Speaker 1: Hi, This is Bobby Brown and welcome to another fucking podcast.
Speaker 2: Troy a sight, don't be a a oh man bab
not once great champ now sunny and mopishness no longer
the factory hungry still wait right? So many times people
by a pathetic wash up age ax champion.
Speaker 3: All right, let's go.
Speaker 4: I think you know the guy, and I.
Speaker 3: Think you know what, pretty dear?
Speaker 4: WHOA? His name is he? Presley?
Speaker 2: Press Presley?
Speaker 4: What's my name? Say my name, bitch?
Speaker 1: My good friend? Is he Presley? Is he Presley?
Speaker 4: Is Presley Couch?
Speaker 3: Is he Presley?
Speaker 2: WHOA?
Speaker 3: That sounds a little weird?
Speaker 4: Is he President?
Speaker 2: Is he Presley?
Speaker 3: Is he Presley?
Speaker 1: The heaviest, gurthiest rocky j around?
Speaker 3: Hey, this is Jeffer You listen to Izzy Presley. Those
aren't pillows? Uh uh, Hello Las Vegas. No, jeff lebar,
those are not pillows. Hello world, Hello, my loyal minions.
Is good to see you. It's always good to be
seeing I'm busy Presley. I'm the host of the program.
Have a special one for you tonight, today, or whenever
you're watching this or listening to this. Welcome Bruce Culick Kiss, Dude,
can we just talk about kiss it's joining the show.
We have a chat about an hour and a half, unscripted, unedited,
nothing has to be taken out. We're talking about kiss
Asylum forty years on the sixteenth. Some say it's the twelfth.
Who's right? Who's wrong? I don't know. Are we gonna
find out?
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 3: You have to watch the episode find out. I mean,
that's why you're here, right, So listen to Bruce Keeler
talk about kiss stuff.
Speaker 4: Dad.
Speaker 3: Can we just talk about kiss stuff? Yes, yes, we
can for an hour and a half and it's going
to be glorious. Welcome to another FN podcast. It's your
first time. Welcome. If it's not your first time, welcome back.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 3: Just to hit the essentials, hit the Patreon. If you're
in the Patreon, you've probably already watched this or listened
to this because you got it already, and you got
it add free. You got the video first, you got
the audio first, you got the audio ad free. If
you get sick of those annoying commercials, you don't have
to fast forward, just go to the Patreon. It's only
five dollars a month. Patreon dot com, slash Realizzy Presley.
It's simple. It's all you gotta do. Come join the family.
We do have actually a new Patreon fella with us,
and I do want to say hello to him. His
name is vic Rector. I do not know if that
is a gimmick name. If it is, props, it's got
a ring to it. If it's your real name. Props
to your parents for giving you a kickass real name,
Vic Rector. Welcome to the family, Welcome to the miningdom.
It is great to have you. I hope you enjoy.
Tell your friends come join the party. Find all the links,
Izy Presley dot com. It's simple, it's easy. It's all there, Patreon, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook,
Facebook show page. It's all real, Izzy Presley. It's simple,
just like venmo. Venmo is real Izzy Presley as well
as well. Cash apps just dollar signed Ezzy Presley. That's easy.
That's easy. I'm always open to taking money, you know,
if you don't want to join the Patreon you want
to give me money, you know, because you like what
I do. I'm fine with that. I like money, you know,
cash app Venmo carry your pigeon large bags of cash.
That works. Uh, just watch the fight. Alvarez and Crawford.
Spoiler alert, Alvarez did not win. Spoiler alert. I did
not go put money on the fight. Spoiler alert. I
would have not won. I mean, I would have bet
on Crawford, but my bet would have been to knock
out or tko or stop the fight, because that was
plus eight hundred and fifty and that's what cambling is
all about, right, But I did not. I'm trying to
be more responsible. Q pat Fontaine. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah yeah. We will see how that goes. But
it was good fight. I enjoyed it. I love boxing.
I didn't like the fact that there was a judge
name Tim Cheatham. There was a judge of the fight
for the super welter rate Is it super welterweight title?
Is that that what it was? Whose name is Tim Cheatham? Interesting?
Very very interesting. But you know what, I'm just gonna
shut up. If you're waiting for the the review of
that movie, that spinal tap thing, that will be coming
on Sunday for all my Patreon folks. If you're not
in the Patreton, the reviews already up. It went up
on Sunday, I know math. So anyways, right after these
messages bring it back, an old bit, just for today,
just for Bruce Culick. We'll be right back with the
one and only, the esteemed, the amazing, the quintessential, the man,
the myth, the legend. His name is Bruce Culick and
he played with Kiss. And it's the fortieth anniversary of
Kiss Asylum. This album right here, the best thing they
put out post Love Gun and you can quote me.
It's another FM podcast.
Speaker 1: To Missy Presley, reading from the Book of Paul, Chapter
Asylum verse, I'm alive.
Speaker 4: To many women.
Speaker 1: I've got too little time.
Speaker 3: I keep on trying.
Speaker 1: Man, if it kills me, I know that I'll go dead,
stiff and smiling. Oh, don't need no doctor putting me
to bed. Give me the nurse and I'll make sure
that she's fed. But need no doctor giving me pills.
I'm hot enough to give you chills. This is the
word of Kiss. Praise be to Paul.
Speaker 3: All Right, we are back, ladies and gentlemen, joining me
the Esteemed, the one and only, the Great Bruce Klick.
It is the fortieth anniversary today, the sixteenth. Some say
it's the twelfth. We say it's the sixteenth of my
favorite Kiss record. I think it's the best thing they
put out post Love Gun, top to bottom. I don't
care what anybody says. I am standing by this record forever.
Kiss Asylum. Bruce Culeck, good morning, sir.
