Bon Jovi celebrate the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut album

'Bon Jovi' featured the enduring single 'Runaway'

Bon Jovi in 1984
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 25th Jan 2024

Bon Jovi are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut album ‘Bon Jovi’ with a deluxe reissue containing unreleased studio recordings.

Originally released on 21st January 1984, ‘Bon Jovi’ sold over two million copies in the band’s native US and it opened with their enduringly popular debut single ‘Runaway’, which was the springboard for their future success.

Commemorating its four-decade landmark, ‘Bon Jovi Deluxe Edition’ is available to listen to on streaming platforms right now.

An exclusive limited-edition ruby colour vinyl LP is then released on Friday 24th March and a limited-edition cassette follows two weeks later on Friday 5th April.

Bon Jovi - 'Bon Jovi' vinyl reissue

‘Bon Jovi Deluxe Edition’ boasts the remastered original album in addition to nine bonus tracks, including unreleased studio recordings and four rare live cuts.

Eponymous band founder and frontman Jon Bon Jovi co-produced the album alongside long-time sound engineer Obie O’Brien, who also mixed the bonus material.

The live tracks – ‘Roulette’, ‘Runaway’, ‘Breakout’ and ‘Get Ready’ - were recorded during the Bon Jovi’s 1985 shows in Tokyo, which were first available on the CD release 'Bon Jovi: Special Edition' 14 years ago.

This expanded digital version showcases the evolution of ‘Runaway’—from Jon’s original cassette writing demo, the band’s early run-through and a full alternate take, to an extended version of the band’s first hit with a ripping second guitar lead.

It also features an early incarnation of ‘Come Back’ where Jon sings his idea for a guitar solo.

Earlier this week it was announced that the first-ever official documentary series about Bon Jovi’s history, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, will stream on Disney+ in the UK from Friday 26th April 2024.

It’s also reported that Richie Sambora will reunite with Jon Bon Jovi when the singer picks up his MusiCares Person of the Year award in Los Angeles on Friday 2nd February. However, there has been no official word from Bon Jovi’s camp or The Grammys.

Bon Jovi: Deluxe Edition tracklist:

Original remastered album:

Runaway

Roulette

She Don’t Know Me

Shot Through The Heart

Love Lies

Breakout

Burning For Love

Come Back

Get Ready

Bonus tracks:

Runaway (cassette writing demo) 2:14

Runaway (pre-production studio demo) 4:08

Runaway (alternate version) 4:18

Runaway (extended version-2024 mix) 4:42

Come Back (reference vocal version) 4:15

Roulette (Tokyo Live ’85-Obie O’Brien mix) 5:38

Breakout (Tokyo Live ’85-Obie O’Brien mix) 7:06

Runaway (Tokyo Live ’85-Obie O’Brien mix) 5:17

Get Ready (Tokyo Live ’85-Obie O’Brien mix) 7:03

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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