Despite the fact that the band actually formed in 1983, Bon Jovi is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year because its self-titled first album was released in 1984. Far be it for us to dictate when an iconic band wants to celebrate its own milestones, but I thought I’d point that out in case Jon Bon Jovi had already celebrated last year and was just trying to act like a college girl who thinks a birthday means a whole week of free drinks. Us fans are actually the ones who benefit from this anniversary, though, because one week from today, Bon Jovi is releasing a deluxe edition of the 1988 smash hit album, New Jersey, along with an entire CD of never-before-released demo songs.
That means it’s time for one of those new old songs to be leaked to the public, because we’re not just going to bite on a re-release based on nostalgia alone. Okay, obviously we will all one day choke to death on our own nostalgia, but still, it’s nice to hear something new from an all-time great’s best days. Billboard shared the “exclusive” first single, “Growin’ Up the Hard Way,” yesterday, but a lot of people have probably already heard it before.
That single and 12 others were featured on the Sons of Beaches demo, and the new deluxe version of New Jersey will have them all, as well as, among plenty of other goodies, a cover of “The Boys are Back in Town” and an acoustic version of “Born to Be My Baby” that probably sounds a lot like this:
