Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:01,167 --> 00:00:03,628
[air whooshing]
2
00:00:03,628 --> 00:00:05,422
[♪ "Runaway" by Bon Jovi playing]
3
00:00:05,422 --> 00:00:07,424
♪ Girls talk about their social lives ♪
4
00:00:09,342 --> 00:00:11,845
♪ They're made of lipstick,
plastic, and paint ♪
5
00:00:11,845 --> 00:00:14,681
♪ A touch of sable in their eyes ♪
6
00:00:15,140 --> 00:00:16,307
[audience cheering]
7
00:00:16,307 --> 00:00:17,934
♪ All your life all you've asked ♪
8
00:00:17,934 --> 00:00:20,520
♪ When's your daddy gonna talk to you ♪
9
00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:21,813
[audience cheering]
10
00:00:21,813 --> 00:00:26,985
♪ Ooh, she's a little runaway ♪
11
00:00:26,985 --> 00:00:28,737
[host 1] [on radio]
Welcome and will now announce--
12
00:00:29,696 --> 00:00:31,406
[host 2] [on radio] He's one of those
fortunate guys
13
00:00:31,406 --> 00:00:32,907
who is so full of himself
14
00:00:33,033 --> 00:00:34,409
and he's got loads of self-confidence
15
00:00:34,409 --> 00:00:36,077
that nothing will hold him back.
16
00:00:36,327 --> 00:00:38,913
He's got his debut out now,
it's selling extremely well.
17
00:00:38,913 --> 00:00:41,082
- A very big warm welcome to you, Jon.
- [Jon Bon Jovi] Thank you.
18
00:00:41,082 --> 00:00:42,834
[radio host] Nice to see you.
How old are you, Jon?
19
00:00:42,834 --> 00:00:44,210
- [Jon] I'm 22.
- [radio host] Right age.
20
00:00:44,210 --> 00:00:45,295
[both laughing]
21
00:00:46,838 --> 00:00:48,840
[radio host] Okay, so you grew up
in New Jersey.
22
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:50,717
Had you always been into rock music?
23
00:00:50,717 --> 00:00:52,594
{\an8}[Jon] Oh, yeah, sure. I think since, uh,
24
00:00:52,594 --> 00:00:54,179
{\an8}you know, I've always said
I was born with sunglasses
25
00:00:54,179 --> 00:00:55,430
{\an8}and a guitar.
26
00:00:55,430 --> 00:00:56,848
{\an8}You know, I mean, I've been playing
27
00:00:56,848 --> 00:00:58,308
since I can remember.
28
00:00:58,308 --> 00:01:00,060
[radio host] What were your parents'
reactions
29
00:01:00,060 --> 00:01:01,144
when you decided you were gonna go
30
00:01:01,144 --> 00:01:02,645
into rock and roll music?
31
00:01:02,645 --> 00:01:03,980
[Jon] They probably thought
we were crazy, you know,
32
00:01:03,980 --> 00:01:05,565
wondering like,
"Why don't you get a real job,
33
00:01:05,565 --> 00:01:06,691
make some money."
34
00:01:06,691 --> 00:01:08,401
[Jon laughing]
35
00:01:09,903 --> 00:01:12,781
[♪ soft music playing]
36
00:01:16,534 --> 00:01:18,328
This is our high-tech setup.
37
00:01:19,496 --> 00:01:21,748
I've spent the last week or 10 days
38
00:01:22,165 --> 00:01:25,251
going through archiving
a lot of cassettes.
39
00:01:26,002 --> 00:01:27,337
Here's what we found.
40
00:01:27,712 --> 00:01:29,506
All this was in boxes.
41
00:01:30,799 --> 00:01:33,802
I wanted to do it because of the 40th,
42
00:01:34,219 --> 00:01:36,012
but if I was 100% healthy,
43
00:01:36,012 --> 00:01:38,723
I probably wouldn't be paying
as close attention.
44
00:01:39,474 --> 00:01:43,061
Here's Blaze of Glory,
the writing session.
45
00:01:45,146 --> 00:01:47,190
So here's Runaway before there was a band.
46
00:01:48,066 --> 00:01:50,443
This has a song that I was writing
47
00:01:50,443 --> 00:01:52,570
for the Tom Cruise movie,
48
00:01:52,570 --> 00:01:55,573
Days of Thunder,
and I wrote on it, "not good."
49
00:01:55,573 --> 00:01:56,908
[laughs]
50
00:01:57,992 --> 00:02:03,248
{\an8}It's validated for me
the, uh, body of work is legit,
51
00:02:03,248 --> 00:02:05,875
{\an8}but more importantly, it got better.
52
00:02:09,420 --> 00:02:10,713
This is cool
53
00:02:10,713 --> 00:02:12,924
because it's the first time
we ever played there.
54
00:02:15,343 --> 00:02:18,763
[cassette player clicking]
55
00:02:18,763 --> 00:02:20,598
That's us walking to the stage.
56
00:02:24,269 --> 00:02:26,020
[♪ "Lay Your Hands On Me"
by Bon Jovi plays on video]
57
00:02:26,020 --> 00:02:27,438
Kid's a little excited.
58
00:02:33,194 --> 00:02:34,988
The first time we played Giants Stadium,
59
00:02:35,530 --> 00:02:37,198
you know, it was as big as it got.
60
00:02:37,699 --> 00:02:40,326
[audience cheering]
61
00:02:40,451 --> 00:02:43,288
[♪ "Lay Your Hands On Me"
continues playing]
62
00:02:46,583 --> 00:02:48,710
{\an8}♪ They say that to be able
to free your body ♪
63
00:02:48,918 --> 00:02:51,254
{\an8}[audience cheering]
64
00:02:51,254 --> 00:02:53,339
{\an8}♪ You gotta free your mind ♪
65
00:02:54,507 --> 00:02:56,009
♪ So come on ♪
66
00:03:01,222 --> 00:03:02,473
♪ Check this out ♪
67
00:03:03,224 --> 00:03:07,395
♪
68
00:03:08,229 --> 00:03:10,940
[audience cheering]
69
00:03:15,361 --> 00:03:17,322
[news reporter 1]
One of the hottest tickets around tonight
70
00:03:17,322 --> 00:03:19,866
was to see the world's hottest rock group.
71
00:03:19,866 --> 00:03:21,701
Bon Jovi records have been
selling by the millions,
72
00:03:21,951 --> 00:03:23,494
and his concerts have been selling out.
73
00:03:23,494 --> 00:03:26,915
♪ If you're ready, I'm willing and able ♪
74
00:03:26,915 --> 00:03:29,083
[news reporter 2]
Bon Jovi has been riding high
75
00:03:29,083 --> 00:03:31,336
since their album Slippery When Wet
76
00:03:31,336 --> 00:03:34,505
sold 14 million copies around the world.
77
00:03:34,672 --> 00:03:36,007
♪ For the taking ♪
78
00:03:37,091 --> 00:03:40,345
♪ The rules we've made
are meant for breaking ♪
79
00:03:41,512 --> 00:03:44,641
♪ What you get ain't always what you see ♪
80
00:03:45,975 --> 00:03:47,977
♪ But satisfaction is guaranteed ♪
81
00:03:48,102 --> 00:03:49,479
[interviewer 1] You're
knocking down records
82
00:03:49,604 --> 00:03:51,314
that've been there for years.
83
00:03:51,314 --> 00:03:52,815
Does that frighten you?
84
00:03:52,982 --> 00:03:55,944
[Jon] Nobody really knew
that it could get this big.
85
00:03:55,944 --> 00:03:58,488
♪ If you want me to lay my hands on you ♪
86
00:03:58,488 --> 00:04:00,573
[interviewer 2] What does it feel like
to know that Bon Jovi
87
00:04:00,573 --> 00:04:03,117
probably is at the moment
the number one rock act in America?
88
00:04:03,117 --> 00:04:06,579
[Jon] We're not, uh,
satisfied and we're not done.
89
00:04:06,579 --> 00:04:08,206
We're just hitting stride.
90
00:04:08,206 --> 00:04:10,083
[♪ "Lay Your Hands On Me" continues]
91
00:04:10,083 --> 00:04:13,336
[audience cheering]
92
00:04:13,836 --> 00:04:15,338
It don't get no better
93
00:04:15,338 --> 00:04:17,298
[echoing] than this!
94
00:04:17,298 --> 00:04:19,550
One, two, three, four!
95
00:04:19,550 --> 00:04:20,718
It's going great.
96
00:04:20,718 --> 00:04:22,387
Kids are rocking, we're rocking.
97
00:04:22,387 --> 00:04:23,805
[interviewer 3] I mean, you really are
earning your reputation
98
00:04:24,055 --> 00:04:25,348
as the hardest working band, aren't you?
99
00:04:25,515 --> 00:04:27,350
- [Jon] Absolutely.
- ♪ Lay your hands on me ♪
100
00:04:28,768 --> 00:04:30,687
♪ Lay your hands on me ♪
101
00:04:31,145 --> 00:04:38,820
♪ Lay your hands on me ♪
102
00:04:40,780 --> 00:04:43,199
If you're healthy, it's the greatest thing
in the whole world.
103
00:04:43,199 --> 00:04:44,701
You know, when you can hit the high notes,
104
00:04:44,701 --> 00:04:47,996
there's not a higher feeling in the world,
105
00:04:47,996 --> 00:04:49,622
you know, there's nothing
better than that.
106
00:04:50,623 --> 00:04:54,419
[static crackling]
107
00:05:02,302 --> 00:05:05,221
[Jon] We are in day one
108
00:05:05,221 --> 00:05:08,599
of what will ultimately culminate
109
00:05:09,392 --> 00:05:11,519
in the 40th anniversary of the band.
110
00:05:12,437 --> 00:05:16,357
Technically, it's year 39 and a half.
111
00:05:17,692 --> 00:05:19,485
We're about to start rehearsals
112
00:05:19,485 --> 00:05:23,406
in a place that I dreamt of
playing when I was a kid.
113
00:05:24,198 --> 00:05:25,783
That's where we're having pre-production.
114
00:05:25,783 --> 00:05:29,537
That's the Meadowlands Arena.
It's not used anymore.
115
00:05:30,413 --> 00:05:34,625
We've just taken it over
for the next three weeks to rehearse.
116
00:05:35,293 --> 00:05:37,128
Go out, do some dates,
117
00:05:37,837 --> 00:05:40,923
take the rest of this year
to figure out what the 40th is,
118
00:05:41,424 --> 00:05:44,260
and then go out
and celebrate that journey.
119
00:05:45,386 --> 00:05:47,597
[♪ soft upbeat music playing]
120
00:05:47,597 --> 00:05:51,559
[people chattering indistinctly]
121
00:06:04,197 --> 00:06:05,907
Oh, hello, Snooky.
122
00:06:06,824 --> 00:06:08,326
- How are you, then?
- Good.
123
00:06:08,326 --> 00:06:10,244
- I know, I love this stuff.
- [Snooky] That's the stuff.
124
00:06:10,244 --> 00:06:12,121
- [Jon] I know.
- [Snooky] It's the, the vocal magic.
125
00:06:12,330 --> 00:06:15,583
{\an8}[Jon] Obie! [laughing]
126
00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:18,961
{\an8}It is good to see you before you
turn the six, the big six-0
127
00:06:18,961 --> 00:06:21,297
and everything
just totally turns to rat shit.
128
00:06:22,423 --> 00:06:23,800
You look good for 40, though.
129
00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,927
[Obie O'Brien]
I know. How are you feeling?
130
00:06:26,302 --> 00:06:27,428
[Jon] I feel great.
131
00:06:29,097 --> 00:06:32,225
How could this be the place
where time stood still?
132
00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:34,185
Why wouldn't you play here?
133
00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:35,561
[agent] I don't know.
134
00:06:35,561 --> 00:06:37,397
I would play here in a minute.
135
00:06:37,980 --> 00:06:39,899
- [agent] It's a good venue.
- [Jon] I love this place.
136
00:06:39,899 --> 00:06:42,235
It's always been so good
'cause they're on top of you.
137
00:06:42,860 --> 00:06:44,570
When I was a young guy,
138
00:06:44,570 --> 00:06:47,240
right around the time where
we were just starting out,
139
00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,450
and, you know, you always think someday.
140
00:06:49,450 --> 00:06:52,036
And then I remember going
to shows at the Meadowlands
141
00:06:52,036 --> 00:06:55,665
{\an8}and then I remember meeting
a very famous agent saying,
142
00:06:55,665 --> 00:06:58,126
{\an8}"Someday, you know,
you're gonna be my agent."
143
00:06:58,126 --> 00:06:59,335
And then saying to that agent,
144
00:06:59,335 --> 00:07:00,920
"Someday, I'm gonna headline here
145
00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,006
and golly gee, we're gonna put on a show."
146
00:07:04,006 --> 00:07:05,466
You know? [laughing]
147
00:07:05,466 --> 00:07:08,136
And then, uh, you know,
how many times then
148
00:07:08,136 --> 00:07:09,762
of course we went on to play there.
149
00:07:10,221 --> 00:07:12,098
So it's almost like full circle
150
00:07:12,098 --> 00:07:14,809
of the success of the band
to go back there.
151
00:07:14,809 --> 00:07:16,436
I think we should fucking book a week
152
00:07:16,436 --> 00:07:18,396
and just say "Fuck you" to everyone else.
153
00:07:18,396 --> 00:07:20,314
[agent] Hey, you call it.
We'll-we'll sell it.
154
00:07:20,314 --> 00:07:22,442
[Jon] I could sell it, that's for sure.
155
00:07:22,900 --> 00:07:26,195
We never, in 40 years,
156
00:07:26,195 --> 00:07:28,030
have done three weeks rehearsal.
157
00:07:28,573 --> 00:07:30,366
Maybe we did four days.
158
00:07:31,284 --> 00:07:34,203
We never did this kind of rehearsal.
159
00:07:34,871 --> 00:07:38,291
But in a weird way, we all want that.
160
00:07:38,791 --> 00:07:40,543
We wanna sit in a room and just,
161
00:07:41,377 --> 00:07:44,172
no pressure, no... nothing.
162
00:07:46,299 --> 00:07:47,967
It's like a fuckin' time warp.
163
00:07:47,967 --> 00:07:49,635
What fucking year is this?
164
00:07:50,636 --> 00:07:52,805
Floor monitors in the Meadowlands.
165
00:07:52,805 --> 00:07:55,391
- Ooh, ooh! [chuckles]
- Oh, no.
166
00:07:55,391 --> 00:07:58,728
[♪ drums thudding]
167
00:08:01,606 --> 00:08:05,109
[♪ piano plays slowly]
168
00:08:05,109 --> 00:08:06,360
[sound tech] Hey, hey. Shh.