Speaker 4: How are you azy? I'm doing great. Thank you, And
just to touch upon a couple of points of your intro, Yes,
I'm aware that there's controversy about the release date. I
ran into this when I did a big thirty fifth
anniversary celebration and that was actually in twenty twenty when
I was learning how to make videos and I shared
a really good, in depth story about my feelings of
the album. And it's remarkable. It's forty years. It doesn't
really matter if it's the twelfth or sixteen. It's now.
And I think all the viewers that are very hip
to Kiss or Kiss online the website that the official
product came out even though you know what I mean,
And I think you'll notice with the recent you know,
a live anniversary that the product's not there yet. Okay,
So you know I used to be pretty on point
about it. If I knew there was an anniversary day,
I tried to release some content on that day. But
I know that the moving parts to make product, have
it manufactured, and all of that very very probably very complicated,
you know what I mean. And then they need to
meaning kiss kiss with the Universal Records. They need to
space it all out. What if there's competing product in
the same week or two, that's that's not good business.
So I hope everyone on the stands out there there
are reasons behind it. Not all of them, do I know,
but I know that they have to be dealt with.
But there was another point you made that is that
you love the record.
Speaker 3: Okay, I do love the record, and.
Speaker 4: I appreciate that I hear a lot of love for Asylum,
and I love it too enough to like, like create
a guitar like this, which is only two of a prototype,
and then the one I'm holding which is on my website,
and it's a culic guitar, okay, made with parts from
a really good boutique builder called AXN. So Asylum really
did mark a huge milestone for me because now I
am on the cover, now I am photographing the band
animalized the album, even though I did do a little
bit of guitar work on it, you know, and of
course I did the entire tour except for like a
couple of half shows, and I missed one show, the
one that came out as a soundboard recording. They put
that one out with Mark. But all those dates of
mine are in large. And then of course Animalized Live.
So I was already a big part of what was
the resurgence of Kiss, shall I say? Because Animalized was
an up lick it up as a great record, don't
get me wrong. And Creatures was great. They didn't as well.
And then Heaven's on Fire and Fueled, and there was
something about MTV maybe that kicked in with Kiss at
the time, had nothing to do with the new guitar player.
Wouldn't matter who it was. The timing was right, and
that was pretty exciting to see, you know, like that climb.
And I know you wanted to start off with animal Iz,
so go ahead.
Speaker 3: Well, actually I wanted to start off with the anniversary
box set.
Speaker 4: Okay, yeah, so let's talk about the go ahead.
Speaker 3: Well, so like when they first started advertising it, the
shirt only had Gene and Paul on it, and then
there was stinking uproar from the Kiss army and all
of a suddener Sure it came out with only you
and Eric on it.
Speaker 4: There's a version of all four, but there's the one
that I.
Speaker 3: Like, right, yeah, absolutely, But what did you think when
you saw that first shirt that only had Gene and
Paul on it.
Speaker 4: I knew it was a big mistake, but I also
knew that it was a pattern that was happening prior,
you know, from other releases where they might have blurred
in Eric Carr or or if it was, you know,
something to do with Vinnie, because they didn't deal with
the business end of it with those people for whatever
good reason that they felt they had. Now while all
that product had come out, where the makeup version of
Kiss with Tommy and Eric was still full steam ahead,
very successful. Okay, so I can understand only to a
small degree, but I do understand, well, we're pushing the
makeup stuff and we don't necessarily need to confuse the narrative. Possibly,
so in the end, they chose not to reach out
or do anything in regards to including the people that
they don't control now, popouts, the new owners they owned
fifty years Okay, yeah, right, and they're still learning. You know,
I actually really like some of the contacts that I've
made there, and they are a part of fueling the
gig at the Virgin later in the year, but staying
on point with how they released product. They read the
back black backlash, they read that, they saw it, they
knew it was wrong, and then it didn't. It wasn't
real hard to reach out to me or the estate
of Eric Carr, which would be his sister, and have
a conversation so it could be worked out because we're
we're you know, my position was not about you know,
in business, there will always be that one that like,
I wouldn't do that. You got to give me a
million dollars or so bad, you know something? All Right,
I know you were referencing, but I'm staying out of that. Okay,
But understandably some people. I don't have a gripe about it,
and I'm just I want I want everybody to win.
I'm not going to deny that I want to win,
but I want the fans to win. And then the
narrative of the release and what we all contributed to
such a great record and the image being so important
on that record. Even if you didn't like the artwork,
there were four guys being represented, so why would you
want to not include that? Now, this was an official
tour chirt which is now brand new. You know, it's
called with the artwork from the back Okay, and here
it is. But without asking, you know, Eric's family and mine,
how can we work this out? They knew that they
shouldn't really put it out, and it was you know,
it was pretty easy, is he And it was silly
that it didn't happen prior with anything else, okay, but
that was their choice. Pop House clearly wants to represent
everything and moving forward, I'm hoping for the same thing
to continue on through those albums releases, okay. And he
also see some value in Asylum and the non makeup years,
where I'm pretty sure that first of all, honestly, I
was aware that Universal really drives this conversation. Okay, the
record company, and I'm not sure completely you know, all
the business, you know, rights and angles that makes that happen.
But I'm aware that I've already heard from people like
Paul's like, oh when did that come out? And he's
signing the this is a few years back, a shiny
new version of Revenge, you remember the thirty years anniversary.
So it's not like he was like, hey, can we
put this out? They own it universal. Okay, Yeah, now
they are working with Pophouse. Pophouse is not the record company.
They are not a record company. They're a huge company.
That their goal, like with the success they did with Abba,
to do that for Kiss and probably other autos. The
well funded they are learning, of course, more and more
about Kiss. They knew more about Abba. How could they not.
