“Ecstatic glee”: The Beach Boys song that turned Steven Tyler into a singer
It’s one thing to be a musician that the general public loves, but it’s a whole other level of respect and admiration for an artist to earn the praise of their peers. But when it comes to Brian Wilson, it’s tough to find anyone in music who won’t talk positively about the Beach Boys leader’s impact and talent. Steven Tyler is among his ranks of fans.
Perhaps more so than any other artist, Wilson is up there in a God-like tier of talent and admiration. Even Paul McCartney and the Beatles, who are regularly deemed the biggest musicians in history, bowed to his influence. “I figure no one is educated musically ’til they’ve heard Pet Sounds,” McCartney said of the 1966 album which Wilson wrote, composed, produced and arranged on his own. Bob Dylan is another major fan, stating, “Jesus, that ear. He should donate it to the Smithsonian.”
There’s a resounding theme among Wilson’s peers that he pushed everyone to be better, experiment more, and expand their realm of sounds. That was certainly the case for McCartney and his troupe, who were inspired to make Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band after hearing Pet Sounds.
But for Steven Tyler, Wilson gave him the push he needed to get behind a mic and become the frontman he is today. In particular, it was the track ‘In My Room’ that impacted him most.
“Oh, my god! All I can tell you is that my girlfriend got turned on just now hearing me say those words with such ecstatic glee,” he said, as perhaps the strangest way to say that he really loves the song. However, the 1963 track has always stood out to Tyler, not only as a great song, but as a life-changing influence on him.
“That song was the first time I got up from behind the drums and grabbed the microphone away from my bass player and said, ‘You know what, I’m singing that fucking song, pal!’ And then – abracadabra – I became a singer!” he recalled, placing credit for his whole career on the shoulders of one song. But it makes sense. The Beach Boys were always known for their tight harmonies, but they sound at their very best on ‘In My Room’. The track is built from little more than their voices, making it a glorious piece that proves the power and potential of a good vocal. With such rich and melding harmonies, the song has a luxurious quality that still sounds incredible today. So it’s understandable why it made Steven Tyler not only want to sing along but take up a post at the front of the stage and be the singer himself.
It would be seven years after the Beach Boys’ track was released that Aerosmith would form with Tyler at the helm. While there are literally no similarities between the bands or Wilson and Tyler’s vastly different vocal styles, it’s clear that the beloved group of the 1960s had a huge impact on the 1970s rocker.
“We got to hang out with the Beach Boys,” Tyler said, recalling a true full-circle pinch-me moment that came along with his success. “Brian, even in those days, was on another sphere, vibrating his Buddha vibe,” he added.
