Somebody (Aerosmith song)

Last updated
"Somebody"
Song by Aerosmith
from the album Aerosmith
A-side "Dream On"
Written1970
ReleasedJune 27, 1973
Recorded1972
Studio Intermedia Studios
Length3:45
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Steven Tyler, Steven Emspak
Producer(s) Adrian Barber
Audio
"Somebody" on YouTube

"Somebody" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It is the B-side to their debut single, "Dream On", released from their 1973 debut studio album, Aerosmith . Written by lead singer Steven Tyler and his friend Steven Emspak and released in June 1973, its A-side peaked at number 59 nationally but was a major success in the band's home city of Boston, where it was the number 1 single of the year on the less commercial top 40 station WBZ-FM, number 5 for the year on highly rated Top 40 WRKO-AM, and number 16 on heritage Top 40 WMEX-AM.

Contents

The riff to "Somebody" is made up from a basic blues-playing technique and Tyler's lyrics tell the story of a character trying to search for the woman of his dreams. The character is in need of someone who shares the work with him and has been through the same difficulties in their life as he has. It was written in 1970.

Single track listings

7" 45 RPM

Side one

  1. "Dream On"

Side two

  1. "Somebody"

Live performances

Aerosmith regularly performed the song throughout the early seventies, the first known time was in Mendon, Massachusetts on November 6, 1970, at Nipmuc Regional High School. [1] The last-known performance of the song was in Yokohama, Japan, on June 26, 1988, at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium during the Permanent Vacation Tour . [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosmith</span> American rock band

Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums), and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has also incorporated elements of pop rock, heavy metal, glam metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. Aerosmith is sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". The primary songwriting team of Tyler and Perry is sometimes referred to as the "Toxic Twins".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Tyler</span> American singer (born 1948)

Steven Victor Tallarico, known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, harmonica and percussion. He has been called the "Demon of Screamin'" due to his high screams and his powerful wide vocal range. He is also known for his on-stage acrobatics. During his performances, Tyler usually dresses in colorful, sometimes androgynous outfits and makeup with his trademark scarves hanging from his microphone stand.

<i>Aerosmith</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Aerosmith

Aerosmith is the debut studio album by the American rock band Aerosmith, released on January 5, 1973, by Columbia Records. "Dream On", originally released as a single in 1973, became an American top ten hit when re-released on 27 December 1975. The album peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard 200 album chart in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Emotion</span> 1975 single by Aerosmith

"Sweet Emotion" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith, released in 1975 on their third studio album Toys in the Attic by Columbia Records. It was released as a single on May 19, 1975. The song began a string of pop hits and large-scale success for the band that would continue for the remainder of the 1970s. The song was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and bassist Tom Hamilton, produced by Jack Douglas and recorded at Record Plant studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dream On (Aerosmith song)</span> 1973 single by Aerosmith

"Dream On" is a power ballad by Aerosmith from their 1973 eponymous debut album. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this song was their first major hit and became a classic rock radio staple. Released in June 1973, it peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 but hit big in the band's native Boston, where it was the number one single of the year on WBZ-FM, number five for the year on WRKO and number 16 on WMEX (AM). The song also received immediate heavy airplay on the former WVBF (FM), often showing up in the #1 position on "The Top Five at Five" in June 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy (Aerosmith song)</span> 1994 song by Aerosmith

"Crazy" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child. It was the final single from their massively successful 1993 album Get a Grip, released in May 1994 by Geffen Records. "Crazy" peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number three in Canada, and number one in Iceland for two weeks. In Finland and the United Kingdom, it was released as a double-A side with "Blind Man", reaching number eight in the former country and number 23 in the latter. Marty Callner directed the song's music video, featuring Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love in an Elevator</span> 1989 single by Aerosmith

"Love in an Elevator" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith, written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. It was released in August 1989 as the lead single from their third album with Geffen Records, Pump, released in September. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The RIAA certified it gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Other Side (Aerosmith song)</span> 1990 single by Aerosmith

