People can say what they want about ACE and PETER but after watching this again , shows how much they were needed to make KISS the band they were . Great drumming and singing from Peter , and what can I say about ACE . He is THE man .
Whatever the comments......singing, guitar or singing is great..this is it. And let me say, I adore Frehley but I learned over the years, Gene is a special guy and lemme tell you he rocks on Bass and his vocals are great. Kiss..all of them, legendary band!
This is the Kiss we all know. A band that wasn't very good but was able to sell shows based on their theatrics, makeup and breathing fire. One hit wonders !!
You're so right man! Most of these commentors weren't around when the Midnight Special was on NBC on Saturday nights back in the '70s. It was a showcase for music, not much of that around today. MTV had it for a while but that has denigrated into a toxic mess of shit.
@StevenRice-wo9nv Today it's Tallent shows and social media. Anyone can be a star not those controlled by bood sucking producers. I have 25,000 songs on my phone right now. I can go straight to my massive receiver set up with a 21 inch sub by Bluetooth. In the 70s, I got hand me down records and 8Tracks from my parents. It took doing a lot of yard work to make money to by an album! My dad was a drummer in in a band, so my parents always watched the music shows back in the 70s. Good thing because we only had one TV andv3 stations to watch. I never could get into MTV. I love youtube though. I love the old concerts and love the new music too. Lots of good talent out there.
Can I keep my Rock 'N Roll credit card? Just kidding. This vid is a great tape of KISS, have to say. And I was never a big KISS fan. But this is impressive.
What if I told you he painted it black, turned it into a double cutaway, proceeded to never use again, and then sold it? Yeah, I love Ace but he's not the brightest bulb.
@ralphhowing3473 That's not a JR. It's an L6S. Gibson introduced those back around 73 but they weren't very popular. They're actually kind of rare to find these days. You don't see them very often.
Yeah man Ace was cool .. Actually he is still a great player. and influenced countless rock guitar players. Do you guys know that the 3 pick up custom Les Paul's he played........ The middle pick up was never hooked up ? Ace mostly used the bridge pick up.
many players had been tapping long before EVH. He just revised it, mastered it, and made it a style of his own. Many can tap, it was just more of how he was able to throw leads in that seemed to never really fit, but it worked with that swing style they had.
Steve Hackett of Genesis was doing it Pre Ace. And there were guitarists before Hackett that utilized it. Eddie made it popular. For good reason as he was amazing and took the technique to new heights.
@laslalal8451 No doubt! I stopped listening to them after Love Gun. CAn't even stomach anything after that with all due respect. Just not the same darkness and vibe they had in the early days. But I never was a bubble gum radio rock guy and still ain't 🤮
@@emach07 I was recently turned on to Turn on the Night, and I can't deny that I like it. I'm glad I can appreciate the different dimensions of this band.
Primitive and basic rock and Roll. Many bands before them with the same approach and many after. I am not a fan but so what. A lot of people were . No hate
@@markcruce-h3ncame to say THIS. No doubt, this is a badass performance (and I'm indifferent on KISS) but James Brown at the TAMI Show set the bar for mind blowing stage shows. And it set the bar incredibly high.
They definitely had the best stage show. I remember seeing them in the later 70"s(still original line up) and there was no one else on the planet that put it on like them.
You should watch the video of Sam Cooke singing blowing in the wind. The one where he walks into the audience. I had goosebumps and cried the first time I saw it
Me too. I would go to Godfather's Pizza. I would order a large Canadian bacon and mushroom pizza. I would get $5 worth of quarters to put into the juke box and Firepower pinball machine. I would order a cold draft beer, play pinball and listen to the juke box while waiting for the best pizza that ever existed
I've always said, Gene is the face, Paul is, well, was the voice, Peter, I guess the attitude, but Ace, he is the heart, soul, and mind of KISS. To me, he's the most talented of the four. Without him, it's not KISS. Grant it, the original KISS is Paul, Gene, Peter, and Ace. But KISS without Ace, nah, I don't know who they are. He had the best solo album in 1978, when all four had solo albums, not only that but the solo albums he released ensuing were remarkable. Which shows how underrated he is as a guitarist and musician but unfortunately, he's considered overrated because he is always associated with Gene and Paul's band. That used to be KISS. But then again, since day one, KISS has always been Gene and Paul's band.
Ace Frehley was the first guitar hero of my childhood. Totally agree with Adam; Ace IS KISS. I made my own Ace costume for Halloween when I was in the sixth grade. I thought I was the coolest! Saw the 1996 Reunion Tour show in ATL. Ace WAS the show that night! I come back to KISS music every now and then. It’s always like catching up with an old friend. This video is a reminder of how good they were and how hard they rocked. Good times!
I love Peter's laid back drum style. I don't get why Paul and Gene talks so much shit about him. Ace's solos are outstanding. Not because they're advanced it's because it's all about melody. I know all his solos by heart. I can sing them and play them. KISS 4 Ever 🤘🖤
It definitely had an early 70's stoner rock groove thing going. They just drifted away from that style as most bands did through the decade. But to me early Kiss was the best era.
Excellent performance. Ace was two-handed tapping near the end. If this was filmed in 1975, that's 3 years before Van Halen's debut album. I wonder if Eddie saw Ace do this in concert?
You have to give it to them on this one, especially Ace...taping pre-Van Halen! Very tight band...I know they are not Led Zeppelin but there is great talent there and a decent song.
