Do You Feel Lucky?

(and feel free to comment! My older posts are certainly no less relevant to the burning concerns of the day.)

Sunday, June 01, 2008

A Question For You Music Historians

At what point did Steven Tyler first decide to start doing that trademark vocal seizure of his? You know the one I mean: "YAHG-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack-OWW!! OWW!!! Ack ack ack ack KOW!!!" When did this technique first manifest itself on record? What album, what song?

I can hear a bit of it in the Run-DMC version of "Walk This Way" from 1986. Then by the time Permanent Vacation came out, it was definitely a feature. But as far as I can recall, it wasn't much in evidence on their early hits. Maybe he was doing it even back then, but the reaction of the producers of the day was to pull a face and drop it straight out of the mix as often as Steven tried to slip it in?

"That was good guys, can we try that again? Steven, can you try putting that cooool screaming fit of yours in the first verse this time instead of the second? We'll cut it together however it sounds best."

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