Aerosmith is an American hard rock band formed in the late sixties in Sunapee under the name Jam Band.
In 1969, the band moved to Boston and changed its name to Aerosmith. In 1970, Ray Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford.
The band gained great popularity in Boston, which led to a deal with Columbia/CBS, and in 1973 Aerosmith hit the charts with their debut album. However, the promotional single from this album, “Dream On,” was only at number fifty-nine on Billboard magazine, but when it was re-recorded in 1976, it soared to the top ten.
With Get Your Wings, the band began a fruitful period of collaboration with producer Danny Douglas. By touring all over the country, Aerosmith managed to consolidate the image of a very spectacular band, and also maintain their high position by releasing a very successful album “Toys In The Attic”, which sold more than six million copies.
The fourth LP, Rocks, was certified platinum and sold well on the market. The band maintained their high position as a star with the next records – “Draw The Line” and “Live! Bootleg”, which, however, failed to win fans among many critics who considered Aerosmith a secondary band, for example, in comparison with Led Zeppelin. Tyler’s resemblance to Mick Jagger and the contrast between his personality and that of Joe Perry was the reason for comparing Aerosmith to The Rolling Stones, with whom the former had a good relationship.
In 1978, Aerosmith embarked on a U.S. tour, during which they performed in small towns, resulting in a very busy calendar. Later, there was a not very successful movie “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and although their version of the Beatles’ “Come Together” made it to the Top 30, the relationship between Tyler and Perry deteriorated. Perry left the band after the release of the unsuccessful album “Night In The Ruts” and formed his own band, The Joe Perry Project.
In 1980, guitarist Jimmy Crespo joined Aerosmith, and a year later Brad Whitford decided to form a duo with Ted Nugent’s former musician Derrick St. Holts. The new guitarist Rick Doofey made his debut on the uninteresting album “Rock In A Hard Place”, which failed to come close to the dynamic style of their classic records. In 1984, during a tour, contact was established between Aerosmith and Perry and Whitford, and forgetting about old quarrels, the band played in the best lineup the following year. The album “Done With Mirrors” was a cautious attempt at a comeback, after which Tyler and Perry underwent successful treatment for alcohol and drugs.
In 1986, Aerosmith took part in the recording of their old song “Walk This Way” in the version of the rap group Run DMC, which soon hit the top ten. This collaboration resulted in great international success and new interest in Aerosmith.