Fan-filmed video footage of KISS performing the band’s hit ballad, Beth, on July 12th at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user Chromeboy2003).
Although, original drummer Peter Criss is credited for writing the song. along with the late Stan Penridge and producer Bob Ezrin, Paul Stanley claims that Criss had very little to do with it. Stanley reportedly told Rolling Stone. “Peter can’t write a song, because Peter doesn’t play an instrument. Penridge came up with [sings], ‘Beth, I hear you calling…’ Peter had nothing to do with it. Because if you write one hit song, you should be able to write two. That’s the reality. Devastating? It’s the truth. It was a lifeline that Peter hung on to validate himself, but it wasn’t based on reality.”
Criss responded to Stanley’s comments by saying, “Paul is so full of f–king shit’cause as a lead singer of the band he never got to write the hit. That’s his problem. They hated the fact that I wrote a hit record and won a People’s Choice.”
In a 2000 interview, Penridge was asked how Beth (originally called Beck after Becky, Chelsea bandmate Mike Brand’s wife) was written and how much of it Criss was really responsible for, he said, “Beck was written, almost word for word, from Mike Brand’s responses to his wife’s constant calls that interupted our rehearsals. It got to the point where I wrote down his remarks over a period of 3 or 4 days in what I called my ‘wizard book.’ It was merely a small notebook I carried to jot down silly sayings, sketch in, anything….to save ideas. If you look at the lyrics and view them as a hen-pecked hubby’s remarks to his nagging wife, you’ll see what I mean. Just pause after every sentence and pretend there’s a bitch at the other end of the line. You’ll catch it — I’m sure.”
He added, “[Peter was] absolutely not responsible [for it] at all. Another poorman’s copyright by me in ’70.”
KISS is currently on their End Of The Road farewell tour. Remaining dates are as follows:
August:
6 Sunrise, FL @ BB&T Center
8 Charleston, NC @ North Charleston Coliseum
10 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
11 Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
13 Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
14 Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
16 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
17 Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
20 Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
21 Hershey, PA @ HersheyPark Stadium
23 Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
24 Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
27 Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
29 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
31 Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
September:
1 St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
3 Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
5 Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
7 Bossier City, LA @ CenturyLink Center
8 San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
9 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11 Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
12 Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
14 Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
16 Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
additional source: blabbermouth.net
35 Responses
As a fan of music I don’t care at all who wrote the lyrics, or who wrote the music….. It’s the song for me and the voice that delivers it – these constant insults lobbed at pete and ace are just disturbing at this point – something is deeply wrong with Stanley if he’s still so obsessed with this after all the years that have gone by- and the fact that he’s blasting pete when he’s lip syncing and can no longer sing is just well…… sad
Agree Robert – its the song and the voice and Peter does a great job on Beth.
(Personally, he is my favorite Kiss vocalist – tied with Paul)
Where Peter does not do himself any favors is mispresenting the truth
Amen, Craig! And let’s remember Criss sang Hard Luck Woman, too. That was another great hit for KI$$. Criss had that raspy, Rod Stewart type voice, that just fit perfectly for the songs he sang.
Good point, Wig. I didn’t think of that….it wouldn’t surprise me….
No secret Paul and Peter do not like each other. So would not surprise me either.
What would have been classy of Kiss is to provide a 5-10 minute tribute to each the other members of Kiss via video montage during the show. Here they could have Peter sing Beth.
Would have been the right thing to do to show some unity.
Eff Paul and Gene
What a way to end the once hottest band by unzipping your pants and pissing on your legacy. Doing a final go around and play the same set you play for decades. Doing a double Daren switch ala Bewitched and think no one would notice I rather see Iron Maiden or Priest and listen to some new music from my favorite bands than stuff you hear rotated on terrestrial radio and satellite Guess the want to out wining than a bang He’ll this is the perfect opportunity to play deep cuts but I guess they don’t have old recordings of Stanley singing it
Please keep their pants zipped – Paul and Gene have already disappointed most of their fans.
If you were young and your parents were hesitant to buy you a Kiss album, this is the song that would convince them to reluctantly buy the record. (with the understanding that if you then turned into a demon, you would be grounded and forced to listen to the The Carpenters;)