Richie's solo album coming Spring 2012?!

WEEEEEEEE! I hope it's true! Thanks, Hath, for posting the news!

From MixOnline

Bon Jovi lead guitarist and producer, singer/songwriter Richie Sambora is recording his third solo album at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood. Luke Ebbin, producer of the Bon Jovi albums “Crush” and “Bounce,” is helming the new project.
“Richie and I have worked on and off together for years,” explained Ebbin. “Richie came off the Bon Jovi tour energized and we got together to write a couple of songs. The results were very good, so we kept writing more and decided to go in and record them. The recordings came out great, so Richie decided why not make this a solo record? There are eight songs in the can now, including a co-write with Bernie Taupin. We’ve started round two of sessions and hope to have a full album done by early spring.”

Sambora’s first solo outing was “Stranger in This Town” (1991), a critically acclaimed blues-influenced album that featured Eric Clapton playing lead guitar on the song “Mr Bluesman,” backed by Sambora on acoustic guitars. “Undiscovered Soul” was Sambora’s second solo album, released in 1998 and produced by Don Was.

New Richie solo album?

A little video of Richie and Nikki from a UStream chat last night has been floating around cyberspace...with rumors of a new Nikki record, a new clothing line...and a new Richie solo record!

However, the video has been removed from YouTube, and Nikki has requested on Twitter that all links to it be removed from all social media.

I was able to see it before it disappeared completely, but I think I know why it did.

Nikki did most of the talking in the video, and after her announcement about her new record and their new clothing line "NikkiRich," she really put her foot in her mouth and said there were "exciting things on the horizon for Richie too".

Richie played dumb, and Nikki turned away from the camera with her hand over her mouth to whisper to him - to "remind" him.

To be honest, Richie seemed annoyed. But I think he knew he had to perform a bit of quick damage control, so he DID then say that he was working on new songs for a future solo Richie record...but made it plain that they were working on her stuff first.

So. Since it came straight from him, I believe it. But the timeframe could be anything from a year to ten before we see anything come of it. And we still have to wait for OFFICIAL confirmation of it - since this seemed like a big slip on Nikki's part. lol

Still, it's great to know he's FINALLY considering/working on something!!

Now, Rich, did my question on Extra have any influence on this decision of yours? ;) Hehehehe! (Kidding.)

JBJ working on a solo album!

Very exciting news! :D

From artistdirect.com:

Jon Bon Jovi is a busy man! He is working on his first solo album in 13 years. JBJ told Billboard that after the trek wraps next summer, he'll take a break and in September, he might record "a smaller-sounding solo record."

Expect an acoustic-sounding, lyric driven release, with a piano and a coupla guitars. That's straight from the horse's mouth.

JBJ Solo Album?

Thanks, Queenie, for the find!

From Billboard.com:

It's a long way off, but Jon Bon Jovi is already hatching plans for August, after he and his band wrap up touring in support of their 2009 album, "The Circle," and a "Greatest Hits" set that comes out Nov. 9.

"I'm going to sit on a beach for August, which is usually what I do, and come September figure out what's next," Bon Jovi tells Billboard.com. Some possibilities? "A smaller-sounding solo record and/or focus more on the philanthropy and sports ownerships," he says. "I don't see any acting in the immediate future. It'll be out of the political cycles, and there's nothing else I wish I could do. I'm not a coulda, shoulda, woulda kind of guy. If I wanted to do it, I tried it, so it's not like I have any hidden desire to become a chef or anything."

Bon Jovi Up for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

If he does take the solo album route, Bon Jovi -- who went it alone on the 1990 soundtrack for "Blaze of Glory -- Young Guns II" and on 1997's "Destination Anywhere" -- predicts he'll go for "a lyric-driven, acoustic-sounding kind of thing with piano, a couple guitars, a B3 (organ) and a violin. I do these solo things oftentimes for charity, and I enjoy the atmosphere because it really gives the singer a chance to sing. You're not competing with the loud amps. So I could see myself doing a singer's type of a record. We'll see."

Before that, however, comes quite a bit of Bon Jovi group activity. The "Greatest Hits" album comes out in two different configurations -- a standard 16-song single disc and a two-disc "Greatest Hits -- Ultimate Collection," with five new songs spread across the various domestic and international editions. The project was first broached to follow 2007's "Lost Highway," but was pushed back when Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora came up with a batch of topical new songs for "The Circle."

Q&A: Bon Jovi Talks Pushing Himself On Tour

"While we're in the midst of 'The Circle' tour, this 'Greatest Hits' made the most sense," Bon Jovi explains, "because the tour's going to continue through the summer of next year. For those who have just found the band in this rather prolific decade, this is a great introduction, and for the fan who's been there the last three decades, this is everything you've ever known and then five new songs. So I feel like they're getting value added, too."

Bon Jovi says two of the new songs, the single "What Do You Got?" and "This Is Love, This Is Life," were started during "The Circle" sessions but didn't fit the album and were finished for "Greatest Hits," along with "This Our House," an MP3 download premium for those pre-ordering the album. The other two, "No Apologies" and "The More Things Change," were written specifically for the compilation.

He says he was surprised that "What Do You Got?" got the nod to be the first single. "I said, 'If anyone wants to pick a single, you tell me. What do I know?' " recalls Bon Jovi, who favored "No Apologies." "That was the one that floated to the top, and I was taken aback because it was the (last) of the five I would've picked. But people have really been relating to the lyric, and seemingly for...radio, it's a hit."

Bon Jovi has a number of appearances and events lined up in conjunction with the release of "Greatest Hits." On Nov. 7, the group will perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Madrid, where it will receive the inaugural Global Icon Award. The next night will see the premiere of "One Night Only," a concert film from May's opening run at the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey, at 750 movie theaters worldwide. They'll appear Nov. 9 on CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman," along with a webcast concert that will stream on the show's website and Vevo.com, followed by a monthlong run that includes the "Today" show, A&E's "Private Sessions," the American Music Awards, "Ellen," "Larry King Live" and "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute."

Bon Jovi resumes "The Circle" tour on Nov. 30 in Tokyo and hits Australia and New Zealand before a six-leg North American leg starts in February. The band then wraps things up in Europe during June and July, including a show at the Hard Rock Calling festival on June 25 in London's Hyde Park.