Crazy (Aerosmith song)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2010) |
| "Crazy" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Gotta Love It" |
"Crazy" is a power ballad performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child. It was the final single from their massively successful 1993 album Get a Grip. It was released as a single in 1994 and peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and #3 in Canada. In the United Kingdom, it was released as a double-A side with "Blind Man", which reached #23.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crazy" (LP Version) | 5:17 |
| 2. | "Crazy" (Orchestral) | 5:30 |
| 3. | "Crazy" (Acoustic) | 5:39 |
| 4. | "Amazing" (Orchestral) | 5:56 |
| 5. | "Gotta Love It" (LP Version) | 5:58 |
Music video
The video for the song was directed by Marty Callner and received heavy rotation on MTV. It was one of the most requested videos of 1994.[1] It featured the third appearance of Alicia Silverstone in the band's videos, and was the career debut of Steven's then-teenaged daughter Liv Tyler. The decision to cast Liv in the video for "Crazy" was based on the video's creators having seen her in a Pantene commercial.
The video is film-like and depicts the two as schoolgirls who skip class and run away, driving off in a dark blue Ford Mustang convertible in a manner similar to the 1991 hit film Thelma & Louise.[1] The two use their good looks to take advantage of a service station clerk, and needing money, enter an amateur pole-dancing competition. The video is noteworthy for its risque and sexually suggestive scenes. The video is edited to show the similarities in stage moves of Steven Tyler and daughter Liv. The girls win the dance competition, then spend the night in a motel. They continue their joyride the following day, where they encounter a young sweaty and shirtless farmer (played by model Dean Kelly) aboard a tractor tilling land in the countryside. They persuade him to join them in their journey, where they all go skinny dipping in a lake. The girls take off with his clothes and leave him behind at the lake. Naked, he chases after them, and rejoins them in the convertible. The final seconds of the video show the word "Crazy" spelled out in cursive in the cropland by the still-running tractor.
Jason London makes a short cameo at the end in a tag scene, reprising his character from the "Amazing" video.
Director's cut
A longer director's cut of the video appears on the compilation Big Ones You Can Look At. This version features a few more provocative clips, and a longer, more risque version of the pole-dancing competition scene. It also removes the scene in which the girls abandon the farmer after skinny-dipping with him. Both versions of the video include an extra reprise of the chorus which is not included on the album and radio versions.[2]
Accolades
The song was the second highest chart performance for the band out of all the singles for Get a Grip. It also earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal in 1994. This was the band's second Grammy win for Get a Grip and third overall. The song reached #17 on the Hot 100 Billboard charts July 30th 1994.
The video for "Crazy" was selected #23 in VH1's Top 100 Music Videos of All Time.
Year-end charts
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[3] | 30 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] | 68 |
Legacy
The song appeared on a several compilations including Big Ones, A Little South of Sanity, O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits and Devil's Got a New Disguise. Despite bringing much success for the band in the mid-1990s, Aerosmith rarely performed it on tour until it was added to international shows on their 2007 World Tour due to overwhelming demand from fans. It is covered in Glee by Jacob Artist and Melissa Benoist, mashed up with Britney Spears' "(You Drive Me) Crazy."
References
- ^ a b Zalben, Alex (July 2, 2014). "20 Years Of 'Crazy': Liv Tyler Looks Back On The Aerosmith Video That Launched Her Career". MTV.com. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
- ^ Pop-Up Video (VH-1): Season 2/Episode 12; March 14, 1998
- ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1994". RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
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