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[helicopter blades whirring]
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00:00:07,082 --> 00:00:10,067
[ominous music]
3
00:00:10,085 --> 00:00:13,178
♪ ♪
4
00:00:13,330 --> 00:00:15,014
All: We want kiss!
5
00:00:15,090 --> 00:00:19,351
We want kiss! We want kiss! We want kiss!
6
00:00:19,503 --> 00:00:22,579
We want kiss! We want kiss!
7
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We want kiss!
We want kiss!
8
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We want kiss!
9
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- From the beginning our bond was the belief in the band,
10
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Our belief in kiss.
11
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[cheers and applause]
12
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- The heights we've reached-- wow.
13
00:00:42,451 --> 00:00:44,359
But it was a lot of hard work.
14
00:00:44,378 --> 00:00:46,770
[loud explosion]
15
00:00:46,789 --> 00:00:48,797
- Nothing could get in our way.
16
00:00:50,793 --> 00:00:52,534
- We've always lived it big.
17
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[boom]
18
00:00:53,779 --> 00:00:55,387
[funky chords]
19
00:00:58,225 --> 00:01:02,619
- All right, vancouver!
20
00:01:02,638 --> 00:01:05,564
- We rise to the gauntlet.
21
00:01:05,641 --> 00:01:08,484
We threw down on the floor for ourselves.
22
00:01:09,461 --> 00:01:10,794
You wanted the best...
23
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- You wanted the best!
24
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- You got the best.
25
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- You got the best!
26
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- Believing in yourself against all odds.
27
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- The hottest band in the world...
28
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- That's kiss!
29
00:01:23,475 --> 00:01:24,583
- Kiss!
30
00:01:24,660 --> 00:01:27,569
[kiss' "shout it out loud"]
31
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♪ ♪
32
00:01:36,580 --> 00:01:37,930
Whoo!
33
00:01:38,006 --> 00:01:40,340
- ♪ well, the night's begun,
and you want some fun ♪
34
00:01:40,492 --> 00:01:42,584
♪ do you think
you're gonna find it? ♪
35
00:01:42,603 --> 00:01:43,936
[together]
♪ think you're gonna find it ♪
36
00:01:44,087 --> 00:01:46,772
- ♪ you got to treat yourself
like number one ♪
37
00:01:46,923 --> 00:01:48,832
♪ do you need to be reminded? ♪
38
00:01:48,851 --> 00:01:51,001
[together]
♪ need to be reminded ♪
39
00:01:51,019 --> 00:01:53,278
- ♪ it doesn't matter
what you do or say ♪
40
00:01:53,355 --> 00:01:56,365
♪ just forget the things
that you've been told ♪
41
00:01:57,767 --> 00:02:00,119
♪ can't do it any other way ♪
42
00:02:00,195 --> 00:02:05,849
♪ everybody's got to rock
and roll, whoa-ohh ♪
43
00:02:05,868 --> 00:02:09,853
All: ♪ shout it, shout it,
shout it out loud ♪
44
00:02:09,872 --> 00:02:12,464
- Super group kiss hit like a thunderbolt.
45
00:02:12,541 --> 00:02:15,375
- Since 1974 kiss has produced a gold album
46
00:02:15,527 --> 00:02:16,860
With every single album.
47
00:02:16,879 --> 00:02:18,971
- Kiss is playing to sold-out crowds everywhere.
48
00:02:19,047 --> 00:02:22,382
- We gonna get this place
hotter than hell!
49
00:02:22,534 --> 00:02:24,309
- It's being compared to beatlemania.
50
00:02:24,461 --> 00:02:26,812
- Come on!
- They're larger-than-life
51
00:02:26,889 --> 00:02:28,538
Comic strip superheroes.
52
00:02:28,557 --> 00:02:31,483
- A monster, a cat, a spaceman,
53
00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,819
And a harlequin lover.
54
00:02:33,896 --> 00:02:35,154
- Who are these people?
55
00:02:35,230 --> 00:02:38,064
- They are four of the most
recognizable faces
56
00:02:38,217 --> 00:02:41,051
On the planet,
and one of the most iconic
57
00:02:41,069 --> 00:02:44,329
And badass bands of all time.
58
00:02:44,406 --> 00:02:46,498
- The kiss sound
was unapologetic,
59
00:02:46,575 --> 00:02:49,726
Big, badass rock 'n' roll.
60
00:02:49,745 --> 00:02:50,818
- Kiss blew it up
61
00:02:50,838 --> 00:02:53,154
Into this nuclear combination.
62
00:02:53,174 --> 00:02:57,250
It's the lights,
explosions everywhere, fire.
63
00:02:57,403 --> 00:03:01,905
Nobody has ever done it
as big as kiss.
64
00:03:01,924 --> 00:03:03,515
- Whoo!
65
00:03:03,667 --> 00:03:06,000
We love you!
66
00:03:06,020 --> 00:03:07,260
♪ ♪
67
00:03:07,413 --> 00:03:10,355
[cheers and applause]
68
00:03:15,345 --> 00:03:17,029
[siren wailing]
69
00:03:17,180 --> 00:03:18,864
- Together legendary rockers kiss say
70
00:03:19,015 --> 00:03:23,035
They are about to embark on their farewell tour.
71
00:03:23,186 --> 00:03:24,778
- The end of the road tour,
72
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The most ambitious undertaking of their 45-plus-year career.
73
00:03:29,693 --> 00:03:31,543
All: ♪ all night ♪
74
00:03:31,695 --> 00:03:33,770
♪ and party every day ♪
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00:03:33,789 --> 00:03:37,883
♪ I wanna rock and roll
all night ♪
76
00:03:38,034 --> 00:03:40,702
- I'll tell you what's a little
different about this tour.
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We've never spent months
rehearsing,
78
00:03:43,390 --> 00:03:44,781
Not because we don't know
the songs,
79
00:03:44,783 --> 00:03:47,968
But this is--
this is just pride.
80
00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,729
This is the last time people are going to see us.
81
00:03:50,806 --> 00:03:52,789
So with that in mind,
we want to be going out
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00:03:52,808 --> 00:03:54,816
With the greatest show
we've ever done.
83
00:03:56,219 --> 00:03:59,738
- By the time we're done,
we'll be close to 50 years
84
00:03:59,889 --> 00:04:02,056
Of playing tours on stage.
85
00:04:02,076 --> 00:04:05,802
Paul and I are two different sides but of the same coin.
86
00:04:05,821 --> 00:04:08,747
I couldn't be who I am and was without paul.
87
00:04:08,824 --> 00:04:11,416
And I'd like to think he thinks the same way.
88
00:04:11,493 --> 00:04:14,419
- Gene and I, we've both been through a lot.
89
00:04:14,496 --> 00:04:20,317
I think at this point gene is
as much family to me as blood.
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00:04:20,335 --> 00:04:21,651
♪ ♪
91
00:04:21,670 --> 00:04:24,096
Kiss has always been the underdog.
92
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We were the people who weren't supposed to succeed.
93
00:04:27,326 --> 00:04:28,825
Now we're the proof
94
00:04:28,844 --> 00:04:31,603
You can thrive following your own instincts.
95
00:04:33,015 --> 00:04:35,332
But we didn't get here overnight.
96
00:04:35,350 --> 00:04:39,836
♪ ♪
97
00:04:39,855 --> 00:04:42,864
[loud explosions]
98
00:04:47,621 --> 00:04:52,182
[waves lapping]
99
00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,294
[flag flapping]
100
00:04:55,370 --> 00:04:58,188
- I was born in israel.
101
00:04:58,190 --> 00:05:01,525
Both my mother and my father came from hungary
102
00:05:01,527 --> 00:05:04,694
After world war ii.
103
00:05:04,713 --> 00:05:06,880
When I was about 6 1/2
104
00:05:07,032 --> 00:05:10,642
My father picked up
and just walked out.
105
00:05:10,794 --> 00:05:14,371
And my mother and I came to america.
106
00:05:14,389 --> 00:05:18,817
In new york, my mother goes to a sweat factory.
107
00:05:18,968 --> 00:05:20,877
She makes half a penny for every button
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00:05:20,896 --> 00:05:23,547
She sews on to a winter coat,
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00:05:23,565 --> 00:05:28,309
Clears just enough money to pay the rent and food.
110
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And we survive.
111
00:05:31,239 --> 00:05:33,573
- If gene was a stranger in a strange land,
112
00:05:33,725 --> 00:05:36,084
I was a stranger
in a strange neighborhood.
113
00:05:37,821 --> 00:05:40,063
I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment
114
00:05:40,082 --> 00:05:43,733
In an irish catholic area.
115
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We were the only jews.
116
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My mom had been born in berlin
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And had fled to escape the nazis
118
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And the extermination of 6 million of our people.
119
00:05:57,265 --> 00:05:59,082
I grew up with people around me
120
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With numbers on their arms.
121
00:06:02,178 --> 00:06:04,437
On top of that, I was born with a condition
122
00:06:04,590 --> 00:06:09,034
Called a microtia, so I had no right ear.
123
00:06:09,111 --> 00:06:11,536
It was just a crumpled mass of cartilage.
124
00:06:11,688 --> 00:06:15,540
And I couldn't hear on my right side.
125
00:06:15,617 --> 00:06:18,435
When you don't look like everybody else,
126
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The scrutiny is unrelenting.
127
00:06:20,697 --> 00:06:24,290
And for a little kid to be stared at or pointed to
128
00:06:24,443 --> 00:06:28,294
Or taunted is devastating.
129
00:06:28,447 --> 00:06:29,946
Gene and I, what we share
130
00:06:29,965 --> 00:06:34,226
Is a sense of being outsiders
for different reasons.
131
00:06:34,302 --> 00:06:40,123
But we also found escape in music.
132
00:06:40,125 --> 00:06:45,070
- I came here as chaim witz.
133
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I couldn't speak a word of english.
134
00:06:47,724 --> 00:06:51,576
I was aware I didn't fit in.
I still feel like an outsider.
135
00:06:51,653 --> 00:06:56,581
But I soon devoured everything american.
136
00:06:56,733 --> 00:06:58,975
- Rambler american by american motors.
137
00:06:58,994 --> 00:07:01,311
- New generation of youth.
138
00:07:01,329 --> 00:07:02,754
- Protect your complexion.
139
00:07:02,906 --> 00:07:06,591
- And I started listening
to the radio all the time.
140
00:07:06,668 --> 00:07:10,170
I heard chuck berry and jackie wilson and fats domino.
141
00:07:10,322 --> 00:07:13,506
I couldn't speak english. I just loved the music.
142
00:07:13,659 --> 00:07:16,751
I had a little pocket transistor radio,
143
00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:19,438
And I walked around with it waiting to hear the beatles.
144
00:07:19,514 --> 00:07:21,773
- Now, at 9:30 tonight
a special beatles segment
145
00:07:21,925 --> 00:07:23,108
Like we have every Saturday,
the beatles...
146
00:07:23,185 --> 00:07:25,259
- Ladies and gentlemen,
the beatles.
147
00:07:25,279 --> 00:07:27,003
Here were these four guys...
148
00:07:27,022 --> 00:07:28,838
- They may have been aliens...
149
00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:30,449
- They looked like buddies.
150
00:07:30,525 --> 00:07:32,284
- I'd never seen anything like it.
151
00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,786
The girls were going out of their minds.
152
00:07:34,938 --> 00:07:36,529
- And I had an epiphany.
153
00:07:36,682 --> 00:07:40,125
- And I thought,
"that's a pretty cool job."
154
00:07:40,202 --> 00:07:41,776
- It was a revelation to me.
155
00:07:41,795 --> 00:07:43,462
I'm a little overweight kid
156
00:07:43,538 --> 00:07:45,855
Named stanley bert eisen.
157
00:07:45,857 --> 00:07:47,114
I'm deaf in one ear.
158
00:07:47,134 --> 00:07:48,633
But I see the beatles,
159
00:07:48,785 --> 00:07:50,952
And I go, "I can do that."
160
00:07:50,971 --> 00:07:52,362
[cheers and applause]
161
00:07:52,380 --> 00:07:54,139
"I can touch that nerve."
162
00:07:54,216 --> 00:07:57,142
Why I thought that god only knows.
163
00:07:57,219 --> 00:08:00,628
- My mother bought me a copy of a hofner bass
164
00:08:00,647 --> 00:08:02,372
Called a kent.
165
00:08:02,390 --> 00:08:04,483
And I've never looked back.
166
00:08:04,559 --> 00:08:08,061
- I knew I wanted
to make rock 'n' roll.
167
00:08:08,213 --> 00:08:10,714
♪ ♪
168
00:08:10,732 --> 00:08:12,974
[siren wailing]
169
00:08:12,993 --> 00:08:15,994
[engine revving]
170
00:08:21,576 --> 00:08:22,584
[horn honks]
171
00:08:28,416 --> 00:08:29,899
- Wow, how different is this?
172
00:08:29,918 --> 00:08:31,659
♪ ♪
173
00:08:31,678 --> 00:08:34,346
It wasn't this easy to get in.
174
00:08:34,497 --> 00:08:36,072
From the beginning,
175
00:08:36,091 --> 00:08:38,424
Gene felt more like a relative.
176
00:08:38,577 --> 00:08:39,926
- I guess
that's the electric lady.
177
00:08:40,078 --> 00:08:44,247
- I felt real fortunate to have met him
178
00:08:44,266 --> 00:08:47,917
In spite of him driving me crazy a lot of times.
179
00:08:47,936 --> 00:08:51,530
- We were here.
I remember being in studio a
180
00:08:51,681 --> 00:08:55,091
When stevie was recording
"superstition."
181
00:08:55,110 --> 00:08:56,609
This way.
- Oh, there.
182
00:08:56,762 --> 00:08:58,762
Paul and I,
183
00:08:58,780 --> 00:09:02,448
The chemistry worked, but it didn't start that way.
184
00:09:02,601 --> 00:09:04,434
[guitar strums]
185
00:09:04,436 --> 00:09:06,603
- No picks?
- There's two.
186
00:09:06,621 --> 00:09:10,774
Well, I never met anybody else
who wrote songs.
187
00:09:10,776 --> 00:09:12,199
And this guy stephen coronel,
188
00:09:12,219 --> 00:09:13,218
Who was my school chum
189
00:09:13,295 --> 00:09:14,719
Growing up, said,
190
00:09:14,871 --> 00:09:16,555
"oh, this guy paul, you know,
he actually writes songs."
191
00:09:16,706 --> 00:09:20,450
And I actually said
something like, "oh, really?
192
00:09:20,468 --> 00:09:21,451
What do you got?"
193
00:09:21,469 --> 00:09:24,396
[strumming kiss' "let me know"]
194
00:09:24,547 --> 00:09:25,805
♪ ♪
195
00:09:25,957 --> 00:09:28,808
[kiss' "let me know"]
196
00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:33,238
♪ ♪
197
00:09:33,315 --> 00:09:34,798
- I picked up a guitar,
198
00:09:34,816 --> 00:09:36,816
And I played him "Sunday driver."
199
00:09:36,968 --> 00:09:40,245
- ♪ let me be your Sunday driver ♪
200
00:09:40,396 --> 00:09:44,416
♪ let me be your Monday man ♪
201
00:09:44,492 --> 00:09:46,567
♪ I'll take you anywhere you want ♪
202
00:09:46,587 --> 00:09:48,753
♪ just as fast as I can ♪
203
00:09:48,830 --> 00:09:51,756
♪ ♪
204
00:09:51,908 --> 00:09:53,908
That was called "Sunday driver."
205
00:09:53,927 --> 00:09:55,927
And that was changed
to "let me know"
206
00:09:56,079 --> 00:09:58,245
That we recorded,
and I went...
207
00:09:58,265 --> 00:09:59,989
"wow, that's a--
that's a good song."
208
00:10:00,008 --> 00:10:02,750
♪ just gotta decide, girl, and then you let me ♪
209
00:10:02,769 --> 00:10:07,421
Both: ♪ know oh oh oh ♪
210
00:10:07,441 --> 00:10:09,332
- And then gene played a song.
211
00:10:09,351 --> 00:10:11,776
- I played--did I play
"my uncle is a raft"?
212
00:10:11,928 --> 00:10:12,777
- Yes.
213
00:10:12,929 --> 00:10:15,930
[upbeat guitar music]
214
00:10:15,949 --> 00:10:19,951
♪ ♪
215
00:10:20,103 --> 00:10:22,436
- You played it like this.
216
00:10:22,456 --> 00:10:23,938
♪ my uncle is a raft ♪
217
00:10:23,957 --> 00:10:27,292
♪ and he doesn't even
know it ♪
218
00:10:27,443 --> 00:10:29,461
- ♪ he is so good to me ♪
219
00:10:29,612 --> 00:10:31,796
♪ he treats me tenderly ♪
220
00:10:31,873 --> 00:10:36,635
♪ and it doesn't matter who you are ♪
221
00:10:36,786 --> 00:10:38,303
- It was like...
"ah-cha-cha-cha."
222
00:10:38,380 --> 00:10:41,306
- He didn't think much of me.
He thought I was arrogant,
223
00:10:41,457 --> 00:10:43,624
An asshole,
and he thought my song sucked.
224
00:10:43,644 --> 00:10:47,537
- He was obnoxious, but look,
I'm the first to admit
225
00:10:47,539 --> 00:10:51,207
That the chances of success--
226
00:10:51,226 --> 00:10:54,227
Certainly on the level
that we've had--
227
00:10:54,379 --> 00:10:56,896
The chances of that
were slim and none.
228
00:10:57,048 --> 00:10:59,991
Meeting gene was--
was the key to it all.
229
00:11:00,143 --> 00:11:01,642
[rock music]
230
00:11:01,662 --> 00:11:03,328
Gene and I started writing,
231
00:11:03,479 --> 00:11:05,722
And what we were doing sounded good.
232
00:11:05,740 --> 00:11:07,573
It was fun. It was interesting.
233
00:11:07,726 --> 00:11:10,393
It was what became
wicked lester.
234
00:11:10,412 --> 00:11:11,836
♪ ♪
235
00:11:11,913 --> 00:11:15,064
- We had a five-piece band, stephen coronel,
236
00:11:15,066 --> 00:11:17,917
Who can play
a little lead guitar,
237
00:11:18,069 --> 00:11:20,512
A keyboard player
named brooke ostrander,
238
00:11:20,663 --> 00:11:24,683
And a drummer
who wasn't the best drummer.
239
00:11:24,759 --> 00:11:27,911
But he had cool long hair
and a handlebar mustache.
240
00:11:27,929 --> 00:11:29,688
He's got to be in the band.
241
00:11:29,839 --> 00:11:31,915
And we started rehearsing in a loft
242
00:11:31,917 --> 00:11:33,750
On mott street in chinatown
243
00:11:33,768 --> 00:11:36,586
Doing all-original material, about half of paul's songs,
244
00:11:36,604 --> 00:11:38,588
Half of my songs.
245
00:11:38,606 --> 00:11:41,533
- At the same time, in my neighborhood in queens
246
00:11:41,684 --> 00:11:44,761
There was a head shop, and I was hanging out there,
247
00:11:44,779 --> 00:11:48,114
Because I seemed
to fit in there better
248
00:11:48,266 --> 00:11:51,376
Than going to little league
or anything of that sort.
249
00:11:51,527 --> 00:11:53,770
And one day I came in, and they said,
250
00:11:53,788 --> 00:11:56,789
"hey, a guy was in this morning from electric lady."
251
00:11:56,942 --> 00:12:00,109
And that was like somebody
from valhalla,
252
00:12:00,128 --> 00:12:03,555
You know, somebody from,
you know, some hallowed ground,
253
00:12:03,631 --> 00:12:06,373
And they said, "yeah, we got
his phone number for you."
254
00:12:06,393 --> 00:12:09,469
And it had
a scribbled name "ron."
255
00:12:09,621 --> 00:12:12,472
[mid-tempo guitar music]
256
00:12:12,624 --> 00:12:15,400
♪ ♪
257
00:12:15,551 --> 00:12:20,739
- Electric lady studios was jimi hendrix's home.
