This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2021) |
"Sweet Emotion" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Aerosmith | ||||
from the album Toys in the Attic | ||||
B-side | "Uncle Salty" | |||
Released | May 19, 1975 | |||
Recorded | March 14, 1975 | |||
Studio | Record Plant, New York City | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:09 (single version) 4:34 (album version) | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Jack Douglas | |||
Aerosmith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio sample | ||||
Sweet Emotion | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Sweet Emotion" on YouTube |
"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. [1] It was released as a single on May 19,1975. [2] 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 [2] [3] and recorded at Record Plant studio. [3]
"Sweet Emotion" remains a staple track of both classic rock and Aerosmith's discography,as well as their live performances. [4] [5] [6] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Sweet Emotion" #416 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [7]
"Sweet Emotion" was released as a single on May 19,1975, [2] and peaked at No. 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100,becoming the band's breakthrough single and their first Top 40 hit. [8] The day it hit No. 36 on the U.S. chart,July 19,1975,Aerosmith was booked at a gig in New York City's Central Park,called the Schaefer Music Festival. The song and consequently the album that went into the Top 10 were so successful that the band decided to ride the heels of success and re-release one of their first singles,the power ballad "Dream On",which had originally charted at No. 59 in 1973. [9] [8] The re-released version went on to hit No. 6, [9] [8] the highest chart performance in the 1970s for the band. [8] "Sweet Emotion" remains successful in the modern day,having sold over three million digital downloads. [10]
Cash Box said that with "Sweet Emotion" "Aerosmith explodes with inspired harmony,virtuosity in some searing guitar licks,and powerful production by Jack Douglas." [11]
Many Aerosmith fans believe that Steven Tyler wrote all of the lyrics to the song about the tension and hatred between the band members and Joe Perry's first wife. Tyler himself has said that only some of the lyrics were inspired by Perry's wife. It was stated in Aerosmith's tell-all autobiography Walk This Way and in an episode of Behind the Music that growing feuds between the band members' wives (including an incident involving "spilt milk" where Elyssa Perry threw milk over Tom Hamilton's wife,Terry) may have helped lead to the band's original lineup dissolving in the early 1980s. [12]
The line "Can't catch me / 'Cause the rabbit done died" is a reference to the rabbit test. [13]
"Tom Hamilton wrote the music for 'Sweet Emotion,'" recalled producer Jack Douglas. "He had that bassline. And when Joey Kramer came in,he played on the twos and fours instead of the ones and threes,so he was playing on the backside of it. When we heard that,we went,'Oh,boy! Magic.'" [14]
"Sweet Emotion" is a hard rock, [15] funk rock [16] and psychedelic funk [16] song with a repeated electric bass riff tracked alongside the bass marimba,played by Jay Messina in the beginning. Steven Tyler shakes a packet of sugar in place of maracas,as none were available. He also plays the vibraslap,which he revealed on the Howard Stern show that the vibraslap broke the third time he hit it,which can still be heard in the final recording. The introduction builds with the use of a talk box by Joe Perry,which has become one of the most famous uses of the guitar talk box in popular music (Perry's guitar "sings" the line "sweet emotion" over Hamilton's bass riff). Eventually Tyler joins in,singing in unison with Perry's talk box. The talk box device used was called The Bag,made by Kustom Electronics. The now discontinued device had been used by guitarists including Jeff Beck and Mike Pinera.
The song kicks into a more rocking rhythm with dueling guitars,and rapid-fire angry-sounding lyrics sung by Tyler. The chorus consists of a repeating guitar riff followed by a mirror of the "sweet emotion" intro.
On the 1980 compilation Aerosmith's Greatest Hits ,"Sweet Emotion" appears in edited form. The bass and talk box introduction is removed,and the track begins with the chorus that precedes the first verse. The guitar solo at the end of the song is also removed,and the track concludes with the chorus,which repeats as the song fades. This edit was used for the original single release of the song,which was replaced in subsequent pressings with the album version from Toys in the Attic.
