US Tour
“BUZZ: Newspaper Article; May- Jun 2013 (#27-Z)
I have spent the majority of my life following this band, as it is their 40th Anniversary I thought I would write an article covering their many band line ups & releases, as I hear everyday, day after day for over 30 years “I have all their albums” I bet there’s more than a few in this article you didn’t even know about !!!
> When The Bell Rings: 1970- 1972 <
A drummer Named Peter Cris was in a band named Chelsea with a bass player Michael Benvenga (deceased) they released 1 LP in 1970 on Decca Records, later Chelsea picked up a guitar player named Stan Penridge (deceased) the band split up in Aug 1971 & became "Lips". Meanwhile in 1971 the band Wicked Lester consisting of Gene Klein, Stanley Eisen, Stephen Coronel on guitar, Brooke Ostrander on Keyboards, Tony Zarrella on drums & later replacing Coronel on guitar was Ron Leejack. Wicked Lester recorded 1 LP in July 1972 for Epic Records which is still unreleased, but the cover was used for The Laughing Dogs 1st LP in 1977.
> 100,000 Years: 1973- 1976 <
Sometime in 1972 Gene Simmons (Chaim Witz: 25 Aug 1949 Haifa, Israel later renamed Gene Klein) & Paul Stanley (Stanley Harvey Eisen: 20 Jan 1952 Manhattan) read an ad posted by Peter Criss (George Peter John Criscuola: 20 Dec 1945 Brooklyn) in RollingStone magazine, Simmons called Criss & arranged a meeting. Criss was Hired to be the drummer in the duo's new band still going under the name Wicked Lester. In Jan 1973 Ace Frehley (Paul Daniel Frehley: 27 Apr 1951 Bronx) auditioned for the new band & was subsequently hired for the new band renamed "KISS" the name was Stanley's idea, with the logo designed by Frehley. A 5 song demo was recorded by Eddie Kramer @ Electric Lady Studios in Mar 1973.
The band's 1st LP "KISS" was released in Feb 1974 distributed by WB, originally only 9 songs. The 1st 45 single was "Nothin To Lose" b/w Love Theme From Kiss" In May 1974 they released the 45 single "Kissin Time b/w Nothin To Lose" & re-released their 1st LP with the extra track "Kissin Time" then in Aug the band release a 3rd single from this LP "Strutter b/w 100,000 Years” this 1st LP, is one of the 3 most favorite LPs they released.
In Oct 1974 the band released their 2nd LP "Hotter Than Hell" with the single "Hotter Than Hell b/w Let Me Go Rock And Roll". (I wrote an article on this period in March 2012 for BUZZ you can read it @ www.MrZeros.Com “BLOG”). In Mar 1975 their 3rd LP is released "Dressed To Kill" with 2 singles "Rock And Roll All Nite b/w Getaway" followed by "Com'on And Love Me" in Jul '75. The band's 1st live LP comes out in Sep 1975 titled "Alive" with a tour booklet enclosed, & the single "Rock And Roll All Nite (Alt. Live Version) b/w (the studio version) in Oct '75, this is by far their best selling LP.
> Great Expectations: 1976 -1977 <
Then a new direction for KISS with "Destroyer" in Mar 1976 (a 2nd Criss song "None Of Your Business" was left off the LP) & the single "Shout It Out Loud (edit) b/w Sweet Pain" released before the LP, this is another of the band’s favorite releases. Then in April "Flaming Youth b/w God Of Thunder" with the 1st and only Picture Sleeve by the original Band. Then in Aug the band's biggest selling song ever "Beth b/w Detroit Rock City (radio edit)" #7 on the Billboard Chart. In July riding high on the success of "Beth" the band release "The Originals" a re-release of the 1st three LPs with a booklet, sticker, iron-on & trading cards. "The Originals" had a 2nd run marked by the words "2nd Pressing". Later in Nov '76 "Rock And Roll Over" is released, (a song "Queen For A Day" was to be Frehley's 1st lead vocal on LP, but was left off the LP) the 1st run of this LP, had silver ink & contained 2 stickers inside, the 2nd run, had the less expensive gray ink & 1 sticker inside. 2 singles were released from this LP "Hard Luck Woman b/w Mr. Speed" again before the LP was released & then in Feb 1977 "Calling Dr. Love (radio edit) b/w Take Me".
In Jun 1977 the 1st single from "Love Gun" comes out "Christine Sixteen (ext) b/w Shock Me" with the LP coming out later in Jun, followed by the 2nd single "Love Gun b/w Hooligan" in July 1977. In Japan Only: "The Originals II" comes out with the last 3 studio LPs from 1976- 1977. With 3 more studio LPs behind them the band release a 2nd concert LP in Oct 1977 "Alive II" with 2 singles "Shout It Out Loud (Live) b/w "Nothin To Lose (Live)" followed by "Rocket Ride (radio edit) b/w Tomorrow And Tonight (Live)" Sometime in 1977 the band 'Treasure' with Vincent Cusano on guitar & vocals release an LP on Epic Records, about this same time Epic Records had remixed the "Wicked Lester" recordings for release, KISS had to buy back the rights to the recordings to keep them from being released.
> Rip And Destroy: 1978 <
In April 1978 KISS release their 1st "Best Of" LP in "Double Platinum" which came with a cardboard award with re-recorded "Strutter '78 b/w Shock Me" as the single. Then in an industry 1st all 4 members release solo LPs at once, (each containing poster that fit together to make a larger mural) in Sep '78. The catalog numbers reflect who turned in their LP 1st. Gene Simmons with the single "Radioactive (radio edit) b/w "See you In Your Dreams (solo ver)" then Ace Frehley who's single was "New Your Groove b/w Snowblind" a #13 hit on the Billboard Chart, followed by Peter Criss, which had 2 singles released from his solo LP "Don't You Let Me Down b/w Hooked On Rock N Roll" & the 2nd "You Still Matter To Me (retitled)" & finally Paul Stanley with his single "Hold Me, Touch Me b/w Goodbye" if you bought all 4 solo LPS at once you received a limited edition shopping bag. In Oct 1978 KISS releases a TV Movie: "KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park" (VHS only) this film came out as a theatrical release in Europe & contained a very different soundtrack utilizing only KISS music. Also released only in Europe was the LP "Best of The Solo Albums" with 3 songs each, from Ace, Peter, Gene & Paul.
> Hard Times: 1979- 1980 <
1979 brings another huge change for the band as they release "Dynasty" in May '79 the LP comes with a poster. 2 singles are released "I Was Made For Lovin You (edit) b/w Hard Times (ext)" a #11 hit on the Billboard chart, released shortly before the LP comes out. Then in Sep "Sure Know Something b/w Dirty Livin" is released. Disco being the current rage of the time, 2 extended 12" singles are also released from this LP "I Was Made For Lovin You (7:54min) b/w Charisma" & later that year "Dirty Livin (5:47min) b/w Sure Know Something" In June 1979 the band ‘Blackjack’ (with Bruce Kulick) released their LP on Polydor records.
Peter Criss is still technically in the band however Anton Fig (8 Aug 1952 Cape Town, South Africa) plays on 8 out of 9 tracks on "Dynasty" & all of the following LP "Unmasked" released in May 1980 (also containing a poster inside the record). Only 1 single is released from this LP "Shandi b/w Naked City" although not playing on the LP Criss will appear in the video for "Shandi" Criss was fired from the band on 18 May 1980 just 2 days before "Unmasked" was released. Sometime in June 1980 Eric Carr (Paul Charles Caravello; 12 Jul 1950: Brooklyn NYC. – 24 Nov 1991) was hired to replace Criss. Carr himself came up with "The Fox" persona. Sometime in 1980 Blackjack (Bruce Kulick) releases their 2nd LP "Worlds Apart". One reason Criss did not participate in the "Unmasked" sessions was he was working on his 2nd solo LP "Out Of Control" released in Sep 1980 with the single "By Myself b/w I Found Love"
> Only You: 1981- 1982 <
The success of another band's 'Concept Album’ KISS decides to try their hand at a 'concept record' from a story Simmons (with Lou Reed) had written, "The Elder" is released in Nov 1981. The original idea was to release the 1st part of the soundtrack (the LP had the original running order and plastic inner sleeve), then the Film (starring Christopher Makepeace as; 'The Boy') then part 2 of the soundtrack. When the film was scraped, they used some footage to create a video for the song "I". The LP was then re-issued with a different running order & paper inner sleeve with lyrics. There are 2 very different versions of each format, LP, CASS & CD. This is Carr's 1st official KISS recording, Frehley unhappy with the result begins to consider leaving the band.
In May 1982 Peter Criss releases his 3rd solo LP "Let Me Rock You" with songs by Simmons & Vincent, however this LP is only released in Europe. In June the same year KISS release a 2nd "Best Of" titled "Killers" with 4 new songs that were from the aborted LP intended to be released after "Unmasked" but before "The Elder" this LP “Killers” was only released in Europe as well, however a CD did come out in Japan.
