The inside story of when Run‑DMC met Aerosmith...
May 20, 2016 3:00 PM Subscribe
And Changed Music Forever! It’s 1986. Rap music is explosive and on the rise but still misunderstood and barely represented in the mainstream.
The leading innovators are Run-DMC, a trio from Queens who sport black leather jackets and unlaced Adidas sneakers. Two albums into their career, Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell are already minor stars and musical revolutionaries. For their third album, producer Rick Rubin, a 22-year-old white kid from New York University, comes up with a crazy idea: He recruits Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the leaders of the down-and-out arena-rock group Aerosmith, to collaborate with Run-DMC on a new version of their 1970s staple “Walk This Way.”
The leading innovators are Run-DMC, a trio from Queens who sport black leather jackets and unlaced Adidas sneakers. Two albums into their career, Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell are already minor stars and musical revolutionaries. For their third album, producer Rick Rubin, a 22-year-old white kid from New York University, comes up with a crazy idea: He recruits Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the leaders of the down-and-out arena-rock group Aerosmith, to collaborate with Run-DMC on a new version of their 1970s staple “Walk This Way.”
I still haven't forgiven Run DMC for dragging Aerosmith back from the Outer Darkness and unleashing them on us again.
posted by Naberius at 3:26 PM on May 20, 2016 [30 favorites]
posted by Naberius at 3:26 PM on May 20, 2016 [30 favorites]
Bring the noise.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 3:38 PM on May 20, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 3:38 PM on May 20, 2016 [6 favorites]
This is a great tune, who cares if they are "dragging Aerosmith back from the Outer Darkness and unleashing them on us again" - it works so well, all the parts just seem to fit with one another, the little scratches are way cool, and the beat is phat!
This song opens the way for all sorts of stuff, as Chuck D says at the end of the article, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, NWA...
posted by marienbad at 3:39 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
This song opens the way for all sorts of stuff, as Chuck D says at the end of the article, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, NWA...
posted by marienbad at 3:39 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
...the OST album to "Judgement Night"...
posted by Artw at 3:43 PM on May 20, 2016 [12 favorites]
posted by Artw at 3:43 PM on May 20, 2016 [12 favorites]
...and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/Beck video for "Flavor."
posted by stannate at 3:49 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by stannate at 3:49 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
I still haven't forgiven Run DMC for dragging Aerosmith back from the Outer Darkness and unleashing them on us again.
I'm totally OK with it. The horrors of 20 years of MTV-driven hard rock saccharine balladry doesn't outweigh the pure awesome of Toys in the Attic and Get Your Wings. And Run's Walk This Way...still. just. kills.
After taking my daughter to Straight Outta Compton, we dove into some music history, and this video was one of the things we talked about. A milestone that opened the eyes of a lot of white suburban music kids. It ain't NWA, but it was landmark.
posted by j_curiouser at 4:04 PM on May 20, 2016 [8 favorites]
I'm totally OK with it. The horrors of 20 years of MTV-driven hard rock saccharine balladry doesn't outweigh the pure awesome of Toys in the Attic and Get Your Wings. And Run's Walk This Way...still. just. kills.
After taking my daughter to Straight Outta Compton, we dove into some music history, and this video was one of the things we talked about. A milestone that opened the eyes of a lot of white suburban music kids. It ain't NWA, but it was landmark.
posted by j_curiouser at 4:04 PM on May 20, 2016 [8 favorites]
*chews*
*chews*
*chews*
Guess who I'm imitating
*chews*
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:20 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
*chews*
*chews*
Guess who I'm imitating
*chews*
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:20 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
I loved that video! Although, never having seen Steve Tyler before, when I saw it, I assumed that they had hired an actor to do an over-the-top parody of a fading pop star.
posted by Mogur at 4:22 PM on May 20, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by Mogur at 4:22 PM on May 20, 2016 [13 favorites]
Oh my god there's a guy in the studio in a classic LL Bean sweater standing next to Aerosmith. They're having a wicked good time.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:23 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:23 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Good story. Oh man I loved this video sooooo much back in the day. Knowing that Run DMC wasn't into it and disliked the song and lyrics makes me enjoy the video a lot less, tbh. I always had the impression it was their idea and that they were having a great time. I think I will just continue to believe that la la la la la la
posted by the webmistress at 4:23 PM on May 20, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by the webmistress at 4:23 PM on May 20, 2016 [5 favorites]
1) This is the very first album I copied. Cost me two tapes, one for the album, one for the taper.
2) My favorite part of this video is when Joe Perry sticks his head through the hole as if to say "What is this strange thing we have unleashed upon the world".
posted by madajb at 4:31 PM on May 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
2) My favorite part of this video is when Joe Perry sticks his head through the hole as if to say "What is this strange thing we have unleashed upon the world".
posted by madajb at 4:31 PM on May 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
I remember being amused at how upset by that video my redneck friends at Penn State were. "Why the hell is Aerosmith doing that rap shit?".
posted by octothorpe at 5:08 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by octothorpe at 5:08 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Me and most of my friends were huge fans of Aerosmith and RUN-DMC at the time, but this was a surprise to say the least. Mostly because Aerosmith were dead and gone at the time. The Rap + Rock thing was in the air, RUN-DMC were already doing it.
posted by bongo_x at 5:12 PM on May 20, 2016
posted by bongo_x at 5:12 PM on May 20, 2016
When I first saw that video I was so naive, I was all "Who the hell is this Mick Jagger looking guy?" It was s good year or more before I associated him with Aerosmith.
