTING !

Go on give it a spin, one play won't hurt!

It is probably the rarest and most interesting bon jovi collectable. Would love a copy, but I have never seen one for sale.

I wonder if, even, JON would have a copy of this ?

It's just not that rare. I have seen several copies for sale on ebay. Expensive yes, but available. One is available right now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WAPP-New-Yor...item5b043bd8b6