VH1 Tony: Good Evening, Everybody. Tonight we're chatting with Richie Sambora, one of music's most talented and                     respected sons ongwriters, singers, lead guitarists and producers. Sambora has been a member of Bon Jovi                     since the band's inception in 1983, he has toured the world several times over and has collected sixty-eight gold                     and platinum albums from around the world. Sambora was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and raised in                     Woodbridge. (C). He got his first guitar in 1971 when he was twelve, and started playing in bands three years                     later. There's been no looking back since. Sambora's desire to expand and explore diverse avenues of music                     promises longevity well into the millennium and beyond.

Question: Hi, Richie. I am anxiously awaiting a new BonJovi cd. How long will I have to wait?
VHRichie1: I'm not sure about when the release date is. We should be done recording in a few months....either late fall or                      sometime soon - depending on what my record company says. I'm working very carefully with them. It sounds                      really good. It'll be the best album I've done so far. Don Was is producing it, and it's taking on a life of its own.                      It's really wonderful.

Question: You recently lent two new songs to the Fox shows Beverly hills 90210 and Party of Five. How did you pick the                   songs?
VHRichie1: Actually, I was doing a thing for VH1 - City of Hope, which John Sykes asked me to do. (It was actually a                     great privilege for me.) One of the marketing folks from FOX saw me and asked me if I wanted to do it. And                     we used a couple songs during sweeps week, for "Party Of Five." The songs were really demos at the time. The                     way you pick songs - they kind of pick you when you write 'em. Then when you record with a band, the cream                     kind of rises to the top. We're working on about 16 songs right now.

Question: Richie, I've heard a lot about when you started playing guitar, how old were you really??
VHRichie1: I was 14 1/2 years old when I started to play. I taught myself.

Question: There is a lot of techies in the audience tonight, tell us what we can expect to find on your new CD-ROM. VHRichie1: Try the slow-motion version if you're a beginner. You can see all the hand positions of what I play, and it's really                     good to be able to see all that. The CD-ROM actually got really good grades from all the musicians' magazines.                     Besides being an instructional thing for guitar players that takes you through all the introductory pieces of learning                     how to play, there are other things about being a musician, and photos and pieces from my scrapbook and                     videos.

Question: Richie, which is easier....writing the songs or recording the music?
VHRichie1: Writing is the harder of the two, because once you write a good song and listen to it, it willl tell you how to                     approach it as a musician. On a functional level, and so on.

Question: Richie, if you plan on touring, will you be taking out any of the Bon Jovi boys to play in your band (like Dave or                  Tico?)
VHRichie1: Oh, it depends on who's available. Everyone's doing their own trip at the moment so we're all scattered to the 4                     corners of the world.

Question: You collect guitars, how many do you own and what do you look for in a guitar?
VHRichie1: I have a pretty good collection of guitars, somewhere around 80, at any given point in trading.

Question: What is your favorite guitar?
VHRichie1: Favorite guitar is a hard one, every one's my favorite. Not just all of mine, but all the other guitars that are out                    there too.

Question: Richie, what kind of tone (bluesy, jazzy, etc.) will your new album take, if it has any overriding tone at all? VHRichie1: I think that people will be surprised at this record. What we're trying to change people's mind's about is my                    vocal ability. It's up to the personal perspective of the listener, though! But it's kind of interesting for me - I've                    been a singer for a long time. But not many people know me as a singer - they know me as a guitar player. But                    working with some great musicians here, I'm hoping i can change people's minds on that one.

Question: Can you tell us who else will be playing on your solo album?
VHRichie1: Many many people. Some really great people, Romy from the Wallflowers is playing some B-3. Billy Preston                     plays B-3 and does some singing. Some other guys from The Rolling Stones. Pino Palladino, and the great Don                    Was is producing and makes an appearance on a bunch of the tracks also. There's more to come, I'm just not                     gonna open up my mouth about them at this point. So there.

Question: Richie, will you ever "venture out" into other talents like Jon did in acting?
VHRichie1: Yes, I'm an aspiring astronaut. I actually plan on flying to the moon soon.

Question: Richie---what female singer would you like to do a duet with?
VHRichie1: Oh God, let's see. Bonnie Raitt would be an obvious thing for me. She's pretty great, Jewel is great lately, Sheryl                     Crow...there are so many. I'd like to sing with all of them. A girl who sings with me, Crystal Telefaro, is really                     great too. I’ll sing with her any day.

Question: Do you have a release date for your solo Cd. I can't wait to hear it. Also will you tour?
VHRichie1: I definitely am gonna tour. I'm not sure about the release date. I'm discussing all this with my record label, who                     I'm working very closely with. We'll just have to see when the right time comes.

