|
KISS is an American heavy metal/hard rock/glam rock band formed in New York City in 1973. The group has performed and recorded continuously since their formation. KISS has been awarded 22 gold albums to date, and has certified sales of 19 million records in the United States. The group's worldwide sales are in excess of 80 million albums. Easily identified by their trademark face paint and stage outfits, KISS quickly rose to prominence on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured firebreathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars and pyrotechnics. Their instantly recognizable image has enabled them to promote themselves not just as a band, but a brand: KISS merchandising far exceeds that of any other musical act, including Elvis Presley. The original lineup of Gene Simmons (bass and vocals), Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar and vocals), Paul "Ace" Frehley (lead guitar and vocals) and Peter Criss (drums and vocals) became the most successful and identifiable in the band's history, and released a series of gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums throughout the 1970s. With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personas of comic-book-style characters -- the Demon, the Star Child, the Space Ace, and the Cat Man. Due to substance abuse problems and creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had also waned considerably by that point. In 1983, KISS abandoned their makeup and enjoyed a commercial resurgence throughout the rest of the 1980s. Buoyed by a wave of KISS nostalgia in the 1990s, the band announced a reunion of the original lineup (with makeup) in 1996. The resulting KISS Alive Worldwide Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996, where the group played in 210 cities worldwide for approximately 2.2 million people. Criss and Frehley have since left KISS again, and have been replaced by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively. The band continues to perform, while Stanley and Simmons have remained the only two constant members.
Early years and struggles (1971–75) KISS traces its roots to Wicked Lester, a New York City-based rock and roll band led by co-founders Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel on August 25, 1949) and Paul Stanley (born Stanley Harvey Eisen in Queens, New York City on January 20, 1952). Wicked Lester, with their eclectic mixture of musical styles, never achieved any success. They recorded one album, which was shelved by Epic Records, and played a handful of live shows. Simmons and Stanley, feeling that a new musical direction was needed, abandoned Wicked Lester in 1972 and began forming a new group. In late 1972, Simmons spotted an ad in Rolling Stone placed by Peter Criss, a veteran drummer from the New York club scene. Criss (born Peter Criscuola on December 20, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York City) auditioned for and joined the new version of Wicked Lester. The trio focused on a much harder style of rock than Wicked Lester played. Inspired by the theatrics of the New York Dolls, they also began experimenting with their image by wearing makeup and various outfits. 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 hated the group's image and music. On top of that, as he was leaving, he was vomited on by Criss's brother. In January 1973, the group added lead guitarist Paul "Ace" Frehley (born April 27, 1951 in the Bronx, New York City) after being extremely impressed with his first audition, where he showed up wearing two different sneakers, one red and one orange, and began warming up on his guitar while another guitarist (Bob Kulick) was being auditioned by the band. A few weeks after Frehley joined, the Wicked Lester name was dropped and the band became KISS. Stanley came up with the name, while Frehley created the now-iconic logo (making the "SS" look like lightning bolts). The letters happened to look similar to the insignia of the Nazi SS, or Waffen-SS, a symbol that is now illegal to display in Germany. Therefore, in Germany, all of the band's album covers and merchandise used a modified version of the logo, in which the "SS" looks like a backwards "ZZ." The band's name has been rumored to have many hidden meanings, among them an acronym for "Knights In Satan's Service." The band has consistently denied this, stating that Paul Stanley chose the name on the spur of the moment. The first KISS performance was on January 30, 1973, for an audience of three at the Popcorn Club (renamed Coventry shortly afterward) in Queens. In June 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 get them signed to a recording contract within two weeks. On November 1, 1973, KISS became the first act signed to former teen pop singer and Buddha Records executive Neil Bogart's new label, Emerald City Records (which was shortly afterward renamed Casablanca Records). 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 premier 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 while performing his inaugural firebreathing stunt. KISS's first tour started on February 5, 1974 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. The band’s self-titled debut album, KISS, was released on February 18. 