One of the principals at the company was an Abba,
you know what I mean. But it's still the music
business and these people have a passion for what getting
inside the brains that a kiss, you know fan? Okay,
So I'm I know not everything could be perfect moving forward,
but I can say that there's somebody getting the bigger
picture and wanting to uh celebrate all eras and and
and and you know, not get caught in something as
silly as a T shirt that everybody knows has four
people only have two. And then I did not ask
them to do a picture, you know, a shirt of
Eric Carr and myself. I'll be honest, I thought it
was crazy, but I do know that they were making
a point, okay, And I said, look, I'm not going
to fight about doing that, but I don't I think
this is the one that will sell, you know what
I mean that, you know, with the great tour thing
on the back, because the other official tour shirt, by
the way, would just look like a globe with exciting
colors around, didn't show the band. But they really wanted
to do it to show Hey, maybe it's the new
sheriffs in town. So this is the way they want
to play it, you know what I mean. And I
think they were able to do that one printing on demand,
So if it was a total bust, it wouldn't matter,
And if it was successful, it wouldn't matter, because you know,
print on demand is wonderful those yeah, and all the
things I do with no I don't offer this pillow,
but who does guitar? No Tase gifted me because it's
pretty awesome.
Speaker 3: You know, it's great.
Speaker 4: But what all the other pillows that and t shirts
that I do with that company of my guitars and
things like that. This is very Asylaha oriented printed on demand,
you know what I mean. You don't have to stack
a room with pillows that you need to sell, and
many many companies work that way. So I thought that
was really interesting that they that was actually the right
way to do that, you know what I mean. Now
you're talking about the shirts, but let's look at the product.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was just I wanted to get into that.
Speaker 4: Now this one, this is a deluxe one. You can
almost look like we're you know, like very dark skinned
if you don't hold it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's
very clever. I shared some pictures. There's wonderful things in here.
I'm not going to open it up because it would
make a hot mess. But it's a beautiful product. Has
this is the picture disc only five hundred may believe me,
they could have sold five thousand. I don't know why
they do all those very limited runs. But and the
only people that get that you have to be a
member on like kiss online does a special thing. There
is maybe a fee associated with that. So that sells
out in two minutes as soon as it goes live. Okay, yeah,
if it's even if some of them is your speculative,
you know what I mean to then throw it on
eBay later, you know that. But this one's beautiful too.
And this is the one that is the standard one, okay,
and it has like a raised you know, the phone's
never going to show up my camera. But it's kind
of raised and then there's a great poster with it.
It's got a lot of cool things, and I've shared
things about this also. The disc is and anyone can
buy this now they're kind of forcing you to get
a bundle with a shirt. I don't always agree with that.
I'm not on the board of directors at Universal, but
that's real cool. With all the Asylum calls. Okay, so
all the stuff I really love. And of course, even
going back to the off the soundboard recording, which did
look different for the Animalized show that I mean for
the Asylum show, that of course is me And even
though there was criticism too many raps, it should have
had more songs. That was the concert. I actually have
a board mix of a show within that month that
that's the way it sounded. I mean, if you have
any criticism about it, you don't hear the audience. You
can't hear the excitement. But there was nothing. That Asylum
show was exactly who we were. Yeah, it's pretty shocking
to hear Paul being so you.
Speaker 3: Know what I mean kind of it was the eighties.
It was the time.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that was rock and roll then, and what can
I say? I still stand by it. Thank god. It
was one of the concerts they had the board mixed
for was I played, well, okay, you know it's nice
you break a string in the middle of a solo.
You know, it's like oops, you know, and you can't
go And they weren't fixing any of that kind of stuff,
you know. So so ultimately this is the twenty fourteen
one also looked great. But you remember when they did that,
there was nothing special about it.
Speaker 3: Was just right. Bruce, I tell you, I was working
for Universal on a on a temp project when they
were putting that together, and me, being the kiss nerd
that I am, I'm like, you can't just give them
what you already gave them. You got to put your
stuff in there, especially for the you know, for the
eighties stuff. It's like Animalized put it because we never
got an official DVD release of Animalized Live on Censor Yeah.
Speaker 4: With the record, you know, but yeah, I think there's
right along with that that are complicated. I think the
same thing for MTV. H you'd be surprised that, you know,
everyone forgets. I'm a fan too, so I want everything,
you know, yeah, to be a part of like what
exactly what you're expressing. But the truth is, on the
business level of this thing called the music business, there
are really complicated issues with who owns what. Sometimes a
company even this is disappears or they don't even know
who who now has the rights to that, And and
you know, there's been so many lawsuits for so many
bands and so many products that you just can't move
forward without really having that paper trail and thing done correctly. Okay,
So that being said, there's a lot of things that
I really wish, but I also I'm not the one
that's going to spend the time to figure out what
happened to that, you know what I mean. Meanwhile, there's
fans bootlegging it and you find it on eBay from
Brazil or whatever place finding your DVD, you know. But
you're right. And the fourteen thing I think was the
resurgence of vinyl. So okay, now here it is all
new twenty fourteen. I still have my nineteen eighty five
you know version in my eighty you know whatever, next album,
eighty seven ones. But and you can find them in
record shops. Sometimes they're in good condition, most of the
time they're not. But now they have that opportunity to
do that, and my only regret. I love the new
camp pain. Oh, by the way, the normal one even
though it had paint splatter on it and everything, but
not the one that was with the Obie sleeve, the
picture disc one. The other one is limited to twenty
five hundred. So for whatever reason, universal these are the
numbers they stick on it. I think they're low, you know,
for the product, right, but I don't really know how
much cells or not, you know what I mean, Right,
But I know I want a copy, and I know
i'll be as I get out there continuing this year,
I'll be signing people's copies when I do other events
like Fanboy for example later this month, where Gene will
be headlining. So what can I say. I'm excited, you know,
I'm excited for the future too.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's great. It's great to see all this stuff
coming out about Asylum. I mean, yeah, I guess that's
the fourith anniversary. So let's dive into before Asylum. When
you get the call. Now, we had this. You were
holding court at the Bootlegger one night and you were
talking about working with Billy Squire and I didn't know.
