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Crazy (Aerosmith song)

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"Crazy" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child. It was the fifth single from their 1993 album Get a Grip, released in May 1994 by Geffen Records. "Crazy" peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number three in Canada, and number one in Iceland for two weeks. In Finland and the United Kingdom, it was released as a double-A side with "Blind Man", reaching number eight in the former country and number 23 in the latter. Marty Callner directed the song's music video, featuring Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone.

"Crazy"
Single by Aerosmith
from the album Get a Grip
B-side"Gotta Love It"
ReleasedMay 3, 1994 (1994-05-03)
Genre
Length
  • 5:16 (album version)
  • 4:04 (single edit)
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bruce Fairbairn
Aerosmith singles chronology
"Deuces Are Wild"
(1994) 		"Crazy"
(1994) 		"Blind Man"
(1994)
Music video
"Crazy'" on YouTube

Composition

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The song is set in A major and follows the 6
8 time signature.[3] It was written earlier, around the same time as "Angel," but the band felt it had to "spread out their ballads to retain their rock image."[4]

Critical reception

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Terry Staunton from Melody Maker said Aerosmith "go mando mondo on this syrupy Black Crowes pastiche". He added, "A last dance lecherous ballad with Steve Tyler giving us his best bad-ass drawl."[5] Emma Cochrane from Smash Hits gave it two out of five, writing, "The fact that the video is ace is probably enough to make it a big hit, but the song itself is less inspiring. It has a nagging chorus and droning guitars. Still, the girl is classy."[6]

Music video

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The music video for the song was directed by Marty Callner and received heavy rotation on MTV, being one of the channel's most requested videos of 1994.[7] It featured the third appearance of Alicia Silverstone in the band's videos, and was the career debut of Steven's then 16-year-old 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. "I understand why people might have a problem with [the video's content]," she remarked. "But I have no problem with it, and Steven has no problem with it. And if other people have a problem with it, it's their problem."[8]

The film-like video depicts Silverstone and Tyler as schoolgirls who skip class and run away, driving off in a 1993 black Ford Mustang GT convertible in a manner similar to the 1991 film Thelma & Louise.[7] 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 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 as the farmer runs towards it and the girls drive off.

Jason London makes a short cameo at the end in a tag scene, reprising his character from the "Amazing" video.

Director's cut

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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.[9]

Accolades

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The song earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1994.[10] This was the band's second Grammy win for Get a Grip and third overall. The video for "Crazy" was ranked number 23 on VH1's "Top 100 Music Videos of All Time".

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
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

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications and sales for "Crazy"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[29] Gold 30,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[30] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[31]
Sales since 2004 		Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for "Crazy"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States May 3, 1994
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Geffen [citation needed]
United Kingdom October 24, 1994
  • CD
  • cassette
 [32]

Legacy

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The song appeared on 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 was covered in Glee by Jacob Artist and Melissa Benoist, mashed up with Britney Spears' "(You Drive Me) Crazy".

References

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  1. ^ Smith, Troy L. (April 29, 2020). "90 greatest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songs of the 1990s". cleveland.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "9 Hair Metal Videos That Taught Us How Much School Sucks". Riot Fest. February 5, 2018. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  3. ^ Millevoi, Nick (April 20, 2018). "Not Even Aerosmith Can Tell the Difference Between "Cryin'" and "Crazy"!". Soundfly. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "The 20 Songs That Can Represent The Career Of Aerosmith". Society of Rock. July 8, 2020. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  5. ^ Staunton, Terry (November 5, 1994). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 42. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  6. ^ Cochrane, Emma (October 12, 1994). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 63. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  7. ^ 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. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  8. ^ Rolling Stone. November 3, 1994. p. 66. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ Pop-Up Video (VH-1): Season 2/Episode 12; March 14, 1998
  10. ^ "Winners: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2543." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  12. ^ "Aerosmith – Crazy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  13. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (09.6.–15.6. '94)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). June 9, 1994. p. 16. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 26, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  15. ^ "Aerosmith – Crazy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  16. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay New. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  17. ^ "Aerosmith – Crazy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  18. ^ "Aerosmith Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  19. ^ "Aerosmith Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  20. ^ "Aerosmith Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  21. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 47. November 19, 1994. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  22. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  24. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  25. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  26. ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1994". RPM. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  27. ^ "Árslistinn 1994". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1995. p. 16. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  28. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1994". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  29. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Aerosmith – Crazy" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  30. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Aerosmith – Crazy". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  31. ^ "British single certifications – Aerosmith – Crazy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  32. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. October 22, 1994. p. 27.
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