If you'll notice when Ace is playing his solo he's doing hammer on's long before Vanhalen ever came on the scene. He might not be the best guitarist in the world, but he is definitely an original in many ways, and a guitar hero to many including me!
Long before? This was shot in 1975 and Van Halen's debut album came out only three years later. Anyway, Eddie Van Halen never claimed to have invented tapping... in fact here's a clip of guitarist Vittorio Camardese tapping in 1965. th-cam.com/video/fgIgdiOQCl4/w-d-xo.html
@@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885 Yup. No one ever said EVH invented tapping. And nothing against Ace, his abilities perfectly suited KISS. But, it's pointless to compare his primitive tapping skills to the guy who turned it into an artform that influenced every guitar god who followed.
Yes... early Kiss, hungry for success and all of them at their prime!!! Ace and Peter rock as hell. Gene with no tongue all the time and Paul with fantastic vocals. What a quality... awesome !..!
This is THE KISS I was introduced to way back when they were doing their Kiss Ablive tour. I saw them at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec Canada on April 26, 1976 and I will never forget the pure raw energy and excitement and power that that concert left impression on me.
Wow! This is excellent! I remember the Midnight Special as a kid. Peter Criss made such an impression on me that I been playing drums ever since. I have a few KISS songs on my channel. Long, live, live music and rock n roll.
Technical? No. Intricate? No, again. In your face from the street rock and roll? Absolutely!!! It was melodic, raw music and that's what made them popular; in my opinion.
Back in the day. When KISS was KISS. I remember watching this episode of Midnight Special and the next day, ALL of us high school "wanna be" rockstars were talking about them. NOBODY ever saw anything like them before. Early KISS will always be the real KISS !
Whatever else they did or didn't do - KISS never was about being the greatest musical talents, but about being the biggest and most successful artists. This is from the early days, and already it absolutely highlights their showmanship. It's also often overlooked, but their 3 part harmony vocals are really well done, too! I believe they thanked the Beatles for that 👍
@@FOXLIES I am 52 and I started LISTENING TO KISS when I was 6 Didnt see any live footage for a few years. They were superheroes to me just from the album covers and the music was awesome. You are calling a band that people will speak of decades after they are gone as average doesnt make any sense.
@@FOXLIES lol yes a band you only watched in the days when there was no MTV and this exact clip we see no was shown ONCE at 1am in 1975. No. I, and tens of millions of people all over the world love the MUSIC of KISS, not just the “glitz”. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean nobody else does. You have your favorites, we have ours.
I mean there's a reason there one of the most popular bands in the world to this day. The vocals, the choreography, the showmanship. These guys put on a show!
Ace should be up there with the best. But I'm afraid he will never get that recognition. Critics need to listen not look. Take away all the makeup and theatrics and you have four very talented musicians.
There's a reason that KISS ruled the world in the 70s. They were completely in sync and looked like they were having a blast (as opposed to now when Paul's voice is shot and Gene looks like he'd rather be anywhere else).
I watched this show all the time some & often phenomenal performances & look no lipsyncing or laptops or autotune. When bands were real & so where the musicians.
Too many people think Kiss got popular mainly because of the makeup. The truth is that the original Kiss is one of the greatest concert acts in history, mainly because they had great songwriting and also Ace Frehley on lead guitar. They were a phenomenal band.
NOPE. It was the makeup. In fact, I'll narrow it down... Gene's makeup, and marketing skills. Super hero/ rock band...the perfect promotion. They've had PLENTY of mis-steps and bad music choices...disco, a concept album, revolving musicians, and TODAY... lip syncing, pot bellies and wrinkles....and YET people STILL pay $$$ for their SHOWS. Are they paying to listen to an mp3? No, they are paying for the visual memories. 60 yr old men have thousands of dollars of what? KISS records? No. Posters, dolls, comic books, condoms, butt scratchers, bloody towels, bloody tampons, chewing gum...with KISS in MAKEUP. Slightly above average music with an over the top persona.
@@Skulllywag, that isn't what put them on the map. Gene is a mad genius marketer, but their music from the mid-70s was phenomenal. They would have never gotten famous without it. They did get ridiculous in the late 70s and even more ridiculous in the 80s, but that is beside the point. Lots of bands have worn face paint, including many before Kiss. Only a small portion of them made it far. Watch videos of Kiss from 1974 to 1977, and read the comments. You will see the fanaticism for their music, particularly Ace Frehley's guitar playing.
@@StarfieldRailway NOT phenomenal music. How long before the first 3 albums even went gold? It was the makeup, fire/blood spitting, the flash pots, the smoking guitar, ect that made them a live band to see. As a 12 yr in the 70's, I didn't know ONE KISS song...but had seen them on TV, and wanted to see them live. But back to the original point, NO #1 album, NO # 1 single EVER...yet one of the top touring acts. When people stopped coming to shows in the 90's...what did they do? Put the MAKE UP back on....career revived. Tell me it wasn't about the make up again...
@@Skulllywag , to my ears, they are one of the greatest bands that ever existed. I am far from alone on that. I think they sounded even better live than they did in the studio. They were a heavy metal jam band when they played live, and Ace Frehley was a mind blower with his guitar sounds. That is why their first live album is what finally made them really famous. It was a live LP, not a live VHS tape. That hadn't been invented yet. Kiss was a joke as a hair metal band. When they got Ace and Peter back in the group and played only their early music in concerts, they got popular again. I saw them in the New Orleans Superdome in 1996, and it was one of the greatest concerts I have ever been to. If you don't like their music, then you don't, but you can't speak for everybody else. A lot of us love their early music. Read the comments under this video. See it for yourself.
Completely agree! Some pseudo rockers refused to hear the music simply because of the make up. I liked KISS first because of the music, the make up was secondary.
I don't care what anyone says, the original line up of this band had a GREAT chemistry, and Peter Criss was just as much a part of it as the other three.
I used to watch MIDNIGHT SPECIAL all the time throughout the 1970's late Friday nights. It was the greatest time in music with the very familiar sounds of radio legend "Wolfman Jack" that made U feel like this was the best place to be at on a Friday night! Watching this from almost 50yrs ago proves that it wasn't just over glamorized memories that made me think KISS was so great back then...but that they REALLY were!! This also proves U don't need $1,000,000's in multi big rig loads of props & equipment with massive floating stages, lasers, explosions, mega giant screens. NON of that can create the millions of volts of pure raw explosive energy that comes from within that comes thru their REAL non-lip synched performance seen right here when this was the "REAL" KISS of Gene, Paul, Ace & Peter on a tiny little stage without all the mega massive production. This is the KISS I remembered & loved long before the now long distant watered down "Bud Light" version of "half" KISS that finally went out with a whimper MINUS Ace & Peter a couple months ago on the never ending give us all ur $$ "End of the Road" tour which incredibly was 24yrs AFTER I saw them on the supposed "Farewell Tour"!lol If anyone starts doubting themselves when hearing Paul Stanley's biased account trashing Ace & Peter's playing...all U need to do is watch them in action right here on MIDNIGHT SPECIAL when they all played for REAL & sang for REAL to hear & feel the unbelievable explosive energy that once upon a time really did make KISS the greatest band in the world!!
Their live act was truly one of a kind.... that raw power & stage presence was truly incredible... this is what Kiss were all about... that blistering in your face rock & roll .... ✌🤘👊👍
This never gets old! I wish today's music had more of this feel...and Ace playing hammer-on's this way in 75...nice! High octane Rock'n Roll!!! Thank you for posting!!!!
this is still so F(ing) amazing. its so over the top. incredibly courageous and creative for a band to look and sound like they did in the 70's and the seismic impact and impression this would leave on millions of musicians everywhere. ive never stopped listening to them since I bought "Dressed to Kill" with my brother at a military grocery store in Virginia when I was like 8 or 9. I have so much KISS stuff its crazy. my only wish as a long time 40 year fan is that they stop ripping on each other in books, interviews, magazine articles , etc. its painful to hear how they are hating on each other. we dont want to hear it. its really put a damper on their legacy.you all four are still alive. one more tour with original members and figure out how to get along and share that magic with us and yourselves one more go round and end it together not in a court room.
Primera vez que escucho esta canción de Kiss. ¡ Que tal manera de tocar ! ... es como si la música cobrara vida con sus gestos y movimientos. Privilegiados los que estuvieron en ese concierto, es ARTE PURO.
Man alive, I remember being in Kids Inc. track & soccer in 75-76 and being introduced to KISS by my 5-6yrs. best friends older brother. He was 10-12yrs. and had the coolest bedroom with a wall of KISS posters that seemed to come Alive like this whenever he'd put a KISS record on.... What a time to be a kid a the 1970's was
Pretty basic compared to Ed’s use of it. Plus, he’s tapping with his pick edge, not his finger, which is not as nuanced as what Ed did with it. I mean, it’s ok but kinda sloppy.
This is an outstanding tight band. Ace solos with melody. Peters drums are with it. The whole band is legendary here. With the crowd on their feet at the end.
One of the few American metal bands who stood the test of time. They understood performance and inspired subsequent generations of musicians worldwide.
To be able to go back and watch this era of KISS live, that would be amazing to me. I was born in 81. So I was never able to, but this is the era of KISS, that sucked me in and made me a fan.
It's only been up on here for 1 day and it's had 47k views already. Look at the other videos and see how so few the others have had. Quo has 21k at the moment.
KISStory at it's finest . Young and hungry and ready for the next step(s) in their stage show. Hopefully, their "C'mon and Love Me" performance is in the vaults and to be shared soon. Thank you!
So as a young black kid on the southside of Chicago...my uncle was a kiss fan and I rode with him. So I heard all the albums and we all picked a band member. I picked ACE. I remember every one of his riffs. This performance is incredible
@@salbro5985 Gene and Paul have a commentary track on the KISSology box set and they say that was planned, except when he threw his bass drum into the crowd!
People can say what they want about ACE and PETER but after watching this again , shows how much they were needed to make KISS the band they were . Great drumming and singing from Peter , and what can I say about ACE . He is THE man .
Drugs killed Ace and Peter as performers - their later work is nothing compared to this
Gene is singing this time not criss
@@richardlawson6787 if you watched the video, you an clearly see Paul, Gene, _and_ Peter doing doing the vocals.
@@EdwardAlexander-ABF if you watch the video you see gene singing it and the others doing backing vocals
@@richardlawson6787 LOL! You are blind
This is a top shelf performance. They sound super tight. This was Kiss in their true form. What a band!
Before the drugs and alcohol took effect on two of them 😔
This is early Kiss when they were hungry and at their best. Went downhill after Alive I.
Yup I agree I'm an 80s honky and I'm going down hill to but still love my music
@@NathanSmith-xf7rkand the love of money and ego on the other two
@@briweeks71yep
THIS is KISS...the original lineup is untouchable.
Cocaine said hold my beer
So heavy in early 70s....great vid
No DOUBT!!!!
