Gene Simmons Appreciation Thread for Sunday (with Poll)

[Son of Wobble]

Inspired by a recent chart-topping Talk Bass thread soliciting opinion on the new Paul Stanley solo project single by Soul Station, a cover of Ohh Child (which was too Mike Curb Congregation for my own taste), I thought, why not put up a solo track from Gene for consideration? Granted, it is an oldie... But I am definitely not trolling, as I ADORE this song, I think it is of '65 Beatles caliber, and I love the Spanish Harlem-inspired strings, and the gooey, Teenage Fan Club-style Ohhs and Ahhhs.


Any other Kiss or Gene content or commentary welcome, too!

 

[Son of Wobble]

Evidently this slow-starting thread needs more cowbell

 

[bobyoung53]

Inspired by a recent chart-topping Talk Bass thread soliciting opinion on the new Paul Stanley solo project single by Soul Station, a cover of Ohh Child (which was too Mike Curb Congregation for my own taste), I thought, why not put up a solo track from Gene for consideration? Granted, it is an oldie... But I am definitely not trolling, as I ADORE this song, I think it is of '65 Beatles caliber, and I love the Spanish Harlem-inspired strings, and the gooey, Teenage Fan Club-style Ohhs and Ahhhs.


Any other Kiss or Gene content or commentary welcome, too!

I think it's a great tune, he should have lost the violins though but after some very considered and deliberate thought I picked Awesome. It was a very difficult choice though as he is amazing too. Calling Dr. Love is a great tune.

 

[bobyoung53]

To me no Gene Simmons or Kiss thread is complete without this live video from The Midnight Special 1975:

I also believe no stage is complete without 6 Marshall heads and cabs and 3 SVT heads and 4 SVT cabs.

 

[bobyoung53]

Another one of my favs by them:

Great bass tone and drum sound in this. I love their poppy stuff.

 

[Son of Wobble]

To me no Gene Simmons or Kiss thread is complete without this live video from The Midnight Special 1975:

I also believe no stage is complete without 6 Marshall heads and cabs and 3 SVT heads and 4 SVT cabs.

Great clip! They're so tight considering how much they are moving. Only heard one clam from Gene, and it's while he and Paul are swinging their axes wildly at the opposing Ace. I like how Gene telegraphed the bit by moving the mic stand aside.

That thin bodied axe Paul is playing looks the business, what is it?

 

[bobyoung53]

Great clip! They're so tight considering how much they are moving. Only heard one clam from Gene, and it's while he and Paul are swinging their axes wildly at the opposing Ace. I like how Gene telegraphed the bit by moving the mic stand aside.

That thin bodied axe Paul is playing looks the business, what is it?

I think it's one of their L series guitars, L6 or some number. A buddy of mine had one years ago and stupidly left it outside while he went back in the bar for something, gone!

Gibson L6-S - Wikipedia

 

[bobyoung53]

Great clip! They're so tight considering how much they are moving. Only heard one clam from Gene, and it's while he and Paul are swinging their axes wildly at the opposing Ace. I like how Gene telegraphed the bit by moving the mic stand aside.

That thin bodied axe Paul is playing looks the business, what is it?

Every time I post that here someone picks out that clam, I don't think I could even play doing that never mind hitting all the correct notes. There are three things (probably more) that TB is famous for, bashing Gene Simmons, JH of Rickenbacker and Gibsons.

 

[Killing Floor]

I think he’s a born entertainer. What’s not to love? You’ll get some comment from some tool that he can’t play like Jaco or something equally dumb. He’s a total star. If you could be a mega star packing arenas for 4 decades or be a tiny bit better at some bass technique what you choose? I’d take the stardom. He is awesome. So that is how I voted.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Every time I post that here someone picks out that clam, I don't think I could even play doing that never mind hitting all the correct notes.

