"Chip Away the Stone" is a song performed by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 hard rock

Hard rock

Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

 band Aerosmith

Aerosmith

Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

. Written by band friend and songwriter Richie Supa, it was released in 1978 as the only single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 to support the band's live album Live! Bootleg

Live! Bootleg

Live! Bootleg is a double live album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released in 1978.While most of the performances were drawn from concerts in 1977 and 1978, the covers "I Ain't Got You" and "Mother Popcorn" were taken from a radio broadcast of a Boston performance on March 20, 1973.The...

. It also appeared on the Cal Jam II live album, despite the band not performing the song there.

The live version that appears on Live! Bootleg was recorded in Santa Monica on April 8, 1978. The single 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 "S.O.S. (Too Bad)

S.O.S. (Too Bad)

"S.O.S. " is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was released in 1974 as their third single from their second album Get Your Wings.-Background:...

" from their 1974 album Get Your Wings

Get Your Wings

-Side two:-Song information:Same Old Song and Dance*Built around a riff Joe Perry came up with while sitting on his amp, Steven Tyler quickly came up with the verse riff. The song appears in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock...

. The front and back cover of Night in the Ruts

Night in the Ruts

-Side two:-Personnel:*Steven Tyler - lead vocals*Joe Perry - guitar, backing vocals*Brad Whitford - guitar*Tom Hamilton - bass*Joey Kramer - drums-Additional personnel:*Jimmy Crespo - additional guitars*Richie Supa - additional guitars - "Mia"...

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 US at the time.

The song was also included on the albums Gems

Gems (album)

-Personnel:*Steven Tyler - lead vocals, harmonica, piano, producer*Brad Whitford - rhythm guitar*Joe Perry - lead guitar, backing vocals*Tom Hamilton - bass*Joey Kramer - drums, percussionAdditional musicians*Jimmy Crespo - lead guitar on "Jailbait"...

in 1988 (studio version - its 1st appearance on an Aerosmith album), Pandora's Box

Pandora's Box (album)

-Disc two:-Disc three:-Recording locations:*Back in the Saddle- Recorded at the Wherehouse, Waltham, Mass. & Record Plant Studios, NYC, Feb-March 1976*Cheese Cake- Recorded at Media Sound and Record Plant Studios, NYC, May-Aug., 1979...

in 1991 (alternate studio version), and Greatest Hits 1973–1988 in 2004. Live video is also featured on Aerosmith Video Scrapbook

Aerosmith Video Scrapbook

Video Scrapbook a VHS video featuring live material and some promotional videos, alongside conversations between the band and their families. It was also released as a laserdisc. There has yet to be a DVD release...

. The song re-charted in 1988 at #13 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks

Mainstream Rock Tracks

Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...

 chart, when it was included on the collection Gems, 10 years after its initial release.

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 2, listening to their entire set from that night reveals that they did in fact play "Chip Away the Stone".

Music Video

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

Cover versions

Humble Pie

Humble Pie (band)

Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...

 covered the song on their 1981 album Go for the Throat

Go for the Throat

Go for the Throat is the twelfth studio album recorded by the English rock band Humble Pie and the second with the new lineup including, guitarist and vocalist Steve Marriott, Drummer Jerry Shirley, respected US East Coast bassist Anthony "Sooty" Jones and vocalist and guitarist, Bobby Tench...

.

New Bomb Turks

New Bomb Turks

The New Bomb Turks are an American punk rock band formed at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. The founding members are Jim Weber, Eric Davidson, Bill Randt, and Matt Reber. Sam Brown replaced Bill Randt on drums in 1999. Early on their inspiration came from the Devil Dogs, Lazy...

 covered the song on their 2003 album Switchblade Tongues, Butterknife Brains.

Vince Neil from Motley Crue

Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...

 performed the song on the 1999 Aerosmith tribute album, A Tribute- Not The Same Old Song And Dance.

The Hot Club of Cowtown

The Hot Club of Cowtown

The Hot Club of Cowtown is a hot jazz/western swing trio, comprising; Elana Fremerman , Whit Smith , and slap bass player Jake Erwin, who also sing in three-part harmony...

did a tongue-in-cheek country-style version on their 2002 album Ghost Train.