Aerosmtih’s Tom Hamilton on how weed helped create ‘Sweet Emotion’
Tom Hamilton might not be the most prolific songwriter in Aerosmith, but his contributions to the band make up some of their most beloved material. From the groovy jams of ‘Sick as a Dog’ to the eerie atmospherics on ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’, Hamilton’s fingerprints are all over some of Aerosmith’s best songs.
If one song epitomises how important Hamilton is to the band’s sound, though, it’s ‘Sweet Emotion’. The bass-heavy track originally started out with Hamilton’s main riff, eventually evolving into the fully fleshed-out track that became Aerosmith’s first top 40 hit in the United States. According to Hamilton, none of it would have been possible without the help of some… shall we say herbal remedies and assistance.
“I did it all, but pot was really my thing,” Hamilton told Guitar World magazine back in 1995. “There was a time when I came up with some really good musical ideas on pot – I probably smoked a bowl just before I wrote ‘Sweet Emotion’ – but I needed to quit doing it, because I basically couldn’t finish a sentence.”
“There’s a period you need to go through where you re-establish your faith in your own creativity – where you realize you don’t have to be buzzed to create,” Hamilton added. “The buzz frees you up, but you have to understand that the creativity is already there – you just have to have faith in it.”
In the same interview, Hamilton shared some insights into his creative process. “When I write, I usually turn on the drum machine and play along,” Hamilton stated. “Whether I’m playing bass or guitar, I keep the tape rolling the whole time, and something usually pops out that I think is cool. I’ll start working on it – and the next thing I know it’s two hours later and it’s time to think of another part.”
“One thing I’ve found is that when I’m sitting there playing, it’s easy to play something and go past it, thinking it was just a musical belch. But the smallest element can be the basis of a cool riff, and that can be the basis of a whole song,” Hamilton said. “That was how I wrote ‘Sweet Emotion’ – the intro was the first thing that came along.” Hamilton eventually got to stretch out the ‘Sweet Emotion’ intro into a full-on solo, often acting as his spotlight during Aerosmith concerts.
Check out ‘Sweet Emotion’ down below.