Whatever the comments......singing, guitar or singing is great..this is it. And let me say, I adore Frehley but I learned over the years, Gene is a special guy and lemme tell you he rocks on Bass and his vocals are great. Kiss..all of them, legendary band!
Parasite, She, Firehouse: I groove the deepest, while listening to these epic cuts!
That’s the Kiss I knew and the Kiss that grabbed me forever! The golden years 74-77. Raw, unpolished, a bit savage and pretty damn good live band.
I agree 💙💜❤💚
Same here, only I would extend it up through 81 or whenever Unmasked came out. I saw them in 77 and 79 - nothing on earth like it.
at that time they were motivated and passionate about music not money and fame
This is the Kiss we all know. A band that wasn't very good but was able to sell shows based on their theatrics, makeup and breathing fire. One hit wonders !!
My favorite KISS era.
The Midnight Special was awesome! No lip syncing bs!
☮️❤️
You're so right man! Most of these commentors weren't around when the Midnight Special was on NBC on Saturday nights back in the '70s. It was a showcase for music, not much of that around today. MTV had it for a while but that has denigrated into a toxic mess of shit.
@StevenRice-wo9nv Today it's Tallent shows and social media. Anyone can be a star not those controlled by bood sucking producers.
I have 25,000 songs on my phone right now. I can go straight to my massive receiver set up with a 21 inch sub by Bluetooth. In the 70s, I got hand me down records and 8Tracks from my parents. It took doing a lot of yard work to make money to by an album!
My dad was a drummer in in a band, so my parents always watched the music shows back in the 70s. Good thing because we only had one TV andv3 stations to watch. I never could get into MTV. I love youtube though. I love the old concerts and love the new music too. Lots of good talent out there.
The original lineup was a great band 74-78. Melodic hard rock with an incredible stage show.
🤘💯⚡⚡👍
My Kiss: 74-78
I saw them in Omaha in 1980 Original lineup...PURE CELEBRATIONS Of Rock N Roll!
They were struggling with the money. By 78, they became extremely commercial. And messed with their sound.
YARITE. So melodic they had hundreds of hits. LMAO
6:05 Anytime you see Ace Freeley wearing that triangle space collar around his neck, Those were the golden years of his playing awesome guitar riffs.
True dat.....
Yep. Love that costume. The circles in the front remind me of Tinker Toys! (I’m a kid from the 70’s).
If you don't like this, turn in your Rock N Roll card. This era of KISS will never die.
Can I keep my Rock 'N Roll credit card? Just kidding. This vid is a great tape of KISS, have to say. And I was never a big KISS fan. But this is impressive.
Ace's LesPaul sound just AWESOME!!!!
funny, Stanly plays a Les Paul JR.
What if I told you he painted it black, turned it into a double cutaway, proceeded to never use again, and then sold it? Yeah, I love Ace but he's not the brightest bulb.
@ralphhowing3473 That's not a JR. It's an L6S. Gibson introduced those back around 73 but they weren't very popular. They're actually kind of rare to find these days. You don't see them very often.
Huzzah,, Rock'n'Roll !
Yeah man Ace was cool .. Actually he is still a great player. and influenced countless rock guitar players.
Do you guys know that the 3 pick up custom Les Paul's he played........
The middle pick up was never hooked up ? Ace mostly used the bridge pick up.
The boys were on top of their game here.
ACE doing fret tapping...... pre-EVH. ha !
many players had been tapping long before EVH. He just revised it, mastered it, and made it a style of his own. Many can tap, it was just more of how he was able to throw leads in that seemed to never really fit, but it worked with that swing style they had.
Steve Hackett of Genesis was doing it Pre Ace. And there were guitarists before Hackett that utilized it. Eddie made it popular. For good reason as he was amazing and took the technique to new heights.
Unapologetically raw rock n roll. Music that inspired generations and we get to view it in 2023!!!
Ace is my guitar hero he the reason why i picked up a guitar
That drum sound can't be beat with bass line, ace, and Paul orginal kiss was best.
Let’s be honest, 70s KISS is the best KISS
well yes they were young...with more energy...its life!
Totally
😂😂😂😢
@laslalal8451 No doubt! I stopped listening to them after Love Gun. CAn't even stomach anything after that with all due respect. Just not the same darkness and vibe they had in the early days. But I never was a bubble gum radio rock guy and still ain't 🤮
@@emach07 I was recently turned on to Turn on the Night, and I can't deny that I like it. I'm glad I can appreciate the different dimensions of this band.
Absolutely one of their best and heaviest songs!
And it originated as a sort of Jethro Tull knock off complete with flute solos.
@@thrashmetaljay666 Thank you the Doors for the solo
I've never had heard this one until now but I really like it.
This is an outstanding performance and why I love Rock and Roll. I’m not really huge a Kiss fan, but credit to where it’s due.
Many thanks to whomever is responsible for finally releasing these high quality videos from the Midnight Special.
Indeed!
Primitive and basic rock and Roll. Many bands before them with the same approach and many after. I am not a fan but so what. A lot of people were . No hate
Would have loved to see Kiss, Rush and AC/DC when they toured together for a short period of time
Qui non erano ridicoli ma musicisti
AMEN!!
They invented the stage show . Best concert I've ever been to all four original members.
As much as I love this, folks like James Brown, Little Richard, the Temptations were known long before for amazing stage shows:)…
@@markcruce-h3ncame to say THIS. No doubt, this is a badass performance (and I'm indifferent on KISS) but James Brown at the TAMI Show set the bar for mind blowing stage shows. And it set the bar incredibly high.
