Love in an Elevator
| "Love in an Elevator" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Original single artwork by Mark Ryden | ||||
| Single by Aerosmith | ||||
| from the album Pump | ||||
| B-side | "Young Lust" | |||
| Released | August 15, 1989[1] | |||
| Recorded | Sometime in April–June 1989 at Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[2] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:39 (Album version) 3:38 (Single version) | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Joe Perry, Steven Tyler | |||
| Producer(s) | Bruce Fairbairn[2] | |||
| Aerosmith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Love In An Elevator" on YouTube | ||||
"Love in an Elevator" is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith, written by Steven Tyler and guitarist/backing vocalist Joe Perry. It was released in August 1989 as the lead single from their third album with Geffen Records, Pump, released in September (see 1989 in music).[1] It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[3]
Recording
"Love in an Elevator", like the other tracks on Pump, was recorded some time in April to June 1989 at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. During the writing process, lead singer Steven Tyler is said to have come upon the concept of the song while researching famous battleships. Specifically, an instance on the Russian battleship Navarin, in which one of the crew was famously quoted, as the ship was going down, "Мы должны жить вверх, в то время как мы теперь идем вниз," or when translated "we must live upwards now, for it is downward we head."[citation needed] Tyler claims the song's lyrics were inspired by an experience he had at a hotel, in which he was making out with a woman in the elevator and they started having sex as the doors opened; "It felt like a lifetime waiting for those doors to close," quipped Tyler.
The song was produced by Bruce Fairbairn and was engineered by Mike Fraser with Ken Lomas as second engineer, and in addition to Aerosmith – Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitars, backing vocals), Brad Whitford (guitars, backing vocals), Tom Hamilton (electric bass, backing vocals), and Joey Kramer (drums, percussion) – were Bob Dowd (backing vocals), Bruce Fairbairn (backing vocals), and Catherine Epps (elevator operator).[2]
Track listing
7" 45 RPM
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love in an Elevator" | Joe Perry, Steven Tyler |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Young Lust" | Tyler, Perry, Jim Vallance |
CD single
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love in an Elevator" (Edit) | Perry, Tyler | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Ain't Enough" | Perry, Tyler | 5:03 |
| 3. | "Young Lust" (LP Version) | Tyler, Perry, Jim Vallance | 4:22 |
Chart performance
Weekly charts
|
Weekly charts
|
In concert
The song has consistently been a staple in the band's setlist on almost every tour they have performed since the song's release. It is a fan favorite and is well known among mainstream audiences.
Also, in concert, Tyler often changes the lyrics to more controversial and profanity-laden ones. On a version of the song featured on the live album A Little South of Sanity, culled from the band's tours in the 1990s, one can hear Tyler say "jackin' in the elevator" and "lick your funky ass" or "fucking ass" instead of "kiss your sassafras".
Use in Disney World rollercoaster
A portion of the song plays within the ride sequence of Walt Disney World's Rock 'n Roller Coaster ride, which features different Aerosmith songs on each of its ride vehicles. The lyrics for the Disney World version were specially revised to say "Love in a roller coaster" at the end of the ride.
Reception
Award nomination
The song received a Grammy award nomination in 1990 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, but lost out to supergroup The Traveling Wilburys.
References
- ^ a b Strong, Martin (2002) [First published in 1994]. The Great Rock Discography (Sixth ed.). United Kingdom: Canongate Books. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
- ^ a b c Big Ones (CD insert). Aerosmith. U.S.A.: Geffen Records. 1994. GEFD-24716.
{{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter|titlelink=ignored (|title-link=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c "Aerosmith - Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
- ^ "Aerosmith – Love In An Elevator". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Aerosmith – Love In An Elevator" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "RPM - Item Display: Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 2, November 11 1989". Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004. Archived from the original (.Php) on October 20, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 40, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Aerosmith – Love In An Elevator" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Aerosmith – Love In An Elevator". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Polish Singles Chart". Lp3.polskieradio.pl. 1989-12-23. Archived from the original on 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1989". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1989". Archived from the original on 2010-01-25. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
External links
- "Love In An Elevator" at Discogs (list of releases)
