Pink (song)
Encyclopedia
"Pink" is a song by American
hard rock
band Aerosmith
. It was written by Steven Tyler
and professional songwriters Richie Supa and Glen Ballard
. It was released as the third major single from Nine Lives
in 1997
.
, #38 in the United Kingdom
, and #19 in Latvia
. It also topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart for 4 weeks.
The band re-released the song in the United Kingdom
in 1999
. The re-released version did much better, reaching #13 there.
for the song used CGI to morph characters' faces to other bodies. A variety of random characters mixed in with band members towards the camera, morphing into different characters in the process (e.g., Joe Perry as a centaur, Brad Whitford as a little boy, a skeleton and a rabbit in overalls (Steven Tyler). It was directed by Doug Nichol
.
Two versions of the music video exist. There are noticeable differences in each version. In the more-adult version, for example, there is a woman dressed in a blue jumpsuit walking towards the camera. For a brief second, either on purpose or by accident, the top, unzipped portion of the jumpsuit is pulled away revealing her right breast. There is another instance where a woman's breasts are briefly fully revealed when a woman, painted blue and green, does a pirouette.
In the other less-adult version, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry are presented as a two-headed man and only the coverup portion of the breast reveal scene (above) is present.
".
Japanese edition of the "Pink" single from 'Nine Lives' features six tracks: three mixes of "Pink" (Album Version, The South Beach Mix & Live from the Howard Stern Radio Show), plus live versions of "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)" & "Walk This Way" recorded in March 1997. As well, there is a techno remix of "Falling in Love (Is Hard On The Knees)" titled Moby Fucked Remix.
It is a bonus playable song in the video game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
, and the only track of Nine Lives present in the game. In the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions of this game, the word "high" (in "Pink gets me high as a kite") is removed.
in 1999, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
.
Additionally, the video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video
in 1998.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
. It was written by Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
and professional songwriters Richie Supa and Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...
. It was released as the third major single from Nine Lives
Nine Lives (Aerosmith album)
-Bonus track :-Bonus tracks :-Bonus tracks :-Bonus tracks :-Artwork:...
in 1997
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
.
Chart positions
First played by Daytona, Florida rock station 95.7 WHOG-FM afternoon personality "Iron Dave" Adams before being released as a single, the song reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, #38 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and #19 in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. It also topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart for 4 weeks.
The band re-released the song in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1999
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
. The re-released version did much better, reaching #13 there.
Song structure
The song is highlighted by a harmonica performance by Steven Tyler at the beginning, as well as a strong bass rhythm throughout the song, and a mix of acoustic guitars and jangling electric guitars throughout the verses. Many of the lines in the verses start with the word "Pink" (i.e. "Pink is my favorite crayon", "Pink is the love you discover", "Pink it's the color of passion," etc.). The song is also highly suggestive, in that the origin of the fascination with pink stems from the admiration of a woman's reproductive organs -- particularly the inner side of the outer lips; the "pink in the middle."Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song used CGI to morph characters' faces to other bodies. A variety of random characters mixed in with band members towards the camera, morphing into different characters in the process (e.g., Joe Perry as a centaur, Brad Whitford as a little boy, a skeleton and a rabbit in overalls (Steven Tyler). It was directed by Doug Nichol
Doug Nichol
Doug Nichol is an American filmmaker and commercials/music video director.He won a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video for Sting’s Ten Summoner's Tales and also received two other Grammy nominations for work with Aerosmith and NKOTB. He has won several MTV awards including Best Rock Video...
.
Two versions of the music video exist. There are noticeable differences in each version. In the more-adult version, for example, there is a woman dressed in a blue jumpsuit walking towards the camera. For a brief second, either on purpose or by accident, the top, unzipped portion of the jumpsuit is pulled away revealing her right breast. There is another instance where a woman's breasts are briefly fully revealed when a woman, painted blue and green, does a pirouette.
In the other less-adult version, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry are presented as a two-headed man and only the coverup portion of the breast reveal scene (above) is present.
Live in concert
The song has gained notoriety as a fan favorite and a live gem, and remains one of the only songs from Nine Lives consistently played on Aerosmith tours to this day, along with "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)
"Falling in Love " is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and record producer/writer Glen Ballard...
".
Covers and other versions
A different version of the song, The South Beach Re-Mix, was included on the career-spanning compilation O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits.Japanese edition of the "Pink" single from 'Nine Lives' features six tracks: three mixes of "Pink" (Album Version, The South Beach Mix & Live from the Howard Stern Radio Show), plus live versions of "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)" & "Walk This Way" recorded in March 1997. As well, there is a techno remix of "Falling in Love (Is Hard On The Knees)" titled Moby Fucked Remix.
It is a bonus playable song in the video game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is a music video game developed by Neversoft and distributed by Activision. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, with a Wii version developed by Vicarious Visions, a PlayStation 2 version by Budcat Creations and with a PC and Mac version by Aspyr Media...
, and the only track of Nine Lives present in the game. In the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions of this game, the word "high" (in "Pink gets me high as a kite") is removed.
Awards
The song won the band their fourth and most recent Grammy awardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1999, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories...
.
Additionally, the video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video was first given out in , and it was one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. That year, though, the award was called the Best Heavy Metal Video. From 1990 to 1995, the award was called the Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and...
in 1998.
External links
- Like red but not quite The TFL approved fanlisting for 'Pink' by Aerosmith