Saturday, January 7, 2023

"Love in an Elevator" by Aerosmith

Top 10 Alert!
Gold Record Alert!
Song#:  4021
Date:  09/02/1989
Debut:  56
Peak:  5
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Rock


Pop Bits:  After cleaning up their act, Aerosmith came back in a big way with their '87 album Permanent Vacation. Featuring the #3 hit "Angel," the album would peak at #11 and eventually sell over 5 million copies. The trick after a major comeback is to try to keep the momentum up and Aerosmith made the attempt with their tenth studio album Pump. Once again working with producer Bruce Fairbairn, the LP would be ready to go in the fall of '89. To kick things off, this first single was released. It would be a big hit at Rock where it would become the band's first song to top that chart. Over on the Pop chart, the tune would become their fourth Top 10 hit and first gold record. In turn, the album would make it to #5. It was Aerosmith's first Top 10 album since 1976's Rocks (#3). Within a short couple of months, the LP would go platinum. The song would earn the band a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.

ReduxReview:  For Permanent Vacation, Aerosmith's main writers Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, were coerced into writing with hit makers like Desmond Child and Diane Warren to help get them going on a more mainstream track. It ended up working and it seems the guys took what they learned ran with it for Pump. While they worked with others on a few tracks, the majority of the album was the Tyler/Perry show including this first single. From the opening riff to the whoa-yeah's to the hooky chorus, there was just no doubt this was going to be a hit. Tyler and Perry had found a way to keep Aerosmith's signature blues-rock sound while amping up the hooks and commercial viability. Fairbairn's production was nice-n-chewy and suited the band well. Pump built on what the band established with Permanent Vacation and it was great to see that their comeback wasn't just a one-and-done fluke.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  In 1998, Aerosmith was big enough and mainstream enough (thanks to the #1 Armageddon soundtrack hit "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing") that Disney, whose Touchstone Pictures released Armageddon, hit up the band to be the featured act on their new Rock 'n' Roller Coaster themed ride. The coaster would be installed in three parks - Disney's Hollywood Studios (California), Walt Disney World (Florida), and Walt Disney Studios Park (France). The indoors coaster was know for its immediate launch (0 to 58 in 3 seconds) and three inversions. Along the way speakers in the cars would play Aerosmith songs. While "Love in an Elevator" would play, it was redone as "Love in a Rollercoaster" just for the ride. The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Featuring Aerosmith opened in 1999 and has been a mainstay at the two US parks for years.

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