258
00:12:20,890 --> 00:12:23,466
The '70s was the beginning
of the rise
259
00:12:23,485 --> 00:12:25,076
Of electric lady studios,
260
00:12:25,228 --> 00:12:27,971
And it had a vibe
like no other studio.
261
00:12:27,989 --> 00:12:29,396
♪ ♪
262
00:12:29,416 --> 00:12:31,641
It was built for jimi.
263
00:12:31,643 --> 00:12:34,160
And it attracted musicians,
264
00:12:34,312 --> 00:12:36,980
'cause they wanted to be part of that.
265
00:12:36,998 --> 00:12:39,983
You walk in that studio, and you want to make music.
266
00:12:40,001 --> 00:12:42,260
You want to play.
267
00:12:42,337 --> 00:12:43,669
- So I call up electric lady,
and I say,
268
00:12:43,822 --> 00:12:45,488
"hey, can I please
speak to ron?"
269
00:12:45,507 --> 00:12:49,601
And I called back over and over and over incessantly.
270
00:12:49,752 --> 00:12:51,511
And finally, one day I said,
271
00:12:51,663 --> 00:12:54,330
"you tell him that it's because
of people like him
272
00:12:54,349 --> 00:12:56,165
That bands like mine break up."
273
00:12:56,184 --> 00:12:57,758
- [laughs]
274
00:12:57,778 --> 00:12:59,185
- And that--that did it.
275
00:12:59,337 --> 00:13:01,838
[rock music]
276
00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:03,448
- In the wicked lester days,
277
00:13:03,599 --> 00:13:07,193
They were always hanging
outside picking up chicks.
278
00:13:07,345 --> 00:13:10,955
The scene on 8th street was really a fashion show,
279
00:13:11,107 --> 00:13:13,533
Lace and satin and platform boots,
280
00:13:13,685 --> 00:13:16,536
Just really hot women
that at that point
281
00:13:16,688 --> 00:13:19,022
I didn't have
a chance of getting.
282
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,800
- Like the doors of fantasyland,
283
00:13:21,951 --> 00:13:24,360
A world that we didn't have
access to.
284
00:13:24,362 --> 00:13:26,029
Nobody had the access.
285
00:13:26,047 --> 00:13:28,306
♪ ♪
286
00:13:28,457 --> 00:13:32,793
- We were that much closer to where we wanted to be.
287
00:13:32,813 --> 00:13:34,037
Just getting through the door
288
00:13:34,055 --> 00:13:37,540
At the top of these stairs
was monumental.
289
00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:39,818
- We were just eager beavers.
290
00:13:39,969 --> 00:13:41,561
We would literally hang out
291
00:13:41,713 --> 00:13:44,989
And see everybody from
stevie wonder to jeff beck.
292
00:13:45,141 --> 00:13:48,217
Actually, stephen stills
was in this recording booth.
293
00:13:48,236 --> 00:13:50,236
And stills comes out and says,
294
00:13:50,388 --> 00:13:51,888
"hey, I hear you've got a bass guitar
295
00:13:51,906 --> 00:13:53,739
"that sounds really good. How much do you want?"
296
00:13:53,892 --> 00:13:56,501
He pulled out
a wad of hundreds.
297
00:13:56,652 --> 00:13:59,078
And he just rolled off
three $100 bills.
298
00:13:59,230 --> 00:14:02,899
I went, "wow.
I want to be a rock star."
299
00:14:02,917 --> 00:14:04,584
Like, anybody you could imagine
300
00:14:04,736 --> 00:14:06,235
Were coming and going recording there.
301
00:14:06,254 --> 00:14:10,239
- So we spent a year working on an album.
302
00:14:10,258 --> 00:14:12,833
And we did it on
what's called spec time.
303
00:14:12,853 --> 00:14:16,079
You find out when a session
is going to end,
304
00:14:16,081 --> 00:14:19,858
And you sit and wait.
305
00:14:22,253 --> 00:14:24,529
You could be sitting there for six or seven hours.
306
00:14:24,606 --> 00:14:30,201
♪ ♪
307
00:14:30,278 --> 00:14:32,111
- At that point, wicked lester was following
308
00:14:32,263 --> 00:14:35,039
Almost every trend, whatever was hot.
309
00:14:35,116 --> 00:14:37,375
One song had flutes all over the place.
310
00:14:37,526 --> 00:14:39,860
It sounded like a jethro tull record.
311
00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:41,604
They were kind of throwing all their influences
312
00:14:41,606 --> 00:14:42,547
Into a melting pot.
313
00:14:42,624 --> 00:14:45,124
♪ ♪
314
00:14:45,276 --> 00:14:48,553
- If one week a song with a ukulele was a hit,
315
00:14:48,630 --> 00:14:50,704
We'd put a ukulele on the song.
316
00:14:50,724 --> 00:14:52,965
If next week there was a song
that had a trombone...
317
00:14:53,118 --> 00:14:54,058
[imitates trombone tooting]
318
00:14:54,135 --> 00:14:55,876
We'd put a trombone on.
319
00:14:55,896 --> 00:14:59,122
- We knew nothing, nothing about the recording process,
320
00:14:59,140 --> 00:15:00,640
What these songs should sound like.
321
00:15:00,792 --> 00:15:02,901
♪ ♪
322
00:15:03,052 --> 00:15:06,738
But somehow ron johnsen at electric lady studios
323
00:15:06,889 --> 00:15:09,073
Brought the tape to epic records,
324
00:15:09,150 --> 00:15:10,742
And we got signed right away.
325
00:15:10,818 --> 00:15:12,301
♪ ♪
326
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:16,414
- And when the album wasn't too far from coming out,
327
00:15:16,565 --> 00:15:20,084
We listened and went, "this is soul-less, ball-less,
328
00:15:20,161 --> 00:15:22,921
Just a neutered hodgepodge of music."
329
00:15:23,072 --> 00:15:24,905
It wasn't working,
and it wasn't cohesive,
330
00:15:24,925 --> 00:15:25,982
And it didn't look great.
331
00:15:25,984 --> 00:15:27,500
- The sound was generic,
332
00:15:27,652 --> 00:15:29,093
And we didn't want
to be generic.
333
00:15:29,170 --> 00:15:31,837
And every song sounded
different than the other.
334
00:15:31,990 --> 00:15:33,489
♪ ♪
335
00:15:33,508 --> 00:15:36,993
- We literally walked out of electric lady studios.
336
00:15:37,011 --> 00:15:39,753
We had a contract;
we got some money.
337
00:15:39,773 --> 00:15:41,773
I don't know, $44,000,
338
00:15:41,849 --> 00:15:44,684
Some ridiculous figure
in those days,
339
00:15:44,836 --> 00:15:46,352
Which sounded like
a lot of money.
340
00:15:46,504 --> 00:15:48,279
And you know what?
It wasn't satisfying.
341
00:15:48,356 --> 00:15:49,781
♪ ♪
342
00:15:49,857 --> 00:15:51,507
- The other guys in the band were just happy
343
00:15:51,509 --> 00:15:53,934
To have an album; we weren't.
344
00:15:53,954 --> 00:15:55,178
Gene and I just realized
345
00:15:55,196 --> 00:15:57,863
That this wasn't
the direction for us.
346
00:15:58,016 --> 00:15:59,365
♪ ♪
347
00:15:59,442 --> 00:16:02,018
We had to scrap it in order to get back on the path
348
00:16:02,020 --> 00:16:03,795
That we should have been on.
349
00:16:03,871 --> 00:16:05,855
- So we told the rest
of the guys in the band,
350
00:16:05,873 --> 00:16:09,041
"you're fired.
We're pulling the band apart."
351
00:16:09,194 --> 00:16:10,468
- The guys in the band
were going,
352
00:16:10,619 --> 00:16:13,620
"no, no, no, no.
We have a record deal."
353
00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:14,955
- "you can't fire us."
354
00:16:14,975 --> 00:16:16,891
- "we're staying."
- "okay, then we quit."
355
00:16:21,481 --> 00:16:23,297
[birds chirping]
356
00:16:23,316 --> 00:16:24,874
- We went back to the loft,
357
00:16:24,892 --> 00:16:26,633
And all the equipment was stolen.
358
00:16:26,653 --> 00:16:28,152
You remember that?
359
00:16:28,304 --> 00:16:32,156
And I remember,
"gotta start all over again."
360
00:16:32,308 --> 00:16:35,994
So I went to university,
upstate new york.
361
00:16:36,145 --> 00:16:37,996
And I think I remember saying,
362
00:16:38,072 --> 00:16:40,832
"I'm gonna go up there,
you know, and start a band."
363
00:16:40,908 --> 00:16:43,668
And you in essence said,
"I'm coming with you."
364
00:16:43,819 --> 00:16:45,003
You remember that?
- Mm-hmm.
365
00:16:45,079 --> 00:16:46,912
- Why the hell would you
want to do that?
366
00:16:47,065 --> 00:16:50,508
- Because I knew I was
stronger with you.
367
00:16:50,659 --> 00:16:54,237
And even if you didn't
quite see at that point
368
00:16:54,255 --> 00:16:56,848
That you were stronger with me,
369
00:16:56,999 --> 00:16:59,408
Quite honestly,
I was more concerned with me.
370
00:16:59,427 --> 00:17:03,763
And it was better to have you
with me than me alone.
371
00:17:03,915 --> 00:17:05,264
For gene and I,
372
00:17:05,416 --> 00:17:08,675
It was almost unspoken what needed to be done.
373
00:17:08,695 --> 00:17:12,438
- We started all over again
with new songs
374
00:17:12,590 --> 00:17:15,424
That were being written fast,
"deuce" and "strutter"
375
00:17:15,426 --> 00:17:19,203
And all these songs
that felt finally right.
376
00:17:19,355 --> 00:17:22,874
- We made it a point to only have one sound
377
00:17:23,025 --> 00:17:26,102
And that this would be identifiable.
378
00:17:26,104 --> 00:17:28,546
So we immediately started
to hone in
379
00:17:28,697 --> 00:17:31,791
On what we wanted to do, who we wanted to be.
380
00:17:31,943 --> 00:17:33,943
[rock music]
381
00:17:33,961 --> 00:17:36,054
- I remember being in a subway
382
00:17:36,130 --> 00:17:38,890
Going with paul back to queens.
383
00:17:39,041 --> 00:17:40,224
And I remember him saying,
384
00:17:40,301 --> 00:17:42,709
"stanley eisen,
that's not cool."
385
00:17:42,729 --> 00:17:45,304
- I hated my name.
386
00:17:45,456 --> 00:17:48,140
And I told my parents when I was six years old
387
00:17:48,293 --> 00:17:51,977
That I hated my name and that I was gonna change it.
388
00:17:52,130 --> 00:17:55,406
I really couldn't see, "the hottest band in the land
389
00:17:55,558 --> 00:18:00,411
Featuring stanley eisen
and chaim witz."
390
00:18:00,488 --> 00:18:03,915
- I remember him saying, "I'm gonna be paul stanley."
391
00:18:03,991 --> 00:18:05,474
Paul stanley. That's interesting.
392
00:18:05,476 --> 00:18:07,752
And I remember turning around
and saying,
393
00:18:07,829 --> 00:18:10,237
"and I'm gonna be gene
simmons," just like that.
394
00:18:10,256 --> 00:18:12,924
[percussive music]
395
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,152
- So gene and I wrote all these new songs.
396
00:18:16,170 --> 00:18:19,079
And now we needed a band.
397
00:18:19,099 --> 00:18:22,266
- And I remember paul and I saw an ad in "rolling stone,"
398
00:18:22,418 --> 00:18:26,512
And I made the phone call
on a pay phone.
399
00:18:26,664 --> 00:18:28,106
"hi, how you doing? I'm gene simmons,
400
00:18:28,257 --> 00:18:30,441
And I'm looking
for peter criscuola."
401
00:18:30,518 --> 00:18:32,443
[percussive music]
402
00:18:32,595 --> 00:18:35,004
- Peter criss played in a lot of local bands
403
00:18:35,022 --> 00:18:37,448
In new york city
404
00:18:37,525 --> 00:18:40,526
Playing in the village, playing every club he could,
405
00:18:40,678 --> 00:18:43,696
Really, really worked hard to make it.
406
00:18:43,848 --> 00:18:45,939
And I think he was ready to throw in the towel
407
00:18:45,959 --> 00:18:48,459
If he didn't make it with paul and gene.
408
00:18:48,536 --> 00:18:51,462
- I got this crazy call from the bass player gene.
409
00:18:51,539 --> 00:18:53,131
He goes, "are you skinny?" I said, "yeah."
410
00:18:53,207 --> 00:18:54,857
He goes, "you have long hair?" I said, "yeah."
411
00:18:54,876 --> 00:18:55,875
"would you like to wear makeup?
412
00:18:56,027 --> 00:18:57,135
"would you do anything?
413
00:18:57,211 --> 00:18:58,619
Would you wear a dress on stage?"
414
00:18:58,638 --> 00:18:59,804
And I said, "yeah, I'd do anything to make it."
415
00:18:59,955 --> 00:19:03,141
And he goes, "well, come on down."
416
00:19:03,217 --> 00:19:04,642
♪ ♪
417
00:19:04,793 --> 00:19:08,462
- We initially thought maybe we'll do a power trio,
418
00:19:08,481 --> 00:19:11,315
Big chords, big riffs.
419
00:19:11,467 --> 00:19:12,633
It was good enough for the who.
420
00:19:12,652 --> 00:19:14,485
It was good enough for hendrix.
421
00:19:14,562 --> 00:19:15,987
And peter had that whiskey voice,
422
00:19:16,063 --> 00:19:18,656
So we can do a three-part harmony as well.
423
00:19:18,733 --> 00:19:20,491
So we rehearsed as a trio.
424
00:19:20,643 --> 00:19:24,387
But it didn't feel yet like the full sound.
425
00:19:24,405 --> 00:19:27,056
We need a lead guitarist.
426
00:19:27,074 --> 00:19:28,666
- I put an ad in "the village voice,
427
00:19:28,743 --> 00:19:31,836
"lead guitarist wanted
with flash and balls."
428
00:19:31,913 --> 00:19:35,398
But "the village voice" wouldn't let us say "balls."
429
00:19:35,416 --> 00:19:38,417
So it became
"flash and ability."
430
00:19:38,569 --> 00:19:41,253
- And we had
everybody come down.
431
00:19:41,406 --> 00:19:44,073
- And towards the end of auditions this kid
432
00:19:44,091 --> 00:19:46,017
When he walked in kind of sauntered in,
433
00:19:46,093 --> 00:19:48,594
Not very steady on his feet,
one orange sneaker,
434
00:19:48,746 --> 00:19:52,523
One red sneaker,
and he plugged in.
435
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,692
- The first song they played for me was "deuce."
436
00:19:54,843 --> 00:19:56,677
You know, they just said we're gonna play this song.
437
00:19:56,696 --> 00:19:59,846
It's in the key of a, tuned down a half step, of course,
438
00:19:59,866 --> 00:20:03,201
And I just jammed and played every riff I knew.
439
00:20:03,277 --> 00:20:05,203
[kiss' "deuce"]
440
00:20:05,279 --> 00:20:07,872
- The kid started playing,
and I knew right then
441
00:20:07,949 --> 00:20:10,374
And there that we had it...
442
00:20:10,451 --> 00:20:13,044
♪ ♪
443
00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:14,378
Not because we were great,
444
00:20:14,455 --> 00:20:17,215
But there was something sonically happening.
445
00:20:17,366 --> 00:20:18,716
The four of us got together,
446
00:20:18,867 --> 00:20:22,127
And there was something going on that was undeniable.
447
00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,798
The sum greater than its parts.
This is the band.
448
00:20:25,950 --> 00:20:28,559
- ♪ get up and get your grandma outta here ♪
449
00:20:28,636 --> 00:20:29,952
- I guess it's like love.
450
00:20:29,954 --> 00:20:31,971
When you feel it, it's instantaneous,
451
00:20:32,123 --> 00:20:33,639
And you know when it's real.
452
00:20:33,791 --> 00:20:36,625
He started playing, and I
don't know what I can say.
453
00:20:36,644 --> 00:20:38,569
We fell in love.
It was like...[gasps]
454
00:20:38,721 --> 00:20:41,814
♪ baby, do the things he says to do ♪
455
00:20:41,966 --> 00:20:43,741
- When you think about that guy,
456
00:20:43,818 --> 00:20:44,817
That's rock 'n' roll
457
00:20:44,969 --> 00:20:46,393
Guitar playing,
458
00:20:46,471 --> 00:20:49,822
Almost like a rhythm and blues,
honky-tonk guitar player.
459
00:20:49,974 --> 00:20:51,323
- There's that sound,
460
00:20:51,476 --> 00:20:53,417
That thing we haven't
heard up until now.
461
00:20:53,494 --> 00:20:57,755
♪ ♪
462
00:20:57,906 --> 00:21:00,649
Slow, melodic, but fast when it needs to be
463
00:21:00,651 --> 00:21:02,260
With a crescendo that builds.
464
00:21:02,411 --> 00:21:05,821
- Simple and emotive
and tasteful leads.
465
00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:07,414
- His solos made sense.
466
00:21:07,433 --> 00:21:09,600
♪ ♪
467
00:21:09,752 --> 00:21:11,602
- And we immediately went,
"do you have a band?
468
00:21:11,679 --> 00:21:12,828
"where do you live?
Do you have a job?
469
00:21:12,847 --> 00:21:14,755
What's your name?"
"call me ace."
470
00:21:14,774 --> 00:21:17,333
♪ ♪
471
00:21:17,335 --> 00:21:18,667
- After they heard me wail,
472
00:21:18,686 --> 00:21:21,337
They knew right away that I was the guy.
473
00:21:21,355 --> 00:21:25,174
♪ ♪
474
00:21:25,192 --> 00:21:26,692
- Now, what are we
gonna look like?
475
00:21:26,844 --> 00:21:31,438
[rock music]
476
00:21:31,457 --> 00:21:38,445
♪ ♪
477
00:21:38,464 --> 00:21:43,301
New york, early '73, it was the glitter scene.
478
00:21:43,452 --> 00:21:48,306
- This undertone, so to speak, of art and music and fashion.
479
00:21:48,457 --> 00:21:50,866
- It was incredible.
480
00:21:50,885 --> 00:21:53,311
- And the new york dolls were the darlings
481
00:21:53,387 --> 00:21:55,146
Of the rock scene.
482
00:21:55,222 --> 00:21:59,633
♪ ♪
483
00:21:59,652 --> 00:22:01,377
- I remember going to see the new york dolls,
484
00:22:01,379 --> 00:22:02,803
And in the early stages,
485
00:22:02,822 --> 00:22:04,396
They were ahead of us
by about six months.
486
00:22:04,549 --> 00:22:06,715
And they looked great.
- Fabulous.
487
00:22:06,717 --> 00:22:08,901
Big, teased hair, lipstick,
488
00:22:09,053 --> 00:22:10,736
Platform boots.
489
00:22:10,888 --> 00:22:13,313
Their waists were like my wrist.
490
00:22:13,333 --> 00:22:15,224
They looked like stars.
491
00:22:15,226 --> 00:22:18,985
But when it came to them
musically...
492
00:22:19,005 --> 00:22:21,655
Gene and I looked at each other
and said, "we'll kill 'em."
493
00:22:21,674 --> 00:22:25,734
♪ ♪
494
00:22:25,753 --> 00:22:28,587
- We tried to do the androgynous thing,
495
00:22:28,739 --> 00:22:30,255
But we weren't convincing at it.
496
00:22:30,408 --> 00:22:32,999
I'm 6'2", and at the time, I weighed 200 pounds.
497
00:22:33,019 --> 00:22:35,077
And it's not convincing
498
00:22:35,096 --> 00:22:37,521
When a big guy starts to prance around.
499
00:22:37,673 --> 00:22:40,583
- The dolls looked the part.
