1
00:00:11,076 --> 00:00:14,156
Speaker 1: Today I'm broken Record. I'm joined by a true rock icon,

2
00:00:14,396 --> 00:00:18,476
Speaker 1: the star child himself, Kiss co founder in frontman Paul Stanley.

3
00:00:19,556 --> 00:00:21,276
Speaker 1: Paul grew up in New York City, where he fell

4
00:00:21,276 --> 00:00:24,036
Speaker 1: in love with the music, attending shows at Manhattan venues

5
00:00:24,116 --> 00:00:27,476
Speaker 1: like the legendary Fillmore East. Of course, he himself, as

6
00:00:27,516 --> 00:00:29,676
Speaker 1: part of Kiss, over fifty years, built one of the

7
00:00:29,676 --> 00:00:33,516
Speaker 1: most fervently devoted fan bases in music history by turning

8
00:00:33,556 --> 00:00:37,796
Speaker 1: spectacle into art. Now that Kiss is officially retired from

9
00:00:37,836 --> 00:00:40,956
Speaker 1: the road, Paul reflects on life after the makeup, what

10
00:00:41,076 --> 00:00:43,756
Speaker 1: fuels his creativity these days, and what it means to

11
00:00:43,756 --> 00:00:47,476
Speaker 1: have reached the fiftieth anniversary of the Kiss Army. He

12
00:00:47,516 --> 00:00:50,836
Speaker 1: also shares his personal top five Kiss albums and gives

13
00:00:50,916 --> 00:00:54,356
Speaker 1: us a preview of Kiss Storm Vegas, the upcoming event

14
00:00:54,476 --> 00:00:57,556
Speaker 1: that proves the end of touring doesn't mean the end

15
00:00:57,756 --> 00:01:06,916
Speaker 1: of the show. This is Broken record, real musicians, real conversations.

16
00:01:09,756 --> 00:01:15,396
Speaker 1: Here's my conversation with Paul Stanley. Oh wow, how are you?

17
00:01:16,196 --> 00:01:16,676
Speaker 1: The man?

18
00:01:16,916 --> 00:01:20,396
Speaker 2: The myth, the legend is somebody else here?

19
00:01:22,196 --> 00:01:24,516
Speaker 1: The guy behind you, I'll talk about the guy behind

20
00:01:24,716 --> 00:01:27,876
Speaker 1: couldn't be you, No you of course? Wow. Great to

21
00:01:27,916 --> 00:01:31,316
Speaker 1: meet you likewise, great to meet you. Where are you

22
00:01:31,436 --> 00:01:33,156
Speaker 1: at in the thing?

23
00:01:33,236 --> 00:01:36,316
Speaker 2: Actually in the Kiss warehouse.

24
00:01:38,036 --> 00:01:42,756
Speaker 1: That has to be that has to be an incredible place.

25
00:01:43,196 --> 00:01:43,516
Speaker 1: It is.

26
00:01:43,556 --> 00:01:45,916
Speaker 2: It's like Superman's Portress of Solitude.

27
00:01:46,396 --> 00:01:50,276
Speaker 1: Oh man, how long have you guys had like a warehouse.

28
00:01:51,196 --> 00:01:54,516
Speaker 2: Since pretty much the beginning of the band, although that's

29
00:01:54,596 --> 00:01:57,836
Speaker 2: changed over the Year's location has changed over the years,

30
00:01:57,836 --> 00:02:02,396
Speaker 2: but we've always needed a place not only for musical instruments,

31
00:02:02,396 --> 00:02:06,556
Speaker 2: but for stage pieces and all the miscellaneous stuff that

32
00:02:06,596 --> 00:02:07,636
Speaker 2: goes along with a tour.

33
00:02:08,276 --> 00:02:12,876
Speaker 1: Wow, do you ever? I mean, you know, talking to

34
00:02:12,956 --> 00:02:15,956
Speaker 1: you or anyone else from Kiss, it's in a weird way,

35
00:02:16,036 --> 00:02:20,076
Speaker 1: like talking to anyone from you know, like Paula Ringo

36
00:02:20,316 --> 00:02:24,076
Speaker 1: or Mike or Keith or even Ronnie. It's like you

37
00:02:24,116 --> 00:02:27,356
Speaker 1: guys have had such long and storied careers and been

38
00:02:27,396 --> 00:02:30,156
Speaker 1: asked everything. But I have to imagine every once in

39
00:02:30,156 --> 00:02:32,716
Speaker 1: a while going through the whitouse, there's something you see

40
00:02:32,716 --> 00:02:36,916
Speaker 1: that you're shocked by or just didn't remember, or you're

41
00:02:36,916 --> 00:02:38,236
Speaker 1: surprised to see or find.

42
00:02:39,756 --> 00:02:44,276
Speaker 2: Manyly, it's just I think I have a really good memory,

43
00:02:44,316 --> 00:02:47,676
Speaker 2: and yet sometimes friends of mine will say, you remember

44
00:02:48,716 --> 00:02:50,836
Speaker 2: in New York when we had dinner with so and

45
00:02:50,876 --> 00:02:53,516
Speaker 2: so and so and so, and I'm like, for the

46
00:02:53,556 --> 00:02:57,716
Speaker 2: life of me, I can't remember. So in terms of

47
00:02:57,916 --> 00:03:02,036
Speaker 2: the band, my memory is really really pretty pretty strong.

48
00:03:02,236 --> 00:03:04,716
Speaker 2: You know, we can talk about, you know, the show

49
00:03:04,756 --> 00:03:07,436
Speaker 2: that we did at the Capitol Center in Largo, Maryland

50
00:03:07,476 --> 00:03:11,796
Speaker 2: outside DCOR. Could talk about, you know, playing the Stanley

51
00:03:11,836 --> 00:03:15,636
Speaker 2: Warner Theater in Pittsburgh or the Tower Theater. You know,

52
00:03:16,356 --> 00:03:20,716
Speaker 2: my memory is at least with the band, very very

53
00:03:20,876 --> 00:03:23,596
Speaker 2: very I'm quite lucid.

54
00:03:23,276 --> 00:03:26,156
Speaker 1: Why why do you think the band is the is

55
00:03:26,196 --> 00:03:29,316
Speaker 1: the one part that you're able to compartmentalize and remember

56
00:03:29,356 --> 00:03:31,236
Speaker 1: every little bit of it?

57
00:03:32,676 --> 00:03:35,396
Speaker 2: I guess, you know, I would think that if you

58
00:03:35,556 --> 00:03:39,196
Speaker 2: visit Disneyland, you'll remember everything you did. And I've been

59
00:03:39,236 --> 00:03:40,356
Speaker 2: living in Disneyland.

60
00:03:43,316 --> 00:03:45,916
Speaker 1: That's That's a great way to a great way to

61
00:03:45,916 --> 00:03:50,636
Speaker 1: put it. It's even even the early days of the band,

62
00:03:50,956 --> 00:03:54,916
Speaker 1: pre pre alive, when you guys, you know, alive. Obviously,

63
00:03:55,276 --> 00:03:57,236
Speaker 1: most people who are at least are fans will know

64
00:03:57,276 --> 00:03:59,716
Speaker 1: that live is really when the band hits and you

65
00:03:59,716 --> 00:04:02,116
Speaker 1: guys break. But it seems like even before that, like

66
00:04:02,156 --> 00:04:07,876
Speaker 1: you guys were really i mean somehow living, you know,

67
00:04:08,396 --> 00:04:11,476
Speaker 1: the rock star lifestyle like you guys were. In a sense,

68
00:04:11,516 --> 00:04:13,236
Speaker 1: it almost appears if you guys had made it the

69
00:04:13,276 --> 00:04:16,196
Speaker 1: way you know the stories.

70
00:04:15,676 --> 00:04:22,236
Speaker 2: And I think certainly there was a all for one

71
00:04:22,276 --> 00:04:26,036
Speaker 2: and one for all attitude, and we felt like we

72
00:04:26,036 --> 00:04:29,156
Speaker 2: were on a crusade. We were we were going to

73
00:04:29,236 --> 00:04:32,556
Speaker 2: make converts of everybody. And it had nothing to do

74
00:04:32,636 --> 00:04:38,196
Speaker 2: with our musical prowess, certainly at that point, but it

75
00:04:38,276 --> 00:04:41,356
Speaker 2: had to do with a commitment to the band, to

76
00:04:41,516 --> 00:04:46,076
Speaker 2: what we were doing, and to the fans. I have

77
00:04:46,156 --> 00:04:50,276
Speaker 2: to say that initially a lot of the earliest songs

78
00:04:50,716 --> 00:04:57,476
Speaker 2: were almost almost us writing about things that we really

79
00:04:57,596 --> 00:05:02,356
Speaker 2: had an experience. It was almost wishful thinking. By the

80
00:05:02,476 --> 00:05:07,076
Speaker 2: third album, we were really living it, you know. Strutter

81
00:05:07,316 --> 00:05:11,956
Speaker 2: was about the women that I would see in the

82
00:05:11,996 --> 00:05:18,996
Speaker 2: streets in Greenwich Village. There was this huge musical band

83
00:05:19,116 --> 00:05:23,956
Speaker 2: renaissance of what became known as glitter the glitter bands

84
00:05:24,036 --> 00:05:29,356
Speaker 2: or kind of like that androgynous look, and the women,

85
00:05:29,476 --> 00:05:35,116
Speaker 2: the girlfriends were you know, wearing silks and satins and

86
00:05:35,156 --> 00:05:38,756
Speaker 2: fishnets stockings, and they didn't want anything to do with me.

87
00:05:39,356 --> 00:05:43,396
Speaker 2: But I wrote about that. I wrote about Black Diamond.

88
00:05:44,476 --> 00:05:48,436
Speaker 2: Literally by the time we were doing songs like room Service.

89
00:05:49,716 --> 00:05:51,676
Speaker 2: That's what I was living. You know, all of a sudden,

90
00:05:52,076 --> 00:05:56,556
Speaker 2: you know, you go from wishing for something to actually

91
00:05:56,596 --> 00:05:59,196
Speaker 2: being immersed in it.

92
00:05:59,316 --> 00:06:02,676
Speaker 1: Was it? At what point do you start to realize, like, God,

93
00:06:02,716 --> 00:06:05,636
Speaker 1: this isn't this isn't everything. You know, this actually isn't

94
00:06:06,396 --> 00:06:08,076
Speaker 1: all that you can want out of life. There's more

95
00:06:08,116 --> 00:06:08,476
Speaker 1: to it.

96
00:06:09,516 --> 00:06:14,636
Speaker 2: Well, you know, that's a tough question because when you're

97
00:06:14,676 --> 00:06:19,476
Speaker 2: first exposed to something, how much cake can you eat?

98
00:06:19,636 --> 00:06:21,636
Speaker 2: You know, you won't know untill you eat it all,

99
00:06:23,636 --> 00:06:28,716
Speaker 2: you know. I I think, at least in my case,

100
00:06:28,756 --> 00:06:31,716
Speaker 2: it took a bit of time before I went you know,

101
00:06:33,036 --> 00:06:37,356
Speaker 2: although this is what I was on a quest to achieve,

102
00:06:37,516 --> 00:06:41,236
Speaker 2: once you achieve it, I found myself going, is this everything?

103
00:06:41,956 --> 00:06:47,316
Speaker 2: You know? Some some people aspire to something and think

104
00:06:47,356 --> 00:06:51,876
Speaker 2: it's going to be a cure all and or disappointed

105
00:06:52,036 --> 00:06:55,036
Speaker 2: in a way when that's not the case, and neither

106
00:06:55,076 --> 00:06:57,436
Speaker 2: wind up with a needle in their arm or a

107
00:06:57,476 --> 00:07:03,436
Speaker 2: gun in their mouth. You know, I made it a challenge. Okay,

108
00:07:04,356 --> 00:07:06,716
Speaker 2: let's see what else is out there? You know, what else?

