Creatures Of The Night will always be my favorite Kiss record. To to this day i have never heard another drum kit sound as powerful as they do on that album. It was such a joy after all these years to finally hear how that brilliant unique drum sound was created. So thank you, Michael James Jackson, thanks for sharing this information.
I almost wrote the same thing. Drums, drums, drums. Creatures is my favorite album by far. If every other album had sounded like that, KISS would still be on top. And Eric. Let's not ever forget Eric Carr!
Eric Carr once again proved as the driving force of this band. Never forget this great drummer, more important than Vinnie Vincent in the Kiss Army, forever remembered Eric Carr!
I have now come to the conclusion that it was Michael James Jackson that saved KISS. It was a combination of Paul and Gene's determination, and Michael's production skills that re-established the sound. Yes, Vinnie's songwriting had it's part to play and shouldn't be denied. But that might have gone unnoticed had it not been for Michael's instincts as a producer.
Hey guys, quick observation about the Gene Simmons band show from Lynn Auditorium. I blind kid sang Dr. Love. It did not dawn on me till after the show that kid fell in love with the music. He has never seen the iconic original faces, never seen the pyro, never seen the Love Gun stage with the lifts and drum riser. Fighting over Eric and Tommy wearing the makeup means nothing to him. He’s never seen the makeup. He just fell in love with the music. If he has been blind since birth.
Great interview questions. You guys were asking the things I wanted to know. I just wish he could have provided more answers. Honestly, this guy has more memory gaps than Ace Frehley. For that reason, I don’t put a lot of stock in his claim of Ace’s involvement in Creatures.
Lets not chase MJJ back into seclusion, I don't think there was anything wrong with this interview. We need to give credit where credit is due, this interview has been at the top of the want list in the KISS universe for decades. MJJ had mostly shunned interviews for decades and one of the first fairly big ones that he does is with 3 sides, the Holy Trinity of minutea. MJJ to his credit has kind of dove back into the KISS pool without checking the depth. I'm sure it can be a bit overwhelming and I can certainly be forgiving of the guy not being able to answer questions about some jobs that he did nearly 40 years ago as eloquently and accurately as I would have liked. Considering the band and some of the other individuals involved, I find his willingness to not give inaccurate answers unbelievably refreshing. Now if we're lucky and the whole of the KU don't decend on this guy and make him sorry that he popped up, then 10 months from now he may give a very different interview. The information we all covet so might just be locked away a little deeper than they could access today. This interview was a MAJOR coup but quite possibly only an ice breaker. I thank Michael, Tommy and Mark for working to get it and Michael James Jackson for allowing himself to be embraced by the KU and begin to accept what and who he is to the KISS Army. Gentlemen, I for one say BRAVO!!
FINAL KISS ALBUM -PAUL SAID HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO - MICHAEL JAMES JACKSON PRODUCING - ACE, VINNIE, BRUCE GUEST SOLOS AND PETER ON GUEST VOCALS (IF GIGI ALLOWS IT) AND I'M SURE THEY WOULD HAVE OUTTAKES OF MARK ST JOHN AND ERIC CARR IN THE STUDIO THEY COULD USE ON A TRACK LIKE THEY DID ON REVENGE WITH CARR JAM.
Also I forgot Mark since you're going on the Kiss Kruise and are chummy chummy with Paul stanley maybe you could bring it up in your discussions that Michael James Jackson said on three sides that if he's asked he would love to talk about producing Kiss again? :) my best regards
Great interview guys! I'm new to the podcast and am playing catch up however you knocked it out of the park with having MJJ and great questions. My only hope is that the "Did Vinnie Vincent save KISS" debate/ballbusting doesn't die with this episode!
Great show guys! Awesome interview! Hope you have him on again! I love the albums he was a part of! Mark was absolutely correct Creatures has stood the test of time! It was underrated upon release and it is one of my favorite KISS albums! Definitely top 5. I laughed out loud when he answered the "Did Vinnie Vincent save KISS" question! Priceless! Could not agree more!
I mentioned this to them a year ago. He is an unbelievable musical journeyman and any real music aficianado would be floored by how much he's contributed from several vantage points to popular music as we familiarly know it. He's 75 now so the window of opportunity is closing and closing but this interview with MJJ was almost as rare in certain respects. MJJ also produced 2 excellent Paul Williams albums from 71 and 72 entitled, "Just an Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Life Goes On" which are both excellent but probably fall by the wayside by most Kiss listeners for obvious stylistic reasons. But what do I know? Bravo, 3 sides! Nick
Mr. S! Sadly, I don't think so. But you will be familiar with half the tunes contained on the MJJ Williams albums as these were massive hit songs for other artists such as, "we've only just begun" and "I won't last a day without you" which the Carpenters had massive success with. I talked to Paul Williams several years ago and he was amazed that I even remembered this kind of trivia. But I suggest you seek those two out as they are readily available on I Tunes and the production he provided on both is excellent and uncluttered and the songwriting is incredible, as you probably already know as a child of the 70s! Also: the Jesse Colin Young album "The Perfect Stranger", that he produced before KISS in 82 is also terrific and almost every studio musician that was quietly used on Creatures appears on this prior disc, including Robben Ford who provides the solo for the Carly Simon co-write, "Fight for It" which should've been a no.1 tune if not for the idea that Colin Young is the very definition of an obscure novelty act that most people have very little knowledge of, unlike Kiss. Sorry for the drawn-out response but I'm very passionate about the other work the KISS producers lent the world outside of KISS duties and if you have MJJ on for a 2nd interview, I and maybe others would love to hear his tales of producing mostly country and folk acts and of course, the legend of Paul Williams in all his glory! Keep on with the podcast magic, Nick from Jersey
YES PLEASE! Vini Poncia! Believe it or not, there are those of us out there that name Dynasty and Unmasked as two of our favorite KISS records. PLEASE put a muzzle or ball-gag on Mark if Poncia comes on though, I for one don't want to hear the interview wasted by Mark asking "Why don't those records sound like Creatures?" 101 different ways, or accusations that Vini killed his imaginary pet "Hard-Rock Juggernaught" I know Mark is convinced that prior to Dynasty KISS was the musical equivalent of Slayer but for those of us who simply do not hear the heavy metal devastation on "strutter" "Room service" "Mr Speed" or any other song from that era it can get a bit confusing as to why he even listened to KISS prior to Creatures. "Rocking in the USA" is playing in the background right now, and I just don't feel like giving Satan a hand job. Must be Eddie Kramer's fault.
Those two albums are fantastic. Great melody., great vocals, great riffs. Both bring back great memories for me and nearly every song is great ("Shandi" being a major exception).
Fantastic interview. If he's ever on the show again I'd love to know if there was a song on any of the three albums he didn't care for much, but Gene and Paul insisted be there.
Or if he himself like and got along with VV while working with him. I'd love to hear what MJJ, responsible for bringing VV's material to the band in the 1st place, thought of his contributions as a whole and what he actually thought of his talent and ability. BUT: his answer to the golden question may be proof of where my question leads......lol Nick
This is awesome. You guys really do spare no expense for Three Sides Of The whatever the fuck it's called. (Thanks Gene for that quote. Please don't sue me for using it)
The one question I would have asked is if he knew of any Vinnie songs that were submitted for Animalsize. I'm pretty sure I've heard of Animal and Twisted at least. That would've improved Animalize tremendously.
Great great great, I’ll stop! Thank you guys! You couldn’t not have wiped the smile off my face;when I found out that ace may be on the bedtracks to some of the songs on killers and cotn! Such a Yayyyyyyyy moment!
Corbett would be a great interview, but they won't touch that. Corbett doesn't have good things to say about Paul Stanley and there is no way Brandvold rocks the KISS ship !!!
