ACE FREHLEY - KRR #1
ORIGINAL VERSIONS
1.Megaforce
2.New York.Groove
CRAZY JOE AND THE VARIABLE SPEED BAND
3.Eugene
ACE FREHLEY/ FREHLEY'S COMET DEMOS 1984
4.Audio Video
5.Im So Wired
6.The Girl Cant Dance
7.Remember Me
8.Baby Its You
9.I Got The Touch
10.Rock Or Be Rocked
11.The Hurt Is On
RICHIE SCARLET DEMO 1986
12.Instrumental
13.Nothings Safe Here Anymore
14.I Cant Take It No More
15.Psycho Get What She Wants
16.Crimson And Glover
ACE FREHLEY/ FREHLEY'S COMET DEMOS 1985
17.Stay Alive
18.Animal
19.Give It To Me Anyway
.........................................
Birth name
Paul Daniel Frehley
Also known as
Space Ace
Born
April 27, 1951
The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres
Hard rock, heavy metal
Occupation(s)
Musician, songwriter
Instruments
Guitar, vocals
Years active
1973–present
Labels
Casablanca, Mercury, Megaforce, Bronx Born
Associated acts
Kiss, Frehley's Comet, Ace Frehley Band
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley (/'fre?li/; born April 27, 1951)[1][self-published source][2] is an American musician and songwriter best known as the original lead guitarist and co-founding member of the rock band Kiss. He invented the persona of the "Spaceman" (a.k.a. "Space Ace") and played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982. After leaving Kiss, Frehley embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly-successful reunion tour.
Frehley's second tenure with Kiss lasted until 2002, when he left at the conclusion of what was originally purported to be the band's Farewell Tour. His most recent solo album, Spaceman, was released on October 19, 2018. Guitar World magazine ranked him as the 14th Greatest Metal Guitarist of All Time. Outside Kiss, Frehley had commercial success, with his first solo album going platinum. His first album with his "Frehley's Comet" band was also a big seller. Frehley is also known for the use of many "special effects" guitars, including a Gibson Les Paul guitar that emits smoke from the neck humbucker pickup and produces spinning pyrotechnics, and a custom Les Paul that emits light based on song tempo.
Biography
Early years
Paul Daniel Frehley was born and raised in The Bronx of New York City, the youngest of three children of Esther Anna (Hecht) and Carl Daniel Frehley.[3] His father, from Pennsylvania, was the son of Dutch immigrants, and his mother is originally from North Carolina.[4] He has a sister Nancy and a brother Charles, a classical guitarist. As a youth, Frehley was part of the Ducky Boys street gang. The Frehleys were a musical family, and when Frehley received an electric guitar as a Christmas present in 1964, he immersed himself in learning the instrument. "I never went to music school; I never took a guitar lesson, but everybody in my family plays an instrument. My mother and father both played piano, his father was the church organist, and my brother and sister both played piano and acoustic guitar." Frehley was always surrounded by music. Frehley started playing guitar at age 13. He lists Jimi Hendrix, Albert Lee, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who as his main influences.[5]
Growing up on the corner of Marion Avenue and 201st Street, off Bedford Park Boulevard (also known as 200th Street) and Webster Avenue in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx,[9] Frehley graduated from Grace Lutheran School at age 13. However, he was thrown out of two high schools and dropped out of the third. Two of the high schools he attended were DeWitt Clinton High School on Mosholu Parkway and Theodore Roosevelt High School on Fordham Road. He got the nickname "Ace" in high school from friends who said he was "a real ace" for his ability to get dates. Also in his high school years, a guidance counselor encouraged him to get into graphic arts. His family did not have much money, and in his teen years, Frehley got involved in street gangs. He later credited guitar playing for "saving his life" as a member of Kiss.
Frehley's earliest bands included The Outrage, The Four Roses, King Kong, Honey and The Magic People. When Frehley's later band, Cathedral, began getting paying gigs, he dropped out of high school. At the insistence of his family and girlfriend, Frehley eventually returned and earned a diploma. After graduation, Frehley held a string of short-term jobs—mail carrier, furniture deliverer, messenger, and liquor store delivery boy.[10]
Kiss
Frehley spent the early 1970s in a series of local bands including one called Molimo who recorded half an album for RCA Records in 1971.[11] In late 1972, his friend, Chris Cassone, spotted an advertisement for a lead guitarist in The Village Voice and showed the ad to Frehley.[12] Frehley went to 10 East 23rd Street above the Live Bait Bar. Frehley auditioned for Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (bass guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) for the band. Frehley, who showed up with best friend Chris Cassone,[13] wearing one red and one orange sneaker, was less than impressive visually, but the band liked what they heard from his playing. About three weeks later, the band named Frehley as their lead guitarist. By January 1973, the band came up with the name Kiss. Frehley designed the band's double-lightning-bolt logo, which was polished up by Paul Stanley. The band quickly decided to paint their faces for live performances, and Frehley decided to start painting silver stars on his eyes. When the group eventually decided to adopt stage personas to match their makeup and costumes, Frehley became Space Ace. Later his stage persona was also known as The Spaceman.
The Spaceman
While Kiss spent their early days rehearsing and playing in empty clubs, Frehley worked as a part-time cab driver to pay bills. In September 1973, Kiss members began to receive a $75 a week salary from new manager Bill Aucoin, and Frehley quit his cabbie job.
Kiss released their debut album, Kiss, in February 1974 – Frehley was credited for writing two songs, "Love Theme from KISS" (the only song co-written by the four original members) and a fan classic, "Cold Gin". However, due to Frehley's lack of confidence in his own singing voice, Simmons performed the vocals. Frehley wrote or co-wrote several of the band's songs over the next few years but did not record vocals on a song until "Shock Me" (inspired by his near-electrocution during a concert in Lakeland, Florida), which appeared on 1977's Love Gun.[10]
As lead guitarist, Frehley was known for his frenetic, atmospheric playing, becoming one of the most popular guitarists in the 1970s and spawning a generation of new players. Frehley stated in the book Kiss: Behind the Mask that many guitarists have told him his playing on 1975's hit Alive! prompted them to pick up the instrument. Frehley is well-recognized for using Gibson Les Paul guitars, including his trademarked model conversion Les Paul Custom (that he modified himself), which filled the stage full of smoke during his live guitar solo.
Along with the three other Kiss members, Frehley released an eponymous solo album in 1978. His was the best-selling of the four, and the album's lone single—the Russ Ballard-written "New York Groove", originally recorded by Hello—reached the Top 20 in the United States.[14]
Frehley's songwriting presence within the group increased in 1979. He contributed three songs for 1979's Dynasty and three for 1980's Unmasked. While this was not the most commercially successful time for Kiss in the United States, the band was beginning to take off in other countries (mostly in Australia, where Dynasty and Unmasked are their biggest-selling albums). Even as his songwriting role within Kiss was increasing, Frehley found himself increasingly at odds with the musical direction of the band. After Peter Criss left Kiss in 1980, Frehley was often outvoted 2-1 in band decisions, as replacement drummer Eric Carr was not a partner in Kiss and had no vote. Frehley's participation in the recording of 1981's Music from "The Elder" was far more limited than with previous albums. This was in large part due to his unhappiness with the band's decision to create a concept album rather than a straightforward rock album, and also, by Frehley's own admission, his "not relating all that well" to producer Bob Ezrin, who cut many of Frehley's solos from the recorded tracks.
Although Frehley appeared on the covers for 1982's greatest hits album Killers and studio album Creatures of the Night, he had no involvement with Killers, and minimal (no musical) input on Creatures of the Night. Frehley's last appearances with the band were the video for "I Love It Loud", a series of European promotional appearances in November 1982 and a band interview with MTV in early 1983 promoting their world tour.
Solo career/Frehley's Comet
In December 1982, Kiss began the Creatures of the Night tour without Frehley: he was replaced by Vinnie Vincent. However, Frehley retained a one-quarter share in the Kiss partnership until 1985. He received one-quarter of the profits for both Lick It Up and Animalize although he had no involvement with either record.[1]
In 1984, Frehley started his post-Kiss solo career by assembling a band that included, among others, drummer Anton Fig (who had performed on Frehley's 1978 solo album and on two Kiss albums). Bassist John Regan (who had worked with Peter Frampton), whom Frehley met in 1980, was also an original member of the band as was vocalist/guitarist Richie Scarlet and keyboardist Arthur Stead.[1] The group, whose name alternated between 'Ace Frehley' and Frehley's Comet, recorded a series of demos throughout 1984 and 1985.[15] The band performed their first ever live show at S.I.R. Studios in New York City on November 30, 1984, and played a handful of shows in the Northeast United States in March 1985.
After a few unsuccessful attempts at securing a recording contract, the group eventually signed to Megaforce Records and released their first album, Frehley's Comet, on July 7, 1987. The album was co-produced by Eddie Kramer, who had produced not only a number of Kiss albums, but Frehley's 1978 album and some of his 1984–85 demos. Fig, now being the in-studio drummer for David Letterman's late-night television show, performed on the album but was unable to maintain a permanent commitment to touring. He played on the 1987 tour in the U.S. when Frehley's band played a double bill with Y&T, and White Lion opening the shows. By the time the band began recording this album, Scarlet had left the group to pursue other projects and was replaced by Tod Howarth. In addition, at some point between the initial Frehley's Comet shows in 1984–85 and their signing to Megaforce, the band had become a four-piece, with Stead no longer playing with the group.
Frehley's Comet, a mixture of hard rock and pop metal, was a successful return to the music scene for Frehley. The album peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 (selling nearly 500,000 copies[1]), and the single, a Russ Ballard cover "Into the Night", reached No. 27 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[16] "Rock Soldiers" was an autobiographic song, written partially about Frehley's April 1982 police chase in White Plains, NY while driving in DeLorean with his friend. The video for "Rock Soldiers" received moderate airplay on MTV, particularly on Headbangers Ball.
Despite the positive reviews and healthy album sales of Frehley's Comet, Frehley was unable to maintain much commercial momentum. Two 1988 Frehley's Comet albums—the live EP Live+1 and second studio album Second Sighting peaked at No. 84 and No. 81, respectively. A pair of tours in support of Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden ended prematurely, with the band claiming lack of payment in both cases.[17]
In order to reverse his band's declining commercial fortunes, Frehley dropped the Frehley's Comet moniker and issued 1989's Trouble Walkin' under his own name. Tod Howarth and Jamie Oldaker also decided to leave before recording started on the album, and were replaced by Scarlet and Sandy Slavin. Despite the return to a more traditional hard rock style, Trouble Walkin' continued the pattern of declining sales, and peaked at #102.
One notable aspect of Trouble Walkin' was the guest appearance of Peter Criss, who provided backing vocals on several tracks, along with Sebastian Bach and other members of Skid Row. It was the first time Criss and Frehley had performed together on an album since Kiss' 1979 album, Dynasty, although Criss had shown up briefly at a Frehley's Comet show in Los Angeles in 1987, playing drums on a final encore of "Deuce". Frehley would return the favor by playing solos on Peter Criss' Cat #1 album on TNT Records, released in 1994. In contrast to the somewhat adversarial relationship Frehley had with Kiss (particularly Gene Simmons) throughout the 1980s, he and Criss had maintained good ties during the decade. In June 1995, Frehley's and Criss' bands embarked on the "Bad Boys Tour" with Scarlet on guitar, marking the end of Frehley's solo band for several years as Kiss shortly thereafter reunited and began touring together again.[18]
Reunion with Kiss
Love Gun Tour stage setup
In 1996, Frehley rejoined Kiss for a successful reunion tour, on which all four original members of the band performed live for the first time since original drummer Peter Criss' departure in 1980. After the tour, they announced that the original lineup would return to the studio to record a new album. The resulting record, Psycho Circus, was promoted with a successful world tour, but it was revealed a couple of years later that Frehley's and Criss's involvement on it was minimal. "Into the Void", which was Frehley's lone contribution to the record, including vocals and lead guitar duties, is believed to be the only track that all four original members performed on. After completing the "Farewell Tour" with Kiss in late 2001, Frehley left the band and resumed his solo career.[19]
Autobiography
Ace Frehley released his autobiography, No Regrets - A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir, on November 1, 2011. The autobiography was authored by Frehley, Joe Layden and John Ostrosky, and published through Gallery Books, a subdivision of Simon & Schuster.[20] The book entered The New York Times Best Seller list in the hardcover non-fiction category at #10.[21]
Technique
In a 2009 interview with Rock N Roll Experience Magazine, Frehley stated, "I'm an anomaly, I'm an un-schooled musician, I don't know how to read music, but I'm one of the most famous guitar players in the world, so go figure."[22]
"I play guitar in such an unorthodox way," he told Guitar World in 1996. "I've never taken a guitar lesson. One of our assistants brought it to my attention a few months ago that, sometimes, when I play chords, my thumb is on the fretted side of the neck. I have no idea why or how I do it, but I do." "I remember a time early on when Ace and I would play," added Paul Stanley, "and I would do vibrato with my hand, and Ace would get vibrato by shaking his whole arm against the neck of the guitar [laughs]."[23]
Signature Les Paul Guitars
Frehley currently has three Gibson and two Epiphone Signature Les Paul Guitars. His first model, released in 1997 included a signature headstock, lightning bolt inlays, and (allegedly) three DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups. His second signature guitar, the "Budokan" Les Paul replicates his heritage cherry sunburst guitar he used in 1976. His most recent model replicates his 1959 Lemon Burst Les Paul Standard, this one was only made by Gibson. Both Gibson and Epiphone produced the first two guitars.
Frehley in 1977 performing his signature smoke effect during the Love Gun Tour
Discography
Solo albums
Ace Frehley (1978)
Frehley's Comet (1987)
Second Sighting (1988)
Trouble Walkin' (1989)
Anomaly (2009)
Space Invader (2014)
Origins, Vol. 1 (2016)
Spaceman (2018)
Live albums
Live+1 (1988)
Greatest Hits Live (2006)
Compilation albums
12 Picks (1997)
Loaded Deck (1998)
Studio Albums With Kiss
Kiss (1974)
Hotter Than Hell (1974)
Dressed to Kill (1975)
Destroyer (1976)
Rock and Roll Over (1976)
Love Gun (1977)
Dynasty (1979)
Unmasked (1980)
Music from "The Elder" (1981)
Psycho Circus (1998)
Solo singles
1978: "New York Groove" - from the album Ace Frehley, his 1978 KISS solo album. This is a cover of a song written by Russ Ballard, which was recorded by the band Hello, for their album Keeps Us off the Streets, released in 1976.
1987: "Into the Night" - from the album Frehley's Comet.
1987: "Rock Soldiers" - from the album Frehley's Comet.
1988: "Words Are Not Enough" - (from the album Live+1).
1988: "Insane" - from the album Second Sighting.
1988: "It's Over Now" - from the album Second Sighting.
1989: "Do Ya" - from the album Trouble Walkin'. A cover of a Jeff Lynne song, written in 1971 whilst in The Move. The song was later recorded with Jeff Lynne's ELO, and included on their album A New World Record, released in 1976.
2009: "Outer Space" - from the album Anomaly.
2014: "Gimme a Feelin'" - from the album Space Invader.
2014: "The Joker" - from the album Space Invader). A cover of the Steve Miller classic from his 1973 album The Joker.
2016: "White Room" - from the album Origins, Vol.1. A cover of the Cream classic from their 1968 album Wheels of Fire.
2016: "Fire and Water" - from the album Origins, Vol.1. A cover of the Free classic from their 1970 album, Fire and Water, featuring Paul Stanley of KISS on vocals (promotional video).
2018: Bronx Boy (released as a single on April 27, 2018, Ace Frehley's birthday) - from the album Spaceman.
2018: Rockin' With The Boys - from the album Spaceman.
Guest appearances
"Eugene" – Song on the 1981 self-titled album by Crazy Joe and the Variable Speed Band. Frehley co-wrote and co-produced the song with Joe Renda and played synth drums.
"Bump and Grind" – Song on the 1984 Wendy O. Williams album - WOW, Frehley played lead guitar.
"Bad Attitude," "Walk the Line" and "Blue Moon Over Brooklyn". Frehley played lead guitar on these three songs which feature on his former KISS bandmate Peter Criss' album Cat #1 – the 1994 "Criss" album.
"Cherokee Boogie" – Song on the 1996 compilation album Smell the Fuzz: Guitars that Rule the World 2. The song was written, produced and engineered by Frehley, who also played all guitars on it.
"Rocker Room Theme" – Song on the 1998 Still Wicked album Something Wicked This Way Comes. Frehley played rhythm and lead guitar. CD also features Ron Leejack (Wicked Lester), Gordon G.G. Gebert, MaryAnn Scandiffio and Michael Sciotto.
"Foxy Lady" – Song on the 1998 ESP (Eric Singer Project) album Lost and Spaced. Frehley played lead guitar.
"Freedom" – Song on the 2000 Karl Cochran album Voodooland. Frehley played the guitar solo on the bonus demo version.
"Insanity of Life" – On the 2002 Richie Scarlet album. Frehley played guitar on Johnny's in Love and lead guitar on Too Far Gone, which he co-wrote with Scarlet.
"Know Where You Go" - On the 2002 Anton Fig album Figments: Frehley played lead guitar.
"Bad Choice" - on the 2005 Kathy Valentine album Light Years: Frehley played the lead guitar solos.
"2,000 Man" (New Version). In 2005, Frehley played this new version on Eddie Trunk's Merry Kissmas special.
"God of Thunder" (Live Version) - In 2006, Frehley was a guest at the VH1 Rock Honors. He performed with a 'super-group' of Rob Zombie, Slash, Gilby Clarke, Scott Ian, and Tommy Lee. They performed the KISS classic: "God of Thunder".
"Black Diamond" (Live Version) - On June 25, 2008 Frehley appeared onstage at New York's Madison Square Garden with Pearl Jam for an encore performance of Kiss's "Black Diamond" sung by drummer Matt Cameron.
"Black Light Messiah" – August 12, 2008 Jam Pain Society. Frehley played lead guitar on the song "The Ride".
On December 20, 2008, Frehley appeared on That Metal Show with host Eddie Trunk.
"Highway to Hell" (Live Version) - On July 21, 2009, Frehley appeared on the Dark Horse Tour with members from each of the tour's participating bands in a rendition of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell". Frehley played lead guitar with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback on rhythm guitar and backing vocals—and Austin Winkler of Hinder and Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach sharing lead vocals.[citation needed]
"Nothin' but a Good Time" - Frehley played lead guitar on a re-recorded version of this song which features on Bret Michaels' 2013 album Jammin' With Friends. It was originally recorded and released as a single by the rock band Poison.
"Rise Up (Back From The Grave)" - This is a 2014 collaboration between Kris Randall and Ace Frehley. Written by Frehley and Randall; produced by Kris Randall.
"Starman" - Ace Frehley played lead guitar on Joe Silva's cover of the David Bowie song, released in 2014. The recording also featured Anton Fig on drums and Will Lee on bass, both of whom featured on the Ace Frehley 1978 KISS solo album.
Filmography
1978: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
1988: Frehley's Comet: Live + 4 (VHS)[24]
1992: X-treme Close-Up
1994: Ace Frehley – Acevision Volume #1[25]
1996: Kiss Unplugged
1998: Kiss: The Second Coming Documentary
1999: Detroit Rock City
2004: Kiss Loves You
2004: Remedy[26]
2006: Kissology Volume One: 1974-1977
2007: Kissology Volume Two: 1978-1991
2007: Kissology Volume Three: 1992-2000
2009: Let's Go Cobo (Documentary)
Interviews
Behind the Player:Ace Frehley DVD (2010)
A Conversation with Ace Frehley on The Pods & Sods Network [1]
Along with Eddie Van Halen, Kiss' Ace Frehley inspired numerous up-and-coming rockers to pick up the guitar in the 1970s, and by the next century he was listed by just about every contemporary rock guitarist as an important influence. Operating under the glossy, platform boot-bolstered persona Spaceman (sometimes Space Ace), Frehley played with Kiss from the group's inception in 1973 to 1982, when he embarked on a successful solo career. He rejoined the group in 1998 for their international reunion tour, and stayed with them through 2002, eventually returning to his solo work in 2009 with the release of Anomaly. Having beaten his addiction to drugs and alcohol in the interim, Frehley enjoyed a creative surge in the 2010s, issuing a string of well-received albums like Space Invader (2014) and Spaceman (2018), and releasing a popular 2011 autobiography, No Regrets: A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir.
Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Frehley began playing guitar when he received an electric six-string for his 14th birthday in 1965. Already a big fan of the Rolling Stones, he was blown away when he caught a multi-band live show in N.Y.C. in early 1967, featuring both the Who and Cream, among others, which solidified his desire to pursue rock guitar more seriously (and put a promising art career on the back burner). Frehley began playing in local bands soon after, adding both Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to his influences -- and around this time, adopted the nickname "Ace." Although none of the bands he played with had taken off, he answered an ad in a local paper for a new hard rock, theatrically based group in early 1973.