169
00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:07,737
[Jon] A lot of guys aren't there.
170
00:08:07,737 --> 00:08:09,030
Big changing of the guard.
171
00:08:09,030 --> 00:08:11,115
The stalwarts are the band.
172
00:08:11,115 --> 00:08:15,119
{\an8}Starting with David Bryan, my
keyboard player, dear friend.
173
00:08:15,119 --> 00:08:19,749
David's been with me since
we were 16 or 17 years old,
174
00:08:20,208 --> 00:08:21,626
all throughout the band's career.
175
00:08:21,626 --> 00:08:23,377
Same with Tico Torres.
176
00:08:23,377 --> 00:08:25,588
{\an8}He was a drummer that I never thought in
a million years
177
00:08:25,588 --> 00:08:27,131
{\an8}would ever play with me.
178
00:08:27,131 --> 00:08:28,633
You know, he was the grownup in the band.
179
00:08:28,633 --> 00:08:30,426
He's-he's 10 years older than I am.
180
00:08:31,302 --> 00:08:32,678
Hugh McDonald, the bass player,
181
00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:35,973
{\an8}actually played on Runaway
before there was even a band.
182
00:08:36,140 --> 00:08:38,726
{\an8}So, you know,
although Hugh wasn't a member
183
00:08:38,726 --> 00:08:40,353
{\an8}of the band for the longest time,
184
00:08:40,353 --> 00:08:42,188
{\an8}I've known him,
he's played with me a bunch.
185
00:08:42,688 --> 00:08:44,982
{\an8}John Shanks, playing guitar,
186
00:08:44,982 --> 00:08:47,485
{\an8}is, uh, co-producer of every record
187
00:08:47,485 --> 00:08:49,904
{\an8}since Have a Nice Day in 2005.
188
00:08:50,363 --> 00:08:53,783
{\an8}Everett Bradley is playing percussion
because truthfully, uh,
189
00:08:54,158 --> 00:08:56,077
he adds a different dimension to the band,
190
00:08:56,077 --> 00:08:59,330
and he was there at a time
when I, I needed him
191
00:08:59,330 --> 00:09:00,915
to fill out the sound.
192
00:09:01,374 --> 00:09:04,126
{\an8}And then Phil X came in a couple of times
193
00:09:04,126 --> 00:09:06,837
{\an8}during the times when, you
know, Richie wasn't up to it.
194
00:09:06,837 --> 00:09:09,549
And then finally, you know, he stayed on
195
00:09:09,549 --> 00:09:11,842
and he's an incredibly talented cat.
196
00:09:11,842 --> 00:09:14,345
So he fills those shoes fully.
197
00:09:15,930 --> 00:09:17,223
So that's the band.
198
00:09:17,223 --> 00:09:18,307
Whoo! Come on.
199
00:09:18,307 --> 00:09:19,684
I used to run around these things
200
00:09:19,684 --> 00:09:21,727
like a motherfucker.
201
00:09:22,395 --> 00:09:24,689
[♪ electric guitar playing]
202
00:09:24,689 --> 00:09:26,607
So potent, fucker.
203
00:09:27,775 --> 00:09:29,485
One of the best there ever was.
204
00:09:29,819 --> 00:09:33,447
[♪ electric guitar playing]
205
00:09:35,866 --> 00:09:38,578
Now the champ is tired. [laughing]
206
00:09:42,164 --> 00:09:44,792
Unfortunately, the truth is,
is I'm all over the place.
207
00:09:45,334 --> 00:09:46,669
You know, I have one foot in
208
00:09:46,669 --> 00:09:48,588
and one foot off the ground.
209
00:09:48,588 --> 00:09:49,880
Some days, I wake up
210
00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:51,132
and I, and I can't wait to get back
211
00:09:51,132 --> 00:09:52,258
in there and swing.
212
00:09:52,258 --> 00:09:53,884
And others, I-I regret
213
00:09:53,884 --> 00:09:56,345
that I'm doing this interview
214
00:09:56,345 --> 00:09:58,097
and that I'm going back on the road.
215
00:09:59,557 --> 00:10:02,059
To me, the greatest goal
216
00:10:02,059 --> 00:10:06,689
is that I truly just have joy
in this next run.
217
00:10:06,689 --> 00:10:09,150
[♪ "Beautiful Drug" by Bon Jovi playing]
218
00:10:09,150 --> 00:10:13,237
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
219
00:10:13,237 --> 00:10:17,033
♪ Tear off your mask, no need to hide ♪
220
00:10:17,575 --> 00:10:21,495
♪ There's a prescription
that no doctor can prescribe ♪
221
00:10:21,912 --> 00:10:25,416
I don't need to do this,
I want to do this.
222
00:10:25,750 --> 00:10:29,253
So, my drive is much different.
223
00:10:29,253 --> 00:10:30,880
I'm not doing it for success.
224
00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,342
I'm not doing it for accolades or money.
225
00:10:34,342 --> 00:10:36,385
I just wanted to be good at it.
226
00:10:36,385 --> 00:10:38,220
I wanted to work hard at it.
227
00:10:38,220 --> 00:10:44,143
♪ Love is a beautiful drug ♪
228
00:10:44,143 --> 00:10:48,856
The joy is that oneness with the song,
229
00:10:49,482 --> 00:10:52,026
it's that connection to that place
230
00:10:52,026 --> 00:10:54,570
that takes you off of the stage.
231
00:10:54,570 --> 00:10:57,907
- ♪ ...beautiful drug ♪
- ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
232
00:10:57,907 --> 00:11:00,201
If the other side of it were to come back
233
00:11:00,201 --> 00:11:02,036
and you're too in your head,
234
00:11:02,036 --> 00:11:04,080
it's an anchor around your neck
235
00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,500
in every word of every song, every night.
236
00:11:08,209 --> 00:11:09,835
It's sheer torture.
237
00:11:10,378 --> 00:11:14,048
And I know what that is too,
and I ain't going back.
238
00:11:14,048 --> 00:11:16,133
♪ The taste, the touch,
the stuff of dreams ♪
239
00:11:16,133 --> 00:11:18,260
♪ The paradise that's in between ♪
240
00:11:18,260 --> 00:11:20,137
♪ Honey of another hit ♪
241
00:11:20,137 --> 00:11:22,598
♪ You'd almost bite through your own lip ♪
242
00:11:22,598 --> 00:11:24,517
♪ The thorny rose that makes you bleed ♪
243
00:11:24,517 --> 00:11:29,605
♪ A kind of hurt that makes you scream ♪
244
00:11:29,605 --> 00:11:31,941
♪ Love ♪
245
00:11:31,941 --> 00:11:35,194
♪ Love is a beautiful drug ♪
246
00:11:35,194 --> 00:11:39,031
And with every decade
comes another life's lesson.
247
00:11:39,031 --> 00:11:44,620
At 25, all I was thinking about
was fun, success.
248
00:11:44,954 --> 00:11:46,914
At 30, I got married,
249
00:11:46,914 --> 00:11:49,208
I had looked at success differently.
250
00:11:49,208 --> 00:11:50,793
By 40, you start to measure,
251
00:11:50,793 --> 00:11:52,712
did you accomplish what you set out to do.
252
00:11:52,712 --> 00:11:55,256
By 50, you start to think about a legacy.
253
00:11:55,256 --> 00:11:58,342
By 60, I think
as the Chinese proverb says,
254
00:11:58,342 --> 00:12:00,720
it's basically, "You are the man you
were meant to be."
255
00:12:01,512 --> 00:12:02,513
That's good.
256
00:12:03,347 --> 00:12:06,225
So at 60, it's like when I look back,
257
00:12:06,976 --> 00:12:08,978
did I become the man I wanted to be?
258
00:12:10,312 --> 00:12:12,398
- [reel clicking, whirring]
- [audience cheering]
259
00:12:12,398 --> 00:12:14,483
[reporter] President Kennedy
sitting in the front seat
260
00:12:14,483 --> 00:12:15,943
being helped out by Secret Service...
261
00:12:15,943 --> 00:12:18,237
[Jon] We were born into an era
262
00:12:18,362 --> 00:12:20,448
where the American dream was
very much alive and well.
263
00:12:20,448 --> 00:12:22,742
We choose to go
to the moon in this decade...
264
00:12:22,742 --> 00:12:24,952
[Jon] We were born when John Kennedy
was elected president.
265
00:12:24,952 --> 00:12:28,414
Not because they are easy,
but because they are hard.
266
00:12:28,539 --> 00:12:30,249
[Jon] When he talked about
sending a man to the moon.
267
00:12:30,249 --> 00:12:32,251
[NASA crew] [over comms]
That's affirmative. Program alarm.
268
00:12:32,251 --> 00:12:35,963
{\an8}[Jon] They would tell you that anything
you wanted to be, you could be.
269
00:12:35,963 --> 00:12:37,465
{\an8}[narrator 1] Just about
the only thing that
270
00:12:37,465 --> 00:12:39,133
can make a 10-year-old sit still
271
00:12:39,133 --> 00:12:40,968
long enough for you to catch your breath.
272
00:12:40,968 --> 00:12:43,471
[Jon] That your parents
were going to be the ones
273
00:12:43,471 --> 00:12:45,765
{\an8}to buy their first home in suburbia.
274
00:12:45,973 --> 00:12:47,933
{\an8}[narrator 2] The isolation of the suburbs,
275
00:12:47,933 --> 00:12:50,269
[narrator 3] 70% of the people
in the metropolitan area
276
00:12:50,269 --> 00:12:52,021
own their own homes.
277
00:12:52,021 --> 00:12:56,400
It was just a wonderful
little mix of European
278
00:12:56,984 --> 00:13:01,238
first and second generation
families who came over
279
00:13:01,238 --> 00:13:03,991
and didn't get any farther
than New Jersey.
280
00:13:03,991 --> 00:13:05,201
[laughs]
281
00:13:05,534 --> 00:13:07,787
[narrator] New Jersey
is more than meets the eye.
282
00:13:08,245 --> 00:13:11,457
A place to study, a place to learn,
283
00:13:11,457 --> 00:13:13,667
a place to prepare for the future.
284
00:13:13,667 --> 00:13:17,463
And sometimes, New Jersey
is a place to dream.
285
00:13:17,463 --> 00:13:20,049
It was very much the privilege
286
00:13:20,049 --> 00:13:24,094
{\an8}of being born in a certain place,
287
00:13:24,553 --> 00:13:27,515
at a certain time, looking a certain way.
288
00:13:27,932 --> 00:13:30,267
And although all of our families
289
00:13:30,267 --> 00:13:32,853
come from very blue collar working class,
290
00:13:33,187 --> 00:13:34,772
we also had a leg up
291
00:13:34,772 --> 00:13:37,399
because we didn't want for things.
292
00:13:37,775 --> 00:13:40,069
Our parents taught us all a work ethic,
293
00:13:42,279 --> 00:13:43,781
but then you-you felt like,
294
00:13:43,781 --> 00:13:45,324
we didn't have a care in the world.
295
00:13:45,324 --> 00:13:46,450
You had a roof over your head
296
00:13:46,659 --> 00:13:49,036
and shoes on your feet
and food on the table.
297
00:13:49,537 --> 00:13:51,455
That was all part of the American dream.
298
00:13:51,455 --> 00:13:53,833
{\an8}You can do anything that you wanna do,
299
00:13:54,291 --> 00:13:55,584
and the whole world's out there, man,
300
00:13:55,584 --> 00:13:57,086
and it's just waiting for you to take it.
301
00:13:57,753 --> 00:13:59,964
{\an8}- [bat smacks]
- [audience cheering]
302
00:14:01,841 --> 00:14:03,259
- [engine roaring]
- [audience cheering]
303
00:14:03,259 --> 00:14:06,971
- [♪ soft music playing]
- [audience applauding]
304
00:14:06,971 --> 00:14:09,431
I always say we were like
America's greatest export
305
00:14:09,807 --> 00:14:11,392
{\an8}because it shows the American dream.
306
00:14:11,392 --> 00:14:14,103
{\an8}It's like five guys from nowhere.
307
00:14:14,103 --> 00:14:15,312
And if you work hard enough
308
00:14:15,312 --> 00:14:16,981
and you dream big enough, you can make it.
309
00:14:16,981 --> 00:14:18,941
[♪ upbeat music playing]
310
00:14:18,941 --> 00:14:20,776
My dad was a trumpet player.
311
00:14:20,776 --> 00:14:22,611
He would always have big band like Al Hirt
312
00:14:22,611 --> 00:14:23,946
and Dizzy Gillespie.
313
00:14:23,946 --> 00:14:25,698
And he taught me trumpet when I was five.
314
00:14:25,698 --> 00:14:29,118
And, uh, I knew I had no career
'cause I stunk.
315
00:14:29,118 --> 00:14:31,829
But I love music. I-I just loved
the feeling about it, you know?
316
00:14:31,829 --> 00:14:33,372
And then at seven,
I started piano lessons,
317
00:14:33,372 --> 00:14:34,540
I auditioned for piano lessons.
318
00:14:34,540 --> 00:14:35,749
{\an8}[♪ upbeat piano music playing]
319
00:14:35,749 --> 00:14:37,710
{\an8}He was a Julliard graduate, Mr. Hack,
320
00:14:37,710 --> 00:14:40,129
{\an8}I remember he had a Hammond organ,
like this one with pedals.
321
00:14:40,796 --> 00:14:42,464
My first impression,
I said to my dad, I'm like,
322
00:14:42,464 --> 00:14:44,008
"I don't wanna play
the thing with the feet.
323
00:14:44,008 --> 00:14:45,134
[laughing] "It looks too hard.
324
00:14:45,134 --> 00:14:46,343
There's too many things.
325
00:14:46,343 --> 00:14:48,095
It looks hard enough
with just your hands."
326
00:14:48,095 --> 00:14:50,472
And then he went to the piano,
he started playing that,
327
00:14:50,472 --> 00:14:53,058
and he started playing,
like, Brahms and Bach
328
00:14:53,058 --> 00:14:54,310
and Schubert and Mozart.
329
00:14:54,310 --> 00:14:57,354
All this beautiful noise and sound
330
00:14:57,354 --> 00:14:58,981
was coming out of this piece of wood.
331
00:14:58,981 --> 00:15:01,317
And I went, "Whatever that is,
I need to do that."
332
00:15:02,651 --> 00:15:06,697
[Jon] I would've been aware
of music on the periphery.
333
00:15:07,031 --> 00:15:09,408
We did not have a musical household.
