Tony Bongiovi

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Tony Bongiovi bigraphy, stories - American record producer

Tony Bongiovi : biography

Tony Bongiovi is a record producer and recording engineer with expertise in Electrical & Acoustical Engineering. He helped to remodel an old building in Manhattan—once a power plant for Edison, and later a television studio—into the Power Station recording studio in 1977.

Bongiovi was born in the borough of Raritan, New Jersey located in Central Jersey. He attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School West and is a licensed ham radio operator.http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=625677

He has produced records by Gloria Gaynor, Talking Heads, Aerosmith (Classics Live) and Ramones (Rocket to Russia and Leave Home), Chic and many more. Early in his career, as an engineer, he worked the console for a number of sessions with Jimi Hendrix, as well as some of Hendrix’s posthumous releases under producer Alan Douglas.

He is the second cousin of Jon Bon Jovi, and helped Jon in his early career by giving him a job at the Power Station and by allegedly financing and producing early demo recordings and paying for singing lessons. An album, John Bongiovi: The Power Station Years was released in 1999, featuring Tony Bongiovi’s early recordings of Jon, before he changed the spelling of his name. The cousins had differing opinions on who should receive what, and after the group Bon Jovi objected, an out of court settlement was reached.

Bongiovi’s most recent production is As Above So Below, the debut CD of the hard rock band NoEnd, released in South America by Sony/BMG, and also the band Deep Side on Jive records.

Production and Engineering credits

Production Section

  • 1975: Never Can Say Goodbye – Gloria Gaynor
  • 1975: Crash Landing – Jimi Hendrix
  • 1975: Midnight Lightning – Jimi Hendrix
  • 1975: Are You Ready For Freddy? – Freddy Fender
  • 1975: Experience Gloria Gaynor – Gloria Gaynor
  • 1976: I’ve Got You – Gloria Gaynor
  • 1977: Leave Home – The Ramones
  • 1977: Rocket to Russia – The Ramones
  • 1977: Talking Heads ’77 – Talking Heads
  • 1977: Tailgunner – Jimmy McGriff (recording and remix engineer)
  • 1977: Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk – Meco
  • 1979: This Is My Life (La Vita) with Meco – Shirley Bassey
  • 1980: Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album – Meco
  • ????: "Close Encounters Theme" – Meco
  • 1978: Ace Frehley – Ace Frehley
  • ????: 1978-80: 1978-1980 Six Singles – Al Downing
  • ????: I’ll Be Loving You – Al Downing
  • ????: Darlene – Al Downing
  • ????: Love on the Line – Lydia Murdock
  • ????: Superstar – Lydia Murdock
  • 1980: The Empire Strikes Back – Meco
  • 1981: Balance – Balance
  • 1982: Big Al Downing – Al Downing
  • 1982: Rock in a Hard Place – Aerosmith
  • 1982: In for the Count – Balance
  • 1983: Bark at the Moon – Ozzy Osbourne
  • 1984: Bon Jovi – Bon Jovi
  • 1984: Love At First Sting – Scorpions
  • 1990: Back for Another Taste – Helix – co-producer
  • 2002: Sympathy – Goo Goo Dolls
  • 2005: As Above So Below – NoEnd

Others produced

  • Jodi Bongiovi
  • Cindy Bullens
  • Carlene Carter
  • Rick Derringer
  • Mike DeVille
  • Buck Dharma
  • Carol Douglas
  • The Electriks
  • Barry Goudreau
  • Gus & The New Breed
  • Millie Jackson
  • The Rezillos
  • Sylvian
  • Tuff Darts