A few weeks after his initial tryout, Frehley was hired as the lead guitarist for the new quartet, joining bassist/singer Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss to form the band Kiss. By year's end, the greasepaint- and costume-wearing band was signed to Casablanca Records, and by 1978, had become one of the world's top hard rock bands. A string of platinum albums and sold-out tours lasted from 1975-1979, until the trappings of fame threatened to break up the band. Frehley's best friend in the band, Criss, left Kiss in 1980, as the group unsuccessfully experimented with non-metal styles. Ace Frehley's use of alcohol and drugs increased due to his ever-increasing unhappiness in the band, and, by 1982, he'd exited Kiss.
MTV Unplugged
Within a year or two after his split from Kiss, Ace began putting his own solo band together, Frehley's Comet. The band played local N.Y.C. clubs, but failed to issue a record until 1987's self-titled debut for Megaforce Records. Instead of following the heavy metal direction of his exceptional 1978 solo album, Frehley's Comet tried to keep pace with the current pop-metal movement (Mötley Crüe, etc.), issuing two other albums (and a live EP) by 1989. Around this time, Frehley put his old art talents to use once again through computer graphics, with a few of his images even being featured in an art exhibit. Despite mudslinging in the press between Simmons/Stanley and Frehley in the early '90s, all four original Kiss members made up in time to reunite for a 1995 taping of MTV Unplugged. The taping was such a success that it led to a full-blown reunion of the original lineup, resulting in the massively successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour.
Frehley continued as a member of Kiss until the end of their Farewell Tour (lasting longer than fellow original member Peter Criss, who dropped out in 2001). Live appearances, including gigs at the massive Rocklahoma festival, kept Ace busy until 2009, when he released the album Anomaly on his own label, Bronx Born Records. In 2011 he published No Regrets, a detailed and frank memoir that recounted, among other things, his aforementioned struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. In 2013 he celebrated seven years of sobriety and spent much of that year appearing at horror, sci-fi, and pop culture conventions.
Origins, Vol. 1
The following April, after a long wait, Kiss was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, before August brought the release of Space Invader, a solo album that took a heavier approach than Anomaly. Released in 2016, Origins, Vol. 1 was an all-covers album featuring songs from Ace's favorite bands, up to and including Kiss, with new versions of "Parasite" and "Cold Gin" sitting next to songs from Thin Lizzy and Cream. The following year, Frehley joined Kiss bassist/vocalist Simmons on-stage at a Hurricane Harvey benefit for the Children Matter organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the former bandmates had performed together in over 16 years. In 2018 Frehley issued his eighth solo long payer, Spaceman, which featured a power pop cover of Eddie Money's "I Wanna Go Back" and the rowdy single "Rockin' with the Boys," the latter of which was written during Kiss' '70s heyday.
Songwriting
Ace Frehley / John Regan
Eric Carr / Ace Frehley / Richie Scarlett
Willie Dixon / Jimmy Page / Robert Plant
Ace Frehley / Ronnie Mancuso
Ace Frehley / Tod Howarth / Jim McClarty / Kevin Russell
Ace Frehley / Rachael Gordon
Mike McCready
Jeff Lynne
Slash
Brian Downey / Scott Gorham / Phil Lynott / Brian Robertson
Andy Fraser / Paul Rodgers
Marc Ferrari / Ace Frehley
Brian Connolly / Steve Priest / Andy Scott / Mick Tucker
Ace Frehley / John Regan / Richie Scarlett
Ace Frehley / John Regan
Genghis Khan
Ace Frehley / John Ostrosky
Ace Frehley / Richie Scarlet / Arthur Stead
Sebastian Bach / Ace Frehley
Desmond Child / Holly Knight / Paul Stanley
Monty Byrom / Danny Chauncey / Ira Walker
Sebastian Basco / Ace Frehley / Gen Rubin
Ace Frehley / Rachael Gordon
Ace Frehley / Gene Moore
Tod Howarth
Eddie Curtis / Ahmet Ertegun / Steve Miller
Ace Frehley / Richie Scarlet
Ace Frehley / Ira Schickman
John Kay / Rushton Moreve
Kait DiBenedetto / Ace Frehley / Ken Gullic / Tom Kunzman
Russ Ballard
Russell Ballard
Anton Fig / Phil Galdston
David Askew / Ace Frehley / Jesse Mendez
Anton Fig / Ace Frehley
John 5
Chris Cassone / Ace Frehley
Carter Cathcart / Ace Frehley
The Jam Pain Society
Ace Frehley / Larry Kelly
Ace Frehley / Larry Kelly / Sue Kelly
Gene Simmons / Jim Vallance
Ace Frehley / Chip Taylor
Sean Delaney / Ace Frehley
Rocket Ride feat. For Love Not Lisa
Sean Delaney / Ace Frehley
Snow Blind
Ace Frehley & Frehley's Comet
Tod Howarth
Jimi Hendrix
Ace Frehley / Jeanette Frehley
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
Ray Davies
Phil Brown / Bill Wray
Ace Frehley / Marty Kupersmith
ACED OUT
Pete Brown / John Bruce
Lita Ford
Chip Taylor
All Credits Additional Personnel Audio Production Band Basic Track Bass Bass (Upright) Composer Computer Graphics Cover Art Concept Cover Design Creative Director Design Drums Effects Engineer Featured Artist Group Member Guest Artist Guitar Guitar (Acoustic) Guitar (Baritone) Guitar (Bass) Guitar (Electric) Guitar (Rhythm) Guitar (Synthesizer) Guitars Introduction Layout Layout Design Main Personnel Member of Attributed Artist Mixing Musician Overdubs Performer Primary Artist Producer Quotation Author Slipcover Concept Soloist Sound Effects Special Effects Synthesizer Tributee Vocals Vocals (Background)
2018 Spaceman Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Design, Creative Director, Bass, Composer, Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
2017 Four on the Floor Broken Teeth Composer
2016 Buenos Aires 1994 Kiss Composer
2016 Kiss Rocks Vegas [Video] Kiss Composer
2016 Origins, Vol. 1 Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Engineer, Slipcover Concept, Basic Track, Bass, Composer, Guitar (Rhythm), Guitars, Introduction, Producer, Vocals
2015 Metal Matters: Charting the Evolution of Metal Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
2014 Kiss 40 Years: Decades of Decibels Kiss Main Personnel, Composer, Primary Artist, Producer
2014 Space Invader Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Engineer, Cover Art Concept, Bass, Composer, Guitar, Overdubs, Sound Effects, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
2014 True to the Blues: The Johnny Winter Story Johnny Winter Quotation Author
2013 5 Classic Albums Kiss Group Member, Composer, Guitar, Vocals
2013 Aftershock: The Island Years Anthrax Composer
2013 Electric Punishment Vicious Rumors Composer
2013 Jammin' with Friends Bret Michaels Guitar
2013 Oh Yes We Can Love: The History of Glam Rock Primary Artist, Producer
2013 The Ritz on Fire Kiss Composer
2012 Audience of One Oren Ambarchi Composer
2012 The Casablanca Singles: 1974-1982 Kiss Composer, Primary Artist, Producer
2011 The Serpents Kiss Al Atkins / Paul May Composer
2010 Behind the Player [Video] Ace Frehley Primary Artist
2010 The Art of Malice John 5 Composer
2009 Anomaly Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Synthesizer), Guitar (Bass), Bass, Guitar (Rhythm), Special Effects, Design, Cover Art Concept, Layout Design, Layout, Composer, Effects
2009 Kitsune Tabloid Phoenix Performer, Composer
2008 Alive: The Millennium Concert Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Composer
2008 Black Light Messiah The Jam Pain Society Primary Artist
2008 Classics Kiss Composer, Primary Artist
2008 Discoveries Kiss Composer
2008 Favorites Kiss Composer
2008 IKONS Kiss Producer, Audio Production, Member of Attributed Artist, Guitar, Composer, Primary Artist
2008 Lick It Up: A Millenium Tribute to Kiss Composer
2008 Playlist Plus Kiss Member of Attributed Artist, Guitar, Composer
2008 Pondus Flat Fuzzpedal Primary Artist
2008 The Best of Kiss: Green Series Kiss Composer
2008 The Complete Collection Kiss Composer, Primary Artist
2007 Heavy Karaoke: Hits of Kiss [DVD] Composer
2007 Heavy Metal [Rhino Box Set] Guitar
2007 Mullets Rock! Too! Producer, Primary Artist
2007 Warchest Megadeth Composer
2006 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection, Vol. 3 Kiss Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
2006 Ace, Gene, Peter and Paul (Solos Box Set) Kiss Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Synthesizer), Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm), Composer, Primary Artist
2006 Greatest Hits Live Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Mixing, Audio Production, Main Personnel, Vocals, Guitar, Performer, Composer
2006 Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 Kiss Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
2005 Archives and Artifacts Death Angel Composer
2005 Chronicles Kiss Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Group Member, Composer
2005 Greatest Kiss Kiss Composer
2005 Lightyears Kathy Valentine Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Guitar, Soloist
2005 Rock Breakout Years: 1988 Great White Composer
2004 Fiinky Pie Fiinky Pie Composer
2004 Gold: 1974-1982 - Sound+Vision Kiss Producer, Audio Production, Vocals, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Bass), Group Member, Composer, Primary Artist
2004 Trenton Makes the Cryptkeeper Five The Cryptkeeper Five Composer
2003 16 Biggest Hits [Bonus Track] Mickey Gilley Composer
2003 Fu2 First Degree the D.E. Composer
2003 Hardcore UFOs Box Set: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere Guided by Voices Composer
2003 Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss Hayseed Dixie Composer
2003 Long Live Rock N Roll Primary Artist
2002 Figments Anton Fig Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Guitar
2002 Live Undermind Composer
2002 Put Your Love in Me: Love Songs for the Apocalypse Plasmatics Additional Personnel, Guitar
2002 Snow Spock's Beard Composer
2002 Symphony of the Damned Lefay Composer
2002 The Very Best of Kiss Kiss Producer, Primary Artist
2001 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Freddy Fender Freddy Fender Composer
2001 Start at the Top Skin Yard Composer
2001 The Box Set Kiss Producer, Guitar, Composer, Primary Artist
2001 The New York Yankees Collection Primary Artist
2000 A World Without Heroes: A Kiss Tribute Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
2000 Hot Rod Series: Power Ballads Composer
2000 Kiss Covered in Scandinavia [Limited 2CD Edition] Composer
1999 ESP ESP Guest Artist, Guitar, Performer, Featured Artist
1999 Kings of the Night Time World Kiss Composer
1999 New York Songs Performer, Primary Artist
1999 Planet Electrica: Protection Composer
1999 Post Orgasmic Chill Skunk Anansie Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
1999 Retrospective Red House Painters Composer
1999 The Kiss of Death: A Sikk Tribute to Kiss Composer
1998 Alive and Talking [Interview and Poster] Kiss Primary Artist
1998 All Punk Rods: A Gearhead Magazine Compilation Composer
1998 Kiss: The Second Coming I & II [Video] Kiss Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm)
1998 Loaded Deck Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Composer
1998 New York Yankees Greatest Hits, Vol. 2: The Dream Season Performer, Primary Artist
1998 Psycho Circus Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Baritone), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm), Composer
1998 Psycho Circus [3-D Video] Kiss Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm)
1998 Wasted L.A. Guns Composer
1997 12 Picks Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1997 80's Country: 1982-1984 Composer
1997 Are You Dead Yet? The Necro Tonz Composer
1997 Greatest Kiss Kiss Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm), Composer
1997 Harden My Heart: The Best of Quarterflash Quarterflash Composer
1997 King of the Retards Mog Stunt Team Composer
1997 Kiss My Ass [Bootleg] Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1997 Maximum Abduction Hypocrisy Composer
1997 Return of the Comet: Tribute to Ace Frehley Composer
1997 Super Hits Mickey Gilley Composer
1996 Back to Back Hits: Great White/April Wine [1996] Great White Composer
1996 Greatest Hits [1998] Kiss Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm), Composer
1996 Guitars That Rule the World, Vol. 2: Smell the Fuzz: The Superstar Guitar Album Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Guitar, Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
1996 MTV Unplugged Kiss Guest Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1996 MTV Unplugged [Video/DVD] Kiss Composer
1996 Spacewalk: A Salute to Ace Frehley Tributee, Composer
1996 Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 25 Performer, Primary Artist
1996 You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1995 1944 Cozy Cole Composer
1995 Guitar Heroes [Special Music Company] Performer, Primary Artist
1995 Only Country 1980-1984 Composer
1995 Whatever Makes You Happy The Dwellers Composer
1994 Anthrax Live: The Island Years Anthrax Composer
1994 Criss Cat #1 Criss Guitar
1994 Kiss My Ass: The Video [VHS] Kiss Composer
1994 Shock Me Red House Painters Composer
1994 Talk to Me Mickey Gilley Composer
1994 Talk to Me Mark Jefferis Composer
1994 The Fourth Dimension Hypocrisy Composer
1994 United DJs of America, Vol. 1 Kimball Collins Composer
1993 Softhand For Love Not Lisa Vocals, Guitar, Composer, Primary Artist
1993 The Best of Great White: 1986-1992 Great White Composer
1992 Hard to Believe: Kiss Covers Compilation Composer
1992 Live Noize Anthrax Composer
1992 Solid! Behind the Times Colorblind James Experience Composer
1992 This Is Lovers Reggae, Vol. 2 Composer
1991 Attack of the Killer B's Anthrax Composer
1991 Live + 4 Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Vocals, Guitar
1991 Metal Mania [Priority] Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
1991 Voyce Boxing Voyce Boxing Composer
1990 Air Yen Composer
1990 Decoded & Danced Up Composer
1990 Guys Next Door Guys Next Door Composer
1990 Vince Andrews Vince Andrews Composer
1989 Hot in the Shade Kiss Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm)
1989 Knockout Sugar Ray & the Bluetones Composer
1989 Master of Disguise Lizzy Borden Composer
1989 Masters of Metal: Strikeforce, Vol. 1 Performer, Primary Artist
1989 Ozma Melvins Composer
1989 Trouble Walkin' Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1989 Walk in the Fire Strangeways Composer
1988 Frolic Through the Park Death Angel Composer
1988 Live Bad Brains Composer
1988 Live + 1 Frehley's Comet Producer, Primary Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1988 Satisfaction [Original Soundtrack] Composer
1988 Second Sighting Frehley's Comet / Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Cover Design, Computer Graphics, Composer
1988 Second Sighting/Live + 1 [Bonus Track] Frehley's Comet Composer, Guitar, Producer, Vocals
1988 Smashes, Thrashes & Hits Kiss Guitar
1988 So Sexist Chemical People Composer
1987 Exposed Kiss Guitar
1987 Frehley's Comet Ace Frehley Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Vocals (Background), Composer
1987 Interview Disc Kiss Guitar
1987 Original Rock & Roll, Vol. 2 Composer
1987 Pleasures of the Flesh Exodus Composer
1987 Pursuit of Happiness Beat Farmers Composer
1985 Animalize: Live Uncensored [Video] Kiss Composer
1985 Back into Blue Quarterflash Composer
1985 Something to Believe In APB Composer
1984 W.O.W. Wendy O. Williams Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Guitar
1982 Creatures of the Night Kiss Guitar, Musician, Group Member
1982 Greatest Hits [MCA] Lloyd Price Composer
1982 Killers Kiss Bass (Upright), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm), Composer
1981 Music from "The Elder" Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Group Member, Composer
1981 The Best of the Solo Albums Kiss Guitar
1980 Unmasked Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Group Member, Composer
1979 Dynasty Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Band, Composer
1978 Ace Frehley Ace Frehley / Kiss Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Synthesizer), Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm), Performer, Composer
1978 Double Platinum Kiss Guitar, Composer
1978 The Originals II Kiss Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm)
1978 Totally Hot Olivia Newton-John Composer
1977 Alive II Kiss Producer, Vocals, Composer
1977 Love Gun Kiss Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1977 Sneak Attack Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Composer
1976 Destroyer Kiss Guitar, Group Member, Composer
1976 Rock and Roll Over Kiss Guitar
1976 The Originals Kiss Vocals, Guitar, Vocals (Background), Composer
1975 Alive! Kiss Guitar, Composer
1975 Dressed to Kill Kiss Producer, Guitar, Composer
1974 Hotter Than Hell Kiss Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Group Member, Composer
1974 Kiss Kiss Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals, Guitar, Composer
101 70s Rock Anthems Primary Artist
Agora Ballroom, 1974 Kiss Composer
Album, Vol. 1 Composer
Be Naughty Be Hair Metal Primary Artist
Bleeding On the Edge of Happiness Viva La Venus! Composer
Bronx Boy Ace Frehley Primary Artist
City Limits Performer
Death In the Family Mike Paradine Composer
Devil Music 3/13 Composer
Dressed To Thrill: A Tribute To Kiss With Female Vocalists Composer
Eugene Crazy Joe & The Variable Speed Band Synthesizer
Festival of Starch Nathan Alfaro Composer
First Kiss, Last Licks [Box] Kiss Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background), Guitar (Rhythm), Composer
Galactic Explorer: The Uncut Interviews Ace Frehley Primary Artist
Hard Rock Gold Primary Artist
Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Kiss Primary Artist
New York City Groove Primary Artist
Pure Rock, Pt. 1 Primary Artist
Sonic Lobotomy Damnation Alley Composer
Wuff Grunz Hund / Schwein Composer
Similar To
AC/DC
Joe Perry
Mötley Crüe
Twisted Sister
Alex Lifeson
Angus Young
Billy Gibbons
Brian May
Bruce Kulick
C.C. DeVille
Dave Meniketti
Diamond Darrell
Eddie Van Halen
Extreme
Faster Pussycat
Glen Buxton
J Mascis
Johnny Thunders
Kim Thayil
Kirk Hammett
Lita Ford
Mark Farner
Michael Bruce
Mick Mars
Mike McCready
Nirvana
Nuno Bettencourt
Peter Frampton
Randy Rhoads
Richie Sambora
Rick Nielsen
Robin Trower
Scott Ian
Skid Row
Skin Yard
Ted Nugent
Tesla
Tom Scholz
Tommy Bolin
Vito Bratta
Blue Öyster Cult
Bon Jovi
Lenny Kravitz
Punky Meadows
Slash
The Cult
Influenced By
Led Zeppelin
Alice Cooper
Cream
Humble Pie
Jeff Beck
Jimi Hendrix
Mick Ronson
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
Mountain
Santana
The Kinks
The Rolling Stones
The Who
The Yardbirds
Bo Diddley
Eric Clapton
Jimmy Page
Pete Townshend
Ritchie Blackmore
Followed By
Andy LaRocque
Jerry Cantrell
Mick Mars
Nirvana
Ty Tabor
Associated With
Kiss
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent
Ace Frehley & Frehley's Comet
Frehley's Comet
Collaborated With
Anton Fig
Bob Ezrin
Eddie Kramer
Gene Simmons
John Regan
Peter Criss
Tod Howarth
-------------------
Kiss
Background information
Origin
New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres
Hard rock ·
heavy metal ·
shock rock ·
glam metal
Years active
1973–present
Labels
Casablanca ·
Mercury ·
Roadrunner ·
Kiss ·
Universal Music Group
Associated acts
Wicked Lester ·
E.S.P. ·
Frehley's Comet ·
Momoiro Clover Z ·
Black 'n Blue
Members
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer
Eric Singer
Past members
Ace Frehley
Peter Criss
Eric Carr
Vinnie Vincent
Mark St. John
Bruce Kulick
Kiss (often stylized as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley. Well known for its members' face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-to-late 1970s with their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits, and pyrotechnics. The band has gone through several lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons the only remaining original members. The original and best-known lineup consisted of Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Simmons (vocals and bass), Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Criss (drums and vocals).
With their make-up and costumes, they took on the personae of comic book-style characters: The Starchild (Stanley), The Demon (Simmons), The Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley), and The Catman (Criss). Due to creative differences, both Criss and Frehley had departed the group by 1982.
In 1983, Kiss began performing without makeup and costumes, thinking that it was time to leave the makeup behind. The band accordingly experienced a minor commercial resurgence, and their music videos received regular airplay on MTV. Eric Carr, who had replaced Criss in 1980, 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 re-united in 1996, which also saw the return of their makeup and stage costumes. The resulting Alive/Worldwide Tour was commercially successful. Criss and Frehley have both since left the band again and have been replaced by Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively. The band has continued with their original stage makeup, with Singer and Thayer using the original Catman and Space Ace makeup, respectively. In September 2018, Kiss announced that, after 45 years of recording and performing, they will embark on their final tour, One Last Kiss: End of the Road World Tour, in 2019.[1]
Kiss is one of the best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 25[2] million RIAA-certified albums.[3][4][5] On April 10, 2014, Kiss was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
History
1971–1975: Early years
Kiss traces their roots to Wicked Lester, a New York City-based rock band led by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. They 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 a new group.[6][7][8]
In late 1972, Simmons and Stanley came across an ad in the East Coast version of Rolling Stone placed by Peter Criss, a veteran drummer from the New York City scene who had previously played in the bands Lips and Chelsea. Simmons and Stanley met him in a nightclub where he was playing drums. After hearing Criss sing, they thought of him being in the band. Criss then auditioned for and later joined the new version of Wicked Lester. The trio focused on a much harder style of rock than Wicked Lester played. They also began experimenting with their image by wearing makeup and various outfits.[9] In November 1972, the trio played a showcase for Epic Records A&R director Don Ellis, in an effort to secure a record deal. Although the performance went well, Ellis disliked the group's image and music.
In early January 1973, the group added lead guitarist Ace Frehley. Frehley impressed the group with his first audition, although he showed up wearing two different colored sneakers, one red and one orange. A few weeks after Frehley joined, Wicked Lester changed their name to Kiss.[10]
The Kiss logo
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 the effect of "What about Kiss?"[11] 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.[12] (Some of Wicked Lester's artwork included one lightning bolt for the "S" in Lester.[13]) Later, Stanley designed the logo with a Sharpie and a ruler and accidentally drew 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."[14]
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. Since 1979, most of the band's album covers and merchandise in Germany have used an alternate logo, in which the letters "SS" look like the letters "ZZ" backwards. This logo is also used in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and Israel to avoid controversy.
The band's name has repeatedly been the subject of rumors pertaining to alleged hidden meanings. Among these rumors are claims that 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.[15][16]
The first Kiss performance was on January 30, 1973, for an audience of three at the Popcorn Club (renamed Coventry shortly afterward) in Queens. For the first three gigs, January 30 to February 1, they wore little to no makeup; the iconic makeup designs associated with Kiss made their debut during the March 9–10 shows at The Daisy in Amityville, New York. 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 sign the band to a record label within two weeks. On November 1, 1973, Kiss became the first act signed to former teen pop singer and Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart's new label, Casablanca Records.[17]
The band entered Bell Sound Studios in New York City on October 10, 1973, to begin recording their first album. On December 31, the band had their official industry premiere at the Academy of Music in New York City, opening for Blue Öyster Cult. It was at this concert that Simmons accidentally set his hair (which was coated in hairspray) ablaze for the first of many times while performing his fire-breathing routine.[18]
Kiss' first tour started on February 5, 1974, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, as an opening act.[19] The band's self-titled debut album was released on February 8. Casablanca and Kiss promoted the album heavily throughout the spring and summer of 1974. On February 19, the band performed "Nothin' to Lose", "Firehouse" and "Black Diamond" on ABC's In Concert (aired March 29), their first television appearance. On April 29, 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 make-up Simmons was "just a nice Jewish boy". Simmons responded, "You should only know", to which Fields replied, "I do. You can't hide the hook", a reference to the stereotypical "Jewish" nose.[20]
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 their 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 the album stalled at No. 100.[21]
With Hotter Than Hell quickly dropping off the charts, Kiss was pulled from their 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 the band's signature song, "Rock and Roll All Nite".[22]
Although Kiss albums had not proved to be big sellers, the band was quickly gaining a reputation for their live performances. Kiss concerts featured such spectacles as Simmons spitting "blood" (an effect made primarily from raw egg whites, strawberry syrup and red food coloring) and "breathing fire" (spitting flammable liquid at a torch), Frehley soloing as his guitar burst into flames (light and smoke bombs placed inside the guitar), Criss's elevating drum riser that emitted sparks, Stanley's Townshend-style guitar smashing, and pyrotechnics throughout the show.[23]
By mid 1975, Casablanca was almost bankrupt, and Kiss was in danger of losing their record contract. Both parties desperately needed a commercial breakthrough if they were to survive.[24] That breakthrough came in an unlikely form: a "double live" album.[25]
1975–1978: Rise to prominence
Kiss wanted to express the excitement felt at their concerts (which their studio albums had so far failed to do) with their first live album. Compiled from May–July concerts in Detroit, Cleveland and Wildwood, NJ and released on September 10, 1975, Alive! achieved Gold status and spawned Kiss' first top 40 single: 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 the record.[26]
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), 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.[27][28] 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 to the single "Detroit Rock City", began to gain more airplay on FM radio did 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, and its success led to an increase in sales for both the album (which achieved platinum status by the end of 1976) and concert tickets.
In October 1976, Kiss appeared on The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, 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 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." The group was introduced to Lynde by Margaret Hamilton, reprising her character of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard Of Oz.
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.[29] A 1977 Gallup poll named Kiss the most popular band in America. In Japan, Kiss performed five sold-out shows at Tokyo's Budokan Hall, breaking the previous record of four held by the Beatles.
In May 1977, Kiss made their first of many comics appearances in Howard the Duck issue 12, published by Marvel Comics.[30] This served as a precursor to many more Kiss-related comics, initially published by Marvel.
The first Kiss compilation album, Double Platinum, was issued on April 2, 1978. This double album included many remixed versions of their hits, as well as "Strutter '78", a re-recorded version of a song from the group's first album. At Bogart's request, this version of the song featured a disco influence.[31]
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, lunchboxes, trading cards and many other pieces of memorabilia. Membership in 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.[32]
1978: Solo and film projects
Kiss were at their commercial peak by 1978. Alive II was the band's fourth platinum album in just under two years, and the ensuing tour had the highest average attendance (13,550)[citation needed] in the group's history. In addition, Kiss' gross income for 1977 was $10.2 million. The group, along with manager Aucoin, sought to take the band to the next level of popularity. To that end, an ambitious, two-pronged strategy was devised for 1978.[33]
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, their 1976 record contract did in fact call for four solo records, with each of them counting as half an album toward the group's five-record commitment.[34] Each album was a solo effort (none of the group appeared on another's album), and were all 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.[35]
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' hard rock style, while Criss' album featured an R&B style with multiple ballads. Simmons' was the most eclectic of the four, featuring hard rock, ballads, Beatles-influenced pop and a cover 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 the marketing campaign for the albums, and announced they were shipping five million copies, guaranteeing platinum status.[36] Despite the large shipments, none of the albums sold particularly well and were later sold as cut-outs. Of the four, Frehley's album was the most successful, and spawned the only hit single, a cover of "New York Groove", written by Russ Ballard and originally performed by Hello.[37]
The second part of Kiss' and Aucoin's plan called for the band to appear in a film that would cement their image as 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 script underwent numerous rewrites, and the band (particularly Criss and Frehley) grew increasingly frustrated with the filmmaking process.
The final product, Kiss Meets 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 the film led to a rift between the band and Aucoin.[38] It has been only sporadically available on home video; currently, a version of the film is available on the compilation DVD Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991.
1979–1983: Final make-up years
Kiss' first album of new material in two years, Dynasty (May 22, 1979), continued its 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 did almost all the percussion on the album while Criss recovered from an automobile accident. The only song to feature Criss' drumming was "Dirty Livin'", on which he also sang lead.[39]
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 the immense costs involved;[40] however, "The Return of Kiss" saw a marked decline in attendance.[41]
The crowds on this tour were much younger than previous audiences had been, with many preadolescent children in Kiss make-up with their mothers and fathers (who were sometimes wearing the make-up themselves) in tow at most concerts. Kiss themselves did little to dissuade this new fan base, donning colorful costumes that reinforced a cartoonish image for these younger fans.[42]
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 the conversation between Snyder and the rest of the band. Criss made references to his large gun collection, to the chagrin of Simmons.[43]
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 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.[44][45]
Session drummer Anton Fig played all the drums on the next album, Unmasked, although he was not credited, while Peter Criss appeared on the cover. Showcasing a slick, contemporary pop sound, Unmasked (released May 20, 1980) had the dubious distinction of being the first Kiss album since Dressed to Kill to not achieve platinum sales. Soon after the album's release, Criss' departure was officially announced.[46][47] Anton 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.[48]
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 make-up design was modeled on a hawk, though it was rejected as Stanley felt it looked more like a chicken. Carr ultimately settled on a "Fox" persona. In his Fox make-up, he was introduced on ABC's Kids Are People Too!, and 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. The band's 1980 tour of Australia and New Zealand, on the other hand, was one of the biggest in their history, as they played to sold-out crowds and received overwhelmingly positive press coverage.[49][50]
For their 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" was a concept album featuring medieval horns, strings, harps, and synthesizers.[51]
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 their 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 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.[52]
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 was broadcast via satellite during Italy's Sanremo Music Festival.[53] Kiss also performed "I" and "A World Without Heroes" on Solid Gold.
Absent from the satellite performance was Frehley, who had become increasingly frustrated with Kiss' 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, providing lead vocals for only one track, "Dark Light". He did not appear at 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 the band was negotiated, although he did not officially leave until December, and remained a business partner with Simmons and Stanley until 1985.
Simmons stated in his autobiography Kiss and Make-Up that Eddie Van Halen wanted to fill Frehley's spot. Simmons and Eddie's brother Alex convinced Eddie to remain with Van Halen.[54] Eddie was anxious to break up Van Halen because of tensions with lead singer David Lee Roth, who left the band soon thereafter.[55][56] Other notable musicians who auditioned for the band include Punky Meadows of Angel,[57] Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake and Dio,[58] Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi,[59] and Yngwie Malmsteen.[60]
Soon after, Kiss made major changes to their business dealings – chief among them was severing ties with their manager of nine years, Bill Aucoin, and cutting back on their 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.[61]
Creatures of the Night (October 13, 1982) was Kiss' heaviest album to date, and although it fared better than Music from "The Elder", it peaked at only No. 45 on 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, including Vinnie Vincent (born Vincent John Cusano on August 6, 1952).
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 the Night album artwork. When the album was remixed and re-released in 1985 with a non-make-up cover and a slightly different song order, to reflect the band's roster change and abandonment of their make-up and costumes, Vincent was again absent from the album cover, as then-current lead guitarist, Bruce Kulick, appeared instead.[62] The liner notes accompanying the remixed LP, however, credited both Frehley and Vincent with lead guitar performances on 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.[63][64]
Vincent originally wanted to use his birth name in the band, but this was vetoed by Simmons on the grounds that it sounded "too ethnic". Specifically, according to Simmons, "it sounded like a fruit vendor." Simmons went on to note that "fairly or unfairly, rock and roll is about image".[65] Vincent then suggested the name "Mick Fury", but this was also disallowed. Simmons later suggested the name change to "Vinnie Vincent". Vincent started actively pushing to join Kiss as a full member. Despite the misgivings that both Simmons and Stanley harbored about his personality, Vincent was taken into the band. Stanley designed a character, "The Wiz"[66][67] also known as "The Egyptian Warrior",[68] and make-up centered around an Egyptian ankh, for Vincent.[65] According to the official authorized Kiss biography, written by David Leaf and Ken Sharp, "The Egyptian Ankh Warrior" refers to Vincent's make-up and persona, while the nickname "The Wiz" refers to his virtuosity as a guitar player.[69] According to the Simmons autobiography Kiss and Make-Up, Vincent's Kiss persona was solely "The Wiz". A persona as "The Ankh Warrior" or similar is not mentioned in the book at all.[66][67]
From 1982 to 1983, the new lineup of Kiss became Simmons (the Demon), Stanley (the Starchild), Eric Carr (the Fox) and Vincent (The Egyptian Warrior[68] or the Wiz[66][67]). This incarnation of Kiss was to be the last incarnation of the original make-up era.
Vincent's personality did not mesh well with either Stanley or Simmons, and he was dismissed from Kiss at the end of the Creatures tour. He was reinstated before recording started for Lick It Up because Simmons and Stanley could not find a new lead guitarist on such short notice. Vincent appeared on the cover of Lick It Up and was credited as the lead guitarist. He received a writing credit for eight of the ten songs on the album; "Fits Like a Glove" and "Dance All Over Your Face" were written solely by Simmons.
Personality issues arose once again, and Vincent was fired following the Lick It Up tour, due in part to excessive guitar soloing at a 1984 concert in Quebec. He was replaced by Mark St. John (birth name Mark Norton). Vincent's work on Creatures of the Night was not officially recognized until the album was remastered in 1997.
Vincent was later utilized by Kiss as a songwriter on the 1992 album Revenge, contributing to the songs "Unholy", "Tough Love", "Heart of Chrome" and "I Just Wanna". Before long, Vincent fell out with Simmons and Stanley for a third time, and they again severed their musical ties.
Persistent rumors circulated for years among Kiss fans regarding the true reason for Vincent's dismissals from Kiss, with at least one band member refusing to comment except to say that legally it was not up for discussion. Simmons stated in an interview several years later that Vincent's firing was for "unethical behavior", but he did not elaborate:
I named Vincent Cusano, 'Vinnie Vincent'. That's the only gift he's allowed. It's interesting that Vinnie hasn't changed his name back to Vinnie Cusano. Vinnie, for the record, was fired for unethical behavior, not because of lack of talent. The guy is very talented. He was unethical. He was fired.[70]
1983–1995: Unmasking
Sensing it was time for a change, Kiss made the decision to abandon their trademark make-up and costumes. The band officially appeared in public without make-up for the first time on a September 18, 1983 appearance on MTV, which coincided with the release of Lick It Up.[71] The tour to promote the new album and the unmasked band members began in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 11, 1983, at Pavilhão Dramático de Cascais, their first concert without make-up since early 1973. Lick It Up became Kiss' first gold record in three years, but the tour was even more sparsely attended than the previous one. Vincent did not get along with Simmons and Stanley, and he left the band at the conclusion of the tour in March 1984. Vincent's replacement was Mark St. John, a session player and guitar tutor.[72]
With St. John, Kiss released the album Animalize on September 13, 1984. Animalize followed the success of Lick It Up, and due in part to consistent MTV play for the "Heaven's on Fire" video, Animalize was the band's best-selling record in America during the decade, with over two million albums sold. With the success of the album and subsequent tour, Kiss had recaptured some of their earlier glory (though not to the level of their 1970s heyday). St. John, however, came down with reactive arthritis during tour rehearsals, and only performed at a handful of shows. St. John was relieved of his duties from Kiss in December 1984 and was replaced by Kulick (born December 12, 1953, in Brooklyn). Kulick was Kiss' fourth lead guitarist in less than three years, but he stayed with the band for 12 years.[73] Kulick was one of the band's longest-serving members, with the longest continuous tenure of anyone other than Simmons and Stanley, but he never wore the band's iconic makeup.
One of the first concerts Kulick played was at Detroit, Michigan's Cobo Hall. It was filmed for the MTV special Animalize Live. This was later released as the band's first home video, (Animalize Live Uncensored).
The lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Carr and Kulick turned out to be the most stable since the original, and for the rest of the 1980s, Kiss released a series of platinum albums: 1985's Asylum, 1987's Crazy Nights and the 1988 greatest hits compilation Smashes, Thrashes & Hits. Crazy Nights, in particular, was one of Kiss' most successful albums overseas. The single "Crazy Crazy Nights" reached No. 4 on the singles chart in the United Kingdom, their highest-charting single in that country.[74]
Kiss ended the decade with the October 1989 release Hot in the Shade. Although the album failed to achieve platinum status, it spawned the hit ballad "Forever", co-written by Michael Bolton. Peaking at No. 8 in the US, it was the group's highest-charting single since "Beth" and was the band's second Top 10 single.[74]
During this time, Kiss struggled with their identity and fan base. Simmons, arguably the driving force in Kiss during the 1970s, became less involved with the group in the 1980s as he pursued outside interests, most notably a film career. Stanley took a more prominent role as a result.[75][76]
In February 1991, the band decided to once again enlist Ezrin to produce their next album. Before recording could begin in earnest, however, tragedy struck. In March 1991, it was discovered that Carr had a tumor on his heart. It was successfully removed the following month, but more tumors were soon discovered in his lungs. Carr received chemotherapy and was pronounced cancer-free in July. However, in September he suffered the first of two cerebral hemorrhages. He died on November 24, 1991, at the age of 41.[77][78] Coincidentally, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died the same day.
Despite the tragic loss of a longtime member, Kiss continued, introducing veteran drummer Eric Singer (born Eric Doyle Mensinger on May 12, 1958, in Cleveland, Ohio). Singer had played with Paul Stanley previously, as part of Stanley's backing band during a 1989 solo tour. Singer also played with artists such as Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Lita Ford, Badlands and Alice Cooper.
Kiss released Revenge on May 19, 1992. It featured a leaner, harder-edged sound, as indicated by the first single, "Unholy". In a surprise move, Kiss enlisted Vincent to help with songwriting duties. The album debuted in the Top 10 and went gold. Kiss embarked on a brief club tour of the U.S. in the spring of 1992, before beginning an American tour in September 1992. The tour was documented on the album Alive III, released on May 14, 1993. Four days later, Kiss were inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk.[79]
During this period, Kiss nostalgia started to pick up steam. June 1994 saw the release of Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved, a compilation album featuring popular artists of the era putting their own spin on Kiss songs. The result was an eclectic mix, featuring Lenny Kravitz's funky version of "Deuce" (with Stevie Wonder on harmonica), a ska punk version of "Detroit Rock City" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Garth Brooks' straightforward take on "Hard Luck Woman", with Kiss themselves as his backing band.
In 1995, the group released the book Kisstory, a 440-page, 9 pounds (4.1 kg), detailed chronicle of the group's history to that point. That same year, the band embarked on a unique and well-received Worldwide Kiss Convention Tour. The conventions were all-day events, featuring displays of vintage Kiss stage outfits, instruments and memorabilia; performances by Kiss cover bands; and dealers selling Kiss merchandise from every stage of the band's career. Kiss appeared live at the conventions, conducted question and answer sessions, signed autographs, and performed a two-hour acoustic set composed mostly of spontaneous fan requests. On the first U.S. date (June 17, 1995), Criss appeared onstage with Kiss to sing "Hard Luck Woman" and "Nothin' to Lose". It was the first time Criss had performed publicly with the band in nearly 16 years.[80][81]
1995–2001: Reunion
On August 9, 1995, Kiss joined the long line of musicians to perform on MTV Unplugged. The band contacted Criss and Frehley and invited them to participate in the event. Both joined Kiss on stage for several songs at the end of the set: "Beth", "2000 Man", "Nothin' to Lose" and "Rock and Roll All Nite".[80] The Unplugged appearance set off months of speculation that a possible reunion of the original Kiss lineup was in the works. In the weeks following the Unplugged concert, however, the band (with Kulick and Singer), returned to the studio for the first time in three years to record a follow-up to Revenge. Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions was completed in February 1996, but its release was delayed for almost two years. Bootleg copies of the album circulated widely among fans.[82] While Kiss continued to exist publicly as Simmons, Stanley, Kulick and Singer, arrangements for a reunion of the original lineup were in the works. These efforts culminated with a public event as dramatic as any the band had staged since their 1983 unmasking on MTV. With the following statements, Tupac Shakur introduced the original Kiss lineup, in full makeup and Love Gun-era stage outfits, to a rousing ovation at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards:[83]
You know how the Grammys used to be, all straight-looking folks with suits. Everybody looking tired. No surprises. We tired of that. We need something different, something new, we need to shock the people ... so let's shock the people!
On April 16, the band held a press conference aboard the USS Intrepid in New York City, where they announced their plans for a full-fledged reunion tour, with the help of new manager Doc McGhee. The conference, MC'd by Conan O'Brien, was simulcast to 58 countries. On April 20, nearly 40,000 tickets for the tour's first show sold out in 47 minutes.[84]
The first public concert featuring the newly reunited Kiss was an hour-long warm-up show on June 15 for the annual KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, California, during which the band nearly ignited the stage of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater.[85] On June 28, the Kiss Alive/Worldwide Tour began at Tiger Stadium in Detroit in front of a sold-out crowd of 39,867 fans. The tour lasted for 192 shows over the course of one year and earned $43.6 million, making Kiss the top-drawing concert act of 1996.[86] The average attendance of 13,737 is the highest in the group's history.[84]
In September 1998, the reunited group issued Psycho Circus. Although it was the first album with the original lineup since 1979's Dynasty, the contributions of Frehley and Criss were minimal. While the images of Frehley and Criss are featured prominently on the album, most of the lead guitar work was later revealed to have been performed by future band member Tommy Thayer. Former member Kulick made an appearance on the intro of the song "Within". Most drum duties were handled by session musician Kevin Valentine. Despite the controversy, the album achieved a No. 3 chart debut, the highest position for a Kiss album until Sonic Boom debuted at No. 2 in 2009.[87] The title track received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.[88] The Psycho Circus Tour opened at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Halloween in 1998, and was simulcast on FM radio across the U.S. It proved to be another success, and was historic for being the first to ever incorporate 3D visuals into a stage show.[89][90]
On August 11, 1999, Kiss was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the "Recording Industry" category. August 13 saw the release of the film Detroit Rock City, starring Edward Furlong. The film takes place in 1978, and focuses on four teenagers willing to do anything to score tickets for a sold-out Kiss show in Detroit.
The next month, the group worked in collaboration with World Championship Wrestling to produce a Kiss-themed wrestler known as The Demon, whose face was painted to resemble Simmons' makeup. The group performed "God of Thunder" live on WCW Monday Nitro to debut the character. The band received $500,000 for the one-night, one-song performance.[91] According to wrestler Dean Malenko, their appearance was the lowest rated Nitro ever. The character was short-lived, and all ties to Kiss were cut by WCW when its head, Eric Bischoff' was relieved of his duties in September of that year.
Kiss launched a U.S. Farewell Tour in March 2000.[92] The group quickly added dates to the tour, which ran through April 2001. 2000 also saw the release of a computer game, Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child, based on the comic book series Kiss: Psycho Circus from Todd McFarlane Productions.
