You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best!!
- Room Service*
- Two Timer*
- Let Me Know*
- Rock Bottom
- Parasite
- Firehouse
- I Stole Your Love
- Calling Dr. Love
- Take Me*
- Shout It Out Loud
- Beth
- Rock And Roll All Nite
- KISS Tells All (Interview)
* previously unreleased live tracks
You wanted the best and you got the best!
The hottest band in the world!
KISS!
Come on!
I'm feelin' low, no place to go
And I'm a-thinking that I'm gonna scream
Because a hotel all alone is not a
Rock and roll star's dream
But just as I'm about to shut the light and go to bed
A lady calls and asks if I'm too tired or if I'm just to dead for
Room service, baby I could use a meal
Room service, you do what you feel
Room service, I take the pleasure with the pain
I can't say no
My plane's delayed and I'm afraid
They're gonna keep me waiting here till nine
Then a stewardess in a tight blue dress says
"I got the time"
But just as I'm about to take my coat and get my fly
She says "Oh please", she's on her knees
And one more time before I leave I get some
Room service, baby I could use a meal
Room service, you do what you feel
Room service, I take the pleasure with the pain
I can't say no...I can't say no
In my home town, I'm hangin' 'round
With all the ladies treatin' me real good
Then sweet sixteen lookin' hot and mean says
I wish you would
But just as I'm about to tell her "Yes, I think I can"
I see her dad, he's getting mad
And all the time he knows that I'm in need of
Room service, baby I could use a meal
Room service, you do what you feel
Room service, I take the pleasure with the pain
I can't say no
Room service, baby I could use a meal
Room service, you do what you feel
Room service, I take the pleasure with the pain
I can't say no
I can't say no
Room service, baby I could use a meal
Room service, you do what you feel
Room service, I take the pleasure with the pain
I can't say no
Hey!
Whoa yeah
She thinks she's high fashion
Thinks she looks divine
And that's what I keep tellin' her
I tell her all the time...oh!
And she tells me she likes fast cars
Says she likes mine the best
And just because of that, baby
You think she'd forget the rest...no, no, no
Just call me a three time loser
That's all I'll ever be...oh
'Cause my baby's such a two timer
You know she's two timing, she's-a two timing me
Two timer, my baby such a
Two timer
My baby's a two timer
My baby's a two timer
My baby, she's-a two timing me
Two timer
My baby's such a
Two Timer...yeah!
Yeah!
And she says she likes fast cars
Says she likes mine the best
Just because of that, baby
You think she'd forget the rest...no, no, no
Just call me a three time loser
That's all I'll ever be
'Cause my baby's such a two timer
You know she's two timing, she's-a two timing me
Two timer
My baby's such a
Two timer
My baby's a two timer
My baby's a two timer
My baby, she's-a two timing me
Two timer
My baby such a
Two timer baby!
Ah, let me, let me
Let me be your Sunday driver
Let me be your Monday man
I'll take you anywhere you want
Just as fast as I can
It doesn't matter what you wanna do
It doesn't matter where you wanna go
Ya just gotta decide girl and then you let me know
Oh, did you ever want lovin'
So you're callin'
Up your baby and she's stallin'
With the neighbors and the night keeps
Gettin' longer
And the urge keeps getting stronger
You're tryin'
And you're dyin'
Wonderin' does she love you
A knock comes at your door
Let me in honey
Yes!
Let me!
Let me be your Tuesday traveler
Let me be your Wednesday boy
I'll be your lovin' man
I'll be your bundle of joy
And oh
It doesn't matter what you wanna do
It doesn't matter where you wanna go
Ya just gotta decide girl and then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
And then you let me know
I can't wait a day
I don't care what you say
Oh no, you got to pay
Girl ya hit rock bottom
And you're there to stay
Sometimes, late at night
I want to hold you tight
Oh no, you got to pay
When you hit rock bottom
And you're there to stay
Rock bottom
Aw, you know you oughtta treat me good
Rock bottom
Aw, you never treat me like you should
Rock bottom
Aw, you know you oughtta treat me good
Rock bottom
Yeah, you never treat me like you should
Hard times got me down
Good times ain't around
Now I got the mind to say
Girl, you hit rock bottom
And you're there to stay
Rock bottom
Aw, you know you oughtta treat me good
Rock bottom
Yeah, you never treat me like you should
Rock bottom
Aw, you know you oughtta treat me good
Rock bottom
Yeah, you never treat me like you should
Rock bottom
Rock bottom...ow!
