Every successful rock band can typically trace their breakthrough moment back to a single unforgettable performance. Music has a way of working its magic, revealing truths that words alone cannot express. When people connect to their amplifiers and let the music speak, something special happens. Veteran rockers Aerosmith may be known for their captivating live performances, but Steven Tyler himself admitted he wasn’t a fan of Joe Perry’s stage presence at first.
When Perry began frequenting the club scene, Tyler seemed like an experienced veteran in the music industry. Despite his previous success with a hit single on the jukebox and a support slot for The Yardbirds, he seemed uninterested in associating with a young and inexperienced individual.
Well, if your name happens to be Joe Perry, you certainly know how to make your point crystal clear. Tyler had been exploring various bands ever since his main group, Chain Reaction, disbanded. He decided to attend local shows to see what the scene had to offer, and that’s when he discovered Perry’s band, The Jam Band.
Despite having influences similar to Tyler, their lack of preparation for the spotlight was evident. In an interview for Behind the Music, they candidly admitted, “It was a terrible performance.” The musicians played incredibly fast and off-key, resulting in an unsatisfactory performance. As soon as the band started playing ‘Rattlesnake Shake‘, Tyler felt a sense of fulfillment wash over him. It was the missing piece he had been yearning for all this time.
Unlike the fast-paced blues he had been listening to all night, this particular rhythm had a seductive undertone that tapped into the profound messages he was accustomed to, suggesting that it was no longer insignificant. It was all about getting it perfect, you know, now we’re really getting into it.” Following the disbandment of The Jam Band, Tyler and Perry teamed up to form Aerosmith, recruiting Tom Hamilton from Perry’s previous group.
From the moment they began composing their own melodies, ‘Rattlesnake Shake‘ became the guiding force behind their entire musical journey. The old blues song explores the captivating allure of sexuality from a soulful perspective. However, this description alone could refer to a timeless blues masterpiece or a significant portion of Aerosmith’s extensive discography.
The band would also incorporate the song into their live shows, with Tyler often tweaking the lyrics to add an extra layer of suggestion. Aerosmith possessed various dimensions, yet their passion for drawing inspiration from their extensive record collection remained unwavering.
Even when Tyler wasn’t singing about explicit topics, the infectious rhythm behind it added a unique groove. This set it apart from the music of Led Zeppelin during that era. This represented the American adaptation of the British Invasion. Hits like ‘Walk This Way‘ dominated the charts, infusing the rest of the hard rock scene with significant boogie.