I didn't know the story. I didn't know that you
had played on a couple of his records, but you
had said what you were doing with Billy had an
effect on if you would have been in Kiss or not.
You explain that story well.
Speaker 4: And I only played on one Billy Squire record. And
like most things in my career, there's always a little
connection to my brother Bob, you know, which you know,
us both being guitarist. And by the way, last night,
I was listening to Larger Than Live and working on
some of the riffs, and oh my god, I mean,
he really did such an incredible job for Kiss, and
I do understand his his bragging about it, if you
know what I mean. He sometimes said sometimes he did
it to a fault, you know, because you're not gonna
you still can't compete with Ace overall as the icon
original guitaristuff Kiss. We all know that. But Bob really
kicked some serious ass on anything he did, you know.
And I you know, it's interesting me like really dissecting
his riffs and realizing how much passion he brought to
those Kiss songs. So I appuyed you up there, Bob. Again.
I want you to know that you know he was
working with Billy. Originally, Bob had his hands on a
lot of artis And of course my introduction to Kiss
was through my brother, even though it was it was
Mitch Weisman that convinced Paul to have me gost guitar
on Animalize Okay. But and I even auditioned in eighty
three when they had the Cattle Call. I had a mustache,
I was really green. I couldn't imagine myself being the
new character with makeup and kids. I couldn't. And I
remember Gene liked what I did and said nice vibrato.
But I didn't feel like I played my best anyway.
So now now move it up forward the Billy record,
I was working with another artist from New York recording
in the same studio that Billy was going to use
up in Woodstock, and it was with Eddie Offered, the
engineer producer of Yes Okay and Eddie Oh, I love
the Yes albums. You know. Eddie was a legend to me.
And as much as I didn't think Billy would be
asking me to do the record, he was up there
and Bob couldn't and Bob he wasn't gonna wait for Bob.
Bob had some conflict because he started to Like I said,
he did some of the demo songs for Billy Squire's
first album, which I got to give a shout out
Eddie Trunk's favorite Billy Squire record, you know, one of
his favorite records of all time, you know, right, it
is a really terrific record. He didn't take off quite
yet though.
Speaker 2: You know that.
Speaker 4: He came out of Piper, which was in a coin band.
You know, there's a Kiss connection too. Probably maybe how
he knew Bob as well in New York, you know,
the whole thing. And I was up there and then
I'm introduced to Billy and he's like, I like you
to are you available? Can you play on my record?
And I was like, yeah, I know. I can't stay
long though, because at the time I was working with
Michael Bolton Okay it was the band even though it
was below ten, and we were doing our second album
Okay up there as well and going to use the
same team, you know, and the same studio. It was
actually at an interesting studio, Levon Helm's home, which was
there was a lot of famous band stuff done there.
It wasn't big Pink, but it was another It was
a known studio up in the Woodstock area. So I
did get to cut all the basic tracks with Billy,
and man, I love working with him, and maybe I
was only up there for like a week or so,
but I took notes on things. I just I watched
him take notes. Rather, I saw how meticulous he was.
And then Blackjack was needed to rehearse because we were
supposed to get tour support money to support the second album, okay,
Blackjack album. In the end, the whole thing fell apart
and I never did that, and Billy was really pissed
at a I left the record. He was able to
finish it without me. In fact, I know that he
kind of took some of my ideas from the rough tracks,
if I had some solo ideas and he just just
cleaned them up. Billy's a fine guitarist, you know, but
he's very meticulous. He'll he'll prepare everything. He's not gonna
just jam, you know what I mean. And ironically I
couldn't go on tour with him, you know, because I
thought I was going on tour with Michael Bolton and
and my band called Blackjack. End it didn't happen. Okay,
And of course he moved on and got you know,
another guitar player, and he took off, okay, incredibly by
the second album not from Taylor, The Tale of the Tape.
And I if I actually said Michael bye bye, Billy Squires,
you know needs me and I believe in this guy.
If I did that, okay, that's the connection of that
story that you said, then I don't think I would
have been available for the Animalized Go session. I don't
think I would have been invited by Paul don't cut
your hair, which means mark Saint John's ill, which I
didn't know, you know what I mean, And all of
a sudden, you know, within six weeks getting a call,
we need you to go to Europe. I'm like, what
I thought I won the lottery to being kissed for
two weeks or maybe six weeks, you know, and then
of course you all know it turned into twelve years,
you know, which was quite exciting.
Speaker 3: Well what was it like for you, you know, being
like in Blackjacket's your band, and all of a sudden
you get a call to be the replacement guy and kiss.
Speaker 4: What was that like? Yeah? I mean, okay, there was
a long licking the wounds period. There first, all right,
so Blackjack doesn't happen. You're jumping ahead tail of the tape.
I could be wrong. I'm saying it's closer to nineteen
eighty or eighty one, right, Yeah, So now I'm like,
h not in Michael's band. Michael needed to figure out
what was next for him, which meant he was going
to write great songs even if there were pop songs.
And then but then he still came out as a
rock singer again. And I did work with him shortly,
but I had a little period there where for two
years I played lead guitar with The Good Rats, you know,
which was a East Coast band that was very popular
in New Jersey Long Island. It came from Long Island.
Really look them up sometime. Wow. But in the end
I wasn't crazy about The Good Rats of it just
steady work and I could play guitar constantly and I
was home, you know. So I was based on home.