109
00:07:07,036 --> 00:07:09,996
Speaker 2: What else do I need to complet who I am?

110
00:07:10,676 --> 00:07:15,356
Speaker 2: But it certainly it gave me the ability to do that,

111
00:07:15,756 --> 00:07:19,356
Speaker 2: and along the way I was having a great time.

112
00:07:20,076 --> 00:07:25,996
Speaker 2: You know, no, I have no complaints about any aspect

113
00:07:26,116 --> 00:07:28,876
Speaker 2: or time period in my life.

114
00:07:29,156 --> 00:07:33,236
Speaker 1: There's nothing you look back and wish you'd handle the different.

115
00:07:32,996 --> 00:07:37,196
Speaker 2: Or I'd like to say that I always did the

116
00:07:37,236 --> 00:07:44,236
Speaker 2: best I could. And nonetheless, I'd say when our second drummer,

117
00:07:44,476 --> 00:07:48,716
Speaker 2: Eric Carr, when he had heart cancer, I wish that.

118
00:07:49,556 --> 00:07:55,116
Speaker 2: I wish that I had realized that I couldn't fathom

119
00:07:55,196 --> 00:07:59,596
Speaker 2: the idea of him dying, so I didn't deal with

120
00:07:59,636 --> 00:08:05,116
Speaker 2: it the way I would today. I think, you know,

121
00:08:05,196 --> 00:08:11,196
Speaker 2: there were certainly mistakes I think made in that period.

122
00:08:11,836 --> 00:08:17,516
Speaker 2: And again I was you're limited by what by your limitations.

123
00:08:17,756 --> 00:08:21,356
Speaker 2: You're limited by by what you know and and how

124
00:08:21,396 --> 00:08:23,676
Speaker 2: you perceive things and where you are in your life.

125
00:08:23,716 --> 00:08:27,716
Speaker 2: So everything that you do in life gets through to

126
00:08:27,756 --> 00:08:31,836
Speaker 2: where you are today. That's right, good and bad. And

127
00:08:33,556 --> 00:08:39,076
Speaker 2: you change one thing, you change everything. So even even

128
00:08:39,836 --> 00:08:46,076
Speaker 2: whatever missteps or things that may have happened, they they're

129
00:08:46,156 --> 00:08:49,476
Speaker 2: responsible for where I am today.

130
00:08:49,716 --> 00:08:52,276
Speaker 1: When I when I'm thinking about the fact that for

131
00:08:52,476 --> 00:08:55,236
Speaker 1: so many years you you you both view energy and

132
00:08:55,276 --> 00:08:59,436
Speaker 1: really had dealt with aces, indulgences and Peter's indulgences and

133
00:08:59,756 --> 00:09:02,076
Speaker 1: you know, I mean, thankfully there's they're still with us.

134
00:09:02,116 --> 00:09:05,236
Speaker 1: But I mean, I could I can understand how you

135
00:09:05,716 --> 00:09:09,316
Speaker 1: might feel like you guys were insulated from that kind

136
00:09:09,356 --> 00:09:10,636
Speaker 1: of you know, there were a lot of tragedies in

137
00:09:10,676 --> 00:09:14,436
Speaker 1: other bands. You guys really managed to avoid that for

138
00:09:14,476 --> 00:09:16,996
Speaker 1: so long. And I guess until Eric and it, I

139
00:09:16,996 --> 00:09:19,876
Speaker 1: guess this unusual thing. You know, it's a.

140
00:09:19,876 --> 00:09:26,036
Speaker 2: Very different level when you're dealing with facing somebody's mortality. Yeah,

141
00:09:26,236 --> 00:09:32,756
Speaker 2: when you're facing a diagnosis and a prognosis, and somehow

142
00:09:33,116 --> 00:09:37,156
Speaker 2: maybe your defensive mechanism is to, oh, well, you know,

143
00:09:38,076 --> 00:09:42,076
Speaker 2: it'll be the odds or he'll always be like this.

144
00:09:43,036 --> 00:09:43,236
Speaker 1: You know.

145
00:09:44,716 --> 00:09:48,156
Speaker 2: But that was the only thing that I really can

146
00:09:48,436 --> 00:09:55,676
Speaker 2: think of. I wish, I wish I knew better how

147
00:09:55,756 --> 00:10:00,036
Speaker 2: that was going to end and really understood it that,

148
00:10:00,516 --> 00:10:04,756
Speaker 2: you know, the finality of death. That's uh, we don't

149
00:10:04,996 --> 00:10:07,956
Speaker 2: get to deal with that that often at that age.

150
00:10:09,236 --> 00:10:12,236
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, And like I said, you guys were real

151
00:10:12,316 --> 00:10:14,556
Speaker 1: fortunate for a rock and roll group. You guys really

152
00:10:14,596 --> 00:10:19,156
Speaker 1: managed to avoid a lot of the usual pitfalls more

153
00:10:19,236 --> 00:10:20,836
Speaker 1: or less, you know, you guys.

154
00:10:20,836 --> 00:10:24,116
Speaker 2: I really I think that part of what has gotten

155
00:10:24,196 --> 00:10:27,676
Speaker 2: us to where we are at this point. I mean, Gina,

156
00:10:27,716 --> 00:10:35,436
Speaker 2: I've been together fifty six years. Is the idea that

157
00:10:36,116 --> 00:10:39,756
Speaker 2: we can we can, we can succeed, we can make

158
00:10:39,836 --> 00:10:43,356
Speaker 2: things okay. I think that's really what it is. It's

159
00:10:43,396 --> 00:10:48,436
Speaker 2: more more than we'll make it okay, we'll fix it.

160
00:10:49,956 --> 00:10:52,356
Speaker 2: You know, at some point in life you start to

161
00:10:52,396 --> 00:10:57,076
Speaker 2: realize you can't fix everything. It's kind of humbling. You know,

162
00:10:58,236 --> 00:11:03,316
Speaker 2: the only person you can fix is you. So I

163
00:11:03,316 --> 00:11:07,956
Speaker 2: think there's there's a sense of being more powerful than.

164
00:11:07,876 --> 00:11:13,476
Speaker 1: Your Yeah, did that feeling of you and Jeans sort

165
00:11:13,476 --> 00:11:16,356
Speaker 1: of being able to weather anything? Was there a defining

166
00:11:16,436 --> 00:11:19,196
Speaker 1: moment of that where you realize, oh, when we got

167
00:11:19,196 --> 00:11:21,276
Speaker 1: past this now it feels like or did it just

168
00:11:21,316 --> 00:11:24,356
Speaker 1: sort of at some point occur like yeah, of course.

169
00:11:25,556 --> 00:11:30,956
Speaker 2: I think that maybe maybe it's because we're both survivors.

170
00:11:31,796 --> 00:11:36,636
Speaker 2: Innately it it's born into us. You know, our parents

171
00:11:36,716 --> 00:11:43,836
Speaker 2: were impacted by the Holocaust. Jean's mom was in a

172
00:11:43,876 --> 00:11:48,596
Speaker 2: concentration camp. My mom had to flee on hours notice

173
00:11:49,436 --> 00:11:52,636
Speaker 2: as a child with her family and get on a

174
00:11:52,676 --> 00:11:55,796
Speaker 2: train and leave everything behind and go to Amsterdam and

175
00:11:55,836 --> 00:11:59,876
Speaker 2: then flee there. So I think that they're there. I

176
00:11:59,916 --> 00:12:06,476
Speaker 2: don't know that it's the children of Holocaust survivors or

177
00:12:07,236 --> 00:12:12,836
Speaker 2: I do think that that into it, that there's a

178
00:12:12,956 --> 00:12:18,996
Speaker 2: sense of survival, a sense of not being victimized. You're

179
00:12:19,036 --> 00:12:25,636
Speaker 2: the master of your own destiny, and when that is challenged,

180
00:12:26,116 --> 00:12:29,796
Speaker 2: that usually gets my back up that further. If somebody

181
00:12:29,796 --> 00:12:31,796
Speaker 2: tells me something's impossible, then I have.

182
00:12:31,836 --> 00:12:32,276
Speaker 1: To do it.

183
00:12:32,916 --> 00:12:36,756
Speaker 2: That's you know, that's not always a good quality. But

184
00:12:38,156 --> 00:12:42,116
Speaker 2: I like to think that both Jane and I want

185
00:12:42,196 --> 00:12:44,876
Speaker 2: to make our own decisions and live our own lives,

186
00:12:45,476 --> 00:12:50,436
Speaker 2: and kiss has always been the same. Nobody decides for

187
00:12:50,596 --> 00:12:54,436
Speaker 2: us who we are or what we are, and that's

188
00:12:54,556 --> 00:12:58,156
Speaker 2: probably what's kept us around as long is we will

189
00:12:58,396 --> 00:13:02,836
Speaker 2: stand by our victories and we'll brush ourselves off when

190
00:13:02,876 --> 00:13:06,196
Speaker 2: we fall. And you know, there are times we fallen

191
00:13:07,036 --> 00:13:11,356
Speaker 2: and we're not prone, either one of us, to stay

192
00:13:11,396 --> 00:13:11,716
Speaker 2: it down.

193
00:13:12,876 --> 00:13:19,236
Speaker 1: Yeah, your final full stage show is a year and

194
00:13:19,236 --> 00:13:23,276
Speaker 1: a half, like behind you guys now, although there's this

195
00:13:23,356 --> 00:13:27,316
Speaker 1: Vegas event coming up and we'll talk about that storm.

196
00:13:28,556 --> 00:13:31,956
Speaker 1: Does it feel weird to have the touring part of

197
00:13:32,036 --> 00:13:34,876
Speaker 1: your life wrapped up? To have that done after all

198
00:13:34,876 --> 00:13:36,116
Speaker 1: this time totally?

199
00:13:36,156 --> 00:13:40,516
Speaker 2: Of course you can fill I can fill that time.

200
00:13:41,036 --> 00:13:47,676
Speaker 2: But I can never replace what's lost. In a sense,

201
00:13:47,756 --> 00:13:51,916
Speaker 2: it's a death. You miss something, you can't get it back,

202
00:13:52,476 --> 00:13:58,316
Speaker 2: and you can fill that time, but there's absolutely a loss.

203
00:13:58,516 --> 00:14:02,636
Speaker 2: Nothing can take the place of twenty fifty one hundred,

204
00:14:02,636 --> 00:14:05,956
Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty thousand people in front of you,

205
00:14:06,036 --> 00:14:10,116
Speaker 2: and the energy and the love that they are giving,

206
00:14:10,636 --> 00:14:14,316
Speaker 2: and the appreciation of what I'm doing. I think, ask

207
00:14:14,396 --> 00:14:20,076
Speaker 2: Michael Jordan, ask any athlete. When you give up something

208
00:14:20,196 --> 00:14:24,636
Speaker 2: like that, there's no replacing it. You find things to

209
00:14:24,676 --> 00:14:30,996
Speaker 2: fill the time and fill the time. Well. But if

210
00:14:31,236 --> 00:14:36,596
Speaker 2: to say I don't miss it, I can miss it,

211
00:14:36,996 --> 00:14:44,036
Speaker 2: don't I don't. I don't live my life today thinking

212
00:14:44,076 --> 00:14:49,676
Speaker 2: about yesterday. It's pointless and it doesn't take advantage of today.

213
00:14:51,556 --> 00:14:54,756
Speaker 1: But is there any part of you that reflexively just

214
00:14:54,796 --> 00:14:57,036
Speaker 1: feels like a tour must be right on the other

215
00:14:57,076 --> 00:14:59,716
Speaker 1: side of next year? I mean, Becau's been doing. It's

216
00:14:59,756 --> 00:15:01,716
Speaker 1: just like periods at home and then it's just almost

217
00:15:01,956 --> 00:15:04,956
Speaker 1: at some point, must feel reflexive to just be like, oh,

218
00:15:04,956 --> 00:15:07,516
Speaker 1: I'm going to go somewhere soon to you know.