334
00:15:09,408 --> 00:15:11,994
It wasn't as if my parents
ever sat down and said,
335
00:15:11,994 --> 00:15:13,454
"Listen to this."
336
00:15:13,954 --> 00:15:15,539
My mom was a florist,
337
00:15:15,748 --> 00:15:17,750
and she had
a little gift shop at one point
338
00:15:17,750 --> 00:15:20,878
and somehow she brought
an acoustic guitar home
339
00:15:20,878 --> 00:15:26,967
{\an8}and the Roy Clark learn-at-home
guitar book and record.
340
00:15:26,967 --> 00:15:29,261
[Roy Clark] That was my Roy Clark
Big Note Guitar songbook.
341
00:15:29,261 --> 00:15:31,096
[Jon] And I was seven, eight years old,
342
00:15:31,096 --> 00:15:32,473
so I had no desire.
343
00:15:32,890 --> 00:15:34,767
I remember throwing it
down the basement stairs
344
00:15:34,767 --> 00:15:36,101
and breaking a tuning pick.
345
00:15:36,101 --> 00:15:37,645
And hey, you're makin' music.
346
00:15:37,645 --> 00:15:39,396
[Jon] But as you hit 12 and 13 years old
347
00:15:39,396 --> 00:15:40,814
and you're listening to the AM radio
348
00:15:40,814 --> 00:15:42,566
and the pop songs, you start liking them,
349
00:15:42,566 --> 00:15:44,526
and you start singing along a little bit.
350
00:15:44,526 --> 00:15:47,196
And that's when I found music
in my own way.
351
00:15:47,196 --> 00:15:49,114
[♪ "The Ocean" by Led Zeppelin playing]
352
00:15:49,907 --> 00:15:52,284
♪ I can hear the ocean's roar ♪
353
00:15:53,869 --> 00:15:55,454
♪ I don't think so ♪
354
00:15:55,454 --> 00:15:58,040
[audience cheering]
355
00:15:58,832 --> 00:16:02,252
That's when a guy named Al Parinello
moved in across the street
356
00:16:02,252 --> 00:16:05,464
and he was the hipper,
younger version of my parents.
357
00:16:05,673 --> 00:16:07,716
He played guitar in a lounge band.
358
00:16:07,716 --> 00:16:09,134
{\an8}[♪ soft music playing]
359
00:16:09,134 --> 00:16:11,136
{\an8}And then I thought to go down
into the basement
360
00:16:11,136 --> 00:16:12,721
{\an8}and pick up that guitar
361
00:16:13,055 --> 00:16:15,766
{\an8}because he's the one that had the patience
362
00:16:15,766 --> 00:16:17,559
{\an8}to show me a couple of chords.
363
00:16:18,143 --> 00:16:22,398
{\an8}And when I was lazy about it,
was also stern enough to say,
364
00:16:22,398 --> 00:16:24,316
{\an8}"Stop wasting my time.
365
00:16:24,316 --> 00:16:27,236
{\an8}Learn this or get out of my basement."
366
00:16:27,611 --> 00:16:29,863
But that was exactly
what I needed to hear.
367
00:16:30,364 --> 00:16:31,782
[David Bryan] An instrument is honest.
368
00:16:31,782 --> 00:16:33,534
If you don't practice, you suck.
369
00:16:33,909 --> 00:16:35,119
You can't lie to it.
370
00:16:35,119 --> 00:16:36,412
You can't just go, "Hey, I'm great."
371
00:16:36,412 --> 00:16:37,663
No, you're not great.
372
00:16:37,663 --> 00:16:39,039
If you put in the hours,
373
00:16:39,039 --> 00:16:40,833
that's the only thing. It's-it's honest.
374
00:16:40,833 --> 00:16:43,961
You put in the work,
you get back the craft
375
00:16:43,961 --> 00:16:46,088
and then when you love it,
you keep going forward,
376
00:16:46,088 --> 00:16:47,631
and then figure out songs
and then, you know,
377
00:16:47,631 --> 00:16:48,966
it grows from there.
378
00:16:48,966 --> 00:16:50,759
And so then I worked hard,
379
00:16:50,759 --> 00:16:52,469
got my first calluses,
380
00:16:52,469 --> 00:16:54,513
and, uh, one thing led to another.
381
00:16:54,513 --> 00:16:57,766
And then you understood song structure.
382
00:16:57,766 --> 00:17:00,144
And when you looked at it
like a little jigsaw puzzle,
383
00:17:00,269 --> 00:17:03,355
and the verse and the chorus
and the bridge, you went,
384
00:17:03,355 --> 00:17:05,274
"Oh, it's like that."
385
00:17:06,775 --> 00:17:08,777
So then around that time,
386
00:17:08,777 --> 00:17:11,655
{\an8}my very first band was in a talent show.
387
00:17:12,072 --> 00:17:13,490
And, you know, of course we lost.
388
00:17:13,490 --> 00:17:14,658
[David] It was like right around,
389
00:17:14,658 --> 00:17:15,993
like, my bar mitzvah.
390
00:17:15,993 --> 00:17:19,455
My father got me
a Farfisa Deluxe Combo organ
391
00:17:19,455 --> 00:17:20,873
and a Univox piano.
392
00:17:20,873 --> 00:17:23,667
He would always support my music habit.
393
00:17:23,667 --> 00:17:25,127
So I had great equipment.
394
00:17:25,627 --> 00:17:28,505
[Jon] It's probably a part of me
that needed to be seen
395
00:17:28,505 --> 00:17:31,467
by not people, by and large,
396
00:17:31,717 --> 00:17:34,636
but by those who love you the most.
397
00:17:35,137 --> 00:17:37,014
It wasn't as though I woke up one morning
398
00:17:37,014 --> 00:17:38,807
and was the best singer in the school
399
00:17:38,807 --> 00:17:42,394
or on the block or in my house. [laughing]
400
00:17:42,394 --> 00:17:44,021
That's not saying much,
401
00:17:44,021 --> 00:17:46,398
but I just had a desire and a work ethic
402
00:17:46,398 --> 00:17:49,651
that was always the driving force.
403
00:17:49,651 --> 00:17:51,653
[reporter] He was just
another kid from Jersey
404
00:17:51,653 --> 00:17:52,821
living a pretty routine life
405
00:17:52,821 --> 00:17:54,948
on this pretty routine suburban street
406
00:17:54,948 --> 00:17:57,785
{\an8}in a house Ward and June
Cleaver would have loved.
407
00:17:58,786 --> 00:18:00,287
[Jon] In the town that I grew up in,
408
00:18:00,746 --> 00:18:03,040
the amount of kids
that went to college were,
409
00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,167
I can't tell you they were even slim.
410
00:18:05,167 --> 00:18:07,336
They were really slim.
411
00:18:07,878 --> 00:18:09,922
{\an8}And I can remember all the parents were
really happy
412
00:18:09,922 --> 00:18:12,549
{\an8}about their boys being in a band
and kept 'em off the streets
413
00:18:12,549 --> 00:18:14,384
{\an8}and it kept them busy with something.
414
00:18:14,968 --> 00:18:17,262
But when it was time
for these boys to graduate,
415
00:18:17,262 --> 00:18:20,224
parents said, "Okay, guys,
it's time to grow up."
416
00:18:20,724 --> 00:18:24,603
[Jon] You worked in the factory
or you took up a trade.
417
00:18:25,354 --> 00:18:27,564
But it was something to be proud of,
418
00:18:27,564 --> 00:18:28,857
working in the trades.
419
00:18:29,525 --> 00:18:31,235
Uh, my father was a hairdresser,
420
00:18:31,235 --> 00:18:33,028
my grandfather was a plumber.
421
00:18:33,028 --> 00:18:35,447
These were considerations
for me as a youth,
422
00:18:35,447 --> 00:18:37,032
simply because that's what we knew.
423
00:18:37,950 --> 00:18:39,910
My three best friends joined the service.
424
00:18:39,910 --> 00:18:41,120
[soldiers] Sir, yes, sir!
425
00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:42,412
[Jon] It wasn't for me
426
00:18:42,579 --> 00:18:45,499
because I was already pursuing music.
427
00:18:45,499 --> 00:18:48,168
And we're coming up on beautiful
Sayreville High School.
428
00:18:48,752 --> 00:18:51,630
The junior high for two years,
you're supposed to go for three.
429
00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:54,216
So I left there to go
to a different high school,
430
00:18:54,216 --> 00:18:55,425
'cause I was failing.
431
00:18:55,425 --> 00:18:59,054
So, um, I-I-I bolted from that school
432
00:18:59,054 --> 00:19:00,848
and went to Sayreville High School.
433
00:19:01,181 --> 00:19:04,351
I mean, I remember being in some kind of
high school class
434
00:19:04,351 --> 00:19:07,062
and the singing teacher saying,
"You haven't got it."
435
00:19:07,479 --> 00:19:10,149
Or my dad taking me
to a singing lesson once
436
00:19:10,149 --> 00:19:12,985
and the guy basically saying,
"I don't think so."
437
00:19:13,610 --> 00:19:16,113
I walked out of both
of them saying, "I think so."
438
00:19:23,328 --> 00:19:26,206
[people chattering indistinctly]
439
00:19:26,206 --> 00:19:27,457
- Hey, good to see you.
- Hey, bud.
440
00:19:27,457 --> 00:19:28,584
- Everything alright?
- Yep.
441
00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:31,336
Feel good?
442
00:19:31,587 --> 00:19:33,046
Nope
443
00:19:34,173 --> 00:19:35,465
[Jon exhales]
444
00:19:37,050 --> 00:19:38,343
[Jon blows raspberry]
445
00:19:39,803 --> 00:19:42,681
You know, I have COVID
brain fog like everyone else.
446
00:19:42,681 --> 00:19:46,185
Was it '18 or '19 when we were out last?
447
00:19:46,185 --> 00:19:48,729
I, honest to God, would have
to look on a calendar.
448
00:19:49,271 --> 00:19:51,148
[vocal coach] [over video call]
How was your weekend?
449
00:19:51,148 --> 00:19:52,941
[Jon] Uh, wonderfully uneventful.
450
00:19:52,941 --> 00:19:54,902
- How 'bout yourself?
- [vocal coach] Oh, that's wonderful.
451
00:19:55,402 --> 00:19:57,154
Did you get any singing done or--
452
00:19:57,154 --> 00:20:00,032
[Jon] Uh, no, I didn't,
but that's alright.
453
00:20:00,032 --> 00:20:02,367
- [vocal coach] Awesome. Awesome.
- I have been very ready
454
00:20:02,367 --> 00:20:04,369
and raring to go today.
455
00:20:04,786 --> 00:20:07,206
- [vocal coach] Excellent.
- Mm-hmm.
456
00:20:07,206 --> 00:20:09,791
[vocal coach] I like how you took
a couple minutes to do your look behinds,
457
00:20:09,791 --> 00:20:11,710
we're pressing up into the molars.
458
00:20:11,710 --> 00:20:14,338
And then on either side
of the soft-- hard palate.
459
00:20:15,255 --> 00:20:18,091
[Jon] I'm gonna guess it was
the fall of '19.
460
00:20:18,592 --> 00:20:19,968
We were in South America.
461
00:20:20,469 --> 00:20:23,722
But I do remember
at that time saying to myself,
462
00:20:24,264 --> 00:20:25,766
"Maybe it's time to walk away.
463
00:20:25,766 --> 00:20:27,059
Maybe it's time to cool it."
464
00:20:27,059 --> 00:20:31,271
[vocalizing]
465
00:20:31,688 --> 00:20:35,651
And it's the idea of wanting
to achieve excellence
466
00:20:35,651 --> 00:20:40,155
but also knowing the price
that you pay to do that,
467
00:20:40,155 --> 00:20:42,574
physically, mentally, emotionally.
468
00:20:42,824 --> 00:20:44,243
Coming to terms with who I am now
469
00:20:44,243 --> 00:20:46,328
versus who I once was.
470
00:20:47,537 --> 00:20:52,292
As I got older and the drive
to maintain that being
471
00:20:52,292 --> 00:20:55,921
on the stage, you know,
it takes more and more.
472
00:20:56,296 --> 00:20:58,090
[vocal coach] You're working that one.
[laughing]
473
00:20:58,090 --> 00:21:00,092
No, yeah, it's good.
Good, good, good, good, good.
474
00:21:00,092 --> 00:21:01,176
[clapping]
475
00:21:01,551 --> 00:21:04,137
For the New Jersey tour,
I started to take,
476
00:21:04,137 --> 00:21:05,430
you know, vocal lessons,
477
00:21:05,931 --> 00:21:08,100
and I just got better
and better and better as a singer.
478
00:21:09,101 --> 00:21:11,436
You know, 2008, '10, '13,
479
00:21:11,436 --> 00:21:13,355
I was great. I was really enjoying it.
480
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,190
[vocalizing]
481
00:21:15,190 --> 00:21:17,317
- Hmm, I don't like where it's going.
- [vocal coach] You got it.
482
00:21:17,317 --> 00:21:19,569
- I got it, though.
- [vocal coach] No, take your time with it.
483
00:21:19,569 --> 00:21:21,238
Take your time with it, it takes a minute.
484
00:21:21,238 --> 00:21:24,741
[vocalizing]
485
00:21:27,577 --> 00:21:29,413
[vocal coach] Good, rest for a second.
Reset your body.
486
00:21:29,413 --> 00:21:31,456
- Yeah. [clears throat]
- [vocal coach] Let's do that again.
487
00:21:31,456 --> 00:21:35,335
[Jon] But after '13 is when
the problems really started.
488
00:21:35,794 --> 00:21:38,714
Just wasn't up to what I wanted it to be.
489
00:21:39,506 --> 00:21:41,925
And so, you know, the last couple years,
490
00:21:41,925 --> 00:21:43,802
I've just tried so many different things
491
00:21:43,802 --> 00:21:46,847
to get back to what I liked 10 years ago.
492
00:21:46,847 --> 00:21:48,807
[♪ soft music playing]
493
00:21:48,807 --> 00:21:51,685
And at 50, things change.
494
00:21:52,394 --> 00:21:54,771
And at 60 it's like, "Holy fuck."
495
00:21:57,024 --> 00:22:00,527
Is it tiring? No.
496
00:22:00,527 --> 00:22:01,695
But it's like a workout.
497
00:22:01,695 --> 00:22:05,574
You know, you feel like
you did your... time
498
00:22:05,574 --> 00:22:07,200
and on a Monday morning, it's usually got
499
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,286
a little bit of spider webs.
500
00:22:11,580 --> 00:22:16,877
This, uh, four-headed laser
is aimed here at my chords
501
00:22:17,794 --> 00:22:19,671
and the vagal nerves.
