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83-496: Love Gun is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss , released on June 30, 1977. Casablanca Records and FilmWorks shipped one million copies of the album on this date. It was certified platinum and became the band's first top 5 album on the Billboard 200 . The album was remastered in 1997 and again in 2014. Love Gun is the first Kiss studio album to feature a lead vocal performance from Ace Frehley , making it

166-441: 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

249-507: 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

332-590: A concert at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida . During the opening song, Frehley touched an ungrounded metal staircase railing. He was knocked backward, and the concert was delayed for 30 minutes. The show was eventually completed, and Frehley lost feeling in his hand for the remainder of the concert. This was the first lead vocal that Frehley recorded. In his autobiography, he states that he originally intended for Gene Simmons to sing

415-736: 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,

498-633: 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

581-443: 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

664-473: A neanderthal.” Eddie and Alex Van Halen played on the demo of “Christine Sixteen” and Simmons insisted the band replicate the song note for note, including the lead solo. "I Stole Your Love" Stanley has said the song "came quickly. It was influenced in some ways by the Deep Purple song ' Burn '.” " Christine Sixteen " Then-unknown guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen played on

747-463: 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

830-549: 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

913-528: 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

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996-459: 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

1079-521: Is one of several gender-reversed covers of the Crystals ' 1963 single " Then He Kissed Me ". Love Gun was reissued for the first time in 1985. The reissue included the original artwork, and while it featured a plain sleeve the jacket still contained a reference for the original color sleeve. The first 10,000 pressings contained label errors: specifically, the third track of the 'A' side was listed as "Plaster Caster" but played as "Got Love for Sale", and

1162-493: Is provided by Booker T. Jones on organ, Steve Cropper on rhythm guitar, Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass, Al Jackson Jr. on drums; plus members of the Memphis Horns , Wayne Jackson on trumpet, Andrew Love on tenor saxophone and Joe Arnold on baritone saxophone. "The Hunter" was first released on Albert King's 1967 album, Born Under a Bad Sign , which "became one of the most popular and influential blues albums of

1245-532: 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. The Hunter (Albert King song) "The Hunter" is a mid-tempo twenty-four bar blues in the key of A. Although the music reflects more modern trends in blues, the lyrics contain some of the swagger of the verses Willie Dixon wrote for Muddy Waters in

1328-501: 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

1411-566: 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

1494-488: The 'B' side track listings were completely out of order. Love Gun was remastered and reissued in 1997 as part of the Kiss Remasters series. It was remastered and reissued in a deluxe edition on October 28, 2014, with sleeve notes by Def Leppard 's Joe Elliott and a second disc containing demos, live rarities, and a 1977 interview with Gene Simmons. All tracks on the second disc were previously unreleased, bar

1577-528: The 1950s: They call me the hunter, that's my name A pretty woman like you, is my only game I bought me a love gun, just the other day And I aim to aim it your way Ain't no use to hide, ain't no use to run 'Cause I've got you in the sights of my love gun The song was recorded on June 9, 1967, at the Stax Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Albert King sings and plays lead guitar. The backing

1660-479: 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

1743-524: The Music , Stanley acknowledges the derivation: "I stole the idea of a 'love gun' from Albert King's version of 'The Hunter'." Both Led Zeppelin (as part of "How Many More Times") and Free , two big influences on Paul, recorded the song on their first albums in 1968. "Plaster Caster" The song was inspired by Cynthia Plaster Caster , a former groupie famous for casting penises of famous rock musicians, such as Jimi Hendrix . "Then She Kissed Me" The track

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1826-452: 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

1909-612: 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

1992-458: 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

2075-735: 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

2158-461: The band again following the 2000–2001 tour , which at 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

2241-444: The band for the next twelve years. Eric Carr died in 1991 of heart cancer and 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

2324-471: 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

2407-880: 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 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

2490-501: 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

2573-438: 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

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2656-475: 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

2739-460: 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

2822-446: 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

2905-418: 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

2988-468: 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

3071-477: The cover for 1976's Destroyer . A cardboard "Love Gun" (assembly required) was included inside the album, along with a Kiss merchandise order form. According to the diary of album engineer Corky Stasiak, Kiss entered the Record Plant to begin recording Love Gun on May 3, 1977 and completed it on May 28th, with their cover of “Then She Kissed Me” being the last song cut. He also notes that Ace didn’t join

3154-498: 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:

3237-577: The demo of "Reputation", which had appeared on the compilation Kiss 40 a few months earlier. The three live tracks were recorded at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland on December 20, 1977. "The potential for this to be the greatest deluxe edition of all time," noted music writer Geoff Barton , "is ruined by a too-clean remastering job – plus, if truth be told, a track that has dated badly in 'Christine Sixteen'." All credits adapted from