She'll always be there trying to grab a hold
She thought she knew me, but she didn't know
That I was sad and wanted her to go
Parasite lady
Parasite eyes
Parasite lady
No need to cry
I didn't wanna have to get away
I told her things I didn't want to say
I feel hooked and I hope she'll understand
Parasite lady
Parasite eyes
Parasite lady
No need to cry
Parasite lady
Parasite eyes
Parasite lady
No need to cry
Woo-hoo...yeah
Woo-hoo...yeah
She'll adore you and she'll floor you
With her wisdom and her vision
And you'll love it and think of it
Till you lose all intuition
Come on
She can move you and improve you
With her love and her devotion
And she'll thrill you and she'll chill you
But you're headed for a commotion
And you'll need her, so you'll feed her
With your endless dedication
And the quicker, you get sicker
She removes your medication
Get the firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul on fire
Get the firehouse
And the flames keep gettin' higher
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'll never leave her but you know you should
Woo-hoo...yeah
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'll never leave her but you know you should
Firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul on fire
Get the firehouse
Woo-hoo...yeah
Get the firehouse
Woo-hoo...yeah
Firehouse!
Woo!
Oh hey
All right!
I remember the day that we met
I needed someone
You needed someone too...yeah
Spend time takin' all you could get
Givin' yourself was one thing you never could...do
You played with my heart
Played with my head
I got to laugh when I think of the things you said
'Cause I stole your love, stole your love
Ain't never gonna let you go
(I) I (stole your love) I stole your love
(Stole your love) I stole your love
You never stop runnin' around
You pick me up
Then you would still put me down
You were the girl that nobody could own
Stay for a while
Then you would leave me...alone
But I'm somethin' different, ain't like the rest
How does it feel to find out you're failin' your test
How does it feel
I stole your love, stole your love
Ain't never gonna let you go
(I) I (stole your love) I stole your love
(Stole your love) I stole your love
Guitar
Listen I, stole your love, stole your love
Yeah
I ain't never gonna let you go
(I) I (stole your love) I stole your love
(Stole your love) I stole your love...ooh!
I stole your love (stole your love)
I stole your love (stole your love)
I stole your love...yeah
(I) I (stole your love) I stole your love
(Stole your love) I stole your love...woo!
I stole your love...yeah!
All right
I know
I know everybody's hot
Everybody's got Rock 'N Roll Pneumonia
So let's call out Dr. Love
You need my love baby, oh so bad
You're not the only one I've ever had
And you say you wanna set me free
Don't you know you'll be in misery...you know why
They call me (Dr. Love)
They call me Dr. Love
(Calling Dr. Love)
I am the doctor of love (Dr. Love)
I've got the cure you're thinkin' of
Yeah...even though I'm full of sin
In the end you'll let me in
You'll let me through
There's nothin' you can do
You need my lovin'
Don't you know it's true
So baby please get on your knees
There are no bills, there are no fees
Baby, I know what your problem is
The first step of the cure is a kiss
They call me (Dr. Love)
They call me Dr. Love (calling Dr. Love)
I am your doctor of love (Dr. Love)
I've got the cure you're thinkin' of...yeah, yeah!
They call me (Dr. Love), they call me Dr. Love (calling Dr. Love)
I am your doctor of love (Dr. Love)
I've got the cure...yeah
They call me (Dr. Love)
They call me Dr. Love (calling Dr. Love)
I am your doctor of love (Dr. Love)
I've got the cure you're thinkin' of...yeah
They call me (Dr. Love)
They call me Dr. Love (calling Dr. Love)
I am your doctor of love (Dr. Love)
I've got the cure you're...yeah
They call me (Dr. Love)
They call me Dr. Love (calling Dr. Love)
I am your doctor of love (Dr. Love)
I've got the cure
'Cause I'm the doctor
Whoa no...yeah!
