September 1977

CONTENTS

KISS: ANOTHER MISUNDERSTANDING?

Kiss—I’ve seen it happen before, but never on this scale. Every couple of years a band arises that is ignored by the press, passed over by radio stations, harumped at by chicsters, and absolutely adored by millions of young people.

KISS ROOTS

Few people pay them credit today, but the fact is that Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention set the stage for a lot of the rock ‘n’ roll that emerged in the early part of this decade. Specifically what they did was wear dresses on the cover of their We’re Only In It For The Money album in 1968.

KISS ’77

I WAS ONSTAGE WITH KISS!

Jaan Uhelszki

I was curious about life on the other side of the foot-lights. Armed with an abundance of determination and a tight pair of Danskins (Danskin aren’t only for dancing), I approached Larry Harris, the vice president of Casablanca Records with my plan: “How about if I join Kiss for a night?”

Realnames & etc.

KISSTORY

1945 (?) December 20—It’s less than a week before Christmas and Mr. Crisscoula hopes his wife will be home for the celebration. She is. Five days before the blessed day; Mrs. Crisscoula has her blessed event: giving birth in New York to a son she christens Peter.

KISS FACTS

PAUL used to chop liver in a delicatessen during the summer. ACE married his girlfriend Jeanette in early ’77. GENE taught school at P.S. 75 in Manhattan for six months. PETER learned to play drums on a vintage 1920 Gene Krupa-style drumkit.

But Can You Dance To It?

To be fair, even the most die-hard Kiss fanatic would have to admit there’s a world beyond his. idols’ flash pot perimeter. And if he dared take his eyes off the Masked Marvels for one minute, he might even discover something else worthwhile Out There.

KISS: STORY BEHIND THE SCENE

Like the music, the Kiss stage show has gone through a lot of changes over the past four years.

BACKSTAGE WITH KISS

THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK

PETER—In real life with his platforms and makeup off, Peter seems the most humble of Kiss. This may be partially due to the fact that he is the oldest and longest married of the group—he has sown his wild oats and is willing to take things a little easier.

STARZ ANOTHER KIND OF ROCK

The most important thing anyone can say about Starz is that they’re their own band. In these days when rock and roll breeds imitators who are ready to step into other’s shoes, Starz have decided to approach rock from a unique and often compelling attitude that centers around a hard rocking stage show.

CREEM ROCK REVOLUTION POSTER

MASKED MEN OF PRE-KISSTORIC TIMES

While we don’t want to shock anybody, the fact of the matter is that Kiss are not the first people to hide their faces behind masks. To the contrary, throughout the history of show business, literature, crime, war, medicine, and unsightly acne, there are entirely plausible tales of masked men and women.

PARTYING WITH KISS

FEBRUARY 18, 1977—It’s been an incredible homecoming concert for Kiss at Madison Square Garden, but for us the excitement doesn’t end there: We have been invited to the victory party afterwards! We arrive at the west side health club where the festivities are to unfold equipped with our bathing suits, as instructed, and there’s already a line of partygoers and well-wishers ahead of us at the door.

Kiss

Boy Howdy

HOME: Last House on the Left. AGE: Three square to the tenth power. PROFESSION: Bazooka crawlies. HOBBIES: Measuring the EKG’sof the nubile young. LAST BOOK READ: Conan Comes to Brooklyn. LAST ACCOMPLISHMENT: A quantum leap in the technology of footlight smokebombs.

PIPER rockin' to the top

The music business isn’t the easiest place to get ahead as most would-be rock stars rapidly discover when they first try to get a recording contract, a manager, and big amplifiers. Sometimes they luck out; the right song released the right week—and zoom they’re on their way to wondering how come nobody makes any money with a hit single.

KISSOGRAPHY

Kiss (Casablanca NBLP 7001)—Number one. The original. The era’s twenty megaton blastoff. Released in February 74, this debut album, produced by Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise, comes on full-strength right from go on side one with Paul Stanley’s “Strutter.”

KISS GO HOLYWOOD

Clothes Make The Men

As master rock & roll illusionists, Kiss have made it a cardinal rule that they will never be photographed in public without their make-up. Once or twice this rule has been broken, but as far as we know only one Scandanavian magazine has ever printed such pictures—and at that it was only Gene in a long overcoat, collar turned up, a fuzzy image walking through the cold winter outside his hotel.

A Matter Of Opinion

“I can't write songs unless I’m playing loud. Once I feel comfortable with something I’m trying to write, I stand up and play it.”

ANGEL magic with the music

“Sometimes people think that we’re the opposite of Kiss, you know, they’re black and evil and we’re white and good, that’s just not true,” the members of Angel told me with a look of concern on their faces. I told them I didn’t think it made much difference as long as their music was their own.

A DREEM DATE WITH GENE SIMMONS

Darcy Diamond

“I want to join the Kiss Army!” I pleaded in the house phone of a ritzcheesy West Hollywood hotel. “Do you like pain and tire chains and Hostess Twinkies?” the rusty voice queried. “Yes. Yes, oh yes.” I volunteered. “Then come on up and I’ll show you my clippings and private girlie folio and we can speak Hungarian,” invited Kiss’s blood-spitter, Gene Simmons.

P-FUNK EARTH TOUR

Parliament/Funkadelic’s live show is one of the few rock spectaculars that can compete with the Kiss show.

KISS CANDIDS

KISS EVERYTHING

Along with Paul Bunyon, Johnny Appleseed, and the Bay City Rollers, Kiss have become an American institution. As such, the band has now entered into licensing agreements which should put them close to Star Trek and the Beatles when it comes to graven images.

KISS KOMIX

THE SHAPE OF KISS TO COME

Yes, we have finally discovered the secret Protocols, the Manifesto of KISS.

THE KISS PHILOSOPHY

“Being in Kiss means to me that I’ve made it. I'm a star Playing the Garden was something!”

Stars Cars

PETER CRISS

Stars Cars

GENE SIMMONS