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.
Made In America
Richie Sambora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born down by the factories, cross the Jersey City line.
Raised on radio, just a jukebox kid,
I was alright.
Just a small town homeboy, with big dreams,
Following his conscience, in a world full of extremes.
Fresh outta high school, only seventeen,
I was alright.
Like a runaway train, life was steaming down the track.
You'd say I'd never made it out, but I kept on hanging on,
Every night I prayed to Jesus, and held my head up strong.
I was alright, I landed on my feet,
Made in America, I was brought up on the street.
My old man's independence, seemed good enough for me,
I was made in America, made in America.
Never cared much about politics,'til I was twenty one,
But I woke up when Lennon, found the wrong end of a gun.
He left his inspiration, before he said goodbye,
And we were alright.
We all lose our innocence, it's impossible to hold,
I didn't know it then, I had a pocket full of gold.
When I kissed those younger days goodbye, it almost broke my heart,
I was going through my growing pains, I was driving in the dark.
But I was alright, I landed on my feet,
Made in America, I was brought up on the street.
I'm facing up to freedom, and chasing down my dream,
I was made in America, yeah I was made in America.
Yeah we all lose our innocence, it's impossible to hold,
I just didn't know it then, I had a pocket full of gold.
When they said I'd never make it, I just kept hanging on,
And every night I prayed to Jesus, and I held my head up strong.
And I was alright, I landed on my feet,
Made in America, I was brought up on the street.
Facing up to who I am, chasing down my dream,
I was made in America, yeah I was made in America.
Made in America.
In Richie Sambora's song "Made In America," Sambora reflects on his upbringing in the industrial town of Jersey City, New Jersey. He was born in 1959 and grew up "down by the factories, cross the Jersey City line." From an early age, he was "raised on radio" and became a "jukebox kid." He was a "small town homeboy" with "big dreams," who followed his conscience in a "world full of extremes." When he graduated high school at only 17 years old, he was "blinded by his vision" and pursued his dreams like a "runaway train."
Although he faced many obstacles, including the doubt of others who said he would never make it, he never lost his faith. He continued to pray to Jesus every night and held his head up strong. When he was 21, he had a wake-up call when John Lennon was assassinated. Sambora idolized the legendary musician, and his death made him care about politics and the world more deeply. Despite the loss of innocence that comes with growing up, he landed on his feet and never gave up on his dream, chasing it down as he faced up to the person he had become.
Line by Line Meaning
Made in America, nineteen fifty nine,
The singer was born in America in the year 1959
Born down by the factories, cross the Jersey City line.
The singer was born near the factories in the city of Jersey
Raised on radio, just a jukebox kid,
The singer grew up listening to radio and enjoying music from jukeboxes
I was alright.
The singer felt okay despite any struggles or challenges he faced
Just a small town homeboy, with big dreams,
The singer grew up in a small town but had ambitious aspirations
Following his conscience, in a world full of extremes.
Despite living in a world with many different opinions and ideas, the singer followed his own beliefs
Fresh outta high school, only seventeen,
The singer graduated high school at the age of 17
Blinded by my vision, there was just no turning back,
The singer was determined to pursue his goals, and there was no stopping him
Like a runaway train, life was steaming down the track.
The singer's life seemed to be moving full speed ahead, like a train without any brakes
You'd say I'd never made it out, but I kept on hanging on,
Despite doubters who thought he would not succeed, the singer persevered
Every night I prayed to Jesus, and held my head up strong.
The singer relied on his faith to stay strong and focused
I was alright, I landed on my feet,
The singer was able to overcome obstacles and come out on top
Made in America, I was brought up on the street.
The singer considers himself a product of American culture and grew up in an urban environment
My old man's independence, seemed good enough for me,
The singer was influenced by his father's independence and relied on it for guidance
Never cared much about politics,'til I was twenty one,
The singer did not have an interest in politics until he turned 21
But I woke up when Lennon, found the wrong end of a gun.
The singer became politically aware when John Lennon was murdered
He left his inspiration, before he said goodbye,
John Lennon left a legacy of inspiration after his death
And we were alright.
Despite the tragedy, the singer and others were able to carry on and stay strong
We all lose our innocence, it's impossible to hold,
Everyone eventually loses their innocence as they face challenges and struggles in life
I didn't know it then, I had a pocket full of gold.
The singer did not realize how valuable his youth and innocence were until he lost them
When I kissed those younger days goodbye, it almost broke my heart,
Growing up and leaving behind one's youth can be a difficult and emotional experience
I was going through my growing pains, I was driving in the dark.
The singer was experiencing the challenges of growing up and did not have a clear path forward
I'm facing up to freedom, and chasing down my dream,
The singer is embracing his independence and pursuing his goals
Yeah we all lose our innocence, it's impossible to hold,
The loss of innocence is something that everyone experiences
When they said I'd never make it, I just kept hanging on,
Despite doubters and naysayers, the singer persisted and worked towards his goals
And every night I prayed to Jesus, and I held my head up strong.
The singer relied on his faith to stay strong and focused
Facing up to who I am, chasing down my dream,
The singer is embracing his identity and pursuing his aspirations
Made in America, yeah I was made in America.
The singer is proud of his American roots and considers himself a product of American culture
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD S SAMBORA, RICHIE SUPA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind