Aerosmith, which formed in 1970, is a band that needs no introduction. Music fans, both young and old, are familiar with Aerosmith, therefore, I am going to take you down a different path of discovery. I am going to introduce you to each Aerosmith band member, one at a time.
Starting with the man in the picture above, Ray Tabano. Ray Tabano was a childhood friend of Steven Tyler. They lived near each other in Yonkers, New York and played music together. Ray was a member of Tyler’s first band, Strangeurs. Stangeurs was a party cover band where Ray was the bassist and Steven played the drums. Ray was known as "Crazy Ray".
Once the Strangeurs dissolved, Steven Tyler wanted to continue trying to get a band together. He and Ray, along with some other friends, Joe Perry , Tom Hamilton, and Joey Kramer formed the very first Aerosmith.
Ray was rhythm guitarist in the beginning, but didn’t have quite the skills that Perry and Hamilton possessed. He was constantly being told to “practice” by Steven and his band mates. In the Autumn of 1971, Ray was let go from the band. He was replaced with Brad Whitford. Ray was ok with this, he remained with Aerosmith until 1979, taking care of their office, recording studio and maintaining a huge warehouse the band had rented, called the “Werehouse”. Ray also was the band’s biggest fan and leader of the fan club, where he got the chance to help design merchandise for the band and write the official newsletters for the band. Ray was the designer of the first logo, the iconic winged “A”.
Ray was fired in 1979, by the band’s managers. Ray, who still is a Yonkers, New York resident, went on to become a successful Chef and Caterer. Ray states from interviews, he has went to hundreds of Aerosmith concerts, and is always amazed and thankful he was a part of the band's origins.
Nice beginning to your favorite band Magic. It is kind of sad that he was fired, I think the boys would have had some say in that, but at least he moved on and had a good life he made for himself, and still loves the band.
I would say he is a true friend, and they are hard to come by in any walk of life.
Since this is the beginning, I hope you don't mind me posting this video of ''When I Needed You'' by Chain Reaction - a 60's garage rock band that included Steven Tyler on lead vocals...
Check it out...
^ Steve Tally (Steven Tallarico, birth name) aka Steven Tyler, on left
The Chain Reaction was Steven Tyler's first recording band, and the band's first 45 (single) was "The Sun"/"When I Needed You." It was released on "Date Records" {part of CBS [now Sony] Records} in 1966, and produced by Richie Gotteher.
Now, "When I Needed You" was later released on disc one of the three disc Aerosmith boxed set "Pandora's Box" which was released in November of 1991.
Source: rockthisway.de
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Since this is the beginning, I hope you don't mind me posting this video of ''When I Needed You'' by Chain Reaction - a 60's garage rock band that included Steven Tyler on lead vocals...
Check it out...
^ Steve Tally (Steven Tallarico, birth name) aka Steven Tyler, on left
The Chain Reaction was Steven Tyler's first recording band, and the band's first 45 (single) was "The Sun"/"When I Needed You." It was released on "Date Records" {part of CBS [now Sony] Records} in 1966, and produced by Richie Gotteher.
Now, "When I Needed You" was later released on disc one of the three disc Aerosmith boxed set "Pandora's Box" which was released in November of 1991.
Source: rockthisway.de
Great stuff there Groovy! I am glad you posted it, since Steven Tallarico is my next subject in the Aerosmith band member life journey.
This is very interesting so far! I think it's amazing and rare to see that the former member Ray never harbored any bitterness at any of the dismissals he went through in the bands history. It shows that he was a true friend who's friendship was sincere and not based off of what he could get through the bands success.
I have always thought that first logo was horrible. Thank God it metamorphasized into what it did.
I thought it was cool hearing that early song and I do own Pandoras Box but thank God Steven Tyler has improved his personality in his music later in his career. I like early Aerosmith just fine but some of the earliest Aerosmith with exceptions of course was so bland in some areas IMO.
I like early Aerosmith just fine but some of the earliest Aerosmith with exceptions of course was so bland in some areas IMO.
Aerosmith's debut album, would be in my top 3 Aerosmith albums, with Toys and Rocks. I love their first album, it sounds so 1973 - and that's a good thing. It's so raw and ranchy, and unpolished. It's a great Rock N' Roll album.
I won't say anymore, becuse Magic's heading in that direction...
Aerosmith's debut album, would be in my top 3 Aerosmith albums, with Toys and Rocks. I love their first album, it sounds so 1973 - and that's a good thing. It's so raw and ranchy, and unpolished. It's a great Rock N' Roll album.