2001–2008: Post-reunion
On the eve of the Japanese and Australian leg of the Farewell Tour on January 31, 2001, Criss suddenly left the band once again, because he and the band could not come to agreement with his contract salary. Taking his place was previous Kiss drummer Singer who, in a move that was controversial among longtime fans, assumed Criss' Cat persona as the Farewell Tour continued.[93]
With the band supposedly set to retire by early 2001, a career-encompassing collection entitled simply The Box Set, consisting of 94 tracks on five CDs, was released in November of that year, while the summer saw perhaps the most outrageous item of Kiss merchandise yet – the Kiss Kasket. In introducing the Kiss Kasket, Simmons quipped, "I love livin', but this makes the alternative look pretty damn good."[94]
On December 4, 2001, Kiss was one of the honorees at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences ("The Recording Academy") Heroes Award ceremony, at the NARAS New York Chapter. NARAS has 12 chapters throughout the United States, hence 12 ceremonies throughout the year, with the honorees each being honored by the chapter closest to their residence. By receiving this honor, which NARAS has renamed the "Recording Academy Honors", Kiss effectively received NARAS' second-highest career honor, right behind the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.[95][96]
Kiss was relatively quiet through the rest of the year, but 2002 started with some controversy as Simmons took part in a controversial interview on National Public Radio with host Terry Gross.[97] In February 2002, Kiss (with Singer on drums and Frehley on lead guitar) performed during the closing ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. This was Frehley's final performance as a member of Kiss.
On March 6, 2002, Kiss performed a private concert at a resort in Trelawny, Jamaica. Frehley, who was no longer under contract, did not perform with the group. He was replaced by Thayer, who donned Frehley's Spaceman makeup and costume for his first live appearance with Kiss.[98] That month, the band (with Thayer) taped an appearance on the American sitcom That '70s Show.[99] The episode, "That '70s Kiss Show", aired in August 2002. Thayer again performed with the group in April 2002, when Kiss performed "Detroit Rock City" (with pre-recorded music and live vocals) for an appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand 50th Anniversary show, which aired on May 3.[100]
In February 2003, Kiss traveled to Australia and recorded Kiss Symphony: Alive IV with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Etihad Stadium (then known as Telstra Dome) in Melbourne. Thayer once again replaced Frehley, while Criss returned to the group. This album was the first released on Sanctuary Records, which was later sold to Universal Music Group – owners of the rest of Kiss' catalog.
Despite claims made prior to the Farewell Tour that it would be the group's last, Kiss toured with Aerosmith in 2003. Frehley announced that his departure from the band was permanent, stating that he believed the Farewell Tour would be Kiss' last,[101] and that he did not want to open for Aerosmith.[102] He was permanently replaced by Thayer, as Kiss moved into a post-reunion phase that saw the band easing into a new lineup, permanently featuring Thayer as "Spaceman" and Singer as "the Catman". On this tour, still featuring Criss, the group introduced the "Platinum" tickets package, with the most expensive packages costing $1,000. This package included a seat in the first five rows, a meet-and-greet with Kiss after their performance and a photograph with the band.[103] The tour earned more than $64 million in 2003, which ranked seventh for the year.[104]
Current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer have replaced Ace Frehley and Peter Criss as "The Spaceman" and "The Catman" respectively.
Simmons and Stanley did not renew Criss' contract when it expired in March 2004. Criss, on his website, stated that "No one, again, no one has called me, or my attorney about an extension for future touring. As a founding member I find this to be disrespectful to me, and to the fans that have made us one of the biggest bands in the world."[105] Criss stated in a radio interview in 2004 with Eddie Trunk that Simmons and Stanley were going to start a new Kiss, and felt that he was getting too old to play the drums for two hours (Criss was almost 59 at this time).
During the summer of 2004, Kiss headlined the Rock the Nation 2004 World Tour, with Poison as the opening act. The tour ended in August with a sold-out show in Mexico City. Selected dates on the tour were filmed for the Rock the Nation Live! concert DVD, released on December 13, 2005.[106] Stanley, who had been experiencing increasing difficulty with his hip, had his mobility limited during the tour. He has already had two hip surgeries performed, with more likely in the future.[107]
After the conclusion of the Rock the Nation Tour, Kiss performed only sporadically for a number of years. The group played two shows in 2005, and another six in 2006. Four of the 2006 shows were July concerts in Japan, including two dates (July 22 and 23) as a headlining act at the 2006 Udo Music Festival. Kiss performed four July 2007 concerts, three of which were dubbed the Hit 'N Run Tour. Prior to the final show on July 27, Stanley was hospitalized with an extremely rapid heartbeat. In his absence, Kiss performed in concert as a trio for the first time since 1982. This was the first Kiss concert that Stanley had missed during his then 34-year tenure with the group.[108]
Kiss (along with Queen, Def Leppard and Judas Priest) were honored at the inaugural "VH1 Rock Honors" event, held May 25, 2006 in Las Vegas. A tribute band, consisting of Rob Zombie (vocals), Slash (guitar), Scott Ian (bass), and Supernova bandmates Tommy Lee (drums) and Gilby Clarke (guitar), performed "God of Thunder" with Frehley.
In June 2006, Simmons and Stanley attended the opening of the Kiss Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. On October 15, 2006, Simmons, Stanley and Criss were inaugural inductees into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, along with performers such as Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Louis Armstrong, the Ramones and Tony Bennett.[109]
Stanley released his second solo album, Live to Win, on October 24, 2006, and undertook a brief solo tour in support. On October 31 the same year, the group released Kissology Volume One: 1974–1977, the first of 10 possible DVD sets featuring complete concert footage, interviews and never-before-seen clips.[110] By January 2007, the set had been certified 5x platinum in the United States.[111] A second volume was released on August 14, 2007. It was certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA on October 24.[112] What seemed to be the final entry, Kissology Volume Three: 1992–2000, was released on December 18, 2007, and has been certified 8x Platinum by the R.I.A.A.[113] Stanley insisted that there are more volumes forthcoming, during an interview with Norwegian broadcasting in the summer of 2008, but no details have been given.
In April 2007, former guitarist St. John died from an apparent cerebral hemorrhage at age 51.[114] After being forced to leave Kiss in 1984, St. John formed the short-lived glam metal group White Tiger. In 1990, he briefly collaborated with Criss in a band called the Keep, which only performed once and released no recordings. St. John largely dropped out of public view in later years, but did make occasional appearances at Kiss fan conventions.
Though Kiss had been eligible for enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1999, they were not nominated until 2009 and were not inducted until 2014. While this snub displeased some fans, Stanley and Simmons maintained that it was meaningless to them. Nevertheless, a group of about 200 Kiss fans held a protest rally in front of the Hall of Fame in Cleveland on August 5, 2006. It was the first known organized demonstration seeking the induction of a band into the Hall.[115]
In 2007, a new comic book series featuring the band was released by the Kiss Comics Group in association with Platinum Studios. Titled Kiss 4K: Legends Never Die, the first issue was published in both a regular size and a giant 1.5' x 2.5' "Destroyer edition".
The band picked up their pace in 2008, embarking on their first proper tour of Europe in nearly a decade. On January 30, 2008, Stanley confirmed that Kiss would launch the Kiss Alive/35 World Tour, playing arena and stadium shows in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. On March 16, 2008, Kiss closed the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit as well as performing in Brisbane and Sydney as part of this tour. Kiss played at the Rock2Wgtn two-day festival held in Wellington, New Zealand on March 22 and 23, 2008; the festival also featured Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Poison, Alice Cooper, Lordi, Sonic Altar and Symphony of Screams, with special effects provided by WETA Workshop (of The Lord of the Rings and King Kong fame).
Throughout the summer of 2008, Kiss headlined festivals as well as their own shows and played to a record audience of about 400,000 people.[116] As part of this tour, Kiss headlined the Download Festival at England's Donington Park on June 13. Three days later, they headlined the Arrow Rock Festival in Nijmegen, Netherlands. On June 28, Kiss headlined the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium. It was the last show of the European leg of the Kiss Alive/35 Tour. On August 4, Kiss played at Rockin' the Rally at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as part of the tour. South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds proclaimed August 4, 2008 to be "Kiss Rock and Roll Day" in South Dakota. In September 2008, both Simmons and Stanley confirmed rumors that the Kiss Alive/35 Tour would continue with extensive tours of North America in the beginning of 2009, as well as South America. The latter tour included shows on April 5 in Argentina, April 7 and 8 in Brazil, April 14 in Peru (the first Kiss show ever in Peru), and other concerts in Venezuela (the first Kiss show ever in Venezuela) and Chile. That summer, Kiss came back to North America to continue the Alive/35 World Tour, starting on July 18 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[117][118][119]
2008–2012: Sonic Boom and Monster
More than 10 years after their last studio album, and following years of denials about ever wanting to do a new album, Stanley and Simmons changed their minds. In November 2008, Stanley stated to rock photographer Ross Halfin that a new Kiss album was in the works. Stanley himself would be the producer, and the album would have a "real 70s Kiss sound" to it. Later that month, Simmons and Stanley both publicly confirmed the information about a new Kiss album:
We have 4 tunes recorded. If you're a fan of our stuff from about 1977, you'll feel right at home. All of us have taken up the songwriting call to arms in the same spirit we once did – without a care in the world and without outside writers. Nothing to prove to anyone. Just doing what comes naturally. Ignoring fashions, trends and with a personal vow from all of us: no rapping. There are plenty of people out there doing this and they don't need four palefaced guys pretending they're from the hood. Besides, I'm not sure how to correctly pronounce 'wassup.' See you all there ... Or maybe later![116]
The band appeared on American Idol in May 2009, performing "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock and Roll All Nite" with Adam Lambert.[120]
In October 2009, a new studio album, titled Sonic Boom, was released.[121] It included a CD of new material, re-recorded versions of famous Kiss hits (previously released as Jigoku-Retsuden, a Japanese exclusive album in 2008) and a live DVD recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[122] "Modern Day Delilah" was released as the lead single from Sonic Boom on August 19, 2009. The song was Kiss' first single release in 11 years, since 1998's "You Wanted the Best". The song gained positive feedback from both critics and fans, and was compared to the band's 1970s work.[123][124] In support of the new album, Kiss appeared live on Late Show with David Letterman on October 6, 2009, and on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 7, 2009. Sonic Boom debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in its first week of release.
On September 25, 2009, the Kiss Alive/35 North American Tour kicked off at Cobo Hall in Detroit; both nights were filmed for future DVD release. These were the band's final performances there, as the venue was later closed as part of the renovation of the Cobo Center. Kiss headlined the 2009 Voodoo Experience held at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana on Halloween night.[125] During their performance at the MTS Centre on November 9, 2009, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, one of the lighting trusses caught on fire from a pyro cue. The truss had to be lowered in order to have the fire put out. During the five or so minutes it took to extinguish the fire, the band broke into the song "Firehouse". No one was hurt and the show continued.[126]
Kiss started the European leg of the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour in May 2010. Tragedy struck Kiss for a third time when former manager Aucoin died of cancer on June 28, 2010, at the age of 66. Stanley and Simmons said he was like the fifth member of Kiss. The tour included their first UK arena shows in 11 years and their first visit to Slovakia. Kiss later played at two dates in US cities Cheyenne, Wyoming and the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, North Dakota in July 2010. They also played at the Indiana State Fair in August and the Minnesota State Fair in September. They also made a brief appearance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, New York on August 17, 2010. On July 23, Kiss started The Hottest Show on Earth Tour in the United States. The tour saw the band play numerous shows throughout the US, Canada and Mexico.
On April 13, 2011, Kiss began recording a new album due for release later in the year.[127] Simmons stated, the album "is gonna be the next step to Sonic Boom. Very similar – straight rock songs, no ballads, no keyboards, no nothing, just rock."[127] The band also used old analog equipment instead of more popular digital recording gear. Simmons said: "Technology is a seductive bitch, she will seduce you. You press this button, you don't have to do anything. But analog is the love of your life. You can push real hard and it always gives back. For the new album, the actual recording process was 24-track tape and an old Trident board. And as many tubes as possible. You need tubes, electricity and thick wood to make that thick sound."[128][129]
Kiss spent the summer of 2011 playing venues in the US and Canada, visiting cities they had not played in some time; it was dubbed the "Lost Cities Tour". Their next album Monster was released in October 2012. KISS by Monster Mini Golf was opened in March 2012 in Las Vegas. The facility is an 18-hole indoor miniature golf course, featuring arcade games, a gift shop and numerous pieces of band memorabilia on display. The complete current version of the band attended the grand opening.[130]
Kiss appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 20, 2012. A press conference was held on the same day to announce a summer North American tour called The Tour, co-headlined by Mötley Crüe. The Tour started on July 20 and ended on October 1. The single "Hell or Hallelujah" was released internationally on July 2, 2012, and on July 3 in North America. Monster was released on October 9, 2012, in North America to critical and fan acclaim, debuting in the Top 3 in the US and Top 10 in many countries.
Kiss kicked off the Monster Tour on November 7, 2012, in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the River Plate Stadium and continued the six-date South American leg with dates in Santiago, Asunción, Porto Alegre, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro until November 18. The Australian leg began on February 28, 2013, in Perth at the Perth Arena and ran through March 16 in Mackay at Virgin Australian Stadium. They were joined by Mötley Crüe, Thin Lizzy and Diva Demolition. The band extensively toured Europe and Canada with a few US dates in June through August, and then Japan in October.
2013–2016: 40th anniversary, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and international collaboration
In 2015, Kiss released a collaboration CD with another artist for the first time.[131] The artist was Momoiro Clover Z, the most popular female idol group according to 2013 and 2015 surveys in Japan.[132][133][134][135]
On October 16, 2013, Kiss was again announced as a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[136] and was subsequently announced as an inductee on December 17.[137]
In 2013, Kiss purchased a share of an Arena Football League expansion franchise set to begin play at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California in 2014. Simmons, Stanley and manager McGhee jointly owned the team, called the Los Angeles Kiss. Both Simmons and Stanley are known fans of the AFL.[138] The LA Kiss offered National Football League free agent quarterback Tim Tebow a contract to join their team and play in the AFL, but he did not join.[139] The team folded in 2016.
In 2014, Kiss toured as co-headliners with Def Leppard. After Simmons toured with Joe Elliott in South America, the two talked about their bands working together. From June 23 to August 31, 2014, the bands toured 42 cities, with a dollar per ticket donated to such military charities as Wounded Warrior Project.[140]
For the first time in the band's 41-year history, Kiss was featured on the cover of the April 10, 2014 (Issue 1206) edition of Rolling Stone magazine. On April 10, 2014, Kiss was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Though the rockers did not perform, the original four members (Simmons, Stanley, Frehley and Criss) showed up at the 29th annual induction ceremony in Brooklyn to accept their honor.[137][141]
External video
Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na
Kiss's first collaboration single with another artist.
On January 28, 2015, Kiss released a collaboration single with the Japanese female idol group Momoiro Clover Z, titled "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na". It was the first time Kiss had issued a collaboration record with another artist.[131] In Japan, it was released physically in two versions: "Momoiro Clover Z Edition" (on CD and Blu-ray) and "Kiss Edition" (CD only).[142][143] An alternate mix of the single's title song was also included as an opening track on the Japanese-only SHM-CD album Best of Kiss 40, released in Japan on the same day.[144][145]
Before the collaboration, the members of Kiss had watched concert videos of Momoiro Clover Z. Stanley later commented during an interview:
Spectacular show! Great choreography! Music like we never heard before. We said, "this is something we can do!" Somebody said, "Kiss, why are you doing it?" "Because we can!" It's two worlds getting together, doing something unbelievable. Music power rocks the world.[146]
On September 15, 2015, the RIAA announced that the band had earned more gold records than any other American band in the association's 63-year history, with a total of 30 gold album awards (including the band's four 1978 solo albums). Cary Sherman, the RIAA CEO and chairman, commented:
What an extraordinary achievement for an enduring band. Forty years later and the band is still rocking. Congratulations to KISS on their Gold album milestone and continued success.[147]
2016–present: Freedom to Rock Tour and final years
In 2016, Kiss conducted a summer tour, titled the Freedom to Rock Tour, of less frequented cities and smaller venues. The tour ran throughout the summer, with opening acts Caleb Johnson and the Dead Daisies.[148] On December 13, 2016, Kiss performed during the Season 11 finale of The Voice, accompanied by the season winner Sundance Head.
There have also been conflicting stories on whether Kiss will record another album or not. Simmons has said "yes" in interviews, saying that he has songs written and lined up for a new album. Stanley and Thayer dispute this however and say that they don't vow to make one and that the band can move forward without new music.[149][150]
Simmons and Stanley made cameo appearances in the 2016 movie Why Him?.[151]
On September 19, 2018, following a performance on America's Got Talent, Kiss announced that they will be ending their career with the One Last Kiss: End of the Road World Tour in 2019.[1][152] The tour kicks off on January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and currently features 74 additional dates that run through December 3 in Auckland, New Zealand.[153]
In October 2018, the band reunited with Ace Frehley and Bruce Kulick on the Kiss Kruise. They performed "New York Groove", "2,000 Man", "Hide Your Heart" and "Domino". This is the first time Frehley and the band have performed since 2002 for their first Kiss Farewell Tour and Kulick's first time performing with the band live since his departure in 1997.[154]
Musical style
Kiss have typically been classified under the genres of hard rock, shock rock,[155] and heavy metal.[156][157][158][159] Most of their '70s albums, particularly the first six released between 1974 and 1977 as well as 1982's Creatures of the Night, featured a hard rock or traditional heavy metal style. 1979's Dynasty and 1980's Unmasked featured a more disco/pop rock sound, and 1981's Music from "The Elder" found the band dabbling in progressive rock. In 1983, starting with Lick It Up and the removal of their trademark make-up, the band began incorporating elements of glam metal into their sound and visual image.[160][161] Later, in the early 1990s, their sound grew heavier and abandoned the glam metal sound.[162] In the mid-1990s, the band returned to their original sound.[158]
Their music is described as "a commercially potent mix of anthemic, fist-pounding hard rock, driven by sleek hooks and ballads powered by loud guitars, cloying melodies, and sweeping strings. It was a sound that laid the groundwork for both arena rock and the pop-metal that dominated rock in the late '80s."[158] The first review of Kiss by Rolling Stone, in 1973, described the band as "an American Black Sabbath".[163] The same magazine's review of Hotter than Hell stated that "with twin guitars hammering out catchy mondo-distorto riffs and bass and drums amiably bringing up the rear, Kiss spews forth a deceptively controlled type of thunderous hysteria."[164] At the same time, Bennington Banner from Rock Music magazine said, "With its members' bizarre, Kabuki-like makeup, studded black leather costumes and arsenal of on-stage firepower – both musical and literal – Kiss represents the most extreme form of hard rock in 1974."[165]
Influence
British glam rock band Slade (pictured in 1973) was among the band's influences
Kiss was strongly influenced by Alice Cooper and the New York Dolls,[166] while Gene Simmons states "their musical heart and soul lies in England".[167] The Beatles and the trio of rock guitarists Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck were among the British acts he praised, with Simmons stating, "I've ripped off so many English riffs, if the British influence wasn't there, we wouldn't be here. 'Rock and Roll All Nite' is a direct bastard child of Slade's 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now'".[167] In his book, Kiss and Make-Up, Simmons wrote of the glam rock group Slade, "... we liked the way they connected with the crowd and the way they wrote anthems ... we wanted that same energy, that same irresistible simplicity".[168]
The world of concert touring was changed by Kiss's practice of erecting uniquely designed stage sets. Tours got larger, carrying more personnel and equipment, including sets, costumes, sound and lighting gear, pyrotechnics, all requiring more trucking, and the total cost increasing by millions of dollars. Kiss also innovated with a significant expansion of concert merchandising, selling non-musical Kiss-branded goods to concertgoers. The sales of merchandise helped pay for the concert expenses and bring a profit to the band as well as give them more of a presence without relying solely on radio. Other bands copied Kiss by selling their own branded goods at concerts, a practice which became more of a necessity in the 1980s with increasing costs of touring.[166][169]
Members
Further information: List of Kiss members
Current
Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar (1973–present)
Gene Simmons – vocals, bass (1973–present)
Tommy Thayer – lead guitar, vocals (2002–present)
Eric Singer – drums, percussion, vocals (1991–1996, 2001-2002, 2004–present)
Former
Ace Frehley – lead guitar, vocals (1973–1982, 1996–2002)
Peter Criss – drums, percussion, vocals (1973–1980, 1996–2001, 2002–2004)
Eric Carr – drums, percussion, vocals (1980–1991; his death)
Vinnie Vincent – lead guitar, vocals (1982–1984)
Mark St. John – lead guitar, vocals (1984; died 2007)
Bruce Kulick – lead guitar, vocals (1984–1996)
Make-up designs
"We had to go through torture to perfect the process of putting it on," Stanley admitted in 1996. "I can remember plenty of times when I blinded myself with black eye make-up ... In the beginning, the white was a zinc oxide cream which you can buy in any pharmacy. We didn't know what we were doing; we just wanted white faces ... and the zinc oxide beating spraying ourselves with white paint. We eventually worked our way up to what's called 'clown white.' The two best brands are made by Stein's and Max Factor ... At first, the black was Maybelline waterproof eyeliner, but it would crack because it's only meant to draw a line around your eye, not a whole star. Now we use black grease sticks, which are a more solid form of greasepaint. The silver that Peter and Ace use is made by Stein's, and it comes in bottles in either metallic gold or metallic silver ... The only time we have problems is in situations of extreme heat. I remember doing a show when it was so hot and humid that the make-up literally ran off our faces. Between songs we'd run to the side of the stage to slap on more clown white!"[170]
The Starchild
Paul Stanley
The Demon
Gene Simmons
The Spaceman/
Space Ace
Ace Frehley
(since 2002:
Tommy Thayer)
The Catman
Peter Criss
(since 2004: Eric Singer)
The Fox
Eric Carr
The Ankh Warrior
Vinnie Vincent
St. John and Kulick were members of Kiss only during the period where the band members did not perform wearing make-up. The four original makeup designs have been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with ownership and licensing rights held by Simmons and Stanley. The Spaceman makeup design was sold to Simmons and Stanley by Ace Frehley.