219
00:15:09,316 --> 00:15:12,116
Speaker 2: I say to people, Look, I've been home before for

220
00:15:12,196 --> 00:15:15,716
Speaker 2: stretches of time. The difference this time is I'm not

221
00:15:15,796 --> 00:15:21,116
Speaker 2: leaving well, so yeah, I can do other things, and

222
00:15:21,396 --> 00:15:25,076
Speaker 2: I can play, and I can do things with Gene

223
00:15:25,236 --> 00:15:28,956
Speaker 2: or There's lots of things for Kiss to be doing

224
00:15:29,516 --> 00:15:35,396
Speaker 2: and to move Kiss into the future. But the touring aspect,

225
00:15:35,436 --> 00:15:40,116
Speaker 2: which has been a major part of my life is gone.

226
00:15:40,436 --> 00:15:42,076
Speaker 1: Do you still play at home?

227
00:15:42,556 --> 00:15:47,396
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, nowhere near up to this point, nowhere near

228
00:15:47,476 --> 00:15:52,596
Speaker 2: what I once did. But I was touring. I was

229
00:15:52,636 --> 00:15:57,516
Speaker 2: playing five nights a week. There was a recording. So

230
00:15:58,636 --> 00:16:02,276
Speaker 2: I think that, without even planning to, I just took

231
00:16:02,316 --> 00:16:05,956
Speaker 2: a break. I just I just put down the guitar,

232
00:16:06,716 --> 00:16:10,996
Speaker 2: and thank fully, when I pick it up, sounds like

233
00:16:11,036 --> 00:16:15,756
Speaker 2: me playing, you know, muscle muscle memory. Although you know

234
00:16:15,796 --> 00:16:19,116
Speaker 2: I could, I could sharpen the blade a little bit

235
00:16:19,196 --> 00:16:24,036
Speaker 2: and I will. But yes, I still play, and music

236
00:16:24,076 --> 00:16:26,076
Speaker 2: is so much a part of my life, and music.

237
00:16:26,676 --> 00:16:30,876
Speaker 2: Music has been salvation for me, oxygen for me since

238
00:16:30,916 --> 00:16:34,396
Speaker 2: I was a kid, since I was five six years

239
00:16:34,396 --> 00:16:38,236
Speaker 2: old and I discovered music or was exposed to it.

240
00:16:38,236 --> 00:16:41,236
Speaker 2: It's always been my sanctuary.

241
00:16:42,076 --> 00:16:44,876
Speaker 1: What inspires you these days when you're around the house

242
00:16:44,916 --> 00:16:48,356
Speaker 1: to pick up the guitars or something you'll hear, or

243
00:16:48,476 --> 00:16:49,716
Speaker 1: feeling you'll get.

244
00:16:49,796 --> 00:16:57,036
Speaker 2: Or Oh, it's more curiosity. Gee, can I still do it?

245
00:16:57,036 --> 00:17:01,716
Speaker 2: It's different, It's really different because throughout my life there

246
00:17:01,836 --> 00:17:05,596
Speaker 2: was always a reason I was playing. I was playing

247
00:17:07,436 --> 00:17:11,276
Speaker 2: with different bands, or to get better, or to learn

248
00:17:11,756 --> 00:17:15,396
Speaker 2: certain things. And right now it could change tomorrow. But

249
00:17:15,556 --> 00:17:18,676
Speaker 2: right now, if I don't feel like it, I don't

250
00:17:19,116 --> 00:17:23,796
Speaker 2: do it. But I'm fully aware that I will. I'm

251
00:17:23,836 --> 00:17:27,596
Speaker 2: fully aware that like other things you take, you take breaks.

252
00:17:28,236 --> 00:17:31,556
Speaker 2: I think it's important in a lot of senses to

253
00:17:31,596 --> 00:17:33,356
Speaker 2: get away from things.

254
00:17:34,036 --> 00:17:40,716
Speaker 1: We'll be back with more from Paul Stanley. It's been

255
00:17:41,116 --> 00:17:42,556
Speaker 1: as I mean, it's been a un a has since

256
00:17:42,636 --> 00:17:45,636
Speaker 1: the last tour. It's been even much longer since the

257
00:17:45,716 --> 00:17:49,676
Speaker 1: last original album. In all that time, or even since

258
00:17:49,676 --> 00:17:52,556
Speaker 1: you've stopped touring, do melodies ever still come to you

259
00:17:52,676 --> 00:17:53,436
Speaker 1: or a riff?

260
00:17:53,636 --> 00:18:01,476
Speaker 2: Or yeah they do, And I don't feel the need

261
00:18:01,716 --> 00:18:07,476
Speaker 2: right now to do anything with it. Now you'll hear

262
00:18:07,476 --> 00:18:11,356
Speaker 2: from so many people in music business has changed enormously

263
00:18:12,116 --> 00:18:21,796
Speaker 2: and what we once sold, or other major bands acts

264
00:18:22,196 --> 00:18:26,476
Speaker 2: once sold, for the most part, that that doesn't exist anymore.

265
00:18:27,276 --> 00:18:30,396
Speaker 2: So you have to be creating for a different reason.

266
00:18:31,876 --> 00:18:34,876
Speaker 2: And I've known some people recently who put out some

267
00:18:35,316 --> 00:18:39,836
Speaker 2: fantastic music, and you know, after a week or so

268
00:18:41,276 --> 00:18:48,356
Speaker 2: it's off the charts because there just isn't that sustainability anymore.

269
00:18:48,436 --> 00:18:53,996
Speaker 2: So there definitely is is a sense of do I

270
00:18:54,036 --> 00:18:57,916
Speaker 2: really want to put that much work into something, and

271
00:18:58,196 --> 00:19:01,836
Speaker 2: even though I know what the outcome probably is going

272
00:19:01,876 --> 00:19:04,756
Speaker 2: to be, do I want to build up for that

273
00:19:04,876 --> 00:19:11,596
Speaker 2: kind of disappointment? And that's not I may say that

274
00:19:11,636 --> 00:19:14,916
Speaker 2: and be honest about it, but I've known a lot

275
00:19:14,956 --> 00:19:17,796
Speaker 2: of people who who feel that. And you know the

276
00:19:17,876 --> 00:19:20,356
Speaker 2: other people who go, oh, you know, I just I

277
00:19:20,436 --> 00:19:25,796
Speaker 2: create for me and this and that. That's true to

278
00:19:25,836 --> 00:19:33,596
Speaker 2: a point. But you you did it to become successful,

279
00:19:34,876 --> 00:19:37,636
Speaker 2: or you wouldn't never have played it for anybody. You

280
00:19:37,636 --> 00:19:44,556
Speaker 2: wouldn't have left your room. So by design, you wanted acceptance,

281
00:19:44,636 --> 00:19:49,036
Speaker 2: you wanted a mass appeal, whatever it was. Otherwise, if

282
00:19:49,076 --> 00:19:51,996
Speaker 2: you really did it for yourself, you keep it to yourself.

283
00:19:52,996 --> 00:19:55,596
Speaker 2: But once you start putting it out there, you know,

284
00:19:55,636 --> 00:19:59,796
Speaker 2: if things don't go the way they once did, or

285
00:19:59,836 --> 00:20:06,076
Speaker 2: you anticipate, I see a point where people just go,

286
00:20:06,516 --> 00:20:10,836
Speaker 2: I'll tour, you know, and there are other you know,

287
00:20:10,956 --> 00:20:13,556
Speaker 2: acts and people who have done that. Look, you know,

288
00:20:16,556 --> 00:20:19,796
Speaker 2: when it comes down to it. If I wrote let

289
00:20:19,836 --> 00:20:25,156
Speaker 2: It Be Tomorrow and we put it out as kiss,

290
00:20:25,196 --> 00:20:29,076
Speaker 2: people will say that's great play love Gun. It's just

291
00:20:29,316 --> 00:20:33,516
Speaker 2: it's it's just the nature of things. You go to

292
00:20:33,556 --> 00:20:36,756
Speaker 2: see the Stones, you tolerate whatever they want to play

293
00:20:37,076 --> 00:20:41,956
Speaker 2: until you hear Brown Sugar or Honky Tom Woman. So

294
00:20:43,076 --> 00:20:46,356
Speaker 2: if McCartney does a show, if I see it on TV,

295
00:20:46,796 --> 00:20:49,676
Speaker 2: if I turn off the volume, I'll let you know

296
00:20:49,916 --> 00:20:52,276
Speaker 2: every time he's playing a new song because the audience

297
00:20:52,276 --> 00:20:57,316
Speaker 2: sits down. So you know, if you want to keep writing,

298
00:20:57,836 --> 00:21:01,596
Speaker 2: you know, God bless you. I am at a point

299
00:21:01,636 --> 00:21:03,796
Speaker 2: now where I'm not sure.

300
00:21:05,676 --> 00:21:07,716
Speaker 1: You know. I mean, this is one thing I'll say,

301
00:21:07,716 --> 00:21:09,876
Speaker 1: this one thing I'll I I mean, there's many things

302
00:21:09,876 --> 00:21:11,196
Speaker 1: to like about Case, but one of the things I

303
00:21:11,236 --> 00:21:14,116
Speaker 1: especially love about you and Gene is you guys have

304
00:21:14,276 --> 00:21:17,716
Speaker 1: never never shied away from the fact that you wanted

305
00:21:18,036 --> 00:21:21,436
Speaker 1: to be successful. There's no pretense around it. And to

306
00:21:21,436 --> 00:21:22,636
Speaker 1: the point that I mean, and I guess, let me

307
00:21:22,636 --> 00:21:25,596
Speaker 1: ask you this, even you know it's amazing, But the

308
00:21:25,676 --> 00:21:31,276
Speaker 1: self titled album Hotter than Hell addressed to Kill Like

309
00:21:31,516 --> 00:21:34,836
Speaker 1: You're to this day, still remain disappointed in those albums,

310
00:21:34,876 --> 00:21:37,116
Speaker 1: even as incredible as they are and beloved as.

311
00:21:37,036 --> 00:21:42,596
Speaker 2: They are well because they don't sound the way I

312
00:21:42,796 --> 00:21:45,836
Speaker 2: envisioned or hoped, and they don't sound the way we

313
00:21:45,916 --> 00:21:51,676
Speaker 2: sounded live, and we didn't have the know how or

314
00:21:51,756 --> 00:21:56,356
Speaker 2: wherewithal at that point to make albums that reflected what

315
00:21:56,436 --> 00:22:02,356
Speaker 2: we sounded like. That's why it took Kiss Alive to

316
00:22:02,396 --> 00:22:06,276
Speaker 2: break through, because people loved us and came to see us,

317
00:22:06,676 --> 00:22:11,276
Speaker 2: but the albums didn't really reflect what they had experienced.

318
00:22:11,716 --> 00:22:15,596
Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean, I would like to think that.

319
00:22:16,836 --> 00:22:19,596
Speaker 2: I would like to think you don't love everything you do,

320
00:22:20,556 --> 00:22:26,356
Speaker 2: because that doesn't leave any room. You know, if everything

321
00:22:26,436 --> 00:22:31,996
Speaker 2: is great, how great is great? I mean it's you know,

322
00:22:32,836 --> 00:22:35,236
Speaker 2: it's got to be degrees of stuff. And out of

323
00:22:35,236 --> 00:22:39,756
Speaker 2: all the albums we've done, we always gave it our best,

324
00:22:39,836 --> 00:22:42,036
Speaker 2: and some of them might listen to and go, or

325
00:22:42,036 --> 00:22:44,716
Speaker 2: I don't listen to and I go. You know, at

326
00:22:44,716 --> 00:22:47,356
Speaker 2: that time there was this going on or that going on,

327
00:22:48,316 --> 00:22:50,556
Speaker 2: and then there are other albums I think are really good,

328
00:22:50,876 --> 00:22:53,116
Speaker 2: and then there's some albums I think are great. So

329
00:22:54,876 --> 00:22:57,796
Speaker 2: I would hate to think everything that we do or

330
00:22:57,836 --> 00:23:00,596
Speaker 2: I do is fantastic because it's not.