502
00:22:20,130 --> 00:22:24,551
And what it does is
it stimulates blood flow,
503
00:22:25,135 --> 00:22:28,347
trying to alleviate as much
inflammation any way we can.
504
00:22:29,556 --> 00:22:31,641
There's three different vocal coaches,
505
00:22:32,601 --> 00:22:34,561
there's a couple different lasers,
506
00:22:35,145 --> 00:22:37,064
there's a boatload of vitamins.
507
00:22:37,773 --> 00:22:41,318
If I can't be the very best
I can be, I'm out.
508
00:22:42,361 --> 00:22:44,529
I'm not here to drag down the legacy.
509
00:22:44,529 --> 00:22:46,448
I am not here for the
"Where Are They Now" tour,
510
00:22:46,448 --> 00:22:48,408
I'm not ever gonna be the fat Elvis,
511
00:22:48,408 --> 00:22:49,993
ain't happening. [laughing]
512
00:22:50,327 --> 00:22:51,453
[♪ soft guitar music playing]
513
00:22:51,453 --> 00:22:53,747
But it took voodoo and science
514
00:22:53,747 --> 00:22:57,084
and a lot of hard work
515
00:22:57,084 --> 00:23:00,295
to get it to where
I-I figure I can do this.
516
00:23:00,295 --> 00:23:03,882
[♪ strumming "Blaze of Glory"]
517
00:23:03,882 --> 00:23:07,219
It's got little cracks
just from leaving it out.
518
00:23:09,137 --> 00:23:10,680
Alright, what else you wanna do?
519
00:23:11,431 --> 00:23:15,268
[♪ upbeat rock music playing]
520
00:23:16,353 --> 00:23:17,687
[camera clicks]
521
00:23:17,687 --> 00:23:19,147
[Jon] It's the late '70s.
522
00:23:19,147 --> 00:23:22,317
On my bedroom walls were the '70s icons,
523
00:23:22,317 --> 00:23:24,820
Led Zeppelin standing
in front of that 747...
524
00:23:24,820 --> 00:23:25,987
[engine roaring]
525
00:23:25,987 --> 00:23:28,365
{\an8}...Rolling Stones,
526
00:23:28,365 --> 00:23:30,242
Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
527
00:23:30,242 --> 00:23:32,702
- [♪ rock music playing]
- [audience cheering]
528
00:23:32,702 --> 00:23:33,870
[Jon] That was impossible.
529
00:23:33,870 --> 00:23:36,415
♪ Comin' home to you ♪
530
00:23:36,415 --> 00:23:40,502
{\an8}[Jon] But 25 minutes south
of Sayreville, New Jersey
531
00:23:40,502 --> 00:23:42,587
was this place that was making music.
532
00:23:42,587 --> 00:23:44,881
[announcer] Southside Johnny
and the Asbury Jukes.
533
00:23:44,881 --> 00:23:47,259
[Jon] Southside Johnny
and the Asbury Jukes.
534
00:23:47,926 --> 00:23:49,845
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
535
00:23:50,762 --> 00:23:54,391
The songs that they wrote
were from the places in which we came.
536
00:23:55,058 --> 00:23:58,145
The Stone Pony, a landmark in Asbury Park
537
00:23:58,145 --> 00:24:01,273
and the spawning ground
for some of the greatest rock and roll.
538
00:24:01,273 --> 00:24:03,233
Southside Johnny and the Jukes.
539
00:24:03,233 --> 00:24:04,901
[laughing]
540
00:24:04,901 --> 00:24:08,029
{\an8}It's like a disease, you know,
it, uh, never leaves you.
541
00:24:08,572 --> 00:24:12,242
A sexually transmitted disease,
being from New Jersey.
542
00:24:12,242 --> 00:24:13,618
All across the East Coast
543
00:24:13,618 --> 00:24:16,329
an-and in Asbury Park is an amazing event.
544
00:24:16,329 --> 00:24:18,540
[Southside Johnny] Well, Asbury Park was
the happening place
545
00:24:18,540 --> 00:24:21,084
because there were
a lot of bars with bands.
546
00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:23,420
So when we started playing,
547
00:24:23,420 --> 00:24:25,422
there was a bunch of clubs
548
00:24:25,422 --> 00:24:27,174
that we could get into.
549
00:24:28,175 --> 00:24:30,552
So it was a chance
for all of us to go and jam
550
00:24:30,552 --> 00:24:33,388
and hone our skills and perform
in front of an audience.
551
00:24:33,388 --> 00:24:36,224
And it was really a formative time,
552
00:24:36,224 --> 00:24:38,602
Bruce, Steve Van Zandt, Garry Tallent.
553
00:24:39,769 --> 00:24:41,980
And we just really wanted
to find our own voices.
554
00:24:41,980 --> 00:24:44,566
[♪ "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town"
by Bruce Springsteen playing]
555
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,277
♪ When I needed you by my side ♪
556
00:24:47,277 --> 00:24:49,321
This concert was as hot
as those hot dogs next door.
557
00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:51,323
It's hysteria, it's excitement.
558
00:24:51,323 --> 00:24:52,532
[Jon] As I got a little older
559
00:24:52,532 --> 00:24:54,409
and with older friends able to go down
560
00:24:54,409 --> 00:24:56,578
to Asbury Park,
561
00:24:56,578 --> 00:24:58,705
there wasn't any chance
562
00:24:58,705 --> 00:25:01,291
that you wouldn't run
into at least one of them
563
00:25:01,291 --> 00:25:03,251
on any given night. [laughs]
564
00:25:03,251 --> 00:25:05,670
- All we wanna know...
- Yeah?
565
00:25:05,670 --> 00:25:07,881
...is what are you people doing
in my town?
566
00:25:07,881 --> 00:25:09,216
{\an8}- [fan] Right on!
- [♪ upbeat music playing]
567
00:25:09,216 --> 00:25:10,425
{\an8}[Southside Johnny]
Steve Van Zandt and I saw
568
00:25:10,425 --> 00:25:11,801
Sam and Dave one time,
569
00:25:11,801 --> 00:25:13,345
and we thought,
"That's what we want to do."
570
00:25:13,762 --> 00:25:17,641
And I thought, "My God,
what an incredible thing to do
571
00:25:17,766 --> 00:25:20,268
to have all these people
in the palm of your hand."
572
00:25:20,810 --> 00:25:23,271
For me, that was the kind
of music that was alive.
573
00:25:23,271 --> 00:25:25,982
[♪ playing "This Time It's For Real"
by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes]
574
00:25:25,982 --> 00:25:28,443
♪ Baby, don't slow me down ♪
575
00:25:28,443 --> 00:25:31,947
♪ I've come too far to ever turn around ♪
576
00:25:31,947 --> 00:25:36,159
I think that we all learned
from The Animals
577
00:25:36,159 --> 00:25:38,537
and the Rolling Stones
and Paul Butterfield Blues Band
578
00:25:38,537 --> 00:25:41,289
that white people could play Black music,
579
00:25:41,790 --> 00:25:45,085
along with rock and roll,
Jerry Lee Lewis and that kind of stuff.
580
00:25:45,585 --> 00:25:49,631
And I guess we started to influence people
by doing what we wanted to do.
581
00:25:49,631 --> 00:25:52,884
And they thought, "Well, if these guys
can do it, I can do it too."
582
00:25:53,593 --> 00:25:57,138
[Jon] I was 16,
and the drinking age was 18,
583
00:25:57,138 --> 00:25:59,391
which is really integral to this story,
584
00:25:59,391 --> 00:26:03,144
is at 16 you could sneak in
pretending to be 18
585
00:26:03,144 --> 00:26:07,566
and seeing any one of those
10 members of The Asbury Jukes,
586
00:26:07,566 --> 00:26:09,776
seven members of the E Street Band...
587
00:26:09,776 --> 00:26:11,653
[air whooshing]
588
00:26:11,653 --> 00:26:14,823
...it made the impossible right there.
589
00:26:14,823 --> 00:26:16,241
{\an8}One of the things that, uh,
590
00:26:16,241 --> 00:26:18,743
{\an8}critics have been saying
about rock and roll in the '70s
591
00:26:18,743 --> 00:26:20,412
{\an8}is that there's been
very little substance.
592
00:26:20,412 --> 00:26:21,621
Well, ladies and gentlemen,
593
00:26:21,621 --> 00:26:22,956
I'm here to tell you Bruce Springsteen
594
00:26:22,956 --> 00:26:25,208
and the E Street Band are substance.
595
00:26:25,208 --> 00:26:28,044
No one wanted to be associated
with New Jersey.
596
00:26:28,044 --> 00:26:30,964
{\an8}I mean, even when I went
to make my first record,
597
00:26:30,964 --> 00:26:33,550
{\an8}they wanted me to say I was
a New York-based artist.
598
00:26:33,550 --> 00:26:37,387
[♪ "The Promised Land" by
Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band plays]
599
00:26:41,099 --> 00:26:44,769
♪ On a rattlesnake speedway
in the Utah desert ♪
600
00:26:44,769 --> 00:26:47,939
♪ I pick up my money
and head back into town ♪
601
00:26:47,939 --> 00:26:50,900
It was unusual at the time
602
00:26:50,900 --> 00:26:54,738
for an artist to identify
himself with New Jersey
603
00:26:55,155 --> 00:26:57,532
and all of its glories, you know?
604
00:26:58,450 --> 00:27:01,161
I just sort of embraced it as my identity,
605
00:27:01,161 --> 00:27:03,997
the Boardwalk and Asbury Park
606
00:27:03,997 --> 00:27:06,583
{\an8}and all the street people from the city.
607
00:27:06,583 --> 00:27:08,251
And I said, "Yeah, these are the people
608
00:27:08,251 --> 00:27:09,753
"I want to write about,
609
00:27:09,753 --> 00:27:12,589
and this is who I want
to be and who I am."
610
00:27:13,423 --> 00:27:15,592
[Jon] Now you could touch the dream,
611
00:27:15,717 --> 00:27:17,552
'cause there it was.
612
00:27:17,552 --> 00:27:20,096
It wasn't those pictures
on my wall that you think
613
00:27:20,722 --> 00:27:24,142
I aspire to be, you know, Led Zeppelin.
614
00:27:24,142 --> 00:27:26,061
It was way too big for me to fathom.
615
00:27:26,645 --> 00:27:27,979
Let's go!
616
00:27:29,814 --> 00:27:31,149
But those guys,
617
00:27:31,691 --> 00:27:32,942
who were singing about
618
00:27:32,942 --> 00:27:35,528
the highway that was out our window,
619
00:27:35,945 --> 00:27:38,406
that made it incredibly possible.
620
00:27:38,406 --> 00:27:42,202
♪ And I believe in a promised land ♪
621
00:27:43,745 --> 00:27:45,497
{\an8}[audience cheering]
622
00:27:45,497 --> 00:27:48,917
{\an8}[Jon] By the time I was 17,
623
00:27:49,459 --> 00:27:52,796
I was sneaking into those bars
and, and performing
624
00:27:53,672 --> 00:27:55,090
with the Atlantic City Expressway,
625
00:27:55,090 --> 00:27:56,758
my first real band.
626
00:27:56,758 --> 00:27:59,344
[♪ soft upbeat music playing]
627
00:27:59,344 --> 00:28:01,179
The bass player's name was Steve Pretti.
628
00:28:01,179 --> 00:28:03,556
He was one of the three guys
that joined the Navy.
629
00:28:04,599 --> 00:28:05,850
The guy I went to high school with,
630
00:28:05,850 --> 00:28:07,519
by the name of Willie Hercek,
631
00:28:07,519 --> 00:28:08,978
he was really into the whole
632
00:28:08,978 --> 00:28:11,648
Asbury sound and taught me a lot about it.
633
00:28:11,648 --> 00:28:14,734
And he was in the Expressway,
right at the inception.
634
00:28:14,734 --> 00:28:19,781
His father owned a bar in Perth Amboy,
635
00:28:20,532 --> 00:28:23,535
and Willie told me about David.
636
00:28:24,327 --> 00:28:27,205
David's father owned
a surgical supply store
637
00:28:27,205 --> 00:28:29,916
in Perth Amboy and had a van.
638
00:28:29,916 --> 00:28:31,501
I got the gig just because
of the equipment,
639
00:28:31,501 --> 00:28:32,919
and I had a van.
640
00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:35,630
[Jon] He had a Hammond organ in the van.
He's in the band.
641
00:28:35,630 --> 00:28:38,383
I don't care what he looks like
or what he plays, he's in.
642
00:28:38,383 --> 00:28:40,844
And that's when I had
a big Hammond organ like this,
643
00:28:40,844 --> 00:28:42,512
a big Hammond, and I had this piano,
644
00:28:42,512 --> 00:28:44,139
I had all this equipment by then.
645
00:28:44,139 --> 00:28:45,598
He could play.
646
00:28:45,598 --> 00:28:49,269
He was, he was the kid
who took lessons for real.
647
00:28:49,269 --> 00:28:51,938
He was a far better musician than I was.
648
00:28:51,938 --> 00:28:53,523
[David] I'm like, "Great,
where does he live?"
649
00:28:53,523 --> 00:28:54,941
I'm like, "Sayreville." I'm like, "Okay."
650
00:28:54,941 --> 00:28:56,317
It's right across the bridge.
651
00:28:56,317 --> 00:28:57,777
They did a cover band.
652
00:28:57,777 --> 00:28:59,070
They were like Springsteen and Jukes
653
00:28:59,070 --> 00:29:00,363
and a couple originals.
654
00:29:00,363 --> 00:29:02,073
And at the time I knew
655
00:29:02,073 --> 00:29:04,242
Born to Run and We're Having a Party.
656
00:29:04,242 --> 00:29:06,244
And so Dave fit,
657
00:29:06,244 --> 00:29:08,997
you know, we carried
that son of a gun B three
658
00:29:08,997 --> 00:29:11,374
down into the bass player's
mother's house and set it up.
659
00:29:11,374 --> 00:29:13,126
And between that and the horns
660
00:29:13,126 --> 00:29:15,712
and the two loud electric guitars...
661
00:29:16,755 --> 00:29:17,797
it was the sound of a band.
662
00:29:17,797 --> 00:29:20,258
[♪ upbeat music playing]
663
00:29:20,258 --> 00:29:24,596
[David] I wasn't into that kind of
blue-eyed soul and soul music.
664
00:29:24,596 --> 00:29:26,514
And, uh, it just won my heart over.
665
00:29:26,514 --> 00:29:28,767
I was like, "Wow, five horns,
everybody's loud.
666
00:29:28,892 --> 00:29:31,227
There's like 10 people making music."
