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Aldo Nova Interview
Back Again

In 1982, Aldo Nova hit the top of the charts with "Fantasy." The next three years yielded two albums -"Subject Aldo Nova" and "Twitch." Aldo produced the Blue Oyster Cult hit "Take Me Away" and played on Jon Bon Jovi's Blaze of Glory (Young Guns II) album.
And now, Aldo Nova is beginning his first tour, in support of his new "Blood On The Bricks" album. It's been over five years since he's released an album. Aldo Nova is the first signing to Jon Bon Jovi's new Jambco label which will be released through Mercury Records.

Q - Aldo, what is it with this guy Jon Bon Jovi? Lately, everyone I speak with has some kind of connection to him. Does he have a lot of free time?
A - (Laughs) Well, honestly, you'd have to ask him that, but I think now he only wants to write for his own band. That's all he's doing. It's kind of funny 'cause me and Johnny have been friends forever, I think the only thing he worked on this year was, he worked with me, he worked with this guy Billy Falcon which is also coming out on Jambco In June, and he did two tracks on Stevie Nicks, and that was it far as I know. And, I talk to him every day. So, I think he's pretty much concentrating on himself now, which is the way it should be.

Q - How did you meet Bon Jovi?
A -I met him when I was mixing my first record. That's how we met. His cousin introduced us, and he came down and hung out with me in the studio. He heard my album and said, “Wow. This stuff kicks.” Then my album took off like a bullet, and then when he needed someone to play guitar in 'Runnway' he called me up and I actually went. Then I played keyboards and sang background on his first album. We've been friends ever since. With Jon, he's more like my brother than anything else. It's that close.

Q - What happened to your career after "Fantasy?"
A - The record went almost double platinum, and went top 10 in Billboard. I went from being an artist to sort of an investment for a record company at that point. When I wanted to stretch out and do my second album, I went completely left field. Rather than make a record exactly like the last one, I just went I'm gonna do something completely different. I wanted to grow and I did. 'Subject' is a concept record. I wanted to talk about stuff that was really important, like drug abuse. I wrote this anthem against drug abuse called 'Monkey On Your Back.' In '83, people weren't too keen on talking about this stuff. When that record didn’t do as well as the first album, and it came time to do the third record, the record company said well, maybe you should do it our way, soften up your sound, do this cover. They were going to try and make me into some fabrication, which I really wasn't into at all. The third album Twitch", was a very diluted album about what I was all about. I asked to be released from my contract, and they wouldn't do it, so I had to wait it out for six years, rather than make another record I wasn't really happy with. I couldn’t record for anybody else. I went back to Montreal, and started a jingle company and made a killing. (laughs)

Q - You say you've seen "the ugly side of the music business." What exactly have you seen?
A - The ugly side of the music business is exactly what I told you .I'd read about guys having problems with their record companies and I'd say that'll never happen to me, and sure enough, a couple of years later, I was in the same situation. That's the ugly side of the music business. I don't think people should be bound by contract. They should've let me out. I could've had a very good career six years ago, but instead I had to wait it out, which actually turned out for the best. There's always good and bad. It's become too much of a business. There's not really too much about music anymore.

Q - You say this time around you're going to leave the business decisions to the business people.
A - That's right.

Q - You could probably make a pretty good living writing and producing, so why do you want to go back out on the road?
A - 'Cause that's what I wanted to do since I was a kid. So, I'm starting over completely, from the bottom up, playing clubs, playing free shows, getting in the bus with eight, nine guys, and going at it. But, now it's easier, 'cause I know I can make a living. In my head, I'm secure. I know if this doesn't happen, I can do something else with my life. It'll always be with music. I'm really happy that I've got a second shot at it.

Q - Living in Montreal, don't you feel you're removed from the music business?
A - Completely.