Director Jon Small on Run-DMC/Aerosmith "Walk This Way" [1986]
Interview and text by Stephen Pitalo, The Golden Age of Music Video -
Over twenty five years ago, hip hop godfathers Run-DMC and rock legends Aerosmith took a chance on crossover success by remaking the latter's 1970s riff-tastic hit "Walk This Way" as a hip hop record. Run-DMC's DJ, Jam Master Jay, had used the song’s guitar and drums as a beat for rapping over, but when their 1986 album Raising Hell was going to feature a remake, producer Rick Rubin brought in the Toxic Twins themselves to re-record their parts. The subsequent video had its own set of challenges, according to director (and longtime Billy Joel video collaborator) Jon Small.