It wasn't like going on the road with abandon and
leaving your home for months. But when Michael gave me
the call, hey, I have dates now as a solo
artist with the rock record, which was on MTV and everything.
So I supported him. I was his guitarist, and the
funny quick story about that and then we should talk
about kiss anyway silent, But Michael didn't have enough material
really to support Bob Seger on an arena tour for
three weeks. So he's doing covers and some of the songs.
And the first thing, because Michael was always known as
a terrific kind of blues rock singer who could do
way and stuff like that, and Seegar was like, what
the hell is this? I didn't hire a you know
what I mean. Obviously he knew the host set wasn't covers,
so now it's like, what O the songs you guys
have or you're off the tour. And then it wasn't
too hard for me to say, Michael, I think we
need to do some blackjack and we did and that
was great and everybody was happy, you know what I mean.
So and I have to give a little shout out him.
So I'm still very sad that, you know, Michael, as
much as he's hanging in there, he had a very serious,
you know, brain cancer thing, right, and he's been battling that.
And I don't know much more other than on occasion
the family will post a photo with him, but I just,
you know, I do want to say that quite a
few people aren't aware of it, even though it was
a big People magazine thing about it in April, but
that you know, if it gets back to Michael's people,
we all love you and miss you, you know, because
it's been so hard to actually speak to him. But
I know the family loves him very much and they're
they're looking after him. And I just such an ambitious,
talented man. I can't even imagine what it's life suddenly
the brakes, you know what I mean, You hit the
brakes and your life changes like that. So I'm hoping
the best for him. So anyway, and then you know
the connection later on with Michael, with Forever and of course,
but at that point, you know again, now I'm done
with Michael's tour and I'm home and I get the
call from Paul come in and do a song. And
then of course I wasn't with Billy. I was, you know,
Michael didn't take off as the soul Wars that I
would have you know that that was that consequential. Billy
was like double triple platinum ready by that second album
that he put out. So then next thing I know,
there I am on tour with Kiss and it was working.
I kind of always felt really good about it, and
I didn't know what would happen by the time we
got back to America, but clearly, for whatever reason, they
needed to give Mark, you know, a shot at least,
so now he's like traveling with us, and I had
a very I was really very greatful of everything. Then
I remembered, this is such a great opportunity. I don't
want to burn bridges and I don't want to ruin it,
so I'm not going to like knock them out like
Tanya Harding or some crazy you know, ice skating. Then
you know, so I just hey, Mark, let's jam you
know what I mean? So we would like warm up
backstage and everything. Yeah, which, uh, the guy who does
all those T shirts and pills for me made a
point telling me that I think you've played with every
member of Kiss, you know what I mean, And and
he's right, even played with Mark in a sense by
jamming backstage. But yeah, I did play later on with
Vinnie at that Creature's Fest, and of course I played.
I was at eater at events and Tommy of course
and and Eric Carr. So I've hit all the checkboxes.
Speaker 2: Go to me.
Speaker 4: Okay, that's kind of cool. But anyway, Mark had his chance.
They realized, contractor or not, that they had the right
to send them home. And you know, I, I I
felt stylistically, I was a better fit. I always felt
and and and obviously I was and I and I
what I learned and grew and adapted to in all
those years was with kiss was who I am anyway,
because I'm always trying to be be supportive of the
others that I'm with. I want it to be it's
not always about me, you know what I mean, Well
is what I do, and uh, you know it's trew you.
You know what I mean. It's always a you know,
a collaborative effort. And I always showed the respect to
Gene and Paul, even if I didn't agree with them.
I showed them, you know, that respect because they created
such a huge thing. And I continue to show them
that respect with all the with their entire career, because
it's been just a wonderful ride for me all you know,
in every which way.
Speaker 3: How long so you you get you're on the tour.
Then they say you're the guy, You're you're going to
be in the band or the guy? Right?
Speaker 4: That was just days before Animalized Live, you know.
Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, So how long before the end of the
tour did they Did they start talking about the next
record while you guys were on tour or was that
after the tour ended?
Speaker 4: I really think it was after. These guys give their
role when they're on tour and get through the shows
and and you know, Asylum actually went through a lot
of changes. I'm sorry Animalized was a long tour rather Asylum,
they go through a lot of changes. We'll get that
out in the later but yeah, Animalized certainly they were.
They were so thrilled that they could have a platinum record,
you know what I mean, and MTV doing a special
with them. That had to feel great for Gena and Paul,
you know. I mean, I wasn't around for the height
of their success and some of the tremendous uh you know,
events and sales and promotions and what they were able
to do in makeup and then when it started too
you know, go down and they hung out and they
still did quality stuff. I love the Elder too, but
they were really not in their groove if.
Speaker 3: You know what I mean, and it's definitely different.
Speaker 4: Yeah, So then to see it now go up like that,
and I think I think they were just you know,
basking in the glory of like, hey, we're back and
we're doing really great, and and now Jean still had
his sights on movies and other things because he was
always such an ambitious business person. Doesn't believe in a
day off for a holiday, so and he'll he'll brag
about that and not be ashamed of it.
Speaker 3: Okay, of course, of course.
Speaker 4: Yeah. But but the point I'm making is I think
this is where Paul started to really steer the ship.
And I would imagine that songs and the plans for
Asylum didn't really happen until that's tour was over.
Speaker 3: Okay, So well, why when you get the call I mean,
pre production and writing and all that kind of stuff,
when when you're going in to start writing for Asylum
guitar wise, because you know, like the first three Kiss
records they all have the kind of the same sound,
the second three they all kind of have the same Well,
Destroyer was a whole production, but sure, but those first
three non makeup records all kind of have the same
you know, style and sound. Were they asking you to
write kind of like like the guitar riffs were kind
of like what had come out on Lick It Up
and animalized?
