Cinderella, the band, never existed.

[benjamin801]

Cinderella, the band, never existed. Here is their story.

In 1985, while Jon Bon Jovi (AKA John Bongiovi) was hospitalized for a routine gerbil excision, the remaining members of the band that bears his name entered an unnamed New York recording studio with AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson, who had previously expressed a desire to "sing some songs that attractive birds [Ed. Note: women] would like."

Armed with a dozen tepid rockers and limp power ballads that had previously been rejected from the Slippery When Wet sessions, the Johnson-led Bon Jovi crew emerged with the album that would eventually be released as Night Songs, under the obvious joke band name "Cinderella." Drummer Tico Torres recalls: "We called it 'Night Songs' because we had to sneak into the studio at night to record it, so people wouldn't think we were actually making a Bon Jovi album. The whole 'Cinderella' thing was a joke on Brian, because at midnight he would leave the studio and turn back into a member of a good band...you know, kind of like Cinderella's...huh."

Taking the prank even further, the cover of Night Songs featured a photo of the band's girlfriends, with made-up names such as "Jeff LaBar" (a play on her actual name, Barbara Jeffries) and "Eric Brittingham" (instead of Brittany Erickson).

The impromptu supergroup assumed that Night Songs would be spotted instantly for the practical joke it was, much like XTC's "Dukes of Stratosphear" side project. They further assumed that it would be laughed out of existence, or disappear from the public memory instantly. To their surprise, "Night Songs, the breakthrough album by Bon Jovi proteges Cinderella" became a sensation, going four times platinum.

"All of a sudden, the joke was on us," says Richie Sambora. "Now everyone wanted another Cinderella album, and nobody had told Jon what was actually going on! He wanted to bring 'them' on tour as an opening act! Can you imagine us trying to pull that off? That would have been some Mrs. Doubtfire shit for sure. Also, I was dating Heather [Locklear] by this point, and she wanted to be on the next album cover."

To this day, Night Songs is the only Bon Jovi album to actually feature any of Alec John Such's bass playing.

[Tortuga]

Wait - are you saying that Brian Johnson is the singer on that album?

It's not April 1 yet, right?

[EndTime]

I had Night Songs as a kid. Probably right around the actual release. So as an 8y.o old. It's not bad for the whole genre they were reppin' at the time.

[Telephant]

[itchyfingers]

The joke was most certainly on them, their chicks look like dudes! Then again, all dudes looked like chicks in that scene!

[benjamin801]

Wait - are you saying that Brian Johnson is the singer on that album?

It's not April 1 yet, right?

I have no firsthand knowledge of the circumstances behind the recording of that album. I simply took the following two indisputable facts:

1) Cinderella sounds like Brian Johnson singing bad Bon Jovi songs.
2) Eric Brittingham kinda looked like a hot chick, even by the standards of the era.

...and extrapolated the details from there. I'm confident that I got it at least 95% right. It's scientific.

[Tortuga]

btw and for the record...

I hated that music when it came out, except that the vox did have that 'edge' to them that I kinda dug at the time. I'm keeping my gaddam man card

No fucking glammy music for me, thanks

[BroSlinger]

I fucking love Cinderella.

I saw them in '05. totally awesome. One of the most high energy, intense shows I've seen.

I think Tom Queefer came back in a time machine because he looked the same as 1987. He was doing coke. and he was a fuckin dick.

[JiveTurkey]

Great story Ben


I saw them live with Bon Jovi on Slippery When Wet tour


No excuses; got the tickets and went with a friend and his parents. They should have had a different image so us thrashers would have dug them

This song rocks; horrific image aside
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUkqBRC1zUA[/video]
There were much worse travesties in the world of glam/hair metal imo.

[BroSlinger]

Dude, LaBar has a poison shirt on in that vid!

[JiveTurkey]

Dude, LaBar has a poison shirt on in that vid!

Wonderful segue from my travesty comment (even though those horrific posers had a catchy song or two as well)


I can appreciate this garbage a little more as an adult versus the 14 year old Megadeth/Slayer fan I was at the time

[fretless]

No it is not Johnson , close but no .Cinderella kicked ass live , better than most of the hair bands at the time . way better .

[Yarbicus]

I remember hearing their debut album while standing in line at record shop. I literally could not figure out why AC/DC would record such pop crap.

[mortatone]

Great story Ben


I saw them live with Bon Jovi on Slippery When Wet tour
.

So did I! In Atlanta. I remember rocking out to the opening band (Cinderella) and then being disappointed by Bon Jovi

[hardvalve]

Keifer used to have an amazing collection of Les Pauls, about the only thing I remember good about him. I hated hair metal with a passion, but will say they were more rock and roll/bluesy than the other hairspray afficianados.

[fretless]

yup and he took them on tour

[***1776***]

Cinderellas debut album is pretty damn good, and YESSS im saying that out loud!

They had a touch of bluesy dare i say a 'oor mans' Aerosmith vibe to them - people LOVE to judge based on looks (human nature) but Cinderella had some cool tunes and more organic type blues rock imo,

[Chris Z]

Long cold winter is a great album.

[JiveTurkey]

Great story Ben


I saw them live with Bon Jovi on Slippery When Wet tour
.

So did I! In Atlanta. I remember rocking out to the opening band (Cinderella) and then being disappointed by Bon Jovi

That was when BJ (an acronym that I don't think is accidental) was doing the flying trapeze act where he would take his acoustic and fly around the arena playing his collection of "I want to be Springsteen but I am stuck in this hair band" garbage

[DoubleBarrel]

The only flaw in that theory is..............

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XOWYe9TgaU&index=24&list=PLC7E04DC6054AF1B0[/video]

[Rock Hardness]

I saw them open for someone way back then - don't remember who.

One of the best "glam" bands I had to watch open for someone else. Keep in mind, even Ozzy and Priest were kind of Hairsprayed out by the mid '80s.


Better than fucking Winger. 10 times better than Firehouse. A hundred times better than Vinnie Vincent.

[The Anomaly]

I saw them open for someone way back then - don't remember who.

One of the best "glam" bands I had to watch open for someone else. Keep in mind, even Ozzy and Priest were kind of Hairsprayed out by the mid '80s.


Better than fucking Winger. 10 times better than Firehouse. A hundred times better than Vinnie Vincent.

You could not be more wrong. You could try, but you would not be successful. Nobody is "better than Winger", there is no such thing.

Anyway, I couldn't get behind Keifer's voice. That destroyed that band for me. He actually lived down the street from my high school. I could throw a Rock at his house, and often wanted to, lol

[fretless]

I liked them better than Winger but Winger were monster players and that was technical pop to pull off .

[JiveTurkey]

I liked them better than Winger but Winger were monster players and that was technical pop to pull off .

Plus Kip was an accomplished ballerina

[fretless]

best place to meet underage girls ?