500
00:22:40,601 --> 00:22:45,087
We looked more like linebackers in drag.
501
00:22:45,106 --> 00:22:47,439
No matter who you aspire to be,
502
00:22:47,592 --> 00:22:49,700
You're never going to be better at being them
503
00:22:49,777 --> 00:22:53,946
Than they are, so you got to be the best you.
504
00:22:54,098 --> 00:22:58,100
It's so hard to verbalize
how the kiss makeup came about.
505
00:22:58,102 --> 00:22:59,768
- One of us--
could have been me,
506
00:22:59,787 --> 00:23:01,437
Could have been
anybody else--said,
507
00:23:01,455 --> 00:23:04,698
"hey, let's go to woolworths and buy some clown makeup."
508
00:23:04,717 --> 00:23:08,368
- There was no talk of what we were going to do.
509
00:23:08,388 --> 00:23:11,296
- It's like when you're a kid
and one of your friends says,
510
00:23:11,449 --> 00:23:15,208
"hey, let's jump into the deep end of the pool."
511
00:23:15,228 --> 00:23:19,397
- Everybody just tapped into
a part of who they were.
512
00:23:19,548 --> 00:23:21,732
- Basically, they're kind of extensions of our,
513
00:23:21,809 --> 00:23:24,810
You know, alter egos and our personalities.
514
00:23:24,962 --> 00:23:27,238
- For paul, it was the butterfly
515
00:23:27,389 --> 00:23:30,482
Out of the caterpillar, if you will.
516
00:23:30,635 --> 00:23:32,651
- I can remember being in third grade
517
00:23:32,803 --> 00:23:34,912
And my teacher had me come up
518
00:23:34,989 --> 00:23:37,915
To the front of the room so she could look at my ear.
519
00:23:38,066 --> 00:23:41,752
I felt incredibly degraded.
520
00:23:41,904 --> 00:23:46,257
But really your choice in life is to use being a victim
521
00:23:46,333 --> 00:23:50,986
As an excuse or you suit up.
522
00:23:51,005 --> 00:23:53,264
The whole character that I came up with,
523
00:23:53,415 --> 00:23:56,600
Great-looking,
confident, brash,
524
00:23:56,752 --> 00:23:59,437
The front man might as well have been
525
00:23:59,588 --> 00:24:02,514
A wish list of things that I wasn't,
526
00:24:02,667 --> 00:24:05,000
Things I became.
527
00:24:05,019 --> 00:24:07,002
♪ ♪
528
00:24:07,021 --> 00:24:10,281
- I wanted to delve
a little deeper
529
00:24:10,432 --> 00:24:12,265
Into what I loved growing up,
530
00:24:12,285 --> 00:24:16,120
"the phantom of the opera"
with mary philbin
531
00:24:16,271 --> 00:24:18,289
As the girl who unmasks him.
532
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:19,531
I'll never forget as a kid
533
00:24:19,684 --> 00:24:21,292
It frightened the hell out of me.
534
00:24:21,443 --> 00:24:23,944
The shadows hit the phantom's face.
535
00:24:23,963 --> 00:24:27,856
And I remember starting to draw that face,
536
00:24:27,858 --> 00:24:31,952
The imprint of the shadow on the eyes.
537
00:24:31,971 --> 00:24:36,215
And that was the beginning of the demon.
538
00:24:36,367 --> 00:24:38,809
- I may be the voice of kiss,
539
00:24:38,886 --> 00:24:42,295
But gene has always been
the face of the kiss.
540
00:24:42,315 --> 00:24:45,149
It's just, man,
he hit a home run.
541
00:24:45,300 --> 00:24:47,985
[ball hits bat thwack, crowd cheers]
542
00:24:48,062 --> 00:24:51,563
Ace's makeup, his jagged design,
543
00:24:51,716 --> 00:24:54,992
For him symbolized being a spaceman.
544
00:24:55,069 --> 00:24:56,719
- Ace has always been spacey and stuff,
545
00:24:56,737 --> 00:24:58,311
And he would verbalize it.
546
00:24:58,331 --> 00:24:59,404
"I can't even stand up
straight,
547
00:24:59,557 --> 00:25:02,500
And I can't-- my equilibrium."
548
00:25:02,651 --> 00:25:05,911
- Peter felt like a cat or felt
like he had nine lives.
549
00:25:06,063 --> 00:25:07,396
- Peter just shrugged
his shoulders,
550
00:25:07,414 --> 00:25:09,507
"I like cats." [cat meows]
551
00:25:09,658 --> 00:25:12,993
And he put on the cat
just like that.
552
00:25:13,012 --> 00:25:16,421
- But it all worked
beautifully together.
553
00:25:16,574 --> 00:25:18,331
That was the start.
554
00:25:18,351 --> 00:25:22,335
We were stage-ready to go out there and take on the world.
555
00:25:22,355 --> 00:25:26,098
Then it was, "okay, what are
we gonna call ourselves?"
556
00:25:26,250 --> 00:25:28,174
- And I knew...
557
00:25:28,194 --> 00:25:31,086
Be it a kiss of death,
a passionate kiss...
558
00:25:31,105 --> 00:25:32,771
[crowd yelling]
559
00:25:32,923 --> 00:25:35,440
- It just made so much sense.
560
00:25:35,593 --> 00:25:39,778
You know, I took a deep breath
and said, "what about kiss?"
561
00:25:39,930 --> 00:25:41,997
- Ladies and gentlemen, kiss!
562
00:25:48,697 --> 00:25:51,123
- You originally put whiteface on
563
00:25:51,275 --> 00:25:54,777
And had a round circle
like pete the dog.
564
00:25:54,795 --> 00:25:56,128
- Petey, petey the dog.
565
00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,556
- On "the little rascals,"
young--"little rascals."
566
00:25:58,707 --> 00:26:00,874
And it may have been ace
who said,
567
00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:02,618
"you're the rock star.
You want to be a rock star.
568
00:26:02,620 --> 00:26:05,729
Why don't you put two stars
on your eyes?"
569
00:26:05,806 --> 00:26:07,456
And how did you
wind up with one?
570
00:26:07,458 --> 00:26:11,235
- I think it's because my face
is asymmetric or was
571
00:26:11,386 --> 00:26:12,736
Because of my ears
572
00:26:12,888 --> 00:26:16,815
That I think I fell into,
you know, something asymmetric.
573
00:26:16,967 --> 00:26:19,651
I remember seeing gene's hair
on top of his head
574
00:26:19,804 --> 00:26:21,394
And thinking, "that's so cool."
575
00:26:21,414 --> 00:26:23,747
I almost was going
to take all my hair.
576
00:26:23,824 --> 00:26:24,990
- Oh, really?
- Yeah.
577
00:26:25,142 --> 00:26:27,585
And pull it up
to the top of my head.
578
00:26:27,661 --> 00:26:32,998
But there was a physical aspect
that I didn't want to reveal.
579
00:26:33,150 --> 00:26:35,834
[crowd chattering]
580
00:26:35,986 --> 00:26:37,595
- One, two, three, four.
581
00:26:37,746 --> 00:26:40,656
[kiss' "strutter"]
582
00:26:40,674 --> 00:26:47,688
♪ ♪
583
00:26:51,110 --> 00:26:52,668
We started doing gigs,
584
00:26:52,686 --> 00:26:54,594
But we were never part
of the new york scene.
585
00:26:54,614 --> 00:26:58,949
♪ I know a thing or two about her ♪
586
00:26:59,026 --> 00:27:01,434
We were outcasts to the outcasts.
587
00:27:01,454 --> 00:27:04,696
♪ I know she only made you cry ♪
588
00:27:04,849 --> 00:27:06,457
- Unlike other new york bands that would play
589
00:27:06,608 --> 00:27:09,852
Max's kansas city and the mercer art center,
590
00:27:09,870 --> 00:27:11,444
Kiss were playing at a hole in the wall
591
00:27:11,464 --> 00:27:13,705
In queens called coventry or they were playing
592
00:27:13,858 --> 00:27:16,133
In amityville, new york, at the daisy.
593
00:27:16,284 --> 00:27:18,618
These places were 45 minutes away,
594
00:27:18,638 --> 00:27:20,804
But they were almost lifetimes away
595
00:27:20,956 --> 00:27:22,306
In the sense of the new york scene.
596
00:27:22,457 --> 00:27:24,383
- ♪ everybody says she's looking good ♪
597
00:27:24,535 --> 00:27:27,127
- I never wanted to be
the best band in new york.
598
00:27:27,146 --> 00:27:30,648
I wanted to be the best band in the world.
599
00:27:30,799 --> 00:27:33,651
- Everything we did we did ourselves.
600
00:27:33,802 --> 00:27:35,468
You know, we had to create ourselves,
601
00:27:35,488 --> 00:27:36,820
Design our own logos,
602
00:27:36,972 --> 00:27:38,714
Literally make our own clothes.
603
00:27:38,732 --> 00:27:42,976
We took a black t-shirt, put glue in the kiss logo,
604
00:27:42,995 --> 00:27:45,329
And then poured glitter on it.
605
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,481
Do whatever it is you got to do to set yourself apart,
606
00:27:48,501 --> 00:27:51,335
Just figure out yourself
what makes you special.
607
00:27:51,486 --> 00:27:55,989
We created kiss out of nowhere
out of our imagination.
608
00:27:56,008 --> 00:27:57,416
- Those first shows,
609
00:27:57,568 --> 00:27:59,826
I think there were probably five people,
610
00:27:59,845 --> 00:28:02,587
And they were at the bar.
611
00:28:02,740 --> 00:28:06,425
But we got in full makeup, went up there.
612
00:28:06,577 --> 00:28:09,019
When we first walked out, "all right, here they are.
613
00:28:09,096 --> 00:28:10,595
Nobody cares."
614
00:28:10,748 --> 00:28:13,524
And then within two or three
songs, everybody goes nuts.
615
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,268
[crowd whooping]
616
00:28:16,420 --> 00:28:18,770
- We played like it was madison square garden,
617
00:28:18,923 --> 00:28:22,441
And the audiences grew.
618
00:28:22,593 --> 00:28:25,944
- I remember being on that little small stage
619
00:28:26,096 --> 00:28:30,933
And looking across and seeing rock stars.
620
00:28:30,951 --> 00:28:34,027
♪ ♪
621
00:28:34,046 --> 00:28:39,032
The look, the song, all we needed was a demo.
622
00:28:39,051 --> 00:28:41,960
[bluesy guitar music]
623
00:28:42,112 --> 00:28:44,296
♪ ♪
624
00:28:44,448 --> 00:28:46,724
- Gene and I had done a lot of sessions
625
00:28:46,875 --> 00:28:48,392
At electric lady studios.
626
00:28:48,543 --> 00:28:50,802
We would sing backups on anything
627
00:28:50,955 --> 00:28:53,731
Where they needed extra
singers, and we would get paid.
628
00:28:53,882 --> 00:28:57,217
So we said,
"instead of paying us,
629
00:28:57,236 --> 00:28:59,311
"give us studio time.
630
00:28:59,463 --> 00:29:01,630
And you have to get
eddie kramer."
631
00:29:01,648 --> 00:29:03,131
♪ ♪
632
00:29:03,150 --> 00:29:06,559
- For his credits at the time,
you couldn't get higher.
633
00:29:06,579 --> 00:29:09,821
Hendrix, the beatles, zeppelin.
634
00:29:09,974 --> 00:29:12,916
- Eddie was lofty.
635
00:29:13,068 --> 00:29:16,311
This would be monumental,
a game changer for us.
636
00:29:16,330 --> 00:29:18,146
♪ ♪
637
00:29:18,165 --> 00:29:21,074
I said, does everybody want to boogie?
638
00:29:21,093 --> 00:29:22,742
Whoo! All right.
639
00:29:22,762 --> 00:29:24,244
[kiss' "watchin' you"]
640
00:29:24,263 --> 00:29:26,246
- Eddie kramer came to see us live,
641
00:29:26,265 --> 00:29:27,489
And he got it right away.
642
00:29:27,508 --> 00:29:30,267
- It was insane,
643
00:29:30,418 --> 00:29:33,678
Kabuki theater stuff, 4-, 5-, 6-inch boots,
644
00:29:33,831 --> 00:29:35,755
And just the energy.
645
00:29:35,775 --> 00:29:39,518
It was just
such a magical transformation
646
00:29:39,670 --> 00:29:41,945
Of the boys into those persona.
647
00:29:43,949 --> 00:29:46,191
So I said, "I'll do it.
648
00:29:46,343 --> 00:29:50,529
But we got to do it the
old-fashioned way, four-track."
649
00:29:50,681 --> 00:29:55,793
- ♪ livin' as you do, and I'm watching you, oh-oh ♪
650
00:29:55,944 --> 00:29:59,630
- In studio b right here we recorded "black diamond,"
651
00:29:59,706 --> 00:30:01,873
"watching you," "she,"
652
00:30:02,026 --> 00:30:03,859
"strutter," "deuce."
653
00:30:03,877 --> 00:30:06,804
♪ ♪
654
00:30:06,955 --> 00:30:10,808
Those first demos,
I put them on today,
655
00:30:10,959 --> 00:30:15,203
Still sounds good, because it's honest.
656
00:30:15,222 --> 00:30:17,706
- There's a purity and a naivete about it.
657
00:30:17,724 --> 00:30:19,149
♪ ♪
658
00:30:19,301 --> 00:30:23,153
The passion was undeniable.
659
00:30:23,305 --> 00:30:24,379
- ♪ what to do ♪
660
00:30:24,398 --> 00:30:28,826
♪ ♪
661
00:30:28,977 --> 00:30:33,497
Eddie kramer just let us
be authentically us.
662
00:30:33,648 --> 00:30:36,816
- Those demos,
that was done in one day.
663
00:30:36,836 --> 00:30:38,060
- ♪ watching us ♪
664
00:30:38,078 --> 00:30:39,503
♪ ♪
665
00:30:39,654 --> 00:30:41,004
♪ whoo ♪
666
00:30:41,156 --> 00:30:44,675
When we listen back to it
in totality, five or six songs,
667
00:30:44,826 --> 00:30:46,418
Gee, this sounds like a band.
668
00:30:46,570 --> 00:30:50,330
- That's what we went shopping for a deal with.
669
00:30:50,349 --> 00:30:52,407
[uneasy music]
670
00:30:52,426 --> 00:30:56,687
♪ ♪
671
00:30:56,838 --> 00:31:00,340
Whenever we would play, we would send invitations out
672
00:31:00,359 --> 00:31:04,252
To all the managers, booking agents, whoever.
673
00:31:04,271 --> 00:31:07,756
And at one of those shows, somebody had come from
674
00:31:07,774 --> 00:31:11,109
Rock steady,
somebody named bill aucoin.
675
00:31:11,261 --> 00:31:12,777
♪ ♪
676
00:31:12,930 --> 00:31:15,372
He was a television producer.
677
00:31:15,449 --> 00:31:18,876
And he had no background as a manager,
678
00:31:19,027 --> 00:31:21,361
But he just seemed to get us.
679
00:31:21,380 --> 00:31:22,938
- I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll get you a deal
680
00:31:22,956 --> 00:31:26,366
Within two weeks,
or we'll just call it quits.
681
00:31:26,385 --> 00:31:28,385
- So we signed.
682
00:31:28,536 --> 00:31:31,129
And right away,
this guy neil bogart shows up
683
00:31:31,281 --> 00:31:35,225
Debuting a new record label called casablanca records.
684
00:31:35,377 --> 00:31:37,394
- Casablanca record and filmworks.
685
00:31:37,545 --> 00:31:40,397
- And we would be the first act
on casablanca.
686
00:31:40,548 --> 00:31:41,881
- Music is gonna be fabulous.
687
00:31:41,901 --> 00:31:43,792
Entertainment's gonna
be spectacular.
688
00:31:43,810 --> 00:31:47,129
♪ ♪
689
00:31:47,147 --> 00:31:52,317
- Neil and bill, their vision
went so far beyond ours.
690
00:31:52,469 --> 00:31:55,820
And also bill's boyfriend sean.
691
00:31:55,973 --> 00:31:58,807
- Sean delaney was actually the guy...
692
00:31:58,825 --> 00:32:00,659
- Testing, one, two.
One, two. It's working.
693
00:32:00,811 --> 00:32:03,403
- Who first set up
video cameras for us.
694
00:32:03,422 --> 00:32:07,332
- Put your two lips together,
ladies and gentlemen, kiss!
695
00:32:07,484 --> 00:32:09,927
Kiss! Kiss!
696
00:32:10,003 --> 00:32:13,079
- And so we're able to see ourselves for the first time.
697
00:32:13,098 --> 00:32:16,082
[kiss' "deuce"]
698
00:32:16,101 --> 00:32:22,588
♪ ♪
699
00:32:22,608 --> 00:32:24,590
- I was stunned at what I saw.
700
00:32:24,610 --> 00:32:26,001
I wasn't doing anything,
701
00:32:26,019 --> 00:32:29,671
Going like this from 20 feet
away looks like nothing.
702
00:32:29,690 --> 00:32:33,283
- ♪ get up and get
your grandma outta here ♪
703
00:32:33,435 --> 00:32:35,343
- That was a wake-up call.
704
00:32:35,345 --> 00:32:39,014
I realized the stage
is prime real estate,
705
00:32:39,032 --> 00:32:41,792
And you've got to use up as much of it as possible,
706
00:32:41,943 --> 00:32:44,853
Legs apart, arms open.
707
00:32:44,871 --> 00:32:48,356
Everything has to be seen
from 300 feet away.
708
00:32:48,358 --> 00:32:50,041
♪ ♪
709
00:32:50,194 --> 00:32:52,118
We were in rehearsal one day.
710
00:32:52,137 --> 00:32:55,030
And I think just by chance
we did this,
711
00:32:55,048 --> 00:32:56,789
And when we finished the song,
sean said,
712
00:32:56,809 --> 00:32:58,867
"wait a minute.
713
00:32:58,885 --> 00:33:02,628
Do that move
where you rock back and forth."
714
00:33:02,648 --> 00:33:04,815
♪ ♪
715
00:33:04,966 --> 00:33:07,150
- And the reaction, I have to say, was like,
716
00:33:07,302 --> 00:33:09,044
"well, we're not
the temptations."
717
00:33:09,062 --> 00:33:11,137
- I don't want to be paul revere and the raiders,
718
00:33:11,156 --> 00:33:13,898
You know, all of us
jumping around together.
719
00:33:14,051 --> 00:33:15,717
- He goes, "don't worry about that.
720
00:33:15,719 --> 00:33:17,828
"you're in kiss.
721
00:33:17,904 --> 00:33:20,163
You can do anything."
722
00:33:20,315 --> 00:33:23,149
- And sure enough,
we're still doing it today.
723
00:33:23,168 --> 00:33:27,912
♪ ♪
724
00:33:28,065 --> 00:33:31,341
- Neil bogart with our manager bill aucoin, they said,
725
00:33:31,493 --> 00:33:33,659
"if you're going to be a live band, let's put together
726
00:33:33,679 --> 00:33:37,756
The biggest,
loudest statement
727
00:33:37,908 --> 00:33:40,666
Of any band ever."
728
00:33:40,686 --> 00:33:42,853
The only way you're gonna get attention from the masses
729
00:33:43,004 --> 00:33:46,431
Is by doing things much,
much bigger.
730
00:33:46,583 --> 00:33:48,525
It was neil bogart who had the idea,
731
00:33:48,602 --> 00:33:51,862
"I want the drum riser to levitate."
732
00:33:52,013 --> 00:33:53,922
They went up maybe 6 feet.
733
00:33:53,940 --> 00:33:55,532
♪ ♪
734
00:33:55,683 --> 00:33:58,368
- But nobody
had ever done that.
735
00:33:58,445 --> 00:34:00,428
- We went up to bill's office one day,
736
00:34:00,447 --> 00:34:02,855
And there was somebody else in the room.
737
00:34:02,875 --> 00:34:04,766
Could have been
amazo the magician.