Speaker 4: Or were they No, I didn't get any direction. What
I was very happy about is that I had the
opportunity to work with both Jane and Paul right, and
they both work very differently. I've discussed quite a bit
through the years about their collaborative songwriting approach that they're
very different, but they're both so talented with it, right.
I just know that I think that I don't think
they needed to give me a like, hey, you know,
if you come up with anything, make sure it's like something,
you know what I mean, like this album or that
album and and what was great? Of course, and I'll
never forget, of course, knowing that Desmond Child. This is
even before the bon Jovi hit. But Desmond was already
a formidable writer, you know, and then there he is,
you know, he was involved with Heavens on Fire, of course,
and then I get the opportunity to come in and say, like,
all right, you know, let's try to write something. So
I prepared some ideas, you know, and I think the
first thing we worked on was King of the Mountain,
where I had to you know, you know, I had
those chords, you know, you know, stuff like that, and
then the next thing, I know, we're developing something, and
then Paul would jump in with some chorus chords and
they're starting to sing along. It was pretty exciting, you
know what I mean, to see a song shaped, you know,
with them, and then I came in with that fast
like uh, you know, I forget it. So I had
some things prepared that would have been Alive which had
a different title in the beginning. Excuse if it's a
little attitude, I'm not plugged in or anything, but I.
Speaker 3: Said it wasn't that there was no volume coming from
the guitar at all.
Speaker 4: Oh get good. That was great anyway. But but my
point is everybody writes different, you know what I mean. Gene,
I remember at some point on tour I figured out
some riffs for I think it was Trial by Fire,
which also had a different title at first. But I
had the chords, I had like a drum track to
jam at to and and Gene right away you know,
took a liking to it. So again, no no direction,
just knowing, well this seems a little more. You know,
I always had a guess, so I think you would
like this better, and maybe Paul would like that better,
because the problem was, you know, if you if you
pitch it to the wrong one, it was probably and
didn't happen. It was probably dead in the water because
the other one, you know, it's kind of like sloppy seconds.
And you know how guys get about that as.
Speaker 3: Trust me, I know. But hey, it worked, It worked
with god Aner.
Speaker 4: Yeah you know, yeah, no, Well it's okay. Between the
two of them, they have a bond like brothers that fight,
that disagree, that will will kill for each other. Okay.
I I I'm well aware of how brutal they can sometimes,
you know, share about each other. And yet I know
how they also can express how much they love each
other and how much they need each other and how
much great, how grateful they are for for meeting each
other and having that combined success and and I I
I understand that, you know what I mean. It sometimes
it takes that ying and yang or that very you know,
black and white in difference, you know, to to make
a better hole. And that's why neither of the solo
tours that anybody's ever done from those two guys could
match anything. You know, kiss it just can't you know,
even though they are both such tremendous artists on their own,
it's very rare when the the you know, one of
the principles can go off and be bigger you know
what I mean, or as big as what they're a
part of. Okay, it does happen, you know, you know,
you can say Sting is even as big or as
big or bigger than the Police. But the point is
Gene and Paul together just just you know, their icons,
Look what they created.
Speaker 3: Oh absolutely, was there any you know, you say, writing
for you know, whichever one, YadA, YadA, YadA, was there
any just just get in the room of jam and
see what comes out of it? Or just did that
sappoint you a little bit?
Speaker 4: No, I was gonna play by their roles. However, you know,
now it's interesting you bring that up because years later
with Eric Singer and Carnival Souls, or in between Revenge
and Carnival Souls, when there was a bit of a
time we were the band was starting to they were
getting frustrated that even with a record like Revenge, they
couldn't go platinum, which it might actually be platinum, but
people changed how they were buying stuff and everything, you know,
such a terrific record, and then Jane would call me
up and Eric and we jammed a you know, you know,
a small studio, nothing fancy, and I have quite a
few of those recordings. They're quite good. But that was
jamming and see what would happen even though he had ideas,
and then I'd have an idea. But and I'm not
saying it never happened with Paul where where suddenly were
sitting with another co writer who knows how to tap
out of beats on a you know, even even a
drum machine type thing that you can hear and sing
along to. But no, the only, the only, the jamming
usually happened at sound checks.
Speaker 3: All right, there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 4: The song was not for a record.
Speaker 3: I meant, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously, just jamming and
having fun at sound check the song I'm alive. I
you know, I think I've I've told you this before.
To me, that's they always talked about, Oh what if
Eddie van Halen was in Kiss? And that was all
those rumors, YadA YadA, YadA to me, that's that's the
song that sounds like if Eddie would have been in Kiss.
That's you doing Eddie.
Speaker 4: Okay, thank you.
Speaker 3: Well, No, it is. It absolutely is when you're writing
that song, because you do have a co write on
that song. Was there any thought about how you're maybe
this is gonna be my shred song, this is gonna
this is my with my dickout song.
Speaker 4: Yeah, in a way. I mean, you gotta remember that
once they asked me to join the band, it was
very clear that they wanted me to be competitive with
what was happening in the AES. And as we all know,
guitar players really got a chance to step out and
and really become, uh, you know, a voice in the
band in the sense of virtuosity and all that. And
then so you have someone in the extreme like a
like an Innvey Malms team, you know what I mean.
And then and then of course, you know, you got
a simple meat and potatoes guy like uh, let's say
the guy from Bad Company, you know, Nick Ralse, you know,
and again memorable riffs and and important stuff. But but
certainly I was I was really freaked out by Randy
Rhodes and Eddie. To be quite honest, I related more
to Eddie because I don't know. I always got this sense,
and it was confirmed with me years later that Eddie
listened to terror Clapton one of my big heroes. I
saw a video of Eddie early on showing off to
an interview and he's playing Courseroads note for note. He
still sounded like Eddie, but he knew every riff. Okay, yeah,
and that's what I loved about Eddie. He was the
supercharged version of a Claptain taking you know, that kind
of guitar, playing to like a race car level. Okay,
of course with new tricks and everything, but still with
the fast picking that I never was completely comfortable on.