And you are a idiot. I have said multiple times in many shows that Paul has issue singing. If you want lie about us at least lie about something that we can’t immediately prove you to be a idiot.
I listen to every single show. Yes it's true you have brought up Paul's singing issues in the past, but the last time you brought it up, you said you didn't care. Which is fine because I don't care about Paul's singing issues either. I love what KISS is doing and I hope they never stop. But Paul's singing is not what I was referring to. Gary Corbett has given some interesting KISS related interviews on other podcasts and in his opinion, Paul wasn't always the nicest person to certain people and that is the reason I don't think it ever happens. An interview by the three of you (or four if Lisa is there) with Gary Corbett would be fascinating given your knowledge and love for Crazy Nights. I hope it happens one day but I'm not holding my breath.
Nice interview. Really looking forward to this one. MJJ seems to forget a lot of crucial questions though. Seems a bit scared of the gods ( excuse the Don Felder pun) Still love you guys as always.
Those mics, I believe are going for about $10,000 a shot right now, you put two stereo sets up as near and far room mics, then maybe a close mono room mic 6 feet in front of the kit....that's $50,000 worth of drum sound, and you haven't even close mic'ed the kit yet! not that any of that would matter to KISS, just thought people might be interested in how much those mics are worth.....A LOT!
No, NOT Always....HUGE KISS fan, own and enjoy every record, I rate Creatures as a quality record, but not a great KISS record. The narrative surrounding this record has been spun to death to the point where the sales pitch is accepted as truth. And the truth is this: Creatures is more disingenuous a record for KISS than what people consider Dynasty or Unmasked to be. Seriously LISTEN to their music, from the first record all the through to the Elder, what do you hear? Rock n' Roll, Glam Rock, Party down Rock n' Roll.....THE ONLY Time the band even came close to flirting with heavy metal was Hotter than Hell, and THAT aspect of the sound came from ACE! One of your guests Chuck Klosterman said it best ON YOUR SHOW "..I sometimes think KISS fans are obsessed with the idea that this band is something that it really never was" and on another show "I don't really think of KISS as some heavy metal band, I would think someone who likes KISS would be interested in Rock n' Roll..Glam Rock" Heavey Metal 80's KISS wasn't "The band getting back to..." ANYTHING, KISS never sounded like that, it was a contrived decision to totally alter the sound of the band to fit what they saw as "The new thing" which at that time was traditional heavy metal, and then a few years later they sounded like Journey, then a few years later they sounded like Metallica meets Poison, Then they sounded like Alice in Chains...rinse and repeat. I maintain to this day, that Dynasty and Unmasked were the LOGICAL outgrowth of the band we heard on the first 6 records. Paul wrote "I was made for loving you" because HE LOVED DISCO, and was dancing at Studio 54, sure he wanted a hit, but there's nothing contrived there, he WANTED to write that song, the band only ever went heavy metal was because they were at the nadir of a traditional popularity cycle, suffered by anyone who appeals to the preteen market, and risks hard-core fan alienation by bringing in the tiger beat set. The tiered narrative of Dynasty, Unmasked and The Elder being responsible for their fall from grace simply isn't true, those records could have been released at different times and they would be held in a completely different regard. But the tellers of that narrative never take the next logical step and include CREATURES in that same boat, why wouldn't they? It was EVERY bit the flop the Elder was. Ahhhhh...well....people are going to believe what they want to believe......
Haha, the other comment was hidden under the reply button, so for a second I thought that you were saying you 100% agreed with me, I was like "Huh?" Well, one of the cool things about being a KISS fan is there are so many different ways to enjoy the band, personally, I love putting the music, narratives and the history as it's remembered, under a microscope and analyzing (Anamalyzing?) it, I really enjoy it, certainly doesn't mean you have to though, and as for your bottom line on both records. Yes, I would agree on that as well. Creatures may be a departure to a genre I'm not a big fan of, but it's high-quality songwriting and production shine through. Lick it Up, though, I would rate the title track and "Fitts like a Glove" high on my list of great KISS songs, both those songs are kind of a departure from the true sound and feel of the record "Lick it Up" being more of a traditional Rock N' Roll track and "fits like a glove" being more of a punk song than anything else, the production is different, yet still high quality. What's not there (In my opinion) are songs that come close to what was on Creatures. I'm sorry, the "Young and Wasted hitting the highway doing 69" meh....
First, Yeah I'm shocked I haven't been roasted as well, I think maybe it's because in the last decade or so as KISS ascended to the mantle of "Classic Rock" and a lot of the old prejudices that people had have been left in the in the ditch. As we both know, there was a time when being a KISS fan was like saying you are Gay, if you said it, you better be ready to defend yourself, so fans had a real.. dare I say?...millitant attitude. There weren't many "casual" KISS fans, either you were "in" or you were "out" and in the military everyone needs to think the same, there's no debating the general during a battle, or your army will be defeated. But I think KISS has crossed a threshold, especially since the Hall of Fame, to where they actually DO have casual fans now, a kid might like "Rock n' Roll all Night" then look for more music, find the cover for Unmasked and think "This looks cool" then listen to the record and love it, because his favorite contemparary band is The Killers (Unmasked actually sounds a lot like The Killers) that kid wouldn't be being clouded by any of the old narritives, I know for a fact a lot of non-KISS fans who learned the story behind the Elder (The real story, not the storyline) were facinated enough to actually want to buy a physical copy as thier first KISS record, and I have yet to meet one single person who has stumbled onto The Elder who doesn't love it, really, it's that unanimous. So, I gues my point is, maybe I didn't get roasted because there are now different types of KISS fans, some may love the 79-81 era, some may love the 82-84 period, and we know most love the 74-77 period, and there are probably more KISS fans who are willing to accept that someone may prefer a different aspect of the band than them. Anyway, Well, I disagree with you but appreciate your well thought out argument, nice to see intelligent people making their cases on youtube, whether they agree with me or not. To further suport my initial thesis, I'll offer up something I just heard Eddie Trunk say on his "Top 20 KISS songs" youtube video say: "People need to understand, the original KISS was not a heavy metal band, it was good New York street Rock n' Roll and very Rolling Stones-influenced" when KISS used the term in their press release the term "Heavy Metal" wasn't as well defined, it was used to describe a band as bombastic and extreame, rather than a direct declaration of genre. I will concede your last point, however, "The Oath" definitely DOES cross the line into traditional Heavy Metal, no argument there. At the end of the day though, I appreciate your well-articulated opinion and respect the fact that we don't need to agree on what the band is or how we enjoy it, it's actually one of the best things about being a KISS fan, they have released SO MANY records, that they have been all over the map throughout their career, there are so many different things to analyze, enjoy debate (Like we're doing) I was even telling someone the other day that I love listening to KISS records that I DON'T LIKE, because it's so interesting to analyze and think about why they were doing what they did at the time. I honestly don't think there is another band that even comes close in that respect, I mean they released four solo records ON THE SAME DAY can you even think of any band who would even CONSIDER trying to pull that off besides the Beatles? It's easy to forget just how unique KISS is, not just as a musical entity, but also as a cultural touchstone. You can learn a lot about life, people and the way the world works from studying their history.
listening to this now, i've completely changed my mind on this guy. i"d always imagined him as this slick hipster type, much like anything and anyone was at the time.
I don't know why this is so hard , you can CLEARLY hear Vinnie's Guitar on the Vinnie songs. The clash between Vinnies Spastic Solos style and the melodic solos, It sounds like 2 or 3 different Guitarist on the record.
And with thoses Riff, lick based songs the idea that Ace could be buried in that mix or even have known the material is Foolish. If Ace was even capable of standing upright at that time. He would have had NOTHING to do w it.
