108-646: Kiss (commonly styled as KISS ) was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals) and Peter Criss (drums, vocals). Known for their face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock –style live performances which featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics . The band went through several lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons remaining
216-714: A rhythm and blues label. Epic's bright-yellow, black, and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. This has included such notables as the Berlin Philharmonic , Charles Rosen , the Juilliard String Quartet , Antal Doráti conducting the Hague Philharmonic, and George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra . By 1960, Epic became better known for signing newer, fledgling acts. By
324-510: A Thing ", " I'm Real ", " Play ", and " Ain't it Funny ". With her second album, Lopez became the first female solo artist, under the record company, to reach the number one spot on the Billboard 200 . The 2002 remix album J TO THA L-O! The Remixes , which served as a follow-up to Lopez's sophomore effort, was the first remix album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, and became
432-467: A black ring around my eye… Each of us wears something that reflects who we are. I always loved stars and always identified with them – so, when it came time to put something on my face, I knew it would be a star." In his book Sex Money Kiss , Gene Simmons says Stanley was the driving force for KISS during the period in the 1980s when the band performed without makeup. Those years, Stanley noted, "were fine for me. I found them very satisfying because I got
540-453: A brief time, Stanley tried out a new character "the Bandit", with a " Lone Ranger " style mask design make-up pattern. This make-up design was used during a few 1973–74 shows and photo-shoots, some of which he was photographed with both designs in the same session. "I even tried painting my face all red," he admitted. "I looked like a longhaired tomato! Before settling on the star, I'd just paint
648-440: A cartoonish image for these younger fans. The fans were unaware of the dissension within the band. One very public indication of the heightened friction within the group was an infamous October 31, 1979, interview on Tom Snyder 's late-night The Tomorrow Show . During the episode, a visibly irritated Simmons and Stanley attempted, unsuccessfully, to contain the inebriated Frehley, whose frequent laughter and joking overshadowed
756-506: A certain country makes them that much more rabid for you to go. In May 1977, Kiss made the first of its many comic book appearances, in Howard the Duck issue 12, published by Marvel Comics . The first Kiss compilation album, Double Platinum , was issued on April 2, 1978. This double album included many remixed versions of the band's hits, as well as "Strutter '78", a re-recorded version of
864-400: A chance to be out there without makeup, which I craved at that point. I think it was easier for me [than Simmons] because my persona was one that wasn't really defined by the makeup… The makeup was just reinforcing what you were seeing and who I was." In 2007, Stanley was hospitalized with tachycardia . In his absence, Kiss performed live as a trio for the first time in decades. The concert
972-463: A few minor issues that come with 40 years of preaching rock 'n' roll." Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment , a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America , the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony . The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical music label in 1953, but later expanded its scope to include
1080-662: A four-year-long farewell tour, the End of the Road World Tour , in January 2019 and retired after performing their final show in New York City in December 2023. Kiss is regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of all time, as well as one of the best selling bands of all time , claiming to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 21 million RIAA -certified albums. Kiss has also earned 30 Gold albums,
1188-830: A fraction of the $ 80 million deal Carey had previously signed with Virgin Records ; Virgin later rescinded that deal after poor sales. That same month, it was announced that R&B group Jodeci had signed to the label and planned to release their first studio album in 20 years. Wondaland Records, singer Janelle Monáe 's imprint, entered into a joint venture with Epic in 2015. Acts on Wondaland include Jidenna , St. Beauty , Deep Cotton and Roman GianArthur . In 2016, Jennifer Lopez returned to Sony Music, six years after leaving in favor of Island Def Jam and Capitol Records . Lopez's multi-album deal reunited her with Reid, whom she signed with at Island Def Jam in 2010. In January 2017, 21 Savage signed to Epic. On May 11, 2017, it
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#17328010627071296-630: A hawk, though it was rejected when Stanley and Aucoin saw Carr in the bright yellow costume Kiss had designed for the new drummer. Carr created the "Fox" persona by the middle of July. In his Fox makeup, Carr debuted with the group on July 25, 1980, at the Palladium concert hall in New York City. This was Kiss's only U.S. show in support of Unmasked . On July 30, 1980, Kiss introduced Carr on ABC's Kids Are People Too! , which would air in September. The band's 1980 tour of Australia and New Zealand, on
1404-443: A live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite". It was the first version of the song with a guitar solo, and this recording has become the best-known version. It is also the basis of most covers, such as the cover by Poison in 1987. In recent years the band admitted that additional audience noise had been added to the album, as well as overdubs on select guitar and vocal spots, not to deceive fans, but to add more "excitement and realism" to
1512-606: A more diverse range of genres, including pop , R&B , rock , and hip hop . Epic Records was launched in 1953 by the Columbia Records unit of CBS , for the purpose of marketing jazz , pop , and classical music that did not fit the theme of its more mainstream Columbia Records label. Initial classical music releases were from Philips Records which distributed Columbia product in Europe. Pop talent on co-owned Okeh Records were transferred to Epic which made Okeh
1620-459: A new group. After breaking up Wicked Lester late in 1972, Simmons and Stanley came across an ad in the East Coast version of Rolling Stone placed by Peter Criss , a drummer from the New York City scene who had previously played in the bands Lips and Chelsea . Simmons and Stanley met Criss in a nightclub where he was playing drums. After hearing Criss sing, they thought Criss should be in
1728-549: A pattern emerging with us on the road. Every night, I'd ask somebody before the show, "How are we doing?", which meant, "What's the attendance?" One night they said, "It's sold out," and then the next night I'd hear the same thing. All of a sudden it was becoming the norm. For me the first realization that things were on an upswing was when we played the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Before the show I went on stage, looked out through
1836-509: A pop culture phenomenon. Due to creative differences, Criss departed the band in 1980, followed by Frehley's departure in 1982. They were replaced by Eric Carr (the Fox) and Vinnie Vincent (the Ankh Warrior), respectively. The band's commercial success had declined during the early 1980s before experiencing a resurgence in 1983, when they began performing without makeup and costumes, marking
1944-504: A slip-up occurred with the fireworks and drum cues a measure late on the opening song, "Detroit Rock City". Doc McGhee, the band's manager, later confirmed simultaneously that Stanley did sing fully, but will sing to tracks, denying that he was lip syncing. Stanley released his first solo album Paul Stanley as part of the four simultaneously released Kiss solo albums, but he has rarely recorded or performed outside of Kiss. He wrote and recorded material for another album in 1987–88, but it
2052-527: A song from the group's first album. At Bogart's request, this version of the song featured a disco influence. During this period, Kiss merchandise became a substantial source of income for the group. Some of the products released included a pair of comic books issued by Marvel (the first contained ink mixed with actual blood donated by the group), a pinball machine, dolls, "Kiss Your Face Makeup" kits, Halloween masks, board games , lunch boxes, trading cards and many other pieces of memorabilia. Membership in
2160-459: A special concert at Studio 54 in New York City, leaving Kiss to perform as a trio. He recorded his guitar parts at his home studio in Wilton, Connecticut , and mailed them to Ezrin. Another source of frustration for Frehley was that with the departure of Criss, and with Carr not being an equal partner in the band, he was often outvoted 2-to-1 on group decisions. In June 1982, Frehley's departure from
2268-541: A theater tour in support of Live to Win . His touring band was the house band from the CBS TV show Rock Star , composed of Paul Mirkovich (keyboards), Jim McGorman (guitar), Rafael Moreira (lead guitar), Nate Morton (drums), and Sasha Krivtsov (bass). In April 2007, Stanley extended the tour to include Australia, playing in Coolangatta, Wollongong, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. Portions of
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#17328010627072376-580: A tribute band playing a mix of soul oldies from the 1960s and 1970s with original songs in the same style. Paul Stanley's Soul Station released its first album in 2021, along with its lead single, the original "I, Oh I." Possessing a tenor vocal range, Stanley tends to sing in the high registers and is known for his falsetto . Stanley uses Ibanez guitars (with various signature models currently available), Seymour Duncan pickups, Ernie Ball strings and ENGL amplifiers, as well as custom made KISS signature picks. He has also used various other makes of guitar over
2484-545: The Creatures of the Night album. Vincent officially replaced Frehley as lead guitarist in December 1982, as the band embarked on its 10th Anniversary Tour. Paul Stanley Paul Stanley (born Stanley Bert Eisen ; January 20, 1952) is an American musician who was the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss from the band's inception in 1973 to their retirement in 2023. He
2592-500: The Kiss Army , the band's fan club, was in the six figures. Between 1977 and 1979, worldwide merchandise sales (in-store and on tour) reached an estimated $ 100 million. Alive II was the band's fourth Platinum album in just under two years, and the ensuing tour had the highest average attendance in the group's history. In addition, Kiss's gross income for 1977 was $ 10.2 million. The group, along with manager Aucoin, sought to push
2700-564: The hook ", a reference to the stereotypical "Jewish" nose . Despite the publicity and constant touring, Kiss initially sold just 75,000 copies. Meanwhile, the group and Casablanca Records were losing money quickly. The band (while touring) stopped in Los Angeles in August 1974 to begin recording its second album, Hotter Than Hell , which was released on October 22, 1974. The only single, " Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll ", failed to chart, and
2808-420: The 6 (as part of WORK Group ), which was a critical and commercial success, going-on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide. Lopez's sophomore album, J.Lo (2001), experienced similar—if not greater—success, initially selling over 8 million copies worldwide, and gaining multi-platinum status under Epic Records. The record spawned several international and domestic hits, including " Love Don't Cost
2916-478: The British magazine Classic Rock on their "The 50 Best Rock Bands of All Time" list. Kiss traces its roots to Wicked Lester , a New York City–based rock band led by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley . That band recorded one album, which was shelved by Epic Records , and played a handful of live shows. Simmons and Stanley, feeling a new musical direction was needed, abandoned Wicked Lester in 1972 and began forming
3024-585: The Byrds , the Lovin' Spoonful and more. All through his childhood Stanley had been recognized for his talent in graphic arts, so he attended the High School of Music & Art in New York City, graduating in 1970. Before Kiss, Stanley was in a local band, Rainbow, and was a member of Uncle Joe and Post War Baby Boom. Through a mutual friend of Gene Simmons , Stanley joined Simmons' band Wicked Lester in
3132-542: The Epic roster during the 1960s were the result of CBS's Epic/ Okeh units' 1962 international distribution deal with EMI ; Epic recordings were issued via this arrangement by EMI on the Columbia label. Other British artists appearing on Epic were a result of signings to the new UK CBS affiliate formed after the acquisition of Oriole Records (UK) in August 1964. Epic was involved in a notable "trade" of artists. Graham Nash
3240-464: The Fray , Modest Mouse , Matisyahu and Sean Kingston . However, she delayed the scheduled release of Shakira 's album She Wolf by insisting that the album contain another song – " Give It Up to Me " featuring Lil Wayne and uncredited Timbaland . This delay probably caused She Wolf to perform less well in the market. Epic staff members described Ghost as "abrasive" and a "loose cannon". She
3348-451: The Night album artwork. When the album was remixed and re-released in 1985 with a non-makeup cover and a slightly different song order, to reflect the band's roster change and abandonment of its makeup and costumes, Vincent was again absent from the album cover, as then-current lead guitarist, Bruce Kulick , appeared instead. The liner notes accompanying the remixed LP, however, credited both Frehley and Vincent with lead guitar performances on
Kiss (band) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-611: The Phantom of the Park , debuted on NBC on October 28, 1978. It was released theatrically, after many changes, outside the U.S. in 1979 under the title Attack of the Phantoms . The band members were unhappy with the finished film and would speak about their filmmaking experience in later interviews with a mix of humorous embarrassment and regret. They felt that the film portrayed them more as clowns than superheroes. The artistic failure of
3564-676: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pasadena, California . The couple had a son in September 2006, a daughter in January 2009 and a daughter in August 2011. Stanley considers his children Jewish but as Sutton is Catholic they raised them "100 percent Jewish and 100 percent Catholic". Stanley has had two hip-replacement surgeries: one after the "Rock the Nation" tour in October 2004, and a second in December 2004 after complications arose from
3672-876: The UK by CBS after the distribution deal with EMI expired that year; Epic itself launched in England around 1971. Sony Corporation bought CBS Records in 1987, and the company was renamed Sony Music in 1991. It began splitting European operations into two separate labels, Epic and Columbia, in 1992, and in 1997, Sony Music Australia and New Zealand followed suit. In 2004, Sony merged with music distributor BMG , bringing Arista Records , Columbia Records, Epic Records, J Records , Jive Records , RCA Records , and Zomba Group of Companies to one parent company known as Sony BMG Music Entertainment . In 2008, Sony bought out BMG for $ 1.2 billion, bringing all affiliated labels together as Sony Music Entertainment International, SMEI. The merger
3780-457: The album stalled at No. 100. With Hotter Than Hell quickly dropping off the charts, Kiss was pulled from its tour to quickly record a new album. Casablanca head Bogart stepped in to produce the next album, trading in the murky, distorted sound of Hotter Than Hell for a cleaner and slightly poppier sound. Dressed to Kill , released on March 19, 1975, fared slightly better commercially than Hotter Than Hell . It also contained what later became
3888-735: The album's sales rebound. The single was subsequently reissued with the A- and B-sides reversed. "Beth" peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 , becoming the band's first Top 10 single in the United States. In October 1976, Kiss appeared on The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (aired on ABC the 29th), lip-synching " Detroit Rock City ", " Beth " and " King of the Night Time World ". The show, co-produced by Bill Aucoin, helped introduce Kiss to an even wider audience. In addition to
3996-463: The band in 1985. Paul Stanley, however, has since denied the rumors of Eddie Van Halen wanting to join Kiss. Other notable guitarists who auditioned to replace Frehley included Punky Meadows of Angel , Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake , Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi , Yngwie Malmsteen , and Slash of Guns N' Roses . Soon afterward, Kiss made major changes to its business dealings – chief among them
4104-501: The band performed "Firehouse" on The Mike Douglas Show . This broadcast included Simmons's first televised interview, a conversation with Mike Douglas in which Simmons declared himself "evil incarnate", eliciting uncomfortable reactions from a confused studio audience. Fellow Jewish-American guest Totie Fields said it would be humorous if beneath all the makeup Simmons was "just a nice Jewish boy ". Simmons responded, "You should only know", to which Fields replied, "I do. You can't hide
4212-437: The band was negotiated, although he did not officially leave until December. Simmons stated in his autobiography Kiss and Make-Up that Van Halen founder Eddie Van Halen was eager to replace Frehley as Kiss's lead guitarist. Simmons and Eddie's brother Alex convinced Eddie to remain with Van Halen. Eddie was willing to break up Van Halen due to tensions between himself and lead vocalist David Lee Roth , who ultimately left
4320-474: The band's signature song, " Rock and Roll All Nite ". Although Kiss albums had not proved to be big sellers, the band was quickly gaining a reputation for its live performances. Kiss concerts featured such spectacles as Simmons spitting "blood" (an effect made primarily from eggs, yogurt, red food coloring, and maple syrup) and "breathing fire" (spitting flammable liquid at a torch), Frehley soloing as his guitar burst into flames (light and smoke bombs placed inside