The song has been included on almost every Aerosmith compilation and live album,including Aerosmith's Greatest Hits , Pandora's Box , Pandora's Toys , O,Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits , Devil's Got a New Disguise , Live! Bootleg , Classics Live I , A Little South of Sanity , Greatest Hits 1973–1988 and Rockin' the Joint .
The song is frequently cited as Aerosmith's signature song,including in the World Almanac and Book of Facts ,and regularly competes with "Dream On" and "Walk This Way" for the title of Aerosmith's "signature song" elsewhere.
It is often included on "greatest song" lists or "greatest rock song" lists,including a ranking of No. 408 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [17]
The song has been prominently used in several movies,including the opening scene of the 1993 American coming-of-age comedy film Dazed and Confused and a scene of the 2013 American comedy film We're the Millers ,where Jennifer Aniston's stripper character Rose O'Reilly performs a strip routine. It was also included in a teaser trailer for the 2015 American animated film Inside Out .
The original recording was remixed by David Thoener and released as a single in 1991 in coordination with the release of the band's box set Pandora's Box ,although the remixed version was not in the box set. The difference from the original is that the drums are mixed louder with more reverb,the instrumental segue between verses is twice as long and the same as the segue between the 2nd and 4th verses and their subsequent choruses,and a guitar harmony has been added at the fade-out. A new music video was filmed and released in support of the single. The re-released version reached No. 36 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 74 in the United Kingdom. The remixed version was later issued on the bonus disc in the band's 1994 box set Box of Fire and on the soundtrack to the 1998 film Armageddon .
The video for the re-released version is based on a phone sex conversation. The video,directed by Marty Callner,shows a young man under his covers with a magazine which is advertising a phone sex line. The young man,who says he is a 26-year-old attorney,and the phone sex operator talk about each other for a while,until it goes into a shot of the band performing in a basement (this portion of the video was actually recorded in an old warehouse in the Charlestown Navy Yard,which substituted as the band's old apartment on 1325 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston). It switches back-and-forth between Aerosmith performing "Sweet Emotion" and the phone conversation. At the very end,both the phone sex operator and the young man are shown to be very different from each other's perceptions;she is an overweight older woman with a baby living in a rundown house,and he is a teenage boy. Throughout most of the video,Perry is playing a Gibson Les Paul but plays the solo on a Fender Stratocaster.
The video is also a homage to the 1983 film Risky Business ,in that the opening scenes of the young man talking to the woman are almost identical to the scenes in the film of Tom Cruise's character talking on the phone to the call girl.
Region | Date | Format | A-Side/Tracks | Time | B-Side/AA-Side | Time | Label | Catalog # | Barcode | Edition | Series | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | May 1975 | 7-inch 45 RPM | Sweet Emotion (Edit/Mono) | 3:09 | Sweet Emotion (Edit/Stereo) | 3:09 | Columbia/CBS | 3-10155 | — | Demonstration | — | Co. Sleeve |
US | May 19,1975 | 7-inch 45 RPM | Sweet Emotion (Edit) | 3:09 | Uncle Salty (Edit) | 3:30 | Columbia/CBS | 3-10155 | — | — | — | Co. Sleeve [18] [ deprecated source ] |
US | Oct 1991 | CD Single | Sweet Emotion (Remix) | 4:34 | — | — | Columbia/SMEI | CSK 4219 | — | Demonstration | — | Picture Card |
US | October 31,1991 | CS Maxi-Single | Sweet Emotion (Remix) Subway Circle Jerk | 4:34 3:28 3:37 | Sweet Emotion (Remix) Subway Circle Jerk | 4:34 3:28 3:37 | Columbia/SMEI | 38T 74101 | 098707410147 | — | — | Picture Sleeve [19] |
Chart (1975) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [20] | 56 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [21] | 36 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [22] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [23] | 3×Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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".
Rocks is the fourth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith,released on 3 May 1976. AllMusic described Rocks as having "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking." Rocks was ranked number 366 on the updated Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020. It has influenced many hard rock and heavy metal artists,including Guns N' Roses,Metallica,and Nirvana. The album was a commercial success,charting three singles on the Billboard Hot 100,two of which reached the Top 40. The album was one of the first to ship platinum when it was released,and has since gone quadruple platinum.
