Get It Up (Aerosmith song)

Last updated
"Get It Up"
Get It Up cover.jpg
Single by Aerosmith
from the album Draw the Line
B-side "Milk Cow Blues"
ReleasedApril 6, 1978
Recorded 1978
Genre Funk, rock
Length4:02
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jack Douglas
Aerosmith singles chronology
"Kings and Queens"
(1978)
"Get It Up"
(1978)
"Come Together"
(1978)

"Get It Up" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, the song features Karen Lawrence, singer of the band L.A. Jets, on the chorus. It was released in 1978 as the third and final single from their album Draw the Line . The single also included "Milk Cow Blues" as a B-side. The single failed to break into the singles chart. The guitar is noted for its usage of slide guitar. The single had a reference to the next track on the album, "Bright Light Fright". The song was played occasionally by the band during the Aerosmith Express Tour from 1977 to 1978 in support of the Draw the Line album.

Critical reception

In a 1979 issue of Rolling Stone , Aerosmith's then-manager David Krebs commented on the state of the band's commercial performance, saying "...the essence of Aerosmith's lyrics...has always been a positive, macho sexuality...Draw the Line wasn't like that. You know the song 'Get It Up'? The lyrics really say "'Can't get it up.' Kids who are stoned and having sexual relationships don't want to hear 'Can't get it up.'" [1] Billboard Magazine stated that "Aerosmith's power charged heavy metal sound works well here." [2] Cash Box said that "the dominating guitar work slides and grinds," and that the song has a "good hook." [3] In a retrospective review for Ultimate Classic Rock, Sterling Whitaker cited the song as an example of a Draw the Line track that "should-have-been-great-but-not-quite", saying that it "featured important elements of the classic Aerosmith sound, but somehow didn't catch fire." [4] Biographer Richard Bienstock called it a "limp funk workout". [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Draw the Line</i> (Aerosmith album) 1977 studio album by Aerosmith

Draw the Line is the fifth studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released on December 9, 1977. It was recorded between June–October in an abandoned convent near New York City. The portrait of the band on the album cover was drawn by the celebrity caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk This Way</span> 1975 single by Aerosmith

"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 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.

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

"Sweet Emotion" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith from the band's third album Toys in the Attic. It was released as a single on May 19, 1975. The song began a string of pop hits and large-scale mainstream 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">Don't Look Back (Boston song)</span> 1978 single by Boston

"Don't Look Back" is a song by American rock band Boston, written by main songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Tom Scholz. It was released as the title track and first single from their second studio album, Don't Look Back (1978). It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the band's biggest hits.

<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">I Can't Tell You Why</span> 1980 single by Eagles

"I Can't Tell You Why" is a song by the American rock band Eagles that appeared on their 1979 album The Long Run. It was written by band members Timothy B. Schmit, Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Recorded in March 1978, it was the first song finished for the album and the first Eagles song to feature Schmit on lead vocals. Released as a single in February 1980, it became a Billboard top 10 hit in April, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was the group's last top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beast of Burden (song)</span> 1978 song by The Rolling Stones

"Beast of Burden" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, featured on the 1978 album Some Girls. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song No. 435 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janie's Got a Gun</span> 1989 single by Aerosmith

"Janie's Got a Gun" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton. The song was released as the second single from Pump in 1989, peaking at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in 1990. In Australia, the song reached number one, becoming Aerosmith's first of two number-one singles there. It also reached number two in Canada, number 12 in Sweden, and number 13 in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Late</span> 1978 single by Queen

"It's Late" is a song written by Queen guitarist Brian May and performed by the band for their 1977 album, News of the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dude (Looks Like a Lady)</span> 1987 single by Aerosmith

"Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It was released as the lead single from the band's ninth studio album Permanent Vacation in 1987.

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

"Rag Doll" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. It is from their 1987 album Permanent Vacation. It was released as the final single from the album in 1988. It was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Jim Vallance, and Holly Knight. The song "[filters] the essence of Aerosmith's funkiest moments through the boom-thwack beat of the hair-metal '80s".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One of These Nights (Eagles song)</span> 1975 single by Eagles

"One of These Nights" is a song written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and recorded by the American rock band Eagles. The title track from their 1975 One of These Nights album, the song became their second single to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart after "Best of My Love" and also helped propel the album to number one. The single version was shortened from the album version of the song, removing most of the song's intro and most of its fade-out, as well. Henley is lead vocalist on the verses, while Randy Meisner sings high harmony on the refrain. The song features a guitar solo by Don Felder that is "composed of blues-based licks and sustained string bends using an unusually meaty distortion tone."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What It Takes (Aerosmith song)</span> 1990 single by Aerosmith

"What It Takes" is a power ballad by American band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child, it was released in 1989 as the third single from the critically and commercially successful 1989 album Pump. "I'll put some ballads on an album," Tyler remarked, "if that's what it takes so that some young kid can get to hear a 'Young Lust' or 'F.I.N.E.*'."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back in the Saddle</span> 1977 single by Aerosmith

"Back in the Saddle" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. It is the first track on Aerosmith's hard rock album Rocks released in 1976. The song was also released as the third single from the album in 1977. It peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings and Queens (Aerosmith song)</span> Song by Aerosmith

"Kings and Queens" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Jack Douglas, their producer, who helped the band write many of the songs on Draw the Line. Douglas also played the mandolin featured in the song. The song first appeared on the album Draw the Line in December 1977 and was released as a single on February 21, 1978. The song was also used as a B-side to Aerosmith's version of The Beatles' "Come Together", released to promote the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band film and soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Dean (song)</span> 1974 single by Eagles

"James Dean" is a song written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Jackson Browne, and J. D. Souther, and recorded by the American rock band Eagles for their 1974 album On the Border. It was the second single released from this album, reaching number 77 on the U.S. pop singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tequila Sunrise (song)</span> 1973 single by Eagles

"Tequila Sunrise" is a song from 1973, written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey, and recorded by the Eagles. It was the first single from the band's second album, Desperado. It peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Times Roll</span> 1979 single by the Cars

"Good Times Roll" is a song by American rock band the Cars released as the first track from their 1978 debut album The Cars. Written by Ric Ocasek as a sarcastic comment on rock's idea of good times, the song features layered harmonies courtesy of producer Roy Thomas Baker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borrowed Time (Styx song)</span> 1980 single by Styx

"Borrowed Time" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw that was first released on Styx's 1979 album Cornerstone and was also released as the third single from Cornerstone. It peaked at No. 64 on the U.S. chart in April 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You See Me Crying</span> 1975 single by Aerosmith

"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.

References

  1. "Rolling Stone's 500 Worst Reviews of All Time (work in progress)" . Retrieved May 8, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. April 15, 1978. p. 95. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  3. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 22, 1978. p. 52. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  4. Sterling Whitaker (December 2, 2013). "36 Years Ago – Aerosmith Release 'Draw the Line'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  5. Bienstock, Richard (September 16, 2011). Aerosmith: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Boston Bad Boys. Voyaguer Press. p. 78. ISBN   978-0760341063.