4428-440: The beginning of the band's "unmasked" era that would last until 1996. The first album of this era, 1983's platinum-certified Lick It Up , successfully introduced them to a new generation of fans, and its music videos received regular airplay on MTV . Vincent left the band in 1984, being replaced briefly by Mark St. John before Bruce Kulick joined the band for the next twelve years. Eric Carr died in 1991 of heart cancer and
Kiss (band) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-459: The biggest seller since the introduction of Soundscan in 1991. The second part of Kiss's and Aucoin's plan called for the band to appear in a film that would cement its image of larger-than-life rock-and-roll superheroes. Filming commenced in the spring of 1978. Although the project was proposed to the band as a cross between A Hard Day's Night and Star Wars , the final result fell far short of those expectations. The final product, Kiss Meets
4644-444: The brand harder. To that end, an ambitious, two-pronged strategy was devised for 1978. The first part involved the simultaneous release of four solo albums from the members of Kiss. Although Kiss has claimed that the solo albums were intended to ease rising tensions within the band, its 1976 record contract did in fact call for four solo records, each of them counting as half an album toward the group's five-record commitment. Each album
4752-418: The charts and was not certified Gold until 1994. In Frehley's absence, Kiss utilized a number of guitarists for the recording of the album, especially Vinnie Vincent , who played on six tracks. Frehley's last appearance with the band (until the 1996 reunion) was in the music video for the single " I Love It Loud ", which was co-written by Vincent. Frehley also appeared on the cover of the original Creatures of
4860-467: The conversation between Snyder and the rest of the band. Criss made references to his large gun collection, to the chagrin of Simmons. By the end of the Dynasty tour in December 1979, tensions between Criss and the rest of the band were at an all-time high. His drumming skills had noticeably eroded, and he even intentionally slowed down—or stopped playing altogether—during some concerts. The final show of
4968-498: The curtain and saw this big crowd, and said to myself, "My God, this is really happening!" Kiss wanted to express the excitement felt at its concerts (which its studio albums had so far failed to do) with its first live album. Compiled from concerts recorded between May and July in Wildwood, New Jersey , Detroit and Cleveland , and released on September 10, 1975, Alive! achieved Gold status and spawned Kiss's first top 40 single:
5076-402: The door. On March 13 of that year, the band recorded a five-song demo tape with producer Eddie Kramer . Former TV director Bill Aucoin , who had seen the group at a handful of showcase concerts in the summer of 1973, offered to become the band's manager in mid-October. Kiss agreed, with the condition that Aucoin signed the band to a record label within two weeks. On November 1, 1973, Kiss became
5184-531: The early 1970s. The band recorded an album in 1972, but it was never officially released. Wicked Lester fell apart and Stanley and Simmons answered Peter Criss 's advertisement in Rolling Stone . Soon after recruiting Criss, they held auditions for a lead guitarist, with Stanley placing an ad in the Village Voice . Ace Frehley won the group over with his playing, and was nearly a perfect fit to
5292-455: The effect of "What about Kiss?" Frehley created the now-iconic logo, making the "SS" look like lightning bolts, when he went to write the new band name over "Wicked Lester" on a poster outside the club where they were going to play. (Some of Wicked Lester's artwork included one lightning bolt for the "S" in Lester.) Later, Stanley designed the logo with a Sharpie and a ruler and accidentally drew
5400-585: The end of the 1960s, Epic earned its first gold records and had evolved into a formidable hit-making force in rock and roll , R&B and country music . Among its many acts, it included Roy Hamilton , Bobby Vinton , the Dave Clark Five , the Hollies , Tammy Wynette , Donovan , the Yardbirds , Lulu , July , Helen Shapiro , Cliff Richard , and Jeff Beck . Several of the British artists on
5508-452: The film led to a rift between the band and Aucoin. Kiss's first album of new material in two years, Dynasty (1979), continued the band's Platinum streak. The disco-flavored " I Was Made for Lovin' You " became one of the band's biggest hit singles to date, peaking at No. 11. Session drummer Anton Fig performed almost all the percussion on the album while Criss recovered from an automobile accident. The only song to feature Criss's drumming
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#17328010627075616-463: The first act signed to former teen pop singer and Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart 's new label, Casablanca Records . The band entered Bell Sound Studios in New York City on October 10, 1973, to begin recording its first album. On December 31, the band had its official industry premiere at the Academy of Music in New York City, opening for Blue Öyster Cult . It was at this concert that, for
5724-560: The first non-Platinum Kiss album since Dressed to Kill . Soon after the album's release, Criss's departure was officially announced. Fig, considered a member of Kiss for one day following the departure of Criss, was then fired by Stanley and Simmons, who felt he was not a good fit for the band. He would ultimately join Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band , acting as the drummer for David Letterman 's television programs until
5832-555: The first of many times, Simmons accidentally set his hair (which was coated in hairspray) ablaze while performing his fire-breathing routine. Kiss's first tour started on February 5, 1974, in Edmonton, Alberta , a cafeteria at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology , as an opening act. The band's self-titled debut album was released on February 18. Casablanca and Kiss promoted the album heavily throughout
5940-401: The first surgery. He had announced in 2005 that he will require a third hip surgery in the future. He regards the degeneration of his left hip as partly the product of thousands of shows performed in platform boots since the early 1970s. In October 2011, Stanley had surgery on his vocal cords . He said, "I hold myself to a higher standard than others do. With that in mind, I wanted to remedy