I won't say anymore, becuse Magic's heading in that direction...
I did have the debut on cassette in my high school days and I have no real complaints. Dream On is such a classic. Aerosmith used to be my favorite band ever but I always thought Steve's voice changed so much. It was deeper rather than the raspiness I loved when I was first exposed to the band through the Pump era Aerosmith. What It Takes is still my all time favorite Aerosmith song!
I have to throw in with Groovy early Aerosmith is my favorite as well. My good friend Magic has never quite got me to enjoy their later albums as much as the ones I grew up with. They are good, but there is something special about the 70's catalog.
If anyone is curious she has done some top notch reviews on Aerosmith's albums in our review thread.
I did have the debut on cassette in my high school days and I have no real complaints. Dream On is such a classic. Aerosmith used to be my favorite band ever but I always thought Steve's voice changed so much. It was deeper rather than the raspiness I loved when I was first exposed to the band through the Pump era Aerosmith. What It Takes is still my all time favorite Aerosmith song!
"What It Takes" isn't a song that you often see listed as someone's favorite Aerosmith song. It's not my favorite but I still think it's a great song.
I hear around these parts often times how much people love earlier Aerosmith so much more than the band from about "Permanent Vacation" onward and I have to say that I love a healthy mix of both eras. Whether it's the hard rock boogie woogie of "Mama Kin" and "Same Old Song And Dance", the huge ballads like "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" and "Hole in my Soul", or hidden gems like "Fallen Angels" and "Fever" I just love Aerosmith as a whole.
Yeah , I have to concur with the sentiment that the early stuff is the very best of their stuff. The first four albums are my favorites by far with Get Your Wings and Rocks battling it out for first followed by Toys and then the debut. I do like most of the albums I have heard by them ( a few singles aside ) but not anything near as much as those four.
Great start Magic some interesting tidbits so far.
Birth Name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Name Change: To Steven Tyler in 1972
Born: March 26, 1948
Current Age: 62
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Ancestry: Italian and German (paternal), Cherokee and Russian (maternal)
Siblings: Older Sister, Lynda
Began Music Career: 1964
First Band: Strangeurs, later changed to Chain Reaction
Instruments: Drums, Harmonica, Piano, Keyboards, Guitar, Flute, Saxophone, Trumpet
Rolling Stone Ranks: #99 as greatest vocalist of all time
Honorary Degree: Boston's Berklee College of Music in 2003
Grammy Awards: 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998
VH1 Ranks: #21 as the Sexiest Artist of All Time
Notable Trademark: Multiple scarfs tied to his microphone
Biography:
Steven Victor Tallarico was born in Scarsdale, New York on March 26, 1948 to parents Sue and Victor. The family later moved to Yonkers, New York. Steven began in music learning piano from his father, who had a passion for classical music and taught music at the Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. His father was also the leader of the Vic Tallarico Orchestra. Steven began his singing career in a Presbyterian church choir in the Bronx.
In 1964, Steven started his first serious musical band, the Strangeurs, where he was the drummer. The Strangeurs were a cover band playing mostly local gigs throughout the New England area. Later, Strangeurs changed names to Chain Reaction along with some band member changes. Chain Reaction received some notoriety as the opening act for The Beach Boys and The Yardbirds.
Chain reaction band members:
Steve Tally (Steven Tallarico) - lead vocals
Don Sloan (Don Solomon) - keyboards
Peter Stahl - guitar
Alan Strohmayer - bass
Barry Shore (Barry Shapiro) - drum
Chain Reaction also was Steven’s first band to make formal recordings before disbanding in 1968, 4 singles:
The Tallarico family spent many summers in Sunapee, NH where Steven met Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton in the summer of 1969. These two had a band, called Jam Band, and Steven Tallarico loved their style of music and “screw-it-all” attitudes. In 1970, Steven, Joe, and Tom, along with Steven’s high school friend and origianl Stranguers band mate, Ray Tabano, began playing together. Another friend of Steven’s, Joey Kramer (a drummer) was also invited to come play.
Voila! Aerosmith is born.
Stay tuned for more Steven Tyler tidbits........................................... ....
I also didn't know about Ray Tabano...wow that is something. He took two firings very well. Seems like a hell of a guy to wish to remain friends after all this.
I love these real early look backs in our BOTM threads. Always my favorite reads.
Aerosmith: A Band Members Journey 
I never knew about his career with Aerosmith. In the words of Artie Johnson: "VERYYYY INTERESTINGGGG!" 
Seems like a hell of a guy to wish to remain friends after all this.
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