"YOU WANTED THE BEST AND YOU GOT THE BEST!! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD--KISS!!!!" ":guitar: :guitar: :guitar: :drummer:

And I can hear it now: Okay, ABlairican Pie, you did retrospectives on more respectable bands such as Rush, Black Sabbath, and Ozzy Osbourne, but what is the deal with a retrospective on a band so universally reviled as KISS? Why not do a retrospective on a more respected band such as Dream Theater?

Because KISS went on nearly fifty years ago to fulfill the American Dream of rock and roll. For better or for worse, their music was the canon of Middle America rock and roll fans, something which captured the spirit of rock and roll in the mid-part of the 70's. While much has been made about the alleged "farewell tour" by the band as of late, it is worth taking a look at the band which defied all expectations to in fact become "the hottest band in the land".

Their story is not one which people would expect. It is actually quite surprising. Here is their story through albums, as only ABlairican Pie can tell it. Let us begin.

In the beginning, there was no KISS. Surprise, suprise. It is hard to pinpoint where the nucleus of the band began, but a definite point began in the wastelands of Haifa, in the newly formed nation of Israel, where, in 1949, Chaim Witz was born to a Holocaust survivor mother who had emigrated to the promised Holy Land in the hopes of creating a better life for herself and her only son. As the young Chaim grew, he had to sustain himself and his mother by enduring meager jobs such as peddling fruits and other wares. His father was absent and later out of the picture following a series of infidelities.

At an early age young Chaim was informed that he and his mother were bound for a flight to New York City where family members would take them in. Chaim, who barely spoke a word of English, was amazed by this dazzling new world of opportunity. Over the next few years he became fluent in the way of these Americans.

It happened one night in February 1964, when The Beatles appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show', Chaim was marginally impressed at first with the performance. But when his mother entered and sneered at The Beatles' show, this sparked a deep impression in Chaim's ypung mind: If your mother hates it, this made it all so much better! At this moment, the future Gene Simmons found immense inspiration in the music of The Beatles, and to that end, he sought to play bass like his new idol, Paul McCartney. He joined bands, now aware that his newfound musical foray would attract girls!

Young Chaim, soon named Gene Klein, posing with his Hofner bass similar to that of his hero Paul McCartney:

The second part of the equation was the young man known as Stanley Eisen. Ever since his youth, he had been heckled by his parents, also Jewish emigres who had fled Nazified Europe, as to his abilities. He was instilled with the idea that he would never amount to much, as the idea of encouraging him was "detrimental" to his "character building". So the young Eisen sought to prove his parents wrong, which instilled in him a rebellious streak which carried into his counter-cultural activities. It also did not help him that he suffered from a deformed ear, for which he was taunted by his classmates. He was partially deaf, but this did not deter him from indulging in his love for music.

Young Eisen grew in his love for the British Invasion groups as The Beatles, but was revulsed by the lack of musicality of psychedelic bands of the late 60's, who were more involved in producing surreal light shows against mediocre music. The bearded "hippie" musicians turned him off as well, though he thought of himself in a way as a kindred spirit himself of the counterculture.

"Hippie" Stanley Eisen:

When Stanley Eisen and Gene Klein met for the first time to discuss a musical partnership, Eisen was initially put off by Gene's arrogance. But as they traded musical ideas together, they realized that they both clicked with a sort of vision as to what they wanted to do. They formed a band called Rainbow before they renamed it Wicked Lester, which recorded one album which went nowhere. The album was a standard rock/pop offering which included folk rock elements as well. But when things were not taking off for the band, as the record label refused to promote the album, Stanley and Klein broke up the band in 1972 and planned to reform a new group after a series of auditions for drummer and lead guitarist.

Wicked Lester:

During this time, Stanley Eisen, dissatisfied with his name, decided to change it to something more rock and roll-sounding: He decided to call himself Paul Stanley, as Paul was more connected to British singers as Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Paul Rodgers of Free (who later fronted Bad Company). Stanley drove taxi cabs to make ends meet, often dropping Elvis fans off at Madison Square Garden. He often wondered if he himself would ever make an appearance at MSG.

Gene Klein, who had earlier renamed himself Gene Simmons after rockabilly artist Jumpin' Gene Simmons, attended a Jewish temple where he became very knowledgeable in the Old Testament. He became a public school teacher and sold comic books as part of his non-musical pursuits.

Stanley and Simmons searched for drummers in the local magazines when one ad caught their eye: A drummer with experience would "do anything to make it" as part of a band. The pair auditioned the drummer, named George Peter John Criscuola, who had played in a short-lived band Chelsea, which had released one album for Decca Records in 1970 before he formed a band called Lips with former members of his previous band. Stanley and Simmons phoned Criss while the drummer attended a party and arranged a meeting. Once they liked what Peter offered, the ability to sing as well as drumming skills, they hired him once they shortened his name simply to Peter Criss.

Young Peter Criss in his Chelsea days:

During the fall of 1972, the band, which was only a trio, played harder edged music than that of Wicked Lester. The band played a showcase set for Epic Records in the hopes of landing a record deal. But there was one element that the band needed: A lead guitarist. In January 1973, the band auditioned guitarists when one New York musician, wearing different colored sneakers, one red and the other orange, stepped in with his guitar and amp. He proceeded to play loud, interrupting others auditioning, which prompted Stanley and Simmons to order him to stop and wait his turn. But when his turn came up, the guitarist astounded both Stanley and Simmons with his "flashy" style of playing. They hired Paul "Ace" Frehley as their fourth member, so named by classmates for his ability to "ace" getting dates at school. Now that the lineup was complete, it was time to define what this group would do to stand out from every other band out there.

Ace Frehley, in earlier years:

I’m a huge KISS fan so I look forwards to this retrospective. Regarding the first post, what do you mean by “universally reviled”?

They have a HUGE worldwide fan base, though there are many disagreements on which era or lineup was the best.

The makeup gimmick that KISS used was a stroke of genius from a marketing perspective, it gave them attention, made them unique and set them apart from other bands. Without the makeup gimmick they're just an average rock band.

There's one KISS album that I really like which is Rock And Roll Over, released in late 1976. Every song on that album is good, it's their most consistent album, no weak tracks on it.

Paul Stanley is the band's best songwriter, most KISS songs that have the melodic hooks and sound like chart hits are usually written by Paul Stanley.

When the four band members each released solo albums in 1978, Paul Stanley's album is by far my favorite. Nine amazing songs filled with melodic hooks, it's an outstanding album. Ace Frehley's album is second best, two tracks are on the weaker side but overall it's a strong album. Gene Simmons album is third best and the Peter Criss album is the weakest of the four.

I’m a huge KISS fan so I look forwards to this retrospective. Regarding the first post, what do you mean by “universally reviled”?

They have a HUGE worldwide fan base, though there are many disagreements on which era or lineup was the best.

Even pre-teen kids loved KISS back in the 70s. Maybe their parents were initially taken back by the look.

I’m a huge KISS fan so I look forwards to this retrospective. Regarding the first post, what do you mean by “universally reviled”?

They have a HUGE worldwide fan base, though there are many disagreements on which era or lineup was the best.

I mean "universally reviled" certainly not from my perspective, as a junior high fan in 1977, I felt they were the most radical idea of a band ever! But "musical purists" thought the idea of four guys in makeup and using special effects was a cheap "gimmick" to distract from their true musical abilities (or "lack thereof").
But it's interesting how by mid-decade in the 70's there was a growing simplicity in music, where spectacle and showmanship were not necessarily bad things, and in fact highlighted good qualities about a band. Let's face it, one of the most convoluted albums in 1974 was 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' by Yes, a bloated album based on Hindu writings that paled in comparison to the basic message of "Strutter!!"

Not that I was against Yes by any means, but what do you do to appeal to a 14-year old mind in rock and roll?

So they weren't "universally reviled". Just despised by too many who had taken music way too seriously in the mid-70's. By people who thought Bread was the greatest thing since...sliced bread.:happyface

So once the quartet had gathered together, the search was on to find their identities which would stand out from the rest of the bands dominating the New York club scene. And there were a number of top acts with potential.

At first the band began to imitate such glam bands as the New York Dolls by wearing dresses and adopting an "androgynous" look that was popular at the time. But the band reaiized they were not about to become a New York Dolls clone band. Gene Simmons resented the idea that, considering his height at 6 feet, wearing a dress was akin to a football quarterback resembling dressing like one's sister. It just didn't work.

The band struggled to come up with a name in addition to their onstage personae. They tossed around names while driving around, such as Crimson Harpoon, Jews In Space, and other not-so-subtle names, including an expletive. Since Peter Criss had been in a band since Chelsea named Lips, Paul Stanley said, "Why don't we just call the band KISS?"

According to Gene Simmons, a still fell over the entire car. They had found their name.

After a concert by Alice Cooper, the band thought, what a great idea it would be to have "four Alice Coopers", complete with makeup to reflect four distinct personalities?

KISS as an early trio:

KISS forms their makeup identities in 1973:

Since Gene Simmons was a fan of comic books and horror movies, he became the Demon. His outstretched tongue was certainly a factor in his persona.

The idea for the members of KISS to adopt distinct personae was based on the British Invasion bands such as The Beatles who were known by certain traits, such as John being "the smart Beatle", Paul being "the cute Beatle", George being "the quiet Beatle", and Ringo, well, just being Ringo. KISS were something else entirely.

Gene Simmons, 1973, in early makeup:

Paul Stanley became the "Starchild", meaning he wanted to become a star, most likely to escape the drudgery of his childhood where he was told often that he would never amount to much by his parentts. In his working environment, he drove people to Madison Square Garden to see Elvis. The idea that he himself would one day headline concerts at the MSG was far from him, but this persona was close to his heart.

Paul Stanley's persona with makeup took many forms, including a "Lone Ranger" design to even a double-star design:

In late 1973, Paul Stanley settled on the makeup design for which would make him famous:

Peter Criss took his persona from an alley cat he saw around the rehearsal space. He identified with the cat's independence, its aloofness and need for pleasure. So he became the Catman:

And finally, Ace Frehley put forth his own persona: The Spaceman, or "Space Ace". The guitarist was into more "cosmic" matters such as science fiction, space travel, fantasy, and the meaning of life in this grand scheme of things. or so it seemed. Ace seemed to be more "in space" than his cohorts. Like Peter, he was more into his own vibe than with everyone else. For this reason, a bond formed between the two bandmates as opposed to the workaholics Paul and Gene.

The first professional show by KISS was at the Diplomat Hotel in New York in 1973. It was a dilapidated venue where druggies, hookers, and other social outcasts frequented, but they drew a crowd. KISS were a band of outsiders seeking the outsiders of society, while yet seeking to reach much more. They were a band on a mission. They did not care if you liked them, hated them, just as long as you did not feel neutral toward them. And KISS were not a band about which one would feel indifferent.

To this end, KISS was approached by television producer Bill Aucoin who wanted to be their manager. He believed in the band, and offered to get them a record deal in a minimum of two weeks. Should this fail to come to pass, the band were free to pursue other options elsewhere. The band, impressed by his belief in them, took him up on his offer.

Paul Stanley noticed something about Aucoin. By his immaculate manner, he surmised that Aucoin was gay. Who else in New York would dress like this? It was no problem for the tolerant Stanley, but he noticed such features in these mogul types in Aucoin's pristine presentations of himself. Aucoin had such a belief in himself and the band he chose to represent.

Paul and Ace at the Diplomat Hotel:

KISS manager Bill Aucoin:

A supposed sixth member of KISS, in addition to manager Bill Aucoin, was Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart. A former head of Buddah Records, he left the label in the early-mid 70's to focus on his record company. KISS was slated to make the draw to the fledgling label.

Neil Bogart:

At the end of the year, on December 31, 1973, while opening for headliners Blue Oyster Cult, Gene Simmons set his hair on fire, an act for which he felt reticent about.

The band's debut album was released in February of 1974. The band began its tour in Calgary, Alberta, that year.

As Gene Simmons recalled:

"Being in Kiss in the very first year and touring around the United States, we felt like we were taking off. It was like somebody pushing you into the deep end of the pool whether you can swim or not. The early years of Kiss were far from glamorous. We rode in a station wagon hundreds of miles every day. We would take turns driving and sleeping in the back. We ate burgers at roadside taverns. We stopped and peed on the side of long stretches of a highway when we couldn't find a town anywhere near. We ate beans and franks because we couldn't afford better food as we were on an $85 a week salary! Becoming a rock star was better than anything and beyond anything I ever imagined. There were moments of doubt for me that we were gonna make it."

KISS debut 1974;

Figured this was the place to post...

I recently went to Walgreens and spotted a Special Edition of LIFE Magazine commemorating KISS' 50th Anniv.

Figured this was the place to post...

I recently went to Walgreens and spotted a Special Edition of LIFE Magazine commemorating KISS' 50th Anniv.

Awesome!! Except the magazine did not have the standard KISS letters on the cover.

Which brings up an interesting point about the origins of the band's logo. Ace Frehley, who had studied graphic design in college, created the letters with the distinctive "lightning bolt" S's. The original design was rather assymetrical, but still effective. However, as the band became more popular, the band's logo was altered in countries such as Germany, Austria, Gene Simmons' native nation of Israel, and others where images reminiscent of the Nazi SS, or Schutzstaffel, Hitler's military security group, were expressly forbidden and outlawed. This was ironic due to the fact that both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were both Jewish, and Simmons' mother was in fact a Holocaust survivor. The band simply liked the image because it was eye-catching, like lightning bolts striking in unison. They disavowed any connection to Nazi sympathies, of course, but the logo remained changed to resemble more like backward Z's in parts of Europe.

Standsrd KISS logo, with KISS logo as displayed in Germany:

The original KISS logo designed by Ace Frehley, drawn and sketched on graph paper, shows the lower part of the S's longer than the upper part:

Awesome!! Except the magazine did not have the standard KISS letters on the cover.

Which brings up an interesting point about the origins of the band's logo. Ace Frehley, who had studied graphic design in college, created the letters with the distinctive "lightning bolt" S's. The original design was rather assymetrical, but still effective. However, as the band became more popular, the band's logo was altered in countries such as Germany, Austria, Gene Simmons' native nation of Israel, and others where images reminiscent of the Nazi SS, or Schutzstaffel, Hitler's military security group, were expressly forbidden and outlawed. This was ironic due to the fact that both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were both Jewish, and Simmons' mother was in fact a Holocaust survivor. The band simply liked the image because it was eye-catching, like lightning bolts striking in unison. They disavowed any connection to Nazi sympathies, of course, but the logo remained changed to resemble more like backward Z's in parts of Europe.

Standsrd KISS logo, with KISS logo as displayed in Germany:

The original KISS logo designed by Ace Frehley, drawn and sketched on graph paper, shows the lower part of the S's longer than the upper part:


By not having the official logo on the cover, it could mean that the magazine is not “authorized” by KISS as it is not released by them.

The SS resemblance of the official logo got a Big Brother Germany contestant who had a shoulder tattoo booted from the show back in 2005. He had the original logo and not the German altered one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8qKcpXVS3Q&ab_channel=KISSFanxx11

Trying to get the video of "Strutter" to play:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DDus_S-Tr4&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Strutter" demo 1973:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPlg2twjeJY&ab_channel=grotesqueforms

"Nothin' To Lose" live 1974:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siK4A2MXE-Y&ab_channel=acekiss77

KISS on 'ABC In Concert' 1974:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF-jjaBMHcw&ab_channel=Chaplin1914

I bought the Love Gun album soon after it came out in the summer of 1977, thinking it would be as good or better than Rock And Roll Over, but the album turned out to be a disappointment. There are two good songs on it, Shock Me and the title track Love Gun, but the rest of the album isn't very good. In retrospect, I think what might have hurt this album is that it was rushed into production, released only about six months after Rock And Roll Over.