738
00:34:04,785 --> 00:34:07,118
We said, "who's this guy?"
739
00:34:07,271 --> 00:34:08,953
- Bill aucoin said, "you guys are doing
740
00:34:09,106 --> 00:34:11,548
"a song called 'firehouse.'
741
00:34:11,699 --> 00:34:13,199
One of you guys
has to spit fire."
742
00:34:13,218 --> 00:34:14,776
- "who wants to try?"
743
00:34:14,795 --> 00:34:16,386
♪ ♪
744
00:34:16,463 --> 00:34:19,130
Literally the very first show we did,
745
00:34:19,283 --> 00:34:22,801
My hair went up like a [bleep] matchstick.
746
00:34:22,953 --> 00:34:25,878
And the fans loved it.
747
00:34:25,898 --> 00:34:28,565
- Bill was also the guy who came up with the idea,
748
00:34:28,716 --> 00:34:31,068
"you guys are never gonna
be seen without makeup."
749
00:34:31,219 --> 00:34:33,812
- He said to us, "marilyn monroe,
750
00:34:33,964 --> 00:34:35,054
"she never took a photo
751
00:34:35,074 --> 00:34:37,890
"where she looked frumpy
without her makeup.
752
00:34:37,910 --> 00:34:39,134
"whenever you saw her,
753
00:34:39,152 --> 00:34:42,228
"she was marilyn monroe 24 hours a day.
754
00:34:42,247 --> 00:34:44,397
That's what you guys should be doing."
755
00:34:44,416 --> 00:34:45,824
So we did.
756
00:34:45,976 --> 00:34:50,812
Our first album came out early February 1974.
757
00:34:50,831 --> 00:34:53,924
- The first album
was all those great songs
758
00:34:54,075 --> 00:34:56,409
That we had been playing
at coventry.
759
00:34:56,428 --> 00:34:58,336
- It's crazy when you think about it.
760
00:34:58,488 --> 00:35:00,171
There was nothing
out there like us.
761
00:35:00,324 --> 00:35:04,601
- It had to work.
We were unstoppable.
762
00:35:04,752 --> 00:35:06,603
- They went out on the road
763
00:35:06,754 --> 00:35:11,274
And just kicked ass
for pretty much two years.
764
00:35:11,351 --> 00:35:14,669
- Bondage gear, blood spurting,
765
00:35:14,688 --> 00:35:18,448
Overkill kabuki makeup.
766
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,675
Gene's tongue getting closer to ace and ace
767
00:35:20,694 --> 00:35:24,121
Sort of recoiling back
but not too far back.
768
00:35:24,272 --> 00:35:27,273
Billowing smoke, shooting rockets across the stage.
769
00:35:27,292 --> 00:35:29,868
Kiss was about to be...
770
00:35:30,020 --> 00:35:34,038
- Rock 'n' roll!
771
00:35:34,191 --> 00:35:36,782
- The most dangerous
and feared band in america.
772
00:35:36,802 --> 00:35:38,376
♪ ♪
773
00:35:38,528 --> 00:35:40,137
[cheers and applause]
774
00:35:46,036 --> 00:35:48,203
- Please welcome one of the most unusual bands, kiss!
775
00:35:48,221 --> 00:35:50,889
- Hey, world. We're kiss.
776
00:35:51,041 --> 00:35:53,299
We want everybody here
to come along with us,
777
00:35:53,318 --> 00:35:55,318
'cause you've got nothing
to lose.
778
00:35:55,395 --> 00:35:56,636
Two, three, four.
779
00:35:56,655 --> 00:35:59,472
- Those first two or three tours,
780
00:35:59,491 --> 00:36:01,908
It was us against the world.
781
00:36:03,236 --> 00:36:08,056
200 shows the first year in a station wagon,
782
00:36:08,074 --> 00:36:09,891
Doubling up on rooms,
783
00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:14,062
Making a glorious $75 a week.
784
00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,064
But it was a magical time.
785
00:36:16,082 --> 00:36:18,842
♪ before I had a baby ♪
786
00:36:18,993 --> 00:36:22,828
♪ I didn't care anyway ♪
787
00:36:22,848 --> 00:36:25,998
♪ I thought about the back door ♪
788
00:36:26,018 --> 00:36:30,020
♪ I didn't know what to say yeah yeah ♪
789
00:36:30,096 --> 00:36:32,355
- When we went out on our first tour,
790
00:36:32,507 --> 00:36:34,173
Our parents drove us to the airport
791
00:36:34,193 --> 00:36:36,418
Like we were going to summer camp,
792
00:36:36,436 --> 00:36:38,862
And we were going to a--
a whorehouse.
793
00:36:39,013 --> 00:36:40,939
- ♪ you got nothin' nothin' to lose ♪
794
00:36:41,091 --> 00:36:44,016
- Chicks. And wake up with girls
795
00:36:44,036 --> 00:36:46,852
Whose name you'd never bothered to learn.
796
00:36:46,872 --> 00:36:48,430
Wow, this is a good job.
797
00:36:48,448 --> 00:36:50,448
- ♪ ahh yeah ♪
798
00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:55,378
- What we had been singing about and fantasizing about,
799
00:36:55,455 --> 00:36:59,549
It actually existed just the way we thought it did.
800
00:36:59,626 --> 00:37:02,610
We were experiencing this
together for the first time.
801
00:37:02,629 --> 00:37:07,057
Both: ♪ you got, you got,
you got nothin' to lose ♪
802
00:37:07,208 --> 00:37:11,469
- It was like all for one,
one for all, like brothers.
803
00:37:11,621 --> 00:37:13,304
- It was a constant party.
804
00:37:13,457 --> 00:37:15,139
And it was great.
805
00:37:15,292 --> 00:37:16,549
- Sure, there was some drinking
806
00:37:16,568 --> 00:37:18,793
And sure, there was some drugs.
807
00:37:18,812 --> 00:37:21,721
But the shows were killer.
808
00:37:21,740 --> 00:37:24,724
Every single show we would get encores,
809
00:37:24,743 --> 00:37:28,060
And our road manager noticed that the headlining act--
810
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:29,471
I think it was argent--
811
00:37:29,489 --> 00:37:32,490
Kept pulling our power
so we couldn't do encores.
812
00:37:32,642 --> 00:37:34,826
At the end of one of our sets, all of a sudden,
813
00:37:34,978 --> 00:37:37,979
"wow, we have power.
Let's go back out again."
814
00:37:37,998 --> 00:37:40,315
- Then we heard that our road manager
815
00:37:40,333 --> 00:37:43,426
Had pulled one of these bowie
knives on the tour manager
816
00:37:43,578 --> 00:37:47,338
And locked him
in one of their road cases.
817
00:37:47,491 --> 00:37:50,825
[cheers and applause]
818
00:37:50,844 --> 00:37:53,603
We went across america,
wound up on the west coast,
819
00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:56,606
And literally ran out of bands
to play with,
820
00:37:56,683 --> 00:37:58,108
'cause they kicked us off
tours,
821
00:37:58,259 --> 00:38:00,168
'cause we kept blowing them
off the stage.
822
00:38:00,186 --> 00:38:02,445
- We were literally stuck there.
823
00:38:02,522 --> 00:38:04,281
We didn't have enough money to go home.
824
00:38:04,432 --> 00:38:07,433
And we had shows coming up
in two weeks.
825
00:38:07,452 --> 00:38:11,179
- We're staying at a motel someplace in san francisco.
826
00:38:11,197 --> 00:38:14,032
- "and we're eating beans and hot dogs out of a pot.
827
00:38:14,184 --> 00:38:15,517
How cool are we?"
828
00:38:15,535 --> 00:38:18,444
[cheers and applause]
829
00:38:18,463 --> 00:38:22,540
The first album, I think it sold about 60,000 copies.
830
00:38:22,692 --> 00:38:24,283
And it wasn't a big success.
831
00:38:24,303 --> 00:38:27,453
So we put out another album.
832
00:38:27,472 --> 00:38:28,863
- A big san francisco welcome
833
00:38:28,882 --> 00:38:31,032
For our special guest tonight,
kiss.
834
00:38:31,051 --> 00:38:33,959
[kiss' "hotter than hell"]
835
00:38:33,979 --> 00:38:39,541
♪ ♪
836
00:38:39,559 --> 00:38:43,636
- ♪ she looked good,
she looked hotter than hell ♪
837
00:38:43,655 --> 00:38:46,714
♪ all dressed in satins
and lace ♪
838
00:38:46,733 --> 00:38:49,159
- And right around that time we had a, you know,
839
00:38:49,235 --> 00:38:52,645
A moment of sobriety with our record company president.
840
00:38:52,664 --> 00:38:55,665
- ♪ she showed me
her wedding band ♪
841
00:38:55,742 --> 00:38:57,316
"you guys are costing me a fortune.
842
00:38:57,336 --> 00:38:58,743
You don't have hit singles.
843
00:38:58,895 --> 00:39:01,062
And that's okay.
I'll stick with you.
844
00:39:01,081 --> 00:39:03,006
But you keep getting
thrown off tours."
845
00:39:03,157 --> 00:39:05,400
♪ ♪
846
00:39:05,418 --> 00:39:06,826
"I don't know how to tell you this,
847
00:39:06,845 --> 00:39:08,828
But you need to stay on a tour.
848
00:39:08,847 --> 00:39:11,906
Could you be less good?"
849
00:39:11,925 --> 00:39:15,910
And we literally said something like, "no way."
850
00:39:15,929 --> 00:39:17,187
You can't put a tiger out there
851
00:39:17,263 --> 00:39:18,671
In front of lambs
and everything,
852
00:39:18,690 --> 00:39:20,339
"do you mind just walking
by that lamb
853
00:39:20,359 --> 00:39:22,083
And don't tear its throat out?"
854
00:39:22,102 --> 00:39:23,585
No, I'm a--I'm a [bleep] tiger.
855
00:39:23,603 --> 00:39:24,586
[tiger roars]
856
00:39:24,604 --> 00:39:25,678
It's what I do.
857
00:39:25,697 --> 00:39:28,089
♪ ♪
858
00:39:28,108 --> 00:39:31,534
- When I discovered them, I was 15, just turned 16.
859
00:39:31,686 --> 00:39:33,928
And I was one
of the very first kiss fans
860
00:39:33,930 --> 00:39:35,780
That I was ever aware of,
because I saw them
861
00:39:35,932 --> 00:39:37,281
In a magazine
called "rock scene."
862
00:39:37,434 --> 00:39:40,526
And that was their first time in a magazine.
863
00:39:40,545 --> 00:39:42,937
- This had to have
been back in 1974.
864
00:39:42,956 --> 00:39:45,940
And I got to the very back
of "circus--circus" magazine,
865
00:39:45,959 --> 00:39:47,775
And I saw this crazy hair and makeup, and I go,
866
00:39:47,794 --> 00:39:49,110
"what the hell is this?"
867
00:39:49,129 --> 00:39:50,628
- Then after I saw them in concert,
868
00:39:50,780 --> 00:39:52,222
Seeing them seals the deal.
869
00:39:52,373 --> 00:39:53,205
♪ ♪
870
00:39:53,225 --> 00:39:55,116
- Kiss was my first concert.
871
00:39:55,118 --> 00:39:57,727
And my ticket said
"a partial view of kiss."
872
00:39:57,804 --> 00:39:59,712
Now, I thought they were
gonna be revealing
873
00:39:59,731 --> 00:40:02,473
Some deep corner
of their poetic souls.
874
00:40:02,626 --> 00:40:05,735
It really meant that my seat
was behind a pole
875
00:40:05,812 --> 00:40:07,237
At the side of the stage.
876
00:40:07,313 --> 00:40:10,314
Despite that, it was still the most invigorating,
877
00:40:10,467 --> 00:40:13,726
Energizing, exciting two hours of rock 'n' roll music
878
00:40:13,745 --> 00:40:16,746
That I've seen to this day.
879
00:40:16,898 --> 00:40:18,322
[percussive music]
880
00:40:18,475 --> 00:40:20,250
- I've got a question for you.
881
00:40:20,401 --> 00:40:23,645
- Early on, the audience
was there to see the headliner.
882
00:40:23,663 --> 00:40:25,571
But soon enough, people were showing up
883
00:40:25,590 --> 00:40:27,999
At the concerts wearing our makeup.
884
00:40:28,151 --> 00:40:30,075
- Believe in rock 'n' roll?
885
00:40:30,095 --> 00:40:31,744
[cheers and applause]
886
00:40:31,763 --> 00:40:34,097
- Kiss first broke
in the midwest.
887
00:40:34,174 --> 00:40:39,418
And as an illinois lad myself, that is not surprising to me.
888
00:40:39,438 --> 00:40:43,347
The coasts may have been more drawn to t. Rex and bowie,
889
00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:47,426
But kiss really spoke
to suburban kids like myself.
890
00:40:47,446 --> 00:40:50,947
Like, you know, you're trapped
in some conservative suburb
891
00:40:51,098 --> 00:40:53,599
Where the best you can hope for ever
892
00:40:53,618 --> 00:40:55,677
Is to maybe get a job at the dairy queen
893
00:40:55,695 --> 00:40:57,845
And along comes kiss.
894
00:40:57,864 --> 00:41:01,273
And I could really see why it was cleveland...
895
00:41:01,293 --> 00:41:03,367
♪ ♪
896
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:07,130
Why it was detroit.
- How you feel, houston?
897
00:41:08,875 --> 00:41:13,118
- The working-class bombast
felt like it was built
898
00:41:13,138 --> 00:41:14,637
For the industrial midwest.
899
00:41:14,789 --> 00:41:17,456
♪ ♪
900
00:41:17,476 --> 00:41:21,719
- Do you feel all right?
901
00:41:21,871 --> 00:41:23,796
- Kiss represented something
902
00:41:23,815 --> 00:41:26,541
More than just music.
903
00:41:26,559 --> 00:41:28,485
Kiss seemed like theater.
904
00:41:28,636 --> 00:41:29,877
♪ ♪
905
00:41:29,896 --> 00:41:32,471
Kiss seemed like fantasy.
906
00:41:32,491 --> 00:41:34,398
- We had the most expensive show out there.
907
00:41:34,551 --> 00:41:37,643
- Come on and clap your hands.
908
00:41:37,662 --> 00:41:39,496
- And the scale kept getting bigger.
909
00:41:39,647 --> 00:41:42,815
♪ ♪
910
00:41:42,834 --> 00:41:45,502
We were selling out concerts.
911
00:41:45,653 --> 00:41:47,837
But the problem was, in those days,
912
00:41:47,914 --> 00:41:51,082
Record labels didn't get
any money from live concerts.
913
00:41:51,234 --> 00:41:53,492
All they got were the records.
914
00:41:53,512 --> 00:41:56,679
And so the label's losing money hand over fist.
915
00:41:56,756 --> 00:41:59,999
♪ ♪
916
00:42:00,018 --> 00:42:02,185
- I seem to remember bill aucoin saying to me,
917
00:42:02,262 --> 00:42:05,188
"you know, these guys are in
a little bit of trouble."
918
00:42:05,265 --> 00:42:06,505
♪ ♪
919
00:42:06,525 --> 00:42:09,359
- Neil bogart mortgaged his house.
920
00:42:09,510 --> 00:42:12,253
And he had kids and a marriage and all that.
921
00:42:12,272 --> 00:42:15,273
- The record company's really in dire straits.
922
00:42:15,425 --> 00:42:19,777
So the key factor here
was bill aucoin.
923
00:42:19,929 --> 00:42:22,597
Bill aucoin used his american express card
924
00:42:22,615 --> 00:42:26,358
To continue to finance touring.
925
00:42:26,378 --> 00:42:29,212
- He was going into great mountains of debt,
926
00:42:29,289 --> 00:42:32,197
And he was being chased by the creditors
927
00:42:32,217 --> 00:42:34,609
And was running away as quick as he could.
928
00:42:34,627 --> 00:42:38,296
- We didn't have hit singles,
no album sales, nothing.
929
00:42:38,448 --> 00:42:41,783
- And so financially we were in a lot of trouble.
930
00:42:41,801 --> 00:42:44,727
We were all in
a lot of trouble.
931
00:42:44,804 --> 00:42:46,120
- We thought the problem
932
00:42:46,122 --> 00:42:48,714
Was that we were
not played on radio at all.
933
00:42:48,733 --> 00:42:52,902
♪ ♪
934
00:42:58,225 --> 00:42:59,391
- Rock stations receive an average of 100
935
00:42:59,411 --> 00:43:00,968
Singles a week.
936
00:43:00,987 --> 00:43:03,137
Well-known groups can get their stuff on.
937
00:43:03,139 --> 00:43:04,806
For the unknowns to get on,
938
00:43:04,824 --> 00:43:06,082
Somebody must be willing to take a chance.
939
00:43:08,978 --> 00:43:12,589
- Stereo 101, chippin' away at the rock.
940
00:43:12,740 --> 00:43:14,816
- ♪ wvts ♪
941
00:43:14,834 --> 00:43:16,317
- Make your ears bleed and your...
942
00:43:16,336 --> 00:43:18,410
- It actually started organically
943
00:43:18,430 --> 00:43:20,488
In terre haute, indiana.
944
00:43:20,490 --> 00:43:22,657
The radio station
there wasn't playing kiss.
945
00:43:22,675 --> 00:43:25,827
- This was early 1975.
946
00:43:25,845 --> 00:43:27,328
The local radio station,
947
00:43:27,347 --> 00:43:30,589
Which was just a brick enclosure outside of town
948
00:43:30,609 --> 00:43:34,669
With an antenna on top in the middle of a cow pasture...
949
00:43:34,687 --> 00:43:36,929
- Wvts is now broadcasting...
950
00:43:36,948 --> 00:43:38,764
- A few people got together.
951
00:43:38,783 --> 00:43:41,025
There was a guy named starkey.
952
00:43:41,177 --> 00:43:42,360
[telephone rings]
953
00:43:42,512 --> 00:43:44,103
- He got in touch with the radio station.
954
00:43:44,122 --> 00:43:45,622
And he said, "listen, you got to play kiss.
955
00:43:45,698 --> 00:43:48,699
It's my favorite band."
956
00:43:48,852 --> 00:43:50,442
- "if you don't play kiss,
957
00:43:50,462 --> 00:43:52,870
The kiss army
will surround the station."
958
00:43:53,022 --> 00:43:55,690
- Vts with evans. Still nobody's out there.
959
00:43:55,708 --> 00:43:58,359
- The radio station thought that was very funny.
960
00:43:58,378 --> 00:44:00,285
But lo and behold,
when they didn't play kiss...
961
00:44:00,305 --> 00:44:01,954
- Bill starkey is here.
962
00:44:01,973 --> 00:44:04,623
You don't believe me. I've got my army out there.
963
00:44:04,643 --> 00:44:07,459
- The radio station
was surrounded.
964
00:44:07,479 --> 00:44:11,296
- And that's where the kiss army was born.
965
00:44:11,316 --> 00:44:13,224
- I've never seen something like this.
966
00:44:13,376 --> 00:44:15,134
I've been doing rock 'n' roll for 2 1/2 years,
967
00:44:15,153 --> 00:44:17,302
And I've never seen such mass participation.
968
00:44:17,322 --> 00:44:19,380
- It's a volunteer army.
969
00:44:19,399 --> 00:44:22,233
What could be better
than having people volunteer
970
00:44:22,385 --> 00:44:24,735
To wave the flag?
971
00:44:24,888 --> 00:44:28,831
- The fans and the band fell in love with each other.
972
00:44:28,908 --> 00:44:32,560
They tattoo their bodies with our faces.
973
00:44:32,578 --> 00:44:36,230
They name their children after our songs.
974
00:44:36,249 --> 00:44:39,992
There's some kind of
authentic soul connection.
975
00:44:40,011 --> 00:44:41,660
- Anything else before we move on?
976
00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:43,404
Let's play some kiss music.
977
00:44:43,423 --> 00:44:46,832
- But we still needed to write a hit.
978
00:44:46,851 --> 00:44:49,760
[rock music]
979
00:44:49,913 --> 00:44:52,689
♪ ♪
980
00:44:52,765 --> 00:44:54,673
- By our third record,
981
00:44:54,693 --> 00:44:56,675
Casablanca was in deep trouble.
982
00:44:56,695 --> 00:45:00,604
We made two albums right away
the first year, neither sold.
983
00:45:00,757 --> 00:45:02,014
The third album, neil bogart
984
00:45:02,033 --> 00:45:05,259
Decided to jump on and produce it for us.
985
00:45:05,278 --> 00:45:07,686
- We were back in new york city
986
00:45:07,706 --> 00:45:11,098
And trying to cut costs where we could.
987
00:45:11,117 --> 00:45:13,192
If you look at "dressed to kill,"
988
00:45:13,211 --> 00:45:16,361
The album cover, most of us didn't own suits.
989
00:45:16,381 --> 00:45:20,199
But bill aucoin, our manager, had closets full of suits.
990
00:45:20,218 --> 00:45:24,295
So we got suits from bill, and I'm wearing my dad's shoes
991
00:45:24,447 --> 00:45:28,540
'cause all my shoes
at that point had 8-inch heels.
992
00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:30,893
And that's all I had.
993
00:45:30,970 --> 00:45:33,045
- And then we met at neil bogart's office
994
00:45:33,064 --> 00:45:34,956
At casablanca records.
995
00:45:34,974 --> 00:45:37,066
He said, "you guys know who you are and all that stuff.
996
00:45:37,143 --> 00:45:39,143
"but you haven't told us.
997
00:45:39,295 --> 00:45:41,812
"politicians have a political platform.
998
00:45:41,965 --> 00:45:44,315
"hamburgers can have 'have it your way.'
999
00:45:44,467 --> 00:45:46,634
"we don't know
what you stand for.
1000
00:45:46,652 --> 00:45:48,970
You guys should write an anthem."
1001
00:45:48,988 --> 00:45:50,413
And I had never heard
that word before.
1002
00:45:50,490 --> 00:45:51,822
And I didn't know
what it meant.
1003
00:45:51,975 --> 00:45:53,732
- And said, "what do you mean
by an anthem?"
1004
00:45:53,752 --> 00:45:56,753
And he said, "well,
sly and the family stone have
1005
00:45:56,904 --> 00:46:00,648
"'I want to take you higher' or 'dance to the music,'
1006
00:46:00,666 --> 00:46:03,909
Songs their audience identify with."
1007
00:46:03,928 --> 00:46:06,170
- Where the words tell people
1008
00:46:06,322 --> 00:46:08,247
What you believe in
and who you are.
1009
00:46:08,266 --> 00:46:11,768
- And it was really perceptive,
the idea of having
1010
00:46:11,919 --> 00:46:14,604
A rallying cry,
a rallying song.
1011
00:46:14,755 --> 00:46:17,089
- And we went,
"oh, that's kind of cool."
1012
00:46:17,108 --> 00:46:21,778
♪ ♪
1013
00:46:21,929 --> 00:46:24,005
So paul and I, we started strumming guitar.
1014
00:46:24,023 --> 00:46:25,430
"how about this? How about that?"
1015
00:46:25,450 --> 00:46:28,618
I had a song called "drive me wild"
1016
00:46:28,694 --> 00:46:34,698
About a girl as a car, but it didn't have a chorus.
1017
00:46:34,851 --> 00:46:37,776
And then paul said, "why not like a party song?"
1018
00:46:37,796 --> 00:46:40,129
♪ the party's just begun, we'll let you in ♪
1019
00:46:40,281 --> 00:46:43,190
- I wanted to be a preacher of rock 'n' roll
1020
00:46:43,209 --> 00:46:47,361
And sing about the glory of this incredible music
1021
00:46:47,380 --> 00:46:50,364
That celebrated life.
1022
00:46:50,383 --> 00:46:52,216
But how do you put this
into a nutshell?
1023
00:46:52,368 --> 00:46:54,811
How do you--
how concise can this be?
1024
00:46:54,962 --> 00:46:56,461
And I picked up the guitar
and went...
1025
00:46:56,481 --> 00:47:00,316
♪ I wanna rock and roll
all night ♪
1026
00:47:00,467 --> 00:47:02,485
♪ and party every day ♪
1027
00:47:02,562 --> 00:47:04,562
♪ I wanna rock and roll ♪
1028
00:47:04,714 --> 00:47:07,472
So that it was emphatic,
and went right back to it.
1029
00:47:07,492 --> 00:47:10,051
- And when you stuck
those two bits together...
1030
00:47:10,069 --> 00:47:11,902
- It was magic.
1031
00:47:12,055 --> 00:47:17,391
All: ♪ I wanna rock and roll
all night ♪
1032
00:47:17,410 --> 00:47:19,484
♪ and party every day ♪
1033
00:47:19,504 --> 00:47:21,337
- It's just one of those songs.
1034
00:47:21,414 --> 00:47:23,397
It's like "happy birthday."
1035
00:47:23,416 --> 00:47:25,007
- Basically says it all
in the title.
1036
00:47:25,084 --> 00:47:27,735
And it's one way of looking at the world, which is,
1037
00:47:27,753 --> 00:47:30,179
"I want to rock 'n' roll all night and party every day."
1038
00:47:30,331 --> 00:47:31,514
There are some other problems in the world
1039
00:47:31,665 --> 00:47:32,849
That maybe we need
to deal with,
1040
00:47:32,925 --> 00:47:34,742
But that's for other bands.
1041
00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:38,913
- I just wanna rock and roll
all night and party every...
1042
00:47:38,931 --> 00:47:40,931
I've been there. It's fun.
1043
00:47:41,084 --> 00:47:45,862
All: ♪ I wanna
rock and roll all night ♪
1044
00:47:46,013 --> 00:47:48,513
♪ and party every day ♪
1045
00:47:48,533 --> 00:47:50,441
- We thought it was gonna be a big hit single,
1046
00:47:50,593 --> 00:47:53,518
But it became what's called a turntable hit.
1047
00:47:53,538 --> 00:47:55,020
It got played a lot.
1048
00:47:55,039 --> 00:47:56,688
[loud explosion]
1049
00:47:56,708 --> 00:47:58,791
But it didn't sell through.
1050
00:48:00,527 --> 00:48:02,545
"dressed to kill" bombed.
1051
00:48:04,457 --> 00:48:09,218
Neil had to resort to going to certain people with vowels
1052
00:48:09,370 --> 00:48:11,779
At the end
of their last names--
1053
00:48:11,797 --> 00:48:13,280
Let's not go farther
than that--
1054
00:48:13,299 --> 00:48:15,540
To borrow money.
1055
00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:17,284
- He was calling in favors, you know,
1056
00:48:17,303 --> 00:48:18,561
"we'll make good on this payment.
1057
00:48:18,712 --> 00:48:20,730
But if you could give me a few more months."
1058
00:48:20,881 --> 00:48:24,475
At that point I think it was a pretty precarious situation.
1059
00:48:24,627 --> 00:48:28,145
- Casablanca, they were really down to the last dollar.
1060
00:48:28,297 --> 00:48:30,740
♪ ♪
1061
00:48:30,891 --> 00:48:33,300
We hadn't broken through with records.
1062
00:48:33,319 --> 00:48:37,154
We had three studio albums
that just didn't sell.
1063
00:48:37,306 --> 00:48:38,489
They didn't go gold.
1064
00:48:38,641 --> 00:48:41,325
And so the record company
just went,
1065
00:48:41,477 --> 00:48:43,994
"well, you know, we don't want
to do another studio record.
1066
00:48:44,147 --> 00:48:45,404
"it's gonna be too expensive.
1067
00:48:45,423 --> 00:48:46,997
Let's just put out
a live record."
1068
00:48:47,150 --> 00:48:54,338
♪ ♪
1069
00:48:55,266 --> 00:48:58,008
- The first three studio albums really never captured
1070
00:48:58,161 --> 00:49:01,771
The essence of what the band was live.
1071
00:49:01,847 --> 00:49:04,999
So we went back
to eddie kramer.
1072
00:49:05,017 --> 00:49:07,351
He was the right person to do it.
1073
00:49:07,503 --> 00:49:10,688
- So I'm sitting in my office, and I get a phone call.
1074
00:49:10,840 --> 00:49:12,339
"hey, eddie, it's neil bogart.
1075
00:49:12,358 --> 00:49:15,267
Do you want to do
a kiss album live?"
1076
00:49:15,286 --> 00:49:16,786
♪ ♪
1077
00:49:16,862 --> 00:49:18,345
[cheers and applause]
1078
00:49:18,364 --> 00:49:21,457
The enormity of the sound, you know, the fans
1079
00:49:21,608 --> 00:49:25,628
The pa, the smoke, the bombs, the blood coming from gene.
1080
00:49:25,779 --> 00:49:30,967
I mean,
it's a total immersion in kiss.
1081
00:49:31,043 --> 00:49:35,546
Trying to capture that madness on tape,
1082
00:49:35,698 --> 00:49:39,958
This is a big challenge.
1083
00:49:39,978 --> 00:49:42,369
- "alive!" was the big gamble.
1084
00:49:42,388 --> 00:49:44,313
If it didn't hit with the seismic force
1085
00:49:44,390 --> 00:49:48,209
That kiss needed and bill aucoin and casablanca needed,
1086
00:49:48,227 --> 00:49:50,486
I think the whole thing would have went belly up.
1087
00:49:50,637 --> 00:49:51,612
[loud pop]
1088
00:49:58,387 --> 00:50:00,496
All: We want kiss!
We want kiss! We want kiss!
1089
00:50:00,647 --> 00:50:02,740
We want kiss! We want kiss!
1090
00:50:02,892 --> 00:50:06,669
- You wanted the best, and you got it.
1091
00:50:06,746 --> 00:50:09,580
The hottest band in the land, kiss!
1092
00:50:09,732 --> 00:50:12,491
[kiss' "deuce"]
1093
00:50:12,510 --> 00:50:19,348
♪ ♪
1094
00:50:20,910 --> 00:50:23,019
- "kiss alive!" when you listen to those songs,
1095
00:50:23,095 --> 00:50:26,004
They weren't reinventing
rock 'n' roll.
1096
00:50:26,024 --> 00:50:29,007
They were just doing
their ballistic version of it,
1097
00:50:29,027 --> 00:50:32,528
Huge and live and kiss.
1098
00:50:32,605 --> 00:50:37,258
- ♪ get up and get
your grandma outta here ♪
1099
00:50:37,276 --> 00:50:39,760
- Nobody would listen to that and go,
1100
00:50:39,779 --> 00:50:41,871
"gee, I went to a kiss concert.
That's not what it was like."
1101
00:50:42,022 --> 00:50:44,431
- ♪ old jim is workin' hard
this year ♪
1102
00:50:44,450 --> 00:50:46,709
- It is exactly what it was like.
1103
00:50:46,786 --> 00:50:48,210
- ♪ baby ♪
1104
00:50:48,362 --> 00:50:50,379
- But initially, when we bring the tapes
1105
00:50:50,531 --> 00:50:54,050
Back to electric lady, gene and paul said,
1106
00:50:54,126 --> 00:50:56,610
"nah, we got
to make it sound bigger."
1107
00:50:56,629 --> 00:51:00,130
- We wanted to put you
in the center of the audience.
1108
00:51:00,283 --> 00:51:02,299
- We took every tape machine that we could find
1109
00:51:02,451 --> 00:51:05,561
In the building
and ran 100-foot loops of tape.
1110
00:51:05,712 --> 00:51:10,399
And we had high screams, low screams,
1111
00:51:10,476 --> 00:51:12,810
Clapping, all these different things to just...
1112
00:51:12,962 --> 00:51:14,219
[mimics crowd cheering]
1113
00:51:14,238 --> 00:51:16,814
♪ ♪
1114
00:51:16,966 --> 00:51:19,241
[rapid riffing]
1115
00:51:19,393 --> 00:51:22,078
- ♪ ahh ♪
1116
00:51:22,154 --> 00:51:25,397
- We wanted you to hear the chaos going around.
1117
00:51:25,416 --> 00:51:30,235
But when you set off bombs,
microphones collapse.
1118
00:51:30,254 --> 00:51:33,497
So we replaced them
with prerecorded cannon.
1119
00:51:33,649 --> 00:51:34,982
[loud explosion]
1120
00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:36,258
- Let me just say this,
1121
00:51:36,410 --> 00:51:39,653
There is some contention
in the ranks
1122
00:51:39,655 --> 00:51:41,413
As to how much overdubbing
was done.
1123
00:51:41,432 --> 00:51:42,840
♪ ♪
1124
00:51:42,992 --> 00:51:44,916
- Were there mistakes?
Sure.
1125
00:51:44,936 --> 00:51:46,827
Do you want to hear a mistake
1126
00:51:46,846 --> 00:51:48,920
Every time you listen to a song?
1127
00:51:48,940 --> 00:51:53,183
No. So wherever play needed
to be redone,
1128
00:51:53,336 --> 00:51:54,668
We replayed.
1129
00:51:54,687 --> 00:51:57,187
- I can assure you, in my memory banks,
1130
00:51:57,340 --> 00:52:00,116
It was a shitload of stuff
we had to do.
1131
00:52:00,267 --> 00:52:02,118
But it sounds great.
1132
00:52:02,194 --> 00:52:05,770
- That album is considered one of the greatest live albums
1133
00:52:05,790 --> 00:52:08,457
Not because it's exactly what happened
1134
00:52:08,609 --> 00:52:14,204
But because it captures
what a kiss concert was and is.
1135
00:52:14,357 --> 00:52:21,137
[cheers and applause]
1136
00:52:22,974 --> 00:52:25,199
[film projector whirring]
1137
00:52:25,217 --> 00:52:27,643
- So we finished the album; we liked it.
1138
00:52:27,720 --> 00:52:30,312
And neil bogart calls me and says, "hey, gene.
1139
00:52:30,389 --> 00:52:31,722
"I've been talking to your manager.
1140
00:52:31,874 --> 00:52:33,816
"he's not sending me the master tapes.
1141
00:52:33,967 --> 00:52:36,152
I need that to put the record up."
1142
00:52:36,228 --> 00:52:40,489
And I said, "you owe us radio royalties.
1143
00:52:40,566 --> 00:52:43,384
Send the check, and we'll send the tapes."
1144
00:52:43,386 --> 00:52:44,885
And I'll never forget this,
1145
00:52:44,904 --> 00:52:47,329
Neil bogart, who I thought was my friend
1146
00:52:47,481 --> 00:52:49,573
And was always a big supporter and everything,
1147
00:52:49,725 --> 00:52:52,576
But I think was scared
to death, because he allegedly
1148
00:52:52,728 --> 00:52:54,395
And purportedly borrowed money
1149
00:52:54,397 --> 00:52:57,322
From the wrong kinds of people.
1150
00:52:57,341 --> 00:52:59,917
Well, neil bogart says, "listen, asshole,
1151
00:53:00,069 --> 00:53:02,344
"you don't know who you're dealing with.
1152
00:53:02,421 --> 00:53:04,922
"you're gonna send me those tapes
1153
00:53:05,074 --> 00:53:06,907
Or I'm gonna break your legs."
1154
00:53:06,926 --> 00:53:08,667
- The rock album of the year,
1155
00:53:08,686 --> 00:53:11,929
"kiss alive!" on casablanca records and tape.
1156
00:53:12,081 --> 00:53:13,096
All: ♪ I ♪
1157
00:53:13,249 --> 00:53:14,598
- We still didn't send the album
1158
00:53:14,750 --> 00:53:16,692
Till he sent us the money.
1159
00:53:16,843 --> 00:53:20,754
- "kiss alive!" came out and
took off like a bloody rocket.
1160
00:53:20,773 --> 00:53:22,773
All: ♪ wanna rock and roll
all night ♪
1161
00:53:22,925 --> 00:53:25,850
- "rock and roll all nite" live version went top ten.
1162
00:53:25,870 --> 00:53:27,277
It was a hit.
1163
00:53:27,430 --> 00:53:29,872
- The studio version, you know, it sounded okay.
1164
00:53:30,023 --> 00:53:31,598
But when you hear
the live version
1165
00:53:31,617 --> 00:53:33,934
And the audience just chanting
with them, come on...
1166
00:53:33,953 --> 00:53:37,379
All: ♪ I wanna rock
and roll all night ♪
1167
00:53:37,531 --> 00:53:39,548
♪ and party every day ♪
1168
00:53:39,625 --> 00:53:42,609
- You can't replace that.
1169
00:53:42,628 --> 00:53:46,129
That thing saved
the company's ass.
1170
00:53:46,282 --> 00:53:50,559
- Less than two years ago,
kiss came to detroit.
1171
00:53:50,636 --> 00:53:53,562
And now they've sold
a million records.
1172
00:53:53,714 --> 00:53:56,881
- "kiss alive!" sells a million records right away.
1173
00:53:56,901 --> 00:53:59,568
- We couldn't have done this
without detroit!
1174
00:53:59,720 --> 00:54:02,646
- We were the second platinum album in history.
1175
00:54:02,798 --> 00:54:04,298
The first one was the eagles,
1176
00:54:04,300 --> 00:54:07,818
And within an hour,
"kiss alive!"
1177
00:54:07,970 --> 00:54:10,153
- We really love you!
1178
00:54:10,306 --> 00:54:12,990
- That was the beginning.
1179
00:54:13,142 --> 00:54:14,157
- What is most important to you,
1180
00:54:14,310 --> 00:54:15,993
The spectacle or the music?
1181
00:54:16,145 --> 00:54:17,920
- The audience.
- The audience?
1182
00:54:18,071 --> 00:54:19,922
How do you want your ideal audience to feel
1183
00:54:19,999 --> 00:54:21,423
When you're finished with them?
1184
00:54:21,500 --> 00:54:22,407
- Exhausted.
1185
00:54:22,426 --> 00:54:24,426
♪ ♪
1186
00:54:24,503 --> 00:54:28,931
The connection between the fans and the band comes
1187
00:54:29,008 --> 00:54:32,009
From a sense of reciprocity.
1188
00:54:32,161 --> 00:54:35,662
We give back what we are given, and that snowballs.
1189
00:54:35,681 --> 00:54:37,940
You know,
we've said it before.
1190
00:54:38,091 --> 00:54:39,758
And we're gonna say it again.
1191
00:54:39,777 --> 00:54:42,836
You people are number one!
1192
00:54:42,838 --> 00:54:46,006
[kiss' "c'mon and love me"]
1193
00:54:46,025 --> 00:54:47,190
- We were having a great time.
1194
00:54:47,343 --> 00:54:49,510
We were really digging being famous.
1195
00:54:49,528 --> 00:54:51,436
And it did happen quick for kiss.
1196
00:54:51,455 --> 00:54:53,363
We got together, I believe, '71, '72,
1197
00:54:53,516 --> 00:54:57,184
And in '76 we were styling.
1198
00:54:57,202 --> 00:55:02,280
♪ ♪
1199
00:55:02,300 --> 00:55:04,949
- I think each one of us was really digging
1200
00:55:04,969 --> 00:55:07,636
The limos and the dressing up
1201
00:55:07,713 --> 00:55:09,212
With the best in clothes we could buy now.
1202
00:55:09,365 --> 00:55:11,122
We thought we were the shit, really.
1203
00:55:11,142 --> 00:55:12,957
"hide your daughters, kiss is in town."
1204
00:55:12,977 --> 00:55:16,812
- A lot of people have come up
that want to taste the tongue.
1205
00:55:16,889 --> 00:55:18,480
- Hobnobbing with all the other rock stars.
1206
00:55:18,557 --> 00:55:21,875
It was very cool. It was a very cool time.
1207
00:55:21,894 --> 00:55:24,653
But I wanted that high all the time.
1208
00:55:24,730 --> 00:55:25,988
When we'd leave the stage,
1209
00:55:26,139 --> 00:55:27,656
I had to bring it back to my room.
