''Gems'' is a compilation album released by Aerosmith in

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

under the label Columbia. It was the first compilation of studio material since 1980's ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

''. Concentrating mainly on heavier material than the radio-friendly singles output on ''Greatest Hits'', the album is noted for the inclusion of the 1978 studio version of "Chip Away The Stone" – previously released as a single from 1978's '' Live! Bootleg'', only a live rendition of the song was released at the time. Originally scheduled for release on November 8, 1988, the album was delayed one week and issued on November 15, 1988.Billboard: November 12, 1988, page 26 In 2007 The album was released by Sony BMG as part of their 'Collections' series entitled 'Greatest Hits' and reissued the following year by Sony in their 'Steel Box' series.

Track listing

Personnel

;Aerosmith * Steven Tyler – lead vocals, harmonica,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

, producer * Tom Hamilton – bass * Joey Kramer – drums,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

* Joe Perry –

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and rhythm guitar,

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

Brad Whitford Bradley Ernest Whitford (born February 23, 1952)Putterford, Mark (1991) ''The Fall and Rise of Aerosmith'', Omnibus Press, Strong, Martin C. (2001) ''The Great Metal Discography'' (2nd edn.), MOJO Books, , p. 11-13 is an American musician who i ...

–

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...

and lead guitar ;Additional musicians * Jimmy Crespo – lead guitar on "Jailbait" *

Rick Dufay Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

– rhythm guitar on "Jailbait" *David Woodford –

Saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

* Richard Supa –

Piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

*Scott Cushnie – Piano *Mark Radice - Piano on "Chip Away The Stone" *Uncredited guitarist on some songs. ;Production *David Krebs – Executive Producer *Steve Leber – Executive Producer *Gary Lyons – Producer *Adrian Barber – Producer *

Tony Bongiovi Anthony C. Bongiovi (born September 7, 1947) is an American record producer and recording engineer. He is the cousin of musician Jon Bon Jovi. Career Bongiovi has produced records by Gloria Gaynor, Talking Heads, Aerosmith ('' Classics Live''), ...

– Producer * Jack Douglas – Producer * Ray Colcord – Producer *Don DeVito – Digital Producer *John Ingrassia – Project Administrator * James Diener – Project Director *Mark Wilder – Assembly, Engineer, Digital Mastering *Keith Garde – Creative Supervision *Caroline Greyshock – Photography *Jimmy Ienner Jr. – Photography *Darren S. Winston – Creative Consultant *Joel Zimmerman – Art Supervisor *Lisa Sparagano – Design *Ken Fredette – Design *Vic Anesini – Digital Mastering

Chart positions

Certification

Release history

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1988 compilation albums Aerosmith compilation albums Albums produced by Jack Douglas (record producer) Albums produced by Tony Bongiovi Columbia Records compilation albums