Alive III

Infobox Album | Name = Alive III
Type = Live album
Artist = Kiss

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Released = May 18 1993
Recorded = November 27-29, 1992
Genre = Hard rock, heavy metal
Length = 67:26
Label = Mercury
Producer = Eddie Kramer & Kiss
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ajq67ub070jw link]
Last album = "Revenge"
(1992)
This album = "Alive III"
(1993)
Next album = "Kiss Unplugged"
(1996)|

"Alive III" is a live album released by the American hard rock band Kiss in 1993, and certified gold in 1994.

The recording of "Alive III" took place over multiple dates (in Cleveland, Detroit and Indianapolis) during the band's 1992 tour in support of "Revenge". It was the first live album the band had released since 1977's "Alive II", and the first live recordings released since 1985's "Animalize Live Uncensored" concert film.

The recording of "I Was Made For Loving You", was actually recorded at one of the bands' soundchecks, but had the crowd overdubbed in the song to make it appear as if it is "live" which led to speculation that many other songs on "Alive III" could be overdubbed. Additionally, the fact that keyboardist Derek Sherinian appears on Alive III leads to much speculation that the band faked vocal parts on stage, specifically Gene Simmons, as he had done so on the "Hot In The Shade" tour in 1990. (This is evidenced by unmixed bootleg videos from two of the Auburn Hills concerts.) The band were very secretive about having side keyboard players on possibly many of their tours through the 80's and early 90's. Kiss fans are no stranger to the fact that some of Alive! and Alive II had certain parts doctored in the studio, and that some of the songs are not even recorded "live" in concert but at Electric Lady Studios with Eddie Kramer.

One prime example of editing is the song "I Just Wanna", because the live version had Paul and the audience singing "I Just Wanna Fuck". In order to avoid a Mature Audiences label, they edited to the tamer "I Just Wanna Fuh", but the change is pretty noticeable.

The album also has other differences compared to its two prodessors such as being the only live Kiss album released during the groups non-makeup era excluding Kiss Unplugged released later in 1996. During the recording of Alive II, KISS did not want to duplicate songs from Alive! although some songs from Alive III are duplicate songs from their previous live albums. For example, Rock And Roll All Night was performed on Alive! and again on Alive III but was not featured on Alive II. Lastly, it's the first Kiss live album to feature a different line-up as the first two featured the same line-up.

The liner notes of "Alive III" include a family tree showing the various Kiss lineups from 1973-1993, as well as bands that the then-current and former members of Kiss were in. It was designed by the band's Japanese fan club. Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, for whom Singer drummed 1986-87, is misnamed Tommy.

The re-release of "Alive III" (as part of the Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 box set) contains an additional track, "Take It Off", thus matching the original international CD and US vinyl versions of the album.

It was Certified Gold on October 27, 1994, when it sold 500,000 copies

Track listing

#"Creatures of the Night" (Paul Stanley, Adam Mitchell) – 4:40
#*"Originally released on Creatures of the Night"
#"Deuce" (Gene Simmons) – 3:42
#*"Originally released on Kiss"
#"I Just Wanna" (Vinnie Vincent, Stanley) – 4:21
#*"Originally released on Revenge"
#"Unholy" (Vincent, Simmons) – 3:43
#*"Originally released on Revenge"
#"Heaven's on Fire" (Stanley, Desmond Child) – 4:02
#*"Originally released on Animalize"
#"Watchin' You" (Simmons) – 3:35
#*"Originally released on Hotter Than Hell"
#"Domino" (Simmons) – 3:47
#*"Originally released on Revenge"
#"I Was Made for Lovin' You" (Stanley, Child, Vini Poncia) – 4:31
#*"Originally released on Dynasty"
#"I Still Love You" (Vincent, Stanley) – 6:04
#*"Originally released on Creatures of the Night"
#"Rock and Roll All Nite" (Stanley, Simmons) – 3:33
#*"Originally released on Dressed to Kill"
#"Lick It Up" (Vincent, Stanley) – 4:18
#*"Originally released on Lick It Up"
#"Forever" (Stanley, Michael Bolton) – 4:20
#*"Originally released on Hot in the Shade"
#"I Love It Loud" (Vincent, Simmons) – 3:40
#*"Originally released on Creatures of the Night"
#"Detroit Rock City" (Stanley, Bob Ezrin) – 5:11
#*"Originally released on Destroyer"
#"God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" (Stanley, Simmons, Ezrin, Russ Ballard) – 5:21
#*"Originally released on Revenge"
#"The Star Spangled Banner" (Francis Scott Key) – 2:38
#*"Not previously released"

The Japanese and European CD releases and the US vinyl release had an additional track, "Take It Off", between "Forever" and "I Love It Loud". This version of the album would later be included in the Alive! 1975-2000 4 CD boxed set.

Personnel

* Gene Simmons - bass guitar, lead vocals
* Paul Stanley - rhythm guitar, lead vocals
* Bruce Kulick - lead guitar
* Eric Singer - drums, backing vocals
* Derek Sherinian - keyboards

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Releases

*Mercury 314 514 777-2 (May 18 1993): CD
*Mercury 314 522 647-1 (May 18, 1993): vinyl

External links

* [http://www.kissfaq.com/discography/alive3.html Kiss FAQ - "Alive III"] , accessed on May 1, 2006.