In a new interview with The Zak Kuhn Show, Gene Simmons was asked how KISS got “so much heavier” than his early influences, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and The Beatles.
Says Simmons: “Well, at the core of it we were still writing A–B–A kind of music, it means here’s the verse , that’s the A, then you have your bridge, your pre-chorus, and you may go back to the verse, but then, you know, before long you want to get to the chorus. So, that’s different, for instance, from Led Zeppelin, one of our favourite bands, of course. You have a song like ‘Black Dog’, the riff was the star, not the vocals. So you have a song like ‘Black Dog’ where the words “black dog” never show up in the song. It’s just an ethereal kind of connection. And I, to this day, have no idea what ‘Black Dog’ is about, but who cares? This star is… it’s the riff. And so there are different ways of doing stuff, but our – Paul’s and my songwriting influences were certainly The Beatles, but more generally we were anglophiles, we were huge fans of what the English were able to do with the thing that Americans invented, which is rock n’ roll, and blues, and jazz, and rockabilly and all the variations thereof.”
Listen to the interview below:
KISS founding members, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, shared a video message to fans earlier this week. Watch below.
A message states: “Can you believe it’s been a year since we hung up our touring boots? While the road may have ended, the fire and spirit of KISS will never fade! Paul and Gene have got something special – a heartfelt message just for you.”
The message continues: “But wait… there’s more. Were you there for that epic final night at Madison Square Garden on December 2? Feel it all over again – the sweat, the fire, the KISS Army shaking the rafters. Missed it? Now’s your chance to experience the magic for the very first time!”
Relive the energy with the recap video below:
Concluding, KISS add: “The KISS story is far from over – it lives on in you, the loudest, greatest fans on the planet. Keep rocking loud and proud, KISS Army!”