Put your hand in my pocket
Grab onto my rocket
Feels so good to see you, Lucy
Baby got to know
Do you want to go
How you gonna make me feel
Said "Whoa baby, you make me feel, ah-ah...ah-ah...yeah
Whoa, baby, you make me feel, ah-ah...ah-ah...yeah"
So take me any way you want me
Just break me any way you can
Take me any way you want me, now
Make me feel like a man...hey
Sittin' in the back
Her head down in my lap
The moonlight shinin' down on her hair
The radio was playin'
Her fingertips were strayin'
Her mama didn't she was there, no
She said "Whoa baby, you make me feel, ah-ah...ah-ah...yeah
Whoa, baby, you make me feel, ah-ah...ah-ah...yeah"
So take me any way you want me
Just break me any way you can
Take me any way you want me, now
Make me feel like a man
Make me feel it baby
Aw...take me any way you want me
Just break me any way you can
Take me any way you want me
Ah-ah...ah-ah...yeah
Ah-ah...ah-ah
Take me, save me, break me, love me
Squeeze me, hug me, any way you can
Take me, hold me baby...come on now
If you people want a little bit of Rock 'N Roll
I said if you people want a little bit of Rock 'N Roll
Shout it out loud!
Woo!
Well, the night's begun and you want some fun
Do you think you're gonna find it (think you're gonna find it)
You got to treat yourself like number one
Do you need to be reminded (need to be reminded)
It doesn't matter what you do or say
Just forget the things that you've been told
Can't do it any other way
Everybody's got to rock and roll, whoa-oh-ooh
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud...yeah-yeah
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
If you don't feel good, there's a way you could
Don't sit there broken hearted (sit there broken hearted)
Call all your friends in the neighborhood...hello
Get your party started (get your party started)
Don't let 'em tell you that there's too much noise
They're too old to really understand
A-let's get rowdy with the girls and boys
Time for you to take a stand...yeah-yeah
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud...yeah
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out
Come on!
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
You've got to have a party
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
Come on
Turn it up louder
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
Whoa everybody shout it now
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
Come on everybody
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
Ya everybody shout it now
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
Oh yeah
Shout it, shout it
Shout it out loud
Woo!
We love you!
Good night!
Beth, I hear you callin'
But I can't come home right now
Me and the boys are playin'
But we just can't find the sound
Just a few more hours
And I'll be right home to you
I think I hear them callin'
Oh, Beth what can I do
Beth what can I do
You say you feel so empty
That our house just ain't a home
I'm always somewhere else
And you're always there alone
Just a few more hours
And I'll be right home to you
I think I hear them callin'
Oh, Beth what can I do
Beth what can I do
Beth, you say you're lonely
And I hope you'll be all right
'Cause me and the boys'll be playin' all night...a-ah
Aw yeah
So let's Rock and Roll all nite and party every day!
You show us everything you've got
You keep on dancin' and the room gets hot
And you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
And you say you wanna go for a spin
The party's just begun, we'll let you in
You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'
Come on
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
You keep on saying you'll be mine for a while
You're lookin' fancy and I like your style
And you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
And you show us everything you've got
Baby, baby that's quite a lot
And you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'
I can't hear ya
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'
What
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day
| Gene: |
1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 |
| Peter: |
Testing, testing. |
| Jay: |
Testing, can you hear me? |
| Ace: |
Testing |
| Paul: |
1, 2 |
| Ace: |
Testing 1, 2 - testing 1, 2 |
| Peter: |
Ah-ah |
| Jay: |
Where exactly are these vaults? Ya know I always hear record people say I was in the vault. I mean you must go by other stuff, to get to this stuff in the vault. Where exactly, is it like behind the mayonnaise? I mean, where, where in the vault, I mean. You guys have been together, how many years now? |
| Paul: |
Twenty. |
| Gene: |
Twenty-two or twenty-three. |
| Jay: |