They definitely had the best stage show. I remember seeing them in the later 70"s(still original line up) and there was no one else on the planet that put it on like them.
You should watch the video of Sam Cooke singing blowing in the wind. The one where he walks into the audience. I had goosebumps and cried the first time I saw it
Alice Cooper was the first one that put on very Theatrical stage shows.
The 70's was a different time that's for sure.🌼 I know I was there..
If I had a time machine I'd go back and visit.
✌️😎
Me too. I would go to Godfather's Pizza. I would order a large Canadian bacon and mushroom pizza. I would get $5 worth of quarters to put into the juke box and Firepower pinball machine. I would order a cold draft beer, play pinball and listen to the juke box while waiting for the best pizza that ever existed
I’d go back to stay!
Man, there was so MUCH pubic hair!!!!!
But on the plus side, we didn't need condoms.
@@MicktaylorifyI’m totally with ya 🤘👍
Me too!
Killer riffing and groove in this song.
Budgie influenced
Back then, Ace was easily the best musician on the stage in Kiss.
I don't think even Gene or Paul would actually argue that Ace wasn't the best player in the group. Ace was certainly the virtuoso of the group.
So please let us know what is so wrong about Peters, Genes or Pauls playing?
@@iloveitallhave another beer bro
@@hankworden3850 Have another 5 cent for trolling on yt.
Not to mention the "Pre-Van Halen" finger-tapping solo!
There is just no denying Ace Frehley. Period. 👏
Yep 👍
Notice Ace Tapping on fret board at end solo….he told me he tapped before Ed. Wow 🤟🏼⚡️
I've always said, Gene is the face, Paul is, well, was the voice, Peter, I guess the attitude, but Ace, he is the heart, soul, and mind of KISS. To me, he's the most talented of the four. Without him, it's not KISS. Grant it, the original KISS is Paul, Gene, Peter, and Ace. But KISS without Ace, nah, I don't know who they are. He had the best solo album in 1978, when all four had solo albums, not only that but the solo albums he released ensuing were remarkable. Which shows how underrated he is as a guitarist and musician but unfortunately, he's considered overrated because he is always associated with Gene and Paul's band. That used to be KISS. But then again, since day one, KISS has always been Gene and Paul's band.
@@SteveBrownROCKS Yeah wow I never saw/noticed Ace doing the two-handed tapping thing like this before....pretty cool!
Ace Frehley was the first guitar hero of my childhood. Totally agree with Adam; Ace IS KISS. I made my own Ace costume for Halloween when I was in the sixth grade. I thought I was the coolest! Saw the 1996 Reunion Tour show in ATL. Ace WAS the show that night! I come back to KISS music every now and then. It’s always like catching up with an old friend. This video is a reminder of how good they were and how hard they rocked. Good times!
Young. Hungry. Inspiring. They were so tight in this performance. They looked awesome!!
I’m glad to see that every video people are defending Ace and Peter. You just can’t replace the originals no matter how hard you try.
Ace and Peter
@@robheflin5639 Thanks. 🐀
Exactly
Ace and Peter were the only thing that made that gean semon demon so his pothetic nonsense
Eric Carr was far superior to Peter Chris.
I love Peter's laid back drum style. I don't get why Paul and Gene talks so much shit about him. Ace's solos are outstanding. Not because they're advanced it's because it's all about melody. I know all his solos by heart. I can sing them and play them. KISS 4 Ever 🤘🖤
Peter became complacent and his playing therefore suffered.
Jealousy...lol
Yes….great performances all around.
Paul's just always been jealous of his voice and how the song beth made them the BIG bucks
It's more Paul who talks smack about Peter. He wanted a Bonham and got a student of Krupa
KISS never jammed like this ever again. None of their later songs had this kind of groove.
It definitely had an early 70's stoner rock groove thing going. They just drifted away from that style as most bands
did through the decade. But to me early Kiss was the best era.
And earlier versions of She were done live well before the DTK album was recorded.
Parasite and She are two of my favorites. Early, raw rock and roll with no apologies.
Excellent performance. Ace was two-handed tapping near the end. If this was filmed in 1975, that's 3 years before Van Halen's debut album. I wonder if Eddie saw Ace do this in concert?
I think Eddie got it from Steve Hackett in Genesis.
@@seed_drill7135 probably Ace too
He said it was Jimmy Page in Heartbreaker but that seams like a cop-out to me lol
Steve hackett was doing tapping with genesis back in 71, and he wasn't even the first one
I remember this, I was 13yrs old. I fell in love with Ace’s Gibson Les Paul. Now I have one just like it.
You have to give it to them on this one, especially Ace...taping pre-Van Halen! Very tight band...I know they are not Led Zeppelin but there is great talent there and a decent song.
@@TonysMusic1974 Towards the end.
Roy Smeck was guitar tapping in the 1930s.
AND with a phaser on
Yeah I caught that too. Go Ace!
Just made the same comment about Ace, didn't read far enough down!
If you'll notice when Ace is playing his solo he's doing hammer on's long before Vanhalen ever came on the scene. He might not be the best guitarist in the world, but he is definitely an original in many ways, and a guitar hero to many including me!
Long before? This was shot in 1975 and Van Halen's debut album came out only three years later. Anyway, Eddie Van Halen never claimed to have invented tapping... in fact here's a clip of guitarist Vittorio Camardese tapping in 1965.
th-cam.com/video/fgIgdiOQCl4/w-d-xo.html
Rory Gallagher as well
@@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885 Yup. No one ever said EVH invented tapping. And nothing against Ace, his abilities perfectly suited KISS. But, it's pointless to compare his primitive tapping skills to the guy who turned it into an artform that influenced every guitar god who followed.