1210
00:55:27,733 --> 00:55:30,067
So I partied, and I just kept taking it with me,
1211
00:55:30,219 --> 00:55:31,327
And that's dangerous.
1212
00:55:31,403 --> 00:55:33,070
You can't--you got to know when to leave it
1213
00:55:33,222 --> 00:55:34,555
And when to have it.
1214
00:55:34,557 --> 00:55:36,239
- The things that I sang about,
1215
00:55:36,392 --> 00:55:40,836
Everything I envisioned
became real.
1216
00:55:40,913 --> 00:55:45,841
The kid who had to chase girls wound up being chased.
1217
00:55:45,992 --> 00:55:49,920
And the kid who was not popular became very popular.
1218
00:55:50,072 --> 00:55:53,015
[cheers and applause]
1219
00:55:53,092 --> 00:55:54,241
[end chords]
1220
00:55:54,259 --> 00:55:56,910
♪ ♪
1221
00:55:56,929 --> 00:55:58,520
- But when "kiss alive!" came out
1222
00:55:58,597 --> 00:56:03,250
And became a big hit, bill, in his wisdom, said,
1223
00:56:03,268 --> 00:56:06,695
"you might have this huge success now.
1224
00:56:06,847 --> 00:56:09,923
"but you need a great studio album,
1225
00:56:09,942 --> 00:56:13,093
Not like the last few."
1226
00:56:13,112 --> 00:56:14,945
- And in short order he said,
1227
00:56:15,097 --> 00:56:16,947
"and there's a guy
named bob ezrin.
1228
00:56:17,099 --> 00:56:19,282
He should be producing you."
1229
00:56:19,435 --> 00:56:23,212
He'd worked with alice cooper. It was a big deal.
1230
00:56:23,363 --> 00:56:24,454
- I was pretty successful.
1231
00:56:24,607 --> 00:56:26,548
I'd had a couple
of really big records.
1232
00:56:26,700 --> 00:56:29,051
And I was pretty
full of myself.
1233
00:56:29,202 --> 00:56:31,553
I thought I had the answers to everything.
1234
00:56:31,705 --> 00:56:34,890
And that made me perfectly
suited to working with kiss.
1235
00:56:34,967 --> 00:56:38,227
- Bob really took us
to another level.
1236
00:56:38,378 --> 00:56:40,229
[percussive music]
1237
00:56:40,305 --> 00:56:42,898
I learned a lot from bob.
1238
00:56:42,975 --> 00:56:47,051
He opened my eyes to sonically what was possible
1239
00:56:47,071 --> 00:56:49,129
With other instruments,
1240
00:56:49,131 --> 00:56:52,649
Like with piano replicating what a guitar was playing
1241
00:56:52,801 --> 00:56:54,243
To give it more depth.
1242
00:56:54,394 --> 00:56:58,580
[percussive notes, chords]
1243
00:56:58,732 --> 00:57:03,085
- We were venturing into new areas for kiss.
1244
00:57:03,162 --> 00:57:04,478
- To me, their characters,
1245
00:57:04,496 --> 00:57:06,146
They were like big-screen characters,
1246
00:57:06,165 --> 00:57:07,756
And I wanted to treat them like that
1247
00:57:07,833 --> 00:57:10,000
In the music that we made.
1248
00:57:10,152 --> 00:57:13,095
So the stories we told
were more dramatic,
1249
00:57:13,172 --> 00:57:18,416
And they were about people
other than just themselves.
1250
00:57:18,436 --> 00:57:22,104
"detroit rock city," that was like a mini symphony.
1251
00:57:22,255 --> 00:57:24,088
It's like a piece
of rock theater.
1252
00:57:24,108 --> 00:57:27,350
- ♪ I feel uptight
on a Saturday night ♪
1253
00:57:27,503 --> 00:57:30,279
He had so many creative ideas.
1254
00:57:30,355 --> 00:57:34,858
He was a big influence musically, lyrically.
1255
00:57:35,010 --> 00:57:37,861
He'd say, "I don't like that part, but I like that part."
1256
00:57:38,013 --> 00:57:41,364
- "okay, that's the verse; who's got the chorus?"
1257
00:57:41,517 --> 00:57:44,534
Both: ♪ you gotta lose your
mind in detroit rock city ♪
1258
00:57:44,687 --> 00:57:46,128
♪ get up ♪
1259
00:57:46,205 --> 00:57:47,796
- "and here's what the solo's going to be."
1260
00:57:47,873 --> 00:57:48,797
♪ ba-da-da-da ♪
1261
00:57:48,874 --> 00:57:52,693
♪ ♪
1262
00:57:52,711 --> 00:57:55,971
Every note of that solo was bob ezrin.
1263
00:57:56,048 --> 00:57:58,307
He told ace what to play.
1264
00:57:58,383 --> 00:58:00,476
"here's the harmony part."
1265
00:58:00,627 --> 00:58:02,552
And it was great.
1266
00:58:02,705 --> 00:58:03,870
- That was not a very rock 'n' roll approach.
1267
00:58:03,889 --> 00:58:05,722
And to ace's credit--
I mean,
1268
00:58:05,874 --> 00:58:08,317
He was the most rock 'n' roll
guy of the group--
1269
00:58:08,393 --> 00:58:12,136
It just didn't sit right with him.
1270
00:58:12,156 --> 00:58:13,113
[loud explosion]
1271
00:58:17,495 --> 00:58:20,478
[ominous music]
1272
00:58:20,498 --> 00:58:23,724
- The "destroyer" sessions were tough.
1273
00:58:23,742 --> 00:58:25,817
- There was a lot of structure,
1274
00:58:25,836 --> 00:58:27,336
More structure
than they were used to.
1275
00:58:27,487 --> 00:58:28,837
And yes, I wore a whistle.
1276
00:58:28,989 --> 00:58:32,232
And yes, I used to blow it
to get their attention,
1277
00:58:32,251 --> 00:58:34,176
Because we didn't have time
to mess around.
1278
00:58:34,253 --> 00:58:36,845
We had to move.
1279
00:58:36,922 --> 00:58:40,907
- Paul and I liked
the "go back to rock school."
1280
00:58:40,926 --> 00:58:43,426
The other guys hated it.
1281
00:58:43,579 --> 00:58:47,748
And so we started to see some difficulties.
1282
00:58:47,766 --> 00:58:51,251
- People ask if I was aware of
the tensions within the band.
1283
00:58:51,270 --> 00:58:52,919
♪ ♪
1284
00:58:52,938 --> 00:58:54,755
That's like saying, "well, when you were walking through
1285
00:58:54,757 --> 00:58:57,181
"the train wreckage,
1286
00:58:57,201 --> 00:58:59,701
Did you notice
that there was an accident?"
1287
00:59:02,689 --> 00:59:05,766
- Bob kind of ran the show like a dictator.
1288
00:59:05,784 --> 00:59:07,859
And we weren't used to that, none of us were.
1289
00:59:07,878 --> 00:59:10,712
You know, we all have big egos.
1290
00:59:10,789 --> 00:59:12,105
- That's when you started to see
1291
00:59:12,124 --> 00:59:16,868
The first big problems go down with ace.
1292
00:59:16,887 --> 00:59:19,221
- Ace was struggling a little bit.
1293
00:59:19,372 --> 00:59:22,224
You know, he partied a lot. He was late coming in.
1294
00:59:22,375 --> 00:59:24,876
Sometimes he just didn't
show up on a session
1295
00:59:24,895 --> 00:59:27,137
Where we were supposed
to be doing lead guitar.
1296
00:59:27,289 --> 00:59:28,471
- I'm on the phone with ace,
1297
00:59:28,624 --> 00:59:29,898
"you got to come down and play a solo.
1298
00:59:29,975 --> 00:59:31,625
"you weren't here for the tracks and everything.
1299
00:59:31,643 --> 00:59:33,735
You got to come down." "hey, I--I can't come down."
1300
00:59:33,887 --> 00:59:36,220
"why not?"
"I got a card game."
1301
00:59:36,240 --> 00:59:37,798
♪ ♪
1302
00:59:37,816 --> 00:59:40,300
So we got another guitar player to come in
1303
00:59:40,319 --> 00:59:43,486
And play the parts,
which were great.
1304
00:59:43,639 --> 00:59:46,973
- I think he started feeling alienated and ganged up on.
1305
00:59:46,992 --> 00:59:49,084
And the truth is, he was.
1306
00:59:49,161 --> 00:59:52,070
- I've never been high or drunk
in my life, just haven't.
1307
00:59:52,089 --> 00:59:53,313
Just never appealed to me.
1308
00:59:53,332 --> 00:59:57,909
So I never emotionally
understood it.
1309
00:59:57,928 --> 01:00:02,489
- Really he was just being what he was supposed to be.
1310
01:00:02,507 --> 01:00:05,601
He was supposed to be a rock star.
1311
01:00:05,677 --> 01:00:07,661
And he was being a rock star.
1312
01:00:07,679 --> 01:00:09,253
♪ ♪
1313
01:00:09,273 --> 01:00:14,610
And look, in new york in 1976
cocaine was everywhere.
1314
01:00:14,686 --> 01:00:18,596
Your dentist had it. Your lawyer it.
1315
01:00:18,616 --> 01:00:21,450
Every rock star for sure
had access to it
1316
01:00:21,601 --> 01:00:23,285
Whether they took it or not.
1317
01:00:23,362 --> 01:00:26,529
So yes, I had cocaine.
1318
01:00:26,682 --> 01:00:29,107
And yes, I recall
doing it together
1319
01:00:29,126 --> 01:00:31,293
With some of the members
of the band.
1320
01:00:31,370 --> 01:00:34,612
- I was doing coke trying to keep up with ezrin,
1321
01:00:34,632 --> 01:00:35,797
Which was an impossibility.
1322
01:00:35,874 --> 01:00:38,467
But I think, personally, that album,
1323
01:00:38,543 --> 01:00:41,452
Ezrin did everything perfect for it.
1324
01:00:41,472 --> 01:00:45,957
- I have to say that any drug use to me is excessive.
1325
01:00:45,976 --> 01:00:48,702
But bob was
a functioning addict.
1326
01:00:48,720 --> 01:00:52,481
He managed to do what needed to
get done and do it brilliantly.
1327
01:00:52,557 --> 01:00:57,301
He was--he was at the top
of his game.
1328
01:00:57,321 --> 01:00:59,154
"destroyer" was far beyond anything
1329
01:00:59,231 --> 01:01:02,382
We could have come up with on our own.
1330
01:01:02,401 --> 01:01:07,387
Perfect proof of that is "beth."
1331
01:01:07,406 --> 01:01:11,149
- I think it was bill aucoin
who told me it was important
1332
01:01:11,168 --> 01:01:13,818
That there be one peter criss
song on every album.
1333
01:01:13,837 --> 01:01:19,007
It was just the political
reality of the band.
1334
01:01:19,159 --> 01:01:21,735
- And one day peter was riding in the car with me,
1335
01:01:21,753 --> 01:01:24,662
And he starts humming,
"beck," b-e-c-k.
1336
01:01:24,682 --> 01:01:27,407
Like, "oh, it's a song called 'beck.'"
1337
01:01:27,426 --> 01:01:29,667
- I sung it to gene one day, and he liked it.
1338
01:01:29,687 --> 01:01:31,353
And then when ezrin got it, he said,
1339
01:01:31,504 --> 01:01:33,838
"well, we can't sing about jeff beck.
1340
01:01:33,857 --> 01:01:36,507
We got to do something about it. How about beth?"
1341
01:01:36,527 --> 01:01:38,026
- And I asked
if it would be okay
1342
01:01:38,103 --> 01:01:41,012
If I took it home and worked
on it for a little bit.
1343
01:01:41,031 --> 01:01:42,605
And I know-- and it was very different
1344
01:01:42,758 --> 01:01:44,424
From anything they had done before.
1345
01:01:44,426 --> 01:01:49,930
But I was convinced that that
song would touch everybody.
1346
01:01:49,948 --> 01:01:51,022
- Ksn in san francisco.
1347
01:01:51,041 --> 01:01:52,432
Right now,
I want to play you a cut.
1348
01:01:52,451 --> 01:01:55,359
- Disc jockeys started playing "beth."
1349
01:01:55,379 --> 01:01:57,212
- It became massive.
1350
01:01:57,289 --> 01:02:00,123
"destroyer" propelled us to new heights of popularity.
1351
01:02:00,275 --> 01:02:02,275
I mean, "beth won" a people's choice.
1352
01:02:02,294 --> 01:02:07,556
- And the winner is...
Congratulations, "beth."
1353
01:02:07,632 --> 01:02:10,784
[indistinct under cheers
and applause]
1354
01:02:10,802 --> 01:02:12,728
- ...That we won the award
for "beth"
1355
01:02:12,879 --> 01:02:15,546
For the best single in 1976.
1356
01:02:15,566 --> 01:02:18,549
[cheers and applause]
1357
01:02:18,569 --> 01:02:20,143
- Anything goes.
We love you.
1358
01:02:20,295 --> 01:02:22,462
Rock and roll!
Thank you.
1359
01:02:22,464 --> 01:02:25,365
[cheers and applause]
1360
01:02:28,487 --> 01:02:33,306
- By '76, when "destroyer" and "beth" became big hits,
1361
01:02:33,325 --> 01:02:35,809
Our lifestyle drastically changed.
1362
01:02:35,827 --> 01:02:37,978
- Kiss, a world-renowned rock group
1363
01:02:37,996 --> 01:02:39,162
That exploded out of nowhere.
1364
01:02:39,314 --> 01:02:40,589
- All of a sudden,
1365
01:02:40,740 --> 01:02:42,816
We were one of the biggest bands in the world.
1366
01:02:42,834 --> 01:02:44,909
- Kiss is said to be sharing the popularity
1367
01:02:44,928 --> 01:02:46,577
The beatles enjoyed.
1368
01:02:46,597 --> 01:02:49,489
- When I first realized how big we were going to be...
1369
01:02:49,508 --> 01:02:51,082
- A new breed of rock 'n' roll.
1370
01:02:51,101 --> 01:02:54,327
- And that it was now out of all of our hands...
1371
01:02:54,346 --> 01:02:55,270
- Kiss.
- Kiss.
1372
01:02:55,347 --> 01:02:56,496
- Kiss.
- Kiss.
1373
01:02:56,515 --> 01:02:58,515
- It was frightening.
1374
01:02:58,667 --> 01:03:02,519
I liken it to being pulled up on the roller coaster.
1375
01:03:02,671 --> 01:03:04,854
The chain is underneath, and it's pulling you up,
1376
01:03:05,007 --> 01:03:08,008
And you know that when you get to the top...
1377
01:03:08,026 --> 01:03:10,935
- The view from up there,
breathtaking.
1378
01:03:10,954 --> 01:03:13,079
- That's when the ride begins.
1379
01:03:15,017 --> 01:03:17,200
That's what it felt like...
1380
01:03:17,352 --> 01:03:18,852
- Death-defying.
1381
01:03:18,870 --> 01:03:21,296
- Like all hell was gonna break loose.
1382
01:03:26,452 --> 01:03:27,527
[kiss' "shout it out loud"]
1383
01:03:27,529 --> 01:03:33,642
♪ ♪
1384
01:03:36,480 --> 01:03:39,481
- ♪ well the night's begun,
and you want some fun ♪
1385
01:03:39,632 --> 01:03:41,207
♪ do you think
we're gonna find it? ♪
1386
01:03:41,226 --> 01:03:42,800
- ♪ think you're gonna
find it ♪
1387
01:03:42,820 --> 01:03:48,898
- From the time our first record came out February 1974,
1388
01:03:49,051 --> 01:03:50,884
Within a year and a half,
1389
01:03:50,902 --> 01:03:53,386
We were headlining anaheim stadium,
1390
01:03:53,405 --> 01:03:56,331
43,000-seater sold out.
1391
01:03:56,482 --> 01:03:59,167
- ...Seems to be
the rock group kiss.
1392
01:03:59,319 --> 01:04:01,911
- Kiss inspires incredible passion.
1393
01:04:02,064 --> 01:04:03,730
- But why kiss?
1394
01:04:03,732 --> 01:04:05,173
- 'cause that's what's in now.
1395
01:04:05,325 --> 01:04:09,678
All: ♪ shout it, shout it,
shout it out loud ♪
1396
01:04:09,829 --> 01:04:11,254
- It's the beatles in the '60s.
1397
01:04:11,406 --> 01:04:12,906
It's kiss in the '70s.
1398
01:04:12,924 --> 01:04:14,516
[booming]
1399
01:04:14,593 --> 01:04:18,002
- There is a reason for the extraordinary success of kiss.
1400
01:04:18,021 --> 01:04:20,004
It has something to do with their music.
1401
01:04:20,023 --> 01:04:21,339
But it has more to do
1402
01:04:21,358 --> 01:04:23,266
With the way they are hyped and packaged.
1403
01:04:23,418 --> 01:04:25,602
- That's the genius thing
1404
01:04:25,754 --> 01:04:27,362
About the band, the characters.
1405
01:04:27,513 --> 01:04:31,608
The makeup seemed to sort of invent these personalities
1406
01:04:31,760 --> 01:04:33,517
For each of them.
1407
01:04:33,537 --> 01:04:35,370
And offstage,
1408
01:04:35,521 --> 01:04:38,707
They were as mysterious
as they were on stage.
1409
01:04:38,783 --> 01:04:40,783
- Any kiss fan can tell you you don't ever really
1410
01:04:40,936 --> 01:04:43,712
See these faces. It's all part of the mystique.
1411
01:04:43,788 --> 01:04:45,196
- Are you gene?
1412
01:04:45,215 --> 01:04:46,882
- Getting a picture of kiss without the makeup
1413
01:04:46,958 --> 01:04:49,384
Was like getting
a [bleep] picture of bigfoot.
1414
01:04:49,461 --> 01:04:50,719
- You're not gene simmons,
are you?
1415
01:04:50,795 --> 01:04:52,946
- No, I'm the bodyguard.
- Oh, my god.
1416
01:04:52,964 --> 01:04:54,797
- We guarded our secret.
1417
01:04:54,950 --> 01:04:58,118
And there was a $25,000 reward on our heads.
1418
01:04:58,136 --> 01:05:00,061
- "people" magazine got this shot of paul
1419
01:05:00,213 --> 01:05:03,456
And actually got the film away from paul's bodyguard.
1420
01:05:03,475 --> 01:05:04,457
What, if somebody
gets a picture,
1421
01:05:04,476 --> 01:05:05,734
You take the camera away?
1422
01:05:05,885 --> 01:05:07,293
- Yeah.
- It's really that important.
1423
01:05:07,312 --> 01:05:08,570
Is that part of the mystique?
1424
01:05:08,647 --> 01:05:09,905
- Yeah, mystique.
1425
01:05:10,056 --> 01:05:11,464
- Their fantasies
and the characters
1426
01:05:11,483 --> 01:05:13,742
That we're portraying,
they always must be character.
1427
01:05:13,818 --> 01:05:17,579
- This idea, "you'll only exist in makeup."
1428
01:05:17,656 --> 01:05:19,080
As disappointing as it was
1429
01:05:19,157 --> 01:05:21,583
That we weren't gonna be recognized on the street...
1430
01:05:21,660 --> 01:05:22,992
- So what is it like for you walking
1431
01:05:23,145 --> 01:05:25,420
Down the street with no makeup?
1432
01:05:25,497 --> 01:05:26,588
- It worked.
1433
01:05:26,739 --> 01:05:29,090
I really don't look that different.
1434
01:05:29,242 --> 01:05:30,926
You know,
I'm not quite this pale.
1435
01:05:31,002 --> 01:05:34,837
[kiss' "love gun"]
1436
01:05:34,990 --> 01:05:36,839
- We became so famous, so big,
1437
01:05:36,992 --> 01:05:40,510
So fast, you know,
it was just complete insanity.
1438
01:05:40,662 --> 01:05:42,771
- All right, new york!