Twenty-two, twenty-three. So at some point in those, you just pass by this stuff. There's other stuff. Where in the vault is this? |
| Paul: |
The vault, you take a left at the fortress of solitude. |
| Jay: |
Oh, I see. |
| Paul: |
And the vault is the next door to the right. |
| Jay: |
I see, I see. |
| Paul: |
And that's where KISS keeps their stuff. We split the rent with Superman. |
| Jay: |
I see. |
| Gene: |
We actually, we actually a really save almost everything. |
| Jay: |
Yeah? |
| Gene: |
We're anal only in that way. We save every piece of KISStory we can get our hands on. |
| Jay: |
Right. |
| Gene: |
And that includes fan memorabilia. So, almost any live show that we've done, especially in the seventies, we have locked up in vaults. |
| Jay: |
So why now? At what point, why not after fifteen years, why not after eight? Why not thirty, why not wait six, seven years more? Why now? |
| Ace: |
I think that, I think ya know when we a did the unplugged thing a for MTV, that kind of, that was the first time the four of us had played together in well over fifteen years and I think when we realized the magic was still there, I thought, everybody kinda figured maybe there was a shot at maybe putting the makeup back on and makin' it work again. |
| Paul: |
We really, ya know we separated and parted company in a haze of ego, drugs, alcohol and all the other ills that go along with fame. |
| Jay: |
And that would be a haze. |
| Paul: |
That is definitely a haze. |
| Ace: |
(I don't know if it was a purple haze, but it was a haze, it's very...) |
| Jay: |
I mean that really is, ya know any one of those is a haze on itself. And when you put them all together, it's, that's pea soup. |
| Paul: |
Well it's very interesting because you have four people's perception of how it ended. And its all very different, but ya know, we swore we would never do this again, most of us said we had no interest in getting back together. But I think what we were really saying was we had no interest in getting back together if we were gonna feel about each other the way did when we split. But when we got together and did Unplugged, it really became apparent to us that everybody had grown, everybody was straight, clear-headed and actually instead of recreating the past, we could pick up where we left off. And I think nowadays, more than ever people are ready for entertainment. When we were originally on the scene |
| Jay: |
The up with people singers then |
| laughing |
|
| Gene: |
I, I, I think we are, we all always have been committed, but not in the way with the a, the men with the white suits. |
| Jay: |
Right. |
| Gene: |
Those are all... |
| Paul?: |
Well we should be. |
| Ace: |
I think we're ready, we'll be ready for that in a couple years. |
| Paul: |
We'll be ready for that soon. |
| Jay: |
Ya, how did you all get, and why did you decide to even do MTV Unplugged? Was it, did you see other artists and think that was it or what was the reason? |
| Peter: |
Actually I got together with Gene and Paul before that, they were doing a KISS Konvention in LA, I wanted to bring my daughter. |
| Paul: |
The KISS Konvention was a traveling museum that we took through America and Australia. Where people got a chance to spend nine hours with the band and to see, really a retrospective of costumes, a-a lot of the vintage equipment, then at one point there would be a tribute band in makeup doing a seventies style KISS show. And then we came out and did a-an acoustic set. And that was really the start, or the seed that um, sprouted into Unplugged. |
| Peter: |
That to me was actually the beginning of, I felt, it starting, when the three of us got together without Ace. |
| Gene: |
You-you played at the Konvention. |
| Peter: |
Ya. |
| Gene: |
Ya |
| Peter: |
I sang at the Konvention. We actually did Hard Luck Woman. |
| Jay: |
And Gene... |
| Gene: |
And then we-we should bring Ace into it. |
| Ace: |
I was a little hesitant and nervous about it, I didn't know how it was going to be walking into SIR, studio instrument rentals in New York, ya know. The first day of rehearsals, were we hadn't played and I wasn't sure kind of vibe it was gonna be, but I-a-I, I honestly have to say, ya know, after five minutes it was like, fifteen years had just disappeared, and, ya know, it was like old times. |
| Jay: |
Gene, let me ask. |
| Ace: |
I mean the chemistry was still there Jay. |
| Jay: |
Yeah, who caught on first, Europe of America? |
| Gene: |
Detroit. |
| Jay: |
So that would be another whole country all together. |
| laughing |
|
| Paul: |
Yes, that's a world unto it's own. |
| Jay: |
So neither Europe or America, just, just Detroit, really. |
| Gene: |