Yeah, I didn't mean to throw a spotlight on a turd, it's a true clam, and were I asked to pull off that move, it would be clam chowder.
They are actually amazingly tight in such circumstance in my opinion. I've heard sound board stuff of Steve Harris and he's VERY loose and sloppy. But he's running around and virtually high-fiving.
When Slash wants to play cleanly, he stands still and looks at his hands.

 

[AaronVonRock]

I love Gene Simmons. He's a great songwriter and a natural born entertainer.

I absolutely love the entire Dressed To Kill album. This song is an overlooked gem.

 

[bobyoung53]

Yeah, I didn't mean to throw a spotlight on a turd, it's a true clam, and were I asked to pull off that move, it would be clam chowder.
They are actually amazingly tight in such circumstance in my opinion. I've heard sound board stuff of Steve Harris and he's VERY loose and sloppy. But he's running around and virtually high-fiving.
When Slash wants to play cleanly, he stands still and looks at his hands.

I didn't mean you at all, i know you think he's awesome, just that someone always picks it out, see, Gene can't play bla bla bla. You know. It should be obvious to anyone that being able to play like that at all, is pretty difficult, never mind not missing a note.

 

[Son of Wobble]

I didn't mean you at all, i know you think he's awesome, just that someone always picks it out, see, Gene can't play bla bla bla. You know. It is pretty obvious but i should also be obvious to anyone that being able to play like that at all, is pretty difficult, never mind not missing a note.

Bassist Mike @watt expressed anxiety to Iggy Pop on the eve of their first tour together, saying he feared hitting a bum note, and Ig
reportedly responded with Zen equanimity, "Clams happen." Tao of Ig

 

[TheReceder]

I was always amazed that none of them ever broke an ankle.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Inspired by a recent chart-topping Talk Bass thread soliciting opinion on the new Paul Stanley solo project single by Soul Station, a cover of Ohh Child (which was too Mike Curb Congregation for my own taste), I thought, why not put up a solo track from Gene for consideration? Granted, it is an oldie... But I am definitely not trolling, as I ADORE this song, I think it is of '65 Beatles caliber, and I love the Spanish Harlem-inspired strings, and the gooey, Teenage Fan Club-style Ohhs and Ahhhs.


Any other Kiss or Gene content or commentary welcome, too!

Whaddayamean we can only pick Amazing or Awesome?

That's like having to choose between a Demon, and a Starchild.

Haven't you heard man? It's a non-binary world.

 

[AaronVonRock]

I dig the main riff and bass work on this song.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Haven't you heard man? It's a non-binary world.

I've heard tell, yes. But Gene was there first, before all of us, as usual.

 

[Son of Wobble]

I dig the main riff and bass work on this song.

Wow, can't believe you went "there," let alone are apparently an advocate. But what the double toothpicks, I'M IN.
PRESSING PLAY. WRITE YOU FROM THE OTHER SIDE IF I MAKE IT THRU

 

[ultra60]

Paul is most likely playing a Gibson Midnight Special in the video. I had one of the cream/sparkle models back in the day. I don't know that he smashed these. Believe those were Marauders.

From Wiki:

L6-S Midnight Special 1974–79
Some 2,000 L6-S Midnight Special instruments were produced, with maple body, and bolt-on 3 piece maple neck with a maple fingerboard and a maple face on the head-stock, these Colors were available; Natural Maple, Wine Red & Ebony. Controls include a pickup selector, master volume, and tone control, with a Schaller "Harmonica Bridge", it is strung through the body, with the back string furrels burrowed into the middle of the body. The guitar was actually designated as an "L6 Midnight Special" by Gibson note; the absence of the "S". It was never advertised, or listed in the Gibson catalogs or the Gibson price listings. This first model the finish was Cream with Sparkles (on this model only; legend has it only 160 were made in this color). This was the model Paul Stanley of Kiss used from January to June 1975.

 

[AaronVonRock]

Wow, can't believe you went "there," let alone are apparently an advocate. But what the double toothpicks, I'M IN.
PRESSING PLAY. WRITE YOU FROM THE OTHER SIDE IF I MAKE IT THRU

Ha! I like Dynasty, too.