Question: What bands had influence on you when you were younger?
VHRichie1: I’m a diversified music listener....Beatles, the Stones.... Zeppelin, Aerosmith, all the modern day blues players...                    Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page of course... And all the original blues guys, John Lee Hooker, BB King,                    Muddy Waters (Muddy...oh yeah!) So many others. Musicians just move music. As much as we create it, we                    just take what we hear and move it. If anybody tells you any different, they're kidding themselves.

Question: What do u do on your days off??
VHRichie1: I just enjoy my life, I like to be with my wife. I listen to Howard Stern.

Question: You write songs with Jon, what is that process like?
VHRichie1: There's a great chemistry between Jon and I and I think we write great songs together. It's very conversational.                     Great songwriting teams have to communicate, and I think that musically we communicate very well.

Question: Who were some of those bands you were with in the early days before Bon Jovi?
VHRichie1: About 300. Not too many people would know them. I had a deal on Swan Song, the Zeppelin label, called                     Mercy. A band on Capricorn Records called Duke Williams and the Extremes. The RELENTLESS Extremes,                     thank you. A lot of other garage bands. With the attitude of the VH1 City of Hope Garage Band... but not the                     caliber.

Question: Do you remember the first song you wrote?
VHRichie1: Completely, yeah. It was actually very acoustic-driven. It was called "As I See You Say Goodbye." Bad song                     for a 15-year old to write. I don't know what the hell I was thinking.

Question: Bon Jovi is bigger than ever and yet it seems like we only see other rock bands from the 80’s is when some one                  needs to fill some time on an award show? How do you account for Bon Jovi’s continued success and these other                  bands falling off the map?
VHRichie1: That's a very deep question, ladies and gentlemen. I'll address that on one level first. We're out of the 80's, ladies                    and gentlemen. It's 1997! I account for Bon Jovi's success ...hard work. Balanced with vacation. We take the                    music out to the people, and we really bring them a good show. And I think that helps us get through the ins and                    outs of the record industry.

Question: What is more important to you, critical or commercial success?
VHRichie1: Actually, I'm not really sure. Songwriting and making records is a form of communication. You're just tryiong to                    get to the listener, and I'm not sure if either of those really describes where my goals lie. It's a cross between the                    two. Some good commercial records get acclaim, some don't. It's a very grey area.

Question: Do you have a fan club?
VHRichie1: Yes. They're very wonderful, I thank them all.

Question: Richie, what would your advice be to someone just learning to play guitar
VHRichie1: Learn to play guitar. (ha ha) Basically, if you love it, that's gonna show through the instrument. It's like any other                     relationship in life. You have to put as much heart and soul into it as you can. And it'll become a good mirror,                     and it'll also keep you off the streets.

Question: Richie, do you have a computer and do you go online at all?
VHRichie1: I have a computer. I haven't, because of my emotional involvement in the record I'm making, I haven't had time                     to really delve into anything besides making this record. But I love the communication capabailities. If the                     communications abilities were BETTER right now, I'd play you guys a song!

Question: How does Living in New Jersey compare to Los Angeles?
VHRichie1: Different! It's warmer in California. That's it!

Question: Will the song heard on Party of Five be on your new album?
VHRichie1: Yes it will, actually. I'm not sure in what form. But it will be there.

Question:WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM WHILE WRITING?
VHRichie1: It comes from all different reflexes. It's an energy, an emotional reflection. It can be timeless, it comes from                    different periods in your life. It's like a snapshot. It comes from things that are happening now, or things you                    remember. It's very internal.

Question: What are some of the newer bands that u have been listening to lately?
VHRichie1: I listen to everybody actually. I enjoy The Wallflowers, obviously. Dishwalla's a very good new band. 311's                     good, there are a bunch of other new bands coming out on Polygram, our label that are pretty good. I don't                     know if they're actually that NEW, but they're new to me! I listen to everybody, though.

Question: How do you write songs, music first and then words?
VHRichie1: It's different every time. Sometimes you chase an emotion, sometimes you chase a melody.

Question: Richie, If there was a theme, or purpose for your new alblum what would it be?
VHRichie1: If there's a theme, I think it's about finding yourself, not giving yourself too much grief as you're going through it!                     It's a sympathetic kind of feeling - the songs are a lot of fun! Any communication from someone else is a calming                     result. If you choose to let it in, of course.

VH1 Tony: Well that was one hour that went by much too quickly. Thanks so much for joining us tonight, Richie. And we'll                   all be sure to look for your new solo album and CD-ROM.
VHRichie1: Thanks everybody for coming online and communicating to me. Thank you VH1 for making it possible. I'm sure                     we'll speak again through this medium, and look out for my new record! And peace on everyone!

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