Creatures Of The Night from 1982 is a pretty good KISS album, lots of heavy rockers on that album. Rock And Roll Hell was originally recorded by BTO in 1979, KISS changed up the song a little and included it on the Creatures Of The Night album.

Then in 1983 with the Lick It Up album, KISS took off the makeup and went into their hair metal phase. One song that I really like from this era of KISS is Tears Are Falling, it should have been a bigger hit.

When the four band members each released solo albums in 1978, Paul Stanley's album is by far my favorite. Nine amazing songs filled with melodic hooks, it's an outstanding album. Ace Frehley's album is second best, two tracks are on the weaker side but overall it's a strong album.

Gene Simmons album is third best and the Peter Criss album is the weakest of the four.


Ace's solo is my favorite of the KISS '78 solo albums. I also love his more recent solo work and the band he formed after he first left KISS, Frehley's Comet.

Peter would agree with you on his solo being the weakest as I heard him say to himself "I hated this record" when I handed him the CD sleeve to autograph at a convention. :lol:

Have you listed to Gene and Paul's non-KISS solo albums, ***hole and Live to Win? Gene's album was disappointing, but Paul's album wasn't bad at all.

I bought the Love Gun album soon after it came out in the summer of 1977, thinking it would be as good or better than Rock And Roll Over, but the album turned out to be a disappointment. There are two good songs on it, Shock Me and the title track Love Gun, but the rest of the album isn't very good.

The Love Gun cover is my favorite of all of the KISS album covers. I met the artist, Ken Kelly, at a convention (he also did the art for Destroyer).

I actually just found out now that he died back in June 2022. :(


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52988718929_0cbd46cdc5_o.jpg


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52988949380_e3a5b40ba2_o.jpg





Creatures Of The Night from 1982 is a pretty good KISS album, lots of heavy rockers on that album. Rock And Roll Hell was originally recorded by BTO in 1979, KISS changed up the song a little and included it on the Creatures Of The Night album.

Creatures is my favorite from the non-original KISS albums.

Ace covered Rock And Roll Hell on his Origins Vol. 1 record.

VeI-Mg00wqw





Then in 1983 with the Lick It Up album, KISS took off the makeup and went into their hair metal phase. One song that I really like from this era of KISS is Tears Are Falling, it should have been a bigger hit.

One of my favorites from that is Not for the Innocent.

DOIiVHCPMR8

Ace's solo is my favorite of the KISS '78 solo albums. I also love his more recent solo work and the band he formed after he first left KISS, Frehley's Comet.

Peter would agree with you on his solo being the weakest as I heard him say to himself "I hated this record" when I handed him the CD sleeve to autograph at a convention. :lol:

Have you listed to Gene and Paul's non-KISS solo albums, ***hole and Live to Win? Gene's album was disappointing, but Paul's album wasn't bad at all.

It's cool that Peter autographed the CD for you even though he's not fond of the album. The one song that I like on it is You Matter To Me, pretty good song and sounds like it could have been a hit. Hooked On Rock N Roll isn't bad either. The rest overall is just weak.

If these other solo albums are downloaded on to You Tube I will check them out and give em a listen.

The Love Gun cover is my favorite of all of the KISS album covers. I met the artist, Ken Kelly, at a convention (he also did the art for Destroyer).

I actually just found out now that he died back in June 2022. :(


Love Gun isn't the best album but it does have a cool album cover.

Sad news about Ken Kelly, RIP to Ken.

It's cool that Peter autographed the CD for you even though he's not fond of the album. The one song that I like on it is You Matter To Me, pretty good song and sounds like it could have been a hit. Hooked On Rock N Roll isn't bad either. The rest overall is just weak.

If these other solo albums are downloaded on to You Tube I will check them out and give em a listen.

The items that he would not sign were anything to do w/ his ex-wife, Lydia Criss. He had a sign posted that read “Lydia Criss memorabilia will not be autographed.”

I did ask him why he always writes the number “3” on all of his autographs. He told me that 3 was his lucky number and laughed. He then said seriously that he’s Christian as it represents “Father, Son and Holy Ghost” as he did the + symbol with his hand.

Interesting notes about the qualifications of who should be a KISS member:

Paul and Gene specified that there would be no members with receding hairlines, facial hair, nor belly fat. Well...

Okay, then.

However, one person auditioning for KISS in the formation of the band was a black man. Gene Simmons felt a certain cringe when he had to decline his inclusion into the band. The band had to have a certain look, one with predominantly black hair and facial features that would work well in makeup. He had to explain to the auditioner why he was "not right" for the band, which more or less satisfied the supplicant. Gene's explanation was that, if, say, one of his favorite bands such as Earth, Wind, & Fire were to hire a white member, would that have worked, would this applicant have accepted the change? Given what was to befall the band in the years to come, was this a right decision to decline a potential member due to certain demographics?

Gene Simmons did not reject the applicant due to his race. Call it an ergonomic consideration. Would KISS have been the same band if he were accepted? Simmons did not like the idea of rejecting a person based on this basis. There was a certain demographic he was looking for, and sadly, he had to turn this one down.

KISS at ABC for 'Rock Concert' in 1974:

The road to the top was filled with pitfalls. While the band had its industry premier opening for Blue Oyster Cult at the Academy Of Music on December 31, 1973 in New York City, Gene Simmons lit his hair on fire during the fire-breathing stunt, the first of many times for the bassist.

Gene Simmons was reluctant to breathe fire from flammable chemicals at first. But when he successfully did that stunt, it became part of the act.

Gene Simmons breathing fire:

Most entertainers were not so taken by Gene Simmons' attempts to appear as macabre and gruesome as his stage persona required him to be. On the April 29, 1974, appearance of KISS on the Mike Douglas show, comedianne/actress Totie Fields waved off Simmons' bravado of calling himself "evil incarnate" by saying, "You're just a nice Jewish boy. I can tell by the hook", a reference to Simmons' distinctive Hebrew nose. She herself, being Jewish, noticed such things.

However, one person auditioning for KISS in the formation of the band was a black man. Gene Simmons felt a certain cringe when he had to decline his inclusion into the band.

I'm sure you will go into this down the line, but a funny note to this is that an African-American stuntman, Alan Oliney, was used to replace Ace Frehley while filming the infamous KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.

The road to the top was filled with pitfalls. While the band had its industry premier opening for Blue Oyster Cult at the Academy Of Music on December 31, 1973 in New York City, Gene Simmons lit his hair on fire during the fire-breathing stunt, the first of many times for the bassist.

Gene Simmons was reluctant to breathe fire from flammable chemicals at first. But when he successfully did that stunt, it became part of the act.

Gene Simmons breathing fire:

He was trained by a stage magician on how to do it. It does look fairly simple to do, but things can go horribly wrong very easily.

I'm sure you will go into this down the line, but a funny note to this is that an African-American stuntman, Alan Oliney, was used to replace Ace Frehley while filming the infamous KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.
That is true, oddly enough. Also, there was a black person on hand in the early-mid 70's who helped with the stage effects. I need to look up this person's name.

Several months after the release of the self-titled debut album by KISS, the band was flown to Los Angeles to record their follow-up album. The New York band was unfamiliar with the vibe of the West Coast, but they soon adapted to it in a major way. The photo shoot for their sophomore release, 'Hotter Than Hell', was a raucous, decadent affair that even surprised the band. The session was filled with men and women engaged in all sorts of debauchery and lurid activities that soon became par for the course for the fledging band in the land of fallen angels.

He was trained by a stage magician on how to do it. It does look fairly simple to do, but things can go horribly wrong very easily.
True, Gene Simmons set his hair on fire on more than a few occasions.

While the members of KISS were reluctant to accept their new surroundings on the West Coast for the recording of the album, some members embraced some parts of it with a willful, reckless abandon. Ace Frehley rented a car and drove it around the Hollywood Hills at a furious pace--until he wrapped it around a tree--thus damaging his face which was partially obscured for the photo shoot on the album cover. This was a sign of things to come for the "Space Ace".

Gene Simmons recalls the time when Ace went missing. He located Ace at his hotel room where the guitarist was passed out in the bathtub, with the water rising dangerously close to drowning him. Simmons pulled Ace out of the tub and put him to bed, then watched over him all night to make sure the Space Ace would not further endanger himself. When Ace woke up the next morning, he asked the frazzled Simmons if anything had gone on the night before, completely unaware of the scenario where Gene had to intervene.

His face seems fine here for the 'Hotter Than Hell' shoot. What was really going on behind the scenes?

Ace plays live during the 'Hotter Than Hell' tour:

Even Paul Stanley, who was carried out drunk after the infamous cover photo session, had his run-ins with fate in Los Angeles.

He was driving a rental car when he was stopped by a police officer. When he was ordered to show his license and driver's license, Stanley realized that he did not have neither on him. To which the officer replied, "Well, you're going to jail!"

Paul Stanley pleaded with the officer, explaining that he was dressed in "glam" clothing, making him an easy target in the Los Angeles jails. The officer took a sort of begrudging pity, letting him off with the warning that next time to bring his documents with him next time.

Paul Stanley, with fellow troublemakers Ace Frehley and Peter Criss during the 'Hotter Than Hell' photo shoot, August 1974:

"Got To Choose" live:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQyh629gZJw&ab_channel=bloghardrock

"Hotter Than Hell" live:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub04RvbvOIM&ab_channel=saidpetercriss

"Parasite" was written by Ace Frehley:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFf_7KzUFt0&ab_channel=VistaRecords

"Goin' Blind" was a humorous deep album track about the impossible December/March relationship, a 90'something year-old man with a 16-year-old girl (which seemed to be common in lyrics sung by Gene Simmons).

The song was not only covered in the 90's by PNW pre-grunge sludge metal band the Melvins, but served as an inspiration for the song "I Think I'm Going Bald" by Rush, who opened with KISS in 1974.

"Goin' Blind": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_BAYTb1UNk&ab_channel=KODIbassplayer

"Let Me Go, Rock And Roll" became a staple in KISS' live shows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckkZa2IuiXc&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

While the members of KISS were reluctant to accept their new surroundings on the West Coast for the recording of the album, some members embraced some parts of it with a willful, reckless abandon. Ace Frehley rented a car and drove it around the Hollywood Hills at a furious pace--until he wrapped it around a tree--thus damaging his face which was partially obscured for the photo shoot on the album cover. This was a sign of things to come for the "Space Ace".

Gene Simmons recalls the time when Ace went missing. He located Ace at his hotel room where the guitarist was passed out in the bathtub, with the water rising dangerously close to drowning him. Simmons pulled Ace out of the tub and put him to bed, then watched over him all night to make sure the Space Ace would not further endanger himself. When Ace woke up the next morning, he asked the frazzled Simmons if anything had gone on the night before, completely unaware of the scenario where Gene had to intervene.


I bet the reason why Ace wears sunglasses whenever he's in public is because he's shot from his years of alcohol/drug abuse.

I bet the reason why Ace wears sunglasses whenever he's in public is because he's shot from his years of alcohol/drug abuse.
:nod:

'Hotter Than Hell' sold slightly better than its predecessor, but something was missing. The fans were out in full force, but this did not translate into strong album sales. Was the consensus of the record-buying public that KISS were a "novelty" act whose gimmick was makeup and explosions?

KISS arrived at a certain time in rock when such trends as glam were focusing on the image of spectacle and music was becoming more simplified. For the past few years of the 70's the emphasis was on "prog" rock with bands like Pink Floyd and Yes releasing "indulgent" artsy albums, as well as roster of singer-songwriter acts which seemed to garner respect by placating music critics, but nothing very exciting was happening in music. Rock and roll seemed to be at a standstill--but bands like KISS brought something new and quite different. KISS cared little about critics, but they were concerned about being a bigger sensation their collective images made them out to be.

KISS on the 'Hotter Than Hell' tour, 1974/1975:

KISS released 'Dressed To Kill' in March 1975. Casablanca president Neil Bogart produced the album, as the band lacked the funds to hire an outside producer. This may explain why the album, as with the past two releases by the band, seemed tepid, lacking vibrancy.

Noting the problem with sluggish sales, the band was urged to come up with a song that was sure to grab attention: The band needed an anthem, and to that end, they crafted a short track, "Rock And Roll All Nite". The song was released s a single, which only reached #69 on the charts. "Come On And Love Me" was also released as a single.

The band decided to pose in a more "conventional" manner for the album cover, in business suits provided by Bill Aucoin. The band posed on West 23rd and 8th Avenue in New York. Gene Simmons' suit appears to be too small for him to wear.

"Come On And Love Me": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwLStZXSHgk&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

The song "She" was originally titled "She Walks By Moonlight", a piece of movie dialogue from a 1953 Western movie called 'Hondo'.

The song was originally performed by Gene Simmons in one of his early bands called Bulllfrog Bheer and had quite a different sound on the album and later by Wicked Lester. Gene Simmons was very impressed by the line in the movie, "She walks by moonlight."

"She": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3iV--DenCw&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Rock Bottom" was sort of an anomaly for KISS, in that it had an acoustic guitar intro which oddly worked with fans. It made many believe that KISS were more multi-faceted, much like their power ballad "Black Diamond".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mIIU7OfG6g&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

But what KISS needed was a rock anthem, and the song "Rock And Roll All Nite" seemed to serve that purpose. The 2.5+ song filled that void, though the track lacked a guitar solo. Did it improve sales for the band? Only marginally.

KISS needed to do something quick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4HQue1pnWI&ab_channel=BrianMartens

By mid-1975, KISS, and their label Casablanca, were in deep trouble. The albums were not selling and this was hurting the subsidiary label that was promoting them. Neil Bogart tried to sell audiences on a collection of 'The Tonight Show' quips and anecdotes, but this venture crashed and burned as an album. The success of Casablanca rested on the shoulders of KISS, whose sales were only marginal. They and the label needed a miracle to save them.

The band realized that while their albums sold only in a tepid manner, their live shows went down in a storm of approval. KISS knew that the problem lie in trying to replicate the live experience which fully captured their heavy, overwhelmind sound which was sorely lacking on the albums. Recording technicians seemed to fail in understanding what the band was all about, what they were trying to achieve. Few bands were able to master the sound KISS was striving for.

For this end, the band summoned veteran producer Eddie Cramer, who would finally give the band what they were looking for. The end result was 'Alive!'

In the early 70's, live albums were, to coin a phrase, a kiss of death. They were seen as a last-ditch effort to sell a band when their fortunes were waning.
Fans were given a product to hear a band, warts and all, in their live settings. There were no overdubs, one heard it as they were played, to "celebrate" the experience of a band playing live, as if "one were there!"

Some bands succeeded with this, such as George Harrison and the Allmans, for better or worse. It was a mixed bag, to be honest. And how was a fledgling band like KISS able to make do with a live recording when their sales were flagging? To make matters worse, the band insisted on a double-live album of their songs. Could such a thing be possible?

KISS had a lot of gumption, or in the words of Gene's and Paul's Jewish upbringing, chutzpah. Oddly enough, they believed in what they were doing, and so did their audiences. The one thing that they wanted was not simply a re-enactment of their live concerts, hiccups and all, but the sound they always wanted to convey on a studio album--but with the intensity of what they wanted live. And amazingly, it worked.

The band examined several photos from the album cover shoot which would convey an adequate depiction of what the band was all about in concert. The one below was taken from the same photo shoot as the one which appeared on the final cover:

"Deuce" live, complete with explosions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux0J7H9JdrE&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Strutter":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6x1NVm6Tic&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

This was always a standout track from the album:

"Got To Choose":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA8Qgc4jVjU&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Hotter Than Hell":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2YwpmnwLrE&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Firehouse":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZS5_etQoxo&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

He was trained by a stage magician on how to do it. It does look fairly simple to do, but things can go horribly wrong very easily.