331
00:23:01,676 --> 00:23:04,396
Speaker 1: If I had to ask you to rank your top

332
00:23:04,716 --> 00:23:09,116
Speaker 1: five Kiss albums? What would you? What would you?

333
00:23:09,276 --> 00:23:12,916
Speaker 2: For different reasons. The first has to be kiss Alive

334
00:23:14,396 --> 00:23:23,076
Speaker 2: because Kiss Alive really captured the essence of the live experience. Now,

335
00:23:23,756 --> 00:23:27,716
Speaker 2: that couldn't have happened without us going in the studio

336
00:23:28,116 --> 00:23:33,796
Speaker 2: and enhancing it and surrounding you with people. Live albums

337
00:23:33,796 --> 00:23:37,476
Speaker 2: were boring for four hours. You didn't even know they

338
00:23:37,476 --> 00:23:39,116
Speaker 2: were live until the end of the song where you

339
00:23:39,156 --> 00:23:44,636
Speaker 2: heard some clapping. But for Kiss, we wanted an album

340
00:23:45,196 --> 00:23:52,476
Speaker 2: that immersed you. Immersion in the experience, which means being

341
00:23:52,516 --> 00:23:57,116
Speaker 2: surrounded by people, which means bombs going off that are deafening,

342
00:23:58,596 --> 00:24:03,916
Speaker 2: which means fixing any mistakes or a broken string. People

343
00:24:04,076 --> 00:24:07,796
Speaker 2: may have snobs or purists may have looked down their

344
00:24:07,876 --> 00:24:13,036
Speaker 2: nose at that idea, but the truth is that album

345
00:24:13,196 --> 00:24:18,916
Speaker 2: still considers if not the greatest, one of the greatest,

346
00:24:18,956 --> 00:24:21,836
Speaker 2: and then a lot of circles. Gray's live album ever,

347
00:24:22,756 --> 00:24:26,516
Speaker 2: not because everything was live, but because it captured the

348
00:24:26,556 --> 00:24:34,276
Speaker 2: live experience. So Kiss Alive destroyer, even though it didn't

349
00:24:34,396 --> 00:24:40,556
Speaker 2: sound much like its predecessors. But working with Bob Ezrin

350
00:24:41,636 --> 00:24:50,116
Speaker 2: was such a education, such a schooling discipline, and upping

351
00:24:50,196 --> 00:24:56,116
Speaker 2: the writing and putting aside, at least temporarily, all the

352
00:24:56,236 --> 00:25:00,436
Speaker 2: songs about you know, sleeping with this one or this group,

353
00:25:00,476 --> 00:25:01,916
Speaker 2: your parties.

354
00:25:01,956 --> 00:25:02,636
Speaker 1: And it.

355
00:25:04,196 --> 00:25:08,956
Speaker 2: Raised the bar so destroyer. So many of those songs

356
00:25:09,196 --> 00:25:13,996
Speaker 2: end up in our show up until the very end

357
00:25:14,436 --> 00:25:19,796
Speaker 2: Detroit Rock City, God of thunder Beth shouted out loud,

358
00:25:20,236 --> 00:25:31,436
Speaker 2: so destroyer, I would say Sonic Boom. Sonic Boom was

359
00:25:32,556 --> 00:25:38,036
Speaker 2: a great album by a band that recognized its roots

360
00:25:39,036 --> 00:25:43,556
Speaker 2: and recognized where it came from and picked up the

361
00:25:43,596 --> 00:25:47,436
Speaker 2: slack and kept moving forward. I love that album, and

362
00:25:47,516 --> 00:25:51,276
Speaker 2: I loved the spirit that went into it, where everybody

363
00:25:51,396 --> 00:25:55,716
Speaker 2: knew what they wanted to do and at our best

364
00:25:55,916 --> 00:25:59,756
Speaker 2: and most people's best I think comes from trying to

365
00:25:59,836 --> 00:26:04,876
Speaker 2: make the team or the band or whatever you're involved

366
00:26:04,916 --> 00:26:09,316
Speaker 2: in better, and that will make you look better than

367
00:26:09,356 --> 00:26:13,196
Speaker 2: just trying to make you look better. And the team

368
00:26:13,356 --> 00:26:22,076
Speaker 2: spirit on Sonic Boom was really really palpable and great album.

369
00:26:22,316 --> 00:26:27,356
Speaker 2: Great album. And again, if modern day Delilah had been

370
00:26:27,396 --> 00:26:32,036
Speaker 2: on Rock and Roll Over, it would be a classic.

371
00:26:32,716 --> 00:26:41,836
Speaker 2: But songs take decades to gain that kind of patina

372
00:26:42,276 --> 00:26:46,756
Speaker 2: or to have that life connection of when you heard

373
00:26:46,796 --> 00:26:49,836
Speaker 2: that song at a certain time in your life. So

374
00:26:50,796 --> 00:26:55,236
Speaker 2: as time went on, songs could be great, but they

375
00:26:55,516 --> 00:27:01,516
Speaker 2: didn't have that the luster of being tied to the past.

376
00:27:01,996 --> 00:27:08,676
Speaker 2: So whether it was modern day Delilah or Hell or Hallelujah.

377
00:27:06,996 --> 00:27:09,076
Speaker 1: Is as good as any you know, both of those,

378
00:27:09,556 --> 00:27:12,636
Speaker 1: as good as any leadoff Kiss songs on any you

379
00:27:12,636 --> 00:27:13,516
Speaker 1: know come on.

380
00:27:13,596 --> 00:27:16,076
Speaker 2: Totally ridiculous, and I just found myself going, you know,

381
00:27:17,516 --> 00:27:21,476
Speaker 2: that's as good as it gets. And it's a different

382
00:27:21,556 --> 00:27:28,356
Speaker 2: time now and people don't connect to songs as time

383
00:27:28,396 --> 00:27:33,196
Speaker 2: pieces or a sonic photograph of a certain period. So

384
00:27:33,556 --> 00:27:37,996
Speaker 2: but long story short, so not really, but so Sonic

385
00:27:38,036 --> 00:27:43,196
Speaker 2: Boom would be in that top three, top three, and

386
00:27:43,236 --> 00:27:48,036
Speaker 2: other than that, I would say I like rock and

387
00:27:48,116 --> 00:27:53,836
Speaker 2: roll Over. I like that album. Again, it doesn't sound

388
00:27:54,396 --> 00:27:58,516
Speaker 2: anywhere near what we sounded like. And that's after Kiss Alive.

389
00:27:59,396 --> 00:28:02,996
Speaker 2: It was very elusive for us, perhaps because of some

390
00:28:03,036 --> 00:28:06,796
Speaker 2: of the people we were working with. It just escaped

391
00:28:07,276 --> 00:28:12,396
Speaker 2: escaped us. We did some thing with real focus and

392
00:28:13,436 --> 00:28:17,876
Speaker 2: clarity of what we were doing. So that's really good.

393
00:28:18,196 --> 00:28:22,956
Speaker 2: I love Kiss Unplugged, you know that album. I just

394
00:28:23,076 --> 00:28:26,196
Speaker 2: listened to some of that couple of days ago. You know,

395
00:28:26,236 --> 00:28:32,956
Speaker 2: the band at that point was just on fire, no effects,

396
00:28:33,556 --> 00:28:39,556
Speaker 2: no amplifiers, no running around us with guitars and drums

397
00:28:40,036 --> 00:28:43,236
Speaker 2: and singing our asses off. And also it gave a

398
00:28:43,356 --> 00:28:48,956
Speaker 2: chance to showcase the songs because you know, I've always

399
00:28:49,036 --> 00:28:52,916
Speaker 2: adhered to the idea that a good song can be

400
00:28:52,956 --> 00:28:57,396
Speaker 2: played on one guitar if you have to go, well,

401
00:28:57,436 --> 00:29:00,836
Speaker 2: wait till you hear the sound effects on this song. Now,

402
00:29:01,236 --> 00:29:06,516
Speaker 2: a great song can be stripped away and it's fantastic.

403
00:29:06,636 --> 00:29:12,676
Speaker 2: So to hear sure, no some then or I still

404
00:29:12,716 --> 00:29:16,116
Speaker 2: love you. You hear those songs and there's a wow

405
00:29:16,276 --> 00:29:22,516
Speaker 2: factor just because it's that good. So Kiss unplugged I

406
00:29:22,796 --> 00:29:24,836
Speaker 2: would put in there. I think that's cool.

407
00:29:24,956 --> 00:29:28,196
Speaker 1: That's that's it. No, that's six there, well hold on

408
00:29:28,276 --> 00:29:33,196
Speaker 1: well a live Destroyer, Sonic Boom, Rock and roll over,

409
00:29:34,156 --> 00:29:34,756
Speaker 1: Revenge and.

410
00:29:34,836 --> 00:29:36,156
Speaker 2: Unplugged, Oh my gosh.

411
00:29:36,236 --> 00:29:39,796
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, it's unplugged and replace Revenge. You don't have

412
00:29:39,796 --> 00:29:41,916
Speaker 1: to you can have six you're Paul Stanley.

413
00:29:42,156 --> 00:29:47,076
Speaker 2: Yeah, I would replace Revenge with unplugged. I just I

414
00:29:47,196 --> 00:29:54,636
Speaker 2: love the simplicity and the fact that it's undeniable. It's

415
00:29:54,756 --> 00:29:58,196
Speaker 2: just four guys with their instruments.

416
00:29:58,836 --> 00:30:01,956
Speaker 1: It's cool too, it I mean, and it's really it's one.

417
00:30:02,076 --> 00:30:04,556
Speaker 1: I mean revenge could be that two and and and

418
00:30:04,556 --> 00:30:08,476
Speaker 1: and but you know, you guys, it's it's it's it's

419
00:30:08,556 --> 00:30:11,756
Speaker 1: part of you eyes being able to have these really

420
00:30:11,916 --> 00:30:15,196
Speaker 1: unique moments in any decade and all, you know, in

421
00:30:15,196 --> 00:30:17,956
Speaker 1: every decade since you start of have these moments where

422
00:30:18,396 --> 00:30:21,316
Speaker 1: you guys still show you know, well early on in matter,

423
00:30:21,316 --> 00:30:24,396
Speaker 1: but you guys should work. We're still kissing. We're kissing,

424
00:30:24,516 --> 00:30:28,796
Speaker 1: you know, like it, And it's that's a There are

425
00:30:28,876 --> 00:30:30,996
Speaker 1: some but there's not a lot of groups that are

426
00:30:30,996 --> 00:30:33,356
Speaker 1: able to every decade have some sort of touchstone where

427
00:30:33,356 --> 00:30:34,996
Speaker 1: you can say, like that's yeah.

428
00:30:35,116 --> 00:30:39,636
Speaker 2: And and for some people that's a flaw and to

429
00:30:39,756 --> 00:30:43,916
Speaker 2: me not at all. I mean, I think that whether

430
00:30:43,956 --> 00:30:49,076
Speaker 2: it's art or music, rock and roll, whatever, it's about exploring.

431
00:30:50,556 --> 00:30:54,756
Speaker 2: The band that did rock and roll all night also

432
00:30:54,916 --> 00:30:59,676
Speaker 2: did Beth I was made for love in you. You know,

433
00:31:00,036 --> 00:31:07,036
Speaker 2: it's it's all over the place, and and I like that.