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Kiss
Discography
Main article: Kiss discography
Studio albums
Kiss (1974)
Hotter than Hell (1974)
Dressed to Kill (1975)
Destroyer (1976)
Rock and Roll Over (1976)
Love Gun (1977)
Gene Simmons (1978)
Ace Frehley (1978)
Peter Criss (1978)
Paul Stanley (1978)
Dynasty (1979)
Unmasked (1980)
Music from "The Elder" (1981)
Creatures of the Night (1982)
Lick It Up (1983)
Animalize (1984)
Asylum (1985)
Crazy Nights (1987)
Hot in the Shade (1989)
Revenge (1992)
Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997)
Psycho Circus (1998)
Sonic Boom (2009)
Monster (2012)
See also
Book: Kiss
Heavy metal portal
Category:Kiss (band)
Kiss videography
List of songs recorded by Kiss
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart
List of best-selling music artists
List of awards and nominations received by Kiss
Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards
2007 Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 Best Reissue Won
2008 Paul Stanley Showman Award Won
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Kiss has received one award nomination.
1999 "Psycho Circus" Best Hard Rock Performance Nominated
Metal Edge Readers' Choice Awards
1996 Kiss Band of the Year
1996 Kiss Best Metal/Hard Rock Band
1996 Kiss Best Concert Performance
1996 Kiss Best Concert Tour
1996 Paul Stanley Best Vocalist
1996 Gene Simmons Best Bassist
1996 Ace Frehley Best Guitarist
1996 Kiss Unplugged Best Video Cassette
1997 "Jungle" Song of the Year
1998 Psycho Circus Album of the Year
1998 "Psycho Circus" Song of the Year
1998 "Psycho Circus" Best Video Clip
1998 Second Coming Best Video Cassette
1998 Kiss Best Concert Performance
1998 Gene Simmons Best Bassist
2000 Kiss Stage Show of the Year
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. KISS has received just one nomination.
1984 "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" Best Cinematography Nominated
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. Kiss has received one award to date, for song Beth in 1977.
Result
1977 "Beth" Favorite New Song Won
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a museum and award show dedicated to honoring the history and cultural impact of rock and roll. KISS was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 10th, 2014
2014 Kiss Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Won
Kiss
Paul Stanley ·
Gene Simmons ·
Tommy Thayer ·
Eric Singer
Ace Frehley ·
Peter Criss ·
Eric Carr ·
Vinnie Vincent ·
Mark St. John ·
Bruce Kulick
Studio albums
Kiss ·
Hotter Than Hell ·
Dressed to Kill ·
Destroyer ·
Rock and Roll Over ·
Love Gun ·
Dynasty ·
Unmasked ·
Music from "The Elder" ·
Creatures of the Night ·
Lick It Up ·
Animalize ·
Asylum ·
Crazy Nights ·
Hot in the Shade ·
Revenge ·
Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions ·
Psycho Circus ·
Sonic Boom ·
Monster
'78 solo albums
Ace Frehley ·
Gene Simmons ·
Paul Stanley ·
Peter Criss
Live albums
Alive! ·
Alive II ·
Alive III ·
Kiss Unplugged ·
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! ·
Kiss Symphony: Alive IV ·
Kiss Instant Live ·
Alive! The Millennium Concert ·
Kiss Alive 35 ·
Kiss Sonic Boom Over Europe ·
Kiss Rocks Vegas
Compilations
Double Platinum ·
Killers ·
Chikara ·
Smashes, Thrashes & Hits ·
Greatest Kiss ·
The Very Best of Kiss ·
20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss ·
The Best of Kiss, Volume 2: The Millennium Collection ·
Gold ·
The Best of Kiss, Volume 3: The Millennium Collection ·
Jigoku-Retsuden ·
Kiss 40 ·
Kissworld
Box sets
The Originals ·
The Box Set ·
Kiss Chronicles: 3 Classic Albums ·
Kiss Alive! 1975–2000 ·
Ikons
Video albums
Animalize Live Uncensored ·
Exposed ·
Crazy Nights ·
X-treme Close-Up ·
Kiss Konfidential ·
Kiss My Ass: The Video ·
Kiss Unplugged ·
Psycho Circus 3-D Video ·
The Second Coming ·
Kiss Symphony: The DVD ·
Rock the Nation Live! ·
Kissology Volume One: 1974–1977 ·
Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991 ·
Kissology Volume Three: 1992–2000 ·
Kiss Rocks Vegas
Tribute albums
Hard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation ·
Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved ·
A Tribute to the Creatures of the Night ·
Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss ·
Spin the Bottle: An All-Star Tribute to Kiss ·
Gods of Thunder: A Norwegian Tribute to Kiss ·
Lick It Up – A Millennium Tribute to Kiss ·
Kiss My Ankh ·
Sheep in KISS Make Up
Concert tours
The Early Days of Kiss ·
Kiss Tour ·
Hotter than Hell Tour ·
Dressed to Kill Tour ·
Alive! Tour ·
Destroyer Tour ·
Rock & Roll Over Tour ·
Love Gun Tour ·
Alive II Tour ·
Dynasty Tour ·
Unmasked Tour ·
Creatures of the Night Tour ·
Lick It Up World Tour ·
Animalize World Tour ·
Asylum Tour ·
Crazy Nights World Tour ·
Hot in the Shade Tour ·
Revenge Tour ·
Kiss My Ass Tour ·
Alive/Worldwide Tour ·
Psycho Circus World Tour ·
Kiss Farewell Tour ·
World Domination Tour ·
Rock the Nation World Tour ·
Rising Sun Tour ·
Hit 'n Run Tour ·
Alive 35 World Tour ·
Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour ·
The Hottest Show on Earth Tour ·
The Tour ·
Monster World Tour ·
The KISS 40th Anniversary World Tour ·
Freedom to Rock Tour ·
Kissworld Tour ·
One Last Kiss: End of the Road World Tour
Films
Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park ·
Detroit Rock City ·
Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery
Merchandising
Action figures ·
Comics ·
Kiss: Psycho Circus ·
Pinball ·
Pinball video game ·
Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child ·
Kiss Kasket ·
Kiss by Monster Mini-Golf ·
Los Angeles Kiss ·
Bibliography
Related
Articles
Discography ·
Videography ·
Band members ·
Songs ·
Awards ·
Kiss Army ·
Operation Payback ·
The Elder ·
Stephen Coronel
Bands
Black 'n Blue ·
Black Sabbath ·
Chelsea ·
Eric Singer Project ·
Frehley's Comet ·
Grand Funk Railroad ·
Mini Kiss ·
Union ·
Vinnie Vincent Invasion ·
White Tiger ·
Wicked Lester
Albums
Gene Simmons Vault ·
Live to Win ·
One Live Kiss ·
The Original Wicked Lester Sessions ·
Origins, Vol. 1 ·
Rockology ·
Unfinished Business
List of Kiss members
The current lineup of Kiss, from left to right: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.
Kiss is an American hard rock band from New York City, New York. Formed in 1973, the group originally featured rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, all of whom contributed to vocals.[1] The band's lineup remained stable until 1980, when Criss left on May 17.[2] He was replaced by Eric Carr later in the year.[3] Two years later Frehley also left the band, although Stanley and Simmons have claimed that he was fired due to a problem with drug and alcohol abuse.[4]
Frehley was replaced by Vinnie Vincent, who performed on Creatures of the Night and Lick It Up before leaving in 1984.[5] Mark St. John performed on Animalize, before Bruce Kulick replaced him after the album's release.[6] Carr died on November 24, 1991,[7] being replaced by Eric Singer.[8] In 1996, founding members Frehley and Criss rejoined the band for the Alive/Worldwide Tour, marking the first performances of the original lineup in 17 years.[9] The reunited lineup released one studio album, Psycho Circus, in 1998.[1]
Following the 2000–2001 Farewell Tour, Kiss intended to retire from touring; however, the band returned in 2002 with returning drummer Singer (who rejoined the previous year) and new lead guitarist Tommy Thayer.[1] Criss returned to the band later in the year, but left again in 2004.[10] With the current lineup, Kiss has released two studio albums: 2009's Sonic Boom and 2012's Monster.[1]
Members
Paul Stanley 1973–present
vocals ·
rhythm guitar
all Kiss releases
Gene Simmons 1973–present
vocals ·
bass
all Kiss releases
Tommy Thayer
1989 ·
1992 ·
2002–present
lead guitar ·
vocals
Hot in the Shade (1989) – "Betrayed" and "The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away" only ·
Revenge (1992, only backing vocals) ·
all Kiss releases from Psycho Circus (1998) to present
Eric Singer
1991–1996 ·
2001–2002 ·
2004–present
drums ·
percussion ·
vocals
all Kiss releases from Revenge (1992) to Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997) ·
all Kiss releases from Kiss Alive 35 (2009) to present
Ace Frehley
1973–1982 ·
1995 ·
1996–2002
lead guitar ·
vocals
all Kiss releases from Kiss (1974) to Music from "The Elder" (1981) ·
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! (1996) ·
Psycho Circus (1998) ·
Alive! The Millennium Concert (2000)
Peter Criss
1973–1980 ·
1995 ·
1996–2001 ·
2002–2004
drums ·
percussion ·
vocals
all Kiss releases from Kiss (1974) to Dynasty (1979) ·
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! (1996) ·
Psycho Circus (1998) ·
Alive! The Millennium Concert (2000) ·
Kiss Symphony: Alive IV (2003)
Eric Carr 1980–1991
(his death)
drums ·
percussion ·
vocals
all Kiss releases from Music from "The Elder" (1981) to Revenge (1992) – "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II" and "Carr Jam 1981" only on Revenge
Vinnie Vincent 1982–1984
lead guitar ·
vocals
Creatures of the Night (1982) ·
Lick It Up (1983)
Mark St. John 1984
lead guitar ·
vocals
Animalize (1984)
Bruce Kulick 1984–1996
lead guitar ·
vocals ·
keyboards
all Kiss releases from Animalize (1984) to Psycho Circus (1998) – "Lonely Is the Hunter" and "Murder in High Heels" only on Animalize; "Psycho Circus", "Within" and "Dreamin'" only on Psycho Circus
Kiss videography
The following is the filmography of the American rock band Kiss.
Music videos
1975 Rock and Roll All Nite Unknown
C'mon and Love Me
1976 I Want You
Hard Luck Woman
Love 'em, Leave 'em
Unknown
1979 I Was Made for Lovin' You John Goodhue
Sure Know Something
1980 Shandi Unknown
1981 A World Without Heroes Bruce Gowers
1982 I Love It Loud Paul Davey
1983 Lick It Up Martin Kahan
All Hell's Breakin' Loose
1984 Heaven's on Fire David Lewis
Thrills in the Night Albie Vos
1985 Tears Are Falling David Mallet
Who Wants to Be Lonely
Uh! All Night
1986 Rock and Roll All Nite (Live) Claude Borenwzeig
1987 Crazy Crazy Nights Jean Pellerin & Doug Freel
Reason to Live Marty Callner
1988 Turn On the Night
1989 Let's Put the 'X' in Sex Rebecca Blake
(You Make Me) Rock Hard
Hide Your Heart Marty Callner
Rise to It Mark Rezyka
Forever
1991 God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II
1992 Unholy Paul Rachman
I Just Wanna
Domino
Every Time I Look at You Mark Rezyka
1993 I Love It Loud (Live) Joseph Young
1997 Shout It Out Loud (Live) Wayne Isham
1998 Psycho Circus James Hurlburt
2009 Modern Day Delilah Wayne Isham
Lyric videos
2012 "Hell or Hallelujah"
2013 "Right Here Right Now"
Video albums
1985 Animalize Live Uncensored Released: April 19, 1985
Label: Mercury Records
Formats: VHS
US: Platinum[1]
1987 Exposed Released: May 18, 1987
Label: PolyGram Music Video
Formats: VHS, DVD
US: Platinum[1]
CAN: Platinum[2]
1988 Crazy Nights Released: June 6, 1988
Label: PolyGram Music Video
Formats: VHS
US: Gold[1]
1992 X-treme Close-Up Released: August 18, 1992
Label: PolyGram Music Video
Formats: VHS, DVD
US: Platinum[1]
CAN: Gold[2]
1993 Kiss Konfidential Released: August 16, 1993
Label: PolyGram Music Video
Formats: VHS, DVD
US: Gold[1]
CAN: Gold[2]
1994 Kiss My Ass: The Video Released: August 23, 1994
Label: PolyGram Music Video
Formats: VHS, DVD
US: Gold[1]
1996 Kiss Unplugged Released: March 12, 1996
Label: PolyGram Music Video
Formats: VHS, DVD
US: Gold[1]
1998 Psycho Circus 3-D Video Released: October 20, 1998
Label: Mercury Records
Formats: CD
US: Platinum[1]
The Second Coming Released: November 24, 1998
Label: PolyGram Music Video
Formats: DVD
US: Platinum[1]
AUS: 2x Platinum[3]
2003 Kiss Symphony: The DVD Released: September 10, 2003
Label: Sanctuary Records
Formats: DVD
US: 2× Platinum[1]
ARG: Platinum[4]
CAN: 2× Platinum[2]
AUS: Platinum[5]
2005 Rock the Nation Live! Released: December 13, 2005
Label: Image Entertainment
Formats: DVD
US: 2× Platinum[1]
CAN: 2× Platinum[2]
AUS: Platinum[6]
2006 Kissology Volume One: 1974–1977 Released: October 31, 2006
Label: VH1 Classic Records
Formats: DVD
US: 5× Platinum[1]
CAN: 8× Platinum[2]
2007 Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991 Released: August 14, 2007
Label: VH1 Classic Records
Formats: DVD
US: 6× Platinum[1]
Kissology Volume Three: 1992–2000 Released: December 18, 2007
Label: VH1 Classic Records
Formats: DVD
US: 8× Platinum[1]
2016 Kiss Rocks Vegas Released: August 26, 2016
Label:
Formats: DVD, Blu-Ray, CD
Feature films
1978 Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Gordon Hessler
1999 Detroit Rock City Adam Rifkin
2015 Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
Other appearances
In 2010 Love theme from KISS appeared in the movie Somewhere, directed by Sofia Coppola.
Kiss in the 1998 Millennium episode "...Thirteen Years Later".
Kiss was also featured in the Family Guy episodes "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" and "Road to Europe".
In 2002, Kiss filmed a music video with the cast of the popular sitcom That '70s Show to announce that the show was going into syndication. The half-hour special showed behind the scenes of the making of the video. The half-hour special, called That '70s Kiss Show, aired on VH1.
Gene Simmons makes a cameo appearance in the 2008 movie Detroit Metal City (a live action adaptation of the manga of the same name) as Jack ill Dark, a legendary Black metal guitarist from the United States.
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley appeared as themselves in the 2009 Fairly OddParents episode "Wishology Part 1: The Big Beginning."
Kiss appeared on the season finale of American Idol in 2009 and 2014 during results shows in which they performed with Adam Lambert and Caleb Johnson.
Gene Simmons appears as himself on the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Long Road Home".
Gene Simmons makes an appearance on Castle, in the episode "To Love and Die in L.A." as a friend of the murder victim whose case Castle and Beckett investigate.
They also appear in an episode of What's New, Scooby-Doo? performing as themselves, they later appeared in the Scooby-Doo movie Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery.
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley appear in the 2016 comedy film Why Him? as themselves.
In 1976 Kiss has appeared in The Paul Lynde Halloween Special as themselves.
List of songs recorded by Kiss
The original lineup of Kiss in 1977. Clockwise from top: Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley.
Kiss is an American hard rock band from New York City, New York. Formed in January 1973, the group originally included rhythm guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley, bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons, lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss.[1] Songwriting is typically led by Stanley and Simmons, who also perform the majority of lead vocals, although all members regularly contribute.[2] The band's self-titled debut album featured only one songwriting credit for Frehley and Criss (on "Love Theme from Kiss", written by all four members), as well as a cover version of Bobby Rydell's "Kissin' Time".[3] Frehley wrote or co-wrote three songs on Hotter than Hell,[4] and two on 1975's Dressed to Kill.[5] For Destroyer, the band worked closely with producer Bob Ezrin, who was credited for songwriting on seven of the album's nine tracks.[6]
Rock and Roll Over, released in 1976, was again led by Stanley and Simmons, with Sean Delaney co-credited alongside the former on three tracks.[7] 1977's Love Gun featured a writing credit each for Frehley and Criss, as well as a cover of "Then She Kissed Me", originally by The Crystals.[8] After each member released an eponymous solo album in 1978, Kiss returned in 1979 with Dynasty, which featured session drummer Anton Fig in place of the injured Criss.[9] Fig also performed on Unmasked the following year, by which time Criss had left Kiss.[10] Unmasked included several songwriters from outside of the band, including producer Vini Poncia on all but three tracks.[11] Following the addition of Eric Carr on drums, the band released Music from "The Elder" in 1981, which was the last to feature Frehley who departed the following year.[12]
Frehley was replaced by Vinnie Vincent, who first wrote and performed on Creatures of the Night in 1982.[13] The album also featured two songs co-written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.[13] Vincent remained for the 1983 follow-up Lick It Up, although left after the album's touring cycle.[14] He was replaced for Animalize by Mark St. John, which included songs co-written by Desmond Child, Mitch Weissman and Jean Beauvoir.[15] Bruce Kulick debuted on Asylum as the band's fourth lead guitarist, which again included credits for Child and Beauvoir.[16] Crazy Nights and Hot in the Shade featured returning contributors Poncia, Child and Weissman, as well as new additions such as Tommy Thayer, Michael Bolton and Bob Halligan Jr.[17][18] Carr died of cancer on November 24, 1991, with Eric Singer taking over as the band's drummer.[1]
The band's 1992 release Revenge was largely co-written with Ezrin, who had returned as producer.[19] In 1996, Frehley and Criss returned for an original lineup reunion tour.[1] The group released Psycho Circus in 1998, which was primarily written by Stanley and Simmons with contributions from Curtis Cuomo, Holly Knight, Karl Cochran, Ezrin and Kulick.[20] By 2004, the lineup of Kiss included lead guitarist Thayer and drummer Singer.[1] The group's next studio album followed in 2009 – Sonic Boom was written entirely by the band's members, with all but Singer credited.[21] 2012's Monster credited the drummer on just one track, "Back to the Stone Age", which was written by the whole band.[22] In early 2015, Kiss released a single in collaboration with Japanese idol group Momoiro Clover Z entitled "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na".[23]
Songs
Rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, the primary songwriter in Kiss, has written (or co-written) and performed lead (or co-lead) vocals on over 120 songs for the band.
Bassist Gene Simmons is the second main songwriter and vocalist in the band, with writing credits on over 100 songs and singing credits on over 90.
Original lead guitarist Ace Frehley wrote or co-wrote 18 and performed lead vocals on 12 songs during his two tenures.
Peter Criss, the original Kiss drummer, wrote only five tracks for the band, but performed vocals on a total of thirteen.
Guitarist Bruce Kulick co-wrote 20 songs for Kiss, both as a band member and as a guest contributor, and performed lead vocals on "I Walk Alone".
The band's current drummer Eric Singer is featured as a co-writer on only one Kiss track, "Back to the Stone Age", which is credited to the whole group.
Tommy Thayer has written or co-written 16 songs for the group since 1989, as well as singing on two ("Outta This World" and "When Lightning Strikes").
Anton Fig performed drums on Dynasty and Unmasked, and co-wrote the song "Dark Light" for Music from "The Elder".
Bob Ezrin produced three Kiss albums, co-writing 21 songs with various band members.
Kiss covered Bobby Rydell's "Kissin' Time" for their 1974 self-titled debut album.
Kim Fowley co-wrote two songs on 1976's Destroyer – "King of the Night Time World" and "Do You Love Me".
Kiss recorded a cover of "Then He Kissed Me", originally by The Crystals, under the title "Then She Kissed Me", for the 1977 album Love Gun.
Alive II features a recording of The Dave Clark Five's "Any Way You Want It", written by the eponymous frontman.