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" for what would become their first national television appearance, on ABC's Dick Clark's In Concert (aired March 29). On April 29, the band performed "Firehouse" on The Mike Douglas Show. This broadcast included Simmons's first televised interview, a conversation with Douglas in which Simmons declared himself "evil incarnate," eliciting titters from an uncomfortable and largely confused studio audience. Despite the publicity and constant touring, KISS initially sold just 75,000 copies. Meanwhile, the group and Casablanca Records were losing money fast. The band flew to Los Angeles in August 1974 to begin recording their second album, Hotter Than Hell, which was released in on October 22, 1974. The only single, "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll," failed to chart and the album stalled at With Hotter Than Hell quickly dropping off the charts, KISS was pulled from their tour to quickly record a new album. Casablanca Records head Neil 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 would later become the band's trademark song, "Rock and Roll All Nite." Although KISS albums had not proven to be big sellers, the band was quickly gaining a reputation as a top-flight live act. KISS concerts featured things such as Simmons spitting "blood" (primarily yogurt and food coloring) or "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. By late 1975, Casablanca was nearly bankrupt and KISS was in danger of losing their record contract. Both parties desperately needed a commercial breakthrough if they were to survive. That breakthrough came in an unlikely form - a double live album. Success (1975–78) KISS attempted to express the excitement felt at their live shows (which their studio albums had so far failed to do), with their next album. Released on September 10, 1975, Alive!, would go on to achieve quadruple platinum status, and spawned KISS's first top 40 single, a live version of "Rock And Roll All Nite." It was the first version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" with a guitar solo, and this recording has come to represent the definitive version of the song; supplanting the studio original. In recent years the band admitted that additional audience noise had been added to the album, not to deceive fans, but to add more "excitement and realism" to the show. The success of Alive! not only brought KISS the breakthrough they had been seeking, but arguably saved Casablanca. 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, was a departure from the rawer sound of the first three studio albums. While the album sold well initially, it quickly dropped down the charts. Only when the ballad "Beth" was released as a single did the album's fortunes rebound. "Beth" was a In October 1976, KISS appeared on the The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, lip-synching "Detroit Rock City," "Beth" and "King of the Night Time World." For many teenagers, this was their first exposure to KISS's dramatic appearance. The show was co-produced by Bill Aucoin. In addition to the three songs, KISS was the subject of a brief comedic "interview" conducted by Paul Lynde himself. This included Lynde noting, when hearing the member's names, "Oh, I love a good religious group." Two more highly successful studio albums were released in less than a year—Rock and Roll Over (November 11, 1976) and Love Gun (June 30, 1977). A second live album, Alive II, was released on November 29, 1977. All three albums were certified platinum upon or soon after their release. Between 1976 and 1978, KISS earned $17.7 million from record royalties and music publishing. A 1977 Gallup poll named KISS the most popular band in America. In Japan, KISS broke attendance records previously held by The Beatles. The first of what is now many KISS greatest hits albums, titled 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 one of the group's signature songs. Per Neil Bogart's request, the song was played in a style similar to the then-popular disco music. During this period, KISS merchandise became a huge source of income for the group. Some of the products released included a pair of comic books released by Marvel, a pinball machine, KISS dolls, "KISS Your Face Makeup" kits, Halloween masks, board games, and many other pieces of memorabilia. It is said that the members donated their blood and mixed it together and used it to make some of the comics. 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. Going solo (1978)
Late makeup years and decline (1979–83) The band's first album of new material in two years, Dynasty (May 23, 1979), continued their platinum streak. The album contained what would become the biggest single in the history of the band, the worldwide smash "I Was Made For Lovin' You." The song, which combined elements of the KISS sound with disco, was a top ten hit throughout the world (peaking at 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. Those plans were abandoned due to the immense costs involved. Rather than being the band's biggest and most successful tour, "The Return of KISS" saw a marked decline in attendance. 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 it, a visibly irritated Simmons and Stanley try to contain the bombastic (and drunk) Frehley, whose non-stop laughter and joking overshadowed the content and conversation that takes place between Snyder and the rest of the band. Criss, taking his cue from Frehley, made repeated references to his large gun collection, to the chagrin of Simmons. By the conclusion of the Dynasty tour in December 1979, tensions between Peter Criss and the rest of the band were at an all-time high. His drumming skills had noticably eroded, and he even intentionally slowed down or stopped playing altogether during later shows. The final show of the tour (December 16, 1979) would be the last time Criss performed with the group, although he remained an official member for nearly six more months. Yet the disagreements were hardly noticed by KISS's new fan base. The crowds were very much younger than previous audiences had been, with many pre-adolescent children in KISS makeup with their mothers and fathers (who were sometimes wearing the makeup themselves) in tow at most concerts. KISS themselves did little to dissuade this new fan base, donning colorful costumes that reinforced a cartoonish image for these younger fans. With Criss's involvement in KISS at an end, the group recorded the followup to Dynasty in early 1980. As with Dynasty, this album was recorded with session drummer Anton Fig, although at the time his performance was uncredited. Showcasing a slick, contemporary pop sound, Unmasked (May 20, 1980) had the dubious distinction of being the first KISS album since Dressed to Kill to fail to go platinum. Soon after the album's release, Criss's departure was officially announced, as was the announcement that the band would be auditioning his replacement. KISS's first-ever replacement member, Eric Carr (born Paul Caravello on June 12, 1950 in Brooklyn, New York City; died November 24, 1991) was announced in late July 1980. He debuted with the group on July 25 at New York's now-defunct Palladium Theatre. Due to disappointing domestic sales of Unmasked, this was KISS's only U.S. show in support of the album. 