The band reconvene & decide to get back to rock, in Nov 1982 "Creatures Of The Night" is released with the single "I Love It Loud b/w Danger" (the 2nd 45 picture sleeve) this is another of the band’s favorite releases. Though Frehley is pictured on the album & in the video he is absent from the recordings, in his place KISS has hired Vinnie Vincent (Vincent John Cusano; 6 Aug 1952: Bridgeport, Con) to replace Frehley in Dec 1982. Vincent is on the recordings for "Creatures" & this is the last KISS release on the 8Track format. Vincent wears make up created by Paul Stanley consisting of a gold Ankh, for the persona of the Egyptian Wizard. An Eric Carr song "Don't Leave Me Lonely" was left off this LP but released by Bryan Adams (who wrote 3 other songs with KISS) in Jan 1983. KISS performs 1 final tour in their famous makeup from Dec 1982 to Jun 1983.
> All Hell’s Breaking Loose: 1983- 1985 <
After a full decade of wearing the trade-mark makeup in Sep 1984 the band take it off on MTV to launch the release of "Lick It Up" the 1st fully fledged LP with Vincent (who wrote 8 of the 10 songs) with the single "Lick It Up b/w Dance All Over Your Face" in Sep, then & in Feb 1984 a "promo" 12" single of "All Hell's Breaking Loose" with a video. Vincent was fired from KISS in Mar 1984.
In mid 1984 "W.O.W." is released by: Wendy O. Williams (1949-1998) on Passport Records. Why is this mentioned? This LP contains several songs left off "Creatures" & the demos for the soon to be, although abandoned LP that was scheduled after "Lick It Up" This LP was produced by Simmons & has performances by: Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, Carr & Vincent.
With Vincent now gone Paul Stanley hires Mark St. John (Mark Leslie Norton: 7 Feb 1956 Hollywood –5 April 2007) in May 1984, the new line-up releases "Animalize" in Sep 1984 with the singles "Heaven's On Fire b/w Lonely Is The Hunter" a #49 hit on the Billboard chart, & in Jan 1985 "Thrills In The Night (edit) b/w Burn Bitch Burn". In a strange but necessary move Bruce Kulick (Bruce Howard Kulick: 12 Dec 1953 Brooklyn) brother of frequent KISS session guitarist Bob Kulick: (16 Jan 1950 NYC), is hired in Sep 1984, after performing on 2 tracks on the "Animalize" LP. Bruce performs the European tour with KISS a total of some 40 concerts before St. John came back to perform an entire 3 concerts, with KISS, before he was fired in Dec 1984. The concert from 8 Dec 1984 in Detroit @ Cobo Hall was filmed & recorded, 1st aired on MTV's "Saturday Night Concert” series, then released (on VHS only) as "Animalize Alive Uncensored" in April 1985, Carr gets to sing 2 songs in this video "Young And Wasted" & "Black Diamond"
In Sep 1985 KISS release "Asylum" the 1st LP with their 4th guitarist who will end up staying 12 years total. With the single "Tears Are Falling b/w Any Way You Slice It" following a long standing tradition of a Stanley song as the "A" side & a Simmons song as the "B" side of a 45 single.
> Thief In The Night: 1986- 1987 <
KISS essentially took 1986 off. However some other related releases came out such as Bruce Kulick's "Hot Lick's" (VHS only) released sometime in 1986. This same year Mark St. John returns with his band "White Tiger" on EMC Records. In Aug Vinnie Vincent releases "Invasion" his 1st solo LP with at least 3 songs left over from the previously mentioned 'Post: Lick It Up demos' The Vinnie Vincent song “Back on the Streets” was originally recorded by KISS for “Creatures” then recorded by Ace on his original Demo for Bronze Records in 1984, & finally released on Vincent’s 1st LP.
The year is 1987 the 1st thing KISS puts out in a while is "Exposed" in May (VHS only) a collection of video spots new & old, followed by "Crazy Nights" in Sep, originally titled "Who Dares Wins" (I have an ad stating this, from summer 1987) with 3 singles starting with "Crazy, Crazy Nights b/w/ No No No (originally titled 'Assume The Position')" coming out almost 1 month ahead of the LP. Then in Nov "Reason to Live b/w Thief in The Night" followed by "Turn On The Night b/w Hell Or High Water" in Feb 1988. There were 3 songs left off the LP, the Simmons song "Are You Always This Hot" Stanley's "Sword And Stone" & Carr's "Dial 'L' For Love". Ace's KISS contract finally ran out in 1986 which lead to Ace releasing his 1st solo LP "Frehley's Comet" in July with the single "Into The Night b/w Fractured Too"
So there you are kiddies phase one of my abridged "Collecting KISS Book"
Stay tuned for "Phase 2"
Until the next time .... MrZERo
Leave a Reply