The 1979 album Dynasty included a cover of The Rolling Stones song "2,000 Man".
Lou Reed contributed to songwriting for three tracks on Music from "The Elder".
Bryan Adams co-wrote three songs for the 1982 releases Killers and Creatures of the Night.
Diane Warren co-wrote the singles "Turn On the Night" and "(You Make Me) Rock Hard", as well as writing "Nothing Can Keep Me from You" for the 1999 film Detroit Rock City.
Holly Knight co-wrote one song for 1989's Hot in the Shade and two for 1998's Psycho Circus.
Michael Bolton wrote the 1990 single "Forever" with Stanley.
Black 'n Blue frontman Jaime St. James co-wrote "In My Head", released on 1997's Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions.
Kiss covered the Ramones song "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" for the 2003 tribute album We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones.
In 2014, the band contributed a recording of the Wings track "Venus and Mars/Rock Show", written by Paul and Linda McCartney, to the tribute album The Art of McCartney.
The band collaborated with Japanese idol group Momoiro Clover Z for the single "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na", released in 2015 with B-side "Samurai Son"
List of songs recorded by Kiss, with writer(s), lead vocalist(s), original release and year
"100,000 Years"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Paul Stanley Kiss 1974 [24]
"2,000 Man"
(The Rolling Stones cover)
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards Ace Frehley Dynasty 1979 [25]
"Ain't That Peculiar"
Eric Carr
Smokey Robinson
Pete Moore
Bobby Rogers
Marv Tarplin Eric Carr The Box Set 2001 [26]
"All American Man"
Paul Stanley
Sean Delaney Paul Stanley Alive II 1977 [27]
"All for the Glory"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Eric Singer Sonic Boom 2009 [28]
"All for the Love of Rock & Roll"
Paul Stanley Eric Singer Monster 2012 [29]
"All Hell's Breakin' Loose" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Vinnie Vincent
Eric Carr Paul Stanley Lick It Up 1983 [30]
"All the Way"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Hotter than Hell 1974 [31]
"Almost Human"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Love Gun 1977 [32]
"And on the 8th Day"
Gene Simmons
Vinnie Vincent Gene Simmons Lick It Up 1983 [33]
"Any Way You Slice It"
Gene Simmons
Howard Rice Gene Simmons Asylum 1985 [34]
"Any Way You Want It"
(The Dave Clark Five cover)
Dave Clark Paul Stanley Alive II 1977 [35]
"Anything for My Baby"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Dressed to Kill 1975 [36]
"Baby Driver"
Peter Criss
Stan Penridge Peter Criss Rock and Roll Over 1976 [37]
"Back to the Stone Age"
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer
Eric Singer Gene Simmons Monster 2012 [38]
"Bad, Bad Lovin'"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons The Box Set 2001 [39]
"Bang Bang You"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Crazy Nights 1987 [40]
"Beth" Song released as a single
Peter Criss
Stan Penridge
Bob Ezrin Peter Criss Destroyer 1976 [41]
"Betrayed"
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer Gene Simmons Hot in the Shade 1989 [42]
"Black Diamond"
Paul Stanley Peter Criss
Paul Stanley Kiss 1974 [43]
"Boomerang"
Gene Simmons
Bruce Kulick Gene Simmons Hot in the Shade 1989 [44]
"Burn Bitch Burn"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Animalize 1984 [45]
"C'mon and Love Me" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Dressed to Kill 1975 [46]
"Cadillac Dreams"
Gene Simmons
Vini Poncia Gene Simmons Hot in the Shade 1989 [47]
"Calling Dr. Love" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Rock and Roll Over 1976 [48]
"Carr Jam 1981"
Eric Carr none (instrumental) Revenge 1992 [49]
"Charisma"
Gene Simmons
Howard Marks Gene Simmons Dynasty 1979 [50]
"Childhood's End"
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer
Bruce Kulick Gene Simmons Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [51]
"Christine Sixteen" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Love Gun 1977 [52]
"Cold Gin"
Ace Frehley Gene Simmons Kiss 1974 [53]
"Comin' Home"
Paul Stanley
Ace Frehley Paul Stanley Hotter than Hell 1974 [54]
"Crazy Crazy Nights" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell Paul Stanley Crazy Nights 1987 [55]
"Creatures of the Night" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell Paul Stanley Creatures of the Night 1982 [56]
"Dance All Over Your Face"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Lick It Up 1983 [57]
"Danger"
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell Paul Stanley Creatures of the Night 1982 [58]
"Danger Us"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Sonic Boom 2009 [59]
"Dark Light"
Ace Frehley
Gene Simmons
Anton Fig
Lou Reed Ace Frehley Music from "The Elder" 1981 [60]
"Detroit Rock City" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley Destroyer 1976 [61]
"Deuce"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Kiss 1974 [62]
"The Devil Is Me"
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer Gene Simmons Monster 2012 [63]
"Dirty Livin'"
Peter Criss
Stan Penridge
Vini Poncia Peter Criss Dynasty 1979 [64]
"Do You Love Me"
Paul Stanley
Kim Fowley
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley Destroyer 1976 [65]
"Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?"
(Ramones cover)
Dee Dee Ramone
Johnny Ramone
Joey Ramone Paul Stanley We're a Happy Family:
A Tribute to Ramones 2003 [66]
[67]
"Domino" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Revenge 1992 [68]
"Don't Touch My Ascot"
(with Greg Collins and Jared Faber)
Tony Cervone
Greg Collins
Jared Faber Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer
Eric Singer
Greg Collins
Jared Faber Scooby-Doo! and Kiss:
Rock and Roll Mystery 2015 [69]
"Doncha Hesitate"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley The Box Set 2001 [70]
"Down on Your Knees"
Paul Stanley
Mikel Japp
Bryan Adams Paul Stanley Killers 1982 [71]
"Dreamin'"
Paul Stanley
Bruce Kulick Paul Stanley Psycho Circus 1998 [72]
"Easy as It Seems"
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia Paul Stanley Unmasked 1980 [73]
"Eat Your Heart Out"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Monster 2012 [74]
"Escape from the Island"
Ace Frehley
Eric Carr
Bob Ezrin none (instrumental) Music from "The Elder" 1981 [75]
"Every Time I Look at You" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley Revenge 1992 [76]
"Exciter"
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent Paul Stanley Lick It Up 1983 [77]
"Fanfare"
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin none (instrumental) Music from "The Elder" 1981 [78]
"Firehouse"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Kiss 1974 [79]
"Fits Like a Glove"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Lick It Up 1983 [80]
"Flaming Youth" Song released as a single
Ace Frehley
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley Destroyer 1976 [81]
"Forever" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Michael Bolton Paul Stanley Hot in the Shade 1989 [82]
"Freak"
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer Paul Stanley Monster 2012 [83]
"Get All You Can Take"
Paul Stanley
Mitch Weissman Paul Stanley Animalize 1984 [84]
"Getaway"
Ace Frehley Peter Criss Dressed to Kill 1975 [85]
"Gimme More"
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent Paul Stanley Lick It Up 1983 [86]
"God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II" Song released as a single
(Argent cover)
Russ Ballard
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Revenge 1992 [87]
"God of Thunder"
Paul Stanley Gene Simmons Destroyer 1976 [88]
"Goin' Blind"
Gene Simmons
Stephen Coronel Gene Simmons Hotter than Hell 1974 [89]
"Good Girl Gone Bad"
Gene Simmons
Davitt Sigerson
Peter Diggins Gene Simmons Crazy Nights 1987 [90]
"Got Love for Sale"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Love Gun 1977 [91]
"Got to Choose"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Hotter than Hell 1974 [92]
"Great Expectations"
Gene Simmons
Bob Ezrin Gene Simmons Destroyer 1976 [93]
"Hard Luck Woman" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley Peter Criss Rock and Roll Over 1976 [94]
"Hard Times"
Ace Frehley Ace Frehley Dynasty 1979 [95]
"Hate"
Gene Simmons
Bruce Kulick
Scott van Zen Gene Simmons Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [96]
"Heart of Chrome"
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley Revenge 1992 [97]
"Heaven's on Fire" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Animalize 1984 [98]
"Hell or Hallelujah"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Monster 2012 [99]
"Hell or High Water"
Gene Simmons
Bruce Kulick Gene Simmons Crazy Nights 1987 [100]
"Hide Your Heart" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Holly Knight Paul Stanley Hot in the Shade 1989 [101]
"Hooligan"
Peter Criss
Stan Penridge Peter Criss Love Gun 1977 [102]
"Hot and Cold"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Sonic Boom 2009 [103]
"Hotter than Hell"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Hotter than Hell 1974 [104]
"I" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Music from "The Elder" 1981 [105]
"I Confess"
Gene Simmons
Ken Tamplin Gene Simmons Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [106]
"I Finally Found My Way" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin Peter Criss Psycho Circus 1998 [107]
"I Just Wanna" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent Paul Stanley Revenge 1992 [108]
"I Know Who You Are"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Love Gun
(deluxe edition reissue only) 2014 [109]
"I Love It Loud" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons
Vinnie Vincent Gene Simmons Creatures of the Night 1982 [110]
"I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll"
Paul Stanley
Curtis Cuomo
Holly Knight Paul Stanley Psycho Circus 1998 [111]
"I Still Love You"
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent Paul Stanley Creatures of the Night 1982 [112]
"I Stole Your Love"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Love Gun 1977 [113]
"I Walk Alone"
Gene Simmons
Bruce Kulick Bruce Kulick Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [114]
"I Want You"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Rock and Roll Over 1976 [115]
"I Was Made for Lovin' You" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Dynasty 1979 [116]
"I Will Be There"
Paul Stanley
Bruce Kulick
Curtis Cuomo Paul Stanley Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [117]
"I'll Fight Hell to Hold You"
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell
Bruce Kulick Paul Stanley Crazy Nights 1987 [118]
"I'm a Legend Tonight"
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell Paul Stanley Killers 1982 [119]
"I'm Alive"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Bruce Kulick Paul Stanley Asylum 1985 [120]
"I'm an Animal"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer Gene Simmons Sonic Boom 2009 [121]
"I've Had Enough (Into the Fire)"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Animalize 1984 [122]
"In My Head"
Gene Simmons
Scott van Zen
Jaime St. James Gene Simmons Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [123]
"In the Mirror"
Paul Stanley
Bruce Kulick
Curtis Cuomo Paul Stanley Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [124]
"In Your Face"
Gene Simmons Ace Frehley Psycho Circus
(Japanese edition only) 1998 [125]
"Into the Void"
Ace Frehley
Karl Cochran Ace Frehley Psycho Circus 1998 [126]
"Is That You?"
Gerard McMahon Paul Stanley Unmasked 1980 [127]
"It Never Goes Away"
Paul Stanley
Bruce Kulick
Curtis Cuomo Paul Stanley Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [128]
"It's My Life"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Paul Stanley The Box Set 2001 [129]
"Journey of 1,000 Years"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Psycho Circus 1998 [130]
"Jungle" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Bruce Kulick
Curtis Cuomo Paul Stanley Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [131]
"Just a Boy"
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley Music from "The Elder" 1981 [132]
"Keep Me Comin'"
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell Paul Stanley Creatures of the Night 1982 [133]
"Killer" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons
Vinnie Vincent Gene Simmons Creatures of the Night 1982 [134]
"King of Hearts"
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia Paul Stanley Hot in the Shade 1989 [135]
"King of the Mountain"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Bruce Kulick Paul Stanley Asylum 1985 [136]
"King of the Night Time World"
Paul Stanley
Kim Fowley
Mark Anthony
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley Destroyer 1976 [137]
"Kissin' Time" Song released as a single
(Bobby Rydell cover)
Kal Mann
Bernie Lowe Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Peter Criss Kiss 1974 [138]
"Ladies in Waiting"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Dressed to Kill 1975 [139]
"Ladies Room"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Rock and Roll Over 1976 [140]
"Larger than Life"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Alive II 1977 [141]
"Last Chance"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer Paul Stanley Monster 2012 [142]
"Leeta"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons The Box Set 2001 [143]
"Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Gene Simmons Hotter than Hell 1974 [144]
"Let Me Know"
Paul Stanley Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Kiss 1974 [145]
"Let's Put the X in Sex" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Smashes, Thrashes & Hits 1988 [146]
"Lick It Up" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent Paul Stanley Lick It Up 1983 [147]
"Little Caesar"
Eric Carr
Gene Simmons
Adam Mitchell Eric Carr Hot in the Shade 1989 [148]
"Lonely Is the Hunter"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Animalize 1984 [149]
"Long Way Down"
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer Paul Stanley Monster 2012 [150]
"Love 'Em and Leave 'Em"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Rock and Roll Over 1976 [151]
"Love Gun" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Love Gun 1977 [152]
"Love Her All I Can"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Dressed to Kill 1975 [153]
"Love Theme from Kiss"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Ace Frehley
Peter Criss none (instrumental) Kiss 1974 [154]
"Love's a Deadly Weapon"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Rod Swenson
Wes Beech Gene Simmons Asylum 1985 [155]
"Love's a Slap in the Face"
Gene Simmons
Vini Poncia Gene Simmons Hot in the Shade 1989 [156]
"Mad Dog"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons The Box Set 2001 [157]
"Magic Touch"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Dynasty 1979 [158]
"Mainline"
Paul Stanley Peter Criss Hotter than Hell 1974 [159]
"Makin' Love"
Paul Stanley
Sean Delaney Paul Stanley Rock and Roll Over 1976 [160]
"Master & Slave"
Paul Stanley
Bruce Kulick
Curtis Cuomo Paul Stanley Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [161]
"A Million to One"
Paul Stanley
Vinnie Vincent Paul Stanley Lick It Up 1983 [162]
"Modern Day Delilah" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Sonic Boom 2009 [163]
"Mr. Blackwell"
Gene Simmons
Lou Reed Gene Simmons Music from "The Elder" 1981 [164]
"Mr. Speed"
Paul Stanley
Sean Delaney Paul Stanley Rock and Roll Over 1976 [165]
"Much Too Soon"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Love Gun
(deluxe edition reissue only) 2014 [166]
"Murder in High-Heels"
Gene Simmons
Mitch Weissman Gene Simmons Animalize 1984 [167]
"My Way"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Bruce Turgon Paul Stanley Crazy Nights 1987 [168]
"Naked City"
Gene Simmons
Vini Poncia
Bob Kulick
Pepe Castro Gene Simmons Unmasked 1980 [169]
"Never Enough" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer Paul Stanley Sonic Boom 2009 [170]
"No, No, No"
Gene Simmons
Bruce Kulick
Eric Carr Gene Simmons Crazy Nights 1987 [171]
"Not for the Innocent"
Gene Simmons
Vinnie Vincent Gene Simmons Lick It Up 1983 [172]
"Nothin' to Lose" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons
Peter Criss Kiss 1974 [173]
"Nothing Can Keep Me from You"
Diane Warren Paul Stanley Detroit Rock City 1999 [174]
"Nowhere to Run"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Killers 1982 [175]
"The Oath" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin
Tony Powers Paul Stanley Music from "The Elder" 1981 [176]
"Odyssey"
Tony Powers Paul Stanley Music from "The Elder" 1981 [177]
"Only You"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Music from "The Elder" 1981 [178]
"Outta This World"
Tommy Thayer Tommy Thayer Monster 2012 [179]
"Paralyzed"
Gene Simmons
Bob Ezrin Gene Simmons Revenge 1992 [180]
"Parasite"
Ace Frehley Gene Simmons Hotter than Hell 1974 [181]
"Partners in Crime"
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell Paul Stanley Killers 1982 [182]
"Plaster Caster"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Love Gun 1977 [183]
"Prisoner of Love"
Gene Simmons
Bruce Kulick Gene Simmons Hot in the Shade 1989 [184]
"Psycho Circus" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Curtis Cuomo Paul Stanley Psycho Circus 1998 [185]
"Radar for Love"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Asylum 1985 [186]
"Rain"
Paul Stanley
Bruce Kulick
Curt Cuomo Paul Stanley Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [187]
"Raise Your Glasses"
Paul Stanley
Holly Knight Paul Stanley Psycho Circus 1998 [188]
"Read My Body"
Paul Stanley
Bob Halligan Jr. Paul Stanley Hot in the Shade 1989 [189]
"Reason to Live" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Crazy Nights 1987 [190]
"Reputation"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Love Gun
(deluxe edition reissue only) 2014 [191]
"Right Here Right Now"
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer Paul Stanley Monster
(digital editions only) 2012 [192]
[193]
"Rise to It" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Bob Halligan Jr. Paul Stanley Hot in the Shade 1989 [194]
"Rock and Roll All Nite" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Gene Simmons Dressed to Kill 1975 [195]
"Rock and Roll Hell"
Gene Simmons
Bryan Adams
Jim Vallance Gene Simmons Creatures of the Night 1982 [196]
"Rock and Roll Demons"
(hidden track also known as "Rock and Roll Party")
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin none (instrumental) Destroyer 1976 [197]
"Rock Bottom"
Paul Stanley
Ace Frehley Paul Stanley Dressed to Kill 1975 [198]
"Rocket Ride" Song released as a single
Ace Frehley
Sean Delaney Ace Frehley Alive II 1977 [199]
"Rockin' in the U.S.A."
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Alive II 1977 [200]
"Room Service"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Dressed to Kill 1975 [201]
"Russian Roulette"
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Gene Simmons Sonic Boom 2009 [202]
"Saint and Sinner"
Gene Simmons
Mikel Japp Gene Simmons Creatures of the Night 1982 [203]
"Samurai Son"
(with Momoiro Clover Z)
Paul Stanley
Greg Collins Paul Stanley "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na" 2015 [204][23]
"Save Your Love"
Ace Frehley Ace Frehley Dynasty 1979 [205]
"Say Yeah" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Sonic Boom 2009 [206]
"Secretly Cruel"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Asylum 1985 [207]
"Seduction of the Innocent"
Gene Simmons
Scott van Zen Gene Simmons Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 1997 [208]
"See You in Your Dreams"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Rock and Roll Over 1976 [209]
"Shandi" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia Paul Stanley Unmasked 1980 [210]
"She"
Gene Simmons
Stephen Coronel Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Dressed to Kill 1975 [211]
"She's So European"
Gene Simmons
Vini Poncia Gene Simmons Unmasked 1980 [212]
"Shock Me"
Ace Frehley Ace Frehley Love Gun 1977 [213]
"Shout It Out Loud" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Destroyer 1976 [214]
"Shout Mercy"
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer Paul Stanley Monster 2012 [215]
"Silver Spoon"
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia Paul Stanley Hot in the Shade 1989 [216]
"Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell"
Gene Simmons
Vini Poncia Gene Simmons Hot in the Shade 1989 [217]
"Spit"
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Scott van Zen Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Revenge 1992 [218]
"Stand"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Sonic Boom 2009 [219]
"Stop, Look to Listen"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley The Box Set 2001 [220]
"Strange Ways"
Ace Frehley Peter Criss Hotter than Hell 1974 [221]
"The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away"
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer Gene Simmons Hot in the Shade 1989 [222]
"Strutter" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons Paul Stanley Kiss 1974 [223]
"Sure Know Something" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia Paul Stanley Dynasty 1979 [224]
"Sweet Pain"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Destroyer 1976 [225]
"Take It Off"
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin
Kane Roberts Paul Stanley Revenge 1992 [226]
"Take Me"
Paul Stanley
Sean Delaney Paul Stanley Rock and Roll Over 1976 [227]
"Take Me Down Below"
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Tommy Thayer Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley Monster 2012 [228]
"Talk to Me" Song released as a single
Ace Frehley Ace Frehley Unmasked 1980 [229]
"Tears Are Falling" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Asylum 1985 [230]
"Then She Kissed Me"
(The Crystals cover)
Jeff Barry
Ellie Greenwich
Phil Spector Paul Stanley Love Gun 1977 [231]
"Thief in the Night"
Gene Simmons
Mitch Weissman Gene Simmons Crazy Nights 1987 [232]
"Thou Shalt Not"
Gene Simmons
Jesse Damon Gene Simmons Revenge 1992 [233]
"Thrills in the Night" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Jean Beauvoir Paul Stanley Animalize 1984 [234]
"Time Traveler"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley The Box Set 2001 [235]
"Tomorrow" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia Paul Stanley Unmasked 1980 [236]
"Tomorrow and Tonight"
Paul Stanley Paul Stanley Love Gun 1977 [237]
"Torpedo Girl"
Ace Frehley
Vini Poncia Ace Frehley Unmasked 1980 [238]
"Tough Love"
Paul Stanley
Bob Ezrin
Bruce Kulick Paul Stanley Revenge 1992 [239]
"Trial by Fire"
Gene Simmons
Bruce Kulick Gene Simmons Asylum 1985 [240]
"Turn On the Night" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Diane Warren Paul Stanley Crazy Nights 1987 [241]
"Two Sides of the Coin"
Ace Frehley Ace Frehley Unmasked 1980 [242]
"Two Timer"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Dressed to Kill 1975 [243]
"Uh! All Night"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Jean Beauvoir Paul Stanley Asylum 1985 [244]
"Under the Gun"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Eric Carr Paul Stanley Animalize 1984 [245]
"Under the Rose"
Gene Simmons
Eric Carr Gene Simmons Music from "The Elder" 1981 [246]
"Unholy" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons
Vinnie Vincent Gene Simmons Revenge 1992 [247]
"Venus and Mars/Rock Show"
(Wings cover)
Paul McCartney
Linda McCartney Paul Stanley The Art of McCartney 2014 [248]
"Wall of Sound"
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Tommy Thayer Gene Simmons Monster 2012 [249]
"War Machine"
Gene Simmons
Bryan Adams
Jim Vallance Gene Simmons Creatures of the Night 1982 [250]
"Watchin' You"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Hotter than Hell 1974 [251]
"We Are One" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Psycho Circus 1998 [252]
"What Makes the World Go 'Round"
Paul Stanley
Vini Poncia Paul Stanley Unmasked 1980 [253]
"When Lightning Strikes"
Tommy Thayer
Paul Stanley Tommy Thayer Sonic Boom 2009 [254]
"When Your Walls Come Down"
Paul Stanley
Adam Mitchell
Bruce Kulick Paul Stanley Crazy Nights 1987 [255]
"While the City Sleeps"
Gene Simmons
Mitch Weissman Gene Simmons Animalize 1984 [256]
"Who Wants to Be Lonely"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Jean Beauvoir Paul Stanley Asylum 1985 [257]
"Within"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Psycho Circus 1998 [258]
"A World Without Heroes" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Bob Ezrin
Lou Reed Gene Simmons Music from "The Elder" 1981 [259]
"X-Ray Eyes"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Dynasty 1979 [260]
"Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect)"
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons Sonic Boom 2009 [261]
"You Love Me to Hate You"
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child Paul Stanley Hot in the Shade 1989 [262]
"(You Make Me) Rock Hard" Song released as a single
Paul Stanley
Desmond Child
Diane Warren Paul Stanley Smashes, Thrashes & Hits 1988 [263]
"You Wanted the Best" Song released as a single
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Peter Criss
Ace Frehley Psycho Circus 1998 [264]
"You're All That I Want"
Gene Simmons
Vini Poncia Gene Simmons Unmasked 1980 [265]
"Young and Wasted"
Gene Simmons
Vinnie Vincent Gene Simmons Lick It Up 1983 [266]
"Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na" Song released as a single
(with Momoiro Clover Z)
Paul Stanley
Greg Collins
Yuho Iwasato Momoiro Clover Z "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na" 2015 [267][23
Rooted in the campy theatrics of Alice Cooper and the sleazy hard rock of glam rockers the New York Dolls, Kiss became a favorite of American teenagers in the '70s. Most kids were infatuated with the look of Kiss, not their music. Decked out in outrageously flamboyant costumes and makeup, the band fashioned a captivating stage show featuring dry ice, smoke bombs, elaborate lighting, blood spitting, and fire breathing that captured the imaginations of thousands of kids. But Kiss' music shouldn't be dismissed -- it was a commercially potent mix of anthemic, fist-pounding hard rock driven by sleek hooks and ballads powered by loud guitars, cloying melodies, and sweeping strings. It was a sound that laid the groundwork for both arena rock and the pop-metal that dominated rock in the late '80s.
