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
it is expected that the fans that put them there get to see …
ace paul peter and gene in makeup get onstage and perform…
period.
anything less is not KISS….give the fans what they want . closure and i fitting end to the band.
bill aucoin neil bogart sean delaney were the major players in the appearance look and music of those iconic first recoeds
with all due respect to members that came after this is a celebration of ace paul peter and gene-
paul stanley is a brillaint songwriter and a very important part of KISS..has always written the better songs-
but KISS is ACE FREHLY-SPACE ACE-PAUL STANLEY-STARCHILD PETER CRISS-THE CATMAN AND GENE SIMMONS THE DEMON that is what this is about and the fans deserve a true re-union at the podium and on the stage . period.
Why should they end the band? They enjoy what they do. They’re quite successful. I saw them twice on the kiss crue tour and they were great and Paul did an awesome job. The original line up is legendary but kiss is more than just those 4. I remember seeing the creatures tour and even hot in the shade, great shows…and music. Kiss goes on. Im thankful for them.
Paul’s comments about the HOF are spot on. The Kiss fans who are looking forward to this, should realise they don’t need validation from this entity. It goes against what rock n’ roll’s about…By attending the HOF, you’re validating the HOF.
Why’d you want to be associated with the Rn’R HOF? What did the HOF do for good music? Ritchie Blackmore’s said he’d never take part in the HOF, and I’m proud of that. Good music doesn’t need HOF’s validation.
“Fans” are the validation.
Fantastic interview. I love that he is offended “the hierarchy” refuses to acknowledge other significant members of the band. But hope he understands the truth in his own words as to the importance of the induction to the band’s fans and performs. The Rush induction was huge to the fans last year, and I think Kiss can be just as special.
As Pauls says, “We couldn’t have been here without them and we couldn’t be here today with them.” For that reason – and Paul seems amenable to it – the four original members should all attend to accept their induction. To make the fans happy, they should also play together for one night. No makeup. This way, the fans get what they want – Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace. Gene and Paul get what they want because they wouldn’t be diluting the current KISS brand by parading Peter and Ace out in makeup. Ace and Peter would get what they want also – the opportunity to get their deserved dues as well as one more chance to play to a big audience as the original members of KISS. They should call me for advice…..
You’re right, this would be a nice way for all of them to save their faces and still please the fans in some way. I think it is much more probable than any kind of real reunion. Paul sure is trying to keep all his options open at the moment – it is remarkable that neither Ace nor Peter are posting anything about it, maybe they are waiting what the two will decide … we can be sure that behind the scenes there is much discussion going on as to which option would be the best for Paul and Gene. Paul hypocritically bashes the HOF for being a business venture when actually all his thoughts are also about business. And talking about business, they KNOW that another reunion tour would fill their pockets for ever but the situtation today is very different from what it was like in the mid 1990s when Kiss was on the decline and losing money and not selling out venues any more, then they actually needed Ace and Peter just as much as they neded them to make money again, and they did. It is also the reason why Kiss is still alive and making lots of money today. Had it not been for the reunion I guess Kiss would have ended some time around 2000 because this band cannot go play clubs, they need the big venues for their trademark show. So if they will not decide to use this induction as a starting point for a second reunion I would suggest they either all of them play without makeup and costumes or not play at all, just accept their awards, give a little speech, and that’s it. This would also show the HOF how stupid their policy is.
Does anyone really think there is another reunion tour coming? Ace could do it Ime sure but Peter? come on his skills are gone sad to say, not to mention they are both 3pounds away from being round! Guess they could stand with Gene who hasnt left one side of the stage for 3 tours now. Ime the biggest fan ever and I think its time to wrap it up never mind winding up for another reunion tour.
I see your point, so maybe the HOF would give them that chance to wrap it up neatly, but I don’t think so. They (P & G) will devise a plan that will both make sure that the fans waiting for the original four perform won’t be too angry and that they can carry on with the current lineup without having the HOF event damage their further succes too much. And, sadly I have to agree that Peter, being the oldest and the one with the physically most demanding role within a band, will problay not be able to really do it, even if the two would go to the gym before touring, which actually is a normal thing rockers do today-
Gene gets a new ” larger” costume every tour for his fat ass . And i’m not digging Pauls saggy tits either.
Its funny how everyone thinks they know how Peter drums now …. Yes it was a issue in 2000 playing 5 nights a week …
About Peter”s drumming today, it seems that actually very many people buy the crap that P and G are shooting at them. I grant he can still play. Still, his job would be the hardest as in any rock band. And doing that at the age of 68 is something … it cannot be compared to an occasional live gig with an all star band which we might wtach on YT. A tour is not only concerts, it is a whole lot more of things around the concert that take time and put pressure on you. And if there was another reunion, which I think is really unlikely, no one will know until the moment they walk on stage at the HOF, like back in 1996. So we have to patient and prepare for disappointment.
I agree they should leave the make up and costumes at home.
Really good idea. I sincerely hope they do it your way. Perfect. Also, people aren’t taking one big thing into consideration. It’s a really big, long ceremony with a lot of aspects and other inductions. There is a dinner, interactions with the press etc. it is hours long. So Kiss is supposed to sit there all night in makeup? Totally ridiculous. And are they supposed to run off, take an hour or more to put it on while everyone waits?
I think some need to learn to read and comprehend, Paul is not saying he won’t play with Ace and Peter, he’s saying he doesn’t plan on playing at all. His beef seems to be with the HALL and some need to stop thinking everything he says is somehow a slight against Ace and Peter.
As far as the interview is concerned he’s right, the HALL seems to make up their own rules.They’ve already set the precedent with all the other extra members they’ve inducted over the years.Yet KISS doesn’t warrant that same treatment, again, after being forced to let them in, they still want to treat KISS as second class because it will screw up their Nirvana night. You still have a committee that did not want them in to start with. KISS only got on the ballot again because of fan protests and in a small way ED’s rants. With bands that now have the votes that either grew up on KISS or worked along side them, they got in. These needledyks on the committee are still the same people that NEVER wanted them in.
Well said, the HOF can take their Nirvana night and stick in their ass as far as I’m concerned. Personally I don’t think they should have got in on the first ballot. I liked Nevermind as much as everybody else did and in retrospect it probably deserves five star reviews for not only the music but for the kick in the ass in gave to all the hair metal and pop at the time, but as great as it was, it’s ONE great album, that’s all. I don’t think the follow up was any where near as good in my opinion.