Chip Away the Stone


"Chip Away the Stone" is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Written by Richie Supa, a friend and sometime collaborator with the band, it was released in 1978 as the only single to support the band's live album Live! Bootleg. It also appeared on the Cal Jam II live album, despite being the same recording from Live! Bootleg at Santa Monica.
The live version that appears on Live! Bootleg was recorded in Santa Monica on April 8, 1978. The single also featured a studio version of the track, which was recorded at Long View Farm studio in Massachusetts on June 4, 1978, with the single's B-side being live versions of both "Chip Away the Stone" and "S.O.S. " from their 1974 album Get Your Wings. The front and back cover of Night in the Ruts come from a photoshoot originally intended for the cover of this single. "Chip Away the Stone" peaked at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978, breaking the band's run of Top-40 charting singles in the United States at the time.
The song was also included on the albums Gems in 1988, Pandora's Box in 1991, and Greatest Hits 1973–1988 in 2004. Live video is also featured on Aerosmith Video Scrapbook. The song re-charted in 1988 at #13 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, when it was included on the collection Gems, 10 years after its initial release. The 1989 single contains the original studio version of "S.O.S " as the B side.
The song was a regular part of the setlist in Aerosmith concerts in 1978, but only occasionally played live after that year.
Although rumored not to be played at Cal Jam II, listening to their entire set from that night reveals that they did in fact play "Chip Away the Stone".
35 years after its release, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry performed this song with Randy Jackson and members of the house band on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 20, 2012.

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single. The video was directed by Arnold Levine.

Cover versions

covered the song on their 1981 album Go for the Throat.
New Bomb Turks covered the song on their 2003 album Switchblade Tongues, Butterknife Brains.
Vince Neil, Blues Saraceno, Ricky Phillips, Pat Torpey and Paul Taylor covered the song for the Aerosmith tribute album Not the Same Old Song and Dance. Backing vocals were by David Glen Eisley.
The Hot Club of Cowtown did a tongue-in-cheek country-style version on their 2002 album Ghost Train.
Guns N' Roses covered part of the song during their Up Close and Personal Tour.