1439
01:05:42,922 --> 01:05:45,515
- I remember we sold out madison square garden
1440
01:05:45,667 --> 01:05:48,109
For three nights.
1441
01:05:48,186 --> 01:05:49,778
- ♪ I really love ya baby ♪
1442
01:05:49,929 --> 01:05:53,615
Then we sold out five nights at the budokan in tokyo.
1443
01:05:53,766 --> 01:05:55,675
- ♪ let's get together baby ♪
1444
01:05:55,694 --> 01:05:57,619
- The beatles had one day less.
1445
01:05:57,770 --> 01:05:59,770
We broke the beatles' record.
1446
01:05:59,790 --> 01:06:02,457
- Not past the beatles, 'cause I love the beatles.
1447
01:06:02,534 --> 01:06:04,350
They're my favorite band.
1448
01:06:04,369 --> 01:06:08,371
But we are a band. We do cause insanity.
1449
01:06:08,523 --> 01:06:10,114
[crowd screaming]
1450
01:06:10,133 --> 01:06:12,450
I haven't seen that since the beatles.
1451
01:06:12,469 --> 01:06:15,545
- ♪ love gun ♪
1452
01:06:15,697 --> 01:06:19,532
- Ironically, no matter how successful we became,
1453
01:06:19,551 --> 01:06:21,551
Part of the appeal of the band
1454
01:06:21,703 --> 01:06:25,146
Was in being a member of a black sheep society,
1455
01:06:25,298 --> 01:06:28,725
No matter how big it was,
because there was still
1456
01:06:28,877 --> 01:06:33,046
A lot of people
and critics who didn't like us.
1457
01:06:33,064 --> 01:06:37,826
- The beatles, the animals,
rock group of the 1960s
1458
01:06:37,977 --> 01:06:39,995
Whose boyish looks
and innovative music
1459
01:06:40,071 --> 01:06:43,498
Made young hearts pound
and older generations cringe.
1460
01:06:43,649 --> 01:06:45,667
It's the late 1970s now,
though,
1461
01:06:45,818 --> 01:06:47,335
When teenage musical taste
1462
01:06:47,412 --> 01:06:50,154
Have gone from boyish
to the bizarre.
1463
01:06:50,173 --> 01:06:52,656
♪ ♪
1464
01:06:52,676 --> 01:06:54,676
- Kiss isn't music; they're theatrics.
1465
01:06:54,753 --> 01:06:57,345
They're a whole bunch
of things.
1466
01:06:57,497 --> 01:06:58,847
- Kiss always had
1467
01:06:58,998 --> 01:07:00,682
An adversarial relationship with rock critics.
1468
01:07:00,833 --> 01:07:02,759
- Some critics say, "they don't make music.
1469
01:07:02,911 --> 01:07:04,744
They just make noise."
1470
01:07:04,746 --> 01:07:06,412
- But kiss was never
a critics' band.
1471
01:07:06,414 --> 01:07:08,581
It always was a people's bad.
1472
01:07:08,600 --> 01:07:10,266
They self-identified as a band
1473
01:07:10,418 --> 01:07:12,360
That would go over
and above for the fans.
1474
01:07:12,512 --> 01:07:14,420
- Critics have blasted the group for engaging
1475
01:07:14,439 --> 01:07:16,606
In nuclear-level prepubescent hype.
1476
01:07:16,758 --> 01:07:19,367
- Kiss is going to have its own comic book soon
1477
01:07:19,519 --> 01:07:21,611
Printed in real kiss blood.
1478
01:07:21,763 --> 01:07:23,112
Isn't that wonderful?
1479
01:07:23,265 --> 01:07:24,947
- Real classy act, guys.
1480
01:07:25,100 --> 01:07:29,210
- T-shirts and books. T-shirts.
1481
01:07:29,287 --> 01:07:34,215
- I've heard, I've read,
"oh, those marketing geniuses."
1482
01:07:34,292 --> 01:07:36,626
When we first started, we were four idiots
1483
01:07:36,778 --> 01:07:38,278
Off the streets of new york
1484
01:07:38,296 --> 01:07:40,722
Who didn't have a [bleep] clue.
1485
01:07:40,799 --> 01:07:43,224
- Bill aucoin was far ahead of us.
1486
01:07:43,301 --> 01:07:47,453
It was his vision
to merchandise the band.
1487
01:07:47,472 --> 01:07:49,230
- All the sheer excitement of kiss
1488
01:07:49,307 --> 01:07:52,975
Is yours to capture with the kiss radio.
1489
01:07:53,128 --> 01:07:57,388
- I remember the kiss radio.
1490
01:07:57,407 --> 01:07:58,481
Yep, that's it.
1491
01:07:58,633 --> 01:08:00,558
That's a kiss radio
right up there.
1492
01:08:00,577 --> 01:08:02,802
So when I was a kid,
I was like, "oh, my god.
1493
01:08:02,821 --> 01:08:07,082
"I want a kiss radio
so [bleep] bad.
1494
01:08:07,233 --> 01:08:08,566
Like, I need the kiss radio!"
1495
01:08:08,585 --> 01:08:10,752
- Get your kiss radio.
1496
01:08:10,903 --> 01:08:16,257
- So like a dumbass, I order
it cod without telling my mom.
1497
01:08:16,334 --> 01:08:18,985
They charge you on delivery.
The guy comes to the door.
1498
01:08:19,003 --> 01:08:20,503
And I'm like,
"it's my kiss radio."
1499
01:08:20,655 --> 01:08:22,155
And he's like, "this is a cod."
1500
01:08:22,173 --> 01:08:25,916
My mom's like, "I didn't order
a [bleep] kiss radio."
1501
01:08:25,936 --> 01:08:28,603
So I never got it. That one,
someone gave that to me.
1502
01:08:28,680 --> 01:08:30,179
♪ ♪
1503
01:08:30,332 --> 01:08:31,831
But come on,
when it comes to, like,
1504
01:08:31,833 --> 01:08:33,274
Branding and merchandising...
1505
01:08:33,351 --> 01:08:35,110
- Kiss!
1506
01:08:35,186 --> 01:08:37,503
- Nobody can out-merch kiss.
1507
01:08:37,522 --> 01:08:38,947
- This is kiss.
1508
01:08:39,098 --> 01:08:41,449
Put them in any crazy pose you want.
1509
01:08:41,526 --> 01:08:42,951
- Kiss your face.
1510
01:08:43,102 --> 01:08:44,619
Introducing kiss your face makeup.
1511
01:08:44,770 --> 01:08:45,954
- Kiss your face makeup
is from remco.
1512
01:08:46,030 --> 01:08:47,013
- Yeah.
1513
01:08:47,031 --> 01:08:48,790
- Kiss t-shirts, kiss buttons,
1514
01:08:48,941 --> 01:08:52,293
Kiss hats, kiss lookalikes, the young fans.
1515
01:08:52,445 --> 01:08:54,462
- Our mantra and our way of thinking
1516
01:08:54,614 --> 01:08:58,282
Was that you're not forcing anybody to have something.
1517
01:08:58,301 --> 01:09:01,694
You're denying them
if you don't give it to them.
1518
01:09:01,696 --> 01:09:02,953
- Kiss is number one.
1519
01:09:02,973 --> 01:09:04,714
- It only got bigger and bigger
and bigger.
1520
01:09:04,866 --> 01:09:07,308
- This was I would
guess about 60 or 70--
1521
01:09:07,385 --> 01:09:09,310
You want to try it on?
It has kiss on the back.
1522
01:09:09,462 --> 01:09:11,371
- We made a fortune.
1523
01:09:11,389 --> 01:09:12,480
- What are we talking about?
What does--
1524
01:09:12,632 --> 01:09:14,056
What does
kiss generate a year?
1525
01:09:14,209 --> 01:09:17,226
- About $117 million.
1526
01:09:17,379 --> 01:09:19,320
- 117 million.
1527
01:09:19,397 --> 01:09:25,994
♪ ♪
1528
01:09:26,070 --> 01:09:28,329
- Gene simmons has that one crazy room in his house
1529
01:09:28,481 --> 01:09:32,408
That has, like,
every kiss product in history.
1530
01:09:32,560 --> 01:09:35,728
It's crazy.
It's like a museum times ten.
1531
01:09:35,747 --> 01:09:37,839
♪ ♪
1532
01:09:37,916 --> 01:09:40,842
- We make everything from
kiss condoms to kiss caskets.
1533
01:09:40,993 --> 01:09:43,236
Altogether now,
we'll get you coming,
1534
01:09:43,238 --> 01:09:44,495
And we'll get you going.
1535
01:09:44,514 --> 01:09:46,406
♪ ♪
1536
01:09:46,424 --> 01:09:50,000
We've literally had thousands
of licensed products.
1537
01:09:50,020 --> 01:09:52,169
♪ ♪
1538
01:09:52,189 --> 01:09:54,263
But again, with anything to do with kiss,
1539
01:09:54,416 --> 01:09:57,341
You're talking about different
personalities within the band.
1540
01:09:57,360 --> 01:09:58,768
♪ ♪
1541
01:09:58,920 --> 01:10:00,253
- First, when it was happening, I thought
1542
01:10:00,271 --> 01:10:02,438
"well, that's kind of
a cool thing, like a lunchbox.
1543
01:10:02,590 --> 01:10:04,273
I'll carry one of those around myself."
1544
01:10:04,426 --> 01:10:05,925
I thought it was cute.
1545
01:10:05,944 --> 01:10:08,203
And then more and more cute things,
1546
01:10:08,354 --> 01:10:10,430
I called them, starting to happen,
1547
01:10:10,448 --> 01:10:12,040
And I realized that the band,
1548
01:10:12,116 --> 01:10:15,025
This kick-ass band that came from the streets of new york,
1549
01:10:15,045 --> 01:10:18,862
We lost our edge; we were becoming dolls.
1550
01:10:18,882 --> 01:10:21,198
We always had a message, kiss, and it was totally
1551
01:10:21,218 --> 01:10:23,218
To rock and roll all night and party every day.
1552
01:10:23,294 --> 01:10:24,777
And that was going out the window,
1553
01:10:24,779 --> 01:10:25,945
And I saw it and I hated it.
1554
01:10:25,964 --> 01:10:27,797
We weren't a rock band anymore.
1555
01:10:27,949 --> 01:10:29,131
I called bill aucoin and told him
1556
01:10:29,284 --> 01:10:31,893
That this is terrible.
1557
01:10:31,970 --> 01:10:36,231
- Once money and fame and licensed products came in,
1558
01:10:36,307 --> 01:10:39,125
We started to move away
from the magic
1559
01:10:39,127 --> 01:10:40,643
That was all four of us.
1560
01:10:40,795 --> 01:10:41,811
- We love you!
1561
01:10:41,963 --> 01:10:47,742
- That certainly was
the crack widening.
1562
01:10:47,819 --> 01:10:50,245
- Now mix in drugs.
1563
01:10:50,396 --> 01:10:51,871
- Rock 'n' roll!
1564
01:10:56,995 --> 01:10:58,478
[rock guitar riffs]
1565
01:10:58,496 --> 01:11:03,149
♪ ♪
1566
01:11:03,167 --> 01:11:06,910
- 1977, we're at the peak of our popularity,
1567
01:11:06,930 --> 01:11:09,822
But there was trouble in paradise.
1568
01:11:09,824 --> 01:11:12,174
[cheers and applause]
1569
01:11:12,327 --> 01:11:15,328
[somber music]
1570
01:11:15,346 --> 01:11:18,106
♪ ♪
1571
01:11:18,257 --> 01:11:23,194
- No matter what anybody says, fame is a very powerful drug.
1572
01:11:26,174 --> 01:11:28,950
It can kill your creativity.
1573
01:11:29,027 --> 01:11:33,513
It can kill your desire to progress.
1574
01:11:33,531 --> 01:11:37,350
I don't think anybody goes through it unscathed.
1575
01:11:37,368 --> 01:11:40,795
- All of a sudden, I wake up one day,
1576
01:11:40,946 --> 01:11:42,613
There's these people blowing smoke up wherever
1577
01:11:42,632 --> 01:11:44,114
And telling me I'm the greatest.
1578
01:11:44,134 --> 01:11:46,784
- Peter criss,
drummer
1579
01:11:46,803 --> 01:11:50,621
And also singer on one
just beautiful song.
1580
01:11:50,640 --> 01:11:52,048
[cheers and applause]
1581
01:11:52,200 --> 01:11:54,200
- There's girl's fainting when I'm singing "beth"
1582
01:11:54,218 --> 01:11:56,644
And crying, and...
1583
01:11:56,721 --> 01:11:58,871
I didn't know how to handle it.
1584
01:11:58,890 --> 01:12:00,648
- When we became really successful,
1585
01:12:00,725 --> 01:12:02,542
Everybody was going their own way.
1586
01:12:02,544 --> 01:12:03,985
We lost some of that collective thought
1587
01:12:04,062 --> 01:12:06,379
That we had in the beginning and that magic.
1588
01:12:06,381 --> 01:12:08,323
It started to fade.
1589
01:12:08,474 --> 01:12:13,719
- Sometimes people talk about, "oh, fame changed so and so."
1590
01:12:13,738 --> 01:12:16,164
Fame doesn't change you.
1591
01:12:16,315 --> 01:12:18,391
It allows you to be
the asshole you are.
1592
01:12:18,409 --> 01:12:19,909
[dramatic musical sting]
1593
01:12:20,061 --> 01:12:22,837
[film projector whirring]
1594
01:12:22,914 --> 01:12:25,155
- We both grew up with the attitude
1595
01:12:25,175 --> 01:12:29,827
That rock 'n' roll was an attitude.
1596
01:12:29,846 --> 01:12:34,665
- The alcohol and the drug use and the dysfunctional stuff
1597
01:12:34,684 --> 01:12:36,425
Started to hit the band heavy.
1598
01:12:36,578 --> 01:12:38,335
- Let's just say I'm the keith richards
1599
01:12:38,355 --> 01:12:41,581
Of rock 'n' roll in america.
1600
01:12:41,599 --> 01:12:42,932
- As far as ace...
1601
01:12:43,084 --> 01:12:44,917
Ace frehley on lead guitar!
1602
01:12:44,936 --> 01:12:46,752
We couldn't rely on him anymore...
1603
01:12:46,771 --> 01:12:48,254
♪ ♪
1604
01:12:48,272 --> 01:12:51,199
For anything.
1605
01:12:51,350 --> 01:12:54,369
[machine whirring]
1606
01:12:54,445 --> 01:12:58,114
When you're in the studio and you have to get a part done
1607
01:12:58,266 --> 01:13:01,450
Before the person who's playing it passes out,
1608
01:13:01,603 --> 01:13:03,269
That's really a shame.
1609
01:13:03,271 --> 01:13:05,546
[cheers and applause]
1610
01:13:05,623 --> 01:13:08,608
Yes, it was sad.
1611
01:13:08,610 --> 01:13:11,110
It was also a drag.
1612
01:13:11,129 --> 01:13:13,221
- What do you represent?
- Destruction.
1613
01:13:13,297 --> 01:13:16,039
- Destruction?
- Yeah.
1614
01:13:16,059 --> 01:13:17,725
- Yeah?
- I'm a drummer.
1615
01:13:17,802 --> 01:13:20,953
- If we stood in front of the drums during a concert,
1616
01:13:20,955 --> 01:13:23,380
He threw sticks at us.
1617
01:13:23,400 --> 01:13:27,235
In his mind, the entire area in front of the drums
1618
01:13:27,311 --> 01:13:30,220
Was a no-fly zone.
1619
01:13:30,240 --> 01:13:32,131
Insane.
1620
01:13:32,150 --> 01:13:36,636
- Peter was undependable,
was erratic, dark cloud,
1621
01:13:36,654 --> 01:13:39,730
Didn't show up at meetings, all that stuff.
1622
01:13:40,583 --> 01:13:42,750
- Ace and I, we looked at it as it was a party.
1623
01:13:42,827 --> 01:13:44,810
Rock 'n' roll was to let it all go,
1624
01:13:44,812 --> 01:13:47,163
Hang out, have a great time.
1625
01:13:47,315 --> 01:13:48,981
It had nothing to do with sitting in the office
1626
01:13:48,983 --> 01:13:50,316
With a shirt and tie
1627
01:13:50,334 --> 01:13:52,427
And figuring out what beat goes where.
1628
01:13:52,503 --> 01:13:55,154
- What's great about rock 'n' roll is performing,
1629
01:13:55,156 --> 01:13:56,822
What sucks is the traveling
1630
01:13:56,824 --> 01:13:59,825
And all the other bullshit besides performing.
1631
01:13:59,827 --> 01:14:01,994
[cheers and applause]
1632
01:14:02,013 --> 01:14:05,422
- There were two sides to ace and peter.
1633
01:14:05,442 --> 01:14:08,334
I'll always love ace and peter in the early days.
1634
01:14:08,352 --> 01:14:10,169
♪ ♪
1635
01:14:10,171 --> 01:14:11,612
They had the drive.
1636
01:14:11,764 --> 01:14:13,339
"nothing's gonna stop me. I'm gonna make it."
1637
01:14:13,357 --> 01:14:17,009
And onstage, rock stars.
1638
01:14:17,028 --> 01:14:18,769
They gave it their all.
1639
01:14:18,788 --> 01:14:23,699
But as success and money and fame started to come in,
1640
01:14:23,851 --> 01:14:25,108
They succumbed to it.
1641
01:14:25,128 --> 01:14:28,521
[cheers and applause]
1642
01:14:28,539 --> 01:14:34,026
I have to say, in all honesty, I did too.
1643
01:14:34,028 --> 01:14:35,786
I succumbed to fame
1644
01:14:35,805 --> 01:14:39,882
But not with chemicals
and alcohol but with ego.
1645
01:14:40,034 --> 01:14:41,701
What a way to make a living.
1646
01:14:41,719 --> 01:14:45,204
Grand delusions of myself.
1647
01:14:45,223 --> 01:14:46,706
[camera shutter clicks]
1648
01:14:46,724 --> 01:14:52,211
Power, money, and girls.
1649
01:14:52,230 --> 01:14:53,562
My ambitions grew bigger.
1650
01:14:53,715 --> 01:14:55,973
My appetite grew more.
1651
01:14:55,992 --> 01:14:57,992
If a day went by and I didn't have companionship,
1652
01:14:58,069 --> 01:14:59,552
It was a disaster.
1653
01:14:59,570 --> 01:15:00,995
- Hey, if you thought you saw
another celebrity
1654
01:15:01,072 --> 01:15:03,313
In the audience tonight,
you probably did.
1655
01:15:03,333 --> 01:15:04,724
Cher bono was here.
1656
01:15:04,742 --> 01:15:07,168
- I started seeing cher at the time
1657
01:15:07,319 --> 01:15:09,486
And then her best friend diana,
1658
01:15:09,506 --> 01:15:11,063
Which that didn't last long.
1659
01:15:11,065 --> 01:15:13,824
[cheers and applause]
1660
01:15:13,843 --> 01:15:16,569
It's easier to look at somebody who's suffering
1661
01:15:16,587 --> 01:15:18,495
From alcohol and drugs and kind of say,
1662
01:15:18,515 --> 01:15:21,090
"you got a problem, buddy."
1663
01:15:21,242 --> 01:15:25,335
Mine was more hidden, being full of myself.
1664
01:15:25,355 --> 01:15:27,596
That's what it was.
1665
01:15:27,749 --> 01:15:32,509
- We were a bunch of guys hiding behind masks.
1666
01:15:32,529 --> 01:15:33,861
[cheers and applause]
1667
01:15:33,938 --> 01:15:39,016
In my case, it was you're superman,
1668
01:15:39,035 --> 01:15:40,517
And you're on stage,
1669
01:15:40,537 --> 01:15:43,112
And you're the envy of the people who are there.
1670
01:15:43,264 --> 01:15:45,765
But nobody knew.
