Thinking back on the original Kiss lineup, Gene Simmons says he ought to have been “harder” on Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.
If there was one thing that iconic actor Gene Simmons would change about his career, it was brought up in a conversation with Backstage Pass. The bassist for Kiss responded directly.
“Well, in retrospect—you know, hindsight’s 20/20— I’m sad that I wasn’t more hard on Ace [Frehley] and Peter [Criss], the two original guys who played drums and guitar in the band,” Simmons said, making reference to the drug problems of his former bandmates.
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“Ace and Peter… have as much credit for the beginning of the band as Paul [Stanley] and I do,” the bassist went on. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss ‘Should deserve Been’ With Kiss. “It was definitely that chemistry,” They each possessed distinct voices, distinct personalities, and all that. And fifty or fifty-five years later, they ought to be here with us, relishing the rewards of their effort. Sadly, though, they’re not.
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“Ace and Peter… have as much credit for the beginning of the band as Paul [Stanley] and I do,” the bassist continued. Peter Criss and Ace Frehley “Should have been” with Kiss. They each had unique voices, characters, and all that. “It was definitely that chemistry,” they said. And they should be enjoying the fruits of their labor here with us fifty or fifty-five years later. But sadly, they’re not.
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Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, 1973–1980
The band’s iconic lineup came together in 1973 when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons’s previous band, Wicked Lester, broke up. In order to experiment with a more image-driven approach and embrace a harder edged sound, Simmons and Stanley brought in guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss to form Kiss in early 1973. By the end of the year, they were the first act signed to Casablanca Records, which would go on to produce what are arguably their best albums. Success didn’t come quickly, though; by 1975, Casablanca was on the edge of bankruptcy. Kiss then issued its first double live album, “Alive!,” which went gold and started a run of best-selling albums that continued for the remainder of the decade.
Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Eric Carr, 1980–1982
In the late 1970s, Kiss’s creative momentum was derailed by a string of poorly thought-out solo albums that were all released on the same day and the unpopular TV special “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.” Additionally, the band members’ personal relationships broke down due to substance abuse and artistic differences.Following his injury in a vehicle accident, Criss was primarily absent from 1979’s ‘Dynasty’ album. He was sidelined again during the recording of 1980’s ‘Unmasked’ album; the band made an official announcement about his resignation and the appointment of new drummer Eric Carr shortly after the album’s release.
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Archives of Michael Ochs, Getty Images
Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Carr, and Vinnie Vincent, 1982–1984
‘Music From ‘The Elder,’ the band’s misguided 1981 album, claimed many lives, Ace Frehley being the next to depart. Disgruntled with the band’s creative direction and feeling marginalized due to a sequence of decisions where he was outvoted by Simmons and Stanley, Frehley chose to virtually sit out ‘The Elder,’ recording his guitar parts at home and contributing lead vocals to just one song. Frehley was largely absent when Kiss had to complete their (very limited) promotional commitments for the record; in fact, the band postponed announcing his departure, even going so far as to feature him on the covers of
Getty Photographs
1983: The Cosmetics Removed
The band’s iconic face paint was taken off at the same time as Kiss’s first (and only) album featuring Vinnie Vincent as the official guitarist. Simmons claimed that Stanley had to persuade him to make the adjustment: “Paul said, ‘Let’s go and be a real band without makeup. Let’s prove something to the fans.'” With reluctance, I concurred. Although I wasn’t sure whether it would succeed, I heard Paul mention that there wasn’t anywhere else for us to go.”
See Also: Gene Simmons Regrets Not Getting Enough Credit for Frehley and Criss Performance | UltimateClassicRock.com/gene-simmons-ace-frehley-peter-criss/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral