Reliving the Rock and Roll Journey of Kiss: A Tribute to the Hottest Band in the World

Get ready for a wild ride, rockers! As your host Smax, will be taking you along as we trace the legendary rise and lasting impact of the hair-raising band of the century, Kiss. You'll hear my very own drumming backstory, inspired by their groundbreaking album "Alive," and get the lowdown on that unforgettable encounter with Peter Chris. From their NYC roots to their transformative live performances, this is more than just a tribute; it's a celebration of the band that forever redefined the rock and roll concert experience.

Brace yourself for the second half of our journey as we keep rocking and rolling with Kiss. Who can forget the time I had the pleasure of meeting Gene and Paul, and the hilarity that followed? As we say goodbye to Kiss, embarking on their final tour, we'll be sharing a string of memories and their unforgettable journey through rock and roll. So, let's turn up the volume on the Haircuts podcast as we honor and relive the legacy of Kiss, the hottest band in the world. You don't want to miss this!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

You are about to take a hard rockin trip through the decades this is the haircuts with your host, smacks. Greetings my fellow rockers. I am smacks and you have landed right here on the haircuts. Welcome, my friends, to another edition, and today is gonna be a taste of trim. That's right, a quick fix of our show, just like when you hit the barbershop or the hair salon and you don't need that full-on cut. I'm gonna give you a scaled-down version of our show and we are calling it the trim.

Speaker 1: 0:36

We did this back in episode six and what it does is it allows us to jump right into the artist in the chair. We wanted to do this episode as a way to honor one of our favorite bands here on the haircuts. I shared with you all before that this iconic and legendary group started at all. For me, and Probably for a lot of you all too, I mean, they're hard-hitting. Rock is part of our identity, it's in our DNA, right, and there's nothing like the shredding guitars, booming bass and pounding drums that Fuel our rock and roll souls, and this band lit the fire for me I'm talking the hottest band in the world. Kiss so way back in 2019, before the pandemic kiss embarked on their end of the road farewell tour. That signaled the conclusion of an error and the tour served as a celebration of their legacy, allowing fans to say goodbye to the band that had provided the soundtrack to their lives for nearly five decades. And, as we're recording this episode right now, their final show on December 2nd in their home state of New York, playing in Madison Square Gardens. It will be the last performance for this legendary band. So for me, I unplugged from the band after the dynasty album.

Speaker 1: 1:55

The original lineup was kissed for me. In fact, the godfather of rock talk radio, eddie trunk, did a whole episode this week on this era of the band. Now, nothing against what they did after the dynasty LP. They had some great tunes in the 80s and beyond. Some great musicians, in fact, that played with the band, especially Eric Carr, a Fantastic drummer and a real stand-up guy. There's a fabulous documentary on Eric streaming on Amazon Prime video. It's called inside the tale of the fox. I would highly recommend that you check it out. But it was really the original lineup who I connected with. I was a kiss geek from day one. Every album my bedroom is the sixth grader was plastered with kiss pics and posters from top to bottom. I was a member of the kiss army and I could do jeans and Peters makeup to AT. I was obsessed and even though I didn't feel the need to see the end of the road tour, I feel like a chapter of my life is closing. So I wanted to do this episode to pay tribute to the extraordinary journey of this band that brought us more than just music. They brought a spectacle that redefined the concert experience kiss form.

Speaker 1: 3:08

In New York City back in 1973, jean Simmons and Paul Stanley, who actually played together in another band called wicked Lester, got together and as they were forming this new music entity, they responded to an ad in Rolling Stone magazine that said drummer available will do anything to make it. Well, that, of course, was Peter Chris. And To round out, the foursome, ace Fraley responded to an ad Paul placed that said Lee guitarist wanted with flash and ability album out shortly, no time wasters, please. Well, obviously ace wasn't wasting anyone's time. From that point on, they aimed not to just create music but to craft a visual experience inspired from glam rock in comic books.

Speaker 1: 3:54

The most recognizable aspect, obviously, of kiss is their costumes and face paint. Each member adopted their own unique persona Jean Simmons was the demon, paul as the star child, peter Chris as the cat man and, of course, ace Fraley as the spaceman. This attention to image and the Theatrics set them apart. Turning their concerts into not just shows but full-fledged rock and roll Theatrics, that's what stood out to this sixth grader. This is a cut from their debut album.

Speaker 2: 4:26

This is deuce ésus, get off and get your ground on our heel. Get off. My dream is working hard this year. Be loved to the face of sister. Do Baby if you're feeling good. Baby, if you're feeling nice, you know your man is working hard. He's worth a doose. When you're shy, put some air in his ears and say baby, stop crying on the table To the face of sister. Do yeah, wait, baby if you're feeling good. Yes, baby, if you're feeling nice, you know your man is working hard. He's worth a doose. Baby, if you're feeling good. Yes, baby, if you're feeling nice, you know your man is working hard.

Speaker 1: 7:16

Baby, if you're feeling nice, you know your man is working hard. He's worth a doose, well kiss. Quickly ascended to superstardom with that electrifying live performance. The band's dedication to delivering an unforgettable experience solidified them as one of the greatest live acts in rock history. Their breakthrough came with the release of alive, a live album that was recorded at Cobal Hall in Detroit, michigan, my hometown.

Speaker 1: 7:49

I grew up just outside of Detroit, in Pontiac, michigan. A bit more about that city in just a moment. But alive was the album that changed it all for me. Peter Chris's drum solo in 100,000 years is what influenced me and drove me to become a drummer. I remember listening to that solo over and over and over again. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing, and when I got to meet Peter, I had my original alive album with me that I bought in the sixth grade, and as I handed it to him to sign, I said this album changed my life. And he laughed and said yeah, mine too, and that freaking hilarious. So as we were talking, I asked him about what inspired him to use the flange on his drums during that solo. He confirmed that's what he used and he said it was their producer, the great Eddie Kramer that suggested doing it. I mean, what a brilliant play, right. So I've been able to get Gene, paul and Peter signature on that alive album. So I'm only missing aces. But I can assure you, my fellow rockers, that I will finish the job. I know at some point I'm going to get to meet Ace and I know that he'll sign that album for me. To round out the four signatures, I'm going to play a cut from that live album. It's a little bit deeper of a cut. This is kind of near and dear to my heart.

Speaker 1: 9:13

In sixth grade myself and three of my buddies performed his kiss during our school talent show. It was held in the middle school gymnasium and it was at night, so we had parents, relatives, faculty there. It was a big deal. I played Gene for that performance and I remember getting bitten by the performing bug that night. Needless to say, we went on to win the contest and the only downside to the event was that I broke out in a rash because of the cheap makeup our parents used for our costumes. This song I wanted to do, but it got nixed because I wanted to use some homemade flash pods at the end and the principal just was not in favor of us kitties doing that. This features the Cap man on vocals. This is Black Diamond from Kiss Alive.

Speaker 2: 10:06

I he, like the moon, ooh, like the moon. I'm in the motion and she's the power of truth. I'm in your hands, baby. That's my love and my treasure. Like the moon, ooh, like the moon. Like the moon, out on the streets for me there, make it rollin' bigger. You're gonna show it in my hands. Got you on my mind, son. Ooh, like the moon. Like the moon, like the moon, like the moon, like the moon, like the moon.

Speaker 1: 15:34

Hi, this is the lovely Lisa and you're listening to Smacks on the Haircuts. Welcome back, my fellow rockers. We're talking Kistory here today on the Haircuts and I'm glad you're with me on this trip down my rock and roll memory lane. So by this time I'm all in on these guys. I went out and purchased the first three Kiss albums hotter than hell, kiss and Dressed to Kill. After the alive album came out, they came out with a box set called the Originals and you could get all three in one purchase. By now I'm all caught up. All their albums know all about my rock and roll heroes. I'm a full-fledged Kiss geek. And then the next album to drop was Destroyer. Holy shit, the cover alone was like nothing I'd ever seen. This comic book style artwork confirmed to me, anyways, that these guys were truly rock and roll superheroes.

Speaker 1: 16:29

Destroyer opens up with Detroit Rock City and the storyline to that song just screamed rock and roll rebellion. But the opening monologue before the song hits so home for me and just connected on a whole other level as the newscaster talks about the car crash a Pontiac, michigan youth what Pontiac? I was a 13 year old kid going. What the fuck? So, needless to say, detroit Rock City is my favorite cut off this album, even though I love them all. God of Thunder and, of course, shout it Out Loud. Kiss immortalized our great city. Detroit is always going to be a rock in town, and why can I say that? Because Kiss said so. Here it is from Destroyer, including the newscast this is Detroit Rock City.

