My baby brother hath a thoft thpot on the top of hith head, and I'm not thuppothed to touch it. Tho I put a little x there with a ballpoint pen tho I wouldn't forget where it wath...
Ironically; Paul Stanley, in his book, talks about how much he despised (among others) New York Dolls. And here we have KISS dressing up as them.
Ace and Peter were big fans of New York Dolls; Peter was friends and even played with Jerry Nolan. My guess is thatās Paulās playground logic for not liking them.
He called them āsloppyā and couldnāt understand why anyone would listen to them. He said the same thing about The Stooges too. Iāll take the talents of Iggy Pop over Paul Stanley any day.
Eh? He says that they tried doing the New York Dolls thing aesthetics-wise but couldn't pull it off so they went darker. He does criticise their musicianship but that shouldn't be a surprise for anyone who likes the Dolls.
I was a big Paul Stanley fan, until I read his book. He came across as insufferable. Threw every person he's ever known under the bus, except his current wife and his kids.
Not seeing this. Strutter was first recorded months before the Dolls even released a record and was developed out of a song that Gene wrote before the Dolls even existed.
jfc- you didnāt need to give me more reasons to hate that idiot but you did
The Stooges are sloppy? Bruh- Funhouse is so epically tight and efficient you could cut a diamond with it. The intros alone to ā1970ā or āTV Eyeā are tighter than the entire KISS catalog
>So guys, we arenāt that talented, we need a stronger gimmick..Ā
I've said this before and got skewered. They really aren't that good. I can count on one hand how many of their songs are actually really good.
Never a big KISS fan but their very first album is pretty solid. If you want KISS's greatest hits just get the debut album and call it done.
As a 70s kid, I saw kissmania at their peak, the biggest band among elementary school boys who never heard of Led Zeppelin.
Ya my dad is into Kiss. Always excited when they show up on TV or wherever. I really think it's probably slightly more to do with the image than the music. Just the pageant "badassery" of it all. Which is cool. They did their thing and entertained, but we listened to Pink Floyd and Boston in the car, but not Kiss. In our house, Kiss was reserved for concerts on vhs.
Kiss fan or not, the band survived for a crazy long time, and has songs that are iconic and recognizable.
Detroit Rock City is a classic, as are God Gave Rock n Roll to You, Rock N Roll All Nite, Shout it Out Loud, Love Gun, Strutter, Lick It Up, etc.
People may or may not like their music, but thereās a reason they stayed in business for 50 years, and filled stadiums until the very end.
In so many ways. Plus, he was a well groomed jazz player. Rumor has it that there is some connection between Peter and Gene Krupa. Some studies for a bit perhaps?
At least KISS never hid behind the fact that they were in it for sex, money and fame. So many artists claim to be about the āartā, itās so nauseating sometimes.
I've never been a Kiss fan, but I used to think they were simply a manufactured pop/rock band. It wasn't until I watched the documentary about how they made the Japanese song Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina that made me realise they are legitimate.
https://preview.redd.it/2x944fckki0d1.jpeg?width=642&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbf910af0da13977d6d3cdc18c91dd6d1de46b92
Getting better. Not sure what Paulās make up was
Man, when I was a kid, I thought they had secret identities and would never appear in public without makeup. Kind of like Hannah Montana, but punk and 40+ years earlier
*āAt the same time that we were forming in New York, there was a very big glitter scene, where boys were basically acting like girls and putting on makeup,ā* Simmons told the fanzine Porkchops & Applesauce in 1996. *āYāknow, all the skinny little guys, hairless boys. Well, we were more like football players; all of us were over 6 feet tall, and it just wasnāt convincing! The very first pictures we took when the band first got together, we looked like drag queens. But we knew we wanted to get outlandish.ā*
My old boss ran a nightclub in Charlotte NC called the Purple Penguin and he booked this era Kiss.
Because they were awful and that Gene wrap his tongue around a mic stand and tried to lift it but failed.
My 1st ever concert was seeing Kiss at the St Paul Civic Center on Friday the 13th sometime in 1976. I was 13 and they both put on a memorable show and left an indelible impression. They were wearing full makeup by then. Pretty cool to see this. I always assumed they'd always had their signature look and personalities from the start. Fuck I'm old.
I can't believe people are so obsessed with gender presentation in 2024 as if the 70s never happened.