But I was able to hone my craft using elements
of Eddie and the other some of the other great
players from that era. But I and if I was
able to show it off.
Speaker 3: On yeah, great, absolutely did. Was there any song on
that record where you're happy you did not have to
play it live because of how fast you guys were playing? Well?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, looking back, I have a rehearsal tape
that's pretty damn awesome. Of it was only a trio
and I'm sure Paul had a reason why he wasn't
at that rehearsal that I recorded, But it was great
that I got it of us going through King of
the Mountain. And that's a really hard song, even though
on my Hot Licks video instructional tape, I showed how
the rifts were, you know, how I created the riffs
and everything, and I remember listening. You know, I didn't
do a bad job. You got to remember that would
have been eighty six. But yeah, some of that stuff
was always a challenge, you know what I mean. And
you gotta remember you used a lot of the studio
tricks back then. So let's say you record yourself four
times and you picked the best parts. Yeah, okay, so
that becomes you know, we're a Tears of Falling solo.
It's a little bit slower song, methodically planned out, melodic rifts,
a little bit of flash, you know, And that's that's
thankfully something I can still play. Who wants to be only?
I mean, all the songs have I think creative solos,
but some of them I could still do better than others.
Speaker 3: Right it is? Were you surprised that you guys did
the three videos but only Tears of Following was released
as a radio single. Do you know why that happened?
Speaker 4: You had no clue? Really? No?
Speaker 3: Were you surprised? Now?
Speaker 4: I'm not sure I was aware of so much because
we were probably getting out on tour and trying to
drive the narrative of a new record. Some of the
later releases, I was more aware of what was being
chosen as a single. Yeah, but Tears of Following. Fortunately,
people still talk about that song quite a bit.
Speaker 3: You talked about I saw that interview on Kiss on Yeah.
Speaker 4: I mean that was one thing that I was able
to do for Kiss Online and Pophouse, which was a
nice in depth thing with Ken Sharp, who's a great,
great writer that has done a lot of stuff that's
kiss and we spent a lot of time making and
as accurate as we could, you know, kind of research.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4: I don't remember everything from forty years ago.
Speaker 3: And it was a long time ago, a long time ago.
Speaker 4: But but I know that we we kept, you know,
like delving in and making sure everything was as as
as proper as possible. And we talked about the videos,
so all that contents on Kiss Online. She'll let everybody go, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
absolutely under stories.
Speaker 3: Yeah, because like about it, I didn't even know about it.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and now there's new interviews with Gina Paul about
a live okay, And that's the kind of content that
I know pop house is trying to to fuel with
the fans, you know, to give them, you know, the
celebration of such great music.
Speaker 3: So I was going to reference that because you were
talking about tears of following in this and like Paul
played all the rhythm guitars on that, he played all
the guitars except for the solo. Do you kind of
tell the story about, you know, coming up with that
solo and work with Paul on that.
Speaker 4: Yes, I mean, And by the way, it was really
a sign where that only happened about the rhythm guitarist
being all him. But I was the new guy, and
I'm pretty sure animalized he did the same thing. Do
you see what I mean? Yeah, li'sten animalized Mark Mark
was hard as the new hot shot lead player, okay,
who certainly put his stamp on that record. There's some
great solos that that are not not easy for me
to play, you know what I mean. There's a few
that are a little more I could tell Paul probably
worked with him to make it more melodic like Thrills
in the Night, Okay, and I played on uh oh
Lonely is the Hunter, I believe, Yeah, and a little
bit at the tail of Murder and high Heels. But uh,
I think that's why Paul. I mean, I'm a I
think I'm a terrific rhythm player. Okay. Yeah, I'm not
saying my leasa you know, aren't competitive, but I'm just
saying I I I know, moving forward like Crazy Nights,
Ron relied on me, and I'm sure I played guitar
and everything. You know, I don't mean every every track,
but I'm saying with Paul, okay, or maybe without you know,
not having Paul. Also Okay, Paul's rhythms real important for
certain songs, but on Asylum, I'm pretty sure it's all him. Okay.
So I'm stepping in now. On on Trial by this
is his songs, probably Trial by Fire. On Asylum, I
would be playing rhythm. Okay. So I know I said
that he played all the rhythms, but I meant specifically
for I would think and and then or at least
on tiers of Farm. And I'm realizing now, no, there's
no way, I would have played the rhythms. I'm alive,
you see what I mean. Yeah, yeah, I was an
actorate on kiss online alert the media. Okay, no, no,
you know what I mean. But but I know when
I when I walked in to do Tiers of Falling,
I don't remember ever doing the riff or any of
the chords or any of the picnic parts. He did
it all right, So yeah on you know, depending on
the song. For sure, if I co wrote it, just
like King of the Mountain, I would have been playing
rhythm too with him, clearly. Yeah. But anyway, going in
and playing the leads on Tears of Foine was a
collaborative effort where we wanted to make it. I love
the fact that he thinks melodically with solos too, you know.
So the beginning was crafted with with a melody, and
it's the first part of the song that goes minor.
I know, you play music, you'd understand that where the
song actually has a very either noncommittal key of minor
a major or major from the melody. Okay, but now
it's minor, which makes a nice entry for the guitar work,
you know. So the first riffs are clearly minor. I
showed the solo also on my social media and there's
a YouTube of it that was pretty cool. And then
I showed how we worked out the harmony parts. I
know Paul didn't come up with the flashy part, because
that was something that you know, kind of a riff
I used to fool around with sometimes. The fact that
I was able to nail that part, you know, but
that was there for the flash, even though it's still melodic.
