Aerosmith
Aerosmith’s self-titled debut didn’t do much in 1973 nor did the single “Dream On” (it would rise from the ashes a couple years later). A second effort, “Get Your Wings,” also initially failed to garner much attention even though it had “Same Old Song And Dance.”
“Toys In The Attic” hit the streets in 1975 and featured two Aerosmith classics. “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.” The following year a resurrected “Dream On” exploded. Also, “Rocks” was released with “Back In The Saddle” and “Last Child.”
“Draw The Line” drew poor reviews and probably deserved them. Aerosmith bounced back with a decent cover of “Come Together” for the ill-conceived “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” movie.
After a live album Perry departed over alleged musical differences with Tyler. Perry was replaced and Aerosmith continued but had nowhere near the power – largely due to the band’s ever-increasing drug use. And that’s the way it stayed until the mid-80s.
Geffen Records decided to ink a five record/seven-million-dollar deal with the out-of-rehab, re-grouped (Perry back in the fold) Aerosmith. “Done With Mirrors” did okay but “Permanent Vacation” was a classic album with the unforgettable “Dude (Looks Like A Lady).” It featured a killer sax riff and sly lyrics (pulled off perfectly by Tyler) and was accompanied by a comical MTV video
Perry and Tyler also teamed with Run D.M.C. to create a Rap/Rock version of “Walk This Way.” The groundbreaking mash-up was an MTV fave and did a lot to bring Aerosmith back peaking higher on the Billboard Hot 100 than the original.
To close out the ‘80s, the band scored with “Love In An Elevator” delivering all the innuendoes that situation provided.
Aerosmith rolled into the ‘90s scoring with, “Janie’s Got A Gun.” But “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” a ballad, from the “Armageddon” soundtrack was Aerosmith’s biggest worldwide hit (figures). The ‘98 release was written by pop songwriting machine Diane Warren.
More importantly, Tyler launched Janie’s Fund, the philanthropic initiative that provided “a big voice for abused girls.” He also became a TV personality appearing in a GAP commercial (with Perry), in sitcoms and serving as a judge on American Idol (the singing competition). Tyler even dabbled in Country.
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