@@stephenhawkingsfootballboo7885yes, but he did copyright it!
Yes Sir
Yes... early Kiss, hungry for success and all of them at their prime!!! Ace and Peter rock as hell. Gene with no tongue all the time and Paul with fantastic vocals. What a quality... awesome !..!
This is THE KISS I was introduced to way back when they were doing their Kiss Ablive tour. I saw them at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec Canada on April 26, 1976 and I will never forget the pure raw energy and excitement and power that that concert left impression on me.
The chemistry, the rawness, the hunger, the authenticity… F*CK… THIS. IS. KISS!!
Wow! This is excellent! I remember the Midnight Special as a kid. Peter Criss made such an impression on me that I been playing drums ever since. I have a few KISS songs on my channel. Long, live, live music and rock n roll.
CHECK OUT MY MUSIC AND YOU'LL HEAR KISS INFLUENCE AS I PLAY ALL MUSIC AND VOCALS.
Technical? No. Intricate? No, again. In your face from the street rock and roll? Absolutely!!! It was melodic, raw music and that's what made them popular; in my opinion.
Outstanding performance!
Totally awesome..and Ace firing a rocket in the solo at the end.... Blew my mind totally.... Kiss in the true Hardrock pioneer style 👍🔥🤟
One of my favorite songs from Kiss.
This one and Let me go rock and roll from Alive.
@@100hooker lmgrnr favorite KISS song
Straight UP, I saw this tour!! Got pushed through the Arena door, and still had the ticket in my hand. Rock and Roll still got it
Back in the day. When KISS was KISS. I remember watching this episode of Midnight Special and the next day, ALL of us high school "wanna be" rockstars were talking about them. NOBODY ever saw anything like them before. Early KISS will always be the real KISS !
Whatever else they did or didn't do - KISS never was about being the greatest musical talents, but about being the biggest and most successful artists.
This is from the early days, and already it absolutely highlights their showmanship.
It's also often overlooked, but their 3 part harmony vocals are really well done, too! I believe they thanked the Beatles for that 👍
This is how I like to remember KISS - raw , heavy and kick ass.
Before DESTROYER they were a real gritty rock n roll band. I saw them several times around this period and it was always killer.
This entire performance shows the pinnacle of KISS. They included a low quality excerpt on their KISSology Box Set DVD, but this is unbelievable!
@@FOXLIES Wrong on every level. They had to be seen at a large scale and garage band guys dont have any presence on stage hence being a garage band,
@@FOXLIES I am 52 and I started LISTENING TO KISS when I was 6 Didnt see any live footage for a few years. They were superheroes to me just from the album covers and the music was awesome. You are calling a band that people will speak of decades after they are gone as average doesnt make any sense.
@@FOXLIES lol yes a band you only watched in the days when there was no MTV and this exact clip we see no was shown ONCE at 1am in 1975. No. I, and tens of millions of people all over the world love the MUSIC of KISS, not just the “glitz”. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean nobody else does. You have your favorites, we have ours.
@Phalanx Strings almost zero chance a 15 year old is commenting on this clip.😂
@@FOXLIES lol disagree. Look at this song. You don’t even dig THIS song?? Why are you wasting your time here? 😂😂
THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST. JUST LIKE THE SUPER 70'S ROCK MUSIC. CLASS OF ROCKIN 84 HERE. ROCK ON GEN XER'S FOREVER !!!.
I mean there's a reason there one of the most popular bands in the world to this day. The vocals, the choreography, the showmanship. These guys put on a show!
*they're
@@snakedoktor6020 not for there is
@@johnrowland1919 I agree 100% with that. But that wasn't its use in your sentence.
@@snakedoktor6020 oops. good catch
Seeing the audience start giving them a standing ovation during Ace's solo gives me chills.
he deserved it.... ;)
They gave a standing ovation because they thought the song was ending. Had nothing to do with the solo. Though the solo was badass.
Ace was allright.
@@keviningles5580 OH stop, he was awesome!!
Ace should be up there with the best. But I'm afraid he will never get that recognition. Critics need to listen not look. Take away all the makeup and theatrics and you have four very talented musicians.
My 1st concert! My Dad took me to see Kiss! I was 10 years old! Changed my life! Kiss and Randy Rhoads are why I play guitar to this day!
Me too mate.
They absolutely killed this one! The vocals, the music, the stage show, everything…. And Ace…so dang cool!!
There's a reason that KISS ruled the world in the 70s. They were completely in sync and looked like they were having a blast (as opposed to now when Paul's voice is shot and Gene looks like he'd rather be anywhere else).
NOTHING LIKE KISS WHEN THEY WERE STILL HUNGRY THEY WERE THE BEST AT THAT MOMENT
Phenomenal performance.
I watched this show all the time some & often phenomenal performances & look no lipsyncing or laptops or autotune. When bands were real & so where the musicians.
You got that right Muchacho!!😁🤟
On a night when Ace was sober, he kills every note.
by far one of there best tunes, i'm, not there biggest fan, but when they are on..they Rock
Too many people think Kiss got popular mainly because of the makeup. The truth is that the original Kiss is one of the greatest concert acts in history, mainly because they had great songwriting and also Ace Frehley on lead guitar. They were a phenomenal band.