We came, we came outta, off the streets of New York and we love New York and its always been our home town, we started off a, at the end of '73, early '74, but by the beginning of '75, we were headlining big halls in Detroit. And they were the first a, city that caught on. And a, which is one of the reasons why Paul wrote a song called Detroit Rock City. |
| Jay: |
Well let me ask you this. In the early days, did magazines agree not to publish photos of you guys? |
| Paul: |
They really did. |
| Jay: |
Because ya know that seems like something that would be impossible. Today. |
| Paul: |
We. |
| Jay: |
I mean, nowadays it seems, any scoop, anything, Hard Copy, all these shows, 'cause I remember, I wonder what those guys look like. And I never ever saw any photos. |
| Paul: |
(We did have) |
| Peter: |
We actually got tricked once, right? We got tricked one time. |
| Paul: |
Yeah. |
| Peter: |
Remember that? |
| Paul: |
Yeah. |
| Peter: |
Just one time. |
| Ace: |
Cream. |
| Gene: |
There was a, a sort of a cat and mouse game. A-um, if we'd go to a restaurant with a starlit (??) or whoever we were going out with at the time, they'd be waiting for us outside. But always at a sort of respectful distance. It's a sort of a different Paparazzi vibe. |
| Jay: |
Well see that's amazing to me, the fact that the |
| Gene: |
They really |
| Jay: |
The FBI can't get them, CBS not to publish photos of the unibomber, yet you guys. |
| Gene: |
There you go. |
| Peter: |
(Well, that's true, that's true.) |
| Gene: |
On the other hand, the unibomber not very good live. He just, a, I mean he blows things up but there's no music. We blow things up, but we play Rock And Roll All Nite |
| laughing |
|
| Peter: |
(play some music.) |
| laughing |
|
| Jay: |
Now what did Cream do to a, burn you? |
| Peter: |
They lied. |
| Gene: |
We were. |
| Peter: |
They said our manager, right, said it was OK, wasn't it something like that? |
| Gene: |
We were young, inexperienced. We walked into a magazine called Cream Magazine which was very big at the time, in Michigan. And met everybody and, a, they said can we take your photo without makeup? We said absolutely not! Ya know, we're KISS and we believe in the magic and the mystique and the fans do not want to see us without makeup. Somebody comes in and says a, I just got off the phone with Bill Aucoin, their manager, he says OK, you can take one photo only without makeup. And we looked at each other. |
| Paul: |
And we looked at each other went, OK. |
| Gene: |
OK. Duh! |
| Jay: |
Now all the explosions during the shows a, any close calls, anything? |
| Ace: |
In Lakeland (??) Florida, I was a, know we had the large set with the staircase coming down and I would walk down, anyway, I touched the metal railing and, I got hit with 220 volts and a, I had a well, burns on my fingers and they had to carry me off, I was out for about ten minutes and a, Paul went out and made an announcement saying ya know we may not.. |
| Paul: |
Is there a guitarist in the house? |
| laughing |
|
| Ace: |
Can somebody get up and, does anybody know how to play Ace's licks? But a, eventually, what happened was, I came out the a. |
| Paul: |
You were a trooper. |
| Ace: |
I came out of it and a, the kids started chanting Ace-Ace-Ace-Ace, and my adrenaline started pumping again and a, I finished the show even though I could, I had no feeling in my hand. |
| Jay: |
Um, how did you decide on the makeup exactly and the different characters? I mean do you just. |
| Ace: |
We, we all created our own characters. Basically they were all our alter egos. Ya know, I'm, I was always fascinated with science fiction and space travel, ya know, Gene was always a, into old monster films and stuff. And , ya know, we all kinda created our own characters and designed our own first costumes. |
| Jay: |
I mean is this something you came up with, you said, let's think of something, OK, and that was it? Or, or... |
| Peter: |
I got tired of livin' in a litter box. |
| Jay: |
Or did you think about it for weeks? I mean did it take weeks to come up with it or was it just instantaneous, here's what I wanna be? |
| Peter: |
(It took a long time.) |
| Paul: |
(Actually most of) |
| Ace: |
It, it evolved over, over a couple of months before we kinda got the initial designs down. And then if ya, if ya look at pictures from the very first album cover a, and then look maybe five or six albums down we, the makeup kinda got a little more perfected. |
| Paul: |