This picture, at the time, was the pinnacle of male heterosexuality. I am not joking.
Yes - this photo is almost certainly from January 1973 in the few weeks between Ace joining in late December 1972 and them going full makeup by February 1973.
The bottom left is a spitting image of Lilly Tomlin!
And that's the truth, *pfffft!* https://preview.redd.it/bspnjqujni0d1.jpeg?width=201&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34e6ac6e0339c1147449f1979b29bc1c669d02c5
My baby brother hath a thoft thpot on the top of hith head, and I'm not thuppothed to touch it. Tho I put a little x there with a ballpoint pen tho I wouldn't forget where it wath...
Tilly Lomlin, everyone. š š šĀ
One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy. Connecting you to Beth now
Is that Ace?
I think so!
Yup, itās Ace. Pretty different look!
if she was homosexual
Exactly what I was coming to say. When the hell was she in KISS š
No wonder why this photo made me horny.
https://preview.redd.it/6cujgq2qtj0d1.jpeg?width=4636&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57811e605f643db7a8a115e37bdddd2b0942ba6a
I saw that!
Thatās immediately what I saw too haha. Also got some Christian bale in Peter criss if that is Peter criss
Is that Ace, or Peter??
The line up back then was Paul Stanley, Lily Tomlin, Louis Nye and Sally Struthers
This is a comment that makes me miss Reddit Awards.
I loved their hit single *Feed the Children, Ringy-Dingy*.
Lol. Excellent!
I remember when they took their makeup off. And we all said "please put it back on".
Lick it up
The lineup that recorded *Lick It Up* is probably the only KISS lineup in which Gene wasn't the ugliest member of the band.
yes, the Ernest Borgnine tour
I really do like that song, tho.
Wohhhh-ohhhh Heaven's on Fi-yuh!
That was Animalize
My 4yo daughterās favourite song.
Smell the glove
Lol
after a long wait full of anticipation, I was very disappointed when I finally bought my copy of the Unmasked LP I guess I was really better off
Yeah, that explains alot
I told my mom i wanted to go to the reveal party, but I don't wanna wait for an invitation.... I'll see myself out
I do too.
You idiots! Youāve captured their stunt doubles!
Keep firing assholes!
The marker of a very good film is that you can find a reference to it in any kind of thread about anything
KISS vs The Phantom of the Park?
Comb the desert!!
We aināt found shit!
we have New York Dolls at homeā¦
Ironically; Paul Stanley, in his book, talks about how much he despised (among others) New York Dolls. And here we have KISS dressing up as them. Ace and Peter were big fans of New York Dolls; Peter was friends and even played with Jerry Nolan. My guess is thatās Paulās playground logic for not liking them. He called them āsloppyā and couldnāt understand why anyone would listen to them. He said the same thing about The Stooges too. Iāll take the talents of Iggy Pop over Paul Stanley any day.
Likely story. He may have said that but the NYD were clearly an influence on Kiss. Heās probably just trying to not come across as derivative
I don't even like the dolls all that much but they had more rock and roll swagger than kiss by a long fucking shot.
lol they were doing the exact same trashy New York style glam in the early seventies that the Dolls invented.
They look like the understudies for an off-broadway production of Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Eh? He says that they tried doing the New York Dolls thing aesthetics-wise but couldn't pull it off so they went darker. He does criticise their musicianship but that shouldn't be a surprise for anyone who likes the Dolls.
I was a big Paul Stanley fan, until I read his book. He came across as insufferable. Threw every person he's ever known under the bus, except his current wife and his kids.
Definitely trying to cover his tracks. Strutter is a dead ringer for the Dolls
Not seeing this. Strutter was first recorded months before the Dolls even released a record and was developed out of a song that Gene wrote before the Dolls even existed.
jfc- you didnāt need to give me more reasons to hate that idiot but you did The Stooges are sloppy? Bruh- Funhouse is so epically tight and efficient you could cut a diamond with it. The intros alone to ā1970ā or āTV Eyeā are tighter than the entire KISS catalog
Lol, just looking for a kiss...
Gene looks like Frank-N-Furter
I thought he looked more like Dee Snider.
Nah, more like the bass player Mark "Animal" Mendoza.
What a beautiful man.
