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
Hey Gene. Is that 3 more tours after your final tour that was 3 tours ago?
Rather than put the brakes on a little and tone down the rhetoric on the heels of Kiss’ induction into the RNRHOF, Gene wants to remind us all….again….that he is the greatest example of human and life long perfection while Peter and Ace are a bunch of worthless bums who should be homeless by now. Nice to see Corey Taylor of Slipknot call out Simmons as “petty” regarding the decision not to play at the HOF with Ace and Peter. Even Gene’s so called “brother” Paul Stanley pretty much only takes shots when he speaks of him. Given Paul’s endless rants of late, that’s saying something! Gene and Paul are on a single quest to, as much as possible, defame, slander and disrespect Ace and Peter right up to the induction and probably until the day they die. Again, Ace and Peter just quietly keep their mouths shut behind the scenes, aren’t looking to stir the pot unnecessarily when they so easily could and only talk when they have to defend derogatory comments. Why people slam Ace and Peter and support Gene and Paul I will never know.
Now let’s take a look at what this guy Gene has got: a big mansion in Beverly Hills, OK, sounds nice, a wife that has had plastic surgery so often she can’t remember the number and her real face anymore and looks like a badly made plastic doll, two children who seem nice but all we know is that they have rather mediocre musical talent (Nick) and wear fine clothes at fashion weeks and also were needed to make that reality TV show look nice, i-.e. make money to pay for the mansion etc.. What else? Ah, Kiss, yes. Musically he is well-known for his long tongue, demon oufit, fire breathing … forgot sth? Right, almost forgot he is a bass player, and we must admit, as bad or mediocre at best as ever there was one among the bass players of famous heavy bands. So no point here. What is left? Money. Lots of it. So no wonder that he keeps on bragging about his financial success when he cannot actually say he is a great musican without having the whole industry laugh at him. So he judges P an A by the money they might have left are might still ben making when he knows that musically he cannot hold a candle to these guys. And that they will always be favoured by the old fans for their musical input but not for their canting and boasting. Poor fellow in the end.
ALL I have to Say about Simmons and Stanley now is, History and KISStory will remember them as the
two aSSes.. period
I guess playing shithole bars and dives doesnt count for earning it? I guess being in the band from the beginning, taking alot of shit and getting no radio support means they didnt earn it? Im sorry but as far as I can see thayer has done nothing but ride the coattails of what Ace created back in the 70s…Singer the same way but I give him a nod because he was in the band during a non makeup run….I guess gene’s definition of “earning” it must mean to ride the coattails of those that came before….what a complete douchebag….ill be happy when the induction is said and done and we can put this story in the kiss vault, lock it up and throw away the key….the last 2 albums were sub par at best…eddie, ive been a fan for a long time but im done buying cds/attending concerts….thanks eddie for tms and all u do to keep metal alive…when i think of kiss today, the hindenberg comes to mind…sorry for the long rant, but im alittle taken back by genes statement…now if you’ll excuse me im heading over to youtube….kiss is in town on the reunion tour tonight….Thanks Eddie!
Oh this is going to be good….can’t wait to read these posts. Gene is going to set more people off with those comments. Face it…gene is a genius. He finds a way to get people to talk about him…even when they hate him. And they finally made the rolling stone. Unreal.