3 Sides...BIG PROPS for this interview. Lets piece what we know together. MJJ recorded Ace in NYC at Electric Lady. Does anyone know which tunes had other NYC Electric Lady tracks in it? We have 150 million yr old dinosaur skeletons perfectly preserved. We can piece together who played what on Creatures. Call up that dude Mark Lewishon who found out who played what on every take on every day the Beatles were ever at Abbey Road. Now its a quest!! Maybe for the next appearance, MJJ might have recalled some more about it after giving it some more thought.Most of the kidding aside, this was so GREAT. I actually played many parts back and rewound just to hear the tone of his voice and analyze what every syllable he said meant. Between this and the Gene interview Mark did...what a month you guys are having!!
Thumbs up from me!! AEROSMITH ALERT in the 22nd minute!! 'Would you look at the time?' Blue Kool-Aid Drinker. Peace out from the Southern Tip of Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada.
Holy crap! This is it ... This is it ... The first two Kiss albums I have COFTN and LIU. MJJ is my Bob Ezrin !!! I've been waiting for years to hear stories from MJJ !!! And here it is. I am completely speechless. WAU !!! Tears came to my eye when he talked about Eric Carr. I really do not know how to thank you enough?!?!? The song COFTN made me a drummer and a kiss fan. I'm all smiles at the moment !!! THANK YOU!!!
He really has only the one response: “They were all committed to making the best album possible.” The rest, he doesn’t remember. And why would he? It was just one of many albums he produced, and it didn’t sell. 4 decades ago. Rather pointless, honestly.
It was not an elevator shaft for the drum sound on creatures, it was a stairwell. I was there. I remember the stairwell and how they set a speaker on one end and multiple mics on the other. The story of using all 251 microphones on the drums was BS. There were some 251's as well as U87 and U67's and some SM57's and 421's The sound also involved the many plate verbs that Powerstation had. The plates were delayed with the use of analog tape machines.
When Creatures came out I was 10 yrs old. As a fan who lived through elder, It did what It was supposed to do, Draw me back in but it was a STUDIO CREATION. Done at all different times w different people on different coasts . I have never really felt it w a Legit record but Like the Tv commercial for Vinnies song I love it loud, it did what it was supposed to do. I bought Creatures. Hotter Than Hell is a Real record. Rock and Roll Over is a Real record. Love Gun sounded Good.. HUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Pretty important for that record to sound slicker than they ever had before. Other than Detroyer This is were it started. The Ringers Started on LOVE GUN.
Have Peter Come in as Drummer and Backup Vocals on or Lead Vocals on the Bonus tracks??? What ya guys think? Kool Kiss Record Closing For The End Of Kiss?
I'm a little disappointed. Most responses were, "I don't remember," or "I'll have to run it by Paul," and the guys seemed frustrated. It's obvious Jackson's memory is shot. He shouldn't have waited so long to rediscover his limelight. I understand he was under the weather and does not regard his work and contribution with the level of importance fans do, but it can make for a frustrating discussion.
I thought I heard Jimmy Page talking about making the drums on a Led Zep record sound huge and heavy by bringing the mic out and down the hall so when John played it echoed real loud and heavy. I thought Maybe KISS would have done that on the creatures record. You can do that with tricks these days in the studio.
Wow what an episode. 3 great guys doing a really great interview. also the fact Mark didn't interrupt and sounded crystal clear just and nice added bonus. ( I do hope that you guys can clear something up. Last night I caved and listened on soundcloud and I immeadiately got my Creatures of the night CD out and listened to it with the biggest smile on my face. however I decided to look in the liner notes and I am really confused by this so again hopefully you guys and clear this up... 1: it says in liner notes that Paul Stanley and Vinnie wrote I Love it Loud. true or false? it also says that it's Michael Barbielo that played drums on Keep me coming. true or false... My guess is that it's the reissue company who made a few mistakes but I wanted to hear your thoughts on it. (Also Mark I respect you and everything that goes along but sometimes you can be a little interruptive, in a good way I mean). Also I actually think there is a possibility that MJJ could record with Kiss again because he is only producer that PS is still friends with and like... My best regards to you
Thanks for the reply Tommy. also please tell Mark that it wasn't Vinnie who saved Kiss it was Michael James Jackson. god I love this episode. my best regards
I didn't care for the four songs on Killers; but Creatures of the Night ROCKED and like Mark I LOVED the HUGE Drum sound becuase I'm a Drummer. Michael; I think the BTO connection with Rock and Roll Hell might have been Jim Vallance the co writer? Because Rock N' Roll Nights [the LP that Rock and Roll Hell was on] sure didn't move many units!
ace might have been played on the tracks, mjj , as ace ,could have thought he was being recorded and just used as a guide, or even if he was recorded and they could have been scratched
Great show. Next time show some enthusiasm guys. Lol. On a side note, there is some video out of Mark's doppelganger (Vinnie Paul) receiving his vault in Vegas...pretty cool. I still say either Vinnie or Phil would make a great guest. They are very blog friendly, and are some of the biggest KISS fans around.
Ace was in NO SHAPE to be recording ANYTHING on Creatures. The mind plays tricks on people. During the promo tour he couldn't even pretend to know the stuff. Anyone who can play guitar and has any ear can tell, I could tell at 10 yrs old. ACE is NOT on THAT ALBUM.
Hello again Mike. we used t talk when I was under the mane Vinnie Vincent is God. I was right about all that also. Its a shame I didn't go to the expo but I don't collect records or care enough anymore. Keep it up Mike. We all should be able to have a place to argue. Ace would not be able to exist w Adam Mitchel and that ALL STAR cast of guitarist. We both know whos on that stuff. And there's ace on coke and pills drunk in the corner. Listen to the Distortion on thoses tracks. The Sound of the hands. Not aces rig or ever how he sounded. Nice to talk again.
After Elder Ace was in A drunken stupper and Didn't play on Killers and was Not on Creatures. Live the Dream people. Do you notice Ace Never plays that stuff Live. I bet he couldn't play the Signature lick Mitchel wrote and said he played ON THIS SHOW for COF T Night. His track would not have been hidden. Ace would have been out the door to do blow as soon as he saw Steve Farris and Rick Daringer and Rubin Ford. I would have thrown a FIT.
Love Gun evidence 1 Can Ace play the LG solo Live? 2 frank Munoz on this podcast said Ace had a hard time relearning the Tomorrow and tonight solo. One of the suspect solos on LOVE GUN 3 Paul's LG demo Sounds exactly like the final cut. The song was written and demoed alone , why change that Sound on Tape. Is Ace even on this? 4 Its Well known Gene was Demoing songs w Eddie and Alex van Halen. Christine Sixteen, Love for sale. Why even re cut them to sound worse? Christine Sixteen Solo was written by Eddie Van Halen. Studios were Expensive!!!
Its not about difficult. Its about playing clean in a studio, a timed pattern with that transition is way different than shock me or calling dr love or any of his solos were he can be a little sloppy and it sounds good. Trust me at that time Paul and Gene were demoing seperate and if They could get a perfect track over Ace being on the record , that's what they did. If you want to know what PETER or ACE sound like play any of their tracks. Dirty livin Shock Me. And then listen to other tracks. And of coarse I can play the part too and ACE could have punched it in or pulled it off, but the tone and feel on most of thoses track don't feel like Ace. Tomorrow and tonight is not him, no way. Your tone def
Trust me that's paul on sure know something. And yet you can clearly here ace on I was made solo. Ace s lp takes up a different space in the mix. Creatures was done with Charvel Jackson type guitars. Jessys Girl is great example if you want to here what a FENDER sounds naked in a pro mix.
In a movie about Kiss ace would just come up with something as POLISHED and CLEAN as the Tomorrow and Tonight Solo but it dosent sound like him to me. Sounds like a Guitar player who plays in STUDIOS for a Living.
