Richie got his first guitar when he was just 12 years old. Throughout his career as a guitarist, Richie has displayed an impressive knack for feeling out a guitar solo to the point that it not only follows the key of the song, but the chord progression as well.
Sambora was a guitarist for the band "Message", and with that band put out an independent record titled "Lessons" which was copyrighted in 1982 and produced and arranged by Dean Fasano and Richie Sambora in Woodbridge, New Jersey. It was re-released in 1995 under the name Message, and in 2000 as Lessons. He was later in a band, Mercy, which was signed to Led Zeppelin-owned record label Swan Song Records, and then Duke Williams & the Extremes, who were signed to Capricorn Records. Sambora was also in an improvisational club band called Richie Sambora & Friends. He was part-owner of a club in New Jersey, and at age 19 owned his own independent label Dream Disc Records. Sambora's first professional tour was as an opening act for Joe Cocker in the early 1980s. Shortly before joining Bon Jovi in 1983, Sambora unsuccessfully auditioned for Kiss, to be Ace Frehley's replacement.
His technique displays remarkable variety - his soloing in "Wanted Dead or Alive" is laden with artificial harmonics, whereas his riffing for "Livin' on a Prayer" makes extensive use of palm muting. Developing his guitar technique in an era laden with wild soloing inspired by Eddie Van Halen, Richie developed a unique style of speed and precision but it took him a few attempts to impress Jon Bon Jovi. When Jon first saw Richie play he didn't think he was good enough: however he soon changed his opinion after working with Richie. Richie was also one of the first 80's mainstream guitarists to make use of the talk-box. Talk-box was also used by other guitarists, notably Slash from Guns N' Roses, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and Peter Frampton. The talk-box can be heard clearly in "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life".
In 2004, Sanctuary Records released a self-titled album which had been recorded in 1978 by Shark Frenzy, documenting Sambora's first recorded material. The mix tapes had been damaged in a flood and it had taken band member Bruce Foster to remaster them for them to be released so many years later.
Outside of Bon Jovi, Richie has released three solo albums and numerous songs for movie soundtracks (Banger Sisters, On The Line). He also made a cameo in the movie "On The Line".
His first solo outing was "Stranger In This Town", a blues-influenced album that was received well by many critics and guitar affectionados. Eric Clapton made an appearance on the album but it did not fare too well commercially. Richie later admitted that this was due to the fact that he was writing songs from an artistic point, rather than writing a radio oriented album. However, the album did establish Richie as a top rate guitarist, revealing a different side of him that was not widely recognizable during Bon Jovi's 80's heyday. His blues influences would later be present on some of Bon Jovi records as well, notably on 1995's "These Days".
"Undiscovered Soul" was Richie's second solo album, released in 1998. The album was produced by Don Was.
He has appeared in several movie and TV cameos, notably the film 'On The Line' as 'The Mick', and the 'Chris Isaak' show as himself. Recent ventures have seen him compose television theme tunes for both Entertainment Tonight and The Insider. He is a shareholder of the Philadelphia Soul, an Arena Football League football team.
Over the years, Richie has been an ardent fundraiser for many charities, such as Dream Street, the Steve Young Foundation and Michael J Fox's Parkinson's charity.
Harlem Rain
Richie Sambora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is drowning in his pain
I can see the sorrow in his eyes
His tears, they leave a stain
The streets have left him broken
He's in the final phase
It's been a long hard road
From his glory days
Fading on his arm
He talks of painful tragedy
How he lost his lucky charm
His memory is clouded
From the thunder in his vein
He's vanishing, vanishing gone
In the Harlem rain
Harlem rain coming down
Another shattered soul
In the lost and found
One more night
On the street of pain
Getting washed away by the Harlem rain
On desperation avenue
The devil takes his tall
Where the pushers and the poverty
Slowly claim your soul
When you reached the realization
That you just can't break the chain, no
You're vanishing, vanishing gone
In the Harlem rain
Harlem rain coming down
Another shattered soul
In the lost and found
One more night
On the street of pain
Getting washed away by the Harlem rain
( Harlem rain )
In your search for tender mercy
No one seemed to care
The faith that used to be your crutch
Is now your cross to bear
You lost yourself so long ago
You don't know who to blame
You're vanishing, vanishing gone
Vanishing, vanishing gone
Vanishing, vanishing gone
In the Harlem rain
The lyrics of "Harlem Rain" by Richie Sambora paint a vivid picture of the harsh realities of life in the inner city, particularly in Harlem, New York. The song tells the story of an old man who has fallen on hard times and is struggling to cope with the pain and suffering he has endured over the years. The man is drowning in his pain, and the sorrow in his eyes is a testament to the many struggles he has faced. The streets have left him broken, and he is now in the final phase of his life.
