"Kiss" band: history, discography, photo

The group "Kiss", the photo of which is presented on the page, is one of the most noticeable in the American rock culture of the second half of the twentieth century. The style of performances is extremely shocking, all concerts are held with the use of fiery paraphernalia and fantastic make-up. The amount of pyrotechnics that the rock band Kiss uses during one three-hour performance can be compared with fireworks at a festive show in a large Russian city. Sometimes the concert continues until the last flashfire is burned on the stage.

Start

The Kiss group, whose history dates back to 1973, began its activity with the imitation of already well-known performers. Initially, there were only two musicians in the lineup - Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, both of whom owned the technique of playing the guitar and sang well. But without accompaniment of percussion instruments it did not go. Then Paul found his friend drummer Peter Criss, who agreed to participate in the project. Now the trio could already play more complicated compositions in the style of hard rock, although it was not yet hard rock.

External attributes

At the same time, the musicians started looking for their own image, they wanted to radically differ from other rock bands. And soon the only true option was found: the theatrically terrifying style in clothes and face coloring.

Name

"Kiss" began to take shape, and after it included another guitarist, Ace Faile, it was already possible to talk about a concert program. Then the musicians decided to give a name to their offspring. First they wanted to name the group "Lips". But since the image already worked, and the word Kiss could be decorated in a "terrible" style, turning the letter S into a fiery lightning, the choice was made in favor of a "kiss."

Makeup as the basis of the image

Their "masks" musicians found in comics and horror films. From there they borrowed them. Gene Simmons took on the image of a demon, Paul Stanley stopped on the mask "star child", guitarist Ace Freyley turned into an "alien", and Peter Criss became a "cat". Later appeared "warrior Anha", his image was tried on by the solo guitarist Vinny Vincent. And finally the mask of the fox began to wear on itself during performances drummer Eric Carr. Six different images on the stage organically complemented each other, thereby creating a general picture of the fantastic action.

"Kiss" group: biography of the participants

Currently, it includes both creators, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. They, as before, are the vocalists, Paul plays the rhythm, and Simmons - on the bass guitar. Behind the drum is Eric Singer, who also acts as a backing vocalist. Tommy Tyler - solo guitar and backing vocals.

At different times, six musicians took part in the group's activities:

• Bruce Kulik - vocals and guitar (1984-1996);
• Mark St. John - solo guitar (1984, died in 2007);
• Vinny Vincent - solo guitar (1982-1984);
• Eric Carr - percussion instruments (1980-1991, died in 1991);
• Peter Criss - vocals and percussion (1973-1980, 1996-2001, 2002-2004);
• Ace Frehley - vocals and solo guitar (1973-1982, 1996-2002).

Paul Stanley

He was born in 1952 in Queens, New York. One of the band's founders, guitarist and vocalist. Composer, the author of hits Forever, Crazy, Crazy Night, I Want You and many others.

Gene Simmons

The group "Kiss" owes its existence to this musician. Gene Simmons was born in Israeli Tirat-Carmel in 1949, on August 25th. Bass player, vocalist and actor. The scenic image is a "demon", a bloody, fire-breathing monster.

Eric Singer

He was born on May 12, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Drummer and backing vocalist. In addition to the group "Kiss" he worked with Alice Cooper. For two decades I managed to take part in recording more than 50 albums.

Tommy Thayer

Was born on November 7, 1960 in the city of Portland, Oregon, USA. Currently, he is a solo guitarist and backing vocalist in the Kiss group. A passionate admirer of Alice Cooper, "Deep Purple" and Rory Gallagher.

Ace Frehley

Born April 27, 1951 in the Bronx, New York. Solo guitarist and vocalist. Twice he left the group and returned twice. He invented the image of an alien, in which he had considerable success at concerts.

Peter Criss

Birthday December 20, 1945, the birthplace - New York, Brooklyn. The oldest musician of the band "Kiss". Drummer and vocalist. I left the house three times and came back again. Acted in the image of a cat, which he himself came up with.

Eric Carr

He was born on July 12, 1950 in New York. He played percussion instruments and was a backing vocalist. He became world famous when he worked in the group "Kiss". Acted on stage in the image of a red fox. He died in 1991 from heart disease.

Vinny Vincent

Solo guitarist and backing vocalist. He was born on August 6, 1952 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1982, he replaced the departed from the group Ace Freil. However, two years later he was dismissed because of conflict with the producers.

Mark St John

Group "Kiss" after the dismissal of Vincent changed its composition. As a lead guitarist and backing vocalist, Mark St. John came. Worked until his death from a stroke on April 5, 2007. To replace St. John invited Bruce Kulik.

Bruce Kulik

Born December 12, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, was accepted into the band as a lead guitarist and vocalist. The only one who did not make up. At the time of his enrollment, the make-up was already canceled.

Changes

The Kiss group, the biography of its participants, current and former, the evolution over a long period of time, the formation, the formation of the repertoire, are all being studied by music critics today. The image of the musicians has changed radically, the make-up has disappeared, there has been less outrageousness. The team has been significantly updated.

