Released January 13, 1973 Length 4:26 Writer(s) Steven Tyler | Recorded 1972 Label Columbia Records Producer(s) Adrian Barber | |
"Mama Kin" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith, which appears on their self-titled debut album. The song was written by the lead singer Steven Tyler. Being the band's first ever single, it has been played live for several decades afterward, appearing on the live albums Live! Bootleg, Classics Live, and A Little South of Sanity.
Contents
Song structure
The song comprises a basic guitar riff, with a strong rhythm backbeat which comes in between lyrics in the verse and throughout the bridge. There are also saxophones interspersed throughout the song.
It is the first Aerosmith song to use swearing in the lyrics, in this case, "shit".
Legacy
The song has also been a live staple of Aerosmith concerts throughout the band's career. Live versions of the song appeared on Live! Bootleg, Classics Live, and A Little South of Sanity.
The song has also appeared on several Aerosmith compilations including Gems (1988), Pandora's Box (1991), Pandora's Toys (1995), O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (2002), Greatest Hits 1973–1988 (2004), and Devil's Got a New Disguise (2006).
Guns N' Roses and Buckcherry versions
The song was covered by Guns N' Roses in 1986 and released in the same year on their EP album Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide. It was later re-released on their second studio album G N' R Lies in 1988. There's also a live version of Guns N' Roses performing the song along with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. This was from Guns N' Roses live from Paris pay per view special.
Buckcherry also covered the song, which appeared as a bonus track on their 2014 EP Fuck. It is the only song on that album that does not use the word "fuck" in the song or have "fuck" as part of the title.
"Mama Kin" in other media
"Mama Kin" is featured as a re-recorded track on the video game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.