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(This was part of a project I did a few years ago.  Of course my subject was KISS, who else right?  So this is a Kisstory lesson to all new fans.  And if the diehards read this, and see a mistake, please let me know.)
 

    You can ask Lenny Kravitz.  You can ask Trent Reznor.  And you can ask Garth Brooks.  Besides all of the sold out shows and all the platinum albums the aforementioned artists have received, there lies another similarity that most people don't know.  They wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the belief, the hard work, and the dream four guys from New York City had. Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss had the dream to become the band that would rule the world. Little did the four know at the time of their birth, they would become one of the most exciting, most recognized, loudest, and the most influential band to many artists out today.

    Before KISS, there was Wicked Lester. Paul and Gene began this band with three other members including Steve Coronell.  Coronell introduced Paul to Gene.  Although they did original material, the band didn’t have an image.  It wasn’t exactly what Paul and Gene had visioned as the "hottest band in the world."  They were to start all over again.

    In 1973, the New York music scene was all flash and glamour.  Every act had their way of attracting an audience, but it wasn't because of the music.  Paul and Gene wanted to look great, but have the music stand out as much as the look.  An ad in Rolling Stone magazine read, "drummer willing to do anything."  Peter Criss, born Peter Crisscoula III, answered Gene’s phone call.  One of Gene's questions to Peter was if he would wear on dress on stage in order to make it.  Well after the three met, they gave birth to KISS.

    KISS remained a trio for awhile, but the flash of the solos was missing.  The three put an ad in New York’s Village Voice. Thirty guitarists answered to the ad, "lead guitarist wanted with flash and balls."  As Paul and Gene interviewed one guitarist, a guy with an orange sneaker and red sneaker comes into their loft.  He walks right by the guys, plugs in, and starts playing.  As Paul says in KISS Extreme Close-Up, "we almost threw him out. Because, A, who the hell are you? Shut the fuck up and wait your turn. It was Ace."  Gene continues the story, "He says, ‘sorry man, sorry curly'.  This guy is spaced." Gene had thought a bum had walked in.  Well, the bum’s name was Paul Frehley, better known as Ace.  Ace became the fourth and final piece to the band.

    At the start of their careers, KISS didn’t come out with their trademark makeup.  It developed day after day. When it was time for rehearsals, each one would be in front of a mirror, and looked different everyday.  The makeup opened up the door for the guys to bring out an imaginary character.  Gene prowled like a monster. Paul would be shaking his shoulders, pouting his lips.  Ace would move freely around stage like if he was spaced out.  And Peter, pounded the skins like no other cat could. The makeup created a new identity, thus KISS was to be the Demon, Starchild, SpaceAce, and the Cat.

    Although KISS’ first album, self-titled Kiss, was released in February of ‘74, they had been performing live for months. Because their first album didn’t set the charts on fire, it was re-released months later with the extra track, "Kissin’ Time".  It was a cover of Bobby Rydell’s "Twistin’ Time".  This single set off a huge kissing contest sponsored by a radio station in Florida. This landed a TV appearance for both KISS and the winners on the "Mike Douglas Show". They performed "Nothin’ To Lose" and "Firehouse".

    Eight months later, KISS released Hotter Than Hell.  Thundering tracks included, "Parasite", "Watchin’ You", " Strange Ways", and the classic "Got To Choose".  But similar to the first album, it didn’t do too well on the charts, but KISS continued to gain more of a following.

    Dressed To Kill was released in March of ‘75.  A classic cover of KISS on a street corner in suits with their makeup on symbolized the album title. Their third album contained the fist pumping, rock and roll national anthem "Rock And Roll All Nite".  Again, the new album didn’t do too well sales wise, but the word began to spread across the US.  KISS gained more and more recognition with its live show.  Tickets to the live shows were selling fast.  The idea to record the show live was brought up.  This idea not only opened the door to KISS, but to quote Gene, "saved our asses".

    Probably the greatest live album of all time was released on September 10, 1975.  It’s name, Alive!  This album showed what KISS was all about.  It displayed the raw energy, the sound, the bombs, the crowd going nuts, it was all here, it had KISS written all over it.  Recorded in three cities: Detroit, Cleveland, and Davenport, it all of a sudden went gold.  But it didn’t stop there.  It went platinum, double platinum, triple platinum.

    The album started off with the head-pounding classic "Deuce". It continued with the sirens, and the vision of Gene breathing fire during "Firehouse".  Ace’s solo during "She" always makes me air-guitar.  The explosions during "Black Diamond".  And side four of the album is classic: "Rock Bottom", "Cold Gin", "Rock And Roll All Nite", and "Let Me Go, Rock ‘N’ Roll", enough said.  The live version of "Rock And Roll All Nite" yielded KISS its first bonafide Top 20 hit.  And Alive reached its peak position at number nine on the charts.

    The success of Alive gave the three previous albums gold and platinum status.  With sold-out shows every night, and the KISS Army in full attack, KISS were to head into the studio to record a follow-up to their smash live album.  They had to come up something that would follow Alive well and keep the well-oiled machine rolling over the world.

    That something special goes by the name of Destroyer.  Produced by Bob Ezrin, this album spawned concert staples such as "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud", and "God Of Thunder".  New costumes also were born.  These costumes also signified even more each of the band member’s alter ego.  Gene had his monster boots, and spikes all over to enhance his bat-winged-like makeup.  Ace had his space boots, and flying guitar.  Paul had a skin-tight outfit to appeal to the female fan base of KISS.  The Star-Child would prance and dance..  And the Cat purred behind the drum kit.  In fact, it was Peter Criss’ "Beth" that gave KISS its first Top 10 hit.  Orchestra strings, a soft piano, and Peter’s scratchy voice won the 1976 People’s Choice Award for Best Single.  Originally, KISS thought it would be a throw-away because of the strings and orchestra.  But, they were wrong.
 

    Through all of the non-stop touring KISS endured, they somehow found time in between to record a new album.  Eight months after back to back killer albums, another scorcher, Rock And Roll Over, became KISS’ third platinum album.  The tour led into 1977, where in February of that year, KISS returned home to New York City with a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.  All of the family, close friend’s were there.  KISS did not disappoint, as one of their landmark shows went down in history as a great one.

    During this tour, something that no other band had dealt with came up. There was an idea to come up with a comic book about KISS.  Marvel Comics did it.  KISS weren’t musicians, but superheroes.  As the comic was ready to print, another great idea came up, put KISS' blood into the red ink.  Now that may sound corny, but how cool can you get?  It’s not everyday you can add your blood to something that'll be read by thousands.  Who else could do a better job?  The comic was a best-seller.

    In April of ‘77, KISS embarked on their very first Japanese tour.  They didn’t expect to get mobbed at the airport, and they most certainly didn’t expect to break every single Beatles’ attendance record, but they did.  On this tour, KISS unveiled a new stage set-up that has become known as the Love Gun stage.  Although the new stage was into effect, KISS still donned their current Destroyer/Rock And Roll Over costumes.  Japan would never be the same after the sold-out shows.

    Again, KISS somehow found time in between touring to record a new album. Their seventh release, Love Gun, was the first album to ship platinum.  The tour that supported this album is the most famous one KISS did.  With the stage already exposed in Japan, KISS unveiled new costumes also on this tour.  The stage, a reported million dollars to build, had everything the hottest band in the land should have.  It had stairs that would light up everytime it was stepped on by a band member.  It had hydraulic lifts that would lift Gene, Ace, and Paul at the end of the show.  Peter’s drumkit, as it did on every tour, rose to the top of the ceiling.  Gene had his candelabra with a snake coiled around it.  Cabinets of speakers jolted out 120 plus decibels of rib cage pounding rock and roll.  During "Love Gun", Paul was lifted on the hydraulic to sing a chorus. Ace bursted his guitar into flames during his lead singing debut, "Shock Me".  This tour was so big and kicked mucho ass, that another live album was in need.

    Alive II, released on the fourteenth of October in ‘77, was recorded from three sold-out shows at Los Angeles’ Forum. After these mammoth shows, the Forum was to be known as the house that KISS built.  The fifteen live songs recorded for the album were taken from Destroyer, Rock And Roll Over, and Love Gun.  Side four ofthe album contained five new studio tracks.  Included was a cover of "Any Way You Want It", originally done by the Dave Clark Five.  At first, KISS wanted to do a cover of Elvis Presley’s "Jailhouse Rock".  But, upon Elvis’ unfortunate death, KISS believed people would think of any other reason except it being a tribute.  So the Beatle-like tune completed another platinum album.

    The Love Gun Tour continued and KISS’ record company, Casablanca, felt it was time to salute the success story of the decade. Double Platinum, released in April of ‘78, contained twenty classic KISS tunes, including a brand-new version of "Strutter".

    At this time, KISS was at the peak of their careers.  They were on every magazine cover, every record store, and now, in every toy store.  Everything imaginable had the KISS logo.  Items promoted: dolls, lunch boxes, sleeping bags, pinball machines, trash cans, puzzles, walkie-talkies. and much more.  With every toy thought of, there was only one more thing to do, a KISS movie.

    A made for television movie offer was accepted as KISS were to be the savior for an amusement park taken hostage by an evil scientist.  Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park aired on NBC in September of ‘78 and achieved the second-highest rated program watched that year.  It’s nothing you’ve ever seen before.

    During the filming of the movie, the band began to go through some problems. The voice you hear from Peter in the movie isn’t his voice.  Ace and Peter felt that their musical talents were being overshadowed by Paul and Gene.  They wanted freedom to do a solo album.  All four went out, did a solo album, and all four shipped 1.25 million copies on their released date in September of '78.

    After taking a much needed break, KISS went back into the studio and released Dynasty.  Peter performed on only one studio track (Dirty Livin’). The first track off the album proved to be another KISS hit.  "I Was Made For Lovin’ You", a disco influenced song, reached the top 10 in no time as did the album.

    In 1980, Peter Criss left the band.  With the "Cat" gone, it was time for the "Fox".  Eric Carr joined KISS and was introduced to the KISS fans in July of ‘80 at the Palladium in New York City.  Later that year, KISS embarked on their first ever Australian Tour to support their 15th release, Unmasked.  The album didn’t do too well in the states, but the ballad "Shandi" was a big hit in the land down under.

    The next two years for the band gave them album busts sales wise.  Music From "The Elder" was a concept record that was done for the critics and not for themselves.  Although a favorite among the die-hards, it bombed.  As a result of touring outside the US, KISS’ popularity in the States decreased.

    A year later, KISS released an album overseas called KISS Killers.  It contained many classics and also included four new studio tracks.  It was a step toward bringing back the classic KISS sound.

    Ace Frehley, who had an idea for a heavier album instead of the previous concept record, split after a promotional tour in Germany for the next album, Creatures Of The Night.  His face was on the cover, but he didn’t play a chord on the album. Three different guitarists were used including Ace’s replacement, Vinnie Vincent.  The ensuing 100 city US Tour played to only half-filled arenas.  The tour was called off due to lack of attendance.  After enormous shows in Brazil, including 200,000 people in Rio,  KISS had something to ponder as they headed back into the studio.

    With Lick It Up ready to be released, KISS unmasked on MTV in September of ‘83.  Funny how in the beginning, people were asking why they wore makeup.  Now these people were asking why they were taking it off.  The tour raised their popularity again and they returned to platinum status.

    Vincent was replaced by Mark St. John in ‘84 in time to record Animalize.  Yet another platinum album which included the hit, "Heaven’s On Fire".  As the tour was to kick off, Mark developed Reiter’s Syndrome.  He couldn’t play as a result of this.  Bruce Kulick was called in to temporary replace him.  It was a lengthy temporary job.

    Bruce’s first album with KISS, Asylum, had another big hit in "Tears Are Falling".  Yet another platinum record.

    More platinum records were on their way.  Crazy Nights, released in ‘87, had three of the most requested videos on MTV (Crazy, Crazy Nights, Reason To Live, Turn On The Night).

    KISS’ second greatest hits package, Smashes, Thrashes, And Hits, contained thirteen classics including two brand new tracks.  There was no tour to support the album, but Paul did hit the clubs for a solo tour of his own.

    Although the last couple of albums fared well in the sales department, some of the die-hards were not really satisfied with them.  KISS took its first step toward getting back to their roots with Hot In The Shade.  A mammoth tour supported the album with one of KISS’ best stage shows.  A sphinx covered the album.  And the stage was engulfed by the sphinx too. Leon was his name.  Leon the Sphinx shot lasers, fire out of his eyes, sang, and this thing was so big, KISS began the show by coming out of its mouth.

    After the thunderous tour, the band took a much needed rest.  In late 1991, they were to head back into the studio to follow up Hot In The Shade.  But, during this time, Eric Carr was diagnosed with cancer.  He suffered from a brain tumor that was too much to overcome. The KISS family was saddened on November 24, 1991.  Eric Carr, KISS drummer for eleven years was to now pound the skins in heaven.  I guess the Lord in the sky was looking for a drummer.  He found one of the best.  Not only a great drummer, but Eric was a great person.  To this day, he is sadly missed.

