Aerosmith

One of the USA's most popular hard-rock acts, Aerosmith was formed in 1970 when vocalist Steven Tyler (b. Steven Victor Tallarico, 26 March 1948, New York, USA; vocals) met Joe Perry (b. Anthony Joseph Perry, 10 September 1950, Boston, 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 with his own band Chain Reaction, When I Needed You, 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, New York, USA; drums) and Ray Tabano (guitar), the group's original line-up was now complete. However, Tabano was quickly replaced by 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 deal with Columbia/CBS 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 when reissued in 1976. GET YOUR WINGS introduced 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. 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, failed to gain the approbation of many critics who dubbed the group ‘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 Aerosmith 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 film (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 group 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, Derek St. Holmes. Newcomer Rick Dufay debuted on ROCK IN A HARD PLACE, but this lacklustre set failed to capture the fire of the group's classic recordings. Contact between the group 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. 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 dependencies, synonymous with the group'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. PERMANENT VACATION became one of their best-selling albums, and the first to enter the UK chart, while the highly-acclaimed PUMP and GET A GRIP emphasized their revitalization. Feted by a new generation of acts, including Guns N' Roses, the quintet are now seen as elder statesmen, but recent recordings show them leading by example.