Forty years after the release of their debut album, KISS have finally made the cover of Rolling Stone. Marking the band’s upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the cover image is a classic 1975 photo of the band’s original lineup: Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, plus Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.
The cover story, by Rolling Stone senior writer Brian Hiatt, tells the sad, hilarious and triumphant story of one of the biggest rock bands ever, taking an in-depth look at the founding members’ lives and careers. Hiatt hung out with all four original members in their homes (in San Diego, Beverly Hills and Monmouth County, New Jersey) where they shared fond memories and, inevitably, some intense backbiting. “I keep thinking about Ace and Peter,” Simmons admits. “”What are they doing now? Where are they?’ It’s gotta be close to the end. How do you make any money? How do you pay your bills?”
Even Stanley and Simmons have had their differences. “We’ve always seen each other as brothers,” says Stanley. “What we seem to be at odds at is how you treat your brother. Gene’s priority, by far, has always been himself. And he’s not one to let anyone else’s feelings or contributions get in the way.”
They also explain precisely why they won’t be reuniting for a performance at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Stanley and Simmons offered to allow the former members to jam with KISS’ current lineup, featuring guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, but Ace and Peter found that proposition deeply insulting. “I won’t be disrespected,” Criss says. “How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to go sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That’s an injustice. To the fans, too.”
Simmons counters that Frehley and Criss “no longer deserve to wear the paint.” “The makeup is earned,” he adds.”Just being there at the beginning is not enough… And if you blow it for yourself, it’s your fault. You can’t blame your band members. ‘Oh, look what happened to me. Oh, poor me.’ Look at my little violin. I have no sympathy.”
Frehley suggests another reason for the current members’ reluctance: “The reason they don’t want to perform with me and Peter is because the last time they did, they had to do a reunion tour. We play three songs, the fans go crazy. They don’t want to open up a can of worms.” Frehley, meanwhile, says he licensed – rather than sold – the rights to his Spaceman makeup to the band, and suggests that he’s due to get the rights back sometime soon.
Also in the story, Simmons says his touring days are almost done. “I’m 64 now,” he says. “Three more tours. Two, if I have a life change of some kind.”
KISS’ Rolling Stone cover story goes on sale Friday, March 28th and online tomorrow, March 26th.
source: rollingstone.com
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158 Responses
If had the chance to vote again I would vote for deep purple, not because of Ace and Peter because of gene and paul what a let down, I reserve my rights from the kiss army since 1976 a loyal and dedicated soldier I was , gene and rupaul don’t deserve a soldier Like me they don’t deserve my dedication.ROCK SOLDIERS UNITE!
This is just another example of how shallow and pinhead thinking has taken a once great band and is sinking into oblivion slower than the titanic did and at some point and time they will look back on all this and wish they would have taken this opportunity when they still had the chance and so on behalf of one of the lifetime KISS fanatics that are no longer a part of the movement, I say this “you have contradicted yourselves more times than I have kept track of, you have proven that as long as you don’t get the response or reply that you want, you block or simply ignore them, and if its not your way, its no way, regardless of who you have to step on or take advantage of to get further in your empire called KISS” you said it yourselves that “if it wasn’t for the fans, you would be nothing or you wouldn’t be where you are today” well, if your going to be saying stuff like that then say it the way you mean it, ” if after all the years of buying our albums and coming to our shows, and you don’t like the way were running the group now….well thanks for your support but we don’t need you anymore”
gene & Paul , what you guys seem to realize is that this is A ONE SHOT DEAL !!! u don’t get a second shot at being inducted into the hall of fame !! THIS IS YOUR & OUR’S ( kiss army ) LEGACY !!!! get it right gentlemen !!!! because you will regret it forever !!! instead of being remembered for what kiss was, this fiasco is what will remembered . Just DISGUSTING !!!! YOU OWE US !!! AGAIN YOU OWE US ! for the years of LOYAL support . take the stage with pete & ace in makeup & have tommy & eric there also without makeup sitting next to anyone that was a part of kiss . End the night with a full all out kiss jam with everyone in the kiss family on stage with an extra empty drum set in honor of eric carr GO OUT WITH CLASS !!!!!!! THE FANS WANTED US TO PLAY WE HEAR AND WE OBEY !!!!! REMEMBER THAT ? & where is tommy & eric on all this ??????????? they say there major kiss fans , so if they are they SHOULD BACK OUT !!!!!! OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE LEGACY OF OUR BAND KISS
Mario…the greatest thing they could have ever done, the most Kiss like thing they could have ever done was to give the RRHOF the finger. Yep after the nomination, all of them should have gotten together for a press conference and said thanks but no thanks. You didn’t need us 17 years ago and we don’t need you now. Boom…now that would have been story. Kiss comes out doing what they’ve always claimed to have done and that’s go against the grain. Instead…Rolling Stone, the RRHOF, it’s been nothing but bad press and PR from the get go.
Tommy and Eric are employees they can’t say anything without getting fired.
The HOF wants Original KISS on stage only, in Makeup, BUT KISS said NO to THAT. IF they would have said yes they may have been able to convince them let the whole KISS family to jam but they would have never let V.V. play with them,
ACE FREHELEY F****** RULES!!! FOREVER.
The Tubes…they still have 4 original members and I’ve caught them a couple of times in the last few months and they were GREAT. Roger Steen is so underrated, well, they all are; jazz fusion guys who can write songs. They play for 2 and half hours and meet the fans after the show, no VIP package or anything. I am getting off the whole Corporate rock carousel, it actually doesn’t have to be this way, and the business side wants to convince fans that their way is the only way. Seriously, I ain’t falling for this shit.
Rock and roll has become gentrified. Rock concerts used to be places where you could really let your hair down; now it’s security flunkies, and way overpriced beer and merch. Rock and roll is now a pawn in a Capitalist scheme of placating masses of people, while the rich get richer. It doesn’t matter, the ice caps are going away, and we are all pretty much fucked anyway.
Yes, Roger Steen is an amazing guitarist, humble and appreciative to the fans. So many bands could take a lesson from Roger and The Tubes!
Tubes are awesome. Wish they’d come to NY more often.