434
00:31:07,036 --> 00:31:12,236
Speaker 2: That's some people would want us to just be one thing,

435
00:31:13,476 --> 00:31:15,316
Speaker 2: but I don't want to be and we've never been

436
00:31:15,396 --> 00:31:22,076
Speaker 2: one thing because we have so many influences. And that

437
00:31:22,196 --> 00:31:24,996
Speaker 2: was one of the things that I loved about concerts

438
00:31:25,036 --> 00:31:28,316
Speaker 2: when I was in my teens is that it was

439
00:31:28,356 --> 00:31:32,716
Speaker 2: like getting a three course meal. You'd go to see

440
00:31:33,196 --> 00:31:37,796
Speaker 2: a show and there would be three bands who were

441
00:31:37,876 --> 00:31:44,556
Speaker 2: completely unlike each other, and that that's healthy when you

442
00:31:44,676 --> 00:31:47,396
Speaker 2: have an opening act that just sounds like the headliner

443
00:31:47,836 --> 00:31:52,636
Speaker 2: but isn't as popular or whatever. You know, I saw,

444
00:31:53,676 --> 00:31:57,236
Speaker 2: I saw so many bills where it was bands that

445
00:31:57,316 --> 00:32:00,436
Speaker 2: were so divergent in what they were doing, and that

446
00:32:00,596 --> 00:32:04,716
Speaker 2: was what made it so interesting. So I guess that's

447
00:32:04,756 --> 00:32:06,636
Speaker 2: what I've always followed.

448
00:32:07,956 --> 00:32:10,076
Speaker 1: We'll be back with more from Policy Stanley after the

449
00:32:10,156 --> 00:32:16,836
Speaker 1: break that era when you're growing up going to concerts too,

450
00:32:16,876 --> 00:32:20,436
Speaker 1: that's really it's it's that that that that tiny little

451
00:32:20,436 --> 00:32:23,516
Speaker 1: era and really only New York and San Francisco where

452
00:32:23,556 --> 00:32:25,316
Speaker 1: that was happening, where it would be like, you know,

453
00:32:26,236 --> 00:32:30,836
Speaker 1: Robbie Shankar and then you know Moby Grape and then

454
00:32:31,236 --> 00:32:34,116
Speaker 1: Otis Redding, you know, and it's like, no, like what.

455
00:32:34,156 --> 00:32:40,476
Speaker 2: I mean, most people won't even relate to this, but

456
00:32:40,556 --> 00:32:43,596
Speaker 2: I saw. I mean, I saw a sliine of Family

457
00:32:43,636 --> 00:32:47,316
Speaker 2: Stone open for Hendrix when their first album came out.

458
00:32:47,356 --> 00:32:53,556
Speaker 2: But you know, seeing things like Traffic, Iron, Butterfly and

459
00:32:53,596 --> 00:32:58,316
Speaker 2: Blue Cheer or Woody Hermann's Orchestra with led Zeppelin.

460
00:32:58,836 --> 00:32:59,436
Speaker 1: Did you see that?

461
00:33:00,276 --> 00:33:03,636
Speaker 2: Yeah? I missed that one, but I saw you know,

462
00:33:05,716 --> 00:33:10,556
Speaker 2: Buddy Guy in sixty nine opening for the Who Wow,

463
00:33:10,596 --> 00:33:15,636
Speaker 2: you know I saw Otis Redding. I mean, you know

464
00:33:16,036 --> 00:33:18,716
Speaker 2: Lauren Nero. I mean there was so much great music

465
00:33:18,756 --> 00:33:24,236
Speaker 2: and the beauty of it was like getting a great

466
00:33:24,276 --> 00:33:29,636
Speaker 2: dinner where there's you know, I mean, do you want

467
00:33:29,676 --> 00:33:32,716
Speaker 2: to eat three hamburgers? I don't you know? Do you

468
00:33:32,836 --> 00:33:37,076
Speaker 2: want three chicken dishes? I mean the whole idea was

469
00:33:38,756 --> 00:33:44,636
Speaker 2: your palette. Your ear was experiencing different different things. So yeah,

470
00:33:44,716 --> 00:33:48,076
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, Maha Vishno Orchestra, you know, with

471
00:33:48,196 --> 00:33:53,676
Speaker 2: Robbie Shankar and you know, pick a bombastic band, you know.

472
00:33:54,516 --> 00:33:57,716
Speaker 2: But that's what made it so great. You you didn't

473
00:33:57,756 --> 00:34:00,556
Speaker 2: just show up for the headliner. You wanted to hear

474
00:34:00,636 --> 00:34:04,396
Speaker 2: all these bands might learn something, you might learn you

475
00:34:04,556 --> 00:34:07,316
Speaker 2: liked something you didn't even know that you liked.

476
00:34:08,036 --> 00:34:15,356
Speaker 1: Yeah, we were talking about modern day Delilah and Hella Hallelujah.

477
00:34:15,476 --> 00:34:19,596
Speaker 1: When did when did a Kiss album opening up with

478
00:34:19,596 --> 00:34:23,876
Speaker 1: with a Paul Stanley song? When did was that ever decided?

479
00:34:23,996 --> 00:34:26,796
Speaker 1: Or did it just happen? Did it just occur that way?

480
00:34:26,796 --> 00:34:30,116
Speaker 1: Because every Kiss album kicks off with like an incredible

481
00:34:30,516 --> 00:34:34,516
Speaker 1: Paul Stanley song from Strutter to modern Day Delilah.

482
00:34:34,716 --> 00:34:40,556
Speaker 2: I think I've always looked at that the first song

483
00:34:40,596 --> 00:34:45,996
Speaker 2: on an album should kind of encapsulate what the album is.

484
00:34:46,676 --> 00:34:49,196
Speaker 2: It should it should give you a sense of what

485
00:34:49,236 --> 00:34:53,156
Speaker 2: you're going to get, as opposed to just a random

486
00:34:53,796 --> 00:34:59,036
Speaker 2: up tempo song or whatever. So I very often I

487
00:34:59,116 --> 00:35:01,396
Speaker 2: wrote with the idea that this is the first song

488
00:35:01,436 --> 00:35:05,196
Speaker 2: on the album. You know, it's like a great preview,

489
00:35:05,236 --> 00:35:06,796
Speaker 2: a great trailer to a movie.

490
00:35:07,076 --> 00:35:11,556
Speaker 1: Yeah. Was there ever a competition within the band or

491
00:35:11,556 --> 00:35:14,436
Speaker 1: with gene to I don't know, I want this this

492
00:35:14,476 --> 00:35:17,316
Speaker 1: should actually go, you know.

493
00:35:17,276 --> 00:35:27,876
Speaker 2: I think Gina, although we've had very brotherly ego competitions,

494
00:35:28,596 --> 00:35:32,596
Speaker 2: I think Jane's been very pragmatic and in that case

495
00:35:32,676 --> 00:35:37,956
Speaker 2: and and as always uh seen you know, I mean

496
00:35:38,116 --> 00:35:41,676
Speaker 2: Psycho circus again, it was like, Okay, what's this album

497
00:35:41,796 --> 00:35:46,156
Speaker 2: going to be? And you know, welcome to the show.

498
00:35:46,476 --> 00:35:49,516
Speaker 2: That's you know, the whole vibe of it, and and

499
00:35:51,036 --> 00:35:55,036
Speaker 2: you know you're in the psycho circus. So yeah, for me,

500
00:35:55,116 --> 00:36:00,476
Speaker 2: it's it's always been a conscious effort to write the

501
00:36:00,556 --> 00:36:04,636
Speaker 2: opening track and also a big difference between Gene and

502
00:36:04,676 --> 00:36:10,516
Speaker 2: I always had Gina and me. It's proper grammar. Big

503
00:36:10,556 --> 00:36:14,276
Speaker 2: difference between Gene and me has always been that Gene

504
00:36:14,356 --> 00:36:19,636
Speaker 2: will write songs that are really good and other songs

505
00:36:19,676 --> 00:36:23,676
Speaker 2: that are not so good. He just writes and I

506
00:36:23,996 --> 00:36:28,116
Speaker 2: self edit. If a song, a song takes work, it

507
00:36:28,156 --> 00:36:34,076
Speaker 2: takes effort, and if it's not going great or if

508
00:36:34,076 --> 00:36:37,156
Speaker 2: I don't think it's great or serving the purpose, I

509
00:36:37,236 --> 00:36:41,396
Speaker 2: throw it away. I move on. So on most albums,

510
00:36:41,596 --> 00:36:45,636
Speaker 2: I've written five or six songs. I didn't write ten songs.

511
00:36:45,956 --> 00:36:49,756
Speaker 2: I certainly didn't write twenty songs. I write and go, okay,

512
00:36:50,236 --> 00:36:54,796
Speaker 2: this is my contribution to the identity of the album.

513
00:36:55,436 --> 00:36:58,236
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's amazing too, because you'd even edit like Gene

514
00:36:58,236 --> 00:37:01,156
Speaker 1: songs you think about like him bring in you Stanley

515
00:37:01,156 --> 00:37:03,516
Speaker 1: the Parrot, you know, and you'd be like, well, this

516
00:37:03,596 --> 00:37:05,356
Speaker 1: is a song, but it's got to go, you know.

517
00:37:05,636 --> 00:37:07,716
Speaker 1: And I'm sure Jane probably had moments of doing that

518
00:37:07,756 --> 00:37:08,076
Speaker 1: as well.

519
00:37:08,116 --> 00:37:13,276
Speaker 2: But yeah, yeah, we've had a great relationship. I think

520
00:37:13,316 --> 00:37:15,356
Speaker 2: at one point we really went off on our own

521
00:37:15,396 --> 00:37:18,476
Speaker 2: and wanted to do it ourselves. And I don't think

522
00:37:18,516 --> 00:37:22,276
Speaker 2: that that was necessarily beneficial, but certainly in the beginning,

523
00:37:24,036 --> 00:37:26,956
Speaker 2: there was a tremendous amount of collaboration. Even if our

524
00:37:27,076 --> 00:37:31,076
Speaker 2: names weren't side by side on a song, we always

525
00:37:31,116 --> 00:37:35,236
Speaker 2: were involved with each other's songs. And later on, once again,

526
00:37:35,716 --> 00:37:39,596
Speaker 2: even though our songs may not have had both our

527
00:37:39,676 --> 00:37:43,516
Speaker 2: names on them, almost all the songs we did later

528
00:37:44,996 --> 00:37:49,596
Speaker 2: again talking about Sonic Boom or Monster or any of

529
00:37:49,596 --> 00:37:52,596
Speaker 2: the later stuff was a collaboration.

530
00:37:54,796 --> 00:38:00,036
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is you guys are putting together something in

531
00:38:00,156 --> 00:38:05,716
Speaker 1: Vegas in November, and it's the commemoration really of the

532
00:38:06,676 --> 00:38:08,236
Speaker 1: fiftieth anniversary of the Kiss Army.

533
00:38:09,236 --> 00:38:11,996
Speaker 2: Right it off is something that honestly that Gina and

534
00:38:12,036 --> 00:38:17,276
Speaker 2: I kind of took a back seat in, and honestly

535
00:38:18,356 --> 00:38:22,676
Speaker 2: we reached a point not too far in the past

536
00:38:22,716 --> 00:38:25,236
Speaker 2: where we both said, you know what, this isn't the

537
00:38:25,236 --> 00:38:31,756
Speaker 2: way we want it, and it's going to go through

538
00:38:31,796 --> 00:38:35,956
Speaker 2: some major changes to be what we think it should be.