6048-458: The fourth best selling remix album of all time, behind albums by Michael Jackson (fellow Epic Records artist), Madonna and The Beatles . Furthermore, in the second week at number-one for the remix album, Lopez's remixed single Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix) (with Ja Rule ), was also number one, making Lopez the only artist in history to have a number one remix album and single in the same week. Lopez's third studio album, released in late 2002,
6156-528: The group's sound. Kiss released their self-titled debut album in February 1974. At this point, Stanley had the idea of changing his name not only for marketing purposes but also the fact he had always hated his birth name. Inspired by Paul McCartney and Paul Rodgers , he legally changed his name to Paul Stanley. Stanley's persona in Kiss was "the Starchild" displaying one star over his right eye. For
6264-404: The guitar), Criss's elevating drum riser that emitted sparks, Stanley's Townshend -style guitar smashing, and pyrotechnics throughout the show. By mid-1975, Casablanca was almost bankrupt, and Kiss was in danger of losing its record contract. Both parties desperately needed a commercial breakthrough if they were to survive. That breakthrough came in an unlikely form: a "double live" album. I saw
6372-456: The host's retirement. The band auditioned dozens of replacements for Criss in June 1980. One of the many who auditioned was Tico Torres (who would later be with Bon Jovi ). They finally settled on a little-known drummer-guitarist-pianist-keyboardist-singer from Brooklyn named Paul Charles Caravello (born July 12, 1950) who adopted the stage name Eric Carr . His first makeup design was modeled on
6480-426: The immense costs involved; however, "The Return of Kiss" saw a marked decline in attendance. The crowds on this tour were much younger than previous audiences had been, with many preadolescent children in Kiss makeup with their mothers and fathers (who were sometimes wearing the makeup themselves) in tow at most concerts. Kiss themselves did little to dissuade this new fan base, donning colorful costumes that reinforced
6588-715: The imprint Vested In Culture through Epic Records. A year later, she was named president of Epic. In November 2014, Mosley Music Group created a joint venture with Sony Music- with marketing, publicity, distribution and overall label services provided by Epic. The joint venture was created due to Timbaland 's previous co-collaboration with Reid on Michael Jackson's posthumous album, Xscape . Previously operated by Interscope , most of MMG's roster moved to Epic. In 2015, Def Jam Recordings parted ways with Mariah Carey and Carey reunited with Reid at Epic. She had worked with Reid at Def Jam under The Island Def Jam Music Group in 2004. Carey's deals with both Def Jam and Epic were at
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#17328010627076696-472: The inability of listeners to understand the already-muddled storyline. Once released, fan reaction to The Elder was harsh; it failed to achieve Gold status and peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard album chart. The band made only two appearances in support of the new album, both in January 1982. One was a performance on the ABC late-night variety program Fridays , while the second was a lip-synced performance that
6804-518: The logo. Since 1980, most of the band's album covers and merchandise in Germany have used a different logo, in which the letters "SS" look like the letters "ZZ" backwards. This logo is also used in Austria , Switzerland , Lithuania , and Hungary to avoid controversy. The band's name has repeatedly been the subject of rumors pertaining to alleged hidden meanings. Among these rumors are theories that
6912-501: The marketing campaign for the albums, and announced they were shipping five million copies, guaranteeing Platinum status. Despite the large shipments, none of the albums sold particularly well and were later sold as cut-outs . Of the four, Simmons's album charted the highest in the U.S., peaking at #22, while Frehley's spawned the only resulting Top Forty hit single, a cover of " New York Groove ", written by Russ Ballard and originally performed by Hello . Frehley's album has gone on to be
7020-578: The memoir, Stanley, who is Jewish, accused former bandmates Ace Frehley and Peter Criss of antisemitism . An unreleased song written by Stanley along with Jean Beauvoir , titled "Like a Bee to the Honey", was recorded and released by the Finnish hard rock band Lordi for their album, Killection . In 1982, after he turned 30 years old, Stanley had reconstructive surgery for the microtia in his right ear done by Frederic Rueckert, who had been performing
7128-541: The most of any band from the United States. Kiss has 14 Platinum albums, three of which earned multi-Platinum. On April 10, 2014, the four original members of Kiss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Kiss was ranked by MTV as the ninth "Greatest Metal Band of All Time", placed tenth on VH1 's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list, as well as being ranked as the third "Best Metal and Hard Rock Live Band of All Time" by Loudwire magazine and placed sixteenth by
7236-611: The most popular band in America. In Japan, Kiss performed five sold-out shows at Tokyo's Budokan Hall , equaling the record set by the Beatles in 1966 with their five concerts there . When we played in Japan in the late '70s, nothing could prepare you for the hysteria because when people are telling you how big you are, you're big compared to what? Until you're faced with mass hysteria it doesn't really sink in. For you not having been in
7344-578: The name is an acronym for "Knights in Satan's Service", "Kinder SS", or "Kids in Satan's Service". Simmons has denied all of these claims. The first Kiss performance took place on January 30, 1973, for an audience of fewer than ten people at the Popcorn Club (renamed Coventry shortly afterward) in Queens . The band was paid $ 50 for performing two sets that evening, following a cold-call Simmons had made to