There are several powerful images in the lyrics that emphasize the old man's sense of loss and despair. For example, there is a tattoo of his sweetheart fading on his arm, reminding him of a time when life seemed much simpler and happier. He also talks of painful tragedy and the loss of his "lucky charm," suggesting that these events have left an indelible mark on his consciousness. Despite his best efforts to remember, his memory is clouded by the "thunder in his vein," and he is vanishing in the Harlem rain.
Overall, "Harlem Rain" is a poignant song that speaks to the tragedy of life in the inner city. It is a powerful reminder that for many people, life is a constant struggle, and that the harsh realities of poverty and desperation can rob even the strongest of their dignity and sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
The old man down on the corner
There's an elderly man standing at the street corner
Is drowning in his pain
He's suffering emotionally
I can see the sorrow in his eyes
It's easy to tell he's in pain by the expression on his face
His tears, they leave a stain
He's crying so much it's affecting his appearance
The streets have left him broken
The harshness of life on the streets has taken its toll on him
He's in the final phase
He's nearing the end of his journey
It's been a long hard road
His life has been a difficult journey
From his glory days
He remembers a time when he was happier and more successful
There's a tattoo of his sweetheart
He has a tattoo of someone he loved
Fading on his arm
The tattoo is no longer as clear and bright as it once was
He talks of painful tragedy
He discusses the difficult things that have happened in his life
How he lost his lucky charm
He lost someone or something that used to bring him happiness
His memory is clouded
He has trouble remembering things
From the thunder in his vein
His addiction to drugs and/or alcohol has affected his memory
He's vanishing, vanishing gone
He's slowly dying or disappearing
In the Harlem rain
In the rain on the streets of Harlem
Harlem rain coming down
The rain in Harlem falling from the sky
Another shattered soul
Another person is broken or suffering
In the lost and found
People who are struggling can be found all over the city
One more night
Another night
On the street of pain
On the streets where people suffer
Getting washed away by the Harlem rain
Being taken over or affected by the rain in Harlem
On desperation avenue
On a street where people are struggling to survive
The devil takes his toll
The hardships of life are taking their toll on people
Where the pushers and the poverty
Where drug dealers and poverty are prevalent
Slowly claim your soul
Slowly take over and destroy your life
When you reached the realization
When it hits you that you cannot escape from this life
That you just can't break the chain, no
That there's no way to escape from the cycle of poverty and addiction
You're vanishing, vanishing gone
You're disappearing before your very eyes
In the Harlem rain
In the rain on the streets of Harlem
In your search for tender mercy
In your search for compassion or help
No one seemed to care
Nobody was willing or able to help you
The faith that used to be your crutch
The things that used to help you through tough times are no longer there
Is now your cross to bear
The things that used to help you are now part of the problem
You lost yourself so long ago
You've been struggling for a very long time
You don't know who to blame
You're not sure who or what to hold responsible for your situation
You're vanishing, vanishing gone
You're disappearing before your very eyes
Vanishing, vanishing gone
Disappearing and slowly fading away
Vanishing, vanishing gone
Disappearing and slowly fading away
In the Harlem rain
In the rain on the streets of Harlem
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD S SAMBORA, RICHIE SUPA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
coconut grove
A man who sees, feels, writes, sings and plays a superb guitar. A true master. We thank you Richie!
Dorina Armioni
🥰👏😇💙💛❤
Ana María DEL RIO
Extraordinary RICHIE, in voice, guitar, as a composer, singer, a complete musician, IS SUPER !!!!
jjrne6
Great song, always come back to it!
Richie wrote this for people in Harlem who were having trouble getting bye. I think living in these times alot of people can relate to this.
UNbowed62
Indeed! Here in 2019🎶🥰
demilu0010
Linda canção! Me encanta esta voz deliciosa do Richie! É um artista completo!
Janaina Lopes
🥰🥰
Lidia Benitez
Está canción viene desde el alma,te amo Richie Sambora ♥️
coconut grove
Beautiful music, beautiful man and extrodinary poet. Amazing emotion put into this song.
Vickie Gilley
I knew this man had an awesome voice, just did not realize what a blues sounding voice he had. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