I went to a street fair over Labor Day Weekend and saw a performer who juggled, swallowed swords, wrangled snakes.. and other tricks. I spoke to him after his act and asked him if he knew how to breathe fire.

He told me that he does it, but he could not do it at this particular fair as there are so many regulations and protocols to follow. He explained that he has to acquire a fire permit, a medic needs to be on stand-by (for him and audience), he has to be a certain amount of feet away from people when doing it... he told me it didn't pay for him to have to do all of that for a 5 second trick.

I asked him how he does it and he told me that he bites into a small capsule of kerosene and then spits it out through his lips. I also asked how he learned and he told me that his family are pretty much "modern day carnies" and he learned from his father who learned from his father...

Interesting guy.

"Nothin' To Lose": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y8otQ_AM8g&ab_channel=AllenPlum

"C'mon And Love Me": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeHYccXs5TU&ab_channel=marceloramirez

Any plans on continuing with the KISS Retrospective series?

Any plans on continuing with the KISS Retrospective series?
Yes!! I have gotten so sidetracked with everything else, that I lost where I was with chronicling the Hottest Band In the World (at least in the late 70's)!

The story gets more interesting!

"She" from 'Alive!' featuring Ace Frehley's guitar solo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-IbCHkMQSc&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Watchin' You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMDU0Ws0v8s&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"100,000 Years" featuring Peter Criss' epic drum solo!!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFsNrWscqUA&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Black Diamond": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMoxxjCRnbw&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Cold Gin": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtIWnKWTUrQ&ab_channel=marceloramirez

The 'Alive!' version of "Rock And Roll All Nite" was the one which established KISS as the perfect live band with songs which matched the concert experience. The studio version did not do justice to the song live, plus the 'Alive!' version contained a guitar lead by Ace Frehley:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw1Jhu5t3Ys&ab_channel=NieelzzZ

The 'Alive!' album closed with "Let Me Go, Rock And Roll":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3DRoFrAhSM&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

The 'Alive!' album succeeded not only in establishing KISS as the top live act, but also saved struggling Casablanca Records and made live albums a must-have item for listeners to buy and artists to record. The success of 'Alive!' made Peter Frampton, a pop rock artist below the radar on American charts, a household name with the release of 'Frampton Comes Alive!' in 1976.

KISS finally had their breakthrough. But could they succeed with a studio album?

Two girl fans display their banner of KISS on the back cover of 'Alive!':

Amazingly, here is a pre-KISS version of "She" by Wicked Lester, recorded in 1972:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGGf6WR-244&ab_channel=XENOSVIDZ

On October 9, 1975, KISS was invited to appear in Cadillac, Michigan, in honor of the band's music being used to motivate the high school to successfully winning their football game. The event had the entire town dressed up in KISS makeup as a tribute to the band.

KISS 'Alive!' was certified Gold by the record industry, their first album to do so. The pressure was on to duplicate that success with a studio album. The band began writing material for the next record with producer Bob Ezrin, who had worked with their hero Alice Cooper. Ezrin made it clear that the band was not about to write typical songs about sex, partying, and rock and roll as they had on their first three albums. He wanted to make KISS to be larger than life on the upcoming album. All four members were surprised, as well as rather unnerved, by Ezrin being a taskmaster in the studio. Things were going to be disciplined and rigorous under his watch. He entered the studio each day, greeting the members with, "All right, campers!"

The resulting album was 'Destroyer', released in March 1976.

The material KISS had worked on before Ezrin entered the picture was flat out rejected by the veteran producer. Songs such as "Ain't None Of Your Business", featuring Peter Criss on vocals and written by outside country songwriters Becky Hobbs and Lew Anderson, failed to make the album.

The opening track, "Detroit Rock City", was based on an actual event where a KISS fan died in a collision on his way to KISS concert. While the incident was tragic, it impressed the band that a fan would show such dedication. The song opened with a radio news broadcast in a diner before segueing into a motorist driving and hearing the live version "Rock And Roll All Nite" on the car radio. Gene Simmons disliked the crash sound effects which closed out the song before launching into "King Of the Night Time World", but Ezrin convinced him that the crash sound had the effect of the crash in the oldies song "Last Kiss" or "Leader Of the Pack". "Detroit Rock City" would become the third single to be released from the album, and soon became the band's signature hit from the album and opened many of their concerts.

"Detroit Rock City": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naXPoz1Du34&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

The crash at the end of "Detroit Rock City" segued into "King Of the Night Time World", perhaps to make the previous song not end on such a "dark" note. The lyrics and the tempo were upbeat and triumphant. "King Of the Night Time World" was a statement about Paul Stanley, a sort of personal "theme" song, one of many on the album.

"King Of the Night Time World": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bucb2DE8RXs&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

The next track on the album, "God Of Thunder", was Gene's "theme" song sung by the Demon himself. However, Paul Stanley wrote the song and was about to sing it himself until Bob Ezrin recommended that Gene Simmons sing it himself, as it was a song fitting his macabre persona.

The song was noted for various sound effects, such as Bob Ezrin's children in studio chattering away, explosions, and electronic feedback, among other noises. The song was the B-side to the single of "Flaming Youth", the second single released from the album.

The song became a live staple at KISS concerts where Simmons would perform his blood-spitting ritual for which ensured his fame--or notoriety. This "gruesome" stage antic, a nod to Simmons' love for horror movies, as well as the lyrics to the song itself, ensured many in the Religious Right that Simmons believed himself to be a demon ("I was raised by the demons") and literally worshipped "God of Thunder". For those who took KISS' lyrics too seriously, one can assume that Simmons WAS born on Mount Olympus who proposed to the Daughter of Aphrodite. Nothing spoke louder than the KISS mystique than the fact that many with little imaginations took such lyrics to heart. The power of rock and roll to shift perceptions.

Interestingly, the song was performed originally with a sort of dance beat until Ezrin suggested the song be played at a slower, more menacing tempo.

God Of Thunder

(Kids' spoken intro): OK? Y'all can start singing
Alright, set
I can't hear you not that damn loud!

You've got something about you
You've got something I need
Daughter of Aphrodite
Hear my words and take heed

I was born on Olympus
To my father a son
I was raised by the demons
Trained to reign as the one

God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under
Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul

I'm the lord of the wastelands
A modern-day man of steel
I gather darkness to please me
And I command you to kneel
Before the

God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under
Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul

I am the lord of the wastelands
A modern-day man of steel
I gather darkness to please me
And I command thee to kneel
Before the

God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under
Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul


"God Of Thunder": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI9O97DEY8A&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

Here is the actual "God Of Thunder" demo sung by Paul Stanley, with different lyrics and a faster, "dancier" tempo:

"God Of Thunder" (sung by Stanley): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qac4retZMPk&ab_channel=Brymka

The next song on the album, "Great Expectations", is a sort of power ballad where Gene Simmons had to brag about his sexual prowess in a bizarre, over-the-top way that oddly fit the epic tone of the song. He spoke to the hypothetical female fan in the audience whom he was certain wanted to be played like a musical instrument. He was so confident that such a person swooned over his romantic abilities, about being a love god, that she had "great expectations". It all played into the mythos of Gene Simmons and his role in KISS, the power of their music. Few rock stars could match this persona, and yes, such ego. Simmons knew it and played it to the hilt. It was theater.

Bob Ezrin added a choir to the song, as he did with Alice Cooper.

"Great Expectatons": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydl1IIYCLRc&ab_channel=therealblablablu

"Flaming Youth", the first single released from 'Destroyer', was a perfect anthem to demonstrate another "theme" of Paul Stanley. The young Stanley Eisen, who never got along with his parents who always berated him, wanted a song which stated his youthful rebellion. In his teens during the 60's, he became a flower child for a while before he blew off the "phony" mediocre psychedelic rock which was popular at the time. He wanted to make a musical statement and have the personality and impact of his heroes in The Beatles.
In the late 70's, this was coming true for the young Paul Stanley.

"Flaming Youth" was in fact developed from a demo song by KISS originally titled "Mad Dog". The name of the song was in fact taken from the name of one of the bands played with locally in the early 70's. The song listed Ace Frehley as a contributing songwriter.

Flaming Youth

My parents think I'm crazy
And they hate the things I do
I'm stupid and I'm lazy
Man, if they only knew

How flaming youth
Will set the world on fire
Flaming youth our flag is flying
Higher and higher and higher

My uniform is leather
And my power is my age
I'm getting it together
To break out of my cage

'Cause flaming youth
Will set the world on fire
Flaming youth
Will set the world on fire
Flaming youth, our flag is flying
Higher and higher and higher

Flaming youth, will set the world on fire
Flaming youth, will set the world on fire
Flaming youth, will set the world on fire
Flaming youth, will set the world on fire
Flaming youth, will set the world on fire
Flaming youth, our flag is flying higher
And higher and higher and higher
And higher and higher and higher

"Flaming Youth": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twa0YIJs9L0&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

Paul Stanley in his teen days in the 60's, wearing hip fashions. It was perhaps to his advantage that he grew his hair long, because he was often teased for having a deformed ear.
From his being a Flower Child, he would soon transform into a Starchild in the 70's.

In the earlier photo of Stanley as a child, his ears look fairly normal.

On 'Destroyer', it was hoped that all four members would contribute to the vocals on the album, as did their heroes in The Beatles. With Ace Frehley, not only did he lack the confidence to do so, but he also did a no-show on the guitar solo for "Sweet Pain". Citing his absence on the fact that he had to go to a poker game, he was replaced by Dick Wagner of Alice Cooper's band, who was not credited on the album.

Sung by Gene Simmons, the song was unsurprisingly an ode to the Demon's sexual prowess. The rhythm guitar melody was rather catchy.

"Sweet Pain": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXnROwnVIGw&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

The next song on the album was the rock anthem, "Shout It Out Loud", another track in the vein of "Rock And Roll All Nite" to be a signature track for KISS. It was the first single to be released from 'Destroyer', with "Sweet Pain" as the B-side. The song's title was taken from The Hollies' "We Want To Shout It Out Loud", which Wicked Lester covered on their unreleased album.


"Shout It Out Loud": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFGLcsrwT6o&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

The next song on the album was the ballad that firmly put KISS on the map:
"Beth", with vocals sung by Peter Criss. The song, which was the B-side to the "Detroit Rock City" single, reached #7 on the charts, becoming the band's most commercially successful single.

The history of the song in fact began as a song Peter Criss and the guitarist of his previous band, Stan Penridge of Chelsea, wrote the track as sort of a satirical number poking fun at the wife of the band's manager Mike Brand named Becky. This wife constantly called her husband on the phone, wanting to know when he would come home from band rehearsals and meetings. This little joke of a song, with the line "Beck, I hear you callin', but I can't come home right now..." would later be changed to Beth to avoid confusion with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck. According to Criss, he had composed the song for his wife Lydia.

"Beth": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_Ux1Q7T6TY&ab_channel=ClayCulver

Many questions remained about who actually wrote "Beth" as well as who the "Beth" was in the song. Gene Simmons stated, "I have never seen [Criss] compose a single song. Peter might have contributed a line or two of the lyrics, but after listening to [Stan] Penridge's original demo, it's clear who made the original song." In 2014, Paul Stanley concurred with Simmons' assertion, saying that Criss was not quite the composer as he made himself out to be:
"If you write one hit, you should be able to write two." Criss countered that Paul Stanley was simply "jealous" that he is the main vocalist of a group in which he did not write the greatest success. That's his problem. They hate the fact that I was the songwriter of a hit and won the People's Choice."

Bob Ezrin brought in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra as well as guitarist Dick Wagner into the studio for the recording, as, of course, Ace Frehley was not available due to his playing cards with his friends. The orchestra wore fake tuxedos while Criss wore his trademark makeup. Ezrin donned a top hat and played grand piano. Paul Stanley later admitted that Criss struggled multiple times with the vocals. The song was a last-minute addition to the album, as Simmons and Stanley felt that the song did not represent KISS musically, but Ezrin insisted on the inclusion of the song, saying that it was a love song everyone would relate to, as opposed to the usual anthems of sex and lust the band was known for writing. Interestingly, the song featured no other members of the band in the recording.

While Criss' wife insisted along with Penridge to change the original name "Beck" to Beth not only to avoid confusion, but also because the original Becky did have a twin sister named Beth.

"Beth" was a huge milestone for KISS. This brought the band into the mainstream and showed that the band was more versatile than playing their form of hard rock. Did it also inspire other drummers to lend a hand at singing ballads? That year, Bill Ward of Black Sabbath sang lead vocals on the track "It's Alright" on 'Technical Ecstasy'. This could have been a decent single for a veteran rock band facing decline in a rapidly changing music scene where KISS now reigned with an atypical love ballad.

Ironically, the success of "Beth" also spelled trouble for the band, as the members of KISS saw the impact of Criss' contribution on the album go to his head.

Peter Criss 1976:

The final track on the album, "Do You Love Me", was Paul Stanley's lament that the hypothetical woman addressed in the song was in fact a gold digger who loved the KISS frontman for his stardom and fortunes than for loving him personally. This would be a recurring problem for Stanley: He had access to countless groupies with KISS, but he took forever to find a girl he could truly love and to love him in return. This was the downside of being in the world's biggest band. He was rather lonely and isolated while being the megastar onstage. No one could be honest with him in a relationship. They wanted the fame and status of being with the Starchild.

"Do You Love Me?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ-GDObOIKE&ab_channel=marceloramirez

So KISS had succeeded with a hugely successful commercial studio album. But working with Bob Ezrin was grueling. The producer would show up each day, literally like a camp leader, with a whistle on a string around his neck, saying,
"Okay, campers, we're going to work!" and running things entirely his way. Ezrin even frightened Gene Simmons when the bassist stopped playing during the recording of an outro. Ezrin yelled at him, saying, "Don't you ever stop a take unless I tell you!"

The band bristled at all the changes Ezrin brought to the band. Since KISS were a "street" band and knew very few things musically than more by feel, Ezrin's insistence on breaking to teach them music theory was very new to them. Paul Stanley said that working with Ezrin was in fact "musical boot camp" due to the producer's rigorous sense of discipline. There was no slacking off under Ezrin's watch (in spite of Ace Frehley's tendency for no-shows to attend card games), and the band became smarter for it. Frehley and Criss disliked this meticulous approach, in spite of Criss' involvement with "Beth" under the producer's direction making the band a household name. But would the band be able to match that success on the next album?

The artwork for 'Destroyer' was done by illustrator Ken Kelly, who was so "blown away", in his words, after receiving a backstage pass to a KISS concert and becoming inspired to do the cover art. The album cover, depicting the four members of the band marauding through the ruins of cities in flames, was deemed "objectionable" by their record label for looking "too violent". What, KISS destroying cities? The metaphor was rather apt. To everyone, the march of KISS was on, laying the population to waste and taking the flaming youth as willing hostages. The KISS Army had arrived!

KISS at the top of the world, NYC, 1976:

The next album by KISS, 'Rock And Roll Over', was released in November 1976.
The album was the band's attempt to return to being a "street" sounding group, in contrast to the more slick, polished sound of 'Destroyer', with all the added orchestration and styles which felt foreign to their original approach. While the album did not match the impact of its predecessor, it did feature a few gems such as "Calling Dr. Love", "Ladies Room', "I Want You", and "Hard Luck Woman".

KISS returned to producer Eddie Kramer, who worked with them on 'Alive!' and attempted to create an honest straight-on studio album of rock. And for the most part, it worked. Paul Stanley heard people say the problem with 'Destroyer' was that it was "different". This was a red flag term, meaning to him that people did not know what to really think of it. While that album was a breakthrough, it was not in keeping with the original vision of the band.

