Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley,Gene Simmons,Ace Frehley,and Peter Criss. Known for their face paint and stage outfits,the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock-style live performances which featured fire-breathing,blood-spitting,smoking guitars,shooting rockets,levitating drum kits,and pyrotechnics. The band has gone through several lineup changes,with Stanley and Simmons remaining the only consistent members. The current lineup consists of Stanley,Simmons,guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.
Kiss is the debut studio album by American rock band Kiss,released on February 18,1974. Much of the material on the album was written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley,as members of their pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester. Simmons estimated that the entire process of recording and mixing took three weeks,while co-producer Richie Wise has stated it took just 13 days.
"Beth" is a song by American rock band Kiss,originally released on their 1976 album Destroyer. Although drummer Peter Criss has gotten credit over the years for writing the song,he was not truly the composer. Criss had a hand in a demo called “Beck,”but his friend,Stan Penridge,was the main writer. Producer Bob Ezrin turned it into “Beth”for the album. Casablanca Records released it as a single in August 1976,after it was released as the B-side of "Detroit Rock City". "Beth" is Kiss's biggest commercial hit in the United States;it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100,received a Gold Record certification from the RIAA,and won the 1977 People's Choice Award for "Favorite Song". In 2003,"Beth" ranked #3 in VH1's 25 Greatest Power Ballads.
"Rock and Roll All Nite" is a song by American rock band Kiss,originally released on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill. It was released as the A-side of their fifth single,with the album track "Getaway". The studio version of the song peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard singles chart,besting the band's previous charting single,"Kissin' Time" (#89). A subsequent live version,released as a single in October 1975,eventually reached No. 12 in early 1976,the first of six Top 20 songs for Kiss in the 1970s. "Rock and Roll All Nite" became Kiss's signature song and has served as the group's closing concert number in almost every concert since 1976. In 2008,it was named the 16th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.
Kiss Unplugged is a live album by the American rock band Kiss,released in 1996. It was recorded in studio for the television program MTV Unplugged and released as part of a series of live and video albums. It is the first Kiss live album that is not part of the Alive! series.
Alive! is the fourth album overall,and the first live album,by American hard rock band Kiss. It is considered to be their breakthrough,and a landmark for live albums. Released on September 10,1975,the double-album contains live versions of selected tracks from their first three studio albums,Kiss,Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill. It was recorded at concerts in Detroit,Michigan;Cleveland,Ohio;Wildwood,New Jersey;and Davenport,Iowa on May 16,June 21,July 20 and 23,1975.
"Hard Luck Woman" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss and the lead single from their 1976 album,Rock and Roll Over. It was originally written by Paul Stanley as a possible track for Rod Stewart,but after the success of the soft rock ballad "Beth",Kiss decided to keep it for themselves as a follow-up. Stanley has stated his admiration and love of Stewart's music numerous times,and that "Hard Luck Woman" was inspired by Rod Stewart,in particular the songs "Maggie May" and "You Wear It Well". While Stewart's music served as a partial inspiration for the song,the nautical themed song "Brandy" by American pop-rock band Looking Glass served as Stanley's main inspiration.
"Black Diamond" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss,written by rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley. "'Black Diamond' was written almost exactly as it is," he said,"except that the riff wasn't there;Gene [Simmons] brought that part in …It's all about arrangement and embellishment. That's what you're supposed to do in a band:come in and add something. But that doesn't mean you wrote the song."
"Deuce" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss,written by bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons. The song appeared on Kiss' eponymous 1974 debut album. In addition to being one of the band's most popular and most-covered songs,"Deuce" is a traditional concert opener. The song has appeared on many Kiss live and compilation albums.
"Sure Know Something" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss,released on their 1979 album Dynasty. The B-side is "Dirty Livin'",another album track featured on the Dynasty album which was co-written and sung by drummer Peter Criss.
"Strutter" is a song by the American rock band Kiss,released in 1974 on their self-titled debut album,Kiss. It was the third single released from the album and failed to chart.
"Calling Dr. Love" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss,originally released on their 1976 album Rock and Roll Over.
"Shout It Out Loud" is a song by the American hard rock group Kiss,originally released on their 1976 album,Destroyer. It was released as the lead single off the album,and it proved to be successful,becoming the band's second single to break the Top 40,after "Rock and Roll All Nite". It was also the band's first single to top the charts,as it reached number 1 hit in Canada on May 22,1976. The song was performed on almost every tour for many years,and is one of the most played songs in the Kiss catalog,having been played over 1,700 times as of June 2022.
"God of Thunder" is a song by Kiss from their 1976 album Destroyer. The song has also been featured on many of Kiss' live albums,including an up-tempo version on Alive II. Many various sound effects were used to make the song including explosions,clapping,zippers,overdubbed audience chatter and screaming children. The song was written by Paul Stanley,who intended to sing it on the album,but producer Bob Ezrin suggested slowing down the tempo and handing the lead vocals over to Gene Simmons.
"Parasite" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss,released in 1974 on their second studio album,Hotter Than Hell. The song is one of three songs featured on the album written by lead guitarist Ace Frehley. As one of the album's heaviest songs,"Parasite" was performed on the following tour,but Kiss dropped it from the setlist for the Destroyer Tour and did not play it again until the Revenge Tour in 1992. As Frehley was insecure about his singing ability,he passed that duty to Gene Simmons. In 2016,Frehley re-recorded the track with John 5 for Frehley's solo album Origins Vol. 1.
"Hotter than Hell" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss,released on their second album of the same name in 1974. It was written by the band's rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley,and displays the heavy influence of the band Free. Despite being rarely performed during the years,"Hotter than Hell" has appeared on many of the band's albums. It has also appeared as a B-side to the album's lone single,"Let Me Go,Rock 'n' Roll".
"C'mon and Love Me" is a 1975 single by the American rock band Kiss. It was originally featured on the group's third album Dressed to Kill.
"Let Me Go,Rock 'n' Roll" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss,released in 1974. It was released as the only single from their second album Hotter Than Hell. Even though the song failed to chart,it is a staple in their live concerts. The B-side was the album title track,"Hotter Than Hell". Gene Simmons penned the lyrics during a lunch break at his day job,and the song conveys romantic excitement:"'Cause baby's got the feeling/Baby wants a show/Baby won't you tell me/Baby rock &roll,yeah,yeah!". "Let Me Go,Rock 'n' Roll" became a live favorite for Kiss.
"Domino" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss,released on the band's sixteenth studio album,Revenge,in 1992. The song was written by the band's bassist,Gene Simmons,and it borrows elements from the song "Nasty Nasty",which Simmons had co-written and produced in 1986 with the band Black 'n Blue. The song was released as a single in 1992,with the album's instrumental,"Carr Jam 1981",as its B-side. Despite being performed on only two tours and during their MTV Unplugged appearance,"Domino" has appeared on several of the band's albums.
"Kissin' Time" is a song by the American rock and roll singer Bobby Rydell. It was released in 1959 on Cameo-Parkway Records. Written by Bernie Lowe and Kal Mann,the track was Rydell's first single and it would also go on to be his first Top 20 hit.