7452-431: The new band they were forming. Criss then auditioned for, and later joined their new band. The three focused on a much harder style of rock than that played by Wicked Lester. In November 1972, the band played a showcase for Epic Records A&R director Don Ellis, in an effort to secure a record deal. In early January 1973, the group added lead guitarist Ace Frehley . Frehley impressed the group with his first audition, and
7560-605: The only consistent members. The final lineup consisted of them, Tommy Thayer (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Singer (drums, vocals). With their makeup and costumes, the band members took on the personas of comic book-style characters: the Starchild (Stanley), the Demon (Simmons), the Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley), and the Catman (Criss). During the second half of the 1970s, Kiss became one of America's most successful rock bands and
7668-432: The other hand, was one of the biggest in its history, as they played to sold-out crowds and received overwhelmingly positive press coverage. For its next album, the band worked again with producer Ezrin, with whom Kiss had found success on Destroyer . Early press reports indicated that the new album would be a return to the hard rock style that had originally brought the band success. However, 1981's Music from "The Elder"
7776-831: The procedure primarily on children. The new ear was formed from cartilage from one of the singer's ribs, with skin grafts put over it. Stanley said the surgery had given him "a new lease on life" and was so grateful to Rueckert that he gave the doctor a Rolex watch upon his retirement. Because of this birth defect, Stanley is an ambassador for the charitable organization AboutFace , an organization that provides support and information to people with facial differences. He has appeared at fundraising events and in videos to raise awareness. In 2001, Stanley's first wife, actress Pamela Bowen, filed for divorce after nine years of marriage. They have one son named Evan, born in June 1994. On November 19, 2005, Stanley married longtime girlfriend Erin Sutton at
7884-489: The record. The success of Alive! not only brought Kiss the breakthrough they had been seeking but arguably saved Casablanca, which was close to bankruptcy. Following this success, Kiss partnered with producer Bob Ezrin , who had previously worked with Alice Cooper . The result was Destroyer (released March 15, 1976), Kiss's most musically ambitious studio album to date. Destroyer , with its rather intricate production (using an orchestra, choir, and numerous tape effects),
7992-603: The restaurant franchise Rock & Brews . On August 15, 2013, Stanley, Gene Simmons and manager Doc McGhee became a part of the ownership group that created the L.A. Kiss Arena Football League team, which played their home games at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California . The team folded in 2016. In April 2014, Stanley published his memoir, Face the Music: A Life Exposed ( ISBN 978-0-06-211404-4 ). In
8100-536: The same year, Stanley shared lead vocals with Desmond Child on the title track for the soundtrack of the Wes Craven horror film Shocker . Twenty-eight years after releasing his first solo album, Stanley released a second album, Live to Win , on October 24, 2006. Its title song "Live to Win" appears in the South Park episode " Make Love, Not Warcraft ". In October and November 2006, Stanley embarked on
8208-596: The show's ten-year run in Toronto. Stanley made his debut as a painter in 2006, exhibiting and selling original works of art. Stanley collaborated with Boston -based power pop group Click Five on their hit single , "Angel To You (Devil To Me)". Stanley produced a debut album for the band New England . Their first single from that album in 1978 "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya" reached the Top 40 in 1979. In 2012, Stanley partnered with Gene Simmons and three other investors to form
8316-704: The show. In February 2012, Epic Records signed experimental hip-hop/punk rap trio, Death Grips , under the recommendation of, then executive vice president of marketing, Angelica Cob-Baehler . They released their, arguably, most commercially successful album The Money Store (album) in April 2012. They were later dropped from the label following conflict due to cancelling a tour to work on their next album, No Love Deep Web , and releasing it for legal download on Peer-to-peer connection site, BitTorrent , to bypass Epic Records' desire to release it in 2013. In 2013, Sylvia Rhone , former president of Universal Motown , launched
8424-514: 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. On February 19, in its first television appearance, the band performed " Nothin' to Lose ", " Firehouse " and " Black Diamond " on ABC 's In Concert (aired March 29). On April 29,
8532-450: The spring and summer of 1974. 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
8640-615: The three songs, Kiss was the subject of a brief comedic "interview" conducted by Paul Lynde . This included Lynde noting, when hearing the member's first names, "Oh, I love a good religious group." Two more highly successful studio albums were released in less than a year: Rock and Roll Over (November 11, 1976) and Love Gun (June 30, 1977). A second live album, Alive II , was released on October 14, 1977. All three albums were certified Platinum soon after their release. Between 1976 and 1978, Kiss earned $ 17.7 million from record royalties and music publishing. A 1977 Gallup poll named Kiss
8748-404: The time was intended to be Kiss's last. Criss and Frehley were replaced by Singer and Tommy Thayer (Criss briefly rejoined the band from 2002 to 2004), respectively. In a move which proved controversial among fans, Singer and Thayer adopted the original Catman and Spaceman makeup respectively, rather than having their own unique makeup designs. After 46 years of recording and performing, Kiss began
8856-415: The tour (December 16, 1979) was the last time Criss performed with the group for almost 17 years, although he remained an official member for nearly six more months. While Criss appeared on the cover of the next album, Unmasked , Anton Fig was the actual drummer, although he was not credited. Showcasing a slick, contemporary pop sound, Unmasked (released May 20, 1980) had the dubious distinction of being
