Saturday, 21 May 2016

The Inside Story of When Run-DMC Met Aerosmith and Changed Music Forever

quote [ ...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 remember when this song first came out (I was 12-13). I did NOT care for it and, in fact, didn't for several years. It wasn't until I was a mature adult that I came to not only like, but LOVE this. Regardless of my feelings on it when it arrived, I knew without a shadow of the doubt that this was a game-changer.

Because the Washington Post likes to put their stuff behind a wall, here's an alternate link to the same article: http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/%E2%80%98walk-this-way%E2%80%99-the-collaboration-that-changed-music-%E2%80%94-and-popular-culture/ar-BBtcMEm?li=BBnbhK0
[SFW] [music] [+7 Interesting]
[by EvilNinjaX24@4:47amGMT]

Comments

lilmookieesquire said[1] @ 10:10am GMT on 21st May [Score:1 Insightful]
Run-D.M.C. made inroads incorporating rock elements in hip-hop with their songs "Rock Box" and "King of Rock," but their rappers (Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels) wanted nothing to do with an Aerosmith collaboration. When their producer Rick Rubin gave them the record and told them to learn the words to "Walk This Way," they couldn't understand what Steven Tyler was singing and hated it. They refused to record it, but were convinced when their DJ, Jam Master Jay, told them that Rubin had Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in the studio, and they were going to do the song with or without them. Jay gave them the idea to switch off lines between the rappers instead of having each of them take an entire verse. D.M.C. said: "If it had been up to us, our version would have just been the beat, a couple of the guitars, and me and Run bragging about how great we are."
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5829
midden said @ 6:30am GMT on 21st May
Nice job picking up the Young Frankenstein link for the thumb. +1
5th Earth said @ 6:45am GMT on 21st May
Took me a minute, but yes, very good choice.
midden said @ 2:06pm GMT on 21st May [Score:1 Original]
"When we needed lyrics, we would go out for walks. Being Sunday afternoon, there was absolutely no one on the street. When we got to 42nd Street, “Young Frankenstein” was playing in one of those theaters. The whole band went in to see the movie, and when that line came up — “Walk this way” — we were all in hysterics. And when we got back to the studio, I started walking around like Marty Feldman."
- Jack Douglas, Aerosmith Producer
coffeejoejava said @ 1:55pm GMT on 21st May
Never knew the story behind the collaboration. Amazing story. I remember being in bumfuck Kansas in high school when Rappers Delight came out. First time we had ever heard anything like that. Then this song tore it up!
knumbknutz said @ 3:05pm GMT on 21st May
Here's rock/rap collab I really like - kind of old school 70's top-40'ish, but much cooler than KC ever imagined it could be when they did it.

It's the Spin Doctors and Biz Markie. Our group actually did this one with a rapper during a gig some years ago. For some reason, the vocals sound a hell of a less dorky when a good rap artist is singing them:

That's The Way I Like It Originally By Spin Doctors Feat. Biz Markie
cakkafracle said @ 7:19am GMT on 22nd May
Originally by who now??

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