Inspiration can come from the craziest places. Oftentimes, a great idea comes in a eureka moment. There's a lot of sitting around, detours to do something else, just generally living life until the thought comes into fruition. Out of those random moments can breed some absolute classics. For Steven Tyler and the rest of Aerosmith, their song "Walk This Way" was a shrouded thought in their minds. However, after a watching one of the definitive comedies of the 20th century, everything fell into place.
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Recently, producer Jack Douglas sat down with the NY Post to talk about the 50th year anniversary of Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic album. Particularly, they note their classic "Walk This Way" record and what it was like making that record. Douglas says it was the last record they had to do but they couldn't come up with anything. Consequently, Tyler and the band goes out to take in the Manhattan streets for inspiration. "Because of the pimps and hookers and drug dealers, there was always a lot of good material on the street," Jack says.
A Gene Wilder Classic Inspires Steven Tyler and Aerosmith to Make "Walk This Way"
However, when the streets prove to be barren, they pivot to the movie theaters to see one of Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks' iconic films. One moment in particular leaves Steven Tyler and the crew in stitches. "I suggested that we take a break and go see Young Frankenstein," Douglas says. "And there's a scene where the hunchback [played by Marty Feldman] says, 'Walk this way,' and they all walked this way, which totally broke us up. That was so hilarious."
Then, naturally, Steven Tyler finally gets that elusive idea he had been searching for all night. After disappearing into the stairwell, he comes back with their hit record. Admittedly, though, Douglas says he can't completely attribute "Walk This Way" to Young Frankenstein. "You know, the drugs worked," Douglas chuckles. "We were still at that point where we weren't crazy yet, but we could spend those extra hours on stuff."