8964-795: The tour were filmed for a documentary titled Paul Stanley: Live to Dream by the Chicago-based Film Foetus. The band's performance at the House of Blues in Chicago was captured on film and released in 2008 on DVD and digital audio download formats as One Live Kiss . In 2008, Stanley sang a duet with Sarah Brightman , " I Will Be with You ", on her Symphony album. In 2016, he guested in Ace Frehley 's covers album Origins, Vol. 1 , singing " Fire and Water " by Free . In 2015, Stanley established Paul Stanley's Soul Station,
9072-604: The two S's nonparallel because he did it "by eye". The art department asked him if he wanted it to be redrafted to be perfect and he said, "It got us this far, let's leave well enough alone. Our number one rule has always been no rules." The letters happened to look similar to the insignia of the Nazi SS , a symbol that is outlawed in Germany by Section 86a of the German criminal code. However, Simmons and Stanley, both Jewish, have denied any intentional likeness to Nazi symbolism in
9180-570: The venue, convincing them to hire the new band for a three-night stand. For the first three gigs, January 30 to February 1, they wore makeup, but the iconic character designs associated with Kiss made their debuts during the March 9–10 shows at The Daisy in Amityville, New York . Our first show ever was at Coventry. Coventry was a study in contrasts. The first time we played there was nobody there. The last time we played there, you could barely get in
9288-494: The years, including Washburn (with whom he also had a signature model), Gibson, B.C. Rich, Ampeg and Ovation among others. He has also previously used amplifiers by Fender and later Randall. In 1999, Stanley starred in a Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera , in which he played the role of the Phantom. He appeared in the musical from May 25 to August 1, and again that year from September 30 to October 31, 1999, closing
9396-531: Was "Dirty Livin'", on which he also sang lead. The album is also notable due to Frehley singing three lead vocals versus Simmons two, which he put down to increased confidence following the success of his solo album. Billed as "The Return of Kiss", the Dynasty Tour was expected by Kiss and their management to build on the success of previous tours. Plans were drawn up for a Kiss-themed traveling amusement park called "Kiss World", but were abandoned because of
9504-467: Was a concept album featuring medieval horns, strings, harps , and synthesizers. The album was presented as a soundtrack to a film that was never made, making it difficult to follow the storyline. To make matters worse, having received negative feedback following its record company's preview of the album, Kiss altered the record's track sequence in most countries to emphasize potential singles "The Oath" and "A World Without Heroes", which all but guaranteed
9612-576: Was a departure from the raw sound of the first three studio albums. Album art was designed by Ken Kelly , who had drawn Tarzan and Conan the Barbarian and also produced album covers for acts such as Rainbow and Manowar . While the album sold well initially and became the group's second Gold album, it quickly dropped down the charts. Only when the ballad " Beth ", the B-side of the single " Detroit Rock City ", began to gain more airplay on FM radio did
9720-593: Was a solo effort (none of the group appeared on another's album), however all were released and marketed as Kiss albums (with similar cover art and poster inserts). It was the first time that all current members of a rock band had released solo albums on the same day. For the band members, it was a chance to showcase their individual musical styles and tastes outside of Kiss, and in some cases to collaborate with contemporary artists. Stanley's and Frehley's albums were most similar to Kiss's hard rock style, while Criss's album featured an R&B style including ballads. Simmons'
9828-787: Was also a success, titled This is me... Then ; the record sold 6 million copies worldwide and peaked at the second spot of the Billboard 200. Lopez's first full-length Spanish debut, Como Ama Una Mujer , became the first Spanish-language debut album to enter the top 10 of the Billboard 200, and has sold 1 million copies worldwide. This was Lopez's final studio album under Epic Records before her move to Island Def Jam and Capitol Records ; she released her first greatest hits compilation, Dance Again... The Hits , gaining critical success. In February 2009, Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer appointed singer-songwriter Amanda Ghost as president of Epic. Ghost, who had successfully promoted James Blunt to Grammy Award-winning status,
9936-479: Was an unconventional and controversial choice for president because she had no corporate executive experience. She was expected to reverse the trend of declining sales at Epic by promoting the label's newer and mid-tier artists such as Augustana . Stringer also merged Epic and Columbia to form the Columbia/Epic Label Group in 2009, with himself as acting chairman. Ghost scored hit records for
10044-609: Was announced that Reid would exit as the label's CEO. Following his exit, it was reported that Reid had been accused of sexual harassment by multiple Epic employees. On April 23, 2019, it was announced that Rhone had been appointed as Chair and CEO of the label. In April 2023, Sony Music UK announced the relaunch of Epic Records UK as one of their frontline labels, with former publishing executive Sarah Lockhart appointed as president. Unlike sister label Columbia, Epic has gone through five different logos. Some logos were temporarily revived for period reissues. The years shown below list
10152-657: Was approved by the European Union in 2009. Epic Soundtrax was founded as a film soundtrack label in 1992. It was central to Epic's 1990s success, with 11 soundtrack releases cumulatively selling more than 40 million records over a three-year period. Notable releases included soundtrack albums for Honeymoon in Vegas , Singles , Sleepless in Seattle , Forrest Gump , Philadelphia , and Judgment Night . In 1999, Jennifer Lopez released her debut album On
