Steven Tyler Sparred with Aerosmith’s Record Label Over His ‘Overly Explicit’ Tracks for the Band’s Comeback Album
By Website Content Manager
In 1987, Aerosmith returned to the spotlight with Permanent Vacation, delivering hits like “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” and “Angel.”
During the 1970s, Aerosmith cemented their status as one of the leading classic rock bands, thanks to Top 10 hits like “Dream On” and “Walk This Way.” Fronted by the charismatic Steven Tyler and featuring the skilled guitar work of Joe Perry, the duo was often compared to a younger generation’s Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
The band launched their career with a hard-rocking debut in 1973, Aerosmith, which began a streak of six consecutive platinum albums throughout the decade. However, by 1979, the band faced turmoil: Perry left, and Tyler’s escalating drug problems threatened both his life and the band’s survival.
Aerosmith’s momentum faltered further with two poorly received albums, Rock in a Hard Place (1982) and Done with Mirrors (1985), leaving the group at risk of fading into obscurity. Their fortunes shifted in 1986 when rap trio Run-D.M.C. scored a Top 5 hit with a hip-hop-infused cover of “Walk This Way,” featuring Tyler and Perry, who had rejoined Aerosmith in 1984. The accompanying music video became a mainstay on MTV, helping reestablish the band’s classic lineup—Tyler, Perry, bassist Tom Hamilton, guitarist Brad Whitford, and drummer Joey Kramer.
Aerosmith’s comeback reached a major milestone with their 1987 album Permanent Vacation, which launched one of rock history’s most remarkable revivals, though the journey was not without challenges. In Raised on Radio, John Kalodner—then an A&R executive at Geffen Records—recalls that his initial priority was to get the band sober while introducing outside songwriting collaborators such as Desmond Child and Jim Vallance to inspire fresh ideas from Tyler and Perry.
Initially, the duo resisted working with outside writers. Perry admitted, “We had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do it. But ultimately, we realized it was going to bring new energy to the table and part of what was going to keep us going.” Their collaboration with Child produced major hits, including “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”—whose video featured Kalodner in wedding attire—and “Angel,” which climbed to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Despite the success, Tyler was reluctant to credit outside contributions. He recalls frustration when Kalodner critiqued his lyrics, while Kalodner explains, “He really didn’t like me telling him to make his lyrics more radio accessible. They could be way too X-rated. A lot of the commercial things that they were capable of, and that [producer] Bruce Fairbairn was capable of, I had to keep pushing them toward all the time. And they kept wanting [manager] Tim Collins to fire me. I got no thanks, but that wasn’t unusual. That’s just how it is.”