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
Funny that you mentioned the Carpenters; their drummer was one of the all-time great singers…
On a serious note from Rives’ comment, Karen Carpenter was an amazing singer. Not that great of a drummer though…..
And Buddy Rich was one of the best, if not the best, drummers, but not much of a singer. 🙂
All of these whiny bastards still complaining about Paul-who single handedly held KISS together…Peter & Ace proved time and again, they could care less about KISS and pissed their birthright away (sold it actually-because they are not very bright)…now everyone blames Gene & Paul (really just Paul) for holding the band together…you would have done the same GD thing had you been there. Peter never wrote a song in his life, yet starting believing the hype after Beth did well and felt he was bigger than the band…Ace IS most everyone’s favorite but spent the better part of his 2 tours in KISS hammered…so he reaped what he sowed….History repeated itself which was EVIDENT after the REUNION TOUR, Gene/Paul got tired of it as anyone would. On his worse day, Eric Carr/Eric Singer are/were 10 times the drummer Peter ever was & they are so much better to be around, which I can say based on personal experience….Ace was a lost soul who is now finally cleaned up himself, God Bless him, but he is about 20 years too late in terms of being a viable member of KISS…..Tommy had to teach him all of his licks the first time around, be he was a fall down drunk for so long. Tired of all of the whiney KISS fans who bitch/moan about Peter/Ace and then turn around & go to the EOTR shows because it has been sold out every night they have played….if you are so unhappy with KISS, move on-go see the Jonas Brothers, but some Ariana Grande records…leave the rest of us the F alone because I loved KISS in the 70’s when it cool and then in the 80’s during THE ELDER (when is wasn’t) and even now. Peter could never make the schedule of shows KISS performs now and even if Ace could, he is too busy playing clubs when KISS is selling out arenas…been that way since 1982 and continues to this day.
Hey, Wags the dog, how often do you choke on your own kool-aid? Here’s a newsflash for you, as a lifelong fan of KISS, I have (as does every other fan) a right to “complain” as much as I want when they disappoint me. Everybody knows the stories, and the truth, the real truth, (not your delusional version of the truth) and if you don’t like or agree with what you read here, don’t read it. Biggest problem I have with Paul and Gene right now is that they just won’t shut up! Talk about moving on, have they really? Ace & Peter aren’t making news everyday bashing Paul and Gene, are they? No sh-t they’ve made mistakes, (as they all have) but here’s the BIG difference, Ace and Peter have learned from theirs, yes, it took them a long time to do so but they have, have Gene and Paul? No! We don’t want to hear the same old bullsh-t “complaining” and bashing of Ace and Peter anymore! Get it? Now do you understand? Probably not.
Wag daddy,
Couldn’t agree more. Peter and Ace, as much as I loved them as a kid and for what they did to make KISS, can not even possibly keep up with the current iteration of the band. Are the boys hanging them up at the right time? maybe could have been sooner..but they are doing a good job on this final tour and then it’ll all be just memories. Enjoy what you can for now and stop your whining!
We’re not talking about what Paul did, who we all have acknowledged before, we’re talking about what he’s doing and saying NOW! Constantly, relentlessly, unnecessarily bashing Ace and Peter. We’re past the Catman/Spaceman charade, and Paul’s lip-syncing, and even him and Gene tarnishing the legacy of KISS, Paul is obsessed with Ace and Peter, and we’re just sick and tired of it. And just FYI, my last KISS concert was in June 2000. You couldn’t pay me to see this watered down tribute version of KISS! Or whoever the hell those other “artists” (I guess) are that you mentioned.
How the heck do you go from Kiss to the Jonas Brothers and Arianne Grande? Yes, I moved on to a band who can actually play, sing and writes new material as well Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
Wag – Whiny bastards”? Really???? Personally, I find name calling of those expressing their opinions on this site to be unnecessary, and it’s just a chicken s–t maneuver. Disagree, or agree, whatever, but let’s not stoop to childish antics and resort to name calling towards those with contrary opinions. Nobody is right or wrong in our discussions, we are just expressing our passions for music. I’m sure if you and I were having a face to face conversation on this topic you would be more respectful while still offering a contrary opinion….
I, like you, loved KI$$ in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and up through the first “Farewell” tour. But my passion for the band ended when Paul and Gene began dressing up others, rather than the original members, as the Catman and Spaceman characters. It is my right, as one of the “bosses” of KI$$, as Gene refers to the fans, to let them know if I don’t like something. And I don’t like the current tribute version of the band. Yes, Ace and Peter sold their rights to the makeup, so maybe their characters didn’t mean a lot to them. But I will tell you, those characters and those that originally created them mean a lot to me.
I agree, Paul has held the band together, particularly in the 80s when Gene was pursuing other endeavors. I think Paul continues to hold the band together to this day and I widely view KI$$ as his band. But I also think Paul continues to take shots at Ace and Peter in an attempt to justify this version of the band. And as a diehard KI$$ fan of the eras I mentioned, I cannot accept this tribute version of the band as my KI$$ My KI$$ died when the imposters showed up.
I agree that Eric, and Tommy, are better technicians of their instruments than Peter and Ace. And I also understand their history with KI$$ and how both were unreliable during past tours due to substance abuse issues. And, you’re right, Tommy was teaching Ace how to play his old licks, but I’m sure that’s because Tommy was somewhat fresh out of his first KI$$ tribute band, Cold Gin, where he was first copying Ace’s licks.
So, you can exercise your right as a “boss” of KI$$ to accept the current tribute version of the band. I, on the other hand, as a “boss” of KI$$ will keep my preferred KI$$ eras close to my heart. But just because we don’t agree does not mean you need to resort to name calling in some sort of failed attempt to pump up your chest, give some sort of credibility to your opinion, or whatever reason you did it…IMO, it weakens your position.
I saw the sold out EOTR show in Philly. Eric did a great version of Beth. The only thing missing was Ace, so it could have sold out more.
Very sad, indeed. I’m sure Paul is correct in all that he is saying, but is there a need at this point? Mr. I’m all better now, according to his self indulged book,Backstage Pass. Hee is just another rich, self centered a–hole, just leave it alone. Peter is not an any magazines, or tv, talking about anything,why does Paul have to keep bringing up all this negativity about the past members?. It’s bad enough. he’s the one who sold this tour. by saying they would be doing shows with some of the past members. A tactic used in order to sell tickets. Now, that the tour is half over, and the tickets have all been sold for the most part, he is once again running his mouth. He always talks about how bad it was working with them, I wonder how bad it is working with him?? Uggghhhh.
Aside from the chatter on this subject, Eric does a nice job with this iconic song.