I think Paul would be offended by having someone else produce now. He's very proud of the last 2 albums.....But PLEASE PAUL,PLEASE!!!!!..You did great, now let's have a cool reunion with yet another great producer from past efforts....pretty please?......we're waiting...................................p.l.e.a.s.e...........It's Alright.
the most shocking thing out of MJ Jackson's mouth is that those four tunes on Killers were the best they managed to come up with. Oh boy, that must have been a pretty horrid bunch of songs.
Lol. I remember picking the tape up thinking "wow, a new KISS album" then being disappointed when I read the track list, and that it was basically a "greatest hits album".... then I pulled the trigger when I saw there were new songs also. Popped it in...and was back to disappointment after hearing the "new" songs....I don't think that tape got played more than a couple times.
Really? I'm always shocked at how ignored those songs are. To my ears "I'm a Legend Tonight" and "Nowhere To Run" is Paul Stanley at his best. It took me a little longer to connect with "Partners n Crime" and "Down on Your Knees" but I always thought they were both quality songs and today I hold both in high esteem. I will say one thing, however, the production is clearly rushed on those four. I don't blame MJJ or anyone, my guess is that they were under a very strict deadline. But those four songs actually have the earmarks of very high-quality demos, rather than the gloss and spit polish that we would hear on Creatures soon after. A finished production makes a song transparent, it pushes the hooks right in your face and shoves supporting aspects to the background, while building in intensity to a climax. I takes a bit of time and thought to figure out the best way to do that on every given track, and used to be the big difference between demos and album tracks (Back in the day when this stuff even existed, nowadays all this is extinct) The Killers 4 sound like they were shoved out the door before that process had been 100% finished.
Honestly I was a bit dissatisfied with this interview. I suppose to MJJ, the Kiss records were just three of the many records he’s worked on, so it’s not fair to expect him to recall all the minutia we’re looking to extract. Either way, good interview.
I remember hearing the title track on Creatures when I bought the album and thinking, "Holy Crap- KISS has tightened up. They sound like a whole new band". Later realized- that was a supergroup: Farris, PORCARO & Carr. (Lightbulb goes off) A-ha...
Ace may have been there but I dont believe they used any leads.The solos on that record are so far removed from anything Ace did before or after.Its just not his style.
Ok...Here's how fucking smart I am....Everybody is wondering what should KISS do next...Well here's what the Fans want....((1)) A Kiss album with all 4 original members....If Paul wanted too he could make it work....give Peter and Ace 1/4 each....Boost Peters ego and tell him he is the greatest drummer for Kiss.....Alow Peter and Ace to have as much say as Paul and Gene......You would finally have that TRUE KISS ALBUM everybody wants....It would sell more than Phyco Circus.... ((Even in today's world))...........Almond ((2)) Do a reunion tour WITHOUT MAKEUP WITH ORIGINAL 4 MEMBERS..........And leave every KISS Fan the final right to tell all those hatters ((Look it's all about the Music))...Because the 4 original members without makeup would on a world tour would be a Massive Success. .
MJJ did a great job on those records. Also , Eric Carr was an amazing drummer. BUT, without those great songs,he's producing and Eric Carr is drumming to a Disney soundtrack music album. Maybe would have been the end of KISS? These two albums were maybe the most important for KISS from then till present time. As most KISS fans would know they spring-boarded they're careers through the 1980s'. There's simply not much in the 80's after those two albums. You don't hear fans screaming to hear "Crazy Nights". Vinnie Vincent cowrote 8 songs on "Lick It UP".Come on MJJ!!!!? You're on the KISS cruise and still friendly with Paul Stanley."Just ask Paul Stanley".I'm positive we'll never know a true account of these time periods of KISS. I don't think you were very honest in your recollections about spending 3 months or more in the studio for each of these albums w/ KISS .Either your memory has slipped so bad or you didn't do much except control the volume dials and pan left or right? Oh yes ,the Telefunken 251 German mics for the drum sound. Hilarious!! It almost came off like Vinnie wasn't even important on "Creatures" and "Lick It Up". It was the vision of Paul and Gene along with your drum sound? OK!?The moment MJJ blew off the question on whether V.V. saved KISS. I lost all respect for this interview.If he had something of relevance to say to that question, I could've bought into just about any of this fluff interview.Even if he had a terrible opinion about V.V. would have been a better answer. Ace held a guitar in the studio?! That's it!? What about some details? Guys, why didn't you ask about "Exciter" and what his opinion was about getting another guitar player to do the solo on it? Did they record another version of it? Kind of a swing and miss interview.Not saying I'm right, Just my opinion.
It was OK, but either Michael J jackson has a very weak memory or is very very cautious of saying something that might displease Paul. He said things like: You better ask Paul, I better run it with Paul, I don't want to get in trouble...What's that all about?
MJJ was a wonderful guest. Here is a link for one of the MJJ Autographed RIAA-Certified kissaddiction.com/product/michael-james-jackson-riaa-certified-lick-it-up-gold-album/ if interested
I love Kiss but the only songs I like on Creatures of the Night are Creatures and War Machine. The remainder of the songs aren't that good to me. So Gene Simmons himself said it didn't sell? Also, when I hear people asked the question who is your favorite member of Kiss the reply is 99% Ace. Why?
Interview finally starts @8:00, KISS talk starts @22:37
Creatures Of The Night will always be my favorite Kiss record.
To to this day i have never heard another drum kit sound as powerful as they do on that album.
It was such a joy after all these years to finally hear how that brilliant unique drum sound was created.
So thank you, Michael James Jackson, thanks for sharing this information.
I almost wrote the same thing. Drums, drums, drums. Creatures is my favorite album by far. If every other album had sounded like that, KISS would still be on top. And Eric. Let's not ever forget Eric Carr!
Eric Carr once again proved as the driving force of this band. Never forget this great drummer, more important than Vinnie Vincent in the Kiss Army, forever remembered Eric Carr!
That was great to hear
I have now come to the conclusion that it was Michael James Jackson that saved KISS. It was a combination of Paul and Gene's determination, and Michael's production skills that re-established the sound. Yes, Vinnie's songwriting had it's part to play and shouldn't be denied. But that might have gone unnoticed had it not been for Michael's instincts as a producer.
I agree completely Michael James Jackson saved kiss.
By far the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job fellas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Is Mark a swinger?!?!" almost spit out my drink LOL @ Tommy!!
The interview I always wanted to hear, but never knew existed. Thx, guys!
A dream come true interview for me as a KISS fan. Thanks, guys!
Ahhh it's 13 min in and is Mark going fanboy already. Let someone else ask some questions. Love the show.
Awesome! Thank you for this guys! And thanks to Michael James Jackson!
Thank You Guys like a little boy on Christmas Morning Again!!! Cheers!
Its like getting a G.I Joe with kung foo grip and his helicopter instead of a rock
Excellent show finally we get to hear from MJJ about COTN and LIU
Hey guys, quick observation about the Gene Simmons band show from Lynn Auditorium. I blind kid sang Dr. Love. It did not dawn on me till after the show that kid fell in love with the music. He has never seen the iconic original faces, never seen the pyro, never seen the Love Gun stage with the lifts and drum riser. Fighting over Eric and Tommy wearing the makeup means nothing to him. He’s never seen the makeup. He just fell in love with the music. If he has been blind since birth.
Great interview questions. You guys were asking the things I wanted to know. I just wish he could have provided more answers. Honestly, this guy has more memory gaps than Ace Frehley. For that reason, I don’t put a lot of stock in his claim of Ace’s involvement in Creatures.