    KISS, a band who had endured personnel changes, musical differences, now had to face their biggest obstacle.  They carried on and conquered it. Revenge, released in May of '92, with new drummer Eric Singer, was dedicated to Carr.  The latest release debuted on the charts at number six.  The tour wasn’t successful.  It lasted a few months.  But sold-out shows in Detroit, Cleveland, and Indianapolis led to the recording of KISS’ first live album in fifteen years, Alive III.  It debuted at number nine, but it didn’t’ match up to the first two.

    It was brought to the attention of the band that there were bootleg tribute albums going around.  So KISS decided to throw a party of their own and invite anyone to contribute their own version of any KISS songs.  The biggest surprise of all, was that Garth Brooks was going to be on it.  KISS went down to Nashville and backed up Garth on "Hard Luck Woman".  You gotta hear it to believe it.  Other artists on the ‘94 release Kiss My Ass were: Lenny Kravitz with Stevie Wonder, Extreme, Gin Blossoms, Anthrax, Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, and others.

    The latest tribute album led to more international dates.  Upon their return to Australia for the first time in fifteen years, the KISS Convention Tour got underway.  They eventually came to the States and hit selected cities.  It was well worth the price of admission.  It was KISS day.  All sorts of memorabilia, clinics by Bruce and Eric Singer, tribute band, question and answer session with KISS, and then to top it off, a two hour acoustic set.  KISS unplugged, just amazing to hear this for the first time. The official Conventions led to KISS’ performance on the unplugged series done by MTV.  Something special happened during the taping of Unplugged.  Gene and Paul reunited with Ace and Peter to perform two songs.  For the first time in fifteen years, the original members were playing together, a magical moment in KISSTORY.  "2,000 Man" was performed first, followed by Peter singing "Beth".  After these two, all six performed "Nothin’ To Lose" and "Rock And Roll All Nite".

    Following the Conventions, Paul, Gene, Bruce, and Eric headed into the studio to record their first studio album in four years.  Carnival Of Souls would be one of their best albums and the last done by this lineup.  There was no tour for this album but the first single, "Jungle" was a radio hit thanks to the KISS ARMY.

    Rumors began to spread.  Then on February 24, 1996, one rumor became truth.  The late Tupac Shakur was up on stage at the Grammy’s and wanted to shock the people.  Gene, Peter, Paul, and Ace walked out, in full makeup, and in their 1977 Love Gun costumes.  The Second Coming of the hottest band in the world was here.

    April 16 was the date of  KISS’ official press conference to announce the reunion tour.  Conan ‘O Brien introduced the boys.  It was announced the first show would be held at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium on the 28th of June.  But KISS would have a warm-up show on the 15th of that month in Los Angeles at KROQ’s Weenie Roast.  The warm-up show did have it’s mess-ups.  Ace’s guitar went out, one of Gene’s wings fell off, and KISS literally set the place on fire as a small fire broke out on top of the stage.

    To commemorate the reunion, You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best, a compilation of the first two live albums plus four never before heard live tracks was released in June.  The new tracks included "Two Timer", "Room Service", "Let Me Know", and "Take Me". T o conlcude the album, an interview with Jay Leno talks about the reunion tour, how it got started, and it’s a good piece of KISSTORY.

    Detroit was destroyed on the 28th.  37,000 tickets were sold for the first show in 47 minutes, a record.  The Reunion Tour stormed through the US up to November including four consecutive sold-out nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Then they destroyed international cities in Japan, South American, and Australia.  Having a record tour attendance, KISS was named the top concert attraction for 1996 ahead of Garth Brooks, who about every year, wins the honor.

    Another greatest hits compliation was released.  This one called Greatest KISS has the new live video version of Shout It Out Loud.

    KISS returned to the states in March of '97 on the Lost Cities Tour.  Again selling out arena after arena.  Hundreds of sold out shows later, the Alive!/Worlwide Tour concluded at London's Finsbury Park on July 5th, 1997.  KISS had reunited and destroyed the world once again.  Now, what to do for an encore.

    All KISS fans are raising their glasses as KISS is yet again on tour.  This time in support of Psycho Circus.  The first studio album by the original members since '79.  It debuted at number three on the charts, and reached gold status.  Now in their Destroyer costumes, the tour is off to a hot start again, not as hot as the reunion tour, but the fans are getting their money's worth once again.

    So just when you think it's over, the KISS machine keeps rolling on.  And who knows, the hottest band in the world may still have more tricks up its sleeve.