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Friday, September 9, 2022

"Lay Your Hands on Me" by Bon Jovi

Top 10 Alert!
Song#:  3924
Date:  06/03/1989
Debut:  58
Peak:  7
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Rock


Pop Bits:  After scoring their fourth Pop #1 with the power ballad "I'll Be There for You," the band chose to return to their signature arena rock for this fourth single from their #1 album New Jersey. While the song faltered a bit at Rock stopping at #20, it would find it's way to #7 on the Pop chart becoming their seventh consecutive Top 10 hit. By this point in time, the album had reached the 5x platinum mark and was still lodged in the Top 20. This hit would help it sell a few more copies, but it wouldn't reach the 6x platinum mark until 1994.

ReduxReview:  The one thing I remember about the New Jersey album is that it was just loud. I mean, yeah, rock albums are supposed to be loud, but I mean loud as in big productions, lots of echo, dense arrangements, etc. This album opening track set the booming tone and it didn't really let up. Even the ballads were of the large nature. In other word, there wasn't much room for subtlety when you are making everything sound like it was done in an arena. While that worked fine for songs like this one with its sing-a-long chorus, I kinda missed the more crisp production of Slippery When Wet (both LPs had the same producer, Bruce Fairbairn). This was a good single to keep the band's Top 10 streak going and it was one of the more memorable hits from the album.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Country mega-star Dolly Parton was well known for her own compositions, but also did a fair share of cover tunes along the way. Many were country covers while some like her 1983 version of "Save the Last Dance for Me" (#45 Pop/#3 Country/#12 AC) were pop tunes. But then in 1989, Parton reached over into the rock genre for covers. She would record REO Speedwagon's 1978 track "Time for Me To Fly" for her album White Limozeen. Later in the 2000's when Parton did a series of well-received bluegrass albums, she covered tunes by Led Zeppelin ("Stairway to Heaven") and Collective Soul ("Shine"). Her version of "Shine" would go on to win Parton a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She recorded these rock tunes with a gospel slant, which put a new spin on the classics. For her 2014 album Blue Smoke, Parton reached out to Bon Jovi to ask if she could do a gospel-leaning version of "Lay Your Hands on Me." They agreed and Parton got it recorded as a gospel-ish bluegrass tune. Blue Smoke would go on to become the first Pop Top 10 album of Parton's career (#6) while reaching #2 at Country.

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