The KISS interview with Tom Snyder is one of the most cringe-worthy and awkward Rock interviews I’ve seen and it perfectly represents a band falling apart and the deep divisions within the original members of KISS.
The Tomorrow Show
In 1979, the original members of KISS were interviewed by TV host Tom Snyder on Halloween for his show titled, The Tomorrow Show, which was broadcast nationwide. Snyder would pass away in 2007 at the age of 71, but he was known for having numerous talk shows over the years in the 70s, 80s and in the early 90s.
KISS guitarist Ace Frehley put it best in his 2011 autobiography, No Regrets, when discussing the band’s appearance on The Tomorrow Show saying, “It might have been the first time a single appearance so clearly delineated the diverse personalities of KISS. I enjoyed myself on the show and I wasn’t trying to anger anyone.” “After the interview, Tom came back to my dressing room and we shook hands and had another good laugh. He seemed to really enjoy the experience,” Frehley would remember.
The interview got off to an awkward start when Snyder introduced the members and referred to Gene Simmons as the bass player. Even from the get-go, Simmons looks annoyed. On top of that, a pretty intoxicated Ace Frehley dominated the interview, laughing over and over during the segment and frequently interrupting his bandmates. Both bassist and rhythm guitar player and co-vocalists, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley looked visibly annoyed. The only person other than Ace appearing to have a good time was drummer Peter Criss and the host Tom Snyder.
Snyder at one point, notes that his producers had warned him Frehley would be the hardest to make talk but Snyder seems to enjoy Frehley’s behaviour as they cut the typical mould of the standard interviews.
“It wasn’t that big of a fun time because you have to respect your position, you have to respect your job and you have to respect the people that you’re trying to communicate with.” – Paul Stanley
In 2012, guitarist and co-singer Paul Stanley looked back at the segment during an interview where he said, “It wasn’t that big of a fun time because you have to respect your position, you have to respect your job and you have to respect the people that you’re trying to communicate with.
It may seem funny that someone’s drunk but the fact is the root of it was, I believe a contempt and lack of respect for the audience and the fans. So, sure you can look at it and chuckle. Yeah, I can too but I see the deeper and I look at it and say what a shame to take this lofty position and that somebody gave us and spit in it, spit in his face and by showing up inebriated or unable to connect the sentence, it may be funny on the surface but what’s below the surface is a lack of appreciation for a gift that you’ve been given.”
Drummer Peter Criss offered a different take in his 2012 autobiography Make Up to Break Up saying, “For the first time Ace and I hijacked an interview from Gene and Paul and the results were hilarious.”
“By the time we took our places opposite Tom, the set in full KISS costume and makeup I was feeling no pain and I was ready for anything.” – Ace Frehley
Frehley admitted in his autobiography to be drinking before the interview revealing, “I was nervous as hell about going on network TV, live in front of millions of people so I started pounding some Stoli in the back of my limo as soon as I passed through my gates on the way to the city.”
Frehley went on to explain in his book that he arrived in the studio and the band’s manager, Bill Aucoin met him with a bottle of champagne. Frehley recalled, “By the time we took our places opposite Tom, the set in full KISS costume and makeup I was feeling no pain and I was ready for anything.”
Apart from being inebriated, Frehley could tell he was agitating Simmons and Stanley saying, “If you watch the video, you can actually see me turning to Gene and putting my hands up at one point. It’s quietly saying, ‘what?’. Like a child who’s misbehaving at a family function and wants his dad to loosen up a bit and join in on the fun. How seriously can you take yourself when you’re sitting there in superhero costume and a full face of makeup? I love the guy but he never clearly got it,” recalled Frehley.
Two Divided Camps
It’s obvious from the interview that you can clearly see two camps on television. Seated on one side was Gene and Paul and across from them was Ace and Peter. It was around this time that KISS released their seventh studio album Dynasty, which featured the massive hit “I Was Made for Loving You” but as the interview showed, there were two divided camps within the band.
The year prior to Dynasty, each of the members of KISS released their own solo records on the same day. It marked the first time any rock band had its members release solo records on the same day.
In fact, the solo albums were an effort by the group to alleviate some of the growing tensions and allow the members to get out their creative energy. In addition to that, KISS’ recording contract did allow for four solo records with each record counting as half an album which would count towards the group’s five-record commitment to their label and they were actually marketed as KISS records. In the run-up to the solo albums being released, Frehley and Kriss threatened to quit the group and both expressed a desire to pursue solo careers.
Each camp of the band blamed the other for the rising tensions in the group with Stanley and Simmons feeling like Criss and Frehley’s substance abuse issues and their extracurricular activities were having a negative impact on their contributions to the band. Ace reportedly skipped a recording session because he was gambling. Criss and Frehley felt that Stanley and Simmons exerted too much control over the group from a creative standpoint.
The Final Show
The band wouldn’t be together much longer. The foursome played their final show on the Dynasty tour six weeks after appearing on the Tom Snyder show and it would be the last time KISS’ original lineup played together until 1996.
The Dynasty tour was seen as a commercial failure with numerous shows being cancelled due to poor ticket sales. This was likely due to the fact that the public was inundated by five KISS albums in 1978 in addition to Dynasty being released in 1979 plus thousands of pieces of KISS memorabilia. Added into the mix was that KISS seem to be embracing disco with singles like “I Was Made for Loving You” which would alienate their original fanbase.
Like this story? Check out Rush’s Alex Lifeson’s Shocking Arrest
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