Digital release follows 2020 documentary
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi is giving fans an early holiday gift with the release of three holiday songs via A Jon Bon Jovi Christmas. “Christmas All Over Again,” “Fairytale of New York,” and “If I Get Home on Christmas Day” are now available on all streaming and digital platforms. Recorded this fall to cap off the 2020 holiday season, the song’s accompanying music videos can be seen exclusively by members of the “The JBJ Experience” which also features outtakes and never-before-seen content.
Last week Bon Jovi’s concert documentary On A Night Like This – Bon Jovi 2020 was seen by more than one million viewers who tuned into the Bon Jovi Facebook page to watch the band’s first-ever full album performance of their critically acclaimed release Bon Jovi: 2020. In the wake of a global pandemic that saw the band cancel a world tour and delay the release of their album, the special was filmed in Nashville as the band gathered to perform the album live for the first time together. Still in the shadow of a challenging time for the world, the footage captures the spirit of live music and its ability to bring people together.
Those watching noticed keyboardist David Bryan was not in attendance. During the special, Jon mentioned Bryan was in isolation to prep for the filming of his Broadway musical Memphis.
Originally set for release on May 15th was a completed album with a breadth and depth of songwriting, titled for a challenging and pivotal election year. Inspired by events that transcribed throughout the first half of the year, frontman Jon Bon Jovi wrote two new songs in his home studio: “American Reckoning,” inspired by George Floyd’s death and the ensuing national movement for racial equality; and “Do What You Can.” The latter, he enlisted fans to co-write to give their views on the COVID pandemic, and shared their stories on social media.
In the midst of the pandemic, the band convened at producer John Shanks’ LA studio to record the new tracks. It was after these recording sessions when Bon Jovi decided to capitalize on the success of their 2005 duet with Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home?,” that earned the band and Nettles a GRAMMY and made history as the first rockers to have a No. 1 country single. A country version for “Do What You Can” followed via BMLG Records. A new video featuring a masked JBJ and Nettles on the streets of New York City was also released.