NOPE. It was the makeup. In fact, I'll narrow it down... Gene's makeup, and marketing skills. Super hero/ rock band...the perfect promotion. They've had PLENTY of mis-steps and bad music choices...disco, a concept album, revolving musicians, and TODAY... lip syncing, pot bellies and wrinkles....and YET people STILL pay $$$ for their SHOWS. Are they paying to listen to an mp3? No, they are paying for the visual memories. 60 yr old men have thousands of dollars of what? KISS records? No. Posters, dolls, comic books, condoms, butt scratchers, bloody towels, bloody tampons, chewing gum...with KISS in MAKEUP. Slightly above average music with an over the top persona.
@@Skulllywag, that isn't what put them on the map. Gene is a mad genius marketer, but their music from the mid-70s was phenomenal. They would have never gotten famous without it. They did get ridiculous in the late 70s and even more ridiculous in the 80s, but that is beside the point. Lots of bands have worn face paint, including many before Kiss. Only a small portion of them made it far. Watch videos of Kiss from 1974 to 1977, and read the comments. You will see the fanaticism for their music, particularly Ace Frehley's guitar playing.
@@StarfieldRailway NOT phenomenal music. How long before the first 3 albums even went gold? It was the makeup, fire/blood spitting, the flash pots, the smoking guitar, ect that made them a live band to see. As a 12 yr in the 70's, I didn't know ONE KISS song...but had seen them on TV, and wanted to see them live. But back to the original point, NO #1 album, NO # 1 single EVER...yet one of the top touring acts. When people stopped coming to shows in the 90's...what did they do? Put the MAKE UP back on....career revived. Tell me it wasn't about the make up again...
@@Skulllywag , to my ears, they are one of the greatest bands that ever existed. I am far from alone on that. I think they sounded even better live than they did in the studio. They were a heavy metal jam band when they played live, and Ace Frehley was a mind blower with his guitar sounds. That is why their first live album is what finally made them really famous. It was a live LP, not a live VHS tape. That hadn't been invented yet.
Kiss was a joke as a hair metal band. When they got Ace and Peter back in the group and played only their early music in concerts, they got popular again. I saw them in the New Orleans Superdome in 1996, and it was one of the greatest concerts I have ever been to. If you don't like their music, then you don't, but you can't speak for everybody else. A lot of us love their early music. Read the comments under this video. See it for yourself.
Completely agree! Some pseudo rockers refused to hear the music simply because of the make up. I liked KISS first because of the music, the make up was secondary.
First 7 albums were pure gold
Love gun sucks.
That bass sound thunderous for the 70s. Hell yeah
Gibson with a pick. Badass!
Gibson Grabber with one sliding pup.
The time KISS were like a family. Grew up with this band, they will always be one of the greatest bands in rock history.
Me too😉🇨🇵🎸
They were my first concert…76’ I’m 65 now..!!!
I don't care what anyone says, the original line up of this band had a GREAT chemistry, and Peter Criss was just as much a part of it as the other three.
This might be the most solid performance I've ever seen from them with mad energy to boot!
I used to watch MIDNIGHT SPECIAL all the time throughout the 1970's late Friday nights. It was the greatest time in music with the very familiar sounds of radio legend "Wolfman Jack" that made U feel like this was the best place to be at on a Friday night! Watching this from almost 50yrs ago proves that it wasn't just over glamorized memories that made me think KISS was so great back then...but that they REALLY were!! This also proves U don't need $1,000,000's in multi big rig loads of props & equipment with massive floating stages, lasers, explosions, mega giant screens. NON of that can create the millions of volts of pure raw explosive energy that comes from within that comes thru their REAL non-lip synched performance seen right here when this was the "REAL" KISS of Gene, Paul, Ace & Peter on a tiny little stage without all the mega massive production. This is the KISS I remembered & loved long before the now long distant watered down "Bud Light" version of "half" KISS that finally went out with a whimper MINUS Ace & Peter a couple months ago on the never ending give us all ur $$ "End of the Road" tour which incredibly was 24yrs AFTER I saw them on the supposed "Farewell Tour"!lol If anyone starts doubting themselves when hearing Paul Stanley's biased account trashing Ace & Peter's playing...all U need to do is watch them in action right here on MIDNIGHT SPECIAL when they all played for REAL & sang for REAL to hear & feel the unbelievable explosive energy that once upon a time really did make KISS the greatest band in the world!!
This is peak KISS
They were at the top of their game
Glad you are enjoying it.
My first concert-KISS! What a great way to begin my rock n roll life. One of the best live shows that I have ever seen! (And, I’ve seen quite a few)
Their live act was truly one of a kind.... that raw power & stage presence was truly incredible... this is what Kiss were all about... that blistering in your face rock & roll .... ✌🤘👊👍
Back to the basics, what I love about these guy's the awesome raw sound they make with no multi effects boards on the stage. It's all them folks!
Gene was amazing he was always a great bassist & stage present
That deep thumping sound too!
SHE was one of my favorite tunes back then. I remember as a kid, I was so excited when I saved enough money to buy the DRESS TO KILL LP.
This never gets old! I wish today's music had more of this feel...and Ace playing hammer-on's this way in 75...nice! High octane Rock'n Roll!!! Thank you for posting!!!!
Straight forward hard drivin’ rock n roll.
Plug it in and play it loud.
70s hard rock is the best
In 1975….
I was 10!!!!!
Wow, what a jam ! Means more to me than a full show of their end of the road tour !