"The Other Side" is a song performed by the American rock band Aerosmith, and written by Steven Tyler, Jim Vallance, and Holland-Dozier-Holland. It was released on June 6, 1990 as the fourth single from the band's highly successful 1989 album Pump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel (Aerosmith song)</span> 1988 single by Aerosmith

"Angel" is a power ballad by American rock band Aerosmith. It was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and professional songwriting collaborator Desmond Child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazing (Aerosmith song)</span> 1993 single by Aerosmith

"Amazing" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Don Henley lends his vocals, shadowing lead singer Steven Tyler in parts of this song. The rock ballad was written by Tyler and longtime band friend and collaborator Richie Supa. It peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, number nine on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. The song was also successful abroad, peaking at number two in Iceland, number four in Canada, number five in Norway, and the top 20 in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

"Lord of the Thighs" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith. It was written by frontman Steven Tyler, and released on the band's 1974 album Get Your Wings. Drummer Joey Kramer has said it is his favorite song to perform live. Kramer and singer Steven Tyler have each said that he alone was the subject of the song's title. The song has remained a live staple since its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Tonight</span> Song by Aerosmith

"Home Tonight" is a power ballad by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, the song is the closing track on Aerosmith's 1976 album Rocks. It was released as the second single from Rocks and reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same Old Song and Dance</span> Song by Aerosmith

"Same Old Song and Dance" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith, written by singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. Released on March 19, 1974, as the lead single from their second studio album, Get Your Wings, it has remained a staple on rock radio and in the band's setlists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chip Away the Stone</span> Song by Aerosmith

"Chip Away the Stone" is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Written by Richie Supa, a friend and sometime collaborator with the band, it was released in 1978 as the only single to support the band's live album Live! Bootleg. It also appeared on the Cal Jam II live album, despite being the same recording from Live! Bootleg at Santa Monica. The lyrics describe the narrator's attempt to seduce a beautiful woman who is "actin' like a prima donna [and] playin' so hard to get", and who is attracting the attention of men who compete for her attention: "while the boys all promenade."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosmith singles discography</span>

American rock band Aerosmith has released 72 singles. Some of their singles have been officially released to the public, while others have been released as album cuts only to radio. Twenty-one of their songs have reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the band has long been a stalwart of the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, achieving nine number-one hits on that chart to date. An additional 28 of the band's songs have reached the Top 40 on various charts worldwide. The band has achieved four multi-platinum singles, while an additional eight singles have attained silver, gold, or platinum certifications in various territories. The band has certified sales of 16.5 million singles in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Permanent Vacation Tour</span> 1987–88 concert tour by Aerosmith

The Permanent Vacation Tour, by American hard rock band Aerosmith, lasted from October 1987 to September 1988. It supported the band's commercially successful comeback album Permanent Vacation, released in September 1987.

"Write Me a Letter" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. The song was written by lead-singer Steven Tyler and is the sixth song on Aerosmith's self-titled debut album, Aerosmith. The song is mostly a rock and roll song; it starts off with a drum line and goes into slow blues jam with Tyler singing about a letter from a lover he is waiting for. The song is the first use of the harmonica in an Aerosmith song.

"Movin' Out" is a song by the American hard rock band, Aerosmith. It was the first in the songwriting partnership of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and was the seventh song on Aerosmith's first album, Aerosmith. Built on a guitar lick played by Perry, "Movin' Out" was recorded on a water bed at the band's apartment, 1325 Commonwealth Avenue. The track appeared on Aerosmith's live compilation, Classics Live! Vol. 2 (1987). An alternative version of the song appears on the band's box set Pandora's Box. The song was re-recorded in 2007 for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

References

  1. "1970-11-06 Mendon MA - Nipmuc Regional High School". AerosmithSetlists. 1970-11-06. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  2. "1988-06-26 Yokohama JPN - Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium". AerosmithSetlists. Retrieved 2016-10-08.