667
00:29:31,352 --> 00:29:34,731
- [♪ upbeat trumpet music playing]
- [camera clicking]
668
00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:40,028
It was the closest to God-like
I think you could ever get.
669
00:29:40,028 --> 00:29:41,613
I was like, "I need to do this."
670
00:29:42,906 --> 00:29:44,699
♪ I know it's been a long time ♪
671
00:29:44,699 --> 00:29:47,619
[Jon] The Expressways
now playing high school dances
672
00:29:47,619 --> 00:29:51,164
and a bar emulating Southside Johnny.
673
00:29:52,207 --> 00:29:54,250
And fortunately, back in Asbury Park,
674
00:29:54,250 --> 00:29:56,878
in the late '70s and early '80s,
675
00:29:57,045 --> 00:29:59,005
there was a place called The Fast Lane.
676
00:29:59,380 --> 00:30:03,051
And that's where David used to do
his high school homework.
677
00:30:03,051 --> 00:30:04,844
[David] And when we did
the first gig, I was like,
678
00:30:04,844 --> 00:30:07,263
"Wow, he's great. This is great.
679
00:30:07,263 --> 00:30:08,473
"The money's not great.
680
00:30:08,848 --> 00:30:10,975
We got, like, 150 bucks for 10 people."
681
00:30:11,476 --> 00:30:13,645
[Jon] You had gas,
and you had the bar bill.
682
00:30:13,645 --> 00:30:14,938
So there was no money in it,
683
00:30:14,938 --> 00:30:18,024
and that wasn't what any
of us were motivated by.
684
00:30:18,024 --> 00:30:19,567
[David] We had to pay a buck a beer.
685
00:30:19,567 --> 00:30:22,529
So I think I ended up being
in the hole every night.
686
00:30:22,529 --> 00:30:24,113
But I cheated him out of like 10 bucks
687
00:30:24,113 --> 00:30:26,241
for gas money or something,
I was-- Don't tell anybody.
688
00:30:26,241 --> 00:30:27,450
[camera clicks]
689
00:30:27,992 --> 00:30:31,704
[Jon] You know, when you're
that young and naive,
690
00:30:32,413 --> 00:30:34,874
blind faith is enough to get you by.
691
00:30:34,874 --> 00:30:36,459
Alright! Thank you very much.
692
00:30:36,459 --> 00:30:38,127
I'd like to remind you
of the name of the group,
693
00:30:38,127 --> 00:30:39,963
we're the Atlantic City Expressway.
694
00:30:39,963 --> 00:30:41,798
We stole that sign off the highway.
695
00:30:41,798 --> 00:30:42,882
[♪ strums chord]
696
00:30:42,882 --> 00:30:44,968
It was him, officer, it was him.
697
00:30:46,261 --> 00:30:47,929
We would play the Fast Lane,
698
00:30:47,929 --> 00:30:49,889
then we would play up
and down the Jersey Shore.
699
00:30:49,889 --> 00:30:51,558
There was a lot of clubs you could play.
700
00:30:51,558 --> 00:30:54,352
[Jon] And that's when, you know, we'd go
to get the van
701
00:30:54,352 --> 00:30:57,814
{\an8}to fill it with gear
and drive down to do a show.
702
00:30:58,356 --> 00:31:00,608
- [engine rumbling]
- [♪ upbeat music playing]
703
00:31:00,608 --> 00:31:02,026
I'd get done playing,
704
00:31:02,026 --> 00:31:04,195
I'd get all the equipment
and the horn players,
705
00:31:04,654 --> 00:31:07,115
drive back up to Sayreville,
drop them off,
706
00:31:07,115 --> 00:31:09,117
go over the bridge, go into Perth Amboy,
707
00:31:09,826 --> 00:31:12,704
drop all the shit off
into my father's warehouse,
708
00:31:12,704 --> 00:31:15,039
get my car, get back home
at 5:00 in the morning,
709
00:31:15,039 --> 00:31:16,708
and I have to get up
at 7:00 for high school.
710
00:31:16,875 --> 00:31:20,128
[laughing] So I was, uh,
just trying to survive.
711
00:31:21,004 --> 00:31:23,006
[Jon] What was wonderful about my parents
712
00:31:23,006 --> 00:31:25,174
and their support of it was,
713
00:31:25,174 --> 00:31:26,551
they said, "We knew you were in a bar
714
00:31:26,551 --> 00:31:27,886
{\an8}"until 2:00 in the morning,
715
00:31:27,886 --> 00:31:29,929
{\an8}"but at least we knew where you were.
716
00:31:30,388 --> 00:31:32,515
"And if we had seen that you were
717
00:31:32,849 --> 00:31:36,561
"not working at this every day, all day,
718
00:31:36,561 --> 00:31:38,479
"we may have had to step in and say,
719
00:31:38,938 --> 00:31:42,692
"'Wait a minute, son, you have
to go apply for a trade.'"
720
00:31:42,692 --> 00:31:45,403
Saw them at the Fast Lane,
when he was like 17 years old.
721
00:31:45,403 --> 00:31:48,448
And I was very impressed
with his stage presence
722
00:31:48,448 --> 00:31:50,074
and you know, all of that.
723
00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:53,161
He really hadn't found himself yet.
724
00:31:53,161 --> 00:31:55,288
[Jon] If you want anything in this world,
725
00:31:55,288 --> 00:31:57,415
if you want it bad enough,
726
00:31:58,458 --> 00:31:59,751
anything is possible.
727
00:32:00,293 --> 00:32:02,295
I remember we'd have
to walk to high school.
728
00:32:02,295 --> 00:32:03,963
I was always talking about things like,
729
00:32:03,963 --> 00:32:05,840
"This is our tour jacket."
730
00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:07,342
[laughing]
731
00:32:07,342 --> 00:32:10,595
Not so much, you know,
practicing four days a week,
732
00:32:10,595 --> 00:32:12,555
but we need a photo session
733
00:32:12,555 --> 00:32:16,184
and we need to see Southside somewhere.
734
00:32:16,684 --> 00:32:20,313
So all those great memories
of what was Asbury
735
00:32:20,313 --> 00:32:22,732
and what was, uh, original music
736
00:32:22,732 --> 00:32:26,861
and what was a community
of up-and-coming musicians
737
00:32:26,861 --> 00:32:29,364
as well as those who had
already landed record deals.
738
00:32:29,822 --> 00:32:32,992
The pinnacle of all of this
was a record deal.
739
00:32:33,993 --> 00:32:36,996
Once Bruce got his record contract,
740
00:32:36,996 --> 00:32:38,957
all of a sudden, we were more respectable.
741
00:32:38,957 --> 00:32:41,918
And then when Born To Run came out,
742
00:32:42,502 --> 00:32:45,380
all of a sudden, everybody wanted to sign
somebody from New Jersey.
743
00:32:46,172 --> 00:32:48,341
[Jon] In 1979,
744
00:32:48,341 --> 00:32:51,386
I was singing a song off of
745
00:32:51,761 --> 00:32:53,721
that album called
Darkness on the Edge of Town.
746
00:32:54,681 --> 00:32:56,015
And I looked up,
747
00:32:56,557 --> 00:32:58,851
and there's Bruce on stage with me.
748
00:32:58,851 --> 00:33:00,645
[♪ "The Promised Land" resumes playing]
749
00:33:00,645 --> 00:33:02,855
♪ ...dark cloud rising
from the desert floor ♪
750
00:33:02,855 --> 00:33:07,443
♪ I packed my bags
and I'm heading straight into the storm ♪
751
00:33:07,443 --> 00:33:08,945
That was the guy, you know?
752
00:33:08,945 --> 00:33:11,239
And he jumps up
and sings his song with me.
753
00:33:11,239 --> 00:33:14,033
And I like to play.
I like to play, you know?
754
00:33:14,033 --> 00:33:16,661
♪ Blow away the dreams that tear you... ♪
755
00:33:16,661 --> 00:33:18,246
[Bruce Springsteen]
I think that was what--
756
00:33:18,246 --> 00:33:20,832
well, there's some young kid
around here from New Jersey
757
00:33:20,832 --> 00:33:22,625
who's making some kind of noise, you know?
758
00:33:22,625 --> 00:33:24,877
That was the first thing I knew about Jon.
759
00:33:24,877 --> 00:33:26,838
He is a hardworking guy,
you know, put everything
760
00:33:26,838 --> 00:33:28,047
he had into his music.
761
00:33:28,047 --> 00:33:29,841
[David] We did Promised Land.
762
00:33:29,841 --> 00:33:31,926
It was the second verse,
I still have a cassette tape of it.
763
00:33:31,926 --> 00:33:34,262
And it was like, "Oh, my God,
that's Bruce. He's singing with us."
764
00:33:34,262 --> 00:33:38,391
♪ And I believe in a promised land ♪
765
00:33:38,391 --> 00:33:41,019
[Jon] So you go to high school
the next day, needless to say,
766
00:33:41,019 --> 00:33:43,229
you look at the teacher
and you look at the kids and you go...
767
00:33:44,939 --> 00:33:46,190
"I got a story to tell."
768
00:33:46,190 --> 00:33:48,443
And it's a lot better than history class.
769
00:33:48,443 --> 00:33:51,612
Bruce and, and anyone else in that band,
770
00:33:51,612 --> 00:33:53,781
or you know, in that
whole clique down there,
771
00:33:53,781 --> 00:33:58,077
was always very, very,
very supportive of-of myself
772
00:33:58,077 --> 00:33:59,704
and the groups that I played in.
773
00:33:59,704 --> 00:34:01,289
[♪ soft music playing]
774
00:34:01,289 --> 00:34:05,626
It made me even more
single-mindedly focused
775
00:34:06,169 --> 00:34:08,880
that the impossible was well within reach.
776
00:34:09,630 --> 00:34:12,967
Shortly thereafter,
I stopped playing covers.
777
00:34:13,384 --> 00:34:15,553
I stopped being in-in any band
778
00:34:15,553 --> 00:34:17,930
who was gonna rely on playing
other people's material.
779
00:34:18,389 --> 00:34:21,934
In our senior year, then Jon,
uh, then Jon quit.
780
00:34:22,351 --> 00:34:23,478
[air whooshing]
781
00:34:23,478 --> 00:34:26,064
[Jon] By the beginning of 1980,
782
00:34:26,064 --> 00:34:27,857
in my senior year of high school,
783
00:34:27,857 --> 00:34:30,443
I quit my own cover band.
784
00:34:31,319 --> 00:34:33,029
But I said, "I'm out. I have to go.
785
00:34:33,196 --> 00:34:35,531
I gotta go figure this out the right way."
786
00:34:35,990 --> 00:34:38,659
[David] He had a vision to know
that if you're gonna be in a cover band,
787
00:34:38,826 --> 00:34:40,286
you're gonna play somebody else's music.
788
00:34:40,745 --> 00:34:42,205
And if you're an original band,
789
00:34:42,622 --> 00:34:44,499
you're gonna have cover bands
playing your music.
790
00:34:45,208 --> 00:34:46,959
And that's the only road to the future.
791
00:34:46,959 --> 00:34:50,171
[Jon] I joined someone else's band,
wasn't my vision,
792
00:34:50,171 --> 00:34:52,381
wasn't my band, I was just the singer.
793
00:34:53,049 --> 00:34:54,759
I didn't know enough about songwriting
794
00:34:54,759 --> 00:34:56,844
{\an8}and I certainly hadn't written
enough songs yet.
795
00:34:57,428 --> 00:35:01,015
{\an8}So I would rather make no money
and learn the craft
796
00:35:01,015 --> 00:35:03,935
{\an8}because that was the only way
that there'd be longevity.
797
00:35:03,935 --> 00:35:06,062
Songwriting is the hardest thing to do
798
00:35:06,062 --> 00:35:07,647
and the most satisfying.
799
00:35:07,647 --> 00:35:09,273
When you come up
with something that you go,
800
00:35:09,273 --> 00:35:11,067
"Oh, yeah, that's it. That's what I was
801
00:35:11,067 --> 00:35:12,443
trying to say."
802
00:35:12,443 --> 00:35:14,654
Because you have to have an idea,
803
00:35:15,196 --> 00:35:17,615
and you have to have thought
about something, hopefully.
804
00:35:17,615 --> 00:35:19,492
And the deeper you've thought about it,
805
00:35:19,742 --> 00:35:22,453
probably the better your song
is to a certain degree, you know?
806
00:35:22,995 --> 00:35:25,164
{\an8}[Jon] So going and joining someone's band
807
00:35:25,706 --> 00:35:28,501
{\an8}was again, a teachable moment.
808
00:35:28,501 --> 00:35:30,044
A, I didn't know how to do it.
809
00:35:30,044 --> 00:35:32,505
And B, you learn what not to do.
810
00:35:33,005 --> 00:35:37,802
Most importantly,
don't not be a visionary.
811
00:35:38,136 --> 00:35:41,055
There was no way that I could live and die
812
00:35:41,597 --> 00:35:43,307
on someone else's decisions,
813
00:35:43,724 --> 00:35:45,226
and The Rest didn't last very long.
814
00:35:45,935 --> 00:35:49,730
He had that real desire to prove himself,
815
00:35:50,064 --> 00:35:51,941
'cause we had to, you know?
816
00:35:51,941 --> 00:35:54,986
{\an8}We weren't from New York
or LA or whatever.
817
00:35:55,361 --> 00:35:58,072
{\an8}He just had that energy, that edge.
818
00:35:58,447 --> 00:36:00,950
He's gonna make it work. He'll find a way.
819
00:36:01,075 --> 00:36:03,578
I like our audiences to come to see us
820
00:36:04,203 --> 00:36:06,414
and to sweat as much
as I sweat on the stage.
821
00:36:06,414 --> 00:36:08,749
You know? Or if I can get them
to sweat half as much as I do,
822
00:36:08,749 --> 00:36:10,251
I know I've had a successful show.
823
00:36:10,251 --> 00:36:13,838
To me, your heart is,
is 80% of the whole thing.
824
00:36:14,213 --> 00:36:15,882
Thank you. Thank you very much.
825
00:36:15,882 --> 00:36:17,466
Good evening, welcome down
to The Fast Lane.
826
00:36:17,466 --> 00:36:19,427
We'll be here tomorrow night
and every Wednesday night.
827
00:36:19,427 --> 00:36:21,804
Come on down, free admission.
Drinks are a buck.
828
00:36:21,804 --> 00:36:23,806
- Come down this weekend.
- [audience cheering]
829
00:36:23,806 --> 00:36:25,558
You know, there's two
different kind of front men.
830
00:36:25,558 --> 00:36:27,226
There's the guys
that stand there and just go,
831
00:36:27,226 --> 00:36:28,436
"Here's our next song.