539
00:38:35,996 --> 00:38:39,836
Speaker 2: We spent twelve years nurturing a Kiss Cruise and what

540
00:38:39,916 --> 00:38:43,636
Speaker 2: that means and what goes into it and what you

541
00:38:44,836 --> 00:38:49,756
Speaker 2: get to participate in and the social aspects between fans

542
00:38:49,756 --> 00:38:56,836
Speaker 2: from thirty three countries. So this virtually will become a

543
00:38:56,916 --> 00:39:02,956
Speaker 2: Kiss Cruise in Vegas, doesn't need a ship. It will

544
00:39:03,316 --> 00:39:08,156
Speaker 2: have all the familiar touchstones that people love about a

545
00:39:08,236 --> 00:39:14,036
Speaker 2: kiss cruise, whether it's bands playing q and as, contests,

546
00:39:15,876 --> 00:39:22,476
Speaker 2: food available, good drinks, social aspects to it. So it

547
00:39:22,636 --> 00:39:25,956
Speaker 2: started in a way that we kind of took a

548
00:39:25,956 --> 00:39:30,036
Speaker 2: step back to see what some other people might do,

549
00:39:31,076 --> 00:39:36,636
Speaker 2: and then we recently found ourselves going, no, this, this,

550
00:39:36,636 --> 00:39:39,196
Speaker 2: this isn't what we want to do or the way

551
00:39:39,236 --> 00:39:43,116
Speaker 2: we want to do it. So there'll be some announcements

552
00:39:43,196 --> 00:39:47,636
Speaker 2: forthcoming and a lot of stuff where people are going

553
00:39:47,716 --> 00:39:53,356
Speaker 2: to be very happy as I am that, you know,

554
00:39:53,836 --> 00:39:58,796
Speaker 2: a kiss cruise there was there's no ships available, but

555
00:39:58,836 --> 00:40:03,556
Speaker 2: a kiss cruise can take place anyway, and to do

556
00:40:03,596 --> 00:40:07,116
Speaker 2: it in Vegas at the Virgin Hotel, it's going to

557
00:40:07,116 --> 00:40:10,636
Speaker 2: be everything that people want and have been hoping for.

558
00:40:11,716 --> 00:40:14,396
Speaker 1: A kiss event in Vegas sounds just as good to

559
00:40:14,436 --> 00:40:15,476
Speaker 1: me or better than a cruise.

560
00:40:15,516 --> 00:40:18,716
Speaker 2: I mean, it will be great, you know, and it

561
00:40:18,756 --> 00:40:23,676
Speaker 2: will be a great, you know, fantastic weekend of all

562
00:40:23,756 --> 00:40:27,396
Speaker 2: the things that we've loved and that people loved. So

563
00:40:28,036 --> 00:40:31,756
Speaker 2: whether you're kiss, Army, Navy, you know, cruise or whatever

564
00:40:31,796 --> 00:40:35,636
Speaker 2: you are, this is this is about to to uh

565
00:40:36,076 --> 00:40:40,276
Speaker 2: become much more I mean, we're really excited. So I

566
00:40:40,276 --> 00:40:42,916
Speaker 2: think people should just stay tuned.

567
00:40:43,796 --> 00:40:46,956
Speaker 1: Are you and are you and Gene gonna do any

568
00:40:47,276 --> 00:40:49,836
Speaker 1: perform at all? Is that we are?

569
00:40:49,836 --> 00:40:56,436
Speaker 2: Well, we're going to do a and no makeup set.

570
00:40:56,916 --> 00:41:03,436
Speaker 2: We'll play you know, fifteen songs whatever. And you know, Tommy,

571
00:41:04,436 --> 00:41:06,436
Speaker 2: you know, we're all we're all geared up to do it.

572
00:41:06,596 --> 00:41:07,236
Speaker 1: We are.

573
00:41:08,196 --> 00:41:09,596
Speaker 2: We really look.

574
00:41:09,236 --> 00:41:12,396
Speaker 1: Forward to it. And that'll be acoustic. Yeah that that.

575
00:41:12,396 --> 00:41:13,956
Speaker 2: Oh, that'll be an electric You're going to do a

576
00:41:13,956 --> 00:41:19,316
Speaker 2: full oh oh yeah, amazing, amazing. Yeah, So it's gonna

577
00:41:19,636 --> 00:41:22,236
Speaker 2: it's going to be great. And uh, the other bands

578
00:41:22,236 --> 00:41:24,316
Speaker 2: that are going to be announced, it's going to be

579
00:41:24,756 --> 00:41:29,476
Speaker 2: everything that everybody loves on the Kiss Cruises. I think

580
00:41:29,516 --> 00:41:34,636
Speaker 2: that was missing from what was being planned. And and

581
00:41:34,796 --> 00:41:38,076
Speaker 2: uh we needed to put our big, our big hands

582
00:41:38,116 --> 00:41:42,836
Speaker 2: into this and and and we needed to steer the ship.

583
00:41:43,516 --> 00:41:48,676
Speaker 1: Mhm. Speaking of of of steering the ship, I want

584
00:41:48,676 --> 00:41:52,316
Speaker 1: to circle back to you mentioned Bob Bob Ezrin, who

585
00:41:52,476 --> 00:41:55,836
Speaker 1: you know, you mentioned when you brought him up that

586
00:41:55,916 --> 00:41:59,356
Speaker 1: he really helped up the writing and you know, he

587
00:41:59,356 --> 00:42:01,836
Speaker 1: he did end up getting you know, like writing credits.

588
00:42:01,956 --> 00:42:04,716
Speaker 1: I was always curious what how how was Bob Ezmen

589
00:42:04,756 --> 00:42:07,596
Speaker 1: as a producer, helping craft songs in such a way

590
00:42:07,596 --> 00:42:11,716
Speaker 1: that he you know, I imagine his fingerprint must have

591
00:42:11,716 --> 00:42:13,716
Speaker 1: been pretty strong on on some of those you know,

592
00:42:14,556 --> 00:42:17,716
Speaker 1: well hed it again from arrangement or or totally was

593
00:42:17,756 --> 00:42:18,036
Speaker 1: he once.

594
00:42:19,156 --> 00:42:24,596
Speaker 2: Once we started working with him, the Alice Cooper songs

595
00:42:24,596 --> 00:42:27,556
Speaker 2: all sounded different to me because I went, ah, there's Bob.

596
00:42:29,076 --> 00:42:34,196
Speaker 2: He has a terrific point of view. And also, well,

597
00:42:34,316 --> 00:42:38,596
Speaker 2: we were kids. We we suddenly found ourselves selling millions

598
00:42:38,676 --> 00:42:41,916
Speaker 2: and millions of albums with a live album, and now

599
00:42:41,956 --> 00:42:44,516
Speaker 2: what do we do. We don't want to go back

600
00:42:44,556 --> 00:42:47,036
Speaker 2: to doing what we were doing earlier because it wasn't working.

601
00:42:47,676 --> 00:42:54,796
Speaker 2: So having Bob come in, you know, he he in

602
00:42:54,836 --> 00:42:57,316
Speaker 2: the nicest way. He talked down to us. You know,

603
00:42:57,996 --> 00:43:01,436
Speaker 2: he called us campers. All right, campers, you know, let's

604
00:43:01,516 --> 00:43:06,796
Speaker 2: let's uh, let's you know, reconvene. And for a while

605
00:43:06,796 --> 00:43:09,716
Speaker 2: he had a whistle around his neck. That's prey humbling

606
00:43:09,716 --> 00:43:12,196
Speaker 2: for a band that's selling all those albums. But he

607
00:43:12,396 --> 00:43:19,636
Speaker 2: was also teaching us discipline and raising the bar as writers.

608
00:43:20,356 --> 00:43:25,756
Speaker 2: It was all really really helpful to this day. So

609
00:43:25,956 --> 00:43:30,676
Speaker 2: much of what Bob brought to the band still goes

610
00:43:30,956 --> 00:43:31,516
Speaker 2: lives with me.

611
00:43:33,236 --> 00:43:36,916
Speaker 1: Have you have you? Have you? When's the last time

612
00:43:36,916 --> 00:43:39,476
Speaker 1: you went back, if ever and listened to music from

613
00:43:39,476 --> 00:43:40,236
Speaker 1: the Elder.

614
00:43:43,076 --> 00:43:50,116
Speaker 2: I'd rather not, you know, I think that was that

615
00:43:50,276 --> 00:43:55,596
Speaker 2: was the ship that hit the rocks, you know, it was.

616
00:43:58,556 --> 00:44:02,556
Speaker 2: It was just all wrong. The band was in a

617
00:44:02,876 --> 00:44:08,716
Speaker 2: very fractured place. Peter was no longer in the band.

618
00:44:09,436 --> 00:44:18,076
Speaker 2: Ace was regardless of why, and that's another discussion, but

619
00:44:18,996 --> 00:44:22,436
Speaker 2: I mean he was just inebriated all the time, and

620
00:44:23,156 --> 00:44:27,356
Speaker 2: you know, he didn't like what we were doing. But

621
00:44:27,556 --> 00:44:31,796
Speaker 2: guess what, when we did Destroyer or Love Gun, we

622
00:44:31,916 --> 00:44:34,916
Speaker 2: had to get solos out of him quickly enough before

623
00:44:34,956 --> 00:44:39,676
Speaker 2: he was incapacitated. So you know, we can say, well,

624
00:44:40,476 --> 00:44:44,156
Speaker 2: he didn't like the music, but look, all of us

625
00:44:44,196 --> 00:44:48,436
Speaker 2: were developing in whatever positive and negative ways we were,

626
00:44:48,996 --> 00:44:56,916
Speaker 2: so the Elder Ace wasn't around, we were lost. I

627
00:44:56,956 --> 00:45:04,436
Speaker 2: think it was a progression to a point where both

628
00:45:04,476 --> 00:45:07,356
Speaker 2: Gene and I forgot why we made music and why

629
00:45:07,396 --> 00:45:11,516
Speaker 2: we loved music. It wasn't for the approval of peers,

630
00:45:12,076 --> 00:45:15,436
Speaker 2: and it wasn't to try to get the approval of critics.

631
00:45:15,836 --> 00:45:18,956
Speaker 2: It was because we had a passion for the music

632
00:45:19,076 --> 00:45:25,076
Speaker 2: we made. And incrementally over a series of albums, it

633
00:45:25,276 --> 00:45:27,076
Speaker 2: led us to the Elder and.

634
00:45:28,676 --> 00:45:29,276
Speaker 1: It was.

635
00:45:31,516 --> 00:45:34,956
Speaker 2: It was delusional, and you know, we were just we

636
00:45:34,956 --> 00:45:38,676
Speaker 2: were lost and Bob was lost. We were all lost.

637
00:45:40,276 --> 00:45:44,036
Speaker 2: I could sit for an hour and talk about what

638
00:45:44,236 --> 00:45:48,516
Speaker 2: was wrong with it, but it's just it's contrived. And

639
00:45:50,316 --> 00:45:55,076
Speaker 2: you know, me singing that song the Odyssey sounds like

640
00:45:55,116 --> 00:45:58,316
Speaker 2: Alfalfa trying to sing the you know, I'm the Barber

641
00:45:58,356 --> 00:46:01,396
Speaker 2: of Seville and the and the little Rascals. You know,

642
00:46:01,476 --> 00:46:04,876
Speaker 2: it was just it was it was just not it

643
00:46:04,956 --> 00:46:08,756
Speaker 2: wasn't kiss, But honestly, who was kiss at that point,

644
00:46:09,196 --> 00:46:12,516
Speaker 2: I don't We didn't even know we we had. We

645
00:46:12,516 --> 00:46:16,596
Speaker 2: were clueless. I mean again, Eric was in the band,

646
00:46:16,676 --> 00:46:22,036
Speaker 2: Peter had left, Ace was a wall, I mean, and

647
00:46:22,716 --> 00:46:27,756
Speaker 2: you know, both Gene and I were living kind of

648
00:46:28,996 --> 00:46:35,196
Speaker 2: lives of affluence and and flatulence. I mean it was

649
00:46:35,316 --> 00:46:40,356
Speaker 2: just like, uh, it just it had all gone astray.

650
00:46:41,996 --> 00:46:44,756
Speaker 2: Once upon a time the music had teeth. Now we

651
00:46:44,756 --> 00:46:48,156
Speaker 2: were gumming it. It was just we were lost. So

652
00:46:48,956 --> 00:46:50,356
Speaker 2: would you say it was made in good faith?