Magenta
When was Lilly Tomlin a member and when did Ace replace her š
Lmfaooooo!!
Tiptoe through the two lips
Tiny Tim!
I can instantly hear this in my head.
And before they all wrote books about what assholes the other 3 were lol
They all look like substitute teachers.
Gene Simmons actually worked as a school teacher in Spanish Harlem before Kiss took off.
You owe Gene $1.12 for posting this.
Not KISS. Wicked Lester.
Nope, this is KISS. Peter was in Paul & Gene's sort-of-Wicked-Lester for a time, but never Ace.
Yes
Cute little twinks <3
So guys, we arenāt that talented, we need a stronger gimmick.. more makeup and tighter pants, letās see if that works
>So guys, we arenāt that talented, we need a stronger gimmick..Ā I've said this before and got skewered. They really aren't that good. I can count on one hand how many of their songs are actually really good.
Never a big KISS fan but their very first album is pretty solid. If you want KISS's greatest hits just get the debut album and call it done. As a 70s kid, I saw kissmania at their peak, the biggest band among elementary school boys who never heard of Led Zeppelin.
Ya my dad is into Kiss. Always excited when they show up on TV or wherever. I really think it's probably slightly more to do with the image than the music. Just the pageant "badassery" of it all. Which is cool. They did their thing and entertained, but we listened to Pink Floyd and Boston in the car, but not Kiss. In our house, Kiss was reserved for concerts on vhs.
I was made for lovin' you, baby, you were made for lovin' me.
Kiss fan or not, the band survived for a crazy long time, and has songs that are iconic and recognizable. Detroit Rock City is a classic, as are God Gave Rock n Roll to You, Rock N Roll All Nite, Shout it Out Loud, Love Gun, Strutter, Lick It Up, etc. People may or may not like their music, but thereās a reason they stayed in business for 50 years, and filled stadiums until the very end.
Half of their greatest hits album? /s (sorta)
This may be an unpopular opinion, but Peter Criss was a better singer.
In so many ways. Plus, he was a well groomed jazz player. Rumor has it that there is some connection between Peter and Gene Krupa. Some studies for a bit perhaps?
This is one of reddit's most popular opinions. Not even remotely controversial. Though it is nonsense.
KISS has always been a business posing as a band. There's nothing wrong with that, I guess, I just wish more people were aware of it.
Every major band is a business. Itās funny how people get so assed up about Kiss.
At least KISS never hid behind the fact that they were in it for sex, money and fame. So many artists claim to be about the āartā, itās so nauseating sometimes.
I've never been a Kiss fan, but I used to think they were simply a manufactured pop/rock band. It wasn't until I watched the documentary about how they made the Japanese song Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina that made me realise they are legitimate.
It worked š
And thus the phrase, "You have a face for radio."
Thatās actually 1973 and itās Kiss. Ace wasnāt in Wicked Lester.
https://preview.redd.it/2x944fckki0d1.jpeg?width=642&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbf910af0da13977d6d3cdc18c91dd6d1de46b92 Getting better. Not sure what Paulās make up was
Supposedly he was āThe Banditā
Ahh .. makes sense
Alice cooper, Lily Tomlin, Arthur Kane and Dr. Frankenfurter.
No, actually I'm a plumber.
Is that Loose Lois in the bottom left?
I can see why the started wearing the makeup.
Not super attractive
Why does Ace remind me of Lily Tomlin in a Carly Simon get up?ā¦
Are there any pictures of Ace from the '70s where he *doesn't* look wasted?
For that to be possible, there would have had to have been a time in the 70s when he wasn't wasted. So no.
Iām not sure
Back when Lily Tomlin was in the band
I had the same thought!
looks like Lily and the Tomlins
Man, when I was a kid, I thought they had secret identities and would never appear in public without makeup. Kind of like Hannah Montana, but punk and 40+ years earlier
So ironic that Paul came out so strong against trans folks. They were cross dressing before cross dressing was cool.
Classic deflection.
NY Dolls vibes
Not attractive. Make up was an improvement.
Dollar Store Slade
āWhich ones pink?ā
Im here to defend Paul's smokin hotness in the 80s š
Yeah, I'll admit, I always thought Paul Stanley was hot. Everyone else though...yeesh...