If there was one criticism about the album, it was that its cover was rather unimaginative. It was a sort of cartoonish combination of the band's faces in makeup placed in a circle, and while the illustration was colorful, it lacked the comic-book, larger-than-life imagery of 'Destroyer'. It was a cheesy picture, as was the album's title: "Rock And Roll Over"? It seemed more like boring sex. One "rocked" before just rolling over in bed after the dirty deed was done. Ho hum. What was the band thinking?

The album opened with "I Want You", which began with acoustic guitars before launching into heavy riffing. Paul Stanley sang the lead vocals.

"I Want You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpj7a0sc1OA&ab_channel=ClassicSounds70s

I mean "universally reviled" certainly not from my perspective, as a junior high fan in 1977, I felt they were the most radical idea of a band ever! But "musical purists" thought the idea of four guys in makeup and using special effects was a cheap "gimmick" to distract from their true musical abilities (or "lack thereof").
But it's interesting how by mid-decade in the 70's there was a growing simplicity in music, where spectacle and showmanship were not necessarily bad things, and in fact highlighted good qualities about a band. Let's face it, one of the most convoluted albums in 1974 was 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' by Yes, a bloated album based on Hindu writings that paled in comparison to the basic message of "Strutter!!"

Not that I was against Yes by any means, but what do you do to appeal to a 14-year old mind in rock and roll?

Both Kiss and Yes were "universally reviled" by music critics who championed gimmick-free heavy rockers like the MC5, who didn't need painted masks and concert special effects to generate energy in live shows, and they rained down fire and fury on "art rock" bands, declaring that they were neither art nor rock and that rock music that takes all its cues from classical music should never be legitimized as rock because all of the hallmarks of classical music are what rock and roll is supposed to be against. That's why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame resisted inducting Kiss for so long and still won't induct Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Both Kiss and Yes were "universally reviled" by music critics who championed gimmick-free heavy rockers like the MC5, who didn't need painted masks and concert special effects to generate energy in live shows, and they rained down fire and fury on "art rock" bands, declaring that they were neither art nor rock and that rock music that takes all its cues from classical music should never be legitimized as rock because all of the hallmarks of classical music are what rock and roll is supposed to be against. That's why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame resisted inducting Kiss for so long and still won't induct Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Steve, glad you've appeared on the KISS album retrospective!! Speaking of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, when will they induct a quality act like Psychic Tomato? :rock:

Good point about the R&R Hall Of Shame, they sneer at prog rock bands who were the bread and butter of much of the 70's. They sneered at many metal bands, and still do.

One of the most popular tracks on 'Rock And Roll Over' was "Calling Dr. Love", sung by Gene Simmons. The title of the song was in fact based on the Three Stooges film short 'Men In Black' (no relation to the Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones film) from 1934 where an announcement came over the intercom, " announcement, "Calling Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard", at least in the way Simmons allegedly recalled it.

The song became a live staple, and the track made it onto a Dr. Pepper commercial featuring Simmons in full makeup.

"Calling Dr. Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Rl8TpGIP4&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

It was strange about an album such as 'Rock And Roll Over' in that while KISS struggled commercially for the first few years with albums lacking a certain punch, this album at the height of their career felt a little more in that tapered-off edge of the first albums. It was a step above, to be sure, and many critics were impressed by its early 70's production and musical style, but it was nowhere near 'Destroyer's more slick values. Not that it was hurting KISS any.

"Ladies' Room": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ZaWQwKL4w&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Baby Driver" was a deep album track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DYf4yMe_Uc&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Mr. Speed" was a decent rocker on 'Rock And Roll Over" in familiar KISS fashion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pWkSqRyHaQ&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Take Me" appears to have been an inspiration for "Shake Me" by Cinderella ten years later: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ASVd4p8Sc&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

Check out this other record retrospective!

https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?p=6254570#post6254570

Check out this other record retrospective!

https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?p=6254570#post6254570

I saw the retrospective on Family, and I am glad I inspired others to make documentaries on other worthy artists!

Now I am not saying that KISS are somewhere in the same stratosphere as The Beatles or the Stones, the bands who inspired them, but some months ago I became acquainted with the story of "the hottest band in the world", at least in the latter half of the 70's, and felt this was deserving of a retrospective of a band who had everything going against them succeeded--with unexpected results.

I saw the retrospective on Family, and I am glad I inspired others to make documentaries on other worthy artists!

Now I am not saying that KISS are somewhere in the same stratosphere as The Beatles or the Stones, the bands who inspired them, but some months ago I became acquainted with the story of "the hottest band in the world", at least in the latter half of the 70's, and felt this was deserving of a retrospective of a band who had everything going against them succeeded--with unexpected results.

What I always found fascinated about Kiss looking back at the seventies was this. It's hard to imagine how many enemies they made back in the day. Religious conservatives hated them for their hedonism and their demonic stage act. (Kiss may have even partially inspired the 1979 formation of the Moral Majority. Rock critics hated them for their concert special effects, which they thought were meant to distract from the banality of the music, and also their cartoonish poses. Beatles fans hated how they promoted themselves as individuals as if they were another Fab Four. And feminists hated them for misogynistic songs like "Strutter" and "Hotter than Hell."

And yet the holy rollers, the rock critics, the Beatles fans, the feminists, and others who hated Kiss for other reasons didn't do Kiss in. Kiss did Kiss in.

Paul Stanley realized the group had taken a wrong turn when he noticed that fans were bringing their children to their shows. Had Kiss actually become . . . wholesome family entertainment???? :eek:

What I always found fascinated about Kiss looking back at the seventies was this. It's hard to imagine how many enemies they made back in the day. Religious conservatives hated them for their hedonism and their demonic stage act. (Kiss may have even partially inspired the 1979 formation of the Moral Majority. Rock critics hated them for their concert special effects, which they thought were meant to distract from the banality of the music, and also their cartoonish poses. Beatles fans hated how they promoted themselves as individuals as if they were another Fab Four. And feminists hated them for misogynistic songs like "Strutter" and "Hotter than Hell."

And yet the holy rollers, the rock critics, the Beatles fans, the feminists, and others who hated Kiss for other reasons didn't do Kiss in. Kiss did Kiss in.

Paul Stanley realized the group had taken a wrong turn when he noticed that fans were bringing their children to their shows. Had Kiss actually become . . . wholesome family entertainment???? :eek::yeahthat

That's what we'll be discussing, coming up in our KISS retrospective: The UNDOING of KISS!! It's going to get exciting!! :rock:

Btw, yesterday, 3/14, was MY day: ABlairican PIE Day!! Woo-hoo, GO ME!! :rock:

Speaking of the pending turmoil in KISS, we'll either

"Love'Em Leave'Em": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZp-tWb6zho&ab_channel=RNH31214

"See You In Your Dreams": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu9guj7kVrE&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

:yeahthat

That's what we'll be discussing, coming up in our KISS retrospective: The UNDOING of KISS!! It's going to get exciting!! :rock:

Btw, yesterday, 3/14, was MY day: ABlairican PIE Day!! Woo-hoo, GO ME!! :rock:

But before we do that, we have to acknowledge their time as Psychic Tomato, in which they played birthday parties in Queens. Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Paul Stanley, and Strom Thurmond (as Ace Frehley was known then) would perform songs that would disappear from their metal repertoire, like signature song "Sponge Cake," about trying to find a sponge cake and eat it, and "Long Song," a twenty-minute jam built around the lyric "This . . . is . . . a . . . long . . . song. . . " and Thurmond's ukulele solo. Although, for my money, nothing can top "Cream Pie Baby," where the group members did Indian war chants and throw cream pies in each other's faces. 3.14159 N D :)

WHen they became Kiss, Strom Thurmond, upon being told that a racist senator's name did not make a good stage name, admitted that, as his name was Paul Frehley and there was already a Paul in the group so he had to change his name and thus renamed himself Strom Thurmond because his first choice was already taken.

His first choice was "Elton John."

But once signed to Casablanca, they were sent to a Benihana of Tokyo in St. Cloud, Minnesota to work out their metal stage act, renaming themselves Kiss after Neil Bogert's advance: "Keep it simple, stupid."

Below: Psychic Tomato. From left: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Strom Thurmond (later Ace Frehley).

P.S. This post is totally fake. :lol:

The song "Hard Luck Woman" had an interesting story behind it: The song, a sort of stylistic anomaly with a 70's soft country-rock feel, was originally written by Paul Stanley who intended for Rod Stewart, but after "Beth" became a hit, the band decided to keep it for themselves. They decided to have Peter Criss, whose voice resembled Rod Stewart, sing the track. Not only was Paul Stanley inspired by Stewart, whose vocals and musical style the KISS frontman enjoyed, but the song was also inspired by the song "Brandy" by the pop group Looking Glass, which became a #1 hit in 1972.

While the song did not prove to be a runaway success once more for the singing drummer of KISS (who also sung on "Black Diamond"), it did reach #15 on the charts. It proved that KISS were able to create songs with musical styles outside the genre for which they were most known. This in fact was going to create problems for the band in the next few years.

"Hard Luck Woman": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEioRXSgdsk&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

Video for "Hard Luck Woman": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUFuJQATLZA&ab_channel=TheVideoExchange

The album's closing track, "Makin' Love", had "Communication Breakdown" (Led Zeppelin) feel to it. The song was a strong rocker which contained even surreal "Whole Lotta Love" vocal effects in the chorus.

"Makin' Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_x7J5DdymI&ab_channel=KISS_Army8040

So KISS released a solid, consistently rocking album with "Rock And Roll Over". But would they be able to match, if not surpass it on the next studio outing?

Problems continued within the band as Ace Frehley and Peter Criss demonstrated their lack of work ethic, wanting to reap the rewards of being in KISS while not wanting to put in the effort. Criss would isolate himself in the studio surrounded by video cameras, while Ace would go MIA and begin using drugs and alcohol. Since Gene and Paul were teetotalers in that regard, this excess was causing problems with band unity and morale.

One interesting fact about the album was that it was the first KISS record not to contain a songwriting credit from Ace Frehley. Would fans be able to hear more from the Spaceman in KISS soon?

KISS clowning for the camera 1976:

The album's closing track, "Makin' Love", had "Communication Breakdown" (Led Zeppelin) feel to it. The song was a strong rocker which contained even surreal "Whole Lotta Love" vocal effects in the chorus.

"Makin' Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_x7J5DdymI&ab_channel=KISS_Army8040

Greg, you're applying the video links wrong.

This is how you do it. You copy and paste the alphanumeric code following "v=" in between the YouTube brackets and then the full video thumbnail will appear.

The way you've been doing it, when someone clicks on the YouTube image, you get the following message: "An error occurred. Please try again later."

So here's the correct way:

1_x7J5DdymI&ab

I learned this the hard way constructing my Family retrospective thread (which I hope you're still following :) ).

Greg, you're applying the video links wrong.

This is how you do it. You copy and paste the alphanumeric code following "v=" in between the YouTube brackets and then the full video thumbnail will appear.

They way you've been doing it, when someone clicks on the YouTube image, you get the following message: "An error occurred. Please try again later."

S here's the correct way:

1_x7J5DdymI&ab

I learned this the hard way constructing my Family retrospective thread (which I hope you're still following :) ).

Thanks, I thought I was doing something wrong with the way I was doing it. This was a new feature.

I'm keeping up on the Family thread!

KISS released 'Love Gun' in June 1977. The band was at the peak of their popularity, and it helped that Ken Kelley, who did the illustration for 'Destroyer', was back for the new album cover. The album contained such classics as "I Stole Your Love", "Christine Sixteen", and the anthemic title track. It also featured the first song to feature Ace Frehley on vocals, "Shock Me".

Yes, there was something unashamedly "sexist" about the cover, which depicted the band members surrounded by scantily clad women dressed in black with white makeup. The band in their gratuitous element.

Here's the full wraparound cover of the highly collectible KISS
comic magazine that went on sale in September of 1977.
Alan Weiss pencils, Gray Morrow inks & colors:

303252

Yes, there was something unashamedly "sexist" about the cover, which depicted the band members surrounded by scantily clad women dressed in black with white makeup. The band in their gratuitous element.

And you know that a lot of men, Kiss fans or not, have fantasies about scantily clad women dressed in black and wearing whiteface and possibly watching them remove their whiteface before going any further. Some men may even fantasize about a shapely woman in whiteface and a full body stocking who gets them excited before removing her headpiece and then slowly removing her whiteface and then revealing herself to be a blindingly beautiful woman of a different ethnicity . . .

Yeah, Kiss called this album Love Gun for a reason! :eek2:

:lol:

Thanks, I thought I was doing something wrong with the way I was doing it. This was a new feature.

I'm keeping up on the Family thread!

.

And you know that a lot of men, Kiss fans or not, have fantasies about scantily clad women dressed in black and wearing whiteface and possibly watching them remove their whiteface before going any further. Some men may even fantasize about a shapely woman in whiteface and a full body stocking who gets them excited before removing her headpiece and then slowly removing her whiteface and then revealing herself to be a blindingly beautiful woman of a different ethnicity . . .

Yeah, Kiss called this album Love Gun for a reason! :eek2:

:lol:
Not that most of us had a problem in 1977 with KISS and their female fanbase presenting themselves in that way. I was 14, what else did I know? Starland Vocal Band was not quite a thing for me then. :nod:

Okay, I still need help with posting videos correctly here.

Greg, you're applying the video links wrong.

This is how you do it. You copy and paste the alphanumeric code following "v=" in between the YouTube brackets and then the full video thumbnail will appear.

The way you've been doing it, when someone clicks on the YouTube image, you get the following message: "An error occurred. Please try again later."

So here's the correct way:

1_x7J5DdymI&ab

I learned this the hard way constructing my Family retrospective thread (which I hope you're still following :) ).

Okay, trying this, and this is what I get: FhO_jnKl4pk&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

Wow, I guess I got it the right way!

Okay, trying this, and this is what I get: FhO_jnKl4pk&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

Wow, I guess I got it the right way!

The album opened with a strong, rousing track, "I Stole Your Love". Paul Stanley said that the song was inspired by the track "Burn" by Deep Purple.

RHQSW9CONks&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

The next song on the album, "Christine Sixteen", got into some shaky territory where Gene Simmons played the role of a pervy old man watching a young schoolgirl from afar. This was a theme common with the track "Goin' Blind".

An unknown guitarist by the name of Eddie Van Halen played on the demo of the track. The song was later sampled by Tone Loc.

kgNAmFP0g3k&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

Greg will be back with more Kiss . . .

. . . but first, a bit of fun! :banana:

p6CKkC2ijro

"Got Love For Sale" was one of the deep album tracks from 'Love Gun' sung by Gene Simmons: A2M-45UFb0s&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Shock Me" was the first song by KISS where Ace Frehley actually sung lead. It would become a staple at KISS concerts with his guitar solo following. The song was in fact inspired by an unfortunate incident while on the 'Rock And Roll Over' tour in Florida where Ace touched a metal railing on the staircase onstage with his guitar and was nearly electrocuted. He collapsed unconscious and chants of "Ace! Ace!" helped bring him around.
uR0T5jxkMJs&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Tomorrow And Tonight" was another attempt at a rock anthem:
yDhKNRJ7JYs&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Shock Me" was the first song by KISS where Ace Frehley actually sung lead. It would become a staple at KISS concerts with his guitar solo following. The song was in fact inspired by an unfortunate incident while on the 'Rock And Roll Over' tour in Florida where Ace touched a metal railing on the staircase onstage with his guitar and was nearly electrocuted. He collapsed unconscious and chants of "Ace! Ace!" helped bring him around.