653
00:46:50,396 --> 00:46:54,116
Speaker 1: Though? Like was was the intent to was a passion

654
00:46:54,756 --> 00:46:57,396
Speaker 1: at least in the sessions and in the.

655
00:46:57,996 --> 00:47:01,716
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. You know, we can all we can

656
00:47:01,756 --> 00:47:06,756
Speaker 2: all find ourselves diluting ourselves. We can all find ourselves

657
00:47:06,796 --> 00:47:10,796
Speaker 2: caught up in something that later on you go, like,

658
00:47:10,876 --> 00:47:12,796
Speaker 2: doctor Phil, what were you thinking?

659
00:47:13,476 --> 00:47:13,676
Speaker 1: You know?

660
00:47:15,636 --> 00:47:17,676
Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean we did it with the best

661
00:47:17,676 --> 00:47:21,756
Speaker 2: of intentions, but looking back on it, I think we

662
00:47:21,836 --> 00:47:26,916
Speaker 2: all just go, you know, what the hell were we thinking?

663
00:47:27,236 --> 00:47:34,156
Speaker 2: You know, I still remember, you know, both G and

664
00:47:34,156 --> 00:47:36,196
Speaker 2: I were the same. We would play it for people

665
00:47:36,796 --> 00:47:39,276
Speaker 2: and you can't talk. You know, we have to listen

666
00:47:39,316 --> 00:47:42,836
Speaker 2: to you have to listen to this. I remember the

667
00:47:42,876 --> 00:47:46,716
Speaker 2: record company, PolyGram I think at that time, came to

668
00:47:46,796 --> 00:47:49,756
Speaker 2: the studio and god knows what they were expecting. I'm

669
00:47:49,796 --> 00:47:53,356
Speaker 2: sure they were expecting a Kiss album and they sat

670
00:47:53,436 --> 00:47:57,476
Speaker 2: down and Bob gave them some you know, pep talk

671
00:47:57,916 --> 00:48:03,276
Speaker 2: about this amazing thing they were about to hear, and

672
00:48:03,316 --> 00:48:07,116
Speaker 2: when it was over, it was kind of like that

673
00:48:07,276 --> 00:48:12,796
Speaker 2: scene from the producer Springtime for Hitler. They're just sitting

674
00:48:12,836 --> 00:48:19,116
Speaker 2: there not saying anything. I mean, their their mouths were open,

675
00:48:19,356 --> 00:48:27,196
Speaker 2: and you know it was we were lost. I remember

676
00:48:27,276 --> 00:48:31,756
Speaker 2: being on eighth Street in the village and I'm walking

677
00:48:31,796 --> 00:48:34,796
Speaker 2: down the street and it was a poster up for

678
00:48:35,116 --> 00:48:37,916
Speaker 2: the Elder and it was my hand. That's my hand

679
00:48:37,956 --> 00:48:44,116
Speaker 2: on the cover. The poster was just the door with

680
00:48:44,116 --> 00:48:47,156
Speaker 2: my hand on it. And I had like a panic attack.

681
00:48:47,516 --> 00:48:51,036
Speaker 2: It was like, what have we done? So, you know,

682
00:48:52,316 --> 00:48:58,196
Speaker 2: you know, you sometimes you you just bet on the

683
00:48:58,196 --> 00:49:02,556
Speaker 2: wrong horse or just believe believe something that's turns out

684
00:49:02,556 --> 00:49:07,076
Speaker 2: to be not true. We did, we did the best

685
00:49:07,116 --> 00:49:11,276
Speaker 2: we could. Well, we were lost, and that's it we

686
00:49:11,276 --> 00:49:11,636
Speaker 2: could do.

687
00:49:12,156 --> 00:49:14,756
Speaker 1: And then again, there are a percentage of a fair

688
00:49:14,796 --> 00:49:17,556
Speaker 1: percentage of Kiss fans who like that album and and

689
00:49:17,716 --> 00:49:20,956
Speaker 1: and think it's an underrated album and the Kiss Quiver,

690
00:49:21,156 --> 00:49:23,196
Speaker 1: you know, and and so there's something for everyone.

691
00:49:23,476 --> 00:49:28,756
Speaker 2: Yeah, all fifty of those people. The album isn't more.

692
00:49:28,636 --> 00:49:32,996
Speaker 1: Than that you mentioned, you mentioned playing it for PolyGram

693
00:49:33,396 --> 00:49:38,796
Speaker 1: and earlier through through Casablanca, you guys were on Warner

694
00:49:39,036 --> 00:49:44,076
Speaker 1: or or you know, Casablanca was under Warner and and

695
00:49:44,196 --> 00:49:46,836
Speaker 1: you know Warner. The stories of Warner in the day

696
00:49:46,916 --> 00:49:52,436
Speaker 1: being this this sort of you know, bird Bank, California

697
00:49:52,556 --> 00:49:57,516
Speaker 1: hippie kind of vibe. Do you remember going to to

698
00:49:57,756 --> 00:49:59,636
Speaker 1: to Warner brother in the early day, Warner Brothers in

699
00:49:59,636 --> 00:50:01,836
Speaker 1: the early days, and how were you guys received by

700
00:50:01,876 --> 00:50:02,276
Speaker 1: that group?

701
00:50:04,036 --> 00:50:11,076
Speaker 2: Warner Brothers had quite a prestigious roster of artists. And

702
00:50:12,036 --> 00:50:16,396
Speaker 2: when we signed to Casta Blanca, to Neil Bogart's new label,

703
00:50:17,836 --> 00:50:20,716
Speaker 2: I'm not even sure that we were aware or knew

704
00:50:20,716 --> 00:50:25,156
Speaker 2: what it meant to be, you know, a subsidiary of

705
00:50:25,236 --> 00:50:29,276
Speaker 2: Warner Brothers. We did find out rather quickly that they

706
00:50:29,356 --> 00:50:34,756
Speaker 2: hated us, and there was a memo sent basically to

707
00:50:35,116 --> 00:50:39,636
Speaker 2: all of Warner Brothers saying, you know, shit, can you

708
00:50:39,636 --> 00:50:48,476
Speaker 2: know the album? You know? And Neil got off Warner Brothers.

709
00:50:49,596 --> 00:50:54,156
Speaker 2: He took Casta Blanca from Warner Brothers. But yeah, they

710
00:50:54,236 --> 00:50:57,516
Speaker 2: they they were not fond of us.

711
00:50:58,076 --> 00:50:59,876
Speaker 1: Did and did you ever make it out to the

712
00:50:59,996 --> 00:51:02,636
Speaker 1: to the offices or did you ever meet anyone high

713
00:51:02,716 --> 00:51:04,316
Speaker 1: up at Warner in those days?

714
00:51:04,476 --> 00:51:10,476
Speaker 2: No? I again I think that I, you know, for

715
00:51:10,636 --> 00:51:16,436
Speaker 2: all of his attributes and plus is, Neil Bogart was

716
00:51:16,476 --> 00:51:20,836
Speaker 2: almost like a P. T. Barnum. He wasn't He wasn't

717
00:51:20,876 --> 00:51:25,796
Speaker 2: the old school record company president. He wasn't amed Urt again,

718
00:51:26,076 --> 00:51:32,516
Speaker 2: he wasn't Moostin. He wasn't he you know he was

719
00:51:33,076 --> 00:51:38,036
Speaker 2: He wasn't John Hammond. He was he was a different school.

720
00:51:38,876 --> 00:51:45,396
Speaker 2: And whereas they thought of music as an art or

721
00:51:45,476 --> 00:51:48,556
Speaker 2: thought of the musicians as artists. I think he was,

722
00:51:49,436 --> 00:51:54,636
Speaker 2: you know, pretty much saw it as a product. And

723
00:51:55,996 --> 00:51:59,996
Speaker 2: certainly whether it was us or then Donna Summer or

724
00:51:59,996 --> 00:52:03,436
Speaker 2: the Village people, there was a certain heir to the

725
00:52:03,476 --> 00:52:11,076
Speaker 2: company that was promoted differently and was looked upon not

726
00:52:11,116 --> 00:52:18,876
Speaker 2: only differently perhaps by the public, but by Neil. Most

727
00:52:18,956 --> 00:52:22,956
Speaker 2: record companies signed somebody because they believed in them and

728
00:52:22,996 --> 00:52:27,676
Speaker 2: then would nurture them for three albums. Well nowadays, you know, nowadays,

729
00:52:27,676 --> 00:52:30,876
Speaker 2: if you if your first song doesn't do it, you're

730
00:52:30,916 --> 00:52:35,316
Speaker 2: back to the gas station. But so no, Neil, Neil

731
00:52:35,476 --> 00:52:39,996
Speaker 2: was different than what was considered, you know, the the

732
00:52:40,156 --> 00:52:46,396
Speaker 2: hierarchy or that that kind of elite at at record companies.

733
00:52:46,436 --> 00:52:50,156
Speaker 2: So no, I never met I never met anybody at

734
00:52:50,196 --> 00:52:55,596
Speaker 2: Warner Brothers. Uh. That was over so quickly that we

735
00:52:55,756 --> 00:53:02,876
Speaker 2: just had this very insular, insular group of Casablanca promotion

736
00:53:03,116 --> 00:53:07,476
Speaker 2: people and executives.

737
00:53:07,716 --> 00:53:12,556
Speaker 1: How was Neil, Neil Bogart and Bill A. Coin's relationship,

738
00:53:12,996 --> 00:53:16,556
Speaker 1: because they're both very unique characters in your Guys story.

739
00:53:17,796 --> 00:53:19,836
Speaker 2: If there ever was, and I believe there was a

740
00:53:19,876 --> 00:53:24,876
Speaker 2: fifth member to kiss, it was Bill o'coin. Bill was

741
00:53:26,076 --> 00:53:29,076
Speaker 2: Bill was brilliant and much like other things that we

742
00:53:29,156 --> 00:53:33,556
Speaker 2: had done. Bill didn't fit the stereotype. He hadn't been

743
00:53:33,556 --> 00:53:37,316
Speaker 2: a manager, but it felt right with Gene and I

744
00:53:37,356 --> 00:53:44,956
Speaker 2: met him. He innately knew what we needed to do

745
00:53:45,636 --> 00:53:52,276
Speaker 2: and was he was so tuned in, and as time

746
00:53:52,356 --> 00:53:56,956
Speaker 2: went on as a manager, we all looked to him

747
00:53:56,996 --> 00:54:00,596
Speaker 2: almost like a father figure, although he was basically right

748
00:54:00,676 --> 00:54:04,116
Speaker 2: around our age. And he also had a great gift

749
00:54:04,356 --> 00:54:06,476
Speaker 2: for making each one of us feel that we were

750
00:54:06,476 --> 00:54:10,716
Speaker 2: his favorite. So you know, he was dealing with four babies,

751
00:54:10,916 --> 00:54:16,396
Speaker 2: you know, and he was terrific. And whether it was

752
00:54:17,116 --> 00:54:21,436
Speaker 2: Bill's idea was to never be seen without makeup, that

753
00:54:21,676 --> 00:54:25,196
Speaker 2: was Bill, and I was like, oh gee.

754
00:54:25,396 --> 00:54:25,596
Speaker 1: You know.

755
00:54:25,636 --> 00:54:28,956
Speaker 2: It was like I want to be famous on the street,

756
00:54:29,236 --> 00:54:31,556
Speaker 2: you know, And Bill said, you know, and you're you're

757
00:54:31,556 --> 00:54:33,756
Speaker 2: never going to be. Nobody's ever going to see you

758
00:54:33,796 --> 00:54:38,236
Speaker 2: without makeup, And I was like what? But he was right.