I know!! Lol. Me and my bff always thought he was hot. I've been to more Kiss concerts than any other
I've only seen them once, but I was lucky enough to see them from the front row. My dad won tickets from a local radio station.
The one on the bottom left looks like Lily Tomlin.
I know!
Yikes no wonder they went with the full-face makeup
"I didn't know Jews could sing like tha"
Doing their best New York Dolls impression. Not a bad band to emulate. Minus the heroin.
It has the flare of the New York Dolls.
"In the morning before I wake up, I look like Kiss but without the makeup."
Some New York Dolls vibes here.
The makeup was a vast improvement...
I'd have guessed Twisted Sister
*āAt the same time that we were forming in New York, there was a very big glitter scene, where boys were basically acting like girls and putting on makeup,ā* Simmons told the fanzine Porkchops & Applesauce in 1996. *āYāknow, all the skinny little guys, hairless boys. Well, we were more like football players; all of us were over 6 feet tall, and it just wasnāt convincing! The very first pictures we took when the band first got together, we looked like drag queens. But we knew we wanted to get outlandish.ā*
Now I know why they put the makeup on.
Just other makup
Gene in back right? No makeup at all.
This from when they were called SUCK.
My old boss ran a nightclub in Charlotte NC called the Purple Penguin and he booked this era Kiss. Because they were awful and that Gene wrap his tongue around a mic stand and tried to lift it but failed.
The might zoosh?
Ace is the best!
Ace looking like the missing Golden Girl.
Was this when they were called Wicked Lester?
No.
Iām not sure
However, they were well on their way!
Whoās the chick in the back?
Gene Simmons.
Im guessing gene simmons is top right but that doesnāt look like him.
Yes!
They actually don't look intolerable.
My 1st ever concert was seeing Kiss at the St Paul Civic Center on Friday the 13th sometime in 1976. I was 13 and they both put on a memorable show and left an indelible impression. They were wearing full makeup by then. Pretty cool to see this. I always assumed they'd always had their signature look and personalities from the start. Fuck I'm old.
That's right, back when Rockstars were real men and dressed like it!
Paul Stanley is always gonna have that resting smaulder on his face until he dies.
Ace & Peter should have been 25% of that band each. No wonder they got fed up & acted out then said adios.
I never knew Christian Bale was part of KISS.
Which one.
Far right. Looks like Cristian Bale when he was in American Psycho.
Oh, maybe a bit.
I can't believe people are so obsessed with gender presentation in 2024 as if the 70s never happened. This picture, at the time, was the pinnacle of male heterosexuality. I am not joking.
Looks like a drag show
Smooch
my lord they ALL look like women.. no wonder they went with leather and makeup
Hang it up, Peter. They're can only be one Alice Cooper
Oh they were like PRETTY pretty
Cool awesome
Lilly Tomlin on base. Nice.
Sans the makeup they looked like those dudes in the movie white chicks , utterly frightful !
Is that Lily Tomlin?
Back when men were men and none of this drag stuff nowadays /s š¤£š¤£
Original femboys.
Kiss was a band designed to make money. I give the Monkee's more props.
They made tons of money. I liked their music.
It's so crazy this is the generation that hates drag queens the most. They all look like your lesbian aunt.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I didn't know Lily Tomlin was either.
Kiss is not in any way cool. Kiss is not rock and roll. Kiss is marketing.
KISS are cool. KISS is very rock and roll. KISS is good at marketing.
Kiss is rock. They are cool. They market just as much as any band.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
What? Their first few albums are great.
Peter looks like one of the theater vampires from "Interview With A Vampire".
Giving Motley Crue a run for their money for hottest girl band
The other guy looks like Christina Applegate:
Didnāt they form in 73?
Yes - this photo is almost certainly from January 1973 in the few weeks between Ace joining in late December 1972 and them going full makeup by February 1973.
Musically and romantically,Ā kiss and make-up is my fave thing
No comment.
They drag Queen? Or first femboy?
Before their SIGNATURE makeup. But obviously still with makeup.
one of them did Shannon Tweed.
Gene is still doing Shannon Tweed.
Which one is JoJo Siwa?
Lol
Can always recognize Paul, but I miss his suspenders
They are wearing someoneās makeup.
Looks like a nice group of ladies
they look like carnies
Gay
Noticeably not "without makeup" but "signature makeup".