Kiss was the brainchild of Gene Simmons (bass, vocals) and Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar, vocals), former members of the New York-based hard rock band Wicked Lester; the duo brought in drummer Peter Criss through his ad in Rolling Stone, while guitarist Ace Frehley responded to an advertisement in The Village Voice. Even at their first Manhattan concert in 1973, the group's approach was theatrical, and Flipside producer Bill Aucoin offered the band a management deal after the show. Two weeks later, the band was signed to Neil Bogart's fledgling record label, Casablanca. Kiss released their self-titled debut in February of 1974; it peaked at number 87 on the U.S. charts. By April of 1975, the group had released three albums and had been touring America constantly, building up a sizable fan base.
Alive!
Culled from those numerous concerts, Alive! (released in the fall of 1975) made the band rock & roll superstars; it climbed into the Top Ten and its accompanying single, "Rock 'N' Roll All Nite," made it to number 12. Their follow-up, Destroyer, was released in March of 1976 and became the group's first platinum album; it also featured their first Top Ten single, Peter Criss' power ballad "Beth." Kiss mania was in full swing; thousands of pieces of merchandise hit the marketplace (including pinball machines, makeup and masks, and board games), and the group had two comic books released by Marvel as well as a live-action TV movie, Kiss Meet the Phantom of the Park. A 1977 Gallup poll named Kiss the most popular band in America. The group was never seen in public without wearing their makeup, and their popularity was growing by leaps and bounds; the membership of the Kiss Army, the band's fan club, was in the six figures.
Dynasty
Even such enormous popularity had its limits, though, and the band reached them in 1978, when all four members released solo albums on the same day in October. Simmons' record was the most successful, reaching number 22 on the charts, yet all of them made it into the Top 50. Dynasty, released in 1979, continued their streak of platinum albums, yet it was their last record with the original lineup -- Criss left in 1980. Kiss Unmasked, released in the summer of 1980, was recorded with session drummer Anton Fig; Criss' true replacement, Eric Carr, joined the band in time for their 1980 world tour. Kiss Unmasked was their first record since Destroyer to fail to go platinum, and 1981's Music from the Elder, their first album recorded with Carr, didn't even go gold -- it couldn't even climb past number 75 on the charts. Ace Frehley left the band after its release; he was replaced by Vinnie Vincent in 1982. Vincent's first album with the group, 1982's Creatures of the Night, fared better than Music from the Elder, yet it couldn't make it past number 45 on the charts.
Lick It Up
Sensing it was time for a change, Kiss dispensed with their makeup for 1983's Lick It Up. The publicity worked, as the album became their first platinum record in four years. Animalize, released the following year, was just as successful, and the group essentially recaptured their niche. Vincent left after Animalize and was replaced by Mark St. John, although St. John was soon taken ill with Reiter's Syndrome and left the band. Bruce Kulick became Kiss' new lead guitarist in 1984. For the rest of the decade, Kiss turned out a series of best-selling albums, culminating in the early 1990 hit ballad "Forever," which was their biggest single since "Beth." Kiss was scheduled to record a new album with their old producer, Bob Ezrin, in 1990 when Eric Carr became severely ill with cancer; he died in November of 1991 at the age of 41. Kiss replaced him with Eric Singer and recorded Revenge (1992), their first album since 1989; it was a Top Ten hit and went gold. Kiss followed it with the release of Alive III the following year; it performed respectably, but was not up to the standards of their two previous live records.
Psycho Circus
In 1996, the original lineup of Kiss -- featuring Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, and Criss -- reunited to perform an international tour, complete with their notorious makeup and special effects. The tour was one of the most successful of 1996, and in 1998 the reunited group issued Psycho Circus. While the ensuing tour in support of Psycho Circus was a success, sales of Kiss' reunion album weren't as stellar as anticipated. Reminiscent of the band's unfocused late-'70s period, few tracks on Psycho Circus featured all four members playing together (most tracks were supplemented with session musicians), as the band seemed more interested in flooding the marketplace with merchandise yet again instead of making the music their top priority. With rumors running rampant that the Psycho Circus Tour would be their last, the quartet announced in the spring of 2000 that they would be launching a U.S. farewell tour in the summer, which became one of the year's top concert draws. But on the eve of a Japanese and Australian tour in early 2001, Peter Criss suddenly left the band once again, supposedly discontent with his salary. Taking his place was previous Kiss drummer Eric Singer, who in a controversial move for some longtime fans, donned Criss' cat-man makeup (since Simmons and Stanley own both Frehley and Criss' makeup designs, there was no threat of a lawsuit) as the farewell tour continued.
KISSology
With the band scheduled to call it a day (supposedly) by late 2001, a mammoth career-encompassing box set was set for later in the year, while the summer saw perhaps the most over-the-top piece of Kiss merchandise yet -- the "Kiss Kasket." The group was relatively quiet throughout the rest of the year, but 2002 started with a bang as Gene Simmons turned in an entertaining and controversial interview on NPR where he criticized the organization and berated host Terry Gross with sexual comments and condescending answers. He was promoting his autobiography at the time, which also caused dissent in the Kiss camp because of inflammatory remarks made toward Ace Frehley. Frehley subsequently declined to appear at an American Bandstand anniversary show; his place was taken by a wig-wearing Tommy Thayer, and Simmons was quick to dismiss the performance as another in a long series of money-oriented decisions. The band kept touring the globe with no new album in stores, but in 2008 they returned to the studio, re-recorded their hits, and released Jigoku-Retsuden aka KISSology or Kiss Klassics (the release was initially exclusive to Japan).
Sonic Boom
In spring of 2009, the band began recording their first studio album in 11 years, and released the results in October with the title Sonic Boom. Produced by Paul Stanley and Greg Collins, the album was exclusively distributed in North America by Wal-Mart. In 2012, the band's 20th studio album, Monster, surfaced, rewriting the cowbell-heavy party rock of their '70s heyday and adding some nods to the sinister metal of 1992's Revenge. In 2014, after 15 years of eligibility, Kiss was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The following year they released a collaborative single with the Japanese idol group Momoiro Clover Z. In 2017, a career-spanning single-disc best-of, Kissworld, was released to coincide with a massive world tour of the same name.
All Credits Art Direction Artwork Audio Production Bass Composer Design Guitar MC Performer Photography Primary Artist Producer Text Tributee Vocals
2018 Classic Road Trip [UMOD] Primary Artist
2018 Rock & Roll Love Kiss Primary Artist
2018 Rock Legends: The Ultimate Collection Primary Artist
2017 '70s Schooldays: The Ultimate Collection [2017] Primary Artist
2017 20 #1's: Classic Rock Vol. 2 Primary Artist
2017 American Road Trip Primary Artist
2017 Classic Rock Ballads [2017] Primary Artist
2017 Kissworld: The Best of Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
2017 Live on Air: Legendary Broadcasts Kiss Primary Artist
2017 No. 1 Dad: The Ultimate Collection Primary Artist
2017 Now That's What I Call Tailgate Anthems Primary Artist
2017 The Roots Of Kiss Primary Artist
2017 Throwback Tunes: Classic Rock Primary Artist
2016 Buenos Aires 1994 Kiss Primary Artist
2016 Crazy Nights: Legendary Radio Broadcasts Kiss Primary Artist
2016 Fresno Broadcast 1979 Kiss Primary Artist
2016 Kiss Rocks Vegas Kiss Primary Artist
2016 Kiss Rocks Vegas [Video] Kiss Primary Artist
2015 Kiss of Death: A Tribute to Kiss Pretty Boy Floyd Tributee
2015 Now That's What I Call Classic Rock [2015] Primary Artist
2015 The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto: A Musical Companion to the Novel by Mitch Albom [Original Soundtrack] Primary Artist
2014 100% Classic Rock Primary Artist
2014 Best of Classic Rock Primary Artist
2014 Countdown 40th Anniversary Primary Artist
2014 Greatest Ever! Rock Ballads [2014] Primary Artist
2014 Heavy Metal Icons Primary Artist
2014 Kiss 40 Years: Decades of Decibels Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2014 Latest & Greatest American Anthems Primary Artist
2014 Latest & Greatest Driving Rock Anthems Primary Artist
2014 Latest & Greatest Heavy Metal Primary Artist
2014 NOW: 25 Top Hits of the 1970's Primary Artist
2014 Rock Anthems: The Ultimate Collection [2014] Primary Artist
2014 The Ultimate Collection: Driving Songs Primary Artist
2014 The Art of McCartney Primary Artist
2014 Under Command Portrait / RAM Composer
2013 100 Hits: Driving Rock [2013] Primary Artist
2013 5 Classic Albums Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2013 Best of Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
2013 Eddie Stobart Trucking Songs Primary Artist
2013 Fast Loud Death Lost Society Tributee
2013 Latest & Greatest Guitar Heroes Primary Artist
2013 Oh Yes We Can Love: The History of Glam Rock Primary Artist
2013 The Ritz on Fire Kiss Primary Artist
2013 The Very Best of TV Ad Songs Primary Artist
2012 105 Friends '80: Gli Ottantoni Di Ross & Tony Primary Artist
2012 American Anthems: All Time Classics Primary Artist
2012 Greatest Ever! Driving Rock Primary Artist
2012 Greatest Ever!: Heavy Metal Primary Artist
2012 Greatest Ever!: Soft Rock: The Definitive Collection Primary Artist
2012 Monster Kiss Primary Artist
2012 The Boys Are Back in Town 2012 Primary Artist
2012 The Casablanca Singles: 1974-1982 Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2011 American Anthems II Primary Artist
2011 Gods of Guitar [Universal] Primary Artist
2011 Greatest Ever! Eighties Hits: The Definitive Collection Primary Artist
2011 RTL2 Pop Rock Selection Primary Artist
2011 The Dilemma [Original Soundtrack] Primary Artist
2010 Babies Go Kiss Tributee
2010 Icon Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2010 Icon 2 Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2010 Kiss/Hotter Than Hell Kiss Primary Artist
2010 Rock Anthems [Universal 2010] Primary Artist
2010 Sounds of Vancouver 2010: Canada's Hockey Anthems Primary Artist
2010 Total 80s Pop Primary Artist
2010 Total Drivetime Primary Artist
2009 100 Hits: Movies Composer
2009 Authorized Bootleg: Live - Nashville Municipal Auditorium 1998 Kiss Primary Artist
2009 Dad Rocks! Primary Artist
2009 Destroyer/Rock And Roll Over Kiss Primary Artist
2009 Guitar Monster Primary Artist
2009 Hair Metal Hero DJ Solo Primary Artist
2009 I Love You, Beth Cooper Primary Artist
2009 Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection, Vols. 1-3 Kiss Primary Artist
2009 Kitsune Tabloid Phoenix Primary Artist
2009 Legends of Rock Kiss Primary Artist
2009 Legends of Rock Primary Artist
2009 Monster Ballads: The Ultimate Set Primary Artist
2009 Now That's What I Call Power Ballads [1] Primary Artist
2009 Over the Top Unauthorised Kiss Primary Artist
2009 Resurrection Unauthorized Kiss Primary Artist
2009 Sonic Boom Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2009 The Lowdown Unauthorized Kiss Primary Artist
2009 Ultimate Collection: Dad Primary Artist
2008 100 Hits: Drive Time Primary Artist
2008 Absolute Rock Anthems Primary Artist
2008 Alive: The Millennium Concert Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2008 All-Star Sports Jams Primary Artist
2008 Alle Hits! Die 70er Primary Artist
2008 Billboard Top 40 Karaoke: 1970s [Box] Sybersound Primary Artist
2008 Classic Rock BBQ Primary Artist
2008 Classics Kiss Primary Artist
2008 Dad's Jukebox Primary Artist
2008 Die Hit Giganten: Hot Hits Primary Artist
2008 Die Ultimative Chart Show: Die Erfolgreichsten Rock Classics Primary Artist
2008 Die Ultimative Chartshow: Rock Classics Primary Artist
2008 Discoveries Kiss Primary Artist
2008 Driving Songs: The Ultimate Collection Primary Artist
2008 Favorites Kiss Primary Artist
2008 Firehouse - Live Kiss Primary Artist
2008 I Love Metal [Central Station] Primary Artist
2008 IKONS Kiss Primary Artist
2008 In Concert [DVD] Kiss Primary Artist
2008 KISSology Kiss Primary Artist
2008 New Recordings/KISSology Kiss Primary Artist
2008 Noisemakers of 70's Rock Primary Artist
2008 Now That's What I Call Classic Rock Primary Artist
2008 Old Skool of Rock, Vol. 2 Primary Artist
2008 Perfect Driving Album Primary Artist
2008 Playlist Plus Kiss Primary Artist
2008 Playlist Your Way Kiss Primary Artist
2008 Pondus Flat Fuzzpedal Primary Artist
2008 Rock Power Kiss Primary Artist
2008 Rock the Universe [Immortal] Primary Artist
2008 Solid Rock, Vol. 2 Primary Artist
2008 The Best of 1976: 20th Century Masters Primary Artist
2008 The Best of 1979: 20th Century Masters Primary Artist
2008 The Best of Hard Rock, Vol. 2: 20th Century Masters the Millennium Collection Primary Artist
2008 The Best of Kiss: Green Series Kiss Primary Artist
2008 The Complete Collection Kiss Primary Artist
2007 70's, Vol. 3 Primary Artist
2007 As Cinco Melhores Primary Artist
2007 Biggest BBQ Album, Vol. 2 Primary Artist
2007 Cat Tales Kiss Primary Artist
2007 Club 80s [Universal] Primary Artist
2007 Deejay 25 Primary Artist
2007 Essential Playlist: 20 Non-Stop Hits! 70s Primary Artist
2007 Greatest Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
2007 Halloween [2007 Original Soundtrack] Primary Artist
2007 Heavy Metal [Rhino Box Set] Primary Artist
2007 KISSology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection, Vol. 2: 1978-1991 Kiss Primary Artist
2007 KISSology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection, Vol. 3: 1992-2000 Kiss Primary Artist
2007 Legends Informercial Set Primary Artist
2007 Move: Driving with Pop & Beat Songs Primary Artist
2007 Now That's What I Call the 80s [3 CD] Primary Artist
2007 Road Trippin' Primary Artist
2007 Rockopilatorio Primary Artist
2007 The Seventies: Hard Rockin 70's, Vol. 1 Primary Artist
2007 The Ultimate Rock Ballads Collection [Time Life] Primary Artist
2007 The Ultimate Rock Ballads Collection: Love Hurts Primary Artist
2007 True Disco Primary Artist
2007 True Power Ballads Primary Artist
2006 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection, Vol. 3 Kiss Primary Artist
2006 Ace, Gene, Peter and Paul (Solos Box Set) Kiss Primary Artist
2006 Double Platinum: Box Set Kiss Primary Artist
2006 Greatest Ever!: Eighties [2006] Primary Artist
2006 Guilty Pleasures: Shameless Blameless Fun Primary Artist
2006 Headbanger Classics, Vol. 1 Primary Artist
2006 KISSology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection, Vol. 1: 1974-1977 Kiss Primary Artist
2006 Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 Kiss Primary Artist
2006 Krazy Killer (1994 Detroit Kiss Konvention/Interviews) Kiss Primary Artist
2006 Monster Ballads: Platinum Edition Primary Artist
2006 Monsters of Rock [EMI] Primary Artist
2006 R35: Rock & Pops Super Hits Primary Artist
2006 Skitz Metal Primary Artist
2005 Best of Hard Rock, Vol. 2: Kiss/Scorpions/Alice Cooper Primary Artist
2005 Chronicles Kiss Primary Artist, Audio Production
2005 Greatest Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
2005 Instant Live: Alltel Pavillion at Walnut Creek - Raleigh, NC, 07/27/04 Kiss Primary Artist
2005 Love Gun: Live at River Plate Stadium, Argentina Kiss Primary Artist
2005 MTV Unplugged, Vol. 3 Primary Artist
2005 Peer Pressure, Vol. 2 D-Block Primary Artist
2005 Power Ballads Gold Primary Artist
2005 Rock Hits [Universal] Primary Artist
2005 Rock the Nation: Live Kiss Primary Artist
2005 Rockin' the Corps Primary Artist
2005 Rockin' the Corps [DVD] Primary Artist
2005 The Classic Interviews Kiss Primary Artist
2005 Top Gear [Universal] Primary Artist
2005 Ultimate 16: Ultimate 80's Rock Primary Artist
2004 20th Century Masters - The DVD Collection: The Best of Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
2004 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss, Vol. 2 Kiss Primary Artist
2004 Best of Glam Rock Primary Artist
2004 Gold: 1974-1982 - Sound+Vision Kiss Primary Artist, Producer, Audio Production
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas [Box Set] Primary Artist
2004 Instant Live: Clark County Amphitheatre - Ridgefield, WA, 06/22/04 Kiss Primary Artist
2004 Instant Live: Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain - Scranton, PA, 07/23/04 Kiss Primary Artist
2004 Instant Live: Tweeter Center - Tinley Park, IL, 07/09/04 Kiss Primary Artist
2004 Instant Live: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Virginia Beach, VA, 07/25/04 Kiss Primary Artist
2004 The String Quartet Tribute to Kiss Vitamin String Quartet Tributee
2004 Very Best of MTV Unplugged, Vol. 3 [Bonus DVD] Primary Artist
2004 World Cup Of Hockey 2004 Primary Artist
2003 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of '80s Rock Primary Artist
2003 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2003 Autant en Emporte le Rock 1960-2000 Ange Primary Artist
2003 Golden Age of American Rock 'n' Roll: Special Novelty Edition Primary Artist
2003 Kiss Symphony: Alive IV Kiss Primary Artist, Art Direction
2003 Kiss Symphony: The DVD Kiss Primary Artist
2003 Kiss Symphony: The Single Disc Kiss Primary Artist, Art Direction
2003 Live at the Showgrounds Kiss Primary Artist
2003 Live at the Sydney Showgrounds 1980 Kiss Primary Artist
2003 On Line Strictly Bad Tunes Primary Artist
2003 Rock Heroes Primary Artist
2003 The Lost Concert 1976 Kiss Primary Artist
2003 Unauthorized Part 2 Kiss Primary Artist
2003 We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to the Ramones Primary Artist
2002 Astronomicon Without Face Composer
2002 Cover Ups Good Riddance Tributee
2002 Dark Genesis Iced Earth Primary Artist
2002 Frosh, Vol. 5 Primary Artist
2002 Live in Las Vegas Kiss Primary Artist
2002 Pure 80's Rocks Primary Artist
2002 The Very Best of Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
2001 Big Hits of the 60's [CSC/EMI] Primary Artist
2001 Dallas Cowboys: The Ultimate Team Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
2001 Denver Broncos: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Primary Artist
2001 Immortals Kiss Primary Artist
2001 KGGO: Kiss This CD!!! Primary Artist
2001 Murder in the Graveyard Primary Artist
2001 One Hit Wonders: Novelty Experience Primary Artist
