Classic Rock Magazine interviewed KISS frontman Paul Stanley about the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. Read the interview below.
Classic Rock: Did you feel honored at being inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?
Paul Stanley: No, it was done begrudgingly and because it had become absolutely ludicrous that they were choosing to ignore us. At the end of the day most people don’t realize that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was a privately created establishment and that it has a self-appointed board. It’s a perfect case of perception becoming reality. People heard “Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame” and gave it credibility. So whether it deserves the title has to be weighed against who it inducts. So was it an honor to be nominated? No. It means a lot to the fans and I understand it because it’s validation for them. So for that reason I accept graciously and accept on their behalf.
My feelings and my ambivalence about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hasn’t changed any. Their attitude is elitist and it doesn’t reflect the public. It reflects a small group who dictate who meets the criteria that they set up as “rock and roll”. I’ve always felt the spirit of rock and roll meant not only ignoring your critics, but ignoring your peers and going your own way. I think we’ve done that pretty much with few exceptions for forty years. So that same criteria that kept us out has not gotten us in. I scratch my head a little and I also take issue with a certain arrogance within that group.
Nonetheless I look at some of the inductees and any club that has Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and The Who and the Beatles and the Stones is company I don’t mind being in and my feelings have nothing to do with any of them, it purely has to do with a system which I think is tainted, corrupted and distorted.
Classic Rock: Are you looking forward to playing it?
Paul Stanley: Honestly, I have no plans at the moment to do anything, and that includes playing with Ace and Peter or anyone else. My plan at the moment is to go and accept the award. Anything else, we’ll see how it unfolds or unravels. It was interesting to me, or offensive to me, that when the question was broached with the hierarchy about inducting additional members it was shut down immediately as “a non starter,” which to me is arrogant. People who sit behind desks need to respect the people who are actually either inductees or possible inductees into this so-called hallowed organization. So the fact that there are 30 or 40 or 50 or some absurd number of Grateful Dead members all inducted, the fact that all of the Chili Peppers, including people who played on early albums that never amounted to very much are not inducted, the fact that John Rutsey, the drummer on the first Rush album is not inducted, the fact that Rob Trujillo, who’s a great guy but didn’t play on any of the classic Metallica albums, was inducted after being in the band six years makes me wonder exactly what are the rules? If the rules don’t apply to everybody then they’re not rules.
Classic Rock: Do you plan to bring Ace and Peter up on stage with you?
Paul Stanley: Of course it goes without saying that Ace and Peter deserve this moment in the spotlight. We wouldn’t be here without them. We couldn’t have built what we did without them at the foundation. That being said, we couldn’t have built what we built without a lot of people who followed them. We couldn’t have been here without them and we couldn’t be here today with them. So absolutely, of course they deserve and belong up there.
Classic Rock: Ace and Peter jammed together at recent party for That Metal Show presenter [and radio DJ] Eddie Trunk. How did you feel about that?
Paul Stanley: I didn’t feel one way or the other. I don’t own those songs, I only wrote ‘em. There’s nothing to guard or lock away. Those songs are public domain and they played on those songs so why wouldn’t they play them? For that matter, why wouldn’t anybody play them?
source: classicrockmagazine.com
115 Responses
Interesting comments by Paul. Though he seems remote, he does say that he’d be honored to be a part of any group including Clapton, The Who, etc… Not that Kiss didn’t produce enough great work over the years to be deserving, but I guess it would be too much to ask for Paul & Gene to be appreciative of Eddie’s relentless campaigning for Kiss to be in the HOF, and that’s a shame. That said, at the very least, it seems promising that he says “Ace and Peter deserve this moment in the spotlight…” Does that mean merely standing up on stage to accept the award, or actually performing alongside them is an intriguing proposition that I know all Kiss fans are waiting to see play out. It would also be nice to see all members of Kiss get their due including Bruce Kulick, Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, etc…, but in the world of Kiss, anything can happen. It’ll make for a big event, and I’ll sign off by quoting Ace and say “I hope they (Gene and Paul) do the right thing.”
Dave,
Perhaps, I was reading the interview incorrectly as I was formatting it, but I interpreted Stanley’s comments as, he is currently undecided about performing onstage with Ace and Peter. He is more than willing to share the podium with them to accept the award, but anything additional, is nebulous at this point.
Again, this is just my perception of his comments. Only he truly knows what he meant when he responded to the question(s).
Dana from EddieTrunk.com 🙂
This is going to turn out to be another Blondie moment!
“I don’t own those songs”. His book should be killer. Another bonehead losing/selling his songs to the big publishing houses? Bonnie Raitt in before Ronstadt/Kiss. This is as sad as some dumb poor fat slob from Brooklyn in an Anthrax shirt going to pay to see Scott Ian at B.B. King’s tell tales.
I just hope Gene and Paul somehow decide to do the right thing so the fans can truly enjoy the night of the induction.
Why is it Gene and Paul do the right thing? They have kept my favourite band going in spite of what Ace and Peter have done,if most fans had their way this band would have been done in 1980 when Peter left. Biggest part of me hopes they walk on the stage and hoist their middle fingers to the RRHOf and walk out.
I think Paul is 100% correct about the Hall of Shame. I’m a life long KISS fan, and I for one think that the absolute disrespect towards KISS by the Hall is unforgivable. To let the fans vote KISS in instead of the members of the Hall just goes to show that KISS will always be considered a lesser band by the members of the Hall of Fame. I for one will all ways be a KISS fan, but I won’t be watching this sham of an induction.
I don’t know why anyone gives a shit about KISS performing at the HOF together….and that means any version. What would it accomplish exactly? Would us hardcore fans who were there back in the 70’s feel any better about the band? Does this give us some type of closure that we feel we’re entitled to? It doesn’t do anything. Would it be nice for the original 4 to get up there and play? Sure I guess. But in the end if the only way those four play together is because some guys in suits gave them a bullshit membership into a corporate HOF that none of us care about, then count me out. I don’t feel sorry or bad for Ace and Peter like most do. But I think the idea of them playing with Gene and Paul because of outside pressures is actually insulting to both of them. I think they have both taken the high road on this issue and I sincerely respect them for that. My truest and best memories of KISS are the originals back in the 70’s and very early 80’s. That’s all I need cause that was the best part of that band. The reunion was awesome back in 96-97, and I’m very happy it happened. But this charade that is about to bestow us all is something I don’t need. The potential train wreck that could happen (especially if the new version plays instead of the old) is not worth any potential glory that could be gained. I like Paul’s comments on this article. Go up, get your reward, recognize and congratulate each other – mention the others who also got you there (Aucoin, Ezrin, Carr, Vincent, Kulick, McGhee) and leave taking the high road.
Wow. Well said DR. No other comments need to be read. You nailed it. Thanks for being thoughtful, unsightful and mature.
Insightful.
Thx Pete.
Well said Dr. Well said.