Lets not chase MJJ back into seclusion, I don't think there was anything wrong with this interview. We need to give credit where credit is due, this interview has been at the top of the want list in the KISS universe for decades. MJJ had mostly shunned interviews for decades and one of the first fairly big ones that he does is with 3 sides, the Holy Trinity of minutea.
MJJ to his credit has kind of dove back into the KISS pool without checking the depth. I'm sure it can be a bit overwhelming and I can certainly be forgiving of the guy not being able to answer questions about some jobs that he did nearly 40 years ago as eloquently and accurately as I would have liked.
Considering the band and some of the other individuals involved, I find his willingness to not give inaccurate answers unbelievably refreshing. Now if we're lucky and the whole of the KU don't decend on this guy and make him sorry that he popped up, then 10 months from now he may give a very different interview. The information we all covet so might just be locked away a little deeper than they could access today.
This interview was a MAJOR coup but quite possibly only an ice breaker. I thank Michael, Tommy and Mark for working to get it and Michael James Jackson for allowing himself to be embraced by the KU and begin to accept what and who he is to the KISS Army. Gentlemen, I for one say BRAVO!!
This comment was so well stated. thank you for getting it. yes there is more to come with Mr. Jackson
I feel like a cigarette after hearing that interview. My KISS pants exploded. The Ace COTN answer was the best. Thanks for the get, guys!
Not a whole pack?
Awesome interview guys! Going behind the Killers, COTN and LIU veil was a long overdue and KISStoric treat, kudos on making it happen for us all!!!
FINAL KISS ALBUM -PAUL SAID HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO - MICHAEL JAMES JACKSON PRODUCING - ACE, VINNIE, BRUCE GUEST SOLOS AND PETER ON GUEST VOCALS (IF GIGI ALLOWS IT) AND I'M SURE THEY WOULD HAVE OUTTAKES OF MARK ST JOHN AND ERIC CARR IN THE STUDIO THEY COULD USE ON A TRACK LIKE THEY DID ON REVENGE WITH CARR JAM.
Great idea but Gigi would never let it happen in my opinion
True but they should still consider the idea at least with the other guitarists. It would be monumental.
Also I forgot Mark since you're going on the Kiss Kruise and are chummy chummy with Paul stanley maybe you could bring it up in your discussions that Michael James Jackson said on three sides that if he's asked he would love to talk about producing Kiss again? :) my best regards
great job been searching mjj on kiss
Great interview guys! I'm new to the podcast and am playing catch up however you knocked it out of the park with having MJJ and great questions. My only hope is that the "Did Vinnie Vincent save KISS" debate/ballbusting doesn't die with this episode!
It will never die because Mark is still confused
Great show guys! Awesome interview! Hope you have him on again! I love the albums he was a part of! Mark was absolutely correct Creatures has stood the test of time! It was underrated upon release and it is one of my favorite KISS albums! Definitely top 5. I laughed out loud when he answered the "Did Vinnie Vincent save KISS" question! Priceless! Could not agree more!
Homework:
For me, Ace in the studio with a guitar for Creatures. That blew my mind.....
Us too
Next. Vini Poncia please.
I mentioned this to them a year ago. He is an unbelievable musical journeyman and any real music aficianado would be floored by how much he's contributed from several vantage points to popular music as we familiarly know it. He's 75 now so the window of opportunity is closing and closing but this interview with MJJ was almost as rare in certain respects. MJJ also produced 2 excellent Paul Williams albums from 71 and 72 entitled, "Just an Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Life Goes On" which are both excellent but probably fall by the wayside by most Kiss listeners for obvious stylistic reasons. But what do I know? Bravo, 3 sides! Nick
Do either of those contain the theme for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot? I believe the title is Where Does A Fool Go?
Mr. S!
Sadly, I don't think so.
But you will be familiar with half the tunes contained on the MJJ Williams albums as these were massive hit songs for other artists such as, "we've only just begun" and "I won't last a day without you" which the Carpenters had massive success with.
I talked to Paul Williams several years ago and he was amazed that I even remembered this kind of trivia.
But I suggest you seek those two out as they are readily available on I Tunes and the production he provided on both is excellent and uncluttered and the songwriting is incredible, as you probably already know as a child of the 70s!
Also: the Jesse Colin Young album "The Perfect Stranger", that he produced before KISS in 82 is also terrific and almost every studio musician that was quietly used on Creatures appears on this prior disc, including Robben Ford who provides the solo for the Carly Simon co-write, "Fight for It" which should've been a no.1 tune if not for the idea that Colin Young is the very definition of an obscure novelty act that most people have very little knowledge of, unlike Kiss.
Sorry for the drawn-out response but I'm very passionate about the other work the KISS producers lent the world outside of KISS duties and if you have MJJ on for a 2nd interview, I and maybe others would love to hear his tales of producing mostly country and folk acts and of course, the legend of Paul Williams in all his glory!
Keep on with the podcast magic,
Nick from Jersey
YES PLEASE! Vini Poncia! Believe it or not, there are those of us out there that name Dynasty and Unmasked as two of our favorite KISS records. PLEASE put a muzzle or ball-gag on Mark if Poncia comes on though, I for one don't want to hear the interview wasted by Mark asking "Why don't those records sound like Creatures?" 101 different ways, or accusations that Vini killed his imaginary pet "Hard-Rock Juggernaught" I know Mark is convinced that prior to Dynasty KISS was the musical equivalent of Slayer but for those of us who simply do not hear the heavy metal devastation on "strutter" "Room service" "Mr Speed" or any other song from that era it can get a bit confusing as to why he even listened to KISS prior to Creatures. "Rocking in the USA" is playing in the background right now, and I just don't feel like giving Satan a hand job. Must be Eddie Kramer's fault.
Those two albums are fantastic. Great melody., great vocals, great riffs. Both bring back great memories for me and nearly every song is great ("Shandi" being a major exception).
Fantastic interview. If he's ever on the show again I'd love to know if there was a song on any of the three albums he didn't care for much, but Gene and Paul insisted be there.
Great question
Or if he himself like and got along with VV while working with him.
I'd love to hear what MJJ, responsible for bringing VV's material to the band in the 1st place, thought of his contributions as a whole and what he actually thought of his talent and ability.
BUT: his answer to the golden question may be proof of where my question leads......lol
Nick
This is awesome. You guys really do spare no expense for Three Sides Of The whatever the fuck it's called. (Thanks Gene for that quote. Please don't sue me for using it)
LOL
5 minutes into the interview and I am already through the first Kleenex box...
The one question I would have asked is if he knew of any Vinnie songs that were submitted for Animalsize. I'm pretty sure I've heard of Animal and Twisted at least. That would've improved Animalize tremendously.
Amazing! Good job guys.
Oh cool Tommy didn't know you were into Crosby, Stills, Nash. Groovy.
Great great great, I’ll stop! Thank you guys! You couldn’t not have wiped the smile off my face;when I found out that ace may be on the bedtracks to some of the songs on killers and cotn! Such a Yayyyyyyyy moment!
Awesome interview! Any chance of a Gary Corbett interview?
Corbett would be a great interview, but they won't touch that. Corbett doesn't have good things to say about Paul Stanley and there is no way Brandvold rocks the KISS ship !!!
And you are a idiot. I have said multiple times in many shows that Paul has issue singing. If you want lie about us at least lie about something that we can’t immediately prove you to be a idiot.
I listen to every single show. Yes it's true you have brought up Paul's singing issues in the past, but the last time you brought it up, you said you didn't care. Which is fine because I don't care about Paul's singing issues either. I love what KISS is doing and I hope they never stop. But Paul's singing is not what I was referring to. Gary Corbett has given some interesting KISS related interviews on other podcasts and in his opinion, Paul wasn't always the nicest person to certain people and that is the reason I don't think it ever happens. An interview by the three of you (or four if Lisa is there) with Gary Corbett would be fascinating given your knowledge and love for Crazy Nights. I hope it happens one day but I'm not holding my breath.