10260-403: Was asked back for a second audition. A few weeks after Frehley joined, the classic lineup was solidified as the band to be named Kiss. They also began experimenting with their image, by wearing makeup and various outfits. Stanley came up with the name while he, Simmons, and Criss were driving around New York City. Criss mentioned that he had been in a band called Lips, so Stanley said something to
10368-428: Was broadcast via satellite during Italy's Sanremo Music Festival . Absent from the satellite performance was Frehley, who had become increasingly frustrated with Kiss's new musical direction. Upset with the band's decision to record Music from "The Elder" , he did not actively participate in the album's creation (despite recording solos on it), providing lead vocals for only one track, "Dark Light". He did not appear at
10476-472: Was fired in October 2010, with Stringer apologizing for his mistake: "I owe the people at Epic..." In July 2011, L.A. Reid became the CEO of Epic Records, signing artists such as TLC , Toni Braxton , Cher Lloyd , Avril Lavigne , Outkast , Future , Yo Gotti , Ciara , Meghan Trainor , DJ Khaled , and Travis Scott . Epic also signed the winners of The X Factor during the seasons that Reid appeared on
10584-594: Was given a child's guitar at age seven. Stanley's family relocated to the Kew Gardens neighborhood in Queens in 1960. He listened to a lot of doo-wop music, but when the Beatles and the Rolling Stones played on U.S. television he was inspired by the performance aspect, which he thought was not out of his reach. Stanley received his first real guitar at age 13, an acoustic one that he would have preferred to be electric. He played tunes by Bob Dylan ,
10692-409: Was raised Jewish, although he did not consider his family very observant and did not celebrate his bar mitzvah . His parents listened to classical music and light opera ; Stanley was greatly moved by Beethoven 's works. Since Stanley's right ear was misshapen from a birth defect called microtia and he was unable to hear on that side, he found it difficult to determine the direction of a sound, and
10800-472: Was raised in upper Manhattan , New York City, 211th Street and Broadway. Both of his parents were Jewish. He was the younger of two children; his sister Julia is two years older. Their mother Eva Jontof-Hutter came from a family that fled Nazi Germany for Amsterdam , the Netherlands, and then to New York City. His father William Eisen's parents Rebecca and Harry Eisenhandler were from Poland. Stanley
10908-419: Was replaced by Eric Singer . In response to a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the mid-1990s, the original lineup reunited in 1996, which also saw the return of their makeup and stage costumes. The resulting 1996–1997 reunion tour was highly successful, grossing $ 143.7 million, making it the band's most successful tour. Criss and Frehley subsequently left the band again following the 2000–2001 tour , which at
11016-495: Was severing ties with its manager of nine years, Bill Aucoin, and cutting back on its unwieldy organizational tree. Although Frehley had already decided to leave the band, he was pictured on the covers of 1982's Killers and Creatures of the Night , although he did not participate in the recording of either album. Creatures of the Night (October 13, 1982) was Kiss's heaviest album to date, and although it fared better than Music from "The Elder" , it peaked at only No. 45 on
11124-443: Was shelved in favor of the Kiss compilation Smashes, Thrashes & Hits . While never officially released, songs such as "Don't Let Go" and "When Two Hearts Collide" have circulated as bootleg recordings . One song from the project, "Time Traveler", was released as part of Kiss' 2001 box set . In 1989, Stanley embarked on a brief club tour. His touring band included guitarist Bob Kulick and future Kiss drummer Eric Singer . In
11232-651: Was signed to Epic because of his membership in The Hollies. When the newly formed Crosby, Stills & Nash wanted to sign with Atlantic Records , Ahmet Ertegun worked out a deal with Clive Davis whereby Richie Furay 's new band Poco (having signed with Atlantic due to Furay's contract from being in Buffalo Springfield ) would sign with Epic. During the 1960s, Epic oversaw the smaller subsidiary CBS labels including Okeh Records and Date Records . In 1968, Epic recordings began being distributed in
11340-465: Was the first Kiss performance Stanley missed. During the first leg of the band's final tour , Stanley was accused by fans of lip syncing and using backing tracks . In response to the allegations, Stanley did not confirm nor deny that he lip syncs on stage, saying he is taking care of his voice. Accusations were later revived by fans following the band's performance in Belgium on June 6, 2022, when
11448-636: Was the most diverse of the four, featuring hard rock, ballads, Beatles -influenced pop and a cover version of " When You Wish Upon a Star " from the Disney film Pinocchio . Simmons' many collaborators included Aerosmith 's Joe Perry , Cheap Trick 's Rick Nielsen , the Doobie Brothers ' Jeff "Skunk" Baxter , Donna Summer , Janis Ian , Helen Reddy , Bob Seger , Katey Sagal , and his then-girlfriend Cher . The solo albums were released on September 18, 1978. Casablanca spent $ 2.5 million on
11556-433: Was the writer or co-writer of many of the band's most popular songs. Stanley established The Starchild character for his Kiss persona. Stanley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Kiss. In 2006, Hit Parader ranked him 18th on their list of the Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time. A Gibson.com readers' poll in 2010 named him 13th on their list of Top 25 Frontmen. Stanley Bert Eisen
11664-483: Was unable to understand speech in a noisy environment. Attending PS 98 , he was taunted by other children for his deformed ear. Despite his hearing problem, Stanley enjoyed listening to music, and he watched American Bandstand on television. His favorite musical artists included Eddie Cochran , Dion and the Belmonts , Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard . Stanley learned to sing harmony with his family, and he
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