Buckcherry - whose name is a spoonerism of Chuck Berry but was dreamed up not by the band but by the transvestite the band knew before taking their name from him - based their first single, the pro-cocaine, Just Say Yes song "Lit Up," on "Shock Me." So I've been led to understand. :)

cABZfkRcQ6A

On side 2, following the title track, was Peter Criss' vocal contribution on the song "Hooligan", an old-fashioned term for a trouble-maker or punk, a "bad boy", an apt description for the drummer: fgiaeTK3HWU&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Almost Human", sung by Gene Simmons, was a sort of macabre theme song for the "Demon" of KISS: lMbe3oHNAp8&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Plaster Caster", another song sung by Gene Simmons, was a track dedicated to the rock groupies back in the day who would make plaster moldings of certain bodily appendages of rock stars as a symbol of their love and devotion.

e4x2Vlcar5o&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Then She Kissed Me" was a cover of the 60's group The Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me". Sung by Paul Stanley, this was his homage to one of his favorite oldies songs. 2WWc_NyW3LM&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

As noted earlier, the KISS merchandising machine was in full-on blitz mode with such offerings as the Marvel comic featuring the members of the band, with the sensational promotional gimmick that the red ink was in fact mixed with the blood drawn from the band.

KISS dolls were released by the Mego Toy Company as well as a KISS pinball machine by Bally. This was in addition to KISS makeup and other items that would glut the marketplace in the coming year. The 'Love Gun' album contained a foldout paper gun.

Ace Frehley was not exactly comfortable with Gene Simmons' lucrative idea of turning KISS from simply a rock band to a rock brand.

By 1977, a Gallup poll stated that KISS was the most popular band with teens in America, beating out even Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, and The Eagles. The Love Gun tour, which opened with rising stars Cheap Trick, had three dates at the L.A. Forum which were recorded for the upcoming 'Alive II' album.

KISS 1977:

Paul Stanley in fact thought up the song "Love Gun", lyrics, music and all, during an airline flight. He based the music on a song he had heard from an Albert King track which was later used by Led Zeppelin, "How Many More Times", in particular. He now was able to record the demos at both notable studios, Electric Lady and the Record Plant, in New York.

Stanley soon found that he was largely carrying the weight of song composition and recording by himself. Frehley and Criss were mostly MIA, and not even Simmons could be found often to put in the effort with the music. Gene Simmons was out doing rock star things and creating the KISS "brand". Paul Stanley was frustrated that Frehley and Criss wanted to spend time drinking and doing drugs and putting in minimal effort while seeking the rewards of being in KISS. Stanley was disgusted when Criss claimed some sort of "one-upmanship" of "putting in his dues" more than Stanley did. Criss' reasoning was that he was in many bands for much longer than Stanley had been in music, but Stanley countered, these were bands which went nowhere, such as Chelsea and others. Meanwhile, KISS had gone places by this point. But with Criss and Frehley slacking off, how long could this go on?

KISS were in fact going places. They received a hero's welcome when they went to Japan in 1977. They had to remove their makeup once they landed in order to prove they were the persons in the passport photos before putting it back on. KISS resonated well with Japanese fans for their Kabuki-style makeup. So dedicated were KISS fans there that the band was mobbed everywhere they went. Gene Simmons was enamored by the entourage of worshipful young female fans available to him there. KISS had truly conquered the world.

KISS in Kyoto, Japan, 1977:

KISS were in fact going places. They received a hero's welcome when they went to Japan in 1977.

Kyoto Rock City! :rofl:

Kyoto Rock City! :rofl:
Gotta lose your mind in Kyoto Rock City!!

KISS' 'Alive II' was released in October 1977. As the first 'Alive!' album was released following the initial three releases at the beginning of the band's recording career, so the second set of live recordings followed the three album's at the peak of the band's success. Oddly, while the first 'Alive!' album contained live versions of tracks from their records, Side 4 of 'Alive II' was entirely a set of studio recordings. Why did KISS not record all four sides with live concert material? Were some songs not good enough to include, at the pinnacle of their career? Paul Stanley explained that the rest of the songs from their setlist at that time were tracks from their first three albums, so why repeat those ones? This was not a sufficient explanation. Still, the concert hysteria was there, and the album sold quite well.

KISS' 'Alive II' was released in October 1977. As the first 'Alive!' album was released following the initial three releases at the beginning of the band's recording career, so the second set of live recordings followed the three album's at the peak of the band's success. Oddly, while the first 'Alive!' album contained live versions of tracks from their records, Side 4 of 'Alive II' was entirely a set of studio recordings. Why did KISS not record all four sides with live concert material? Were some songs not good enough to include, at the pinnacle of their career? Paul Stanley explained that the rest of the songs from their setlist at that time were tracks from their first three albums, so why repeat those ones? This was not a sufficient explanation. Still, the concert hysteria was there, and the album sold quite well.

Genesis did the same thing with their 1982 Three Sides Live LP. As the name suggests, three sides of the double album were recorded in concert, while the fourth side was comprised of songs recorded in the studio - outtakes from 1981's Abacab and B-sides from the Duke singles. "Paperlate," "You Might Recall" and "Me and Virgil" were the Abacab outtakes, released in Britain as the EP record 3x3.

Wait! Why am I discussing Genesis on a Kiss thread? Well, they did use a similar font. :lol:

Genesis did the same thing with their 1982 Three Sides Live LP. As the name suggests, three sides of the double album were recorded in concert, while the fourth side was comprised of songs recorded in the studio - outtakes from 1981's Abacab and B-sides from the Duke singles. "Paperlate," "You Might Recall" and "Me and Virgil" were the Abacab outtakes, released in Britain as the EP record 3x3.

Wait! Why am I discussing Genesis on a Kiss thread? Well, they did use a similar font. :lol:
Beginning with KISS, many bands were now using distinctive fonts as part of their logos. Many of them were rather angular, and these logos would become their calling card, something which were going to be used by bands throughout their career. Bands such as Judas Priest and later Iron Maiden would be identified by their own metal-esque fonts and logos.

As with the 'Alive!' album, the new 'Alive II' album contained many goodies as if fans were buying straight from a concert concession stand. A full booklet with photos of the band throughout the years, paste-on tattoos, and other memorabilia.

"Detroit Rock City":
yx9Bh93EVzM&ab_channel=AllenPlum

"King Of the Night Time World": -H4CyP8RhlI&ab_channel=AllenPlum

And now, a few words from our sponsor! :lol:

And now, a few words from our sponsor! :lol: :rotflmao:

"Ladies Room": lHXsw0nispg&ab_channel=AllenPlum

"Ladies Room" live footage: nmIQTHupyzY&ab_channel=TheModernDayPirate

"Makin' Love": ZfXPzifGR0I&ab_channel=AllenPlum

"Love Gun": nzPzHzGnI-Y&ab_channel=AllenPlum

"Love Gun" live: wGqrRI1ZmQ0&ab_channel=MetalMadTom

"Calling Dr. Love": ilCCpQhEfqo&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Calling Dr. Love" live: aTczUzMJ15M&ab_channel=sdmfWVchapter

"Christine Sixteen": HKEJVxdwCdQ&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Christine Sixteen": Twsb0SBP9pI&ab_channel=MetalMadTom

"Shock Me": Pxjh9eZZM_g&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Shock Me" live: VcmZBZGPU1A&ab_channel=MetalMadTom

"Hard Luck Woman": kr7KUcNt5Dk&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Tomorrow And Tonight": Qd03UZurqhU&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"I Stole Your Love": X0C2Fv1ak6w&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Beth": 6NMvLkaImMM&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Beth" live: l_PlggPSmCs&ab_channel=TheModernDayPirate

"God Of Thunder" contained a drum solo which was shorter than the one on 'Alive!': sjOM6nh19hs&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"God Of Thunder" with Gene Simmons' ominous bass intro:BPaFKoBeV9k&ab_channel=sdmfWVchapter

"I Want You": m0j6qsGdMvA&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Shout It Out Loud": _cU7ae1AWA8&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"All American Man" was the first of the studio songs which filled out Side 4:
43OC_OjtPl4&ab_channel=ProducersII

"Rockin' In the U.S.A." was an homage to the land which gave birth to the phenomenon of KISS. Gene Simmons lamented that for the band's entry into Britain, they were disappointed that the country which gave them their rock heroes such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, they found the scene there rather drab and dismal. They found that the partying with available groupies at hotels was not possible due to the country's restrictions on such hedonistic activity. Everything was not as they had hoped there.

"Rockin' In the U.S.A.": -9vz2Lq-83w&ab_channel=ProducersII

"Rockin' In the U.S.A." was an homage to the land which gave birth to the phenomenon of KISS. Gene Simmons lamented that for the band's entry into Britain, they were disappointed that the country which gave them their rock heroes such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, they found the scene there rather drab and dismal. They found that the partying with available groupies at hotels was not possible due to the country's restrictions on such hedonistic activity. Everything was not as they had hoped there.

That's because Britain had a thousand years of culture and America was still in its Dark Ages. :lol:

That's because Britain had a thousand years of culture and America was still in its Dark Ages. :lol:
:lol: :yeahthat

It appears that the members of KISS failed to see the reason why bands of the British Invasion over ten years prior made music was so compelling was that British life for teens was cloistered and opportunities were scarce. They took their frustrations out with their versions of American blues artists on guitar and created something new. The members of KISS had it pretty good growing up in comparison. New York was a different scene than was Los Angeles, for instance, but it was not long before KISS became part of that scene down south. It was the Dark Ages, but it was about to get darker.

"Larger Than Life": JWFKaY8AwOU&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Rocket Ride" was sung by Ace Frehley: AQ9nQoNuAZs&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Any Way You Want It", the final song on the album, was a cover of British Invasion band, The Dave Clark Five: AQ9nQoNuAZs&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

"Any Way You Want It", the final song on the album, was a cover of British Invasion band, The Dave Clark Five: AQ9nQoNuAZs&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

And Journey eventually responded by deciding, dang it, Kiss so were so derivative, they would rather cover "Any Way You Want It" than write an entirely new song with the same title! So they were so prompted into writing their own "Any Way You Want It"!

atxUuldUcfI

And where did I get this information? I have just now made it up! :lol:

Kiss were so successful with their costume schtick, that they inspired a lot of costumed and freaky groups such as . . . for the disco crowd, the Village People, Kiss' labelmates.

In the early 1980s, for the corporate-rock crowd that dug Loverboy and went to ball games, there was the All Sports Band, who also satisfied the audience for chessy sexism!

And of course, in our time, we have Slipknot.

But of course Kiss were themselves influenced by acts that came before them, such as a pre-"Long Tall Glasses" Leo Sayer . . .

. . . the musical mime group the Hello People . . . :lol:

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. . . the Klowns, an attempt to come up a teenybopper group that was a cross between the Archies and the Hello People (Matthew Perry's dad was in this group - I am not making this up!) . . .

DgvUWb-EQ5A

. . . and of course, the Groovy Goolies! :lol:

xmelTlEzI34

And let's not forget the Canadian a cappella group, the Groovy Goalies! :rofl:

But the biggest influence on Kiss' act may well have been that great female blues guitarist and ukulele player from Baraboo, Wisconsin, Sister Rosalita Payasita - and her violin-playing sidekick, Janet! :rofl: :rofl:

And now, a word from our sponsor! :lol: :eyes:

6IFnNnH5RQ8

The All Sports band!! I remember them over 40 years ago on 'American Bandstand' and other shows! They were really popular...for fifteen minutes!

And now, back to our thread. :)

In all seriousness, Kiss had to have been inspired by more Gothic rock acts known less for cuteness like the Hello People and the Klowns, and more for live horror shows. Alice Cooper was mentioned, but in the U.K., there was also The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, whom Kiss had to have been aware of. Brown, an English eccentric if there ever was one, would wear flaming helmets, hang himself on a crucifix (and Gene Simmons would rip off one of those tricks and wisely avoid ripping off the other, wink wink) and wear one pant that didn't match the other.

Brown's big international hit was "Fire," from 1968.

Wait - whoa whoa whoa, what? Wha? What are Emerson, Lake and Palmer doing in a Kiss thread? Didn't Paul Stanley - who could have been a rock critic because of his disdain for prog - publicly diss Emerson, Lake and Palmer? (In an interview, Stanley said that a friend had encouraged him to give prog a chance, saying, "Listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer," to which Stanley said, "No, you listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer!")

Well, this is a funny story. Carl Palmer played drums in Arthur Brown's band, and with some other Crazy World musicians, formed Atomic Rooster. Palmer than left that band to join Keith Emerson and Greg Lake.

Ironic, no? :D

By 1977, with Christian conservatives increasingly offended with Kiss's hedonism and horror-show antics and with rock critics growing to dislike their flamboyant brand of heavy metal and Beatles fans hating them for ripping off the template of the Fab Four with the same two guitars-bass-drum kit lineup and the focus on being celebrities, a backlash was coming.

But I'm not here at this moment to talk about all that. There were other rumblings and rumors about Kiss . . . was there even such a band? None of the band members were photographed out of costume and face paint. When paparazzi tried to get photos of them unmasked, they usually fell short. Like this picture of Paul Stanley . . . which turned out to be Donny Osmond. :lol:

And so the rumors began. Who were Kiss? Did these guys really exist? Or did they just get four guys in every city "Kiss" performed in wearing Kiss face paint and performing to a gullible and unsuspecting crowd? Did that group the Sound Effects - known for making carbon-copy ripoff covers of hit songs for records to be sold at Woolworth's - have members pretending to be this band in different cities? Where was the proof that this band existed?? Not on their album covers, the three most recent ones showing illustrations of the "band." Anyone could draw four guys with white faces and hairy chests. Were the guys on the cover of the debut album the same guys on the cover of Dressed to Kill? There's a rumor that CIA Director Stansfield Turner launched a super-secret investigation to prove that there were no such guys as Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss or Ace Frehley, and to prove that this was in fact a plot by the Soviet Union to make money off American teenagers and launder the profits to fund the illegal occupations of the Baltic States and, later, the invasion of Afghanistan.

When did this rumor start? Just now! :lol:

To some people, Kiss were real, but not of this earth. If they were not photographed without face paint, then maybe it wasn't face paint after all . . . maybe it was their real faces - and they were extraterrestrial beings!

Of course! Everyone knew that the quartet went by assumed names. But were their real names really real? Gene Simmons had been Eugene Klein, and Chaim Witz before that - of course, these assumed names were covers for assumed names that had been covers for there real space alien names! That explained Simmons' tongue! He was not an alien from another country, Israel, he was from another planet - as were the others!

Genes Simmons was identified as space alien ATOX25937.
Paul Stanley was identified as space alien HIVAX9851.
Peter Criss was identified as space alien DINJOL631899.
Ace Frehley was identified as The Spaceman. :lol:

Now it made sense. The aliens, seeing this message painted on Ninth Street in Roswell, New Mexico, landed there and realized that Earth was a good place to become gods to the inhabitants by playing heavy metal music and also ravage their women! They made their way to Santa Fe, headed up I-25 to Cheyenne, and then took I-80 all the way to the Promised Land - New York City!

There was just one thing wrong with this theory. Do aliens really land in Roswell? Wouldn't Amarillo, Texas, or Wichita, Kansas make a better landing site? How did they know that that UFO spotted in Roswell wasn't really a dinner plate? Which brings to mind another question . . . who would throw a dinner plate in Roswell, and why? And why wouldn't the aliens go to Las Vegas first? Were they scared of Elvis?

The truth is out there. :lol:

Efforts to stop Kiss reached a fever pitch by 1977, leading to a plot against the band that was quickly uncovered by the authorities and thwarted before it could be carried out.