2001 Rock Star Performer, Primary Artist
2001 Rock and Roll Legends [Video/DVD] Kiss Primary Artist
2001 The Box Set Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
2001 The Sun Records Story Performer
2001 The Vintage [Video/DVD] Kiss Primary Artist
2000 Adopted by Aliens The Shape Shifters MC
2000 Audio Biography CD Kiss Primary Artist
2000 Hell's Guardians: Interviews Kiss Primary Artist
2000 Killer Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
2000 Kiss in Conversation Kiss Primary Artist
2000 Lucky Numbers Performer, Primary Artist
2000 Naughty Platinum Rock Performer, Primary Artist
2000 Private Talks Kiss Primary Artist
2000 Sing When You're Winning Robbie Williams Performer, Primary Artist
2000 Unauthorized [Video/DVD] Kiss Primary Artist
199? Ady Henry Kiss/Manhattan II Composer
1999 25th Anniversary Star Profile Kiss Primary Artist, Design
1999 Bootleg Live On-Air: Generic Version Performer, Primary Artist
1999 Detroit Rock City Performer, Primary Artist
1999 Gene Simmons Interview Kiss Primary Artist, Performer
1999 Hi Records: Early Years, Vols. 1 & 2 Performer, Primary Artist
1999 Hot Rod Box Set Performer
1999 Kings of the Night Time World Kiss Primary Artist
1999 Kiss Anthems '98 Primary Artist
1999 Rock Ballads [Imprint] Primary Artist
1999 Tale of the Fox Kiss Primary Artist
1999 That'll Flat Git It!, Vol. 16 Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
1999 The Best of Sun Rockabilly, Vol. 2 Performer
1999 The Sun Gods Performer
1998 Alive and Talking [Interview and Poster] Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Essential Sun Rockabillies, Vol. 5 Performer
1998 Kiss Box Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Kiss Uncovered Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Kiss: The Second Coming I & II [Video] Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Lost Hits of the 60's Performer
1998 Psycho Circus Kiss Primary Artist, Vocals, Bass
1998 Psycho Circus [3-D Video] Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Stone Cold Metal Steve Austin Performer, Primary Artist
1998 The Originals 1974-1979 Kiss Primary Artist
1998 The Second Coming Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Unmasked Revenge: Interview Sessions Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Unmasked: Covered in Scandinavia Kiss Primary Artist
1998 We Are One [Australia] Kiss Primary Artist
1998 We Are One [UK] Kiss Primary Artist
1998 Welcome to the Psycho Circus Kiss Primary Artist
1997 70s & 80s, Vol. 26 Performer
1997 Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Country Hits [Riviere] Performer, Primary Artist
1997 Greatest Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Hell in the Asylum Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Hell in the Asylum: The Interview Sessions Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Hot Rod: Hot Rod Rebels Performer
1997 I Was Made for Lovin' You Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Kiss My Ass [Bootleg] Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Kiss of Death Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Kissaholic Killers Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Kissin' Stockholm 1997 Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Kissmania Interview Sessions Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Rock N Roll Thru the Night Kiss Primary Artist
1997 Strikeforce, Vol. 2 Performer, Primary Artist
1997 That'll Flat Git It!, Vol. 14 Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
1997 The Essential Sun Rockabillies, Vol. 3 Performer, Primary Artist
1997 Wreaking Havoc Performer, Primary Artist
1996 Beautiful Girls Performer, Primary Artist
1996 Complete Sun Singles, Vol. 3 Performer, Primary Artist
1996 Djupa andetag Frida Performer
1996 Greatest Hits [1998] Kiss Primary Artist
1996 MTV Unplugged Kiss Primary Artist
1996 MTV Unplugged [Video/DVD] Kiss Primary Artist
1996 Rock Boppin' Baby: Sun Rockabilly, Vol. 5 Performer
1996 Rock Hard Again Kiss Primary Artist
1996 The Interviews, Vol. 2 Kiss Primary Artist
1996 The Phantom of the Park Kiss Primary Artist
1996 The Rockview Interviews Kiss Primary Artist
1996 Unissued Sun Masters Performer
1996 You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
1995 Classic Live Performances, Vol. 2 Performer, Primary Artist
1995 Fifteen Years On [Interview Picture Disc] Kiss Primary Artist
1995 Guitar Rock: The Late '70s Primary Artist
1995 Hard Rock Essentials: 1980s Performer, Primary Artist
1995 Jock Rock, Vol. 2 Performer, Primary Artist
1995 Masters of Metal: Thunder n' Spice Primary Artist
1995 Stomp 442 Anthrax Composer
1994 Chess Rhythm & Roll Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
1994 Hot City Nights [Alex] Performer, Primary Artist
1994 Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved Composer
1994 Kiss My Ass: The Video [VHS] Kiss Primary Artist
1994 Speed [Original Soundtrack] Performer, Primary Artist
1994 Super Hits, Vol. 5 [Hollywood] Performer, Primary Artist
1994 Wham Bam Thank You Glam Primary Artist
1993 Alive III Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
1993 Back Stage Pass (Live & Rockin') Performer, Primary Artist
1993 Black Lodge [CD Single] Anthrax Performer, Primary Artist
1993 Classic Rock, Vol. 5: Glitter Bands Performer, Primary Artist
1993 Dazed and Confused [Music from the Motion Picture] Performer, Primary Artist
1993 Hit Parader Salutes 20 Years of Metal Primary Artist
1993 Kiss Konfidential Kiss Primary Artist
1993 Konfidential and X-Treme Close Up Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
1993 Marquee Metal Performer, Primary Artist
1993 Now: 1987 [40 Tracks] Performer, Primary Artist
1992 Domino Kiss Primary Artist
1992 Everytime I Look at You Kiss Primary Artist
1992 God Gave Rock & Roll to You Kiss Primary Artist
1992 Hard to Believe: Kiss Covers Compilation Composer
1992 Revenge Kiss Primary Artist
1992 Sun Rockabilly: The Classic Recordings Vocals, Guitar
1992 Super Hits of the 60's Performer, Primary Artist
1992 X-Treme Close-Up Kiss Primary Artist
1991 Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey [Soundtrack] Performer, Primary Artist
1991 First Degree Metal Performer, Primary Artist
1991 Heavy Metal Love Performer, Primary Artist
1991 Heavy Metal Memories Performer, Primary Artist
1991 Sounds of the Seventies: 1976 - Take Two Performer, Primary Artist
1990 Dick Clark's All-Time Hits, Vol. 3 Performer, Primary Artist
1990 Forever Kiss Primary Artist
1990 I Was Made for Lovin' Kiss Primary Artist
1990 Rise to It Kiss Primary Artist
1990 Rock & Roll Meltdown Primary Artist
1990 Twisted Metal Vocals, Performer, Primary Artist
1989 Hot in the Shade Kiss Primary Artist
1989 Rock & Roll Originals, Vol. 5 Performer, Primary Artist
1988 20 Great Hits of 1964 Performer, Primary Artist
1988 Chikara Kiss Primary Artist
1988 Conversation Kiss Primary Artist
1988 Early Years, Vol. 2 Performer, Primary Artist
1988 Smashes, Thrashes & Hits Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
1987 Crazy Nights Kiss Primary Artist
1987 Exposed Kiss Primary Artist
1987 Good Old Rock and Roll, Vol. 1 Performer
1987 Hi Records: The Early Years Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
1987 Interview Disc Kiss Primary Artist
1986 Hear 'n Aid Performer, Primary Artist
1985 Animalize: Live Uncensored [Video] Kiss Primary Artist
1985 Asylum Kiss Primary Artist
1985 The Singles Kiss Primary Artist
1984 Animalize Kiss Primary Artist
1984 Cool Cats: 25 Years of Rock 'N' Roll Style Performer, Primary Artist
1983 Lick It Up Kiss Primary Artist
1982 Creatures of the Night Kiss Primary Artist
1982 Killers Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
1981 Endless Love [1981] [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Performer, Primary Artist
1981 Music from "The Elder" Kiss Primary Artist, Composer
1981 The Best of the Solo Albums Kiss Primary Artist
1980 Unmasked Kiss Primary Artist
1979 Dynasty Kiss Primary Artist
1978 Ace Frehley Ace Frehley / Kiss Primary Artist
1978 Double Platinum Kiss Primary Artist, Producer
1978 Gene Simmons Kiss / Gene Simmons Primary Artist
1978 Paul Stanley Kiss / Paul Stanley Primary Artist, Performer
1978 Peter Criss Peter Criss / Kiss Primary Artist
1978 The Originals II Kiss Primary Artist
1977 Alive II Kiss Primary Artist, Producer, Audio Production
1977 Just Landed Cosmic Kid Michael Bundt Performer, Composer, Primary Artist
1977 Kiss My Axe 1978 Kiss Primary Artist
1977 Love Gun Kiss Primary Artist, Producer, Audio Production
1977 Sneak Attack Kiss Primary Artist
1976 Destroyer Kiss Primary Artist
1976 Fried Alive Kiss Primary Artist
1976 Hit Machine Performer, Primary Artist
1976 Kiss Destroys Anaheim, Pt. 1 Kiss Primary Artist
1976 Kiss Destroys Anaheim, Pt. 2 Kiss Primary Artist
1976 Mindbender Performer, Primary Artist
1976 Rock and Roll Over Kiss Primary Artist
1976 Rock and Roll Over Radio Special Kiss Primary Artist
1976 The Originals Kiss Primary Artist
1975 Alive! Kiss Primary Artist
1975 Discomania [K-Tel 1975] Performer, Primary Artist
1975 Dressed to Kill Kiss Primary Artist, Producer, Audio Production
1974 Hard Goods Primary Artist
1974 Hotter Than Hell Kiss Primary Artist
1974 Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
1968 Thunder on a Clear Day Twentieth Century Zoo Photography, Artwork
'80s Forever [UMOD] Primary Artist
100 Rock Primary Artist
100% Rock Guitar Anthems [Mood Media] Primary Artist
101 70s Rock Anthems Primary Artist
101 Drivetime Primary Artist
101 Power Ballads [Universal] Primary Artist
17 Top Hits of 1984 Primary Artist
20 #1's Classic Rock [2018] Primary Artist
20 #1's: Classic Rock Primary Artist
20 #1's: Power Ballads Primary Artist
20 #1’s: Classic Rock Love Songs Primary Artist
20 No. 1’s: 80's Rock Primary Artist
2001 Rock and Roll Anthems Primary Artist
25 Jaar Top 40 Hits, Deel 4: 1977-1980 Primary Artist
A Special Kiss Album for Their Summer Tour Kiss Primary Artist
A Taste of Platinum Kiss Primary Artist
Absolute Rock Anthems II Primary Artist
Absolute Rock Anthems, Vol. 3 Primary Artist
Agora Ballroom, 1974 Kiss Primary Artist
Air Guitar Anthems [UMOD] Primary Artist
Antyradio: Najlepszy Rock Na Swiecie, Vol. 4 Primary Artist
Arena Rock, Vol. 1 Performer
Artist Collection Kiss Primary Artist
Asylum of Death: Interviews Kiss Primary Artist
Beautiful Girls Primary Artist
Beer Blokes & BBQs, Vol. 3 Primary Artist
Best of 70s Rock, Vol. 2: 20th Century Masters Primary Artist
Best of 80s Rock, Vol. 2: 20th Century Masters Primary Artist
Best of Superstar Series Kiss Primary Artist
Big Bash 20/20 Primary Artist
Black Diamond: An Unauthorized Documentary Kiss Primary Artist
Burning Point Burning Point Tributee
CAPS: Campus and Pub Songs Primary Artist
Chart Show: Die Erfolgreichsten Song Girls Aller Zeiten Primary Artist
Classic Power Ballads Primary Artist
Classic Rock Anthems [Spectrum] Primary Artist
Classic Rock Icons Primary Artist
Classic Rock Radio Primary Artist
Classic Rock Workout Primary Artist
Classic Rock [Mood] Primary Artist
Classic Rock [Rhino] Primary Artist
Collection [Edge] Kiss Primary Artist
Collector's Edition Tin Kiss Primary Artist
Crazy Crazy Nights Primary Artist
Dad's Jukebox: The Very Best Of The 60's, 70's & 80's Primary Artist
Dazed and Confused Primary Artist
Don't Think. Feel!: SHM-CD Compilation Rock/Soul/Blues Edition Primary Artist
Dressed To Thrill: A Tribute To Kiss With Female Vocalists Tributee
Dressed to Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
Driven By the 80s Primary Artist
Driving Rock Primary Artist
First Kiss, Last Licks [Box] Kiss Primary Artist
Game On: The Sound of Darts Primary Artist
Gods of Guitar [Deluxe Digital] Primary Artist
Goldmark Songs Jutta Bokor Text
Greatest Ever 70s Rock Primary Artist
Greatest Ever! Dad Rock Primary Artist
Hard 'n' Heavy: 20 Hard Rock Classics Primary Artist
Hard Rock Gold Primary Artist
Headbanger's Hits, Vol. 5 Performer
Hear the Light, Vol. 1 Primary Artist
Hell or Hallelujah Kiss Primary Artist
Hockey Anthems: 1st Period-The Legends Primary Artist
How It Works: The Dad - The Album Primary Artist
Hurley's Tracks: LOST EP Primary Artist
In Vegas Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Chronicle Pavilion - Concord, CA, 06/20/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Cricket Pavilion - Phoenix, AZ, 06/18/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Houston, TX, 06/12/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI, 06/30/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Darien Lake Pac - Darien Center, NY, 07/14/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Float-Rite Amphitheatre - Somerset, WI, 06/26/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Germain Amphitheatre - Columbus, OH, 07/10/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Hershey Park Pavilion - Hershey, PA, 07/18/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Journal Pavilion - Albuquerque, NM, 06/16/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Marcus Amphitheater - Milwaukee, WI, 07/07/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Nissan Pavilion - Bristow, VA, 07/24/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Post-Gazette Pavillion - Pittsburgh, PA, 07/04/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH, 07/11/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Smirnoff Music Centre - Dallas, TX, 06/11/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Sound Advice Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, FL, 07/30/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Starwood Amphitheatre - Nashville, TN, 07/02/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, NY, 07/21/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Trump Taj Mahal - Atlantic City, NJ, 07/17/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Tweeter City - Mansfield, MA, 07/16/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Tweeter Waterfront - Camden, NJ, 07/13/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Umb Bank Pavilion - Maryland Heights, MO, 06/28/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Verizon Wireless Amphiteater - Selma, TX, 06/10/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Bonner Springs, KS, 06/27/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA, 06/19/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Charlotte, NC, 07/28/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Verizon Wireless Music Center - Nobelsville, IN, 07/03/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Instant Live: Verizon Wireless Music Center-Birmingham - Pelham, AL, 08/03/04 Kiss Primary Artist
Interviews Kiss Primary Artist
Invasion: A Look at the Lost Egyptian God, Vinnie Vincent Kiss Primary Artist
Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Kiss Primary Artist
Kiss This: A Main Man Records Tribute to Kiss Tributee
Kiss and Tell: Interview Kiss Primary Artist
Kiss in a Box Kiss Primary Artist
Latest & Greatest Feel Good Anthems Primary Artist
Latest & Greatest Rock Primary Artist
Latest & Greatest Rock Ballads Primary Artist
Latest & Greatest Rock Bands Primary Artist
Latest & Greatest: House Party Primary Artist
Let's Put the X in Sex Kiss Primary Artist
Let's Put the X in Sex [video] Kiss Primary Artist
Live Thunder on Stage, 2006 Kiss Primary Artist
Masters of Metal Primary Artist
Meet the Press Kiss Primary Artist
Modern Day Delilah Kiss Primary Artist
Molly: Do Yourself a Favor [Original TV Soundtrack] Primary Artist
More Beer Drinking Classics Primary Artist
New Year's Eve Countdown Primary Artist
No No No Kiss Primary Artist
Now That's What I Call Dad Rock Primary Artist
Now That's What I Call Drive Primary Artist
Now That's What I Call Power Ballads: Hits Primary Artist
Now That's What I Call Rock Ballads Primary Artist
OKEJ: Tiden vi aldrig glömmer 1980-1989 Primary Artist
Oktoberfest Rockparty: Wies'n Hits 2010 Primary Artist
Old School Memories - Rock Classics Drew's Famous Primary Artist
P4 80 & 90-Talls Party Primary Artist
RTBF DJ Experience: Au Profit de Cap 48 Primary Artist
Road Trip Sing-Along Songs Primary Artist
Road Trip: A New Journey Primary Artist
Rock & Roll All Nite: Tribute to Kiss 1974-2014 Tributee
Rock 'N Roll All Nite Primary Artist
Rock 'N' Roll: Hall of Fame [WEA] Primary Artist
Rock Album, Vol. 1 [Arcade] Primary Artist
Rock Ballads: Ultimate Collection Primary Artist
Rock Icons Primary Artist
Rock Legends Primary Artist
Rock Motivation Primary Artist
Rock Star Primary Artist
Satanik Kreatures: Interviews Kiss Primary Artist
Seventies Collected Primary Artist
Solo Album Sampler Kiss Primary Artist
Summer: Ultimate Collection Primary Artist
The Best '80s Hits Collection Primary Artist
The Best of Classic Rock: Green Series Primary Artist
The Best of Kiss: 40 Kiss Primary Artist
The Heart of Classic Rock [Box Set] Primary Artist
The Nice Guys Primary Artist
The Story of Strange, Vol. 3 Johnny Punish Composer
The Best Rock Anthems ...Ever! Primary Artist
The Greatest Guitar Riffs of All Time Primary Artist
The Rock Album [UMOD] Primary Artist
The Story of Kiss Kiss Primary Artist
The Ultimate Collection: 70s Schooldays [2013] Primary Artist
Thrill Ride Kiss Primary Artist
Top Gear Driving Anthems 2014 Primary Artist
Top of the Pops: 1985-1989 Primary Artist
Top of the Pops: 1990-1994 Primary Artist
Torcida 2018: Nacional e Internacional Primary Artist
Total 90s Primary Artist
Turn on the Night Kiss Primary Artist
Warm Aanbevolen Uit 25 Jaar Top 40 Primary Artist
Similar To
Alice Cooper
Ted Nugent
Thin Lizzy
Van Halen
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Manowar
Queen
Rainbow
Skid Row
Spinal Tap
Angel
Bad Company
Billion Dollar Babies
Blue Öyster Cult
Boston
Cheap Trick
David Lee Roth
Faces
Faster Pussycat
Foreigner
Geordie
Great White
Heart
Iron Maiden
Joan Jett
Judas Priest
King Diamond
Lita Ford
Montrose
Mötley Crüe
Motörhead
Nazareth
Ozzy Osbourne
Ramones
Ratt
Rush
Silverhead
UFO
Vinnie Vincent
W.A.S.P.
Zolar X
ZZ Top
The Runaways
Halford
Saxon
Tenacious D
Influenced By
Led Zeppelin
New York Dolls
Slade
Sweet
Alice Cooper
Cream
Grand Funk Railroad
Jeff Beck
Mott the Hoople
Rod Stewart
The Beatles
The Kinks
The Stooges
The Who
The Yardbirds
Black Sabbath
David Bowie
Free
Humble Pie
Jimi Hendrix
Marc Bolan
T. Rex
The Rolling Stones
Followed By
Marilyn Manson
Poison
Quiet Riot
Ratt
Slipknot
Spinal Tap
Guns N' Roses
GWAR
Kix
Misfits
Mötley Crüe
Queens of the Stone Age
Skid Row
Twisted Sister
Van Halen
W.A.S.P.
Weezer
White Zombie
Accept
Alice in Chains
Anvil
Bon Jovi
Danzig
Extreme
Great White
Hanoi Rocks
Insane Clown Posse
King Diamond
Manowar
Melvins
Monster Magnet
Rob Zombie
Scorpions
Slayer
The Darkness
Type O Negative
Y&T
Anthrax
Babylon A.D.
Foo Fighters
Godsmack
Judas Priest
Nirvana
Placebo
Soundgarden
Stone Temple Pilots
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Andreas Moe
Andy Black
Dopesick
GosT
Sloppy Joe's
Trippie Redd
Associated With
Ace Frehley
Peter Criss
Eric Carr
ESP
Frehley's Comet
Gene Simmons
Mark John
Paul Stanley
Union
Vinnie Vincent Invasion