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. For their next album, the band once again approached Bob 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. What was released instead was 1981's Music From "The Elder", a concept album featuring medieval horns, strings, harps, synthesizers and Gregorian Chant-style vocalizing. The album was presented as a soundtrack to a film that was never made, making it difficult (if not impossible) to follow the storyline. To make matters worse, having received negative feedback from 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 go gold and peaked at The commercial failure of Music from "The Elder" forced KISS to forego a supporting tour completely. The band made only a few appearances for the album, both in January 1982. One was a performance on the ABC late-night variety program Fridays, while the second was a lip-synched performance that was broadcast via satellite during Italy's Sen Remo Festival. Absent from the second performance was Frehley, who had become increasingly frustrated with the musical direction KISS had taken. Upset with the band's decision to record a concept album (Music from "The Elder"), he did not actively participate in the album's creation. He literally "mailed in" his only contributions, the songs "Escape From The Island" and "Dark Light." Another source of frustration for Frehley was that, with the departure of Criss, and Carr not being included, he was often outvoted 2-to-1 on band matters. In June 1982, Frehley's departure from the band was negotiated, although he would not officially leave until December. 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, Simmons and Stanley needed for their record company to believe that Frehley was still in KISS in order for the band to keep its newly renegotiated contract. So to keep up appearances, Frehley was pictured on the covers of 1982's Killers and Creatures of the Night, although he did not participate in the recording of either album. Creatures of the Night (October 13, 1982) was KISS's heaviest album to date, and although it fared better than Music From "The Elder", it couldn't make it past Vincent's hurriedly developed identity was that of an Egyptian warrior (with a gold ankh painted on his face), although he would not need this persona for very long. While the tour was a commercial disppointment in the U.S., the band did go on to play for the largest crowds of their career elsewhere, including 137,000 fans in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 18, 1983. The last show of the tour (June 25 in São Paulo, Brazil) was the final show the band would perform in makeup until 1996. Unmasking and rebound (1983–95) Sensing it was time for a change, KISS made the decision to abandon their trademark makeup and costumes. They appeared in public without makeup for the first time on a September 18, 1983 appearance on MTV. The appearance coincided with the release of the band's new album, Lick It Up. Lick It Up became KISS's first gold record in three years, but the tour was even more sparsely attended than the one for Creatures of the Night. Due to quickly rising tensions between Vincent and the rest of KISS (particularly Simmons and Stanley), Vincent was fired at the conclusion of the tour. His replacement was Mark St. John (born Mark Norton on February 7, 1956 in Hollywood, California), a session player and guitar tutor. With St. John on board, KISS released Animalize in September 1984. Animalize built on the success of Lick It Up and was the band's best-selling record during the decade. With the success of the album and subsequent tour, KISS had recaptured some of their earlier glory (though not to the level of their '70s heyday). St. John, however, was soon taken ill with Reactive arthritis during tour rehearsals, and only performed at a handful of shows. He was fired from KISS in December 1984 and replaced by Bruce Kulick (born December 12, 1953 in Brooklyn), who became KISS's fourth lead guitarist in three years. 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's most successful albums overseas. The single "Crazy, Crazy Nights" reached KISS ended the '80s with the 1989 release Hot in the Shade. Although the album failed to achieve platinum status, it spawned the early 1990 hit ballad "Forever," co-written by Michael Bolton. Peaking at During these non-makeup years, KISS struggled with their identity and fan base. Simmons, arguably the dominating force in KISS during the '70s, became less involved with the group in the '80s as he pursued outside interests; most notably, a film career. After the band's unmasking, he struggled with the loss of the Demon persona. During this time, Stanley became the dominant force in KISS. The band decided to once again enlist Bob Ezrin to produce their first album of the 1990s. Before recording could begin in earnest, however, tragedy struck. In March 1991, it was discovered that Eric Carr had a tumor on his heart. It was successfully removed in an April surgery, but more tumors were soon discovered in his lungs. Carr received chemotherapy and was pronounced cancer-free in July. In September, he was hospitalized after suffering the first of two cerebral hemorrhages. He died on November 24, 1991 at the age of 41. Though devastated, KISS continued, bringing in former Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Lita Ford, and Alice Cooper drummer Eric Singer (born Eric Mensinger on May 12, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio). Singer had played in a band that Stanley put together for a 1989 club tour. KISS released Revenge on May 18, 1992. It featured a leaner, harder-edged sound, as indicated by the first single, "Unholy." In a surprise move, KISS enlisted the aid of Vinnie Vincent for 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 arena tour in September 1992. KISS followed Revenge with the release of Alive III (May 14, 1993), which was recorded during the Revenge tour. 