On August 7, 1977, Kiss performed in Billings, Montana. A local group of Christian conservatives, prog-rock fans, and circus clowns who had seen the price of Mehron face paint go up because of the heavy demand Kiss required, had planned to kidnap the band in their hotel, get four guys who could play instruments to don face paint and pose as the band. Once they got on stage, they would play a couple of chords, then stop playing . . . and then, the fake Gene, Paul and Ace would run their index fingers across their lips repeatedly while making chimpanzee noises with their mouths. :lol: The fake Peter would leave his drum kit and wheel out a cart of cream pies and proceed to pie the others and himself, starting a pie fight on stage :rotflmao: Seltzer bottles would also be involved. :D Once the crowd booed and demanded their money back, the fake Kiss would run out, escape through the stage door and to a waiting van, and speed out of there. Similar concert hijackings were planned for the duration of the Love Gun tour until people stopped buying Kiss records and merchandise, at which point the band would be released - in the East New York section of Brooklyn, where their brand of heavy metal would not be welcomed by the locals. :rofl:

The plot was foiled before the fake Kiss got on the stage. The fake Paul had his star painted over the wrong eye. :lol: :rofl:

The plot has never been revealed - until now. Because I just made it up! :rofl:

Below are Kiss . . .at least I think this is Kiss, though there's something funny about Ace's ear lobe. :lol:

Wow, this thread is turning out to better than I thought! It all makes sense now! KISS as aliens!!

The year 1978 was a busy one for KISS. While the band did not release a new studio album that year, the band was everywhere at the top of their popularity.
The band first released a compilation album, 'Double Platinum', in April of that year. The album contained re-worked versions of their earlier material. Producer Neil Bogart insisted that the album have a new version of an earlier track, "Strutter '78", with a hip disco influence.

"Strutter '78": IU0Isbsw-Rk&ab_channel=KISS-Topic

It was also in 1978 that Kiss made their first (and only) feature movie, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. Anthony Zerbe starred as the phantom opposite the Mehron face paint of Kiss, with their wearers in supporting role. :lol:

The movie sort of went like this: A Dr. Doom-like mad scientist is out to . . . take over the world? Well, I'm not sure, but I know it was some sort of (Professor) nefarious or (Dr.) sinister scheme. He works from his lair under the Magic Mountain amusement park in California, because Coney Island, in Kiss's hometown, was too disco-roller-skate/Studio 54/salsa for Kiss's whitebread Middle American audience. :p

Anyway, the Fantastic Four are needed to stop the phantom mad scientist, but they're not available, as they find the plot ridiculous, so Kiss, who have their own superpowers to battle the phantom and his Kiss doppelganger robots . . .

WHAT??????????????????

. . . try to stop them from . . . doing whatever it is they do.

Why did Kiss do this movie? Maybe they wanted to make their own equivalent of the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night. Maybe Gene Simmons, a Dave Clark Five fan, wanted Kiss to make their own equivalent of Catch Us If You Can. Maybe they wanted to make their own equivalent of the Monkees' Head but forgot to drop acid before filming. Maybe they were misled into thinking Martin Scorsese would direct it. Maybe they decided to go the Elvis Presley route by making movies instead of touring. Maybe they wanted bragging rights over Arthur Brown, who never starred in a movie. Maybe they saw the 1970 Bee Gees movie Cucumber Castle and thought they could do something even cheesier. Maybe Simmons was jealous of the Kansas City R&B group Bloodstone, whose 1975 movie Train Ride to Hollywood featured Roberta Collins and Phyllis Davis, and Simmons hoped they could be in Kiss's movie so he could shag at least one of them. Maybe Paul Stanley bet Neil Bogert $100,000 that he couldn't get Kiss a movie deal.

I could make such conjectures all day (and would if I weren't working from a Windows 8 laptop), but even the Medved brothers couldn't explain all of the silliness in this movie, which was apparently made when Gene Simmons had an apparent illness that made him talk like a robot with an echo effect. The producers promised a movie that would be a cross between A Hard Day's Night and Star Wars, but anyone who's ever eaten an oatmeal raisin cookie will tell you that two things that are great on their own are terrible when blended together (although vanilla cola is excellent). Unlike A Hard Day's Night and Star Wars, however, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park was not theatrically released in the United States. It was instead aired on NBC on Saturday, October 28, 1978, for people who had nothing better to do on a Saturday night than watch something on TV other than "The Love Boat." :rofl:

Airing it was the idea of NBC CEO Fred Silverman, who also put McLean Stevenson sitcom on the air in the wake of a CBS McLean Stevenson sitcom that failed (like Stevenson's NBC sitcom eventually did). He also greenlighted the drama "Supertrain" (essentially "The Love Boat" on a futuristic bullet train), which not only flopped but almost bankrupted the network, replaced Lorne Michaels with Jean Doumanian as the producer of "Saturday Night Live" for its sixth season (which almost cost it a seventh season),and was banking on the 1980 Moscow Olympics to offset NBC's losses when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and President Carter announced an Olympic boycott and strong-armed the United States Olympic Committee like a Mafia boss to go along or else.

When Grant Tinker succeeded Fred Silverman as head of NBC, his first directive order, rumor has it, was this - no more Kiss movies. And his second directive order was - no more McLean Stevenson sitcoms. :rofl:

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (it makes sense that the title referred to Kiss in the singular person, since the group had become a singularly monolithic money-making entity) featured one "new" song - "Rip and Destroy," a call by the fake Kiss doppelgangers performing a Kiss concert at the amusement park to tear down the park for . . . well, I don't remember, probably to turn it into a nature preserve or something. Or maybe it was a call to stop another McLean Stevenson sitcom. :rofl:

"Rip and Destroy" was only a "new" song in the sense that the lyrics were new. The melody was from their earlier song "Hotter Than Hell."

"Rip and Destroy"

It's time for everyone to listen good,
We're taking all we can stand!
You've got the power to rip down these walls,
It's in the palm of your hand!

Rip, rip, rip and destroy -
You know the hour's getting late!
Rip, rip, rip and destroy -
Break it down and seal your fate!

It's time for everyone to listen good,
We're taking all we can stand!
You've got the power to rip down these walls,
It's in the palm of your hand!

Rip, rip, rip and destroy -
You know the hour's getting late!
Rip, rip, rip and destroy -
Break it down and seal your fate!

Rip, rip, rip and destroy -
You know the hour's getting late!
Rip, rip, rip and destroy -
Break it down and seal your fate!

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As a snot-nose middle-school tween in 1978 addicted to bubblegum pop, I had the misfortune of seeing Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park the night NBC aired it, and when Paul Stanley sang "Rip and Destroy," I thought he was singing . . .

"YOU GOT TO SEE YO' FACE! "

In fact, he was singing, "Break it down and seal your fate."

Yes. Seal your fate. Or fête your seal! :rofl:

Rock critics who consider Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park the worst rock movie of all time have obviously never seen Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, based on the Beatles' 1967 album of that title, which premiered on the big screen three months before Kiss's movie premiered on the small screen. The Sgt. Pepper movie was ten times worse. It starred Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees as Sgt. Pepper's band in a movie that featured them battling forces of evil intent on taking over the world - a Future Villain Band who were out to "pollute young minds and subvert the democratic process."

So, obviously, Kiss were considered for the role of the Future Villain Band. :rofl:

Actually according to the autobiography of Beatles producer George Martin (who, incredibly, agreed to produce the soundtrack for the Sgt. Pepper movie), Mick Jagger was first considered to play the the bad guy. Sgt. Pepper movie producer Robert Stigwood instead approached Kiss when the villain became a band rather than a solo performer. Kiss declined, fearing that it would be bad for their image - besides, they wanted to play good guys! - and so the role went to Aerosmith.

It all worked out well for everyone - even Kiss. First, the Sgt. Pepper movie was a failed rock opera in which there was no dialogue apart from a narration by George Burns; everyone else just sang Beatles songs (not all of which were from the Sgt. Pepper album), which meant that Kiss would have sung a Beatles song. As bad as the Sgt. Pepper movie was, it would have been worse if Beatles fans had been subjected to Kiss covering a tune from the Lennon-McCartney songbook. :eek: Second, Kiss got to make their own movie and play the good guys, and that movie at least had dialogue (although there was something funny about Peter Criss's voice ;) ) and something resembling a storyline. Third, Aerosmith covered "Come Together" for the Sgt. Pepper movie, and critics consider that to be one of the two great Beatles covers from that otherwise awful movie (the other was Earth, Wind and Fire's rendition of "Got To Get You Into My Life").

One seventies shock-rocker did end up in the Sgt Pepper movie - Alice Cooper, as one of the Future Villain Band's minions. His role required him to engage in mortal combat with a cream pie, in which the cream pie won. :rofl: Here is Alice in the defining movie role of his career. :rofl:

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Another reason, I suspect, that Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park was so poorly received is because Donny and Marie Osmond's movie Goin' Coconuts, a Hawaiian musical caper, premiered in theaters that same month, October 1978. Goin' Coconuts was better received by the press and the public. - not well received, just better. :lol:

Donny and Marie's movie was a cross between Help! and Blue Hawaii, with a faith-promoting storyline sanctified by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which, having opened its priesthood to blacks four months earlier (which the Vatican one-upped in October 1978 by selecting a Polish pope who named himself after two of the Beatles), now suddenly had more African-Americans in their ranks than the Kiss Army.

:eek2:

One notable feature of Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park was Ace Frehley's penchant for saying "Ack! Ack!" over and over. Eventually it inspired one of Ace's most impressive solo songs - "ACK! ACK ACK ACK!", which, as you would expect, is dominated by one simple lyric - "My prune is gone!" :rofl:

Ace recorded it under his earlier stage name, Strom Thurmond, back when Kiss dressed as clowns and played children's parties. His choice of a B-side was former Rutles drummer Barry Wom's haunting solo ballad, "When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams In the Arms of Some Scotsmen from Hull"! :rofl:

Now - which part of this did I make up? :rofl:

And then came all of that other Kiss marketing.

Once upon a time, boys played with dolls. They played with Big Jim and Big Jack, and also G.I. Joe. But then the language police took away boys' dolls, sent them all away, and replaced them with - da da-dah! - action figures! :banana:

So sine Kiss were popular among boys who played with action figures - and girls who also played with action figures, though Barbie and Ken were still called dolls - why not get the licensing rights from Kiss to create Kiss action figures?

Mego struck while the iron was hot, leaving Mattel and Hasbro in the dust. They promoted their new Kiss dolls - er, action figures - with a commercial with a pop-metal jingle: "Kiss, that's the name! Kiss, they may look insane!" Yes, thanks to Kiss, a toy commercial jingle used the word "insane." It was the most shocking thing to happen on television since Tuesday. :eek:

And now, a word from our sponsor! :banana:

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And now, for your entertainment, a special musical guest - Action Figure Party performing "Action Figure Party"! :banana:

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Ace "Strom Thurmond" Frehley became upset when his only dialogue in the movie was the "Ack! Ack!" or "Awk! Awk!" utterances he made all the way through the filming of the movie. The crew replied, "But we thought this was the way you wanted to talk!" Like a parrot!

'KISS Meets the Phantom Of the Park' was the highlight of my fifteen-year old life in 1978. Which meant that I was desperately in need of a life. :happyface

Beatles fans had noticed the two guitars-bass-drums lineup of Kiss and their emphasis on individual personalities. Nw there was a Kiss movie. Kiss action figures. Kiss lunchboxes. Kiss thermoses. Kiss edible face paint (very popular with the ladies - to wear! :rofl: ) Kiss this, Kiss that - WHO DID THESE GUYS THINK THEY WERE?

Apparently, these guys. :eek:

Liverpool Rock City!

:eek2:

Kiss's detractors - rock critics, Christian conservatives, rock fans who preferred music that wasn't so loud and stupid (especially prog fans), disco boppers, Goldwater-Reagan Republicans, Alice Cooper fans who felt their hero was being royally ripped off, Arthur Brown fans (assuming there were any left) who felt their hero was being royally ripped off - couldn't get it. Kiss's songwriting wasn't causing John Lennon, Paul McCartney or Bob Dylan to lose sleep. Ace Frehley was no Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck as a guitarist. Peter Criss couldn't hold a candle to Keith Moon or John Bonham - and definitely not Rob Townsend - as a drummer. Sure, Gene Simmons could sing and play bass at the same time - but so what? So could Rush's Geddy Lee, and rock critics didn't like him either. And as a frontman, Paul Stanley was no Mick Jagger or Robert Plant.

So what was it that made Kiss so damn popular? Their stage gimmickry? Yes, that was part of it, because it was hardly the whole story. It was the fact that they emphasized their personalities and individuality. In the late 1970s, Kiss were the band other than the Clash whose members all had star quality, and the Clash, of course, were the only band that mattered (a phrase no doubt invented by a rock critic who, naturally, was too quick to dismiss Rush). But Kiss mattered commercially, as, as Gene Simmons told Rolling Stone's Chuck Young, no aesthetics exist aside from what people buy. And more people bought Double Platinum - a greatest-hits compilation - than Give 'Em Enough Rope, the Clash's 1978 album. The Clash weren't about to promote themselves as a new Beatles. Phony Beatlemania had bitten the dust.

But Kiss were happy to do so at a time when personalities and individuality no longer seemed to matter among the big commercial rock bands like Journey and Styx. Everyone could name all four Kiss members, even their haters, and even the haters in middle school or high school loved to draw them in art class, because it was so cool to do. But who could name the bass player in Journey? Or the lead guitarist in Styx? Could anyone name at least two members of Foreigner without looking at the LP credits? These were the faceless bands, bands who sold millions of records but didn't have a real star among its ranks (though Foreigner's Lou Gramm, who has a great voice, should have been a star). I mean, if Journey vocalist Steve Perry or Styx keyboardist/vocalist Dennis DeYoung walked down the street where Journey and Styx fans happened to live, would that fan even recognize them?

But wait! If Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley happened to walk down that same street and those same Journey and Styx fans also loved Kiss, would they recognize Gene and Paul? Of course not - because Gene and Paul would be out and about without their face paint and, because Kiss's real faces were a more closely guarded secret than the nuclear football codes, no one would know who they were.

This is probably what made people hate Kiss so much more. They were famous, enjoying the perks that comes with celebrity, but still being able to hide behind their painted masks in the same way that members of faceless bands like Journey and Styx hid behind band logos and pretentious album covers. Kiss were trying to have it both ways.

Members of the Moral Majority in 1978 were outraged by the hedonistic excesses of disco, tearing their hair out over songs like B.T. Express's "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)," but they were so angered by Kiss that they formed the Moral Majority in 1979. That's how much Kiss irked Christian conservatives - they irked members of the Moral Majority before there even was a Moral Majority! :eek:

The holy rollers, hearing misogynistic lyrics in Kiss's songs, seeing film clips of Gene Simmons breathing flames (and sometimes giving Ace Frehley a hotfoot), and hearing comparisons of the hotness of women to that of hell - and didn't Simmons call himself the Demon or the Vampire (as some sources insisted) or something? - concluded that KISS was an acronym for Kids/Kings/Knights In Satan's Service. (Rock critics thought this was silly, insisting that KISS was in fact an acronym for Keep It Simple, Stupid. :rofl: ) Some members of the religious right also noted the lightning-bolt styling of the letter "S"s in Kiss's name logo, saying that they had been based on the lightning-bolt letters of the Nazi SS, blissfully unaware that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were Jewish and that their previous surnames had been Klein and Eisen, which translates into . . . a little iron. (Note attachment.) :rofl:

Nevertheless, because disco songs with sexual (and homosexual) double entendres and heavy metal bands like Kiss were dominating the culture in President Jimmy Carter's America, evangelicals led by Jerry Falwell would form the Moral Majority in an effort to rid America of disco and heavy metal by working for the election of a President would restore morality to America, which meant that they had to get President Carter out of office. Of course, it wasn't Christian fundamentalists that threw President Carter, a devout Baptist, out of office. It was a Muslim fundamentalist - the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran - who did that.

KISS was MTV before there was MTV. The triumph of style and image of over substance. So I said it. At the age of 15 I was not about to admit it.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeneini didn't even wear a KISS t-shirt. As far as I know.

If there was one thing which caused more outrage than Religious Right objections to the supposed meaning of KISS' name, it was the social life of Gene Simmons once he had landed in Hollywood:

If there was one thing which caused more outrage than Religious Right objections to the supposed meaning of KISS' name, it was the social life of Gene Simmons once he had landed in Hollywood:

When Cher's child Chaz Bono (then a girl named Chastity) told Cher that she should meet Gene Simmons and that she (Chastity) could arrange that, Cher said, "Wow - I'd love to! Jean Simmons is my favorite actress!" True story! :lol:

'KISS Meets the Phantom Of the Park' was the highlight of my fifteen-year old life in 1978. Which meant that I was desperately in need of a life. :happyface

Of the three movies of the 1970s that attempted to capture the spirit of a Beatles movie, Bloodstone's Train Ride to Hollywood was probably the best, if by default. It had a lot of cringe-worthy and stupid scenes, plus a good deal of inane dialogue, but it had Bloodstone's blend of rock and roll and Kansas City soul, and you can't go wrong with Guy Marks as Humphrey Bogart and Roberta Collins as Jean Harlow! :) And Bloodstone's Charles McCormick thought it was a precursor for MTV.

Goin' Coconuts was a flop, though I understand it did much better in Utah. :lol: But, it was still goofy, dumb fun, and Donny and Marie Osmond are still likeable and engaging performers - except when they sing, of course. ;) Award the filmmakers points for casting the great character actor Herbert Edelman as their manager.

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park is the least of these lesser A Hard Day's Night / Help! wannabes, but it has its moments, like the ironically priceless dialogue, like when Gene Simmons is accused of robbing a bank - "Maybe it was Gene's twin brother!" "No, Gene's twin brother was born an only child!" Ha ha, that don't even make good nonsense! :rotflmao:

BUT: All three are better than the Sgt. Pepper movie, and I will go to my grave saying that Kiss dodged a bullet when they declined a role originally meant for Mick Jagger that went to Aerosmith, who benefitted by turning in one of the finest Beatles covers ever with their take on "Come Together." The Sgt. Pepper movie is the worst movie to star pop stars that has ever been made. Which, given all of the movies Madonna made between 1985 and 2002, is quite an achievement! But it's still the best movie ever made to feature Alice Cooper dunking his face in a cream pie - twice! :rofl:

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The Sgt. Pepper movie is the worst movie to star pop stars that has ever been made. Which given all of the movies Madonna made between 1985 and 2002, is quite an achievement! But it's still the best movie ever made to feature Alice Cooper dunking his face in a cream pie - twice! :rofl:

Oh, and sexy ballerina mimes. Can't forget the sexy ballerina mimes. The Sgt. Pepper movie is the best movie ever made to include sexy ballerina mimes.

Wonder if Gene Simmons would have wanted to shag these honeys? :p

"Love is all, love is you, sweetie!" :rotflmao:

By the late 1970s, Eugene Klein, middle-school teacher in the New York public school system, was Gene Simmons, masked metal superstar, when he granted Rolling Stone's Chuck Young an interview, during which he said that people's tastes and opinions should not be questioned because everyone is different.

When Young asked Simmons whom he voted for in the 1972 presidential election, Simmons said he'd voted for George McGovern, conceding Young's point that mass taste and majority opinions are wrong on occasion, but he added that "nothing is right or wrong in popular music. There are just different tastes." Simmons noted that people in New York City hated Lawrence Welk but he was a big star out in the Midwest, with thirty gold records on release. When Young asked him if he was willing to admit that Lawrence Welk's music was sh**, Simmons refused, saying, "Someone out there likes it."

"Jacqueline Susann sells more books than William Shakespeare," Young said," but she's still sh** and Shakespeare is still Shakespeare."

"Wait a minute!" Simmons exclaimed. I think that Shakespeare is sh**! Absolute sh**! He may have been a genius in his time, but I can't relate to that stuff. 'Thee' and 'thou' - the guy sounds like a f*gg*t. Captain America is classic because he's more entertaining. if you counted all of the people who read Shakespeare, you'd be very disappointed."

"No aesthetics exist aside from what people buy?" Young asked.

"You bet," Simmons answered.

He taught middle-school English?

:eek2:

"Good morning to members of the press who are here for the New York City Chancellor of Schools's news conference. We have just learned that Gene Simmons, the culturally impoverished heavy-metal musician, and Eugene Klein, a sixth-grade teacher stationed in the Upper West Side in the early 1970s, are one and the same person. A full investigation is underway, and the news conference has been canceled. Sorry." :rofl:

By the late 1970s, Eugene Klein, middle-school teacher in the New York public school system, was Gene Simmons, masked metal superstar, when he granted Rolling Stone's Chuck Young an interview, during which he said that people's tastes and opinions should not be questioned because everyone is different.

When Young asked Simmons whom he voted for in the 1972 presidential election, Simmons said he'd voted for George McGovern, conceding Young's point that mass taste and majority opinions are wrong on occasion, but he added that "nothing is right or wrong in popular music. There are just different tastes." Simmons noted that people in New York City hated Lawrence Welk but he was a big star out in the Midwest, with thirty gold records on release. When Young asked him if he was willing to admit that Lawrence Welk's music was sh**, Simmons refused, saying, "Someone out there likes it."

"Jacqueline Susann sells more books than William Shakespeare," Young said," but she's still sh** and Shakespeare is still Shakespeare."

"Wait a minute!" Simmons exclaimed. I think that Shakespeare is sh**! Absolute sh**! He may have been a genius in his time, but I can't relate to that stuff. 'Thee' and 'thou' - the guy sounds like a f*gg*t. Captain America is classic because he's more entertaining. if you counted all of the people who read Shakespeare, you'd be very disappointed."

"No aesthetics exist aside from what people buy?" Young asked.

"You bet," Simmons answered.

He taught middle-school English?

:eek2:

And of course, 'Music From The Elder' was of far more musical and conceptual quality than 'As You Like It'. More about that coming up.

So by this point, two members of KISS were frustrated that their "contributions" were being unrecognized by the leaders of the band: Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, the two with the most stellar work ethic, demanded that they get their own albums or else they would leave the group. To keep the band together, the members of KISS decided they would each record a solo album and release them on the same day, as a display of "band unity". The feat had mixed results. Two of the albums sold rather well, while the other two, not so much.

The Kiss solo albums became the longest-running joke in rock and roll. Example: "In a nuclear holocaust, only unplayed, virgin vinyl records could be played to reproduce recorded music, which meant that all we'd have to listen to would be the Kiss solo albums." :rofl: And they were rightly derided for being a naked (unlike their faces) attempt by Casablanca Records ("I'm shocked!" I'm shocked!":lol: ) to quadruple profits for the label (and, coincidentally, the group) - why put out one record when you could easily put out four? - figuring that Kiss fans, being completists, would get all of them. Even if their parents raised their allowances or if the managers at Woolworth's or E.J. Korvette (remember, this was 1978) gave them a raise, there was no way Kiss fans could afford or purchase four records where there would usually be one. And unless you are a Beatles or Family ( ;) ) fan, completism is a waste of time.

There was no way Kiss could defend these solo albums as artistic endeavors, and the LPs were derided by critic Wayne King as "crass corporate rapacity," an echo of all of the solo albums members of Yes put out in the wake of the disaster that was Tales From Topographic Oceans. Maybe the Beatles, the original Who, or Crosby, Stills and Nash, groups whose members have all released solo albums at one time or another, could have conjured up a project like this on artistic grounds. But not Kiss.

There was a rebuttal in Kiss's defense, however, and it came from critic David McGee. "These [LPs] weren't great artistic achievements by any means," McGee wrote, "but did give fans an idea of what each musician brought to the band in terms of sensibility. There are plenty of surprises here: Frehley's is the hardest-rocking and best of the four LPs, with the fine "New York Groove," which was a hit single; Criss's blue-eyed soul stylings have a certain gruff charm, but the material is so-so; Stanley's is the closest to the Kiss sound in all respects, but lacks the zip of Frehley's rock; Simmons' LP is mellow, almost middle-of-the-road rock, heavily orchestrated in some instances and only occasionally raunchy in the Love Gun style."

Nevertheless, this equivalent of a quadruple album is generally regarded as being the most disastrous record label move of 1978. I know that Robert Stigwood's label made a similarly big mistake with the Sgt. Pepper movie soundtrack, but at least that album was only two records long.

Oh yeah, this ploy to keep Kiss together going forward accelerated its coming apart. Although, as a second-banana lead guitarist :banana: :guitar: , Ace Frehley did not, with his solo album, make the second coming of All Things Must Pass, making that LP gave him a bigger desire to be more of a frontman. Like a space alien who has tasted ice cream for the first time, Space Ace was forever changed and wanted more freedom, even if it meant jumping ship. Which he eventually and inevitably did, but that's a topic for another time.

Nice going, guys! You really fixed things gooooooooooood! :eek: :lol:

The Ace Frehley solo album cheered me up in the first month I attended high school in my sophomore year in 1978.

The album contained the single "New York Groove", a cover of the song by the British glam rock band Hello in 1975. The Ace Frehley cover reached #13 on the U.S charts, becoming the most successful single of the four KISS solo albums.

"New York Groove": DXeeY9D9u94&ab_channel=AceFrehley-Topic

"Rip It Out" was the first song from the Ace Frehley solo album:
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At the end of the year, on December 31, 1973, while opening for headliners Blue Oyster Cult, Gene Simmons set his hair on fire, an act for which he felt reticent about.

The band's debut album was released in February of 1974. The band began its tour in Calgary, Alberta, that year.

As Gene Simmons recalled:

"Being in Kiss in the very first year and touring around the United States, we felt like we were taking off. It was like somebody pushing you into the deep end of the pool whether you can swim or not. The early years of Kiss were far from glamorous. We rode in a station wagon hundreds of miles every day. We would take turns driving and sleeping in the back. We ate burgers at roadside taverns. We stopped and peed on the side of long stretches of a highway when we couldn't find a town anywhere near. We ate beans and franks because we couldn't afford better food as we were on an $85 a week salary! Becoming a rock star was better than anything and beyond anything I ever imagined. There were moments of doubt for me that we were gonna make it."

KISS debut 1974;


I figured to put the inside notes from the album here. These are from the 1997 remastered. I will do more when I have the time:


In the early 1970's, NYC's popular music scene was parallel to that of Liverpool's, the previous decade of Glam rock and glitter that permeated the rarefied air of the Big Apple's clubs and bars. Bands like the New York Dolls, the Planets, and the Harlots of 42nd Street, with their drag queen images and high heels, were all the rage.

While they had the distinction of being NYC's bands-of-the-moment, four young men with greater expectations practiced endlessly in a roach and rat infested loft on Manhattan's lower east side.



Bassist/Vocalist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, fresh from disbanding their group Wicked Lester, envisioned a band unlike any that had ever existed before. Not only would this group play loud, bone-crushing rock and roll sure to obscure the pretensions of its peers. It would present a phenomenal stage show guaranteed to burn itself into the memory of audiences.

After hiring R&B drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley , the newly incarnated KISS spent the next few months writing original songs like 'Strutter' and 'Firehouse' with one goal in mind, world domination.




Shortly after the self-proclaimed "heavy metal masters" performed their first concert at Coventry, a now defunct club in Queens, NY., KISS realized they needed to take their unique image on step further - the distinct personalities of each member.

Ace became 'Space Ace', Peter became 'Cat Man', Paul Stanley became 'Star Child' and Gene Simmons became 'The Demon'.

They polished their style and personas across many live venues and audiences quickly caught on. When KISS eventually returned to Conventry just months after their debut, they experienced sold-out success.




When Bill Aucoin witnessed KISS onstage at The Diplomat in August 1973, he knew that the band was legendary. He offered them a cash advance and promised to deliver a record contract in exchange for the opportunity to represent them as their manager.

Two weeks later, he fulfilled that promise and KISS was signed with Casablanca records, the new label of Neil Bogart.




In October 1973, KISS worked feverishly with producers Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise to produce their first record. However, when the self-titled album hit the shelves on February 18, 1974, it met with enormous criticism.

People didn't know what to make of the almost horrific album cover and wrote off KISS as a joke. It wasn't until KISS made their first live television appearance on ABC In Concert - Dick Clark, performing 'Nothin' to Lose', that critics understood that KISS meant business. With their aggressive thunder sound and aggressive fury, KISS set out to conquer the world on their first national tour as a support act.




'KISS' entered Billboard's Top 100 and two years after its release it attained Gold status. KISS Klassics such 'Firehouse', 'Deuce', 'Strutter', 'Cold Gin' and 'Black Diamond' experienced a timelessness that few albums from this era could match.

These songs are still performed today. Here is the album that started it all. Here is KISS!!!

And where did all of this fame lead to?

Kiss comic books!

Kiss signed a deal with Archie Comics for their own comic-book series to present them as superheroes battling the forces of evil - like Barry Manilow. They joined a list of storied superheroes such as the Fly, the Jaguar, Steel Sterling and Mr. Justice, though Ace Frehley was reportedly disappointed that there would be no crossover series that paired the band with Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Bingo Wilkin or Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. And Peter Criss was disgusted that there would be no crossover with Josie and the Pussycats. :cat:

To celebrate the new deal, Kiss visited the printing factory for the comic books, where they blended the ink with their own spit.

HA HA HA HA!

:rofl:

I am just kidding, of course. In reality, they signed a deal with Marvel Comics. Though, Archie Comics does have a superhero roster, and the Fly, the Jaguar, Steel Sterling and Mr. Justice are in fact actual Archie Comics superheroes. And Barry Manilow was never a villain in the series. And it wasn't spit, it was blood they blended the ink with.

Paul Stanley later admitted that the comic-book series was cool, adding, "You didn't see 'Marvel Presents the Eagles!'"

Personally, I would have preferred to see "DC Comics Presents Steely Dan." :lol:

The above KISS comic cover resembles that of 'News Of the World' by Queen, which came out in the same time period:

Several months after the release of the self-titled debut album by KISS, the band was flown to Los Angeles to record their follow-up album. The New York band was unfamiliar with the vibe of the West Coast, but they soon adapted to it in a major way. The photo shoot for their sophomore release, 'Hotter Than Hell', was a raucous, decadent affair that even surprised the band. The session was filled with men and women engaged in all sorts of debauchery and lurid activities that soon became par for the course for the fledging band in the land of fallen angels.


Shortly after KISS' self-titled debut album hit record stores in February 1974, the band headed onto the road for a grueling eight month tour that began in the reaches of Canada and continued throughout the United States. In response to this first-time North American onslaught, and in contrast to the ridicule of their album, critics were unanimously in praise of their dynamic stage show; far superior than the vinyl release.

Word of the band's remarkable performance quickly spread overseas and one fact became incontrovertible: KISS was a tough act to follow.




Though KISS' objective was to hold in thrall every city and small town on the continent, the band also made time to participate in record signings, kissing contests and TV appearances. KISS wherever and whenever possible, they were like kids exploring a new wonderland and they wanted to savor every second of the experience.

For the first time in their lives, KISS knew the real rock and roll lifestyle.




KISS continued to make their mark touring and they encountered a major obstacle - headlining bands, for fear of being upstaged, began cancelling KISS' appearances. Before long, KISS could not get an opening act at any major music venue. Despite pleas from Casablanca Records' Neil Bogart to appear "less threatening" to their wary competitors, KISS refused to tone down their act.