Toys in the Attic is the third studio album by American rock band Aerosmith,released on April 8,1975,by Columbia Records. Its first single,"Sweet Emotion",was released on May 19 and the original version of "Walk This Way" followed on August 28 in the same year. The album is the band's most commercially successful studio LP in the United States,with nine million copies sold,according to the RIAA. In 2003,the album was ranked No. 228 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album's title track and their collaboration with Run-DMC on a cover version of "Walk This Way" are included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".
Night in the Ruts is the sixth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith,released on November 16,1979,by Columbia Records. Guitarist Joe Perry left the band midway through the album's recording.
Joseph Anthony Pereira,professionally known as Joe Perry,is an American musician best known as a founding member,guitarist,backing and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Aerosmith. Perry also has his own solo band called the Joe Perry Project,and is a member of the all-star band Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp.
Thomas William Hamilton is an American musician and songwriter who serves as the bassist for the hard rock band Aerosmith.
Bradley Ernest Whitford is an American musician who is best known for serving as guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He has also worked as a songwriter for the group,co-composing well-received tracks such as 1976's "Last Child".
"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry,the song was originally released as the second single from the album Toys in the Attic (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977,part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s. In addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s,it also helped revitalize their career in the 1980s when it was covered by hip hop group Run-D.M.C. on their 1986 album Raising Hell. This cover was a touchstone for the new musical subgenre of rap rock,or the melding of rock and hip hop. It became an international hit,reaching number 4 on the Billboard charts,and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single in 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. Both versions are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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.
Get Your Wings is the second studio album by American rock band Aerosmith,released on March 15,1974. The album was their first to be produced by Jack Douglas,who also was responsible for the band's next three albums. Three singles were released from the album,but none reached the singles charts.
"Dream On" is a power ballad by American rock band 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.
Devil's Got a New Disguise:The Very Best of Aerosmith is a compilation album by American hard rock band Aerosmith released on October 17,2006. It has sold more than 265,048 copies in the U.S. as of May 2008.
"Last Child" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford and released as the first single from the album Rocks in 1976. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100,one of a string of hits for the band in the mid-1970s.
"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.
"Toys in the Attic" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry,it is the first song and title track from the band's third album Toys in the Attic,their bestselling studio album in the United States. It was released as the B-side to the "You See Me Crying" single in 1975.
Video Scrapbook is a video by American rock band Aerosmith,featuring live footage,promotional videos,and conversations between the band and their families. It was released on VHS in 1987 and laserdisc in 1990. There has yet to be a DVD release. In February 1988 the RIAA certified the release as Gold.
Live Texxas Jam '78 is a live VHS video by the American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was filmed on the 4th of July weekend at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas where Aerosmith headlined the Texxas World Music Festival. It was released on April 25,1989. Although not included on the video,the live versions for "Big Ten Inch Record" and "Lord of the Thighs" would later be included on the limited Japanese edition of Just Push Play and on the Pandora's Box box set.
"You See Me Crying" is a power ballad by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was released in 1975 as the last track on the band's breakthrough album Toys in the Attic. A shorter mix of the song was released as the third single from the album in November 1975,but failed to chart. Consequently,the original single is rather rare.
"Legendary Child" is a single by American hard rock band Aerosmith that was released May 24,2012.
Music from Another Dimension! is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith,released on November 6,2012,by Columbia Records. Their first studio album since 2004's Honkin' on Bobo,as well as the first to feature all-new material since 2001's Just Push Play,its release marks the longest gap between Aerosmith's studio albums. The album was released in a single CD edition,along with a deluxe version. It is the last album in Aerosmith's recording contract with Sony/Columbia Records and was produced by Jack Douglas,Steven Tyler,Joe Perry,and Marti Frederiksen. It is also their longest studio album with total track time of nearly 68 minutes.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)