Anyway, I'm glad that both bands got some good out if it, and it helped rap get onto mainstream music stations.
posted by happyroach at 5:14 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Anyway, I'm glad that both bands got some good out if it, and it helped rap get onto mainstream music stations.
posted by happyroach at 5:14 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Back then we didn't even blink an eye when they did a commercial with Max Headroom.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:17 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:17 PM on May 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
I loved both bands at the time (and still do) and when this single happened it really seemed like a no brainer.
*walks this way*
posted by jonmc at 5:53 PM on May 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
*walks this way*
posted by jonmc at 5:53 PM on May 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
My favorite part of the video remains Tyler opening his mouth to begin singing, only to be cut off by Run DMC in the next room. Such a perfect and concise encapsulation of the respective trajectories of hip hop and classic rock.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 6:15 PM on May 20, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 6:15 PM on May 20, 2016 [10 favorites]
I always liked very much how the lyrics had the slight change of three girls at the locker from "when I noticed they was lookin' at me" to "when I noticed they was lookin' at D".
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:04 PM on May 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:04 PM on May 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
I also thought they had brought in a Mick Jagger lookalike and then I thought it was so cool that Run DMC was helping out those faded rock stars and helping them have careers in old age.
The guys in Run DMC are now 15 years older than Aerosmith was.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 8:29 PM on May 20, 2016
The guys in Run DMC are now 15 years older than Aerosmith was.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 8:29 PM on May 20, 2016
This is one of those versions where the remake is the definitive version. Have you heard the straight version recently? You keep wondering when Run DMC is going to bust in and break up the monotony.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:49 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:49 PM on May 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
I'm gonna have to strongly disagree with that. I like this version a lot, but then and now I thought both groups were slightly diluted by the collaboration. The sum was not greater than the parts.
posted by bongo_x at 11:54 PM on May 20, 2016
posted by bongo_x at 11:54 PM on May 20, 2016
I heard an interview a few years back and fell over laughing, hearing Run-DMC dudes recollect listening to Aerosmith for the first time, and saying 'wtf this is hillbilly music.'
It was a 'Oh, shit. That's not actually wrong.' moment.
posted by Fantods at 12:32 AM on May 21, 2016 [4 favorites]
It was a 'Oh, shit. That's not actually wrong.' moment.
posted by Fantods at 12:32 AM on May 21, 2016 [4 favorites]
We've been covering Walk This Way for years & while the singer pretty much does it Tyler/Perry style, the drummer plays it a lot more funky, which makes the bass part a blast to play. It's a funky song & I definitely went wow, good idea when the Run DMC version came out. It brought Rap to a wider audience & was a cool thing for Tyler & Perry to get involved in. It kicked down a racial wall in a big way.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:49 AM on May 21, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:49 AM on May 21, 2016 [5 favorites]
One of those tracks with lyrics that go under the radar for mainstream radio. 'You don't know nothing till you're down on a muffin'... is the entire thing about oral sex? I think they change them if an X Factor contestant does it now...
posted by Coda Tronca at 4:53 AM on May 21, 2016
posted by Coda Tronca at 4:53 AM on May 21, 2016
The leading innovators are Run-DMC, a trio from Queens who sport black leather jackets and unlaced Adidas sneakers.
My recollection is that while their Adidas sneakers were untied, they were not unlaced. And that the fact that people wore their sneakers untied helped make the question of how they laced them a fashion statement of some importance.
posted by layceepee at 5:39 AM on May 21, 2016
My recollection is that while their Adidas sneakers were untied, they were not unlaced. And that the fact that people wore their sneakers untied helped make the question of how they laced them a fashion statement of some importance.
posted by layceepee at 5:39 AM on May 21, 2016
while the singer pretty much does it Tyler/Perry style
Dressed up like Madea?
posted by Fantods at 8:48 AM on May 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
Dressed up like Madea?
posted by Fantods at 8:48 AM on May 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
The inside-Aerosmith dynamics are fascinating: "you have to take into consideration that Steven would probably take credit for everything that’s on every Aerosmith record", "the Less Important Three".
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:48 AM on May 21, 2016
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:48 AM on May 21, 2016
The inside-Aerosmith dynamics are fascinating:
From reading the Joe Perry book it's a Ramones level of disfunction.
posted by bongo_x at 10:30 AM on May 21, 2016
From reading the Joe Perry book it's a Ramones level of disfunction.
posted by bongo_x at 10:30 AM on May 21, 2016
Whatever. I have loved Aerosmith and Steve Tyler since the very first time I ever heard Dream On. I was in third grade. I was hooked for life. I loved the Run DMC Walk This Way collaboration, but yeah, it kind of saddens me to know that Run DMC weren't all that into it. In my happy ignorance, it was two super innovative creative groups recognizing the value of each other's music. It's kind of sad to read that the whole thing was done reluctantly and with predjudice.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 9:39 PM on May 21, 2016
posted by WalkerWestridge at 9:39 PM on May 21, 2016
Though they did sound more enthusiastic doing 'Walk This Way' than they did doing the Yellowman collabo 'Roots, Rap, Reggae.'
posted by box at 1:40 PM on May 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by box at 1:40 PM on May 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
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BTW do not attempt to Karaoke this song, the rap bits are way faster and more complicated than you expect.
posted by Artw at 3:17 PM on May 20, 2016 [7 favorites]