Nice interview. Really looking forward to this one. MJJ seems to forget a lot of crucial questions though. Seems a bit scared of the gods ( excuse the Don Felder pun) Still love you guys as always.
33:00 minute mark- that was a big one regardless Killers or COTN it happened straight from MJJ.
Get Paul back in the studio with Michael James Jackson and some of those German Telefunken251 mic's.
Those mics, I believe are going for about $10,000 a shot right now, you put two stereo sets up as near and far room mics, then maybe a close mono room mic 6 feet in front of the kit....that's $50,000 worth of drum sound, and you haven't even close mic'ed the kit yet! not that any of that would matter to KISS, just thought people might be interested in how much those mics are worth.....A LOT!
No, NOT Always....HUGE KISS fan, own and enjoy every record, I rate Creatures as a quality record, but not a great KISS record. The narrative surrounding this record has been spun to death to the point where the sales pitch is accepted as truth. And the truth is this: Creatures is more disingenuous a record for KISS than what people consider Dynasty or Unmasked to be. Seriously LISTEN to their music, from the first record all the through to the Elder, what do you hear? Rock n' Roll, Glam Rock, Party down Rock n' Roll.....THE ONLY Time the band even came close to flirting with heavy metal was Hotter than Hell, and THAT aspect of the sound came from ACE! One of your guests Chuck Klosterman said it best ON YOUR SHOW "..I sometimes think KISS fans are obsessed with the idea that this band is something that it really never was" and on another show "I don't really think of KISS as some heavy metal band, I would think someone who likes KISS would be interested in Rock n' Roll..Glam Rock" Heavey Metal 80's KISS wasn't "The band getting back to..." ANYTHING, KISS never sounded like that, it was a contrived decision to totally alter the sound of the band to fit what they saw as "The new thing" which at that time was traditional heavy metal, and then a few years later they sounded like Journey, then a few years later they sounded like Metallica meets Poison, Then they sounded like Alice in Chains...rinse and repeat. I maintain to this day, that Dynasty and Unmasked were the LOGICAL outgrowth of the band we heard on the first 6 records. Paul wrote "I was made for loving you" because HE LOVED DISCO, and was dancing at Studio 54, sure he wanted a hit, but there's nothing contrived there, he WANTED to write that song, the band only ever went heavy metal was because they were at the nadir of a traditional popularity cycle, suffered by anyone who appeals to the preteen market, and risks hard-core fan alienation by bringing in the tiger beat set. The tiered narrative of Dynasty, Unmasked and The Elder being responsible for their fall from grace simply isn't true, those records could have been released at different times and they would be held in a completely different regard. But the tellers of that narrative never take the next logical step and include CREATURES in that same boat, why wouldn't they? It was EVERY bit the flop the Elder was. Ahhhhh...well....people are going to believe what they want to believe......
I guess for me, I don't look at it that closely. I either like it or I don't. Love Creatures but not much of a fan of Lick It Up.
Tom Sommers+ Agree 100%
Haha, the other comment was hidden under the reply button, so for a second I thought that you were saying you 100% agreed with me, I was like "Huh?" Well, one of the cool things about being a KISS fan is there are so many different ways to enjoy the band, personally, I love putting the music, narratives and the history as it's remembered, under a microscope and analyzing (Anamalyzing?) it, I really enjoy it, certainly doesn't mean you have to though, and as for your bottom line on both records. Yes, I would agree on that as well. Creatures may be a departure to a genre I'm not a big fan of, but it's high-quality songwriting and production shine through. Lick it Up, though, I would rate the title track and "Fitts like a Glove" high on my list of great KISS songs, both those songs are kind of a departure from the true sound and feel of the record "Lick it Up" being more of a traditional Rock N' Roll track and "fits like a glove" being more of a punk song than anything else, the production is different, yet still high quality. What's not there (In my opinion) are songs that come close to what was on Creatures. I'm sorry, the "Young and Wasted hitting the highway doing 69" meh....
First, Yeah I'm shocked I haven't been roasted as well, I think maybe it's because in the last decade or so as KISS ascended to the mantle of "Classic Rock" and a lot of the old prejudices that people had have been left in the in the ditch. As we both know, there was a time when being a KISS fan was like saying you are Gay, if you said it, you better be ready to defend yourself, so fans had a real.. dare I say?...millitant attitude. There weren't many "casual" KISS fans, either you were "in" or you were "out" and in the military everyone needs to think the same, there's no debating the general during a battle, or your army will be defeated. But I think KISS has crossed a threshold, especially since the Hall of Fame, to where they actually DO have casual fans now, a kid might like "Rock n' Roll all Night" then look for more music, find the cover for Unmasked and think "This looks cool" then listen to the record and love it, because his favorite contemparary band is The Killers (Unmasked actually sounds a lot like The Killers) that kid wouldn't be being clouded by any of the old narritives, I know for a fact a lot of non-KISS fans who learned the story behind the Elder (The real story, not the storyline) were facinated enough to actually want to buy a physical copy as thier first KISS record, and I have yet to meet one single person who has stumbled onto The Elder who doesn't love it, really, it's that unanimous. So, I gues my point is, maybe I didn't get roasted because there are now different types of KISS fans, some may love the 79-81 era, some may love the 82-84 period, and we know most love the 74-77 period, and there are probably more KISS fans who are willing to accept that someone may prefer a different aspect of the band than them. Anyway, Well, I disagree with you but appreciate your well thought out argument, nice to see intelligent people making their cases on youtube, whether they agree with me or not. To further suport my initial thesis, I'll offer up something I just heard Eddie Trunk say on his "Top 20 KISS songs" youtube video say: "People need to understand, the original KISS was not a heavy metal band, it was good New York street Rock n' Roll and very Rolling Stones-influenced" when KISS used the term in their press release the term "Heavy Metal" wasn't as well defined, it was used to describe a band as bombastic and extreame, rather than a direct declaration of genre. I will concede your last point, however, "The Oath" definitely DOES cross the line into traditional Heavy Metal, no argument there. At the end of the day though, I appreciate your well-articulated opinion and respect the fact that we don't need to agree on what the band is or how we enjoy it, it's actually one of the best things about being a KISS fan, they have released SO MANY records, that they have been all over the map throughout their career, there are so many different things to analyze, enjoy debate (Like we're doing) I was even telling someone the other day that I love listening to KISS records that I DON'T LIKE, because it's so interesting to analyze and think about why they were doing what they did at the time. I honestly don't think there is another band that even comes close in that respect, I mean they released four solo records ON THE SAME DAY can you even think of any band who would even CONSIDER trying to pull that off besides the Beatles? It's easy to forget just how unique KISS is, not just as a musical entity, but also as a cultural touchstone. You can learn a lot about life, people and the way the world works from studying their history.
Great interview.
The first time I heard that opening drum beats of "creatures of the night", I lost my fucking mind!! MY favorite kiss album!!!
Mr Jackson was great producing those Kiss albums but, his recollection of those events are not very clear.
Do you remember what you were doing on your job 35 years ago?
Yes, unfortunately
listening to this now, i've completely changed my mind on this guy. i"d always imagined him as this slick hipster type, much like anything and anyone was at the time.
I don't know why this is so hard , you can CLEARLY hear Vinnie's Guitar on the Vinnie songs. The clash between Vinnies Spastic Solos style and the melodic solos, It sounds like 2 or 3 different Guitarist on the record.
At least if not more
And with thoses Riff, lick based songs the idea that Ace could be buried in that mix or even have known the material is Foolish. If Ace was even capable of standing upright at that time. He would have had NOTHING to do w it.