1671
01:15:45,767 --> 01:15:47,767
[cheers and applause]
1672
01:15:47,785 --> 01:15:50,211
I had this deformity,
1673
01:15:50,288 --> 01:15:52,955
Born basically without a right ear.
1674
01:15:53,107 --> 01:15:56,108
Even the band had no idea.
1675
01:15:56,127 --> 01:16:00,780
Gene didn't know about my ear,
because I covered it so well.
1676
01:16:00,798 --> 01:16:03,115
And I grew my hair past my shoulders,
1677
01:16:03,134 --> 01:16:05,951
How I listened to people, tilting my head.
1678
01:16:05,970 --> 01:16:09,121
It was this big secret that was at the core of my being.
1679
01:16:09,140 --> 01:16:10,472
But I tell you,
1680
01:16:10,625 --> 01:16:14,126
It's this crowd that's gonna
burn this place down.
1681
01:16:14,145 --> 01:16:17,296
I was still very much the same guy that I had been
1682
01:16:17,315 --> 01:16:19,465
Before the band succeeded.
1683
01:16:19,483 --> 01:16:22,301
The only difference was, now I was famous,
1684
01:16:22,320 --> 01:16:24,970
And I had this persona.
1685
01:16:24,989 --> 01:16:27,564
Is everybody ready?
1686
01:16:27,584 --> 01:16:31,085
So the stage was not only my escape,
1687
01:16:31,162 --> 01:16:33,646
But it's where I wanted to live.
1688
01:16:33,648 --> 01:16:36,591
Rock 'n' roll!
1689
01:16:36,667 --> 01:16:39,760
Anytime I was home, I hated it.
1690
01:16:39,837 --> 01:16:42,245
I would be just counting
the days
1691
01:16:42,265 --> 01:16:43,914
Until we would hit
the road again.
1692
01:16:43,933 --> 01:16:46,325
Rock 'n' roll!
1693
01:16:46,344 --> 01:16:47,584
And that didn't make it
1694
01:16:47,604 --> 01:16:50,271
Any easier
for the guys in the band.
1695
01:16:50,422 --> 01:16:53,499
The band was pushing the limit.
1696
01:16:53,517 --> 01:16:55,017
- When you're in love, you overlook
1697
01:16:55,169 --> 01:16:56,944
All the potential problems
1698
01:16:57,021 --> 01:16:59,839
And the foibles, although the signs were there.
1699
01:16:59,857 --> 01:17:02,099
- You work around it.
1700
01:17:02,118 --> 01:17:05,745
But we were about to go over the cliff.
1701
01:17:12,370 --> 01:17:13,127
[upbeat rock music]
1702
01:17:13,278 --> 01:17:19,133
♪ ♪
1703
01:17:24,957 --> 01:17:26,790
- "kiss meets the phantom,"
1704
01:17:26,809 --> 01:17:29,535
That incredible piece of celluloid.
1705
01:17:29,537 --> 01:17:35,149
♪ ♪
1706
01:17:35,300 --> 01:17:38,152
- We had been told, "this is gonna be 'star wars'
1707
01:17:38,303 --> 01:17:40,321
Meets 'a hard day's night.'"
1708
01:17:40,472 --> 01:17:42,715
Um, hardly.
1709
01:17:42,733 --> 01:17:45,142
♪ ♪
1710
01:17:45,161 --> 01:17:46,402
By that time, the band literally
1711
01:17:46,554 --> 01:17:49,238
Wasn't talking to each other.
1712
01:17:49,390 --> 01:17:50,890
None of us had read the script.
1713
01:17:50,908 --> 01:17:53,483
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
1714
01:17:53,503 --> 01:17:55,895
- We've got to get out of here.
1715
01:17:55,913 --> 01:17:57,246
- Leave it to me, starchild.
1716
01:17:57,398 --> 01:17:59,006
I'll bend these beams
with my mind.
1717
01:17:59,158 --> 01:18:02,418
- Sometimes we would be on the set shooting.
1718
01:18:02,570 --> 01:18:06,013
And ace or peter would disappear.
1719
01:18:06,165 --> 01:18:10,910
They'd literally leave the set,
and we'd have stand-ins.
1720
01:18:10,928 --> 01:18:12,578
♪ ♪
1721
01:18:12,596 --> 01:18:13,746
And in some of the scenes,
1722
01:18:13,764 --> 01:18:16,582
You can see that it's not them.
1723
01:18:16,600 --> 01:18:18,767
♪ ♪
1724
01:18:18,920 --> 01:18:23,531
- At the end of filming, there was a meeting held backstage,
1725
01:18:23,607 --> 01:18:26,108
And ace made the announcement
1726
01:18:26,260 --> 01:18:28,703
That he has to leave the band.
1727
01:18:28,779 --> 01:18:32,206
- "I want a solo career.
I want to write my own songs.
1728
01:18:32,283 --> 01:18:33,541
I'm leaving the band."
1729
01:18:33,692 --> 01:18:35,434
On the way out, he turned to me
1730
01:18:35,453 --> 01:18:38,437
And he said, "I'm gonna sell 10 million albums."
1731
01:18:38,456 --> 01:18:41,290
I said, "ace, you can have your solo career
1732
01:18:41,442 --> 01:18:42,458
"and you can be in the band.
1733
01:18:42,610 --> 01:18:44,201
Have your cake and eat it too."
1734
01:18:44,220 --> 01:18:48,630
- The idea was maybe we could
let this blow over and heal.
1735
01:18:48,783 --> 01:18:51,967
- Let's all take time
from each other.
1736
01:18:52,119 --> 01:18:53,728
And let's all do solo records.
1737
01:18:53,879 --> 01:18:56,121
And we'll bring 'em all out on the same day.
1738
01:18:56,140 --> 01:18:57,732
♪ ♪
1739
01:18:57,883 --> 01:19:01,460
- The kiss albums, one by each of the four kiss stars
1740
01:19:01,479 --> 01:19:03,386
On casablanca records and tapes.
1741
01:19:03,406 --> 01:19:05,239
[ace frehley's "new york groove"]
1742
01:19:05,390 --> 01:19:10,652
- We're gonna turn the
microphone over to ace frehley.
1743
01:19:10,805 --> 01:19:13,973
- ♪ many years
since I was here ♪
1744
01:19:13,991 --> 01:19:16,492
I was really resistant to record "new york groove"
1745
01:19:16,644 --> 01:19:18,160
On my solo album.
1746
01:19:18,312 --> 01:19:22,590
It wasn't indicative of any of the other songs on my record.
1747
01:19:22,666 --> 01:19:23,832
♪ here I am ♪
1748
01:19:23,985 --> 01:19:25,075
But eddie kramer talked me into it.
1749
01:19:25,094 --> 01:19:26,576
He goes, "ace, this is a great song."
1750
01:19:26,596 --> 01:19:29,822
And it gave me
a lot more confidence.
1751
01:19:29,840 --> 01:19:32,767
♪ you'd better believe
I'm back ♪
1752
01:19:32,843 --> 01:19:34,510
♪ back in the new york groove ♪
1753
01:19:34,662 --> 01:19:35,995
- The beatles "white album,"
1754
01:19:36,013 --> 01:19:37,921
It's when the harrison finally broke out
1755
01:19:37,940 --> 01:19:39,681
And ringo finally did his thing.
1756
01:19:39,834 --> 01:19:41,591
We're doing it now.
1757
01:19:41,611 --> 01:19:42,684
- One of the things that I realized
1758
01:19:42,837 --> 01:19:44,353
With the success of my solo record,
1759
01:19:44,505 --> 01:19:47,615
That I was probably more creative away from those guys.
1760
01:19:47,691 --> 01:19:48,857
They were always making me feel
1761
01:19:49,010 --> 01:19:50,359
Like maybe I wasn't good enough.
1762
01:19:50,511 --> 01:19:53,028
♪ I feel so good tonight ♪
1763
01:19:53,180 --> 01:19:54,622
- Ace's solo record,
1764
01:19:54,773 --> 01:19:57,516
Those songs would have been great tracks on a kiss record.
1765
01:19:57,535 --> 01:19:59,943
- ♪ you better believe
I'm back ♪
1766
01:19:59,962 --> 01:20:02,521
- A band, I believe, nine out of ten times
1767
01:20:02,540 --> 01:20:05,782
Is always stronger than a solo performer.
1768
01:20:05,802 --> 01:20:07,860
But we had no choice.
1769
01:20:07,878 --> 01:20:11,547
The solo albums, they were like a little band-aid
1770
01:20:11,699 --> 01:20:13,623
To put on this gushing wound.
1771
01:20:13,643 --> 01:20:16,385
- ♪ I'm back ♪
1772
01:20:16,537 --> 01:20:19,629
- Now, four, five months ago,
"newsweek" magazine called
1773
01:20:19,649 --> 01:20:22,224
Disco the entertainment
phenomena of the '70s.
1774
01:20:22,376 --> 01:20:24,652
- It's here to stay, isn't it?
- Absolutely.
1775
01:20:24,803 --> 01:20:26,728
Discos are replacing the nightclubs.
1776
01:20:26,881 --> 01:20:28,155
They are becoming the nightclubs.
1777
01:20:28,232 --> 01:20:30,157
[disco music]
1778
01:20:30,309 --> 01:20:33,143
- Casablanca records became the preeminent
1779
01:20:33,162 --> 01:20:34,903
Disco label anywhere,
1780
01:20:35,056 --> 01:20:38,165
Donna summer, the village people, and so on.
1781
01:20:38,317 --> 01:20:40,893
- Towards the end of the '70s, we had very little to do
1782
01:20:40,911 --> 01:20:42,394
With casablanca.
1783
01:20:42,413 --> 01:20:45,172
From my recollection, they seemed more concerned
1784
01:20:45,249 --> 01:20:47,490
With when the blow
was arriving.
1785
01:20:47,510 --> 01:20:48,825
- Let's dance.
- Let's dance.
1786
01:20:48,845 --> 01:20:50,085
- Music.
1787
01:20:50,237 --> 01:20:51,920
[kiss' "I was made for loving you"]
1788
01:20:52,073 --> 01:20:55,591
- Kiss, it's the album you've waited two years
1789
01:20:55,743 --> 01:20:56,851
To hear, kiss "dynasty."
1790
01:20:57,002 --> 01:21:00,020
All: ♪ I was made
for lovin' you, baby ♪
1791
01:21:00,172 --> 01:21:01,580
♪ you were made ♪
1792
01:21:01,599 --> 01:21:03,415
- Dynasty is a real reflection of where music was
1793
01:21:03,434 --> 01:21:05,100
At that time.
1794
01:21:05,252 --> 01:21:08,103
Disco was the rage, and kiss was kind of at a crossroads.
1795
01:21:08,255 --> 01:21:11,198
All: ♪ can you get enough of me tonight? ♪
1796
01:21:11,350 --> 01:21:12,941
- ♪ tonight ♪
1797
01:21:13,094 --> 01:21:15,761
- Could you explain why you changed from rock to disco?
1798
01:21:15,779 --> 01:21:18,355
- I don't really think that we
made any drastic change.
1799
01:21:18,374 --> 01:21:22,376
The song you're referring to
as disco is really rock-disco.
1800
01:21:22,453 --> 01:21:24,194
- ♪ tonight ♪
1801
01:21:24,213 --> 01:21:25,862
- "I was made for loving you."
1802
01:21:25,882 --> 01:21:28,031
It didn't really
sound like kiss.
1803
01:21:28,050 --> 01:21:29,884
It had more of a dance feel.
1804
01:21:30,035 --> 01:21:32,219
- But it was something we couldn't say no to.
1805
01:21:32,371 --> 01:21:36,724
It was a no-brainer. This was a monster hit.
1806
01:21:36,875 --> 01:21:38,225
All: ♪ I was made
for loving you ♪
1807
01:21:38,377 --> 01:21:41,228
- The problem was that it pushed us into territory
1808
01:21:41,380 --> 01:21:42,788
That we hadn't been.
1809
01:21:42,790 --> 01:21:44,640
- And this is gonna be
your favorite song?
1810
01:21:44,792 --> 01:21:47,902
- Yep, the first one.
"I was made for loving you."
1811
01:21:48,053 --> 01:21:50,129
- "I was made for loving you."
1812
01:21:50,147 --> 01:21:51,906
♪ ♪
1813
01:21:52,057 --> 01:21:53,407
- All of a sudden, they went from being this
1814
01:21:53,558 --> 01:21:55,150
Kind of underground
1815
01:21:55,302 --> 01:21:59,396
New york punk band
to being in "sixteen" magazine
1816
01:21:59,415 --> 01:22:01,231
And "tiger beat," and all of a sudden
1817
01:22:01,250 --> 01:22:02,824
The little kids started liking them.
1818
01:22:02,977 --> 01:22:04,418
- They're just fantastic. We all love them.
1819
01:22:04,569 --> 01:22:05,586
There's no other group
like them.
1820
01:22:05,737 --> 01:22:07,162
They're just the best.
1821
01:22:07,314 --> 01:22:09,831
- I like kiss, because they got
a hard-driving rock beat.
1822
01:22:09,984 --> 01:22:12,818
- We found ourselves trying more and more
1823
01:22:12,836 --> 01:22:15,504
To appeal to a larger group.
1824
01:22:15,656 --> 01:22:17,414
- It became evident and clear
1825
01:22:17,433 --> 01:22:19,582
Just by looking out into the audience.
1826
01:22:19,602 --> 01:22:22,494
You started to see five-year-old kids show up.
1827
01:22:22,513 --> 01:22:26,515
- There were people certainly who saw it as selling out.
1828
01:22:26,667 --> 01:22:27,683
The only upside was that
1829
01:22:27,835 --> 01:22:32,337
There were a lot
of single moms showing up.
1830
01:22:32,356 --> 01:22:34,264
- It's not cool when you're 18 to go to a concert
1831
01:22:34,283 --> 01:22:36,842
And have old people and little kids there.
1832
01:22:36,860 --> 01:22:38,527
- I enjoyed it.
It was exciting.
1833
01:22:38,679 --> 01:22:39,787
- It was not "cool."
1834
01:22:39,863 --> 01:22:42,105
- We were no longer the band
we had been.
1835
01:22:42,124 --> 01:22:44,107
[dramatic musical sting]
1836
01:22:44,126 --> 01:22:46,126
[somber chords]
1837
01:22:46,278 --> 01:22:50,947
- The look of the band reflected who we had become.
1838
01:22:50,967 --> 01:22:56,378
And that was neutered, glamorous, kind of a cross
1839
01:22:56,530 --> 01:23:01,642
Between vegas showgirls and a disney picture.
1840
01:23:01,793 --> 01:23:04,461
That's who we were
at that time.
1841
01:23:04,480 --> 01:23:09,132
We were in the midst of a tumultuous period.
1842
01:23:09,151 --> 01:23:11,819
- We were lost.
1843
01:23:11,970 --> 01:23:18,734
We were keeping the band together by very thin threads.
1844
01:23:18,886 --> 01:23:21,478
Ace and peter were going through bad behavior,
1845
01:23:21,497 --> 01:23:23,222
Drugs, alcohol, and stuff.
1846
01:23:23,240 --> 01:23:25,390
- It's like getting ready
for surgery.
1847
01:23:25,409 --> 01:23:27,317
- [inaudible].
- [laughs]
1848
01:23:27,336 --> 01:23:29,152
- "getting ready for surgery."
1849
01:23:29,171 --> 01:23:30,729
- Historically, ace and peter
1850
01:23:30,748 --> 01:23:34,082
Would keep their problems off to the side.
1851
01:23:34,235 --> 01:23:36,993
- Okay. Time to rock 'n' roll.
1852
01:23:37,013 --> 01:23:40,088
- By the time we did tom snyder's show,
1853
01:23:40,241 --> 01:23:42,758
Well, it turned out horrible.
1854
01:23:42,910 --> 01:23:45,093
- Now here are the remarkable
members of kiss.
1855
01:23:45,246 --> 01:23:46,854
And first of all,
mr. Gene simmons,
1856
01:23:47,005 --> 01:23:48,930
Who is the bass player,
mr. Peter criss,
1857
01:23:49,083 --> 01:23:50,766
Who is the drummer,
mr. Paul stanley,
1858
01:23:50,918 --> 01:23:52,100
Who is the guitarist,
1859
01:23:52,253 --> 01:23:53,843
And ace frehley,
who is the lead guitarist.
1860
01:23:53,863 --> 01:23:56,363
- I'm not the lead guitarist.
I'm the trap player.
1861
01:23:56,515 --> 01:23:58,348
[laughter]
1862
01:23:58,367 --> 01:24:00,592
- Although it's fun to look at today and people
1863
01:24:00,611 --> 01:24:02,611
Get a kick out of it,
1864
01:24:02,763 --> 01:24:05,947
Really what was going on was, we had a member
1865
01:24:06,100 --> 01:24:07,282
Who literally didn't show up
1866
01:24:07,434 --> 01:24:09,768
Till the last minute and showed up drunk.
1867
01:24:09,770 --> 01:24:12,880
- I think this outfit
is self-explanatory.
1868
01:24:13,031 --> 01:24:14,773
[laughter]
1869
01:24:14,792 --> 01:24:19,202
- When you see peter laughing, it's really reveling in seeing
1870
01:24:19,221 --> 01:24:22,038
How it's affecting gene and I.
1871
01:24:22,058 --> 01:24:24,449
It wasn't about it being funny.
1872
01:24:24,468 --> 01:24:28,954
It was about the joy
in seeing us squirming.
1873
01:24:28,972 --> 01:24:32,066
- When you see the audience
going crazy,
1874
01:24:32,217 --> 01:24:33,400
What goes through your minds?
1875
01:24:33,477 --> 01:24:35,235
- When you see
all these people screaming
1876
01:24:35,312 --> 01:24:36,795
And crying and all that--
1877
01:24:36,814 --> 01:24:38,463
- Screaming and crying.
1878
01:24:38,482 --> 01:24:40,240
"why did I spend
all that money?"
1879
01:24:40,392 --> 01:24:42,651
[laughter]
1880
01:24:42,803 --> 01:24:46,580
- As tv, the fans loved it, because they love the drama
1881
01:24:46,731 --> 01:24:50,751
Of ace being completely drunk saying crazy stuff.
1882
01:24:50,902 --> 01:24:52,252
- Ace is back in his house.
1883
01:24:52,404 --> 01:24:54,980
- I mean, the thing that makes people on a highway stop
1884
01:24:54,998 --> 01:24:56,757
Is a wreckage.
1885
01:24:56,908 --> 01:24:58,667
The bloodier it is and the worse it is,
1886
01:24:58,819 --> 01:25:00,319
The more people want to stop and watch.
1887
01:25:00,337 --> 01:25:02,930
- Space bear. The only
space bear in captivity.
1888
01:25:03,006 --> 01:25:05,432
I got him. He's captured.
1889
01:25:05,584 --> 01:25:08,435
- Needless to say, I was really angry.
1890
01:25:08,587 --> 01:25:09,937
[laughter]
1891
01:25:10,088 --> 01:25:12,180
- It had reached a point in the band
1892
01:25:12,333 --> 01:25:15,350
Where you just kind of shrugged your shoulders
1893
01:25:15,502 --> 01:25:19,613
And hoped for the best and realized the worst.
1894
01:25:19,764 --> 01:25:22,282
[cheers and applause]
1895
01:25:22,434 --> 01:25:24,618
Our philosophy was always,
1896
01:25:24,769 --> 01:25:26,453
Whatever is going on
in the band,
1897
01:25:26,530 --> 01:25:29,123
You leave it at the bottom
of the stairs.
1898
01:25:29,274 --> 01:25:32,942
When you go up on stage, you're kiss.
1899
01:25:32,962 --> 01:25:36,296
We have to put an end to this.
1900
01:25:36,448 --> 01:25:41,802
- Marriages don't last; friendships don't last.
1901
01:25:41,953 --> 01:25:44,546
But somehow bands
are supposed to last forever.
1902
01:25:44,698 --> 01:25:47,558
♪ ♪
150385
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