Their current tour is more live than kiss alive was.
this is still so F(ing) amazing. its so over the top. incredibly courageous and creative for a band to look and sound like they did in the 70's and the seismic impact and impression this would leave on millions of musicians everywhere. ive never stopped listening to them since I bought "Dressed to Kill" with my brother at a military grocery store in Virginia when I was like 8 or 9. I have so much KISS stuff its crazy. my only wish as a long time 40 year fan is that they stop ripping on each other in books, interviews, magazine articles , etc. its painful to hear how they are hating on each other. we dont want to hear it. its really put a damper on their legacy.you all four are still alive. one more tour with original members and figure out how to get along and share that magic with us and yourselves one more go round and end it together not in a court room.
Gene and Paul need to loosen up and quit being Dicks!
Not many bands, if any, gave more than KISS. Thank you to KISS, you guys are forever etched in my memory as an incredible band. Really, thank you.
Primera vez que escucho esta canción de Kiss. ¡ Que tal manera de tocar ! ... es como si la música cobrara vida con sus gestos y movimientos. Privilegiados los que estuvieron en ese concierto, es ARTE PURO.
Antiga.
Y a Ace, se le olvida el intro. Es una joya este vídeo.
@@nazareschwenck5340 un jour viendra ça passe très vite les années
This is a work of Genius, let the haters hate.
Man alive, I remember being in Kids Inc. track & soccer in 75-76 and being introduced to KISS by my 5-6yrs. best friends older brother. He was 10-12yrs. and had the coolest bedroom with a wall of KISS posters that seemed to come Alive like this whenever he'd put a KISS record on.... What a time to be a kid a the 1970's was
Still play through this all the time, love it! Probably one of my favorite songs ever!
5:51 Ace killing some two hand tapping in 1975. Eddie must have been watching that night. 😮
probably Ace watched Steve Hackett doing it 4 years before
@@FugaziChile ditto
@@FugaziChile - GREAT user name! (Fugazi Marillion - Steven Rothery RULES)
Pretty basic compared to Ed’s use of it. Plus, he’s tapping with his pick edge, not his finger, which is not as nuanced as what Ed did with it. I mean, it’s ok but kinda sloppy.
@Jammin' Jester Junior well "probably" is a useful word...
This is an outstanding tight band. Ace solos with melody. Peters drums are with it. The whole band is legendary here. With the crowd on their feet at the end.
pretty easy to be tight considering how rudimentary this is. A 5th grade band could pull this off no prob
@@markfrost2707 🤡
@@markfrost2707sounds like you volunteered your skills
Frehley - underrated. What Tone! good Lord he had it.
One of the few American metal bands who stood the test of time. They understood performance and inspired subsequent generations of musicians worldwide.
I’m literally transported watching this . They had lightning in a bottle .
To be able to go back and watch this era of KISS live, that would be amazing to me. I was born in 81. So I was never able to, but this is the era of KISS, that sucked me in and made me a fan.
This is off the hook amazing.
This is the true beginning of heavy metal
This is the real deal KISS. I'm 68 and still rockin to it.
It's shite mate
@@TheJoshAyour life is shite mate if you have to hate what someone loves ,
@@TheJoshAAussie goof
So you are admitting retardation? I was done wirh Kiss after "Love Gun"
@@TheJoshA You're a m0r0n mate....
Man… never thought I’d say this about kiss, but that was a damn heavy song 🤘🤘🤘
Their 90s stuff was wayyy heavier than this
@@bw2937 really? I am not very familiar with Kiss discography as a whole. Can you give me some recommendations?
it may be i didnt listen to that , but not as memorable as their 70s material, by far. @@bw2937
i like the raw sound. Very dry. i forgot how good the old performances were. You can feel the magic.
possibly the best live kiss I've ever seen!!! they were unbelievable ****
PLEASE, if You guys still have C'mon And Love on your archives, could you share it???
Pure Rock & Roll jam out. 🤘🤘
It's only been up on here for 1 day and it's had 47k views already. Look at the other videos and see how so few the others have had. Quo has 21k at the moment.
KISStory at it's finest . Young and hungry and ready for the next step(s) in their stage show. Hopefully, their "C'mon and Love Me" performance is in the vaults and to be shared soon. Thank you!
Have you ever seen the footage?
@@KISStributeNYC97 NO...I wish, It has always been rumored as 'lost'. If anyone has it, these Midnight Special archives would.
They only played only 4 songs?? Including c'mon and love me?
@@romelovesdan Gotcha. Hope it surfaces!
@@diegosauco2565 Yes, that’s what I’m hearing. Did t know about C’Mon and Love Me…always thought it was just the 3 songs we’ve seen all these years.
Love it!!. Rock at its best. Love the gritty bass.
Riff rock at it's finest. 100 watt plexi's and chest hair! I miss the old day's.
One of the best known vintage KISS preformance ever! it doesn't get any better than this..... Gene, Peter, Paul, Ace......KISSSSSSSSS!
So as a young black kid on the southside of Chicago...my uncle was a kiss fan and I rode with him. So I heard all the albums and we all picked a band member. I picked ACE. I remember every one of his riffs. This performance is incredible
I can’t wait to see the other tunes from this performance!! Probably their greatest live performance recording I’ve seen and heard!
They're easy to find. Definitely check out 'Black Diamond', where Peter's kit starts falling apart and he just goes with it!
@@salbro5985 Gene and Paul have a commentary track on the KISSology box set and they say that was planned, except when he threw his bass drum into the crowd!
Favorite song on my favorite album by KISS