She Don't Know Me
Encyclopedia
"She Don't Know Me" is the second single from American rock band Bon Jovi's
debut album, Bon Jovi
. It was written by Mark Avsec
(of Donnie Iris & The Cruisers
fame) and charted at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
The song has the distinction in that it is the only Bon Jovi studio release that was not written by a member of the band.
In the early 1980's, fresh off a stint playing in the band Wild Cherry
, Avsec wrote and produced the debut album for the disco band LaFlavour. At the time, Bon Jovi and LaFlavour were both signed to labels owned by Polygram
. By the time Avsec composed LaFlavour's follow-up album, however, the band's name was changed to "Fair Warning," and their disco image was scrapped. "She Don't Know Me" was one of the songs Avsec penned for the band, and it does indeed appear as the lead-off track on Fair Warning's self-titled album.
Meanwhile, in the ensuing interim period, two already well-established musical acts covered the tune. The well-known 1960s
/70s
band The Grass Roots
included a version of the song on their 1982 reunion album, Powers of the Night. The following year, former Outsiders
and Climax
frontman Sonny Geraci
recorded his own version of the tune under the pseudonym "Peter Emmett" (backed by the Donnie Iris and the Cruisers band, including Avsec).
Around this same time as LaFlavour's transformation, PolyGram was preparing to release Bon Jovi's debut album. The decision was made to take "She Don't Know Me," which Avsec had penned for Fair Warning, and feature it on the Bon Jovi album as well.
In addition to the studio version of the song, a live version also appears on the Document in Japan bootleg recorded on 28th May 1985 from the 7800° Fahrenheit tour. It is an extended version of the song lasting 8:24, commencing with a 3 minute drum solo.
This is the only song that the band Bon Jovi refuses to play live.
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
debut album, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi (album)
Bon Jovi is the debut album from American rock band Bon Jovi, released January 21, 1984. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, the album is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album on which a song appears that was not written or co-written by members of the band...
. It was written by Mark Avsec
Mark Avsec
Mark Avsec is an American rock keyboardist / songwriter / producer, and most recently copyright lawyer who is best known for being a member of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers since 1979...
(of Donnie Iris & The Cruisers
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
fame) and charted at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
The song has the distinction in that it is the only Bon Jovi studio release that was not written by a member of the band.
In the early 1980's, fresh off a stint playing in the band Wild Cherry
Wild Cherry (band)
Wild Cherry was a funk/rock band best known for their funk song "Play That Funky Music".-History:Rob Parissi was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio, one mile north of...
, Avsec wrote and produced the debut album for the disco band LaFlavour. At the time, Bon Jovi and LaFlavour were both signed to labels owned by Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
. By the time Avsec composed LaFlavour's follow-up album, however, the band's name was changed to "Fair Warning," and their disco image was scrapped. "She Don't Know Me" was one of the songs Avsec penned for the band, and it does indeed appear as the lead-off track on Fair Warning's self-titled album.
Meanwhile, in the ensuing interim period, two already well-established musical acts covered the tune. The well-known 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
/70s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
band The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they...
included a version of the song on their 1982 reunion album, Powers of the Night. The following year, former Outsiders
The Outsiders (American band)
The Outsiders was an American rock and roll band from Cleveland, Ohio, that was founded and led by guitarist Tom King. The band is best known for its Top 5 hit "Time Won't Let Me" in early 1966, which peaked at #5 in the US, but the band had three other hit singles in 1966 and released a total of...
and Climax
Climax (band)
Climax was an American band formed in 1970 in Los Angeles, California, most noted for their 1971-1972 hit song "Precious and Few," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on Cashbox magazine's Top 100 singles chart...
frontman Sonny Geraci
Sonny Geraci
Sonny Geraci is an American musician and singer, best known as the former lead singer of musical groups The Outsiders and Climax.Geraci first became known as the original lead vocalist with The Outsiders, a band from Cleveland, Ohio...
recorded his own version of the tune under the pseudonym "Peter Emmett" (backed by the Donnie Iris and the Cruisers band, including Avsec).
Around this same time as LaFlavour's transformation, PolyGram was preparing to release Bon Jovi's debut album. The decision was made to take "She Don't Know Me," which Avsec had penned for Fair Warning, and feature it on the Bon Jovi album as well.
In addition to the studio version of the song, a live version also appears on the Document in Japan bootleg recorded on 28th May 1985 from the 7800° Fahrenheit tour. It is an extended version of the song lasting 8:24, commencing with a 3 minute drum solo.
This is the only song that the band Bon Jovi refuses to play live.