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.
In It For Love
Richie Sambora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forever winding
Where it leads us I don't know
In it together
For better or worse
Searchin' for our pot of gold
Time leaves a trail of broken hearts
Their mark - but baby that ain't us
Nothin' else matters if you're in it for love
Together we can only go higher
We can reach any rainbow that we're
Dreamin' of
Nothin' else matters at all
When you're in it for love
We'll share in the laughter
We'll share in the tears
In the promises we keep
Life can be crazy
Love can be cruel
But it's always been a two way street
You try to give it all you have to give
So many people don't know how to forgive
But baby that ain't us
Nothin' else matters if you're in it for love
Together we can only go higher
We can reach any rainbow that we're
Dreamin' of
Nothin' else matters at all
When you're in it for love
The lyrics to Richie Sambora’s song “In It For Love” express the idea that no matter what difficulties love may bring, we are in it together and nothing else matters as long as we are in it for the right reasons. The road of love is portrayed as forever winding, with no clear destination in sight, but the two lovers are determined to support each other through the journey, both in the good times and the bad. Sambora makes a strong point by saying that time leaves a trail of broken hearts and it’s important to give everything we have into the relationship.
Sambora cleverly points out that love is not always easy; it can be cruel and life can be crazy. However, it is always a two-way street, meaning both the partners have to put effort equally to make it work. Forgiveness is an important aspect of love and it becomes hard when partners don’t know how to forgive. But the idea of being in it together, for the right reasons, makes all the difference.
Overall, the song is a reminder that love is a journey and even if we may not know where it leads us, as long as we are in it together, nothing else matters.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is a road
Love is an unpredictable journey and we don't know where it will take us.
Forever winding
Love is an everlasting journey with no straight path but numerous twists and turns.
Where it leads us I don't know
The destination of love is unknown and unpredictable.
In it together
We'll face the journey of love as partners, sticking together always.
For better or worse
We'll stick together through the ups and downs of the journey of love.
Searchin' for our pot of gold
We're seeking for the essence of true love that will complete our hearts and lead us to a happy life.
Time leaves a trail of broken hearts
As time goes by, many love stories don't end successfully and leave people heartbroken.
So many arrows just keep missing
Many people keep searching for love, but they end up getting hurt or losing hope.
Their mark - but baby that ain't us
We'll stand firm in our love, and our relationship will not be another failed attempt at love.
Nothin' else matters if you're in it for love
True love is enough to keep us going, and nothing else will be more important than love.
Together we can only go higher
We'll rise together and reach our ultimate goal in love as a team.
We can reach any rainbow that we're dreamin' of
Together, we can aspire for anything in love, and we'll reach our true desire.
Nothin' else matters at all
When we're in it for love, nothing else can compare or compete.
We'll share in the laughter
We'll cherish every moment of happiness together.
We'll share in the tears
We'll turn to each other for comfort and support during difficult times.
In the promises we keep
We'll keep our commitment to each other, honoring our promises as a couple.
Life can be crazy
The journey of love is unpredictable, and we'll face many obstacles along the way.
Love can be cruel
Sometimes love can cause heartbreak, but we'll persevere because true love is worth it.
But it's always been a two way street
In a successful relationship built on love, both partners must give and receive love, working together to make it work.
You try to give it all you have to give
To make love work, we'll give our all, giving selflessly to our relationship.
So many people don't know how to forgive
Forgiveness is essential in love, but some people don't understand the importance of this virtue.
But baby that ain't us
In our relationship, we'll practice forgiveness, understanding, and support, always working together to overcome any difficulties.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD S SAMBORA, RICHIE SUPA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@princezzknows1657
honestly he should have more views because his voice is just unique.
@agustinaparraa9828
PRINCEZZ KNOWS all the voices are unique, but his voice is perfect❤
@casuallystrollingaroundura9236
2021 and still agree!!!!!!
@luna945
The first time I saw him sing a song solo, my jaw dropped. So good.
@lightofdesoto3156
💯💯💯
@irinaursul4245
1000%
@Olegzyan
Great song! Richie is a very talented personality - a superb guitarist and singer! it's a downright shame that he is so underrated. he deserves much more.
@aaronroldan7775
I think he lacks charisma and people always think he is just a second voice to bon jovi... Yes he has a talent but his voice is not that catchy compare to bon jovi.
@michaelkennedy201
yes he does
@barbaralinderstal4815
That's where Jon wanted him to be