they didnt care where they played, they obsessed about what they played. While other bands were making $1,000 per week playing popular songs penned by various artists, Aerosmith played for $300,     passing up instant gratification for what the bandmates believed would be an eventual greater reward from writing its own songs. They felt that anything less would trap them into a life of chasing gigs, devoid of fame and brand identity. So, the band existed on little more than ambition and passion in those early years, sharing cramped quarters, driving to and from gigs in Tylers black Volkswagen Beetle, struggling to save enough money to eat, and occasionally swiping when they couldnt buy food. But they had vision. After a few years of solidifying its sound, creating music, and play- ing lots of concerts, the band signed with Columbia Records in 1972. Aerosmith was released in January 1973 to little fanfare. In fact, other than a few company executives and the bands inner circle, no one really noticed that the music world had just published the first record from what would become one of Americas top rock-and-roll bands ever. There were no interviews, no reviews, no airplay, no parties- nothing more than the physical record the group could hold up as a testament to its art. Until that point, Columbia really hadnt had much success with a hard rock band, and after listening to the album, managers felt it contained no single. No single meant a slim chance of airplay; no air- play meant no distribution; and no distribution meant no sales. Instead, Columbia seemed to be very excited about the release of a first album by a new singer from New Jersey named Bruce Spring- steen. "For every dollar they put into Aerosmith, they put a hundred into Springsteen because he fit into the folksier CBS essence," says David Krebs, Aerosmiths manager at that time, in Walk This Way. "So Aerosmith was a band that, in the early stages, happened despite Columbia." Aerosmith recognized quickly the difficulty of getting the attention of the people inside Columbia, let alone the DJs and fans who gener- ated demand and sales. And while the band was elated to have its first record out, it was equally frustrated by having to sell a product that couldnt be found in stores. Without the marketing machine that sup- ports many of todays new artists, the band had to make it happen the good old-fashioned way-blood, sweat, tears, and do-it-yourself mar- keting. Entrepreneurs understand the frustration of trying to get a product on retailers shelves-it usually doesnt happen just because     the new product is so obviously better than existing ones or because of