Audiences had come to recognize KISS as the band with the must-see live performances. True to their image, KISS started to headline at small halls and clubs throughout the country until Bogart sent them back to the studio to work on their second album.




With producers Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise again at the soundboard, KISS entered Los Angeles' Village Recorder intent on making an album unlike the standard rock and roll predecessor. They wanted to truly personify their heavy live sound.

While Frehley and Stanley created brand new material, such as 'Strange Ways', 'Mainline' and 'Comin' Home', Simmons updated unused tracks such as "Watchin' You' and 'Goin' Blind' (which was 'Little Lady' from their Wicked Lester days). With a concentrated fury and rumble, KISS knew they had achieved the untamed sound they had been searching for.




Photographer Norman Seeff designed KISS' next album cover with startling visuals to complement their powerful sound. Seeff, with art director John Van Hamersveld, took his cue from the band's kabuki-like makeup and incorporated hints of Japanese culture into the cover.

The result was a striking hybrid foursome that jumps off the printed sheet and magnifies their unique look.




When Hotter than Hell was released by Casablanca Records on October 22, 1974, the band had been in the public eye for barely a year. KISS' urge to delude the world with their music had grown only fiercer and nothing would stop them from satisfying it.

Just days after the album's release, KISS returned to the road to further spread their reputation as the act that must be seen to be believed.

The above KISS comic cover resembles that of 'News Of the World' by Queen, which came out in the same time period:


Hey, you're right! I didn't even notice that; I just selected this cover at random!

KISS released 'Dressed To Kill' in March 1975. Casablanca president Neil Bogart produced the album, as the band lacked the funds to hire an outside producer. This may explain why the album, as with the past two releases by the band, seemed tepid, lacking vibrancy.

Noting the problem with sluggish sales, the band was urged to come up with a song that was sure to grab attention: The band needed an anthem, and to that end, they crafted a short track, "Rock And Roll All Nite". The song was released s a single, which only reached #69 on the charts. "Come On And Love Me" was also released as a single.

The band decided to pose in a more "conventional" manner for the album cover, in business suits provided by Bill Aucoin. The band posed on West 23rd and 8th Avenue in New York. Gene Simmons' suit appears to be too small for him to wear.


1975 was a pivotal year for KISS. Their activity ran the gamut; while they were shut out from major concert halls because they performed better than the headlining acts, simultaneously, the demand for KISS' unique brand of entertainment was growing at such a heavy pace that they sold out shows at smaller venues and clubs across the country.

Through it all, one thing remained constant; the media was paying attention to KISS. Magazines and newspapers covered stories about KISS' revolutionary stage shows, their backstage antics (some true and not true), and the mystery surrounding the men behind their personas. It was clear that America wanted to know anything and everything about KISS. The buzz was catching like wildfire and everyone wanted to get high from it.




Shortly after 'Hotter Than Hell's' sales reached their peak, Neil Bogart asked KISS to return to New York to record their third album. Though KISS was still touring on the West Coast, Bogart felt that a new album was needed to further KISS' momentum as he was disappointed with the sales from the first two albums and that none of their singles became major hits.

Bogart, who was responsible for many bubblegum pop hits throughout his career, decided to co-produce KISS' next album in the hopes that he would help generate their first smash single.




KISS flew back to New York in early February 1975 to work on their third studio album. With studio time booked at the legendary Electric Lady Studios, KISS was in an ideal setting for their next recording. There was only one major problem - there was hardly any new material.

Believing that necessity is the mother of invention, KISS utilized the old but effective "lock yourself in a room until you write a song" method. Within days, KISS wrote 'Room Service', 'Ladies in Waiting', 'Getaway' and 'Rock Bottom'. Some of these were reworked versions from their previous Wicked Lester material.

But the album was still missing that one ingredient, a catchy anthem song. Under the suggestion of Bogart, KISS quickly came up with 'Rock and Roll All Nite' by using a chorus that Gene Simmons had previously used for another song.




'Dressed to Kill' hit record stores on March 19, 1975. The single 'Rock and Roll All Nite' was released the following week and, to Bogart's pleasure, it became KISS' first chart hit. No one could have known that the song would become such a staple for KISS and an inspiration for future rockers.

KISS returned to the stage with new costumes and effects where 'Rock and Roll All Nite' would become KISS' most recognized song for future decades.




With this new album KISS accomplished a rare feat, three albums of new material in less than 13 months, something few bands have ever done. But reaching this goal was only one of the many landmarks achieved by KISS as their next album would become the most important in KISStory.

The single 'Rock and Roll All Nite' was released the following week and, to Bogart's pleasure, it became KISS' first chart hit. No one could have known that the song would become such a staple for KISS and an inspiration for future rockers.

KISS returned to the stage with new costumes and effects where 'Rock and Roll All Nite' would become KISS' most recognized song for future decades.

A lyric from the Who's signature song:

People try to put us down,
Just because we get around.
The things they do look awful cold;
I hope I die before I get old.

A lyric from Family's signature song:

Did you capture all the joys, the birth of our first son?
The happiness of family made a brother for the one.
The growing of the brothers, the manliness that grew,
Is it there in detail? Is it there to view?
Do the sparks of life grow bright, as one by one they wed
To live as fathers, husbands, apart from lives they'd led?

A lyric from Led Zeppelin's signature song:

There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure,
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

A lyric from Kiss' signature song:

You show us everything you've got -
Baby, baby, that's quite a lot!
And you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy!

I won't say it . . . too easy to go there. :p

A lyric from the Who's signature song:

People try to put us down,
Just because we get around.
The things they do look awful cold;
I hope I die before I get old.

A lyric from Family's signature song:

Did you capture all the joys, the birth of our first son?
The happiness of family made a brother for the one.
The growing of the brothers, the manliness that grew,
Is it there in detail? Is it there to view?
Do the sparks of life grow bright, as one by one they wed
To live as fathers, husbands, apart from lives they'd led?

A lyric from Led Zeppelin's signature song:

There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure,
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

A lyric from Kiss' signature song:

You show us everything you've got -
Baby, baby, that's quite a lot!
And you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy!

I won't say it . . . too easy to go there. :p

For a former schoolteacher who even studied at a Jewish temple, Gene Simmons was the Shakespeare of the 70's...who didn't even LIKE Shakespeare. :crazy::happyface

One of the best songs on the Ace Frehley solo album,
"I'm In Need Of Love":

M2DIqdm3kTc&ab_channel=xxxxxxrockxxxxxx

"Wiped-Out" was an interesting combination of different tempos:

zzFDRgucFig&ab_channel=AceFrehley-Topic

For a former schoolteacher who even studied at a Jewish temple, Gene Simmons was the Shakespeare of the 70's...who didn't even LIKE Shakespeare. :crazy::happyface

Actually, Neil Simon, who was also Jewish, was the Shakespeare of the 70s, but let that pass. :D

By 1978, it wasn't just holy rollers in the Bible Belt and Rolling Stone critics in New York who were putting down Kiss. The hatred extended to London, where the British press were most likely feeling quite self-satisfied that punk rock - a British innovation -was changing popular music while Kiss were putting on a clown show. (Forget for a moment the Ramones, a punk band from New York.) Nick Logan and Bob Woffinden of New Musical Express opined of Kiss, "What could have been more suspicious than a hitherto unknown band, who had taken stage makeup to the extreme by completely obliterating their features behind garish grease paint, and who blitzkrieged audience with an arsenal of explosive devices, snow machines . . ."

(Snow machines?)

"What could have been more suspicious than a hitherto unknown band, who had taken stage makeup to the extreme by completely obliterating their features behind garish grease paint, and who blitzkrieged audience with an arsenal of explosive devices, snow machines . . ."

(Snow machines?)

Snow cone break!

"What could have been more suspicious than a hitherto unknown band, who had taken stage makeup to the extreme by completely obliterating their features behind garish grease paint, and who blitzkrieged audience with an arsenal of explosive devices, snow machines . . ."


" . . . police lights, sirens rocket-firing guitars, levitating drum kits and, as if all that wasn't sufficient enough to disguise their apparent ineptitude, a fire-breathing bass player?"

And Logan and Woffinden didn't stop there. "That this same outfit went on to rise meteorically in three years," they wrote," to become one of America's hottest in-concert and album-shifting bands still remains, to some, noot only one of rock's all time mysteries but also one of the most distressing symptoms of the genre's decline in the '70s."

And Logan and Woffinden went on:

"Despite the fact that it's all no more than recycled heavy-metal grunge - decked out in comic-book trappings - the uncomfortable thought is that Kiss might well be the most successful rock band of the decade. At least the band - who have never allowed themselves to be photographed without their makeup . . ."

(And those who got pictures of them unmasked would pay a heavy, heavy price!)

And Logan and Woffinden went on:

"Despite the fact that it's all no more than recycled heavy-metal grunge - decked out in comic-book trappings - the uncomfortable thought is that Kiss might well be the most successful rock band of the decade. At least the band - who have never allowed themselves to be photographed without their makeup . . ."

. . . don't seem [to be] under too many illusions about their merits."

But Kiss were big business. Not just for Kiss but for camera companies, who made a fortune replacing paparazzi's cameras smashed by Kiss bodyguards, and Mehron, the fine makers of face paint, whose products were gobbled up by Kiss fans all over the world! Again, clowns and mimes had to quit their jobs because the clown white at costume shops kept selling out like never before!

:eek2:

"Can I have another snow cone?" :D

"Can I have another snow cone?" :D
And kids in the late 70's were in the midst of a cultural brain freeze!

By mid-1975, KISS, and their label Casablanca, were in deep trouble. The albums were not selling and this was hurting the subsidiary label that was promoting them. Neil Bogart tried to sell audiences on a collection of 'The Tonight Show' quips and anecdotes, but this venture crashed and burned as an album. The success of Casablanca rested on the shoulders of KISS, whose sales were only marginal. They and the label needed a miracle to save them.

The band realized that while their albums sold only in a tepid manner, their live shows went down in a storm of approval. KISS knew that the problem lie in trying to replicate the live experience which fully captured their heavy, overwhelmind sound which was sorely lacking on the albums. Recording technicians seemed to fail in understanding what the band was all about, what they were trying to achieve. Few bands were able to master the sound KISS was striving for.

For this end, the band summoned veteran producer Eddie Cramer, who would finally give the band what they were looking for. The end result was 'Alive!'


During late 1974, KISS was viewed by most critics as "just a hype" and gave them "two weeks to a year before they disappear". What these critics neglected to cite in their reviews was that KISS caused unprecedented sonic waves while touring as a mere supporting act.

Performing for less than one year on the national tour circuit, KISS blew away and embarrassed their headliners so much that these groups refused to allow KISS to tour with them anymore. They also noticed most of their audiences would leave after KISS finished performing and feared their negative reputations.

KISS did not give in to the demand (from their record label boss Neil Bogart and other acts) to tone down their act. They then decided to headline their own shows and it wasn't long before KISS concerts grew from sold-out 3,000 seat halls to sold out 12,000 seat arenas.




Although KISS concerts were massive, monumental performances sure to please anyone who witnessed them, that alone did not make their fans go out and purchase their records.

To solve this problem, the solution was to create a live album that captured the intensity of their performances that could be heard over and over again.




For KISS' upcoming sold out concert at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan on March 27, 1975, the band hired engineer Eddie Kramer to tape the entire show. 12,000 KISS fans were exposed to rip-roaring , concrete cracking versions of 'Deuce', 'Got to Choose', 'Cold Gin', 'C'mon and Love Me', and '100,000 Years'.

Kramer subsequently recorded shows at Wildwood, New Jersey; Davenport, Iowa; and Cleveland, Ohio before he mixed the album at New York City's Electric Lady Studios. KISS' live show was now documented forever and on September 10, 1075, 'Alive!' was released and KISS became a household name.




Although 'Alive!' was hoped to be KISS' most successful album at the time, no one was prepared for how the album would ultimately sell; 350,000 copies were a great expectation. Less than two months after its release, 'Alive!' was certified Gold (500,000 copies sold).

The album's only single, 'Rock and Roll All Nite (live)', became an AM/FM radio smash and, to this day, it is still known as KISS' ultimate rock anthem.




But 'Alive!'s' success had far from reach its peak; by late January 1976, 'Alive!' sold over 1,000,000 units earning the R.I.A.A.'s new Platinum Award certification that had been introduced to the music industry just weeks before.

Ultimately, 'Alive!' was certified Quadruple Platinum in the U.S. with similar titles in other countries. Heralded by many as the best live album ever created, KISS had proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with. KISS was only beginning to scratch the surface of the success they were destined to achieve.

KISS' live show was now documented forever and on September 10, 1075, 'Alive!' was released and KISS became a household name.


Yes, Kiss became one of the biggest bands of the eleventh century. Their concerts always offered good turkey legs and grog as refreshments and were usually opened by jousting contents, and the band was a welcome diversion from the Investiture Controversy, which was sparked when Pope Gregory VII asserted in the Dictatus papae extended rights granted to the pope (disturbing the balance of power) and a new interpretation of God's role in founding the Church itself. Not only were Kiss big in the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire, they were also big in England, where they were the hottest foreign invaders since William the Conqueror (below) won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and established the Norman dynasty, founding the modern English state! :rofl:

Kiss' misogynistic lyrics also made them popular in Kievan Rus. :p

Ace Frehley could play a mean lute solo. :rofl:

Yes, Kiss became one of the biggest bands of the eleventh century. Their concerts always offered good turkey legs and grog as refreshments and were usually opened by jousting contents, and the band was a welcome diversion from the Investiture Controversy, which was sparked when Pope Gregory VII asserted in the Dictatus papae extended rights granted to the pope (disturbing the balance of power) and a new interpretation of God's role in founding the Church itself. Not only were Kiss big in the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire, they were also big in England, where they were the hottest foreign invaders since William the Conqueror (below) won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and established the Norman dynasty, founding the modern English state! :rofl:

Kiss' misogynistic lyrics also made them popular in Kievan Rus. :p

Ace Frehley could play a mean lute solo. :rofl:

As Gene Simmons once said on the Howard Stern show, he wanted to form a new religion called KISStianity.

"Speedin' Back To My Baby": 4bl55zQ--yU&ab_channel=AceFrehley-Topic

"Snow Blind": VKgVti40emA&ab_channel=AceFrehley-Topic

"Ozone": DO_6zoo4RZ4&ab_channel=xxxxxxrockxxxxxx

"What's On Your Mind": QOJQCjBG4Yo&ab_channel=AceFrehley-Topic

"Fractured Mirror", which closed out the album, was a tasteful and impressive instrumental: A64AP4rmg4A&ab_channel=StoneAgeRecordings

"Hey, everybody, Uncle Pete is on television!" :lol: :cat:

:rotflmao:"Hey, everybody, Uncle Pete is on television!" :lol: :cat:

It was noted by the members of KISS that Ace Frehley's solo album was the most KISS-like because, interestingly, he felt he was not able to get his own music out in KISS. He did surprisingly well, for a guitarist who was initially shy about singing.

But Frehley felt confident, in fact, perhaps a little too confident, with his solo album. One incident before work began on the solo album where Ace Frehley recalled comments made by the band at a business meeting. "I remember Paul and Gene made a statement to me in front of everybody that was kind of a dig. They said, 'Oh Ace, by the way – if you need any help on your record, don't hesitate to call us.' In the back of my mind, I'm saying, 'I don't need their help.'"

Some of the songs Ace recorded were originally intended for inclusion on 'Rock And Roll Over' but never made the release.

Drummer Anton Fig played on the sessions for the Ace Frehley solo album. He would later go on to play in Paul Shaffer's Most Dangerous Band on Late Night With David Letterman. In fact, he played drums on the next two KISS albums, in spite of who was credited on the records.

Ace Frehley with the smoking guitar pickups out of his Gibson Les Paul: