The Back-Burner: Aerosmith Outtakes & Demos

Before Aerosmith became a global rock phenomenon, Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton were part of a humble yet pivotal blues rock band called The Jam Band. Formed with their high school friend, drummer David “Pudge” Scott, The Jam Band played an essential role in the early musical journeys of Perry and Hamilton, setting the stage for the legendary band they would later form.

Formation and Early Days

Joe Perry’s musical journey started with various groups, including Flash, Just Us, and Plastic Glass, before he and Tom Hamilton formed The Jam Band. The origins of the band trace back to Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire, where Perry and Hamilton spent their summers. Perry met Pudge Scott, the son of the commodore of the local yacht club, who played drums. Scott introduced Perry to Hamilton, who initially played guitar but switched to bass to complement Perry’s superior guitar skills. With their shared love of the blues and rock, the trio quickly bonded and started jamming in Scott’s basement.

Perry recalls, “Everyone came through the Anchorage, including a kid a few years younger than me who stopped by the window to strike up a conversation. His name was David Scott, but he was called Pudge, despite his skinniness. His dad was the commodore of the yacht club. ‘You play guitar, right?’ he asked. ‘Right,’ I answered. ‘I play drums.’ ‘Cool. I wanna put a band together.’ ‘I’m in. I also know another guy who plays guitar. He teaches tennis at the yacht club.’ ‘Bring him by.’ That kid was Tom Hamilton, who grew up in New London, one of the towns bordering Lake Sunapee. He had a wry sense of humor, was smart, and liked to party. Most importantly, we dug the same music. Tom and I became fast friends.”

Their jams were often loud and experimental, and they played gigs at local venues like The Barn, a club with a rich history of hosting big bands in the 1940s. Owned by the flamboyant John Conrad, The Barn was a quirky, eclectic space that attracted various artists, including the future members of Aerosmith.

Perry reminisces, “One of the early gigs was at The Barn, the Sunapee music venue owned by John Conrad, the first gay man I ever encountered. John was also a stone-cold alcoholic who woke every day at noon and began drinking Chablis out of a gallon jug. He sat cross-legged in The Barn’s kitchen, where he held court in the hallowed space that back in the forties had attracted the big bands of Count Basie and Gene Krupa. As John spoke, his favorite employee, Louise, an eighty-year-old woman who was strong as an ox, scrubbed the floors and washed the windows.”

The Influence of Elyssa Jarret and Steven Tallarico

In August 1969, after an adventurous but ultimately unsuccessful trip to Woodstock, Steven Tyler arrived back to Sunapee. One Saturday night, Tyler stopped by The Barn to check out who was playing. It was a group called The Jam Band: Pudge Scott on drums, Tom Hamilton on bass, and Joe Perry on guitar. Elyssa Jarret, a gorgeous young girl who was friends with Perry, was also there. She was sixteen and a central figure in the local music scene.

Perry recalls, “Elyssa was the one who brought Steven Tallarico to one of our gigs at The Barn. I didn’t know he was there until after the fact. Even if I had known, it wouldn’t have made a difference. The Jam Band’s jams were just that—experimental excursions through Hendrix’s ‘Red House,’ a glimpse of MC5’s ‘Ramblin’ Rose,’ or a taste of Beck’s ‘Rice Pudding.’ John sang, I sang, I played guitar, Tom played bass, Pudge kept us moving along.”

As the band launched into their set, playing songs like “Red House” by Jimi Hendrix and “Ramblin’ Rose” by MC5, Tyler was mesmerized by Perry’s raw energy and charisma. Perry, with his long hair and thick horn-rimmed glasses, was a magnetic presence on stage. When the band played “Rattlesnake Shake” by Fleetwood Mac, Tyler knew he had found something special. He turned to his friend and said, “Zunky, that’s gonna be my next band.”

Recording the Album

The Jam Band’s recording session on August 30th, 1969, stands as a seminal moment in their history. Using just two Shure microphones and Pudge Scott’s father’s Concord two-track reel-to-reel tape recorder, they captured their live performance at The Barn. The album, a collection of cover songs, was mostly recorded in front of an audience, except for the opening track, a cover of Jeff Beck’s “Rice Pudding.” This track was recorded during a rehearsal at the band’s house, thanks to Elyssa Jarret, who captured the moment on tape.