832
00:36:29,437 --> 00:36:31,272
Here's our next song. Thank you."
833
00:36:31,272 --> 00:36:32,690
And there are the guys like him that go,
834
00:36:32,857 --> 00:36:34,275
"Tip your bartenders.
How you doing tonight?
835
00:36:34,525 --> 00:36:36,194
"We're gonna get this together.
Put your hands together.
836
00:36:36,194 --> 00:36:38,196
We're gonna be there. We're all together.
Hands up, clap."
837
00:36:38,196 --> 00:36:40,489
Which was, uh, more of the Jersey school
838
00:36:40,698 --> 00:36:42,658
like, you know, a banter
between you and the audience,
839
00:36:42,658 --> 00:36:44,285
and then make the whole thing one.
840
00:36:45,077 --> 00:36:48,748
[Jon] From '79, '80, I'm playing
down in Asbury a lot,
841
00:36:48,748 --> 00:36:50,458
starting with The Expressway
842
00:36:50,458 --> 00:36:52,168
into being the singer of The Rest
843
00:36:52,168 --> 00:36:53,836
to now having my own band.
844
00:36:53,836 --> 00:36:55,504
Writing on my own,
845
00:36:55,504 --> 00:36:58,007
Jon Bongiovi and the Wild Ones is born.
846
00:36:58,716 --> 00:37:00,259
It's not easy 'cause there's no money.
847
00:37:00,259 --> 00:37:01,552
There's not even opportunity
848
00:37:01,552 --> 00:37:03,262
when you're playing original stuff.
849
00:37:03,554 --> 00:37:05,640
You know, you're writing
about cars and girls.
850
00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:06,974
What else was there?
851
00:37:06,974 --> 00:37:09,227
Those of you have, um, seen us before,
852
00:37:09,227 --> 00:37:11,479
I'm very anxious to get down
to the new stuff.
853
00:37:11,479 --> 00:37:13,648
- [crowd cheering]
- This is something new.
854
00:37:13,648 --> 00:37:16,484
This is by the Wild Ones.
This is for the wild ones.
855
00:37:16,484 --> 00:37:18,402
- [audience member] Yeah!
- [Jon] This one's named after the band.
856
00:37:18,402 --> 00:37:20,321
And this one's called The Wild One.
857
00:37:20,321 --> 00:37:22,281
- [audience member 2] Yeah!
- [Jon] And this has gotta be for you.
858
00:37:22,281 --> 00:37:24,867
[♪ upbeat rock music playing]
859
00:37:26,285 --> 00:37:27,870
[David] And at that time, that's when
860
00:37:27,870 --> 00:37:29,121
I was a Wild One
861
00:37:29,121 --> 00:37:30,998
and, um, I graduated high school and
862
00:37:31,165 --> 00:37:32,458
then I was going to Rutgers.
863
00:37:32,458 --> 00:37:34,085
So once again, I found myself
864
00:37:34,085 --> 00:37:35,753
having to go to school again.
865
00:37:37,797 --> 00:37:39,715
[Jon] David was going to college.
866
00:37:39,715 --> 00:37:42,802
His nice Jewish mother
wanted him to be a doctor.
867
00:37:43,261 --> 00:37:45,930
There was no plan B in my life ever.
868
00:37:46,597 --> 00:37:47,974
It was all or nothing.
869
00:37:47,974 --> 00:37:51,352
- Thank you, thank you.
- [crowd cheering]
870
00:37:52,853 --> 00:37:57,400
In September of 1980,
I call a second cousin of mine
871
00:37:57,400 --> 00:37:58,943
{\an8}who was a recording engineer,
872
00:37:58,943 --> 00:38:00,361
{\an8}produced the first Talking Heads record,
873
00:38:00,361 --> 00:38:03,364
{\an8}the first Ramones record,
who had seen The Rest perform.
874
00:38:03,364 --> 00:38:06,200
Had told my dad, "The band stinks,
875
00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,160
but the kid's got
something going for him."
876
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:09,453
Never met the guy,
877
00:38:09,453 --> 00:38:11,956
but obviously curious about my future.
878
00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:14,917
He allowed me to be
a gopher at the Power Station.
879
00:38:14,917 --> 00:38:17,169
I would go run to the bank,
the dry cleaner,
880
00:38:17,169 --> 00:38:21,132
the food pickup, the OTB,
make the horse bets.
881
00:38:21,674 --> 00:38:24,093
Anyone and everyone
would've given their right arm
882
00:38:24,677 --> 00:38:26,137
{\an8}to work at the Power Station.
883
00:38:26,762 --> 00:38:28,222
{\an8}And so sometimes you had to bring girls,
884
00:38:28,222 --> 00:38:29,640
sometimes you had to bring drugs,
885
00:38:29,765 --> 00:38:30,766
sometimes you had to do favors,
886
00:38:30,891 --> 00:38:31,976
sometimes you had to do stuff.
887
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:33,686
And I met Obie there.
888
00:38:34,312 --> 00:38:37,356
He was quite the character,
to say the least. [laughing]
889
00:38:37,898 --> 00:38:40,484
{\an8}I was working at the Power Station.
890
00:38:40,484 --> 00:38:44,613
I was doing projects for Jon's cousin,
Tony Bongiovi.
891
00:38:45,364 --> 00:38:47,283
[Jon] They gave me the opportunity
892
00:38:47,283 --> 00:38:50,077
to-to record on weekends and nights.
893
00:38:50,077 --> 00:38:52,288
[David] So we would go in
at, like, 4:00 in the morning
894
00:38:52,288 --> 00:38:55,791
till 10:00 in the morning
and start doing original songs.
895
00:38:55,791 --> 00:38:57,918
He played songs for me
that he was working on.
896
00:38:58,711 --> 00:39:01,213
And he was so energetic about it.
897
00:39:01,922 --> 00:39:04,300
You know, there are people sometimes
when they walk in the room,
898
00:39:04,300 --> 00:39:05,801
you go, [snaps fingers] "That's somebody."
899
00:39:06,510 --> 00:39:11,098
[Jon] The Power Station was
the epicenter of record making.
900
00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:15,311
I watched through the window
the Rolling Stones.
901
00:39:15,311 --> 00:39:18,356
I saw Queen and Bowie
doing Under Pressure.
902
00:39:18,773 --> 00:39:22,360
To see Kiss, to see Diana Ross.
903
00:39:22,777 --> 00:39:25,363
You know, Stevie Tyler
would let me sit in the studio
904
00:39:25,363 --> 00:39:27,073
one night, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning
905
00:39:27,073 --> 00:39:29,075
and I was the only guy
in there watching him singing.
906
00:39:29,075 --> 00:39:30,534
And that's one of your idols, you know,
907
00:39:30,534 --> 00:39:32,161
watching Aerosmith working on a record.
908
00:39:32,161 --> 00:39:35,706
He just wasn't the cleanup guy.
He asked questions.
909
00:39:35,873 --> 00:39:37,917
He saw how a console worked.
910
00:39:37,917 --> 00:39:39,543
He saw how the engineers worked.
911
00:39:39,543 --> 00:39:42,254
He saw how producers worked.
He took it all in.
912
00:39:42,546 --> 00:39:44,507
And when he was done working
at the studio all day,
913
00:39:44,507 --> 00:39:47,426
he was writing, sleeping,
you know, on the floor.
914
00:39:47,426 --> 00:39:49,595
[Jon] I had a, I don't know
915
00:39:49,595 --> 00:39:51,722
if I had a vision or I was just
916
00:39:51,722 --> 00:39:54,058
more faithful than everyone else,
917
00:39:54,058 --> 00:39:55,851
but that really played into it.
918
00:39:56,644 --> 00:39:59,146
We're going there, I'm doing this.
919
00:40:00,815 --> 00:40:01,816
Who wants to come?
920
00:40:04,402 --> 00:40:08,114
[♪ piano playing]
921
00:40:12,868 --> 00:40:17,289
[Jon vocalizing]
922
00:40:27,174 --> 00:40:29,552
[humidifier humming]
923
00:40:30,594 --> 00:40:32,638
So the purpose of doing that,
924
00:40:33,264 --> 00:40:35,099
so your tongue doesn't get tight
925
00:40:35,724 --> 00:40:38,853
and then it restricts everything else
926
00:40:38,853 --> 00:40:40,438
that covers the larynx.
927
00:40:41,272 --> 00:40:42,982
It's like if you ran a marathon,
928
00:40:42,982 --> 00:40:45,818
would you... walk it off
929
00:40:45,818 --> 00:40:49,155
or would you lay down and go to bed?
930
00:40:49,155 --> 00:40:50,698
The answer is you'd walk it off.
931
00:40:51,198 --> 00:40:53,617
So if you just take 10 or 15 minutes,
932
00:40:53,617 --> 00:40:56,328
do some cool-down exercises like that,
933
00:40:57,204 --> 00:41:00,082
it makes tomorrow morning
a pleasant experience.
934
00:41:02,877 --> 00:41:05,629
[♪ soft music playing]
935
00:41:05,629 --> 00:41:08,674
So everybody feels
physically tired, right?
936
00:41:08,674 --> 00:41:10,843
- [band member] Yeah, yeah.
- [laughter]
937
00:41:10,843 --> 00:41:12,303
- [band member] Yeah.
- [band member 2] Yes.
938
00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:13,804
It's okay, man.
939
00:41:14,555 --> 00:41:16,849
You are not alone, my brother.
940
00:41:16,849 --> 00:41:19,477
- [Jon] Okay.
- I think this is gonna take us a minute...
941
00:41:20,561 --> 00:41:22,396
- [Jon] Gotta check.
- ...to get back into this.
942
00:41:22,396 --> 00:41:25,483
- [band member] Oh, yeah.
- You were standing this whole time.
943
00:41:25,483 --> 00:41:27,860
- Did you sleep last night?
- [Jon] Like a motherfucker.
944
00:41:27,860 --> 00:41:29,528
I think it's a hunt. I think the hunt
945
00:41:29,528 --> 00:41:31,947
of getting alright is draining.
946
00:41:32,990 --> 00:41:34,366
[band member] Day one.
947
00:41:34,366 --> 00:41:35,743
It's also stress.
948
00:41:35,743 --> 00:41:37,745
[Jon] You know me, I wanna sing.
949
00:41:37,745 --> 00:41:40,498
I wanna sing. I wanna sing.
I just wanna make sure...
950
00:41:40,956 --> 00:41:43,542
- [band member] That everybody's tight.
- Yes.
951
00:41:43,542 --> 00:41:45,669
If I'm gonna be tired,
I want to just know that,
952
00:41:45,669 --> 00:41:47,963
you know, I'm not pushing myself
that hard.
953
00:41:47,963 --> 00:41:50,424
[♪ soft music continues]
954
00:41:55,095 --> 00:41:57,139
Would you say though like,
music and touring for you
955
00:41:57,139 --> 00:42:00,935
is the same, sort of,
organizing principle in your life?
956
00:42:01,227 --> 00:42:04,104
[Jon] Well, in as much as you're aware
957
00:42:04,104 --> 00:42:09,401
that it is what you have been
defined by for so long.
958
00:42:10,110 --> 00:42:11,612
But I'm not gonna get any bigger.
959
00:42:12,488 --> 00:42:17,117
So for me, now it's just
maintaining it at a level
960
00:42:17,117 --> 00:42:20,412
that I'm A, having joy,
961
00:42:20,829 --> 00:42:23,123
and B, I'm good at.
962
00:42:24,375 --> 00:42:28,754
But holy fuck have I worked,
I've never worked so hard.
963
00:42:29,755 --> 00:42:32,299
You know, you realize
how easily it came to you...
964
00:42:33,842 --> 00:42:35,511
and then it changes as you get older.
965
00:42:35,511 --> 00:42:37,596
You gotta work so much harder.
966
00:42:38,889 --> 00:42:41,475
It's not definitive
that I'm gonna do a 40th.
967
00:42:42,268 --> 00:42:43,269
[coughs]
968
00:42:43,852 --> 00:42:47,147
It's all a byproduct of for what?
969
00:42:50,109 --> 00:42:52,611
So this is day 13 of rehearsals,
970
00:42:52,611 --> 00:42:54,446
the last day...
971
00:42:55,739 --> 00:42:56,949
of rehearsing.
972
00:42:58,576 --> 00:42:59,702
It's been great.
973
00:43:01,161 --> 00:43:04,957
We've never rehearsed 13 days
for any tour, ever.
974
00:43:04,957 --> 00:43:06,083
[laughs]
975
00:43:08,919 --> 00:43:12,339
[♪ electric guitar playing softly]
976
00:43:12,673 --> 00:43:14,091
One observation.
977
00:43:15,175 --> 00:43:18,512
This show was absolutely sitting
at about 2:40.
978
00:43:20,431 --> 00:43:21,599
We could cut down.
979
00:43:22,433 --> 00:43:25,394
I could cut down a easy 20 minutes
980
00:43:25,519 --> 00:43:28,188
and still give them
way more than they ever thought.
981
00:43:28,188 --> 00:43:29,565
[band member] That's too long, right?
982
00:43:29,565 --> 00:43:31,233
[Jon] It doesn't have
to be that right now.
983
00:43:31,233 --> 00:43:32,693
It can be, but it doesn't have to be.
984
00:43:33,110 --> 00:43:34,486
It's been a number of years
985
00:43:34,486 --> 00:43:37,031
since I was doing those
three-kind-of-hour shows.
986
00:43:37,031 --> 00:43:40,242
It takes a lot of physical
and vocal strength.
987
00:43:40,576 --> 00:43:42,578
We certainly have the catalog of music.
988
00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,414
My aspiration is to get back to that.
989
00:43:45,414 --> 00:43:48,876
[Jon laughing]
990
00:43:48,876 --> 00:43:50,419
[David] I mean, I just turned 60,
991
00:43:50,419 --> 00:43:51,629
Jon and I just turned 60
992
00:43:51,629 --> 00:43:53,172
so we're definitely not young,
993
00:43:53,172 --> 00:43:54,965
but I feel like I'm 18.
994
00:43:54,965 --> 00:43:57,259
You know, it's like eternal.
And then you look on stage
995
00:43:57,259 --> 00:43:59,178
and we all know we have
each other's backs.
996
00:43:59,178 --> 00:44:01,722
- We're together. We're a unit.
- Good.
997
00:44:01,722 --> 00:44:03,682
[David] You know,
you're not up there alone.
998
00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:06,602
[Jon] One other crazy observation,
999
00:44:06,977 --> 00:44:11,440
we could end the set with Prayer
1000
00:44:11,815 --> 00:44:15,027
and have Medicine be just more raucous
1001
00:44:15,027 --> 00:44:17,321
at the very end of the night.