We were always trying to become the band that we never saw. We always felt that we were people in the audience who had been treated poorly by bands that we paid to see. So in essence what we did was, design the show that we had hoped to see. We got out of the audience, got on stage and took over and said, this is what we never saw and became the band that we had hoped that we would have paid five years before to see in concert. We became our fantasy act. |
| Ace: |
I concur. |
| Peter: |
Doin' great. |
| laughing |
|
| Peter??: |
But we've always.. |
| Jay: |
When does the book of groupie photos come out? As a book, that seems like that would be a piece of history that should somehow not be in the vault. |
| Gene: |
In all seriousness, its a private a, its sort of a tourist's guide to the galaxy. Why take a shot of anywhere you haven't been to? So the point of doin' that its, its a very romantic book. To everybody else it a kinda of a circus. |
| Jay: |
Its a romantic book?! |
| laughing |
|
| Gene: |
Absolutely, I see it as a very, I see... |
| Jay: |
Now how is it romantic? |
| Gene: |
Its a, mem, the mementos of memorable points in my life. And a telev... |
| laughing |
|
| Peter: |
Every night. |
| Gene: |
Tele... |
| Ace: |
Each one lasted about 45 minutes. |
| Peter: |
Every night, twice a day, three times a day, what... |
| Paul: |
Other people call it a livestock show, I mean its a... |
| Jay: |
You mean it would be romantic? |
| Gene: |
No, I mean I think a, people on the outside see this as swinging from the chandeliers but, its not true because hotel don't have chandeliers. |
| laughing |
|
| Jay: |
They don't have that anymore. |
| Gene: |
No, they don't have that, no. Not anymore. |
| Jay: |
That must be gratifying that a, a, I mean I, so many contemporary artists credit you guys as an influence. |
| Paul: |
The cool thing with a lot of people who've been influenced by us is that they're not mirror copies of us. And I think the ultimate compliment is when somebody sites you as an influence but then goes on to develop their own style. Its great that you can have a Garth, a Lenny Kravitz, people who you would see a direct, you know a, influence. But a, I mean that, that's the ultimate compliment is that there's all these, these groups around and people, that somehow this virus has seemed to permeate. This KISS virus. |
| laughing |
|
| Gene: |
I think every artist has a responsibility to show anybody else they've influenced that they're just another chapter in the book of rock 'n roll. There's somebody... |
| Jay: |
(Ya) |
| Gene: |
...before and somebody's gonna come after. |
| Jay: |
Let me ask you something, with the whole makeup thing. Did you guys ever, do the show in makeup, quickly take it off, and then go wander through the crowd just to get reactions. I mean, or would you have been? Cause you weren't, ah, especially in the early days, immediately recognized... |
| Ace: |
I wondered through the crowd. I, I remember one day, I was somewhere in a show down south, a friend of mine had flown in, and I was walking through the audience prior to us going on. But nobody knew who I was because at that point in time, nobody knew what we looked like, when we hadn't been photographed without makeup. And that was a kick. |
| Peter: |
It was pretty obvious though, we'd walk through an airport with, with heels this big, and ya know really different clothes, who we were. It was pre...ya know, it, it's hard to not to notice that. |
| Paul: |
There was always this misconception people had, that we had this duality, this Clark Kent, Superman identity. And the fact of the matter was, even without the makeup, when you saw somebody walking down the street with blue-black hair and six inch heels and six and a half feet tall, either the circus was in town, or it was a member of KISS. So there wasn't a whole lot of anonymity. |
| Jay: |
And what did groupies prefer, makeup on or makeup off? |
| Paul: |
Both! |
| Peter: |
Both! |
| Gene: |
Good question. There, there was certainly a, one's that a, incidentally why do you always look at me when you bring up the question... |
| laughing |
|
| Peter: |
He likes you Gene! |
| Gene: |
I know. He immediately turned, "now Gene, tell me about, what...". So, ah, there were certainly girls who just sort of wanted a night of pleasure, and so on. And others who wanted the fantasy, ya know, leave it on. |
| Paul: |
Please?! |
| laughing |
|
| Gene: |
Paul's comment - "please leave it on!!" |
| Jay: |
OK, how was the night of fantasy different from the night of pleasure? I'm trying to figure out what, what the difference. |
| Gene: |
Well, the fantasy, a, if we do our job right, becomes pleasure, but I think some...ya know sometimes people, and I certainly want the same from girls, I, I don't want women to appear in my, in my room nude immediately. I want the, the Stiletto heels, the corset, I want... |