3 Sides...BIG PROPS for this interview. Lets piece what we know together. MJJ recorded Ace in NYC at Electric Lady. Does anyone know which tunes had other NYC Electric Lady tracks in it? We have 150 million yr old dinosaur skeletons perfectly preserved. We can piece together who played what on Creatures. Call up that dude Mark Lewishon who found out who played what on every take on every day the Beatles were ever at Abbey Road. Now its a quest!! Maybe for the next appearance, MJJ might have recalled some more about it after giving it some more thought.Most of the kidding aside, this was so GREAT. I actually played many parts back and rewound just to hear the tone of his voice and analyze what every syllable he said meant. Between this and the Gene interview Mark did...what a month you guys are having!!
Thumbs up from me!! AEROSMITH ALERT in the 22nd minute!! 'Would you look at the time?' Blue Kool-Aid Drinker. Peace out from the Southern Tip of Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada.
Holy crap! This is it ... This is it ... The first two Kiss albums I have COFTN and LIU. MJJ is my Bob Ezrin !!! I've been waiting for years to hear stories from MJJ !!! And here it is. I am completely speechless. WAU !!! Tears came to my eye when he talked about Eric Carr. I really do not know how to thank you enough?!?!? The song COFTN made me a drummer and a kiss fan. I'm all smiles at the moment !!!
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you Marko!
I am so happy to hear this, thanks for sharing with us
Re Record Creatures With Vinnie and Ace, Bonus Tracks,Tommy,Bob And Bruce...with Michael James Jackson Producing last Kiss Record!!!
Just curious. . .Are you guys using older camera for your 3 sides videos? Maybe it is my computer making the cameras look splotchy.
Rock and Roll Hell is technically not a cover of the BTO song. They both have the same chorus and Jim Vallance co-wrote both songs.
Bonus Tracks Could be like the Studio Tracks From Alive 11...or new songs.
Really awesome interview! Mike, Mark, and Tommy, great job! I never knew he worked early on Animalize. Sweet interview.
Thanks Rene
He really has only the one response:
“They were all committed to making the best album possible.”
The rest, he doesn’t remember. And why would he? It was just one of many albums he produced, and it didn’t sell. 4 decades ago.
Rather pointless, honestly.
Awesome! Please Paul, please!
It was not an elevator shaft for the drum sound on creatures, it was a stairwell. I was there. I remember the stairwell and how they set a speaker on one end and multiple mics on the other. The story of using all 251 microphones on the drums was BS. There were some 251's as well as U87 and U67's and some SM57's and 421's The sound also involved the many plate verbs that Powerstation had. The plates were delayed with the use of analog tape machines.
When Creatures came out I was 10 yrs old. As a fan who lived through elder, It did what It was supposed to do, Draw me back in but it was a STUDIO CREATION. Done at all different times w different people on different coasts . I have never really felt it w a Legit record but Like the Tv commercial for Vinnies song I love it loud, it did what it was supposed to do. I bought Creatures. Hotter Than Hell is a Real record. Rock and Roll Over is a Real record. Love Gun sounded Good.. HUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Pretty important for that record to sound slicker than they ever had before. Other than Detroyer This is were it started. The Ringers Started on LOVE GUN.
Have Peter Come in as Drummer and Backup Vocals on or Lead Vocals on the Bonus tracks??? What ya guys think? Kool Kiss Record Closing For The End Of Kiss?
Anything could happen but probably not that
I'm a little disappointed. Most responses were, "I don't remember," or "I'll have to run it by Paul," and the guys seemed frustrated. It's obvious Jackson's memory is shot. He shouldn't have waited so long to rediscover his limelight. I understand he was under the weather and does not regard his work and contribution with the level of importance fans do, but it can make for a frustrating discussion.
I think we need to focus on what we did learn. There was a lot of great stuff
Borderline boring.... maybe that wasnt mjj
Ok starts getting good around 35 min.
I thought I heard Jimmy Page talking about making the drums on a Led Zep record sound huge and heavy by bringing the mic out and down the hall so when John played it echoed real loud and heavy. I thought Maybe KISS would have done that on the creatures record. You can do that with tricks these days in the studio.
At last a interview with him
Wow what an episode. 3 great guys doing a really great interview. also the fact Mark didn't interrupt and sounded crystal clear just and nice added bonus. ( I do hope that you guys can clear something up. Last night I caved and listened on soundcloud and I immeadiately got my Creatures of the night CD out and listened to it with the biggest smile on my face. however I decided to look in the liner notes and I am really confused by this so again hopefully you guys and clear this up... 1: it says in liner notes that Paul Stanley and Vinnie wrote I Love it Loud. true or false? it also says that it's Michael Barbielo that played drums on Keep me coming. true or false... My guess is that it's the reissue company who made a few mistakes but I wanted to hear your thoughts on it. (Also Mark I respect you and everything that goes along but sometimes you can be a little interruptive, in a good way I mean). Also I actually think there is a possibility that MJJ could record with Kiss again because he is only producer that PS is still friends with and like... My best regards to you
Maybe Mark can answer this
Thanks for the reply Tommy. also please tell Mark that it wasn't Vinnie who saved Kiss it was Michael James Jackson. god I love this episode. my best regards
I didn't care for the four songs on Killers; but Creatures of the Night ROCKED and like Mark I LOVED the HUGE Drum sound becuase I'm a Drummer.
Michael; I think the BTO connection with Rock and Roll Hell might have been Jim Vallance the co writer?
Because Rock N' Roll Nights [the LP that Rock and Roll Hell was on] sure didn't move many units!
Creatures was Kiss's Version of Pro Tools back in 82.
Great Show Mark....You always bring it home Buddy....
Congrats guys and thanks for making this happen !
Thanks Tony
ace might have been played on the tracks, mjj , as ace ,could have thought he was being recorded and just used as a guide, or even if he was recorded and they could have been scratched
Great show. Next time show some enthusiasm guys. Lol. On a side note, there is some video out of Mark's doppelganger (Vinnie Paul) receiving his vault in Vegas...pretty cool. I still say either Vinnie or Phil would make a great guest. They are very blog friendly, and are some of the biggest KISS fans around.
That's a great idea, I will look into it
Ace was in NO SHAPE to be recording ANYTHING on Creatures. The mind plays tricks on people. During the promo tour he couldn't even pretend to know the stuff. Anyone who can play guitar and has any ear can tell, I could tell at 10 yrs old. ACE is NOT on THAT ALBUM.
Your a fool this guy dosent remember yesterday and tommy just said Paul wrote Lick it Up. Good Luck guys.
You were there?
Hello again Mike. we used t talk when I was under the mane Vinnie Vincent is God. I was right about all that also. Its a shame I didn't go to the expo but I don't collect records or care enough anymore. Keep it up Mike. We all should be able to have a place to argue. Ace would not be able to exist w Adam Mitchel and that ALL STAR cast of guitarist. We both know whos on that stuff. And there's ace on coke and pills drunk in the corner. Listen to the Distortion on thoses tracks. The Sound of the hands. Not aces rig or ever how he sounded. Nice to talk again.
I don't wanna break your heart mike but that ain't Ace on most of LOVE GUN either. GERAT SHOW ALWAYS
After Elder Ace was in A drunken stupper and Didn't play on Killers and was Not on Creatures. Live the Dream people. Do you notice Ace Never plays that stuff Live. I bet he couldn't play the Signature lick Mitchel wrote and said he played ON THIS SHOW for COF T Night. His track would not have been hidden. Ace would have been out the door to do blow as soon as he saw Steve Farris and Rick Daringer and Rubin Ford. I would have thrown a FIT.
