KISS’ PAUL STANLEY DISCUSSES LED ZEPPELIN SUIT, ACE FREHLEY AND NIKKI SIXX’S CRITICISM OF GENE SIMMONS
Russ Rollins of the “Monsters” recently spoke with KISS frontman Paul Stanley. Excerpts appear below as transcribed by blabbermouth.net.
On Led Zeppelin being accused of copying the iconic guitar riff in Stairway To Heaven from Spirit’s 1968 instrumental Taurus:
Stanley: “Well, it’s pretty strange that this lawsuit came forty-plus years after the fact. That’s a little weird, that somebody would suddenly decide to launch a lawsuit…”
Discussing whether he has ever heard any parts of other bands’ songs that sounded like they were lifted from KISS and whether he has ever been accused of ripping off other artists:
Stanley: “Well, yeah, and a lot of times it’s really unfair, because there are a certain amount of notes and they only get jumbled so many different ways. There’s a [Bruce] Springsteen song that sounds like… There’s a part of the song that sounds like [KISS’s] I Was Made For Loving You, so I’m sure he wasn’t sitting around listening to that. But it finds its way into everybody’s music. You can’t come down on everybody for their creativity…”
Talking about being at odds with Gene Simmons over the KISS bassist/vocalist’s admittedly callous remarks regarding Prince’s death but also taking Gene’s side and lashing out at Nikki Sixx:
Stanley: “You know, to rehash the past, Gene said some things that I think were uncalled for, and also perhaps didn’t bring a filter into the mix, and sometimes perhaps he doesn’t think through before he says something. And I just thought some of the things he said were a little cold and offensive, and I felt that I needed to distance myself from that, because the two of us have been together forty-plus years. That being said, it was over and done. And Gene and I never had a bad word about it; it was just something we both understood. But then to have somebody else harp on it over and over again, I just was… I didn’t like it. I thought it was self-promotion, and I didn’t like it. And I said, ‘Quit.'”
On whether he has gotten a positive response to his reunion with original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley for a cover of Free’s Fire And Water for Ace’s solo covers set, “Origins Vol. 1:
Stanley: “Sure. Everybody — from Paul Rodgers, who originally sang it, who’s one of my inspirations, he loved it, and a lot of people thought it was terrific and were surprised by it. Of course, it leads some people to say, ‘Well, what’s next?’ And I don’t really think… What’s next is that Ace and I are in contact and enjoying reconnecting. It doesn’t need to, and won’t, lead anywhere in terms of… Why would we change the band? The band is great. KISS is great the way it is. And it’s great to be in contact and texting and speaking with Ace. He’s in great shape. Psychologically, you know, he’s clean and sober, and he’s one of a kind. He can be a strange apple, but that’s what makes him so cool. And I’m glad I took up the opportunity to be on his album and also shoot a video with him.”
additional source: blabbermouth.net
It’s great Paul and Ace have reconnected. Maybe they can collaborate again in the future. Gene has a big mouth, we all know that already. But Paul’s right in that Gene just doesn’t think before he says stuff in the media. As for songs having similar parts: I’ve heard songs from bands and thought some parts sound like other band’s songs or riffs. I don’t think it’s usually intentional. For one quick example, there’s a Sacred Reich song called “Crawling” that has a part that sounds very much like a riff from Black Sabbath’s “Hole In The Sky”. I know Sacred Reich is an obscure reference, but I heard that song last week for the first time in maybe 10 years and it reminded me how I’ve always heard a riff that sounds like “Hole In The Sky” in it.
I have one, the end of Priest’s You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise and the Crue’s Looks That Kill.
…yup, I’ve thought that for years. Motley is a flea on Priest’s behind… : )
I think you’re conveniently forgetting the comments Paul threw at Ace over the past few years especially on Twitter. Paul was worse than Gene at that time. Remember when he commented that Ace ‘sold the Spaceman image..for not a whole lot’? He’s making up for years of verbal abuse.
Speaking of Kiss, I’ve been listening to the Psycho Circus outtakes, and there is some great stuff…”Sweet and Dirty Love,” which features a slide solo from Space Ace…why didn’t they put that on the record? Did the producer sabotage that record????
From what I understand, Ace contributed guitar work to only two songs on the album. The rest was Tommy Thayer. Sweet and Dirty love is a song Gene had in his pocket for quite some time, so the recording was probably worked out without Ace.
All of the outtakes are better than what ended up on that record…”Rain Keeps Fallin'”, what a great tune!
Lots of songs have similar parts. Paul has admitted to ripping off the riff of “I Stole Your Love” from Deep Purple’s “Burn”. Also, Iron Maiden’s “Wicker Man” sounds like it’s been ripped off from Judas Priest’s “Running Wild”.
The Wicker Man has exactly the same beginning as Stryper’s Makes Me Wanna Sing on Soldiers Under Command.
There are literally too many to count. Some (Blackmore on “Drinkin’ With the Devil” ==> “Slow Train” by Deep Purple) take their OWN stuff. 🙂
Compare the chorus melody of “When It’s Love” by Van Halen to the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends”.