759
00:54:38,956 --> 00:54:43,116
Speaker 2: Bill was brilliant not to say anything bad about Neil,

760
00:54:43,196 --> 00:54:50,236
Speaker 2: because Neil understood the commercial potential of the band, although

761
00:54:50,356 --> 00:54:53,436
Speaker 2: I didn't, and I don't believe he saw it as

762
00:54:53,476 --> 00:55:01,996
Speaker 2: anything more than a frisbee, you know, just something to

763
00:55:01,996 --> 00:55:09,876
Speaker 2: to to make hopefully be successful for a admitted amount

764
00:55:09,876 --> 00:55:16,156
Speaker 2: of time. He came from a background of Buddha Records

765
00:55:16,836 --> 00:55:22,116
Speaker 2: and some others where they were singles labels with hit singles,

766
00:55:23,116 --> 00:55:28,516
Speaker 2: So there wasn't a real sense of grooming or long

767
00:55:28,596 --> 00:55:35,516
Speaker 2: term potential. But Neil was was you know, Neil was

768
00:55:35,556 --> 00:55:38,876
Speaker 2: part of part of it. I mean, the drums going

769
00:55:38,956 --> 00:55:44,516
Speaker 2: up in the air, Neil's idea. So we were fortunate

770
00:55:44,556 --> 00:55:50,476
Speaker 2: to have people around us or surround us with, surround

771
00:55:50,476 --> 00:55:55,396
Speaker 2: ourselves with people who had contributions to make to us.

772
00:55:55,836 --> 00:55:59,716
Speaker 2: Jean breathing fire, that was Bill's idea. Bill brought in

773
00:55:59,756 --> 00:56:02,996
Speaker 2: a magician one day to the office. What's this guy

774
00:56:03,076 --> 00:56:09,636
Speaker 2: doing here? He breathed fire and scorched the ceiling, and

775
00:56:10,836 --> 00:56:15,716
Speaker 2: Bill said, who wants to do this? And I sure

776
00:56:15,716 --> 00:56:18,556
Speaker 2: as hell wasn't going to do it. And Jeane God

777
00:56:18,636 --> 00:56:22,996
Speaker 2: loved him one like that, and so but again I

778
00:56:23,036 --> 00:56:28,356
Speaker 2: think Bill was thinking much more long term and worldwide.

779
00:56:28,716 --> 00:56:32,276
Speaker 2: From the day we met Bill, he said to Gene

780
00:56:32,316 --> 00:56:34,556
Speaker 2: and I, if you guys aren't interested in being the

781
00:56:34,596 --> 00:56:38,996
Speaker 2: biggest band in the world, I'm not interested. You know,

782
00:56:39,036 --> 00:56:44,156
Speaker 2: he thought, really really big. But he also he thought

783
00:56:44,836 --> 00:56:48,236
Speaker 2: very often quality. That being said, we had kissed me

784
00:56:48,396 --> 00:56:54,156
Speaker 2: the phantom and some other other glorious missteps. But I

785
00:56:54,196 --> 00:56:59,276
Speaker 2: think Bill was very, very very important to the band,

786
00:56:59,436 --> 00:57:03,276
Speaker 2: and I don't think we ever would have succeeded or

787
00:57:03,676 --> 00:57:08,356
Speaker 2: survived as long as we did because the there was

788
00:57:08,396 --> 00:57:11,396
Speaker 2: always a combus stability between the four members of the band,

789
00:57:12,076 --> 00:57:17,836
Speaker 2: and you know, certain although we were united in what

790
00:57:17,876 --> 00:57:21,916
Speaker 2: we were doing, there was also you know, resentments and

791
00:57:22,036 --> 00:57:27,116
Speaker 2: cut and hostilities, all kinds of stuff, and Bill was

792
00:57:27,156 --> 00:57:31,396
Speaker 2: the one who could quell and contain that. So Bill

793
00:57:31,476 --> 00:57:34,796
Speaker 2: was brilliant, he was he was one of us.

794
00:57:35,356 --> 00:57:38,116
Speaker 1: There's that great there's a great anecdote in your book

795
00:57:38,356 --> 00:57:40,436
Speaker 1: about you know, you guys being out on tour early

796
00:57:40,516 --> 00:57:43,196
Speaker 1: on and you come home and you're you know, you're

797
00:57:43,196 --> 00:57:46,316
Speaker 1: making make up a number here, forty dollars a week,

798
00:57:46,396 --> 00:57:48,076
Speaker 1: and you're like, oh, gosh, maybe you should make it

799
00:57:48,116 --> 00:57:50,036
Speaker 1: about twenty bucks more a week. Let me go ask,

800
00:57:50,276 --> 00:57:52,476
Speaker 1: let me go ask Bill to up this bit. And

801
00:57:52,516 --> 00:57:54,796
Speaker 1: you can go to the office and you show up

802
00:57:54,796 --> 00:57:58,516
Speaker 1: and he's got like a hole in his shoes. You're

803
00:57:58,516 --> 00:58:00,356
Speaker 1: just like, uh, oh, let me not Bill.

804
00:58:00,676 --> 00:58:04,076
Speaker 2: Bill put two hundreds and I remember this is early seventies.

805
00:58:04,276 --> 00:58:06,876
Speaker 2: Bill had two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I believe

806
00:58:06,876 --> 00:58:11,716
Speaker 2: one is an American Express card funding US. I don't

807
00:58:11,756 --> 00:58:15,236
Speaker 2: know how he pulled that off, but thankfully when kiss

808
00:58:15,236 --> 00:58:18,476
Speaker 2: Alive took off, that got taken care. But Bill for

809
00:58:18,596 --> 00:58:24,916
Speaker 2: being a really dapper, great dresser, and very fastidious in

810
00:58:24,956 --> 00:58:29,956
Speaker 2: the way he looked, and very upscale. He had his

811
00:58:30,076 --> 00:58:33,076
Speaker 2: shoes up on the cross on the on the desk,

812
00:58:33,916 --> 00:58:36,276
Speaker 2: and he had a hole in the bottom of his shoe.

813
00:58:36,876 --> 00:58:40,356
Speaker 2: And I remember too him having a hole in his

814
00:58:40,476 --> 00:58:44,316
Speaker 2: sweater that was held together with scotch tape from the back.

815
00:58:45,076 --> 00:58:47,276
Speaker 2: So you don't go in there and say, hey, how

816
00:58:47,316 --> 00:58:54,396
Speaker 2: about another twenty bucks. So but yeah, I think that

817
00:58:56,516 --> 00:59:00,676
Speaker 2: if you experience those things in your life properly, you

818
00:59:00,996 --> 00:59:04,316
Speaker 2: think of them as things that you'll look back on

819
00:59:04,396 --> 00:59:08,076
Speaker 2: at some point fondly. And there were a lot of

820
00:59:08,076 --> 00:59:10,036
Speaker 2: things that went on in our life where I said,

821
00:59:10,276 --> 00:59:12,996
Speaker 2: one day, I'll look back on this as the good time.

822
00:59:13,116 --> 00:59:14,396
Speaker 2: So the magical times.

823
00:59:14,636 --> 00:59:18,316
Speaker 1: That was wonderful, man, it's amazing. It also goes to

824
00:59:18,356 --> 00:59:20,716
Speaker 1: show again just the luck of kiss Man that you

825
00:59:20,756 --> 00:59:24,556
Speaker 1: guys avoided the trap of the manager who's gonna you know,

826
00:59:24,556 --> 00:59:26,796
Speaker 1: and I get you guys eventually parted, but in those

827
00:59:26,876 --> 00:59:28,836
Speaker 1: crucial early days. You know, you could have had a

828
00:59:28,876 --> 00:59:31,596
Speaker 1: manager that really screwing you over. But here's this guy

829
00:59:32,076 --> 00:59:34,796
Speaker 1: walking around the hole in issues. We can finance you know,

830
00:59:34,876 --> 00:59:36,796
Speaker 1: the dream, you know, and keep you. That's just it

831
00:59:37,556 --> 00:59:40,716
Speaker 1: just was like such a beautiful little anecdote that showed

832
00:59:40,716 --> 00:59:43,716
Speaker 1: how dedicated this person was, and that wasn't always the

833
00:59:43,756 --> 00:59:44,916
Speaker 1: case for a lot of people. You know.

834
00:59:44,996 --> 00:59:49,236
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think though as far as getting ripped off

835
00:59:49,316 --> 00:59:53,356
Speaker 2: or robbed, and nothing to do with bill a coin,

836
00:59:53,436 --> 00:59:57,996
Speaker 2: But I say to people, show me a band that

837
00:59:58,116 --> 01:00:00,236
Speaker 2: hasn't been ripped off, and I'll show your band that

838
01:00:00,276 --> 01:00:00,796
Speaker 2: doesn't know.

839
01:00:00,836 --> 01:00:02,236
Speaker 1: It yet, you know.

840
01:00:03,476 --> 01:00:08,596
Speaker 2: So that's it's not whether or not that happens, it's

841
01:00:08,716 --> 01:00:10,636
Speaker 2: how you bounce back from it.

842
01:00:12,036 --> 01:00:13,996
Speaker 1: Well, I have a million more questions, but you know

843
01:00:14,116 --> 01:00:15,676
Speaker 1: I want to I want to just say thank you

844
01:00:15,876 --> 01:00:19,276
Speaker 1: for thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it.

845
01:00:19,956 --> 01:00:21,396
Speaker 1: You know. I'll try to maybe make it out to

846
01:00:21,476 --> 01:00:22,676
Speaker 1: Vegas because that sounds exciting.

847
01:00:22,836 --> 01:00:25,996
Speaker 2: It's kind amazing great. I mean, the best is yet

848
01:00:26,036 --> 01:00:30,036
Speaker 2: to come. I mean, once we really unfurl the flag

849
01:00:30,196 --> 01:00:32,636
Speaker 2: and let everybody see what this event's going to be,

850
01:00:34,476 --> 01:00:36,356
Speaker 2: they'll be celebrating and so will.

851
01:00:36,236 --> 01:00:42,756
Speaker 1: I beautiful, so great to meet you. Likewise, in the

852
01:00:42,796 --> 01:00:45,236
Speaker 1: episode description, you'll find a link to a playlist of

853
01:00:45,276 --> 01:00:48,156
Speaker 1: some of our favorite Paul Stanley tracks. Be sure to

854
01:00:48,196 --> 01:00:50,916
Speaker 1: check out YouTube dot com slash Broken Record Podcast to

855
01:00:50,956 --> 01:00:53,796
Speaker 1: see all of our video interviews, and be sure to

856
01:00:53,796 --> 01:00:57,076
Speaker 1: follow us on Instagram at the Broken Record Pod. You

857
01:00:57,076 --> 01:01:00,476
Speaker 1: can follow us on Twitter at Broken Record. Broken Record

858
01:01:00,516 --> 01:01:03,476
Speaker 1: is produced and edited by Leah Rose, with marketing help

859
01:01:03,516 --> 01:01:07,196
Speaker 1: from Eric Sandler and Jordan McMillan. Our engineer is Ben Talind.

860
01:01:07,996 --> 01:01:11,716
Speaker 1: Broken Record is action of Pushkin Industries. If you love

861
01:01:11,756 --> 01:01:15,876
Speaker 1: this show and others from Pushkin, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus.

862
01:01:16,436 --> 01:01:19,756
Speaker 1: Pushkin Plus is a podcast subscription that offers bonus content

863
01:01:19,836 --> 01:01:23,436
Speaker 1: and athlete listening for four ninety nine a month. Look

864
01:01:23,476 --> 01:01:27,236
Speaker 1: for Pushkin Plus on Apple Podcasts subscriptions, and if you

865
01:01:27,356 --> 01:01:29,916
Speaker 1: like this show, please remember to share, rate, and review

866
01:01:29,996 --> 01:01:33,156
Speaker 1: us on your podcast app. Our theme music's by Kenny Beats.

867
01:01:33,316 --> 01:01:34,316
Speaker 1: I'm justin Richmon