Aerosmith will be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year tonight in Los Angeles. Steven Tyler plays many instruments but this would be the strangest (or the best, depending) On “Rag Doll” from their 1987 album Permanent Vacation. Singer Steven Tyler tells what they called it and what it actually was.
“Flesh bongos. Flesh bongos are the buttocks of young female strippers in Vancouver. I was watching them and these girls were so sexy, I mean, they were serious. I thought to myself, ‘We need something else on this album that’ll be like a clincher, something I can carry on and tell my kids that I once did.’ So what the hell, right? I asked the two, ‘You want to be on the album? We’ll give you credit.’ I don’t know if they thought they were going to sing or whatever, but they came in and they were buns up and kneelin’ and I was wheelin’ and dealin’. [Pounds out rhythm] If you listen real hard to ‘Rag Doll’ you’ll hear the flesh bongos.”
