Last Child
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Last Child" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Aerosmith | ||
| from the album Rocks | ||
| Released | 1976 | |
| Format | Record | |
| Recorded | 1976 | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 3:26 | |
| Label | Columbia Records | |
| Writer(s) | Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford | |
| Producer(s) | Jack Douglas | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Aerosmith singles chronology | ||
| "Dream On" (1976) | "Last Child" (1976) | "Walk This Way" (1976) |
Last Child is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford. It was released as the first single from the band's hard rock masterpiece Rocks in 1976. The song peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, one of many in a string of hit singles for the band in the mid-1970s.
[edit] Song Structure
The song is one of the most famous contributions of Brad Whitford to the band, featuring his signature opening guitar notes, and lead riff. The song opens like a slow song, with the slow, careful playing of the guitar and Steven Tyler's dreamy lyrics. But then after about 20 seconds, it abruptly changes to a hard rocking bluesy song, complete with a boogie background and two-guitar interplay between Brad Whitford and Joe Perry.
[edit] Legacy
Long after its release, "Last Child" continues to see regular airplay on rock radio stations and is regularly rotated into Aerosmith's concert setlist, even on their latest tour. In concert, it is often Brad Whitford's feature spot, in which Steven Tyler gives him an introduction with something like "Brad Whitford, what you got to show for yourself?" or "What you got up your sleeve?" Brad often does a little bit of an intro before playing the opening notes to the song.
"Last Child" has also been re-released on numerous Aerosmith compilations including Aerosmith's Greatest Hits, O, Yeah! The Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, and Devil's Got a New Disguise as well as numerous live collections including Live! Bootleg, Classics Live II, and A Little South of Sanity.
[edit] Trivia
The song is featured in the PlayStation 2 video game Guitar Hero II.