Love Gun evidence
1 Can Ace play the LG solo Live?
2 frank Munoz on this podcast said Ace had a hard time relearning the Tomorrow and tonight solo. One of the suspect solos on LOVE GUN
3 Paul's LG demo Sounds exactly like the final cut. The song was written and demoed alone , why change that Sound on Tape. Is Ace even on this?
4 Its Well known Gene was Demoing songs w Eddie and Alex van Halen. Christine Sixteen, Love for sale. Why even re cut them to sound worse? Christine Sixteen Solo was written by Eddie Van Halen. Studios were Expensive!!!
Its not about difficult. Its about playing clean in a studio, a timed pattern with that transition is way different than shock me or calling dr love or any of his solos were he can be a little sloppy and it sounds good. Trust me at that time Paul and Gene were demoing seperate and if They could get a perfect track over Ace being on the record , that's what they did. If you want to know what PETER or ACE sound like play any of their tracks. Dirty livin Shock Me. And then listen to other tracks. And of coarse I can play the part too and ACE could have punched it in or pulled it off, but the tone and feel on most of thoses track don't feel like Ace. Tomorrow and tonight is not him, no way. Your tone def
Trust me that's paul on sure know something. And yet you can clearly here ace on I was made solo. Ace s lp takes up a different space in the mix. Creatures was done with Charvel Jackson type guitars. Jessys Girl is great example if you want to here what a FENDER sounds naked in a pro mix.
In a movie about Kiss ace would just come up with something as POLISHED and CLEAN as the Tomorrow and Tonight Solo but it dosent sound like him to me. Sounds like a Guitar player who plays in STUDIOS for a Living.
I CAN PLAY The Love Gun lead guitar parts......I think Ace can handle them just fine
I think Paul would be offended by having someone else produce now. He's very proud of the last 2 albums.....But PLEASE PAUL,PLEASE!!!!!..You did great, now let's have a cool reunion with yet another great producer from past efforts....pretty please?......we're waiting...................................p.l.e.a.s.e...........It's Alright.
congrats guys and thanks for making this happen ÷
the most shocking thing out of MJ Jackson's mouth is that those four tunes on Killers were the best they managed to come up with. Oh boy, that must have been a pretty horrid bunch of songs.
Lol. I remember picking the tape up thinking "wow, a new KISS album" then being disappointed when I read the track list, and that it was basically a "greatest hits album".... then I pulled the trigger when I saw there were new songs also. Popped it in...and was back to disappointment after hearing the "new" songs....I don't think that tape got played more than a couple times.
Really? I'm always shocked at how ignored those songs are. To my ears "I'm a Legend Tonight" and "Nowhere To Run" is Paul Stanley at his best. It took me a little longer to connect with "Partners n Crime" and "Down on Your Knees" but I always thought they were both quality songs and today I hold both in high esteem. I will say one thing, however, the production is clearly rushed on those four. I don't blame MJJ or anyone, my guess is that they were under a very strict deadline. But those four songs actually have the earmarks of very high-quality demos, rather than the gloss and spit polish that we would hear on Creatures soon after. A finished production makes a song transparent, it pushes the hooks right in your face and shoves supporting aspects to the background, while building in intensity to a climax. I takes a bit of time and thought to figure out the best way to do that on every given track, and used to be the big difference between demos and album tracks (Back in the day when this stuff even existed, nowadays all this is extinct) The Killers 4 sound like they were shoved out the door before that process had been 100% finished.
And Frank J Russo. Promoter. Both i believe were from providence RI
To me, together with Gene and Paul, MJ Jackson saved KISS!
Honestly I was a bit dissatisfied with this interview. I suppose to MJJ, the Kiss records were just three of the many records he’s worked on, so it’s not fair to expect him to recall all the minutia we’re looking to extract. Either way, good interview.
I remember hearing the title track on Creatures when I bought the album and thinking, "Holy Crap- KISS has tightened up. They sound like a whole new band". Later realized- that was a supergroup: Farris, PORCARO & Carr. (Lightbulb goes off) A-ha...
Ace may have been there but I dont believe they used any leads.The solos on that record are so far removed from anything Ace did before or after.Its just not his style.
The drums on creatures! Wow! Otherwise Lick it up! Not the song but the rest of the songs on that album best 80s album best non make up as well!
And of course, Paul saw through it all.
Ok...Here's how fucking smart I am....Everybody is wondering what should KISS do next...Well here's what the Fans want....((1)) A Kiss album with all 4 original members....If Paul wanted too he could make it work....give Peter and Ace 1/4 each....Boost Peters ego and tell him he is the greatest drummer for Kiss.....Alow Peter and Ace to have as much say as Paul and Gene......You would finally have that TRUE KISS ALBUM everybody wants....It would sell more than Phyco Circus.... ((Even in today's world))...........Almond ((2)) Do a reunion tour WITHOUT MAKEUP WITH ORIGINAL 4 MEMBERS..........And leave every KISS Fan the final right to tell all those hatters ((Look it's all about the Music))...Because the 4 original members without makeup would on a world tour would be a Massive Success. .
All the fans don’t want that. Safe to say not even the majority of the fans. But your fantasy is entertaining.
MJJ did a great job on those records. Also , Eric Carr was an amazing drummer. BUT, without those great songs,he's producing and Eric Carr is drumming to a Disney soundtrack music album. Maybe would have been the end of KISS? These two albums were maybe the most important for KISS from then till present time. As most KISS fans would know they spring-boarded they're careers through the 1980s'. There's simply not much in the 80's after those two albums. You don't hear fans screaming to hear "Crazy Nights". Vinnie Vincent cowrote 8 songs on "Lick It UP".Come on MJJ!!!!? You're on the KISS cruise and still friendly with Paul Stanley."Just ask Paul Stanley".I'm positive we'll never know a true account of these time periods of KISS. I don't think you were very honest in your recollections about spending 3 months or more in the studio for each of these albums w/ KISS .Either your memory has slipped so bad or you didn't do much except control the volume dials and pan left or right? Oh yes ,the Telefunken 251 German mics for the drum sound. Hilarious!! It almost came off like Vinnie wasn't even important on "Creatures" and "Lick It Up". It was the vision of Paul and Gene along with your drum sound? OK!?The moment MJJ blew off the question on whether V.V. saved KISS. I lost all respect for this interview.If he had something of relevance to say to that question, I could've bought into just about any of this fluff interview.Even if he had a terrible opinion about V.V. would have been a better answer. Ace held a guitar in the studio?! That's it!? What about some details? Guys, why didn't you ask about "Exciter" and what his opinion was about getting another guitar player to do the solo on it? Did they record another version of it? Kind of a swing and miss interview.Not saying I'm right, Just my opinion.
It was OK, but either Michael J jackson has a very weak memory or is very very cautious of saying something that might displease Paul. He said things like: You better ask Paul, I better run it with Paul, I don't want to get in trouble...What's that all about?
KISS fan who cant find an album. REALLY!!!!!
MJJ was a wonderful guest. Here is a link for one of the MJJ Autographed RIAA-Certified kissaddiction.com/product/michael-james-jackson-riaa-certified-lick-it-up-gold-album/ if interested
This dude is LAID Baaaack lol
I love Kiss but the only songs I like on Creatures of the Night are Creatures and War Machine. The remainder of the songs aren't that good to me. So Gene Simmons himself said it didn't sell? Also, when I hear people asked the question who is your favorite member of Kiss the reply is 99% Ace. Why?
I don't know but I can say this I have spoken to so many fans over the years and they all seem to have a different favorite
I think MJJ saved Kiss ;)
You are probably right
Kiss
...but he doesn't remember anything? A bit dissapointing.
Did you even listen. So much great material I didn't know
You need to STOP Mark from talking. Majority of his questions are stupid on the verge annoying.
You can do that. Just hit stop in TH-cam.