Just shoot me now!!

Jason Schofield · Posted 5 May 2006 9:10 pm

Bon Jovi finds a country "Home," makes chart history

By Phyllis Stark

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Bon Jovi has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 four times in its hit-studded career. But recently, it notched a first -- not just for the band, but for music history. The hit "Who Says You Can't Go Home" made Bon Jovi the first rock band to land atop Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart -- a position it now holds for a second week.

The road to its first country hit began when the band's Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora created two versions of the song, both of which appear on their current album "Have a Nice Day" (Island). The band-only version is a hit on the adult top 40 and adult contemporary charts. The country version features Jennifer Nettles, lead singer of country act Sugarland.

At the time the duet was recorded, Sugarland was little known. Since then, the band's album "Twice the Speed of Life" (Mercury) has sold 1.9 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and the group has landed three other top 10 songs.

But it was
Keith Urban, not Nettles, whom the band initially approached as a duet partner. Jon Bon Jovi asked Urban to sing and play banjo on the track. The collaboration wasn't what either artist had in mind, however. "Our voices were too similar," Bon Jovi says. "A banjo wasn't really the way to go. But I now had the idea that this could really work."

Bon Jovi says he didn't want his group seen as "carpetbaggers who were going to say they're a country band suddenly."

In fact, Bon Jovi already had some familiarity in Nashville. Jon Bon Jovi has made multiple trips to Music City for songwriting collaborations, and the group has recorded and performed there many times, including laying the tracks for the "These Days" album.

Jon Bon Jovi even spent five weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1998 on a duet with Chris LeDoux, "Bang a Drum," and Bon Jovi's hit "Wanted Dead or Alive" was recorded by country artist
Chris Cagle on his 2005 Capitol Records Nashville set, "Anywhere but Here."

"Who Says You Can't Go Home" is available as a digital download. Starting May 23, the single and video will be available exclusively through Target as a CD shrink-wrapped with Sugarland's album, "Twice the Speed of Life."

Country truly is dead. I think I'll cry myself to sleep tonight.. Sad

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Bon Jovi was LITERALLY what made me go out and get XM Satellite Radio and listen to Hanks Place. Now I can hear Ricky Davis playing with Dale watson and Jusin Trevino's music regularly. Goodbye commercial new country!!!!

[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 05 May 2006 at 10:23 PM.]

Dave Boothroyd · From: Staffordshire Moorlands

Are you sure you are not being too hard on JBJ? The only evidence I have seen was on the CMA awards, where I thought his contribution was much more county styled than any of the other male acts who played rock with hats on.
I thought you would be welcoming a stray lamb to the fold if JBJ abandons rock for country.
Cheers
Dave

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Well heck, Elvis did it, so did Ray Charles, so did Perry Como and Kid Rock. Bon Jovi is at least as good as Kid Rock.

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

You'll probably want to shoot me too.

I was never a Bon Jovi fan, but since this song is a hit on the New Country charts, and it's a duet with a female vocalist (Jennifer Nettles), my band covers it.

We have a female singer, and good voices with some of the guys. It goes over great in the clubs, and fills the dance floor with the 20-something lookers.

I do the intro and lead guitar solo on clean Pedal Steel, and it fits. The vocal interplay of the male/female duet makes the song stand out, and fun.

Drew Howard · From: 48854

Jason,

Another Michigander gagging over Bonjovi!

cheers,
Drew

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden guitars, 70's Fender Twin, etc.

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

Purple Kool-Aid? I'll have a cup...

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

From what I have heard, a local picker from this area, Penna & NJ, Kurt Johnston played live with BonJovi on the awards show a few months back. The info may be on his website as to wheter he played on the recorded versions.
Kurt is a great guy and an incredible musician, I remember hearing him with the Johnston Bros. Band a few years back, he played banjo, guitar, & pedal steel then, all as good as any I had ever heard.
Whatever we may think about BonJovi taking advantage of the country music market, in the long run it will have the same effect on the market as when "Exile" and other similar acts invaded the market, (ALAMBMA included) bringing "country" music to a wider audience. It has been reported that todays' "country" music is easier to break in the northeast region than anywhere else.
There will always be a place for traditional, neo traditional and other styles in the market. I love George Strait, George Jones, Merle, Willie, Waylon, and David Alan Coe but in my opinion, if they all sounded like them, it would get pretty boring.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

If they play bluegrass, they should change the name to "banjovi".

Larry Strawn · From: Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.

b0b,,

I can't believe you wrote that!!! lol..

b@njovi????????????

Larry

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"Fessy" S/D 12, 8/6 Hilton Pedal, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Jim Walker · From: Headland, AL

Jason, You might cry yourself to sleep tonight, but Bonjovi will be laughing all the way to the bank in the Morning. Face it folks, Nashville is all about "MONEY". Can't blame these guys for trying to make some cash too.

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Clark Custom D10 8&5
Nashville 400
B-bender Telecaster
Line 6 Flextone II Plus
www.jimwalkeronline.com

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

It's not a bad song, he's not a bad singer, it's not offensive..

I think Banjo-Vee and Miss Nettles are a good match..

I don't have a problem with this tune..

I'm open...

We can't claim to like Eric Clapton and play Clapton tunes (aka. LDSalley,Wfull Tonight) tunes on our gigs and then state we are pure bread Country Boys...and then play Johnny B. Good..then claim once again we only play Ray Price tunes...

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

As a follow up to my above post, here's a video of us doing this tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DTixlnOmhI

This isn't the traditional "Way To Survive" steel, but it's my "way to Survive", and play the better clubs, to full dance floors.

I'm enjoying myself, you're welcome to dislike it.

Larry Strawn · From: Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.

Joey,,

Quess they can shoot me to,, I liked your steel playing just fine on that song!

I find I'm kind of an un-orthadox player, so some things out of the the Trad. country style fit me just fine!!

Nice job Joey,

Larry

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"Fessy" S/D 12, 8/6 Hilton Pedal, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

[This message was edited by Larry Strawn on 12 May 2006 at 06:51 PM.]

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I gotta say I applaude ANYONE
doing anything that brings
any flavor of country music
back to the fringes of the mainstream.

Bonjovi or anybody else.

This means some kid will like it,
and eventually look at other country music somewhere down the line.

This is a positive aspect to the same issue.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 14 May 2006 at 08:12 PM.]

Arty Passes · From: Austin, TX

Let's see....
An accomplished, talented and popular musician plays country music, apparently quite well, and takes it to audiences that would never otherwise listen to country music, and the conclusion is that country is dead?
What am I missing?

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