The one song that made Steven Tyler a singer
(Source: Far Out / John Mathew Smith / Capitol Records)
It’s one thing to be a musician that the general public loves, but it’s a whole other level of respect and admiration when an artist earns the praise of his peers. But when it comes to Brian Wilson, it’s hard to find anyone in the music industry who doesn’t speak positively about the Beach Boys leader’s impact and talent. Steven Tyler is one of his fans.
Perhaps more than any other artist, Wilson stands on a godlike level of talent and admiration. Even Paul McCartney and the Beatles, regularly cited as the greatest musicians in history, bowed to his influence. “I don’t think anyone is musically educated until they’ve heard Pet noises,” McCartney said of the 1966 album, which Wilson wrote, composed, produced and arranged alone. Bob Dylan is another big fan and said, “Jesus, that ear. He should donate it to the Smithsonian.”
There is a resounding feeling among Wilson’s colleagues that he pushed everyone to be better, to experiment more and to expand their sound space. This was certainly the case with McCartney and his troupe, who were inspired to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band after hearing Pet noises.
But Steven Tyler got the push he needed from Wilson to get behind the microphone and become the frontman he is today. The song “In My Room” in particular impressed him the most.
“Oh my God! All I can tell you is that my girlfriend just got really turned on when she heard me say those words with such ecstatic joy,” he said, perhaps the strangest way to say that he really loves the song. The 1963 song, however, has always stuck in Tyler’s mind, not just because it’s a great song, but because it changed his life.
“This song was the first time I stood up behind the drum kit, grabbed the microphone from my bass player and said, ‘You know what, I’m singing this damn song, buddy!’ And then – abracadabra – I became a singer!” he recalled, attributing his entire career to a single song. But that makes sense. The Beach Boys were always known for their tight harmonies, but “In My Room” is where they sound at their best. The track consists of little more than their voices, making it a glorious piece that proves the power and potential of a good voice. With such rich and fused harmonies, the song has a luxurious quality that still sounds incredible today. So it’s understandable why Steven Tyler wanted to not only sing along, but also take a seat at the front of the stage and be the singer himself.
Seven years after the Beach Boys released the song, Aerosmith formed with Tyler at the helm. While there are literally no similarities between the bands or the vastly different vocal styles of Wilson and Tyler, it’s clear that the popular 1960s group had a major influence on the 1970s rocker.
“We were hanging out with the Beach Boys,” Tyler said, recalling a moment when his success came full circle and he had to pinch me. “Brian was on another level even then, radiating his Buddha vibes,” he added.
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