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
Wow.
This is why I hate $immons & $tanley now . I use to love these guys ! Paul was my favorite .
They are just low class, mean ,bitter men . They are like the opposite of the guys in ac/dc . Can you imagine Johnson ,Angus, and the boys talking so much shit ? The people that come on here and say ; ” well did you read Peter and Ace’s book , they slam the other two ” ? Those people just don’t get it . You can’t even explain the difference because they’re too dumb !
I hope $immons & $tanley get booed off the stage when they start their speech’s at the HOF !
I like how $immons & $tanley ripped on Rolling Stone their whole career and now when RS finally decides to let them have a interview they’re all over it being the media whores they are; Pathetic !
$immons & $tanley would throw their own mother’s under a bus .
I hope Ace & Pete rip them a new one in their speech’s.
Disgusting . This just ruined my evening Eddie….
I agree. Paul and Gene wholeheartedly deserve to be booed. No question about it. C’mon Brooklyn, let ’em hear it.
Just ignore them in social media and in sales. Nothing speaks louder.
Well, AC/DC let the music do the talking! That is the reason they are stilling selling out any arena worldwide while Kiss has to use the help of Def Leppard to probaly hardly fill a 18,000 seater again.
Another thing I find interesting is Ace says he licensed the makeup .
Is that the same as leasing Eddie ?
If Ace can get the design back that would be ooh soo sweet !!!
I’m sure Gene would pay a ton for it but we could start a fund raiser to keep Ace from selling it . LOL
Let the games begin
As a fan, at this point, I am furious and let down beyond words. Ive actually supported all versions of KISS, and yes, even the “new” lineup but Genes comments hear are just plain rude and ridiculous, “near the end” and “how do they eat”. I must be delusional to think my heroes were better than that. That was beyond uneccesary. And his jabs at That Metal Show actually hurt. Gene, you are hurting Kiss’s legacy, you are tainting it. Take the high road for Christs sake. If you dont have anything nice to say then dont say anything at all. I saw your last 3 tours and this time I’m staying home. It was monumental and actually historic for my friends and I to not get tickets in St. Louis when they went on sale this last Saturday. We’ve really been affected by this whole fiasco. If you knew me as a fan and a person I think you’d be shocked at losing my business. Take care Kiss, it’s time for me to walk away.
Right on, Pete. I myself walked away after the farewell tour. To all the fans who object to the phony tribute act that Paul & Gene have turned the band into, you should do the same. We all need to collectively boycott the current fake Kiss – the only way to send a message to Simmons & Stanley is through their bank accounts, because they don’t care about anything else. And if you’re worried about missing Def Leppard, don’t be: they’ll just be doing the same old predictable greatest-hits show they’ve been doing for years, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time they do it.
It would not be so hard to accept the current lineup if G and P did not bash the founding members for no real reason, did not try to wipe out the importance of the reunion for the current selling of tickets, did not make A and P look like beggars or bankrupts like in this new interview just because they do not own three digit millions of dollars, if they did not play down their contributions and importance for the overall success of the band until today, did not constantly lie about the importance of the fans when it is actually only the fan’s money they are interested in, it would not be so hard if they did not just use every opportunity to glorify themselves at the expense of everyone else. But that has happened to many stars, the oxygene is getting low the higher you get which makes you talk bullshit and, even more ridiculous, believe in the selfsame crap you are selling. They have completely lost touch with reality. I hope that reality, i.e. low sales on the next tour, will hit them right in the face. I for one will not go should they take the tour to Europe again whereas I would gladly go see Ace again.