Jon Bon Jovi says he's embarrassed by the 'horrible' music video for Bon Jovi's 'Runaway'
He doesn't hold back
Jon Bon Jovi has lambasted the 1984 music video for Bon Jovi’s debut single ‘Runaway’, saying it’s “horrible” and embarrassing to watch.
During an interview on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live on Monday 1st May, Jon Bon Jovi was asked if he has a favourite music video from Bon Jovi’s four-decade career.
"We were smart enough by the third album (1986’s ‘Slippery When Wet’), it took three albums to figure out: just promote the live show with a video,” Jon explained.
“So, by 'You Give Love a Bad Name,' 'Livin’ on a Prayer,' 'Wanted Dead or Alive,' those are really just performance videos and that's when we realised this is all that matters."
Despite his praise for the videos Bon Jovi’s biggest hits, Jon was less than complimentary about their early 80s videos – and in particular breakthrough song ‘Runaway'.
Directed by Mike Cuesta, the ‘Runaway’ video is set against the backdrop of a nuclear disaster, and it couples this with the story arc of a teenage girl, played by Jennifer Gatti, seemingly wanting to run away from her parents.
Bon Jovi also appear in the video, belting out the track in a post-radioactive catastrophe landscape while shrouded in dry ice.
Reflecting on the video, Jon said: “When I think back that 'Runaway'.... when we made a video, ‘Wait a minute, I just learned to play the guitar and write a song. You want me to be a filmmaker? What the hell do I know.'
"I fell for it hook, line and sinker, and the stupid record company with the stupid video director who says Fahrenheit 451 (when the album was called ‘7800 Fahrenheit’) or whatever with his niece starring in the video, it's like Jesus God. You want to embarrass me?! Tie me to a chair and make me watch videos from my first two albums."
Singling out ‘Runaway’ once again, Jon Bon Jovi continued: "Horrible. Horrible. And the second album, same kind of thing, and then by the third album we were like, 'Wait a minute. Let us just film us performing,' and boom! Everything changed."
The real names of 100 rock stars:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.
Lexxi Foxx’s real name: Travis Haley
Jet Black’s real name: Brian John Duffy
Buddy Holly’s real name: Charles Hardin Holley
Elvis Costello’s real name: Declan Patrick McManus
Rikki Rockett’s real name: Richard Allan Ream
Blackie Lawless' real name: Steven Edward Duren
Maxim's real name: Keith Andrew Palmer
Rat Scabies' real name: Christopher John Millar
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