| Paul: |
And then you'll take it off!! |
| laughing |
|
| Jay: |
You want that... |
| laughing |
|
| Jay: |
Sittin' on the deck (??) is a bra man. |
| laughing |
|
| Peter: |
And then I'll take it off... |
| laughing |
|
| Peter: |
He's so good! He, he... |
| Gene: |
You got it? Son of a bitch. He's making the jokes up. |
| Peter: |
We don't let Gene get away with anything, ya know he just goes on and on about the women. And we know. |
| Ace: |
He knows. |
| Gene: |
No but I think fantasy is every bit as important to anything! Dressing up is half the fun. And the rest is just, and the rest is just diggin' for gold. |
| laughing |
|
| Peter: |
Or takin' it off. |
| Jay: |
Ah, the song Rock And Roll All Nite, party every day, that was the first breakthrough hit. Did that really change things, is, is that the song that changed things for you? |
| Paul: |
At that point, the president of our record company sat us down and said "you guys need a song that really states what you believe in" and it was completely Greek to us and we said "what are you talking about?" And he, he told us about a song by Sly and the Family Stone. And he was talking about a rallying song, something that the crowd would be able to say, "this is what I believe in, this is what the band believes in." And in Los Angeles, we went back to the hotel and I came up with a chorus "I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day." And Gene came up with a verse, and a, there you have it. And it really was a turning point because on KISS Alive! it was the song that, I guess people really were, ya know, it was like a battle cry, everybody said "this is who I am, this is what I believe in." |
| Jay: |
Tell me about the a early influences, who, who where the early influences for you guys, starting out, ya know, you put the band together? |
| Peter: |
Beatles for me. Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin. I was into jazz actually, a lotta jazz, the big band, swing. Gene Groupin(??). |
| Jay: |
I used to open for jazz. Stan Getz, Mose Allison, Ahmad Jamal. |
| Peter: |
Wild, great stuff, great stuff Jay |
| Jay: |
A, Miles, I used to open for Miles. |
| Paul: |
Wow. |
| Peter: |
Wow |
| Peter: |
My parents played jazz in the house all my life. |
| Jay: |
Ya. |
| Peter: |
And I, I grew up on it. I, matter a fact, when I got in the band, I was more of a jazz drummer I believe, then I was a rock and roll drummer. |
| Jay: |
What did your parents think of KISS earlier, did they go... |
| Peter: |
Loved it! |
| Jay: |
"what are, what are you doing with the makeup thing, what uh?" Straighten yourself out boy, what's the matter with ya? Ya look like some kinda a... |
| Peter: |
No, my mom used to make the costumes, help make the costumes, come to rehearsals, she was very supportive. |
| Jay: |
Mom made the costumes, dad had the barn? What the hell, let's put on a KISS show!! |
| Peter: |
My dad, my, no my dad... |
| Jay: |
Ya, come on everybody!! |
| Paul: |
Judy Garland |
| Jay: |
Get the neighborhood kids, looky here, Micky Rooney, look it... |
| Peter: |
I got an Irish mom and a Italian father, there's always screaming in the house. |
| Jay: |
Ya, I'm a Scotch-Italian, so I can understand that. |
| Peter: |
Who's hollerin' in the house? Someone's hollerin' |
| Ace: |
I remember when I was sixteen I, ah, I cut school one day and I went to see Murry the K show and a Mitch Rider was the headliner and low and behold the opening acts were, a, Cream and The Who, it was their first New York appearance. |
| Jay: |
Wow. |
| Ace: |
And when I saw Pete Townsend smash his a, amplifier and smash his guitar, and a, Keith Moon a, wreck his drum kit and smoke bombs go off. I said wow, that's incredible. I go, I know I can do that, I'd love to be in a theatrical rock group. Ya know and then, ya know as time went on groups like Alice Cooper came out, the New York Dolls, and a, we just decided to take it a step further. |
| Jay: |
In rock and roll, as in what I do, it isn't, it's fun making it, and it's fun to see the figure of how much you make, but once you make it, you don't really care about it. |
| Paul: |
Very early on you have enough, and once you have enough money, then all it gives you the opportunity to do is to stop worrying about the money and to do what you do as good as possible. So the money becomes irrelevant, very, very quickly, and then pride becomes much more important. |
| Jay: |
Ya. |
| Peter: |
I mean if you're going to miserable, all the money in the world, I mean, it's just not enough. If, if it's just a nightmare everyday, ta, I would, I would give all that up to be happy.
