Kiss (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Kiss
Type = Album
Artist = Kiss

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Released = February 8 1974
Recorded = Bell Sound Studios,
New York City
October – November 1973
Genre = Hard rock
Shock Rock| Length = 35:11
Label = Casablanca
Producer = Kenny Kerner and
Richie Wise
Album Chart=

• #84 (Japan) -
  (New Zealand) -
  (U.S.)
  
  Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:f9ftxql5ld6e link]
  * "Pitchfork" rating-10|8.2 [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/19087-kiss link] |Last album =
  
  This album = "Kiss"
  (1974)
  Next album = "Hotter Than Hell"
  (1974)|

  "Kiss" is the self-titled debut album from the American hard rock band Kiss. When it was released, on February 8, 1974, Kiss had been a band for little more than one year. Much of the material on the album was written by Gene Simmons and/or 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 claimed it took just thirteen days.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  The album was recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, which was owned by the company that owned Buddah Records. Neil Bogart, founder of Casablanca Records, was an executive at Buddah prior to forming Casablanca.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  Casablanca Records held a party at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles to celebrate the West Coast release of "Kiss" (February 18) and to introduce the record company to the press and other record industry executives. In keeping with the Casablanca theme, the party included palm trees and a Humphrey Bogart lookalike. Kiss performed their usual loud and bombastic stage show, which turned Warner Bros. Records (Casablanca's record distributor) against the group.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  Soon after the show, Warner Bros. Records contacted Neil Bogart and threatened to end their deal with Casablanca if Kiss didn't remove their makeup. With manager Bill Aucoin's backing, Kiss refused. Shortly after the release of "Kiss", Warner Bros. released Casablanca from their contract.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  "Kiss" sold approximately 75,000 copies after its initial release, without the presence of a hit single.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "Kiss: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5] It was certified Gold on June 8, 1977, having sold 500,000 copies. The album was re-released in 1997 (along with most of Kiss' earlier albums) in a remastered version.

  ongs

  With the exception of "Kissin' Time," all of the material for "Kiss" was written before the band entered the studio. Some of the songs were written during Wicked Lester's brief existence, while "Firehouse" was written by Paul Stanley while he was attending Music and Art High School in NYC.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  "Strutter"

  "Strutter," which opens the album with a Peter Criss drum fill, is an uptempo rock song that was written before Ace Frehley joined Kiss. Paul Stanley wrote the lyrics, and the music was based on a song Gene Simmons had written years before, "Stanley the Parrot."Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5] Simmons and former Wicked Lester member Brooke Ostrander recorded a 45 rpm version of "Stanley the Parrot" in a New Jersey apartment. "Strutter" remains one of the few Kiss songs where Stanley and Simmons share songwriting credits, and was a standard number at Kiss concerts throughout the 1970s.

  "Nothin' to Lose"

  "Nothin' to Lose" is a song written by Gene Simmons and sung by him and Peter Criss about anal sex. [ [http://www.kissfaq.com/discography/kiss.html The KISSFAQ - KISS (1974) ] ]

  "Cold Gin"

  This song was the first composed for Kiss by Frehley. Insecure in his own singing ability, Frehley turned over the vocals for the album to Simmons. "Cold Gin" was a concert staple throughout the 1970s.

  "Let Me Know"

  "Let Me Know," previously titled "Sunday Driver," was the song Paul Stanley played when he was first introduced to Gene Simmons, and it was later recorded by Wicked Lester. Simmons and Stanley shared lead vocal duties on the song, which was given a bridge and instrumental coda when recorded for "Kiss".Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5] In later Kiss concerts this coda was moved to the end of "She."

  "Kissin' Time"

  "Kissin' Time" was not included on the original album; in fact it was not recorded until two months after the album's February release. By April, the album was clearly not the commercial success the band and Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart were hoping for. Bogart, who knew that a catchy single could save the album, ordered Kiss back into the studio to record "Kissin' Time," which was a Top 20 hit for Bobby Rydell in 1959. It was released as a single on May 10, but never reached any higher than #79. It did, however, boost sales of the album even though it was not added to the album until it was reissued in July 1974 (against the wishes of the band).Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  "Deuce"

  Although Gene Simmons, "Deuce"'s songwriter, admits that he doesn't know what the lyrics mean,Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5] the song nevertheless has been a staple at the band's concerts, opening their shows from 1973-1976 and again for their 1996 reunion.

  Album cover

  The album's cover showed the group positioned against a black background in a pose visually reminiscent of The Beatles' "With the Beatles" album (Criss stated that this was the visual effect the band was looking for). Three of the four band members applied their own makeup for the album cover photo, as they usually did; but Peter Criss's makeup was applied by a professional, whose work came out looking quite a bit different from the look Criss had established, and to which he would return immediately afterward.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  According to Criss, photographer Joel Brodsky thought Kiss were literally clowns, and wanted to place balloons behind the group for the shoot. Sharp, Ken. (July 19, 1996). "The Return of Kiss - 'It's Time for Spectacle'". "Goldmine" #147.] Brodsky, however, has denied this, chalking it up to imagination.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. "KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography", Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5]

  Track listing

  #"Strutter" (Stanley/Simmons) 3:12
  #* lead vocals - Paul Stanley
  #"Nothin' to Lose" (Simmons) 3:29
  #* lead vocals - Gene Simmons and Peter Criss
  #"Firehouse" (Stanley) 3:19
  #* lead vocals - Paul Stanley
  #"Cold Gin" (Frehley) 4:23
  #* lead vocals - Gene Simmons
  #"Let Me Know" (Stanley) 3:01
  #* lead vocals - Simmons/Stanley
  #"Kissin' Time" (Mann/Lowe) 3:54
  #* lead vocals - Simmons/Stanley/Criss
  #"Deuce" (Simmons) 3:08
  #* lead vocals - Gene Simmons
  #"Love Theme From Kiss" (Frehley/Stanley/Simmons/Criss) 2:26
  #* instrumental
  #"100,000 Years" (Stanley/Simmons) 3:25
  #* lead vocals - Paul Stanley
  #"Black Diamond" (Stanley) 5:14
  #* lead vocals - Peter Criss (intro Paul Stanley)

  Personnel

  *Paul Stanley - lead vocals/rhythm guitar
  *Gene Simmons - lead vocals/bass guitar
  *Ace Frehley - lead guitar
  *Peter Criss - drums/vocals

  Charts

  Trivia

  *The North Carolina glam metal band FireHouse takes its name from the song "Firehouse".
  *"Strutter" was featured in the PS2 and Xbox360 videogame Guitar Hero II.

  References

  
  * [http://www.kissfaq.com/discography/kiss.html Kiss FAQ - Kiss] , Accessed on July 9, 2005.