The main criterion in the work was music. The group "Kiss" and today does not let the audience get bored at their concerts, fireworks take off under the ceiling, and the musicians are on fire. But this is all a theatrical action, it is intended to serve as a visual accompaniment for music in the style of heavy rock. The group "Kiss", whose photo against the fire still excites the imagination, is already perceived somewhat differently. In the compositions there was a depth, as it happens in the work of "Deep Purple", there are already really interesting passages. The arrangement has become more understandable, elegant and constructive. Rock band "Kiss" grows professionally, despite the fact that over the shoulders of musicians more than forty years of experience. It's just that the time is different now, the tastes of the public have changed.

Release albums

In the asset, musicians have six concert discs and twenty studio discs. The first one, called Kiss, was recorded on February 18, 1974 and, despite being the debut one, became the gold in the number of copies sold. The release of studio albums was as follows:

1. Kiss, 1974 (gold).
2. Hotter Hell, 1974 (gold).
3. Dressed To Kill, 1975 (gold).
4. Destroyer, 1976 (gold).
5. Rock Over, 1976 (platinum).
6. Love Gun, 1977 (platinum).
7. Dynasty, 1979 (gold).
8. Unmasked, 1980 (gold).
9. Music From The Elder, 1981 (gold).
10. Creatures, 1982 (platinum).
11. Lick It Up, 1983 (platinum).
12. Animalize, 1984 (platinum).
13. Asylum, 1985 (gold).
14. Crazy Nights, 1987 (gold).
15. Hot In The Shade, 1989 (platinum).
16. Revenge, 1992 (gold).
17. Carnival Of Souls, 1997 (gold).
18. Psycho Circus, 1998 (gold).
19. Sonic Boom, 2009 (gold).
20. Monster, 2012 (platinum).

The group "Kiss", the discography of which was regularly replenished with studio albums, also recorded a series of its live performances:

1. September 10, 1975, Alive!
2. October 14, 1977, Alive II.
3. May 18, 1993, Alive III.
4. March 12, 1996, Kiss Unplugged.
5. July 22, 2003, Kiss Symphony: Alive IV.
6. July 22, 2008, Kiss Alive 35.

The group "Kiss", whose albums became gold and platinum, did not descend from the first positions of the American charts. The concerts were already held in the open air, in country parks and in stadiums. Closed halls could not accommodate those who wished.

Falling popularity

The Kiss Group has long been the most spectacular in the whole of the United States. All sorts of circus performances performed by musicians attracted the public. Fans have long known who is hiding behind the mask "alien" and who is actually a "cat". People came to the concerts of "Kiss" not to listen to music, because by and large hard rock is not understood by everyone, but to look at an unusual theatrical performance.

The concert usually began with the onset of darkness. As soon as the sun was setting, musicians appeared on the unlit scene. The quiet guitar chords acted soothingly. Then the intensity of the sound grew, the ringing strings raised the tone, the chords sounded continuously, higher and higher, and suddenly burst into an uncontrollable crescendo. The scene was enveloped by fire, the vortexes of the flame rushed in all directions. The concert of the group "Kiss" began.

The spectators were provided with two and a half hours of grandiose show, boiling hard rock, metallic taste of the style of heavy metal and spontaneous riot of yellow, thick fire. Between the three-meter flame tongues, four musicians and one composition merged into a single whole.

Concerts were held with unchanged success, and yet the popularity of the group began to decline. Concert tour, held in the autumn of 1979, was almost not a failure. And the next studio album no longer aroused excitement. Gradually the group "Kiss" left heavy rock for the sake of conjuncture and lost some of its fans from among fans of this style. Although it has acquired new ones, from those who prefer more quiet, elegant music in the style of glam rock.

The band of failures ended in the autumn of 1991, the album Revenge was accepted by the public quite favorably, and the reputation of "Kiss" was restored.

Reunion

In the spring of 1996, musicians "Kiss" announced the return to the original composition. The world tour Alive / Worldwide Tour was organized, which was a success. The program of the concert, in which four participants of the first composition entered the stage, was composed of hits of the group of the seventies. On the faces of the musicians, classical masks were painted again, the whole scene was blazing, engulfed in fire, as in the period of Love Gun. The tour lasted about a year, 192 performances took place, which collected almost 47 million dollars.

Farewell tour

In the beginning of 2000 the musicians of "Kiss" group announced the end of their creative activity. The farewell tour was scheduled for March-month of 2000 and was to be held throughout North America. During the tour, there was a hitch, from the group left Peter Criss. Left without a drummer, the musicians of "Kiss" were forced to suspend the tour. Fortunately, we managed to quickly compensate for the loss, Eric Singer came to the group. In the new lineup, the Kiss group finished their performances in the US and moved to Japan, and then to Australia.

Cooperation with the symphony orchestra

In early 2003, the band was invited to perform together with the Melbourne Orchestra conducted by David Campbell. And without that the unusual format of the performance was adorned by the children's choir. The concert was a resounding success. His recording later entered the Kiss Symphony / Alive IV album.

Recent Projects

In the spring of 2001, the Kiss musicians began work on another studio album, and in July the single "Hell and Aliluya" was released, later included in the Monster CD.

In January 2015, the project Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saetimina was created together with the Japanese girl group Motoiro Clover Z.