|
| Jay: |
Do you miss the intimacy of a club and a big stadium, or is a big stadium that much more of a rush? |
| Peter: |
Huh! I just did clubs for enough years, I don't miss em. I don't miss em one iota. It's great to be back in, in big arenas. |
| Jay: |
Ya, ya. |
| Peter: |
I love it, I didn't like the clubs at all, I'll be real honest with ya. |
| Paul: |
I think most of the time when people say how great it is playing clubs its usually because they can't fill an arena. |
| Peter: |
Right, right on Paul. |
| Paul: |
Ya know, its sure, its nice to go do a club once in a while, um, to get a taste of that, but anybody who says that, the clubs are the way to go, clearly can't find their way into a stadium or an arena. |
| Peter: |
We were talkin' about that on the way here in the car, clubs |
| Paul: |
And more, ya, more power to them, but the reality is that what we do translates, and transfers very well to a large audience, and I think we're at our best in a large arena rather than a small one. |
| Peter: |
I mean you play the clubs, to me they're bars, they're a bunch of drunks, no one really cares, they're shooting pool, you're up there singing your heart out, you're playing your heart out. I, I didn't like it, I did it for awhile and its great to be back with these guys. I mean as far as I'm concerned, it's, I didn't, ya know the clubs, you can take em and shove em. I don't, I don't miss em. It's, it's just not cool, you're freezing your ass off, half the time the amps don't work, people are not even there all the time. |
| Jay: |
That Adam guy. |
| Peter: |
Clubs are hard man! Clubs are hard! |
| Ace: |
When I played in a stadiums, I, I wasn't able to see, the audience very well and then I realized that night my eyesight was starting to go. |
| laughing |
|
| Jay: |
Let me ask you this... |
| Ace: |
So I got contacts last week, so now I now I'm really going to enjoy playing again. |
| Jay: |
How does one find the edge after all these years, and being comfortable, making money, being successful, this, that, now you go out again, if I come to you and go, OK, I'm like 18 or I'm 15, why should I listen to you, what's the edge, show me where my edge is. I mean all the bands that are like way, way out there. How do you get the edge back? |
| Gene: |
Edge starts with self. Doesn't matter how many bones you've got through your noses or how many razor blades you've got in your eyes, that's all outer surface stuff, that's style and fashion. If you've got something to prove to yourself, that's all the edge you need. It's, it's the same adrenaline, and, and a, and stuff that makes a fighter go into a ring and become the world champion, and, if you've got something to prove to yourself, that's all the edge you need. We are so pumped up about going out there, and showing everybody that what they've heard all these years isn't just a fairy tale, that there is KISS, there once was a KISS and we're gonna knock your socks off. We're gonna get up there and prove, a, literally, we're gonna show all the bands out there how the big boys do it. |
| Jay: |
Is this a world tour or just the United States or? |
| Paul: |
The tour has real long range plans and as long as it's fun for us, we're gonna keep comin' back to visit our friends. |
| Gene: |
And you're invited. |
| Jay: |
Thanks you guys, that was a lotta fun. |
| Peter: |
Very cool. |
| Ace: |
Thank you very much, Jay. It was a pleasure. |
| Jay: |
I'd love to come down, that would be great. Guys, thanks. That was a lotta fun actually. |
|