Love in an Elevator
{{Short description|1989 single by Aerosmith}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Love in an Elevator
| cover = Aerosmith Elevator.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Original single artwork by Mark Ryden
| type = single
| artist = Aerosmith
| album = Pump
| B-side = "Young Lust", "Ain't Enough"
| released = {{Start date|1989|08|15}}{{cite book |last1=Strong |first1=Martin |title=The Great Rock Discography |edition=Sixth |year=2002 |orig-year=First published in 1994 |publisher=Canongate Books |location=United Kingdom |isbn=1-84195-312-1 }}{{Cite web|title=Aerosmith - Singles|url=https://hitparade.ch/search.asp?cat=s&search=aerosmith|access-date=June 23, 2021|website=hitparade.ch|quote=Click on individual song pages for dates.}}
| recorded = April–June 1989
| studio = Little Mountain Sound (Vancouver){{cite AV media notes |title=Big Ones |title-link=Big Ones |others=Aerosmith |year=1994 |type=CD insert |publisher=Geffen Records |id=GEFD-24716 }}
| genre = {{flatlist|
- Glam metal{{cite web|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|date=February 28, 2017|title=Aerosmith Albums Ranked|url=https://loudwire.com/aerosmith-albums-ranked/|access-date=February 9, 2021|website=Loudwire}}{{Cite book|last=Popoff|first=Martin|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/858901054|title=The big book of hair metal : the illustrated oral history of heavy metal's debauched decade|date=2014|isbn=978-0-7603-4546-7|location=Minneapolis, MN|oclc=858901054|page=174}}
- pop metal{{Cite web|last=Rolli|first=Bryan|date=July 1, 2021|title=Top 30 Glam Metal Albums|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/glam-metal-albums/|access-date=July 1, 2021|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|language=en}}
- funk metal{{cite book|last=Goldsmith|first=Melissa Ursula Dawn|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6W-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA26|title=Listen to Classic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre|date=2019|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-4408-6579-4|page=26}}
- blues rock
- hard rock
}}
| length = {{ubl|{{Duration|m=5|s=39}} (album version)|{{Duration|m=3|s=38}} (single version)}}
| label = Geffen
| writer = {{hlist|Joe Perry|Steven Tyler}}
| producer = Bruce Fairbairn
| prev_title = Rag Doll
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title = F.I.N.E.*
| next_year = 1989
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|h3Yrhv33Zb8|"Love In An Elevator"}}}}
}}
"Love in an Elevator" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith, written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. It was released in August 1989 as the lead single from their third album with Geffen Records, Pump, released in September. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=aerosmith-p3508/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} |title=Aerosmith - Billboard Singles |website=AllMusic |publisher=Rovi Corporation |access-date=November 21, 2010}} The RIAA certified it gold.{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/|title=Gold & Platinum|website=RIAA|access-date=June 8, 2021}}
Background
According to Tyler, the song was based on an actual experience where he was making out with a woman in an elevator and the doors opened.{{cite web|title=The 20 Songs That Can Represent The Career Of Aerosmith|date=July 8, 2020 |publisher=Society of Rock|accessdate=May 23, 2022|url=https://societyofrock.com/the-20-songs-that-can-represent-the-career-of-aerosmith/}} Tyler said that "It felt like a lifetime waiting for those doors to close."
Recording
"Love in an Elevator", like the other tracks on Pump, was recorded some time in April to June 1989 at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver. The song was produced by Bruce Fairbairn and was engineered by Mike Fraser with Ken Lomas as second engineer, and in addition to Aerosmith – Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitars, backing vocals), Brad Whitford (guitars, backing vocals), Tom Hamilton (bass, backing vocals), and Joey Kramer (drums) – were Bob Dowd (backing vocals), Bruce Fairbairn (backing vocals), and Catherine Epps (elevator operator).
Track listing
=7" 45 RPM=
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = Love in an Elevator
| writer1 = Joe Perry, Steven Tyler
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title1 = Young Lust
| writer1 = Tyler, Perry, Jim Vallance
}}
=CD single=
{{Track listing
| title1 = Love in an Elevator
| note1 = Edit
| writer1 = Perry, Tyler
| length1 = 3:42
| title2 = Ain't Enough
| writer2 = Perry, Tyler
| length2 = 5:03
| title3 = Young Lust
| note3 = LP Version
| writer3 = Tyler, Perry, Jim Vallance
| length3 = 4:22
}}
Music video
The music video for "Love in an Elevator" was directed by Marty Callner.{{cite web |title=Aerosmith - Love In An Elevator (1989) |url=https://imvdb.com/video/aerosmith/love-in-an-elevator |website=IMVDb |access-date=January 2, 2021}} At the beginning of the video, Aerosmith are walking through luxury Los Angeles department store Bullocks Wilshire.{{cite web |last=Bennett Rylah |first=Juliet |title=Once A Luxury Department Store, The Bullocks Wilshire Opens For A Public Tour This Month |url=https://laist.com/news/entertainment/wilshire-bullocks |website=LAist |access-date= October 27, 2024 |date=July 11, 2015}} An elevator operator (played by former Playboy model Brandi Brandt) suggestively asks Tyler if he is "going down". Tyler leaps into the elevator before the band begins playing the song onstage (with several flash cuts to scenes in the department store).{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Pete |title=Love in an Elevator |url=https://medium.com/@petebrownsays/love-in-an-elevator-9be1c7734db0 |website=Medium |access-date=January 2, 2021 |date=June 11, 2019}}{{cite web |title=Contemplating Love in an Elevator |url=https://columbuscalling.com/contemplating-love-in-an-elevator/ |website=Columbus Calling |access-date=January 2, 2021 |date=June 25, 2013}}
Reception
=Award nomination=
The song received a Grammy Award nomination in 1990 for Best Hard Rock Performance, but lost out to Living Colour.
Use in Disney World rollercoaster
A portion of the song plays within the ride sequence of Walt Disney World's Rock 'n Roller Coaster ride, which features different Aerosmith songs on each of its ride vehicles. The lyrics for the Disney World version were specially revised to say "love on a roller coaster" at the end of the ride.
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1989) !Peak |
| {{single chart|Australia|33|artist=Aerosmith|song=Love in an Elevator|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Flanders|28|artist=Aerosmith|song=Love in an Elevator|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|13|chartid=6575|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023|refname="can"}} |
| scope="row"|Canada Retail Sales (RPM){{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=10208&|title=Retail Sales: Issue 10208|work=RPM|date=July 17, 2013 |publisher=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=October 31, 2023}}
| 6 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Dutch100|14|artist=Aerosmith|song=Love in an Elevator|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch40|9|year=1989|week=40|artist=Aerosmith|song=Love in an Elevator|rowheader=true|access-date=15 January 2023}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|14|artist=Aerosmith|song=Love in an Elevator|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|UK|13|date=19890924|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|5|artist=Aerosmith|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|1|artist=Aerosmith|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2023}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1989) !Position |
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1989|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1989|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=April 22, 2020}}
| style="text-align:center;"|99 |
|---|
| scope="row"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1989.php |title=Billboard Top 100 - 1989 |access-date=February 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125092422/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1989.php |archive-date=January 25, 2010 }}
| style="text-align:center;"|81 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Aerosmith|title=Love in an Elevator|award=Gold|relyear=1989|certyear=1989}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
External links
{{portal|1980s}}
- {{Discogs master |37106 |Love In An Elevator|type=single }}
{{Aerosmith singles}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Albums with cover art by Mark Ryden
Category:Geffen Records singles
Category:Music videos directed by Marty Callner
Category:Song recordings produced by Bruce Fairbairn