1002
00:44:17,321 --> 00:44:18,947
- You know? Um...
- [David] I'll switch 'em.
1003
00:44:18,947 --> 00:44:21,200
I like that idea
That's a good idea
1004
00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,161
Whole Lot Of Leavin' and Lost Highway
I feel like they're in the same, kinda...
1005
00:44:24,161 --> 00:44:25,954
- [Jon imitates explosion]
- space
1006
00:44:25,954 --> 00:44:27,164
[Jon] It was that, to me was where
1007
00:44:27,164 --> 00:44:29,249
I thought there might have been a lull,
1008
00:44:29,416 --> 00:44:31,585
- but they're both so easy to sing.
- Yes
1009
00:44:32,336 --> 00:44:35,631
And then, the potential
of doing This House, Prayer,
1010
00:44:35,631 --> 00:44:37,257
and then Love's the Only Rule, Medicine,
1011
00:44:37,257 --> 00:44:39,510
then they're like,
show-stopping, fun, upbeat,
1012
00:44:39,510 --> 00:44:40,844
bit of a boom, boom, you know?
1013
00:44:42,471 --> 00:44:44,056
Okay, let's warm up a bit.
1014
00:44:47,059 --> 00:44:49,019
[David] That first week,
we started working songs
1015
00:44:49,019 --> 00:44:50,896
and working songs,
and everything was tired
1016
00:44:51,522 --> 00:44:53,691
'cause it was-- Jon was going
through his challenges
1017
00:44:53,691 --> 00:44:56,735
and he had to figure it out for himself.
1018
00:44:57,361 --> 00:44:59,697
Second week is a little less exhausting.
1019
00:45:00,406 --> 00:45:02,741
Third week was like, "Okay, I'm good."
1020
00:45:02,741 --> 00:45:04,034
[♪ uplifting music playing]
1021
00:45:04,410 --> 00:45:08,664
[Jon] I don't need adulation.
That's not what fuels me.
1022
00:45:08,831 --> 00:45:11,375
It's changed with time, you know,
1023
00:45:11,375 --> 00:45:13,085
and a better understanding of who you are,
1024
00:45:13,085 --> 00:45:15,504
why you did things, and why you continue
to do things,
1025
00:45:15,504 --> 00:45:18,382
when you get to a level
that is much deeper
1026
00:45:18,382 --> 00:45:20,008
than girls and guitars.
1027
00:45:21,427 --> 00:45:23,220
[David] You know, we're still standing.
1028
00:45:23,220 --> 00:45:25,472
We're one of the biggest bands
in the world. It keeps happening.
1029
00:45:25,472 --> 00:45:27,850
And I'm fortunate because
that's a blessing to me,
1030
00:45:27,850 --> 00:45:30,436
is that you get to keep doing
what you love to do
1031
00:45:30,436 --> 00:45:34,273
and you don't have
to either fizzle out or retire.
1032
00:45:35,065 --> 00:45:36,567
It's really so joyful
1033
00:45:36,567 --> 00:45:38,736
to do what you're made to do and love.
1034
00:45:40,821 --> 00:45:45,200
[Jon] Forty years doing anything
is reason to pause
1035
00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:48,412
and to acknowledge and to celebrate,
1036
00:45:48,829 --> 00:45:52,624
to look around at those
who helped you along the way.
1037
00:45:52,624 --> 00:45:54,668
And there are hundreds of them
1038
00:45:55,502 --> 00:45:57,963
that all helped tell this story today.
1039
00:45:58,589 --> 00:46:01,216
You know, I'm just
the ringleader in that circus.
1040
00:46:03,844 --> 00:46:06,054
[♪ uplifting music crescendo]
1041
00:46:08,056 --> 00:46:09,516
Rock and roll has not been
1042
00:46:09,516 --> 00:46:11,602
a parent's favorite thing since Elvis,
1043
00:46:11,602 --> 00:46:13,812
but, uh, remind your parents
that they were kids
1044
00:46:13,812 --> 00:46:16,064
when Elvis and The Beatles were, uh, big,
1045
00:46:16,064 --> 00:46:17,858
you know, current stars.
1046
00:46:17,858 --> 00:46:20,360
When you guys all grow up
and your kids look at you
1047
00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:22,696
and they go, "Who was that Bon Jovi band?
1048
00:46:22,696 --> 00:46:24,698
You know, those old guys with long hair?"
1049
00:46:24,907 --> 00:46:27,534
- We can all have a laugh over this...
- [crowd cheering]
1050
00:46:27,534 --> 00:46:30,120
...and, you know, they have to,
they have to understand
1051
00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:31,747
that, that rock and roll is,
1052
00:46:31,747 --> 00:46:34,041
is our way of, uh, of letting out
1053
00:46:34,041 --> 00:46:36,668
a lot of excess energy, you know?
1054
00:46:38,378 --> 00:46:41,715
As a kid, I was taking
the New Jersey Transit bus
1055
00:46:41,715 --> 00:46:42,966
into New York City.
1056
00:46:43,217 --> 00:46:44,218
And I was observant.
1057
00:46:44,593 --> 00:46:47,221
There was a lot of kids
workin' the street.
1058
00:46:47,221 --> 00:46:49,765
You know, New York was pretty
rough and tumble back then,
1059
00:46:49,765 --> 00:46:52,017
and there was a lot of street walkers.
1060
00:46:53,185 --> 00:46:55,854
So, Runaway was an observation.
1061
00:46:56,396 --> 00:46:59,066
That was just one of, you know, a bunch of
songs I had written
1062
00:46:59,066 --> 00:47:00,651
or co-written at that time.
1063
00:47:01,401 --> 00:47:03,320
{\an8}And I didn't have a band.
1064
00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:06,573
We had done, uh, Runaway
in the studio with, uh...
1065
00:47:06,573 --> 00:47:08,033
[sings] ♪ Da, da, da, da, da, da, da ♪
1066
00:47:08,033 --> 00:47:09,576
You know, I came up with that.
1067
00:47:10,369 --> 00:47:12,830
Jon went back in and, and recorded it.
1068
00:47:12,830 --> 00:47:15,457
[Jon] I recorded it at the Power Station
1069
00:47:15,457 --> 00:47:18,043
with a bunch of cats, as we call them.
1070
00:47:18,043 --> 00:47:20,796
[Bruce] The first demo I got
of Jon's was a good song.
1071
00:47:20,796 --> 00:47:25,217
I mean, Jon's great talent
is these big, powerful,
1072
00:47:25,217 --> 00:47:28,929
pop rock choruses
that just demand to be sung
1073
00:47:28,929 --> 00:47:31,265
by, you know, 20,000 people in an arena.
1074
00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:33,642
[David] And then took
that and shopped that around
1075
00:47:33,642 --> 00:47:34,810
to the record companies.
1076
00:47:34,810 --> 00:47:36,186
It was Jon, it wasn't--
1077
00:47:36,186 --> 00:47:37,813
there wasn't a band, it just was him.
1078
00:47:37,813 --> 00:47:39,898
[♪ "Runaway" by Bon Jovi playing]
1079
00:47:39,898 --> 00:47:41,859
[Jon] Sent Runaway out
to anyone and everyone.
1080
00:47:41,859 --> 00:47:45,320
To managers, labels, production companies.
1081
00:47:45,737 --> 00:47:47,781
I-I think it was 11 record companies then,
1082
00:47:47,781 --> 00:47:49,241
and everybody said no.
1083
00:47:51,410 --> 00:47:53,412
[Jon] Nobody returns a phone call.
1084
00:47:53,412 --> 00:47:56,206
Nobody answers a letter. Nothing.
1085
00:47:56,874 --> 00:48:00,294
So it was just this kid
knocking on doors with no luck.
1086
00:48:00,294 --> 00:48:01,962
I finally said, "Listen, I've gotta see
1087
00:48:01,962 --> 00:48:04,214
"if I'm way off the mark here
1088
00:48:04,214 --> 00:48:06,758
and should consider another,
you know, form of work."
1089
00:48:06,758 --> 00:48:09,261
And at that time, my frustration,
1090
00:48:09,636 --> 00:48:12,389
a light bulb moment happened, and I said,
1091
00:48:12,389 --> 00:48:15,601
"Who's the loneliest man
in the music business?"
1092
00:48:15,601 --> 00:48:16,977
[announcer] [on radio] Rock 104.
1093
00:48:16,977 --> 00:48:18,228
[Jon] The DJ.
1094
00:48:18,228 --> 00:48:20,731
Because he's probably in a dark room
1095
00:48:21,315 --> 00:48:25,319
talking into a microphone,
preaching the gospel of music,
1096
00:48:25,319 --> 00:48:27,821
telling you to listen
to this band and this song.
1097
00:48:27,821 --> 00:48:31,617
And there was a new radio station
in New York City.
1098
00:48:31,617 --> 00:48:32,868
[announcer] [on radio] WAPP.
1099
00:48:32,868 --> 00:48:34,703
[Jon] WAPP.
1100
00:48:34,703 --> 00:48:38,999
[announcer] WAPP is the Apple's,
New York's newest FM.
1101
00:48:38,999 --> 00:48:40,626
Rock on the summer.
1102
00:48:40,876 --> 00:48:42,127
[Jon] It was so new
1103
00:48:42,127 --> 00:48:43,629
they didn't have a receptionist.
1104
00:48:45,047 --> 00:48:46,506
And fortunately for me,
1105
00:48:46,506 --> 00:48:48,717
a young guy by the name of John Lastman
1106
00:48:48,717 --> 00:48:51,970
and a guy named Chip Hobart,
who was the DJ on the air.
1107
00:48:51,970 --> 00:48:54,473
[Chip Hobart] [on radio]
This is Chip Hobart at 4 o'clock.
1108
00:48:54,473 --> 00:48:55,807
[Jon] He says, "Well, you're in luck,
1109
00:48:56,308 --> 00:48:58,352
"because we want to do a homegrown record
1110
00:48:58,352 --> 00:49:00,354
of local talent."
1111
00:49:00,354 --> 00:49:02,189
{\an8}I played him Runaway, and he said,
1112
00:49:02,189 --> 00:49:03,523
{\an8}"That's a hit song."
1113
00:49:03,523 --> 00:49:05,442
{\an8}And I said, "I know!"
1114
00:49:05,442 --> 00:49:08,904
{\an8}[David] And of course APP
is gonna promote themselves.
1115
00:49:08,904 --> 00:49:12,282
So they started playing
hometown heroes from New York.
1116
00:49:12,282 --> 00:49:13,700
[♪ intense music playing]
1117
00:49:14,159 --> 00:49:15,911
[Jon] But the miracle
of miracles happened.
1118
00:49:15,911 --> 00:49:17,746
Doubleday, the book publisher,
1119
00:49:17,746 --> 00:49:21,708
they owned eight radio stations
in some big markets.
1120
00:49:22,376 --> 00:49:23,585
They started playing Runaway
1121
00:49:23,585 --> 00:49:25,295
on all eight stations.
1122
00:49:25,295 --> 00:49:26,880
[changing radio channels]
1123
00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:28,757
[David] And all of a sudden,
from getting turned down
1124
00:49:28,757 --> 00:49:30,092
by every record company,
1125
00:49:30,092 --> 00:49:32,844
we were the most requested song
1126
00:49:32,844 --> 00:49:34,262
'cause everybody's calling up,
1127
00:49:34,262 --> 00:49:35,973
"Who's this Bon Jo--
What is this? What is this?
1128
00:49:35,973 --> 00:49:37,808
We want to hear this,
we want to hear this."
1129
00:49:37,933 --> 00:49:39,643
[Jon] So now all those same record guys
1130
00:49:39,643 --> 00:49:41,770
that had that cassette on their desk
1131
00:49:42,187 --> 00:49:43,397
went looking for it.
1132
00:49:43,939 --> 00:49:45,232
And lo and behold...
1133
00:49:46,108 --> 00:49:47,275
it was me.
1134
00:49:47,776 --> 00:49:49,361
♪ On the street where you live ♪
1135
00:49:49,361 --> 00:49:51,613
♪ Girls talk about their social lives ♪
1136
00:49:51,613 --> 00:49:55,033
So, they'd come and see
what was ultimately,
1137
00:49:55,033 --> 00:49:56,535
you know, the band.
1138
00:49:58,870 --> 00:50:01,540
{\an8}I had the band together for what was meant
to be three weeks
1139
00:50:01,540 --> 00:50:03,250
{\an8}of let me promote this
1140
00:50:03,250 --> 00:50:05,919
{\an8}so I can make $100, $200 a night, now
1141
00:50:05,919 --> 00:50:07,129
{\an8}as an original band.
1142
00:50:07,129 --> 00:50:08,422
♪ Living in another world ♪
1143
00:50:08,422 --> 00:50:10,716
♪ Trying to get your message through ♪
1144
00:50:12,384 --> 00:50:13,969
It was meant to be three weeks,
1145
00:50:13,969 --> 00:50:15,387
not 40 years.
1146
00:50:15,637 --> 00:50:17,597
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to greet
some gentlemen
1147
00:50:17,597 --> 00:50:18,765
who are from New Jersey.
1148
00:50:18,765 --> 00:50:20,058
Their tours I'm sure will take them
1149
00:50:20,058 --> 00:50:21,309
all over the world
1150
00:50:21,309 --> 00:50:23,812
before this year is up,
please greet Bon Jovi.
1151
00:50:23,812 --> 00:50:25,897
[crowd cheering]
1152
00:50:25,897 --> 00:50:29,568
♪ Ooh, she's a little runaway ♪
1153
00:50:31,486 --> 00:50:33,572
♪ Daddy's girl learned fast ♪
1154
00:50:33,572 --> 00:50:35,615
♪ All those things she couldn't say ♪
1155
00:50:37,951 --> 00:50:42,247
♪ Ooh, she's a little runaway ♪
1156
00:50:42,247 --> 00:50:45,751
[Jon] I'd asked Dave who was
still going to school...
1157
00:50:45,751 --> 00:50:47,335
And I says,
"Well, here's what I want to do.
1158
00:50:47,335 --> 00:50:48,545
"You know, I wanna get the band together
1159
00:50:48,545 --> 00:50:49,921
and this is gonna be like the band."
1160
00:50:49,921 --> 00:50:52,382
And he says, "Okay." He quit school.
1161
00:50:52,799 --> 00:50:54,718
[David] I said, "Listen, I love pre-med,
1162
00:50:54,718 --> 00:50:57,054
but I'll give this, like, a year."
1163
00:50:57,554 --> 00:50:59,848
It looks like it's way more fun
than being a doctor.
