After ‘Done With Mirrors’, the band was not in a good place with fans, the label and themselves. The drugs use was real bad and it was time to sober up. First Steven got sober and then the rest of the band did and by 1986 they were ready for the next big thing. They needed a break. Something to get them back in the public eye. And it came in the most unexpected way.
The big break for Aerosmith came about because of Rick Rubin. Rick was working with Run DMC on their 1986 hit album, “Raising Hell”. Rick pulled out ‘Toys in the Attic’ and told Run DMC they should cover ‘Walk This Way’. Not a crazy thought as the band had free-styled over part of the song in their live shows anyway. They weren’t too keen on the idea at first, but Jam Master Jay was digging it.
But Run DMC wasn’t going to just sample the album. Why not get the band to come in and play and sing. So, a few calls were made, the band was convinced and Joe Perry and Steven Tyler went in to the studio to help out on the song. Joe played that famous riff and Steven sang the chorus and they even changed one line from “Give me a Kiss” to “Give me Head”…okay! Not what I was expecting.
SIDE ONE:
The song came out on July 4, 1986 and it exploded. The song went to #4 on the Billboard Top 40 and it sold like crazy going Platinum. The radio played it to death as it was on Hip Hop radio, Rock Radio and Top 40 Stations. It was a groundbreaking song and that was because it was really the first big hip hop & rock collaboration that crossed-over into the hip hop world and to the rock & pop world. The song even helped take hip hop and rap mainstream and that genre would go and take over radio years later. The song also helped revitalized a very stalled career and gave Aerosmith that break and brought the band back into the limelight and they would go on to release numerous chart topping albums afterwards.
The music video for the song was played constantly on MTV and featured both Run DMC as well as Joe Perry and Steven Tyler (the rest of the band was not in the video although there were some people posing as their band). The video had the bands in separate studio spaces competing back and forth on who could out do the other for being louder. Eventually, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry break through the wall and Steven screams out “Walk This Way”. If it wasn’t for MTV playing a video from a Rap group in an era of Glam and Hair Metal, who knows what would’ve happened but this pushed the boundaries on what MTV played as well. I’m telling you, as I said earlier, it was groundbreaking!!
SIDE TWO:
The B-Side is listed as an instrumental version of the song, but it truly isn’t just an instrumental unless of course you consider Steven’s Tyler’s vocals as an instrument. Steven’s voice is all you hear on the song and it is only once near the beginning when he sings “Walk this Way” several times. The rest is just the Run DMC mix with Joe Perry’s badass guitars. One cool thing on the vinyl is that there is a drum loop that goes on forever and never stops. Most final songs run out in to the groove before the label and no sound but a hiss. This just keeps on playing that drum loop. I kinda dig it. Now go give the song a listen.
And now back to our regularly scheduled albums…
UP NEXT: “CLASSIC LIVE!” (1986)
THE AEROSMITH COLLECTION SERIES:
- ‘Aerosmith’ (1973)
- ‘Get Your Wings’ (1974)
- ‘Toys in the Attic’ (1975)
- ‘Rocks’ (1976)
- ‘Draw the Line’ (1977)
- ‘Live! Bootleg’ (1978)
- ‘Night in the Ruts’ (1979)
- ‘Greatest Hits’ (1980)
- ‘Rock in a Hard Place’ (1982)
- ‘Done With Mirrors’ (1985)
- Run DMC – “Walk This Way” 12″ Single (1986)
- ‘Classics Live!’ (1986)
- ‘Classics Live! II’ (1987)
- ‘Permanent Vacation’ (1987)
- “Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” (1987) – 7″ Single & 12″ Maxi-Single (Bonus Edition)
- “Angel” (1988) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
- “Rag Doll” (1988) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
- ‘Gems’ (1988)
- ‘Pump’ (1989)
- ‘Pandora’s Box’ (1991)
- ‘Get a Grip’ (1993)
- ‘Nine Lives’ (1997)
- ‘A Little South of Sanity’ (1998)
- ‘Just Push Play’ (2001)
- ‘Honkin on Bobo’ (2004)
- ‘Rockin’ The Joint (2005)
- ‘Music From Another Dimension’ (2012)
- ‘1971: The Road Starts Hear’ (2021)
- The Albums Ranked Worst To First
2 Loud 2 Old Music 
Yeah, this song definitely fits the hip hop genre, but I prefer Steven Tyler doing the vocals all the way. Not a huge fan of “Walk This Way,” but if I’m going to listen to it, I want Tyler on vocals.
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Oh, I am the same way. I prefer the Aero only version, but no denying the impact this song had on Hip Hop and bringing it all to the mainstream
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Yep, the Run DMC version was a success mainstream-wise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned off some fans because who wants to hear rap in a rock song?
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I don’t mind some rap in the rock songs. Nu Metal had a lot of that. Plus I like Hollywood Undead who does a lot of that too.
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Ok, it’s just based on taste then.
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This is the song that got them back in the public eye. It got my attention. And it was a perfect lead in for the next album.
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It was big for them and Hip Hop going mainstream.
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It was a stroke of luck for them. Just unreal how much of a launching pad that became.
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Who’d a thought it would turn out the way it did.
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huge song, but I’m not really a fan of rap and hip hop so I’d always prefer walk this way without run DMC
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I’m with you on that as well. Still, big song for both parties.
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I actually prefer the Run version of the song. The song tempo feels slower. I think it suits the song better. To quote Mr. Burns, I know what I hate. I don’t hate this. I agree that it’s incredible the effect it had on the band’s career. Were Perry and Tyler clean by this time? If not, what are the odds we don’t get Permanent Vacation and Pump without this song/promotion?
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I don’t know if they were clean yet, but if not, it wasn’t long afterwards. If they didn’t get cleaned up, they were done.
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Holy Moly did this video explode all over the place. Pretty fine mashup.. Remember hearing DMC talk about this tune and the DMC guys only knew it as Track 4 on Toys lol. That is classic…
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It was huge, it was everywhere and it was impactful to both parties in a very good way.
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You got that right.
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The big crossover that begat all the other crossovers, eh? This was everywhere. Cool!
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You are right. We have this album to blame for all the songs “Featuring” someone else. Dang it. I hate this song now!! 🙂 LOL!
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Nope, it’s too infectious. Can’t hate on the greatness! 🙂
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One of my very fave singles ever – I wore out a copy when it came out. I think Run DMC got ‘smith involved initially because they couldn’t make out all the lyrics.
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Ha!! That is funny if that is why they originally reached out. Glad they did it !!
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