STRIKE 43
THE MAGIC OF THE MAKE-UP
Q. Ray: Hello Gene, I have some questions which I hope are a little different than the usual ones you’re asked.
Gene: You never tire of the same questions, just like a girl never tires of being told she is beautiful!
Q. Ray: Did you ever record a song that you liked but had to drop as it didn’t work live?
Gene: ’World Without Heroes’ we tried it live, it didn’t work ’Flaming Youth’ as well. Some things work on record but don’t work live. In fact we go against the grain doing ’Beth’ we pride ourselves in getting up on stage with no keyboards or background tapes. There’s nobody playing guitars backstage not even a tambourine, nothing. Then we have ’Beth’ which is keyboards and strings. Though, we actually did it acoustically on Unplugged and it worked fine.
Q. Ray: Did it annoy you that people were always asking about the make-up days. When they should have been concentrating on what Kiss were doing at the time?
Gene: It’s a fair question and I never blamed anybody. Because Superman is cooler than Clark Kent even though they are the same person. We were still the same band but Kiss was cooler with make-up and you can’t blame anybody for that. A girl with or with out the make up is still the same pretty girl.
Q. Jo: Did you find it more exciting with the make-up?
Gene: For the reaction, yes, we do because once you see somebody willing to go the distance in how they act and perform in what they do, it’s easier for the people to go along with it. It’s just the same as a girl liberian coming out (Gene sings striptease song) dancing it’s the same girl but you get swept up by the emotion of it.
Q. Jo: You’ve not released any new material for 5 years. Are you going to release a record with the current line up?
Gene: Yes, we actually recorded a record about a year ago and gave it to the record company. But we had a different line up and so when the Ace and Peter situation happened, the record company held it back.
Q. Mark: How about 4 new solo records?
Gene: Sure!
Mark: Don’t forget who gave you the idea! (Laughter)
Q. Jo: So would you consider new solo LPs then?
Gene: Hey, I’d consider blowing the pope, I don’t mean to disrespect I’m just saying.
Q. Jo: They were very popular the 4 solo albums.
Gene: Well I tell you what’s interesting they didn’t sell as many as we wanted, around 5 million, at least on the first day. Only about 4 million with 1 million sent back. One way or another they were the most successful solo albums of all time. It was almost insanity that all 4 solo albums were released on the same day. No other band has tried to do it since.
Q. Ray: On the back of your solo album you had thanks to the girl from Edmonton with green hair. Was this Edmonton England, as I live there?
Gene: No, She was my 1st quote groupie and it was Edmonton Canada. We played a small gig filling in for Suzi Quatro’s brother. So nobody had a clue what we were about. We played on lunch tables at University. The people were sitting cross-legged on the floor like hippies. We came out bombs going off and by the 2nd number they were having a good time. Though they didn’t know what to make of us. Afterwards we went back to the hotel. Then I saw this girl with close-cropped hair. She was just beautiful, though in my heat of passion she could have looked like Ernest Borgnine! (Laughter). I remember grabbing her hand and that night was magic. She didn’t know my name or that I was in a band. The next night I said goodbye to her and it was one of the most romantic times. Through all the bullshit you go through with people she welcomed me with open arms and legs, and I still don’t remember her name!
Q. Ray: Who had the idea for the Kiss Unmasked LP cover, as I think it is one of the best Kiss covers?
Gene: I stand, guilty as charged, there was a guy named Howard Marks who was our business manager. I wanted to have a cartoon cover. The critics always said we stink and do to this day. So I wanted to put that on the cover with the critics saying we stink.
Q. Ray: Along with Star Trek, Mickey Mouse and Coca Cola, Kiss are part of American culture do you ever really think of that and how big Kiss are?
Gene: Sure and I count every dollar that comes in. In fact there’s Kiss visa cards, comic books coming soon. There’ll be Kiss phone cards, slippers. We’re also working on a theme park ride with one of the major theme parks!
Q. Ray: Just as we’re fans of yours, you’re big fans of the Beatles. Did you ever meet any of the Beatles?
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