1164
00:51:00,682 --> 00:51:03,560
[Jon] I asked Alec John Such
who sang his ass off
1165
00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:06,563
and was in a cover band
that was making $3,000 a night.
1166
00:51:06,563 --> 00:51:08,815
I had seen Alec play in Phantom's Opera,
1167
00:51:08,815 --> 00:51:11,151
which was a huge club band in Germany.
1168
00:51:11,151 --> 00:51:13,403
Told Dave about him and he agreed.
1169
00:51:13,403 --> 00:51:17,115
Alec was a great bass player,
really cool-looking dude.
1170
00:51:17,115 --> 00:51:18,742
He had, he had the shit on his chin,
1171
00:51:18,742 --> 00:51:21,787
smoked these little
brown menthol cigarettes,
1172
00:51:21,787 --> 00:51:24,247
and you just looked at Al and you go,
"That motherfucking guy's cool."
1173
00:51:24,915 --> 00:51:26,333
[Jon] I asked Tico Torres,
1174
00:51:26,333 --> 00:51:28,210
who was in a band called
Frankie and The Knockouts
1175
00:51:28,210 --> 00:51:29,878
who had a record deal.
1176
00:51:29,878 --> 00:51:31,922
He was married, he had a house,
he was on the road.
1177
00:51:32,297 --> 00:51:33,590
[Tico Torres] I did own a house.
1178
00:51:33,590 --> 00:51:36,343
{\an8}And, uh, eventually,
i-it destroyed that marriage.
1179
00:51:36,343 --> 00:51:38,637
{\an8}But I don't think I should have
been married at that time anyway.
1180
00:51:38,637 --> 00:51:40,222
♪ She's a little runaway ♪
1181
00:51:40,222 --> 00:51:42,015
[Jon] I used to go see him play.
1182
00:51:42,015 --> 00:51:45,393
I was in awe of Tico Torres as a drummer.
1183
00:51:45,393 --> 00:51:48,897
[Tico] I initially met Jon,
the first time I heard from him was Alec.
1184
00:51:48,897 --> 00:51:51,233
And I knew him since I was 15.
1185
00:51:51,233 --> 00:51:53,568
I lost my virginity
at his house for God's sake.
1186
00:51:53,568 --> 00:51:56,238
{\an8}I remember I'd seen Tico, like,
two days before and he said...
1187
00:51:56,238 --> 00:51:58,532
{\an8}[in gruff voice]
"Yeah, we'll jam together." You know?
1188
00:51:58,532 --> 00:52:00,784
[normal] And so, he-- Jon said, Jon said,
1189
00:52:00,784 --> 00:52:02,494
"You know, get him down."
1190
00:52:02,494 --> 00:52:04,412
I called him, I said,
"Tico, remember you said
1191
00:52:04,412 --> 00:52:06,206
we're gonna jam together? We're gonna."
1192
00:52:06,206 --> 00:52:07,666
[Tico] John came over and
1193
00:52:07,666 --> 00:52:09,417
played me his tape of Runaway
1194
00:52:09,417 --> 00:52:11,169
and we had a little jam session.
1195
00:52:11,670 --> 00:52:13,046
I said, "This kid's a star."
1196
00:52:13,046 --> 00:52:14,965
I mean, he had an aura about him.
1197
00:52:14,965 --> 00:52:17,384
I saw him and I says,
"Look at this guy go."
1198
00:52:17,384 --> 00:52:19,719
And I'm looking like this,
I'm playing the drums, going,
1199
00:52:19,719 --> 00:52:21,930
"This kid's got something,"
you know, the chicks loved his butt.
1200
00:52:21,930 --> 00:52:24,099
I says, "Alright,
I'm gonna hang with this."
1201
00:52:24,099 --> 00:52:25,350
[all laughing]
1202
00:52:25,350 --> 00:52:27,060
He was the best drummer I ever saw
1203
00:52:27,060 --> 00:52:28,270
or played with in my life.
1204
00:52:28,270 --> 00:52:29,437
And still is.
1205
00:52:29,437 --> 00:52:30,689
I was looking at him like,
1206
00:52:30,689 --> 00:52:32,566
"He's the baddest motherfucker
in the land."
1207
00:52:32,566 --> 00:52:34,109
We're allowed to curse, aren't we?
1208
00:52:34,401 --> 00:52:35,902
[Dick Clark] Let me jump in the middle.
1209
00:52:35,902 --> 00:52:37,529
You guys gather around
like a football huddle.
1210
00:52:37,529 --> 00:52:39,156
How did you meet Richie to begin with?
1211
00:52:39,156 --> 00:52:40,991
Richie was in the audience
one night at a show
1212
00:52:40,991 --> 00:52:42,784
- while the other four of us were playing.
- Yeah.
1213
00:52:42,784 --> 00:52:43,910
And he came up to me and says,
1214
00:52:43,910 --> 00:52:45,579
"I want to be your lead guitar player."
1215
00:52:45,579 --> 00:52:47,873
- What, are you crazy?
- Uh, no.
1216
00:52:47,873 --> 00:52:49,791
This is now how
to ingratiate yourself to people
1217
00:52:49,791 --> 00:52:51,459
and say, "I'm gonna be
the lead guitarist."
1218
00:52:51,459 --> 00:52:52,711
Dick, it worked.
1219
00:52:52,711 --> 00:52:54,379
- [laughter]
- Right.
1220
00:52:54,796 --> 00:52:56,339
[Jon] Alec, who was also
1221
00:52:56,339 --> 00:52:58,842
in an original band with Richie, said,
1222
00:52:58,842 --> 00:53:00,260
"You gotta see this guy.
1223
00:53:00,260 --> 00:53:01,720
There's something about this guy."
1224
00:53:01,720 --> 00:53:03,388
[Richie Sambora]
Alec had called me up and said,
1225
00:53:03,388 --> 00:53:04,931
"I'm playing with this new band, you know,
1226
00:53:04,931 --> 00:53:06,308
"Jon Bongiovi and the Wild Ones.
1227
00:53:06,308 --> 00:53:07,434
Come down and see the band."
1228
00:53:07,434 --> 00:53:08,560
So I said, "Yeah, sure."
1229
00:53:08,560 --> 00:53:11,271
And after hearing him play
1230
00:53:11,271 --> 00:53:13,398
and talking a bit, you know,
1231
00:53:13,398 --> 00:53:15,317
we found we were really
on the same track, you know?
1232
00:53:15,317 --> 00:53:17,569
[interviewer] And the rest,
as they say, is history.
1233
00:53:17,569 --> 00:53:19,070
- The rest is history.
- [Tico] He walked in and says,
1234
00:53:19,070 --> 00:53:20,530
"I'm your new guitar player."
1235
00:53:20,530 --> 00:53:21,948
That's what I did. I was very cocky.
1236
00:53:21,948 --> 00:53:24,534
[♪ "Get Ready" by Bon Jovi playing]
1237
00:53:26,995 --> 00:53:28,288
{\an8}[Jon] We immediately hit it off.
1238
00:53:28,288 --> 00:53:30,457
I knew that this guy
was incredibly talented.
1239
00:53:30,874 --> 00:53:33,460
He could play, he could sing,
he could write,
1240
00:53:33,460 --> 00:53:36,046
and I thought he would be
an incredible complement.
1241
00:53:37,255 --> 00:53:38,924
[Tico] There was a combination of,
1242
00:53:38,924 --> 00:53:42,010
it was all of us playing together
that clicked.
1243
00:53:42,010 --> 00:53:45,096
But Jon and Richie,
their vocal styles together
1244
00:53:45,096 --> 00:53:46,598
made its own style.
1245
00:53:47,015 --> 00:53:48,350
You know, you could say, there's-there's
1246
00:53:48,350 --> 00:53:49,517
Simon and Garfunkel,
1247
00:53:49,517 --> 00:53:51,853
there's, uh, Lennon, McCartney,
1248
00:53:51,853 --> 00:53:53,480
certain voices just go together.
1249
00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:54,814
And that had a magic to it.
1250
00:53:55,148 --> 00:53:57,651
♪ You need someone to make it last ♪
1251
00:53:57,817 --> 00:53:59,903
[Obie] The energy of the band,
1252
00:54:00,487 --> 00:54:01,863
undeniable,
1253
00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:04,199
like a freight train coming at you.
1254
00:54:04,532 --> 00:54:09,329
But Jon and Richie
singing together, magic.
1255
00:54:10,038 --> 00:54:12,666
[Jon] The song Runaway
that really started it all.
1256
00:54:12,666 --> 00:54:13,875
It triggered the whole thing.
1257
00:54:13,875 --> 00:54:15,585
But that was basically because
1258
00:54:15,585 --> 00:54:17,629
of, of that hometown record.
1259
00:54:18,004 --> 00:54:20,715
{\an8}We would've won that national contest.
1260
00:54:20,715 --> 00:54:22,676
But I pulled out
because fortunately by then
1261
00:54:22,676 --> 00:54:24,427
I had so much interest from
1262
00:54:24,427 --> 00:54:25,762
a couple of labels
1263
00:54:25,762 --> 00:54:27,097
that we didn't need it.
1264
00:54:27,514 --> 00:54:29,266
{\an8}[David] And we signed with PolyGram,
1265
00:54:29,266 --> 00:54:30,767
{\an8}thank God he had the vision.
1266
00:54:30,767 --> 00:54:32,269
And I just was like, I said,
1267
00:54:32,269 --> 00:54:33,353
"You charge the hill,
1268
00:54:33,353 --> 00:54:34,562
I'm behind you charging with you."
1269
00:54:34,562 --> 00:54:36,398
[Jon] I had laid down months
1270
00:54:36,398 --> 00:54:38,149
into years of groundwork,
1271
00:54:38,149 --> 00:54:40,151
you know, trying to get that major label
1272
00:54:40,151 --> 00:54:41,444
and making the contact.
1273
00:54:41,444 --> 00:54:43,405
When it broke nationally,
1274
00:54:43,405 --> 00:54:45,532
it was by a guy named Jon Bongiovi.
1275
00:54:45,532 --> 00:54:47,325
There was no band, there was no manager,
1276
00:54:47,325 --> 00:54:49,077
{\an8}there wasn't anything at the time.
1277
00:54:49,077 --> 00:54:50,787
Now, if somebody ran up
to you in a bar and said,
1278
00:54:50,787 --> 00:54:51,955
"What's your name," you'd say?
1279
00:54:51,955 --> 00:54:53,081
Jon Bon Jovi.
1280
00:54:53,081 --> 00:54:54,708
It was someone at the record company
1281
00:54:55,166 --> 00:55:00,005
who had suggested
in the way that Van Halen,
1282
00:55:00,338 --> 00:55:03,258
Bon Jovi, two words, could work.
1283
00:55:03,258 --> 00:55:04,676
{\an8}[David] Van Halen had Jump,
1284
00:55:04,676 --> 00:55:07,178
{\an8}the first time a guitar band
had a keyboard song.
1285
00:55:07,178 --> 00:55:09,389
Number one song and they broke up,
1286
00:55:09,389 --> 00:55:11,308
which is not what you do.
1287
00:55:11,308 --> 00:55:13,768
That left a big hole in the world
1288
00:55:13,768 --> 00:55:16,021
for, like, here we had a keyboard song,
1289
00:55:16,021 --> 00:55:17,731
we had a great-looking front man
1290
00:55:17,731 --> 00:55:20,108
who could sing his ass off and entertain.
1291
00:55:20,108 --> 00:55:22,610
We had the guitar-slinging guy
who could do it.
1292
00:55:24,070 --> 00:55:26,072
{\an8}There was like
a little bit of a hole there.
1293
00:55:26,072 --> 00:55:27,490
And then we just came right in.
1294
00:55:27,490 --> 00:55:31,328
- Show 'em!
- Look, it's my favorite band!
1295
00:55:31,328 --> 00:55:34,247
[all cheering]
1296
00:55:34,247 --> 00:55:36,833
- Oh, nice work.
- Cute kid, huh?
1297
00:55:36,833 --> 00:55:38,043
[band member] Look at that.
1298
00:55:38,043 --> 00:55:39,127
[excited chatter]
1299
00:55:39,919 --> 00:55:41,713
[Jon] Where's the video?
1300
00:55:42,172 --> 00:55:43,882
And so we made that first record...
1301
00:55:46,051 --> 00:55:47,302
and the adventure began.
1302
00:55:48,428 --> 00:55:50,972
[foot tapping]
1303
00:55:50,972 --> 00:55:54,476
[♪ electric guitar playing]
1304
00:56:01,983 --> 00:56:03,818
[camera assistant]
Richie Sambora IV, take one.
1305
00:56:03,818 --> 00:56:07,947
[♪ electric guitar playing]
1306
00:56:09,741 --> 00:56:10,992
[interviewer] I'm excited for this.
1307
00:56:10,992 --> 00:56:13,119
I'm-- Hey, I'm excited.
1308
00:56:13,620 --> 00:56:15,497
Are we telling the truth
or are we gonna lie?
1309
00:56:15,497 --> 00:56:17,874
What are we gonna do?
Let's-let's-let's figure it out.
1310
00:56:17,874 --> 00:56:20,627
♪ She's a little runaway ♪
1311
00:56:20,627 --> 00:56:23,505
[♪ "Runaway" by Bon Jovi resumes playing]
1312
00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:30,345
♪
1313
00:56:51,908 --> 00:56:55,912
♪ No one heard a single word you said ♪
1314
00:56:57,664 --> 00:57:00,500
♪ They should have seen it in your eyes ♪
1315
00:57:00,917 --> 00:57:03,503
♪ What was going around your head ♪
1316
00:57:05,296 --> 00:57:09,384
♪ Ooh, she's a little runaway ♪
1317
00:57:10,718 --> 00:57:12,846
♪ Daddy's girl learned fast ♪
1318
00:57:12,846 --> 00:57:15,056
♪ All those things she couldn't say ♪
1319
00:57:17,809 --> 00:57:22,021
♪ Ooh, she's a little runaway ♪
1320
00:57:23,148 --> 00:57:25,150
♪ Daddy's girl learned fast ♪
1321
00:57:25,442 --> 00:57:27,485
♪ Now she works the night away ♪
1322
00:57:29,070 --> 00:57:31,281
[♪ song fades out]
1323
00:57:31,281 --> 00:57:33,908
[♪ soft music playing]
1324
00:57:59,642 --> 00:58:02,854
[♪ soft music continues]
1325
00:58:30,507 --> 00:58:33,927
[♪ soft music continues]
1326
00:58:55,240 --> 00:58:56,574
[♪ music fades out]
109855
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.