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One of the USA's most popular of all hard-rock acts, Aerosmith were
formed in 1970 when vocalist Steven Tyler (b. Steven Victor Tallarico,
26 March 1948, Yonkers, New York City, New York, USA; vocals) met Joe
Perry (b. Anthony Joseph Perry, 10 September 1950, Lawrence,
Massachusetts, USA; guitar) while the latter was working in a Sunapee,
New Hampshire ice cream parlour, the Anchorage. Tyler was in the area
visiting the family-owned holiday resort, Trow-Rico. Perry, then
playing in the Jam Band, invited Tyler (who had previously released one
single, "When I Needed You", with his own band Chain Reaction, and
another, "You Should Have Been Here Yesterday", with William Proud And
The Strangeurs) to join him in a Cream -styled rock combo. Together
with fellow Jam Band member Tom Hamilton (b. 31 December 1951, Colorado
Springs, Colorado, USA; bass) and new recruits Joey Kramer (b. 21 June
1950, the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA; drums) and Ray Tabano
(guitar), the band's founding line-up was complete. However, Tabano was
quickly replaced by the former member of Justin Tyme, Earth Inc.,
Teapot Dome and Cymbals Of Resistance, Brad Whitford (b. 23 February
1952, Winchester, Massachusetts, USA).
After playing their first gig at the Nipmuc Regional High School,
the band took the name Aerosmith (rejecting other early monikers
including Hookers). Their popularity throughout the Boston area grew
rapidly, and a triumphant gig at Max's Kansas City, witnessed by Clive
Davis, led to a recording contract with Columbia Records. In 1973
Aerosmith secured a minor chart placing with their self-titled debut
album. Although its attendant single, "Dream On", initially peaked at
number 59, it became a Top 10 hit in April 1976. Get Your Wings
inaugurated a fruitful working relationship with producer Jack Douglas.
Nationwide tours established the quintet as a major attraction, a
position consolidated by the highly successful Toys In The Attic, which
has now sold in excess of six million copies worldwide. A fourth album,
Rocks, achieved platinum status within months of its release. Aerosmith
maintained their pre-eminent position with Draw The Line and the
powerful Live! Bootleg, but despite popular acclaim, they failed to
gain the approbation of many critics who dubbed the band "derivative",
particularly of Led Zeppelin. Tyler's physical resemblance to Mick
Jagger, and his foil-like relationship with guitarist Perry, also
inspired comparisons with the Rolling Stones, with whom they shared
several musical reference points.
In 1978 the band undertook a US tour of smaller, more intimate
venues in an attempt to decelerate their rigorous schedule. They
appeared in the ill-fated Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie
(as the Future Villain band), and although their rousing version of
"Come Together" reached the US Top 30, tension between Tyler and Perry
proved irreconcilable. The guitarist left the band following the
release of the disappointing Night In The Ruts and subsequently founded
the Joe Perry Project. Jimmy Crespo joined Aerosmith in 1980, but the
following year Brad Whitford left to pursue a new career with former
Ted Nugent band member, guitarist Derek St. Holmes. Newcomer Rick Dufay
debuted on Rock In A Hard Place, but this lacklustre set failed to
capture the fire of the band's classic recordings.
Contact between the band and Perry and Whitford was re-established
during a 1984 tour. Antagonisms were set aside, and the following year,
the quintet's most enduring line-up was performing together again. The
first fruits of a lucrative new contract with Geffen Records, the Ted
Templeman -produced Done With Mirrors was a tentative first step, after
which Tyler and Perry underwent a successful rehabilitation programme
to rid themselves of drug and alcohol dependency, synonymous with the
band's hedonistic lifestyle. In 1986 they accompanied rappers Run-DMC
on "Walk This Way", an Aerosmith song from Toys In The Attic and a
former US Top 10 entry in its own right. The collaboration was an
international hit, rekindling interest in Aerosmith's career, with the
following year's "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" reaching number 14 in the
US charts. Recorded with producer Bruce Fairbairn, Permanent Vacation
became one of their bestselling albums, and the first to make an
impression in the UK, while the highly acclaimed Pump and Get A Grip
(also produced by Fairbairn) emphasized their revitalization.
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