The Back-Burner: Aerosmith Outtakes & Demos

An Aerosmith private home video, emerging from the Detroit bootleg circuit in the mid-1980s, offers an unfiltered glimpse into singer Steven Tyler’s struggle with addiction and the band’s backstage antics. Predominantly shot by Rick Dufay, who temporarily filled in for Brad Whitford on rhythm guitar between 1982 and 1984, the footage captures both lighthearted and darker moments, reflecting the chaotic reality of the band’s lifestyle at the time.

Part one of the video, recorded in 1982 at a Florida residence, opens with a visibly impaired Steven Tyler, incoherently rambling while eating cereal, surrounded by friends. Much of the footage appears to have been filmed on Tyler’s own camera, with Dufay recalling in a 2015 interview that “technically, it was Steven’s video recorded on his own tape that leaked.”An Aerosmith private home video, emerging from the Detroit bootleg circuit in the mid-1980s, reveals a stark glimpse into singer Steven Tyler’s struggle with addiction and the band’s backstage antics.

In the video, Tyler engages in fragmented conversations, at one point speaking to a producer, possibly discussing a new film project. Steven mentions the infamous Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) movie, which Aerosmith was part of, and suggests that they could collaborate again—if the project feels “right.” Tyler’s intoxicated state makes it difficult to follow the conversation, but it’s clear that he is hopeful about the possibility of working together on something new. Despite the disjointed dialogue, the interaction reflects a yearning for artistic expression amidst the chaos of his addiction.

At another point, Tyler mentions “David” (presumably David Krebs, the band’s manager during their rise to fame in the 1970s), reminiscing about past glories while seemingly lost in a haze. Producer Jack Douglas—Aerosmith’s long-time collaborator—appears briefly, further tying the footage to key figures in Aerosmith’s history.

The most poignant scenes come when Tyler speaks with a doctor who lives across the street. The doctor, unaware of Tyler’s fame, engages in a bizarre conversation about wealth and drugs. At one point, Tyler jokingly asks the doctor if he has any drugs, then backtracks, saying “I’m kidding!” As the doctor walks away, Tyler mutters, “Why does he have to rub it in our faces how rich he is?”

The footage, sporadically surfacing online, led to speculation from Tyler that Dufay may have leaked it to antagonize him. Dufay, however, denies this, asserting, “It’s your video, Steven. You’re a dumbass because you had that tape recorder at the Gorham hotel where you were staying, or some other dump, and you used to give stuff away to the dealers to buy drugs, so you probably gave it to one of your guys.”

A later section of the video shows a tired and erratic Tyler being advised to get some rest, as those around him acknowledge his exhaustion. Tyler, however, continues talking, unaware of the camera still rolling. These intimate, chaotic moments highlight the toll that addiction was taking on him, both mentally and physically.

However, online clips suggest that multiple versions of the tape were circulating at the time, possibly created using tapes that Steven allegedly traded for drugs. In this particular clip, Steven appears to be more noticeably teased by Dufay and seems more affected by substances.

Contrastingly, the 1985 footage—likely filmed by the road crew—shifts the focus to more lighthearted pre-show antics, including rehearsals of “Let the Music Do the Talking,” interactions with dancers, and live performances. The rawness of these amateur recordings lacks a cohesive narrative, yet the candid moments offer a unique window into Aerosmith’s world at a time when the band was navigating both internal turmoil and the pressures of fame.

These rare, unpolished glimpses of Aerosmith’s offstage life reveal both the camaraderie and the dysfunction that defined the band during the early ’80s. While the videos may lack technical polish, they capture fleeting moments of humour, exhaustion, and a profound sense of chaos—a reality of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle at its most unvarnished.