Even though the music industry is fiercely competitive, artists find ways to support each other, as they’re all part of the same artistic community. As a result, exciting stories emerge thanks to those numerous interactions. During a Q&A session with fans during this year’s KISS Kruise, Paul Stanley revealed how he helped Bon Jovi to make their breakthrough with the ‘Slippery When Wet’ album.
Although Bon Jovi couldn’t achieve what they wanted in their first two albums, their third studio effort, 1986’s ‘Slippery When Wet,’ was an instant commercial success. Before starting to work on the album, the band hired Desmond Child as a songwriting collaborator. With Child’s help, Bon Jovi penned some of their classics like ‘Living on a Prayer’ and ‘You Give Love a Bad Name.’ As Paul Stanley disclosed, he was the one who introduced them to Desmond Child, making a significant impact on the band’s future career.
“I remember we were on tour in Europe, and we had a new band called Bon Jovi opening for us,” recalled the KISS icon. “They were good, they needed some work, but they were good. Their managers said I would be interested in working with them, and I was a big ego. I said, ‘Well, I’ll only work with them if I can produce them.’”
Paul Stanley was not involved in the production process of ‘Slippery When Wet,’ but he did a big favor to Bon Jovi by giving them Desmond Child’s number. He exclaimed, “Thank God, I didn’t produce them because I said, ‘If that doesn’t work, here is Desmond’s number.’ I gave him Desmond Child’s number, and they did ‘Slippery When Wet,’ something I couldn’t have done in my wildest dreams. So, it worked out really great, and that was a big start with this. He is a great guy, a super talent.”
It seems like Stanley is pretty happy that he helped Bon Jovi achieve their breakthrough. Working with a prominent name like Desmond Child was definitely a great chance for the band at that moment of their career, as they were searching for ways to make their breakthrough and enter the big league of the rock scene.