Pudge Scott recalls, “We hung two Shure microphones over the audience at The Barn and Bob Grasmere recorded our set on my father’s Concord two-track reel-to-reel tape recorder: ‘Shapes of Things,’ ‘Let Me Love You Baby,’ and ‘Blues Deluxe,’ all Jeff Beck songs; Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Red House’; ‘Ramblin’ Rose’ by the MC5; ‘Gimme Some Lovin’; and ‘Milk Cow Blues.’ The album actually opened with Jeff Beck’s ‘Rice Pudding,’ taped by Elyssa Jerret during a rehearsal at the band house behind The Barn.”

The album featured psychedelic cover art, complete with flames, eyeballs, and acidic whorls, drawn by Perry himself on a night of artistic inspiration. Perry reflects on the artistic process, “I drew the cover one stoned night. The psychedelic art was just an extension of what we were all about at the time. It was flames, eyeballs, and acidic whorls—a real trip.”

After recording, they had the tape mastered and transferred to acetate at AAA Recording in Boston, Massachusetts. Only a few copies of the album were pressed—estimates range from three to six—but due to the poor quality of the vinyl, it wore out after only a few plays. Despite this, Pudge Scott kept his copy and eventually transferred it to CD in 1999, gifting each member a copy dedicating it “to the band that started the train rolling”.

Side 1
A – Rice Pudding, Jeff Beck
B – Shape of Things, Jeff Beck
C – Red House, Jimmy Hendrix
D – Let me Love You Baby, Jeff Beck
Side 2
A – Blues Delux, Jeff Beck
B – Give me Some Loving, Spencer Davis
C – Rambling Rose – MC5
D – Milk Cow Blues, The Kinks

Musical Style and Performances

The Jam Band’s music was a mix of blues and rock, with a setlist that included covers of songs by Hendrix, MC5, and Beck. Their performances were characterized by raw energy and experimental jams, often at local parties and venues. Perry and Hamilton’s passion for music was evident in their dedication to their craft, even during the cold New Hampshire nights when they played on flatbed trucks illuminated by car headlights.

The band’s live shows, while not always polished, were a crucial learning experience. Steven Tyler, who later joined Perry and Hamilton in Aerosmith, recalled seeing The Jam Band perform and recognized the potential in their raw, unrefined sound. Tyler famously described one of their shows as “a god-awful show. It was all really fast and out-of-tune and it was very [makes masturbation motion].” However, he also noted a turning point when they played “Rattlesnake Shake,” saying, “It wasn’t [shit] anymore. It was all about making it right, you know, now we’re talking.”

The Summer of ’69 and Beyond

The summer of 1969 was a period of experimentation and growth for The Jam Band. They were the house band of Sunapee, playing at venues like Slope ‘N’ Shore, boathouses around the lake, and various parties. They lived together in a summer house rented by John McGuire’s parents, sharing their love for music and their dreams for the future.

One of the most memorable nights was when the Jam Band played on a flatbed truck illuminated by car headlights during a late September night. It was so cold that it actually snowed, but their passion for music kept them warm.

Perry and Hamilton often discussed their future. Perry put it to Hamilton plainly, “I think we should move to Boston, rent an apartment, and start a band. I think we should just go for it.” Hamilton agreed but needed to finish high school first, promising, “I’m with you, man. I’m with you all the way.”

Transition to Aerosmith

Despite their local popularity, The Jam Band wasn’t destined for the big time. After the summer of 1969, Perry and Hamilton decided to move to Boston to pursue their musical dreams more seriously. This decision marked the end of The Jam Band but paved the way for the formation of Aerosmith.

Breaking the news to Pudge Scott was tough, but he understood their ambition. In Boston, Perry and Hamilton teamed up with Steven Tyler, forming the core of what would become Aerosmith. Tyler’s high-energy performances and Perry’s searing guitar riffs quickly set them apart in the burgeoning rock scene.

Legacy and Rediscovery

The Jam Band’s album remained a hidden gem for decades. In 2019, during Aerosmith’s Las Vegas residency, the band paid homage to their early days by featuring the cover of The Jam Band album in their intro video, along with the original tape reel’s handwritten tracklist. While the album has never been officially released due to its poor sound quality (noise, buried drums, out-of-tune vocals) and performance issues, it remains a cherished piece of proto-Aerosmith history, capturing the raw talent and unrefined energy of its founding members. Perhaps this presents an opportunity for AI to play a role in cleaning these recordings.

The story of The Jam Band is a testament to the humble beginnings and relentless passion that drove Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton to create one of the greatest rock bands of all time. It highlights the importance of perseverance, the value of experimentation, and the magic that happens when talented musicians come together with a shared dream.