Gene Simmons Bass sound on Creatures of the Night?

No idea on the bass, but that is a great Kiss song. That bass line reminds me of Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath

 

My guess is a Ripper....only because he records with one a lot historically......that sounds like one played with a pick recorded fairly clean to me but I could be wrong

 

Always surprised when I come across KISS posts on here, so many discount them as a joke and go no further. But whatever. I've been a fan since '78 and they'll always be my favorite band. In fact, I'm still waiting in limbo to see if the concert we have tickets for in September will go on as planned. Doubtful.

But back to the topic, here is a cool site that gives lots of information on the basses that Gene used through the years. KISS | Gene Simmons | Basses 1973-1992 But that being said Gene is an "uninterested" bassist in that he just grabs what's handy and never seems to have clear recollections of gear used for different projects.

Creatures was the first KISS concert that I got to see. It was awesome to finally see them after being a fan. The tank stage was awesome, Gene used the axe for his blood solo, Paul had a crutch due to a recent ankle injury. The Plasmatics opened, strange to say the least. But I'm off topic.

I don't have any knowledge of what he used on that specific track but I have read other interviews from him and Ace Frehley where they've said they used Fenders in the studio to get good clear basic tracks to add the effects to. Far different equipment than their stage gear.

 

I'm not a huge fan of KISS but I also don't understand why Gene is so criticized as a bass player. And the main thing : you can't deny he's a really great songwriter.
By the way, I'd love to know what bass & amp he used on that album : the tone is absolutely fantastic.

 

I'd bet he couldn't tell you if you asked him.

I started as a drummer because of Peter, when I went to bass I spend hours trying to learn Gene and McCartney bass lines.

 

Thats because if they are just listening to the music, they are missing the entire point.......

 

Yes, the demon with a Fender is a strange sight indeed. But that wouldn't look any more odd than when normal people use an axe bass, I find that odd too.

Thought you'd find these photos from '74 interesting Rocknroller4! A very odd look, maybe a black pickguard and rosewood neck would have helped! I knew these photos existed but don't know the story behind why he used it, just glad I could find them.

 

Great album! I was a huge Kiss fan from my 8th year until 15 or so. Still like them a lot. But only until Lick it Up. After that album it went downhill fast.

 

More than Heaven and Hell, the song’s riff reminds me of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song ...
Whatever bass Simmons used to record the song in the OP, I guess it would have been a passive one with the tone control substantially rolled off ..

 

I’ll take an educated guess and say an EMG Precision pickup installed into any number of basses…Spector, Kramer, or anything hanging around at the recording studio.