Speaker 2: 17:20

The Detroit a bloody and wicked youth reported dead at the scene of a head on collision on ground down this morning. He reported the driving of the long side of a full-of-art when his truck hit his lips and his cabin full to the issue with his car. The driver of the truck is reported to be uninvited and denoting support and are being HatкS. Infish SUBSCRIBE to YouTube to fly more episodes. My 11 bus today are expected to early to the abis earthquake, important upon scientific advanced. My father's taking him.

Speaker 2: 19:01

I am not a tiger, I'm not a night, I'm not a clock. The radio's the only light. I am not a stone. I got holes in the groove. I can't get a soul, just the one I got to do. I got. Get up. Everybody call me the MC. Get down. Everybody call me the MC. I got a losing mind in Detroit rock city. Get up. Everybody call me the MC, get down. Everybody call me the MC. I didn't know you'd like to stand away. Get up rockin' and know I got to hit the road. I got a dream and I smoke. I got a go and I try to make them get that show. Get up. Everybody call me the MC. Get down. Everybody call me the MC. Get down everybody call me the MC. I'm not a fan. I'm 95, I'm hit by speed, but I'm still moving much too slow. I feel so good, I'm so alive. Get down everybody call me the MC. Get up everybody call me the MC.

Speaker 1: 21:00

Get down. Everybody call me the MC Donc doesn't want to win thers here. I've been up top of the road, ain't no one inside Click it out? Peeped up theinin', drop down to the max. I got no life. I know I'm gonna die. Why Yellow, everybody's gonna see it down. Yellow, everybody's gonna see it down. The follow-up to Destroyer was rock n' roll over, and for me it was a great return to the Harder Edge rockin' style that I loved about the band. Great riffs, ace's Leads were front and center and for some people, including Mr Eddie Trunk, their favorite album of the 70s era. They went from that to Love Gun and then came out with Alive 2 and 77, which had all the songs from Destroyer, rock n' Rollover and Love Gun. They ended the decade with Dynasty and that was the tour that I seen in the Pontiac Silver Dome. I wanted to play a cut from this time period so I queued up a deeper track that I think really captures their rock n' riffs. This is Make N' Love from the Rock n' Roll over LP.

Speaker 2: 23:19

I've just had what the girl says wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, I bring you water. I'm out of time, don't hesitate, I bring you water, I'm out of time. The whole night through, we do all the things that we're going to do. Well, come on, baby, don't deal with the same. The short food lookin' the best I've had Make it love, love, make it love, make it love, make it love One night long.

Speaker 2: 23:56

Make it love, make it love, make it love, make it love, make it love One night long, One night long. When I realize don't they know I really want her she said stop, baby, go, go go. I really want her by my side. The whole night through, we do all the things that we want to do. Well, come on, baby, don't leave me sad. The short food lookin' the best I've had Make it love, love. Make it love, make it love, make it love One night long. Make it love, make it love, make it love, make it love, make it love One night long. Make it love, make it love, make it love, make it love, make it love One night, one night, one night.

Speaker 1: 26:24

Oh, the friends and fellow rockers smacks here paying homage to one of my favorite bands of all times, the Great Kiss. I got to meet Gene and Paul a few years back and what a true honor to be able to be in the presence of my rock and roll heroes. They were both absolutely awesome and very generous with their time. In fact, as the lovely Lisa was taking a selfie with Gene at the very moment of her snapping the pic, gene stuck his finger in her ear. I threw the pic up on our Insta page at the haircuts and of course that's haircuts with the Z. Check it out. But we laugh about it to this day. I told her you can actually claim to have been penetrated by Gene Simmons.

Speaker 1: 27:08

That's been the topic of a few interesting conversations over the years. As the final curtain falls on Saturday, december 2nd, the legacy of Kiss will endure Truly the end of a rock and roll era. Well, that's a wrap, my friends. Another episode in the can. I'd like to thank Kiss for the decades of memories and great rock and roll. I'd like to thank you all for stopping by and taking another hard rock and trip through the decades with me here on the haircuts. This is Smack, signing off, encouraging you all to keep the volume up. See ya.