3320-437: The demo of this song, as well as "Got Love for Sale". The lyrics have a similar theme to " Goin' Blind " from Hotter than Hell ; both songs involve older men lusting after underage girls. It was sampled by Tone Loc on " Funky Cold Medina ". " Shock Me " The song was inspired by an event that took place during Kiss's Rock and Roll Over tour when Frehley suffered an electric shock . On December 12, 1976, Kiss performed

3403-402: 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

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3486-481: The early 1980s before experiencing a resurgence in 1983, when they began performing without makeup and costumes, marking 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

3569-458: 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

3652-453: 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

3735-464: 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

3818-562: 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

3901-557: 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

3984-579: The first to feature lead vocal performances from all four band members. Before Love Gun was completed, a Gallup poll indicated that Kiss was the most popular band in the United States, beating Aerosmith , Led Zeppelin and the Eagles . On August 26, 27 and 28, 1977, Kiss recorded three shows at the LA Forum for their next release, their second live album Alive II . The album cover was painted by fantasy artist Ken Kelly , who had previously contributed

4067-408: 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

4150-457: 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

4233-428: 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

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4316-529: 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

4399-584: The late '60s". Writing for AllMusic , Stephen Thomas Erlewine described "The Hunter" as one of the songs that "form the very foundation of Albert King's musical identity and legacy. In 1969, the song was released as a single, but did not reach the charts. The song later appeared on various Albert King compilation albums, including King of the Blues Guitar ( Atlantic Records , 1989) and The Ultimate Collection ( Rhino Records , 1993). Ike & Tina Turner recorded their rendition of "The Hunter", which

4482-520: 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

4565-503: 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

4648-430: 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 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,

4731-545: 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

4814-613: 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

4897-580: 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

4980-432: 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

5063-424: The original release. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Kiss (band) 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

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5146-434: 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"

5229-429: The others until May 9 and that many of the basic tracks were completed by Paul, Gene and Peter. Producer Eddie Kramer notes that, in addition to Ace lying on his back to sing “Shock Me,” he recalls recording Peter’s drums in a hallway and that while Gene is often quoted as playing the piano on “Christine Sixteen” himself, Kramer claims HE played the piano on the song, with Gene standing over him, coaching him to “play like

5312-490: 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),

5395-515: 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,

5478-446: The song for their debut album, Tons of Sobs . An album review noted the similarity between their version and that by Led Zeppelin , which appears during the " How Many More Times " medley on their 1969 self-titled debut album . Also in 1968, Blue Cheer included a version on their second album Outsideinside . Music critic Mark Deming described it as "a broad but playful exercise in sexual swagger that, if nothing else, provided

5561-426: The song, but the bassist encouraged Frehley to try it himself. Frehley recorded his lead vocal part while lying on the floor of the studio because he liked the added pressure on his chest. "Tomorrow and Tonight" The song was written to try to recapture the feeling of " Rock and Roll All Nite ", but never reached the success of the aforementioned hit. A soundcheck recording of the song appears on Alive II . The song

5644-450: 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

5727-616: 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

5810-417: 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

5893-605: 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

5976-571: 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

6059-533: 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

6142-468: 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

6225-578: 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

6308-594: 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'

6391-405: 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

6474-429: 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

6557-400: Was later included on the compilations albums The Best of Ike & Tina Turner (Blue Thumb Records, 1973) and The Ike & Tina Turner Story: 1960–1975 ( Time Life , 2007). Canned Heat recorded a demo version in 1967, but re-recorded it as "Amphetamine Annie" (an early anti-drug song) using the same music ( Boogie with Canned Heat 1968). In 1968, English rock group Free recorded

6640-535: Was never played live by the band until Kiss Kruise VII in November 2017. " Love Gun " The title song has been played on every Kiss tour since its release. Stanley has cited it as the Kiss song he is the proudest of writing. It was the first song that he wrote, arranged, and produced in its entirety. The song shares many of its lyrics with " The Hunter ", written by Booker T. & the M.G.'s , and originally recorded by Albert King in 1967. In his autobiography Face

6723-496: 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

6806-636: 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

6889-564: Was used as the opening track for their 1969 Blue Thumb Records album of the same name . The album is one of their most blues-oriented and earned Tina Turner a Grammy nomination in 1969. A shorter single edit was also released; a review in Record World noted: "Ike and Tina really tear it up on this, originally done by Albert King; and it's funky and great." The single reached No. 37 on Billboard 's Best Selling Soul Singles chart and No. 93 on its broader Hot 100 . The song

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