After having the interview with Jon in Mexico City, Masa Itoh flew to Los Angeles to see Richie. This interview was taken place in March, 2001.
RICHIE: Hey, this is Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi and you are watching Masa Itoh's ROCK CITY.
INTERVIEWER: Have you talked to Jon recently?
RICHIE: Actually I've spoken to him yesterday. Yeah, you know, we've been conceptualizing this live record that we're gonna be putting on Europe and America, and also the record we're gonna be putting on in Japan, TOKYO ROAD. And, yeah, we've been in crosscontact. Also, I've been on a writing ??? you know, starting to get some ideas rolling for the next Bon Jovi Album, cuz we are.....after the tour's over and......July 27th and July 28th, we wanna kinda roll right back into the studio and get another record out hopefully for....2002, first quarter. So, we've been talking a lot.
INTERVIEWER: You have been releasing a record once 4 years or 5 years, but can we expect that we could get next BJ album some time soon?
RICHIE: Yeah, I think you know....we are rolling now. I think the band is.....we are in the very very good place. I think this record CRUSH is a very very important record for us cuz it established our way of thinking in a way.....with each other which is very very important, you know. I mean....this record is like....you know we still here after almost 20 years being in a music business, and it's a very very confortable place to be because I think now...we have shown the world that we have ????? the niche for our music stylistically. And what people can expect from Bon Jovi you know. It's a good Rock 'n Roll record and obviously a great live show. That's very very important. You can rely on us for that. And you know, everybody's doing solo project, you know, I have told Masa ?????? I'm taking care of my solo album you know, Jon is doing his movie thing and Dave put on his instrumental record, and Tico is...he's doing his art and sculptures and stuff, so everybody's kinda.....it's a good thing you know, Jon and I always joke to each other that now we passed the point of breaking up. so, that's all in the past.
INTERVIEWER: Now, Japanese fans are very pleased that you release Japan only best album.
RICHIE: TOKYO ROAD. All, you know, again, all Rock 'n Roll stuff. Everything up-tempo, you know right now, personally I think the market place has been flooded by ballads by these boy bands and you know, very younger generation is coming out like Britney Spears and Christina Agillera, every people. That's all good, I mean that's all good but....what we wanted to show people is that you know, "Hey, Rock 'n Roll is still alive". Besides we're talking about...we also do ballads, but...the real side of what....if you are a concertgoer, if you enjoy seeing live music, and really live music, not music that's made out of machines and things like that. You know what I mean? Go see somethig really human's playing really live music. This is what you would wanna go see.
INTERVIEWER: You have created modern sounds on CRUSH album. What are the sounds of the next album gonna be?
RICHIE: We'll see what happens. I think a lot has to do with the songs but....I think that it's important to also evolve your sound a bit and whole modern approach I think will be something that probably will come into play. I think that you know, I'm enjoying with those use of loops and doing some computer processing, coupling that with a live band. I think that's what....you know you were talking about....that's what you saw what's happening on the CRUSH album. So, I think that will be more of that and hopefully pushing a little bit further. But quite frankly you know I mean, it's a little hard to project that because I'm just ready to go out and play and go on tour, enjoy the whole??? of doing that at this point in time. It's a privilege to go out there and play for so many people. There are not many bands who can go out and fill the stadium up and have the audience be there for you and enjoy the whole perspectives. So, I'm kind of like gearing up to do that. The projection of what the record's gonna be....we'll see. You know I'm thinking that the band is gonna be the band, and we'll do a few different things, and everything's gonna be OK.