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 version of "Detroit Rock City" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Garth Brooks' straightforward take on "Hard Luck Woman," with KISS as his backup band. 1995 saw the release of KISStory, a 440-page, nine-pound, detailed chronicling 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 comprised mostly of spontaneous fan requests. On the first U.S. date (June 17, 1995) Peter 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. 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 onstage for several songs at the end of the set–"Beth," "2000 Man," "Nothin' to Lose" and "Rock and Roll All Nite." 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 Carnival of Souls. The album was completed, but its release was delayed for two years. Bootleg copies of the album circulated widely among fans. 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. Reunion (1996–2002) With that statement on February 28, 1996, Tupac Shakur introduced the original KISS lineup (clad in full makeup and Love Gun era stage outfits), to a rousing ovation at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. On April 16, the band held a press conference aboard the USS Intrepid in New York, where they announced their plans for a full-fledged reunion tour, with the help of manager Doc McGhee. The conference, emceed by Conan O'Brien, was simulcast to 58 countries. On April 20, nearly 40,000 tickets for the tour's first show (June 28 in Tiger Stadium) sold out in 47 minutes. 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, CA. During the show the band nearly ignited the stage of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. On June 28, the KISS Alive Worldwide Tour officially kicked off at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan in front of a sold-out crowd of 39,867 fans. The tour lasted for 192 shows over eleven months and earned $43.6 million, making KISS the top-drawing concert act of 1996. The average attendance of 13,737 is still the highest in the group's history. In September 1998, the reunited group issued Psycho Circus. Despite its appearance as the first album with the original lineup since 1977's Love Gun, 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 and former member Bruce Kulick. Most drum duties were handled by session musician Kevin Valentine. Despite the controversy, the album achieved a The Psycho Circus Tour opened at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Halloween night, 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 3-D visuals into a stage show. On August 11, 1999, KISS was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the "Recording Industry" category. August 13 saw the nationwide premiere of a KISS-themed motion picture, titled Detroit Rock City. The movie takes place in 1978, and focuses on four teenagers (featuring Edward Furlong) willing to do anything to score tickets for a sold-out KISS show in Detroit. In August 1999, they worked in collaboration with World Championship Wrestling to produce a KISS themed wrestler known as The KISS Demon who would have his face painted to resemble Simmons. KISS would perform God of Thunder live on WCW Monday Nitro to debut the character with reports saying that WCW paid the group 500,000 USD for the one song performance. There were also plans with WCW to do a "Rock and Wrestling" show that was to be called "New Year's Evil" on December 31st, 1999, but all ties to the group were cut by WCW when its head, Eric Bischoff was relieved of his duties in September of that year. WCW kept the character, however, and dropped the "KISS" part of it. Ironically, the character was put in a stable with The Insane Clown Posse, a sometimes wrestling raprock group with an intense dislike of KISS. KISS announced in early 2000 that they would be launching a U.S. Farewell Tour in the summer, which was to be the band's last. The group quickly added dates to the tour, which ran through March 2002. 2001 also saw the release of a computer game, "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child." On the eve of a Japanese and Australian tour in early 2001, Criss suddenly left the band once again, reportedly unhappy with his salary. Taking his place was previous KISS drummer Singer, who, in a controversial move among longtime fans, donned Criss's Cat Man makeup as the Farewell Tour continued. (Simmons and Stanley own both Frehley's and Criss's makeup designs, so there was no way for Criss to prevent this.) With the band scheduled to call it a day supposedly by late 2001, a career-encompassing collection entitled The Box Set (94 tracks over five discs) was released in November, while the summer saw perhaps the most over-the-top piece of KISS merchandise yet -- the KISS Kasket. In introducing the KISS Kasket, Gene Simmons quipped, "I love livin', but this makes the alternative look pretty damn good." KISS was relatively quiet through the rest of the year, but 2002 started with a bang as Simmons turned in an entertaining and controversial interview on National Public Radio, where he criticized NPR and berated host Terry Gross with sexual comments and condescending answers. KISS also performed during the Closing Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. New era (2003–present)
Lineups Current members Past members Audio samples Discography and filmography KISS timeline Trivia Additional reading See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| |