And then to end it with a with a minor
and then end that riff with a nice minor thing
and then you know, clime up, which is something I
was known for for something exciting at the very ending. Okay,
so really a great a soul that I love the
way it's constructed, and that approach was a big part
of many of the solos that I did with Kiss,
you know, melody, some flash, hopefully an exciting ending, you know,
saying okay, it's time for me to give it back
to the lead singer. Now you know that kind of thing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 3: Gene and Paul produced the record.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Were they producing themselves and not chiming in on each other.
Speaker 4: Largely? They produced their own stuff, but then with obviously
having a opinion with the other on their you know.
But in general, I would say Paul knew what he wanted,
and Gen knew what he wanted, you know what I mean,
And I was just there to play guitar with whoever
needed me to.
Speaker 3: Well, I mean, was there a difference between how both
how each of them produced.
Speaker 4: You only in the sense that obviously they're using their
particular taste to help guide me. Okay, So I think
Gene was more attracted to flash than Paul. Okay, so
I've seen Gene b like specific about some styles of
guitar playing, where I think Paul knows that some speed
is a good thing in times, but I think he's
real concerned about a melody first. Okay, I'm not saying
Gene doesn't think melody, you know, but I know he
wants the guitar to be exciting. So now now try
by Fire, which we call There isn't even a damn
solo in it.
Speaker 2: Oh shit, you know what you think about Shit, I've
never even real and I wrote it with him.
Speaker 4: You know what I mean. Yeah, it didn't really need
a section for a solo. It's kind of weird. At
the end, I get a little uh, the movement moves
a little bit more, but I didn't care, you know,
But what And is that the only one I wrote
with him? And I think the other co writs are
with Paul?
Speaker 3: Yeah? Was there any ghost players on that record?
Speaker 4: John beauvois he's credited though he is I didn't know. Yeah, yeah,
I was the Kiss album, It said John BOUVOI, Oh,
it's some Wikipedia.
Speaker 3: Well Wikipedia, Yeah, usually young Kiss.
Speaker 4: They don't they don't ever mention it.
Speaker 3: On the Gotcha, Alan Schwarzberg drum over dubs on who
wants to both be lonely? Tears are falling in all Night.
Speaker 4: I didn't even know about Alan on that, and that's possible,
but I vote Eric Carr played terrific on the record.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 4: And I can see why Paul wanted John because he
was helping write some of this stuff and he had
an interesting feel. Later on, it would be Paul would
lean on me sometimes to play bass. Gene is like,
I admire him so much. I copy his style. I
know who absolutely, and he doesn't care about being a
respected musician. We all know, okay, but he's an incredible
you know musician, because he's dialed in what he does
on the bass so well. The fact he doesn't care
makes it even funnier. But that's that's part of his stick.
So he's a business guy, and he has a character,
and he's the demon or the tough guy who and
and he's all those things, even though he's also a
little teddy bear many times too, absolutely showing his emotions
about about his mother or Israel or whatever. But the
point I'm making is that Kiss always thought about the song.
So if Paul thought, and if I did the demo
with him on the song and I played the bass
and he liked what I played, it's like the Beatles,
how many things McCartney played, or or even drums, yeah,
or or you're bringing Eric Clapton to do well, my
guitar gently weeps. You know, Kiss was more about that
than the four of us in the studio, right.
Speaker 3: The song Loves a Deadly Weapon. That was a Plasmatic song, correct.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you'd have to research that.
Speaker 3: Oh credits Plasmatic members Rod Swinston, West Beach borrows heavily
from the song party.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that I didn't know.
Speaker 3: You have no no idea about that.
Speaker 4: All right, it was one of Jean's up tempo things.
Speaker 3: You know very well, very well. But what's the first
time you saw the costumes?
Speaker 4: Oh, that would have been maybe there were was a
meeting somewhere in New York City with Flur Okay, the
very talented I don't pronounce her last name very well,
but she's I still get in touch with her. And
she started working already with Paul. And obviously the clothing
was quite extreme. I mean I could easily yeah, I
could easily say, especially on the on the side of Paul,
but I think he was entertaining that. Now I have
showed a pretty cool picture of Ozzy and we all
know Ozzy's the prince of darkness, and he was in
total sequence and glittery glam and everything. Yeah, and the
white snake stuff was a little it was that time, Okay,
Paul really embraced it. Lime green and dangling things and
sequence and beads and stuff. Eric Carr would always be
comfortable in the leotard. So instead of the animalized black
one with some animal print thrown over you now or
you know, now you're in colorful you know, I gotta
I remember I told you before we started the interval,
give me five more minutes, I got, yeah, Pries. So
besides the records, a T shirt, but guitar, I have
another prop. Okay. So I found this in my closet,
and this is just representing something that was going on.
I always shop for clothes lots of times from on
Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Okay, back in that era,
it was rock and roll. Okay, leather, it could be biker,
it could be Judas priest, it could be flashy, it
could be sequence and glitter and you know everything. So
for example here I always love these kind of Indian
cotton scarves. Look at colors. Okay, you get where I'm
going with it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, and disadvantage and.
Speaker 4: From that era and people were making things using these
colors in the everything. And somehow when Paul and Fleur
got involved with like what you would do, obviously Gene
being the real the odd member out, because how do
you make a demon guy, you know, someone that always
exudes this kind of a macho you know, Mussolini? Yeah
you know, I mean, you know, and now he's in
you know, Sequence and red and capes and everything, you
know what I mean. It was awkward for Gene, I
felt bad, and I don't know if there was any solution.
I also think it's why we were never professionally filmed
with a whole concert by Kiss, because he didn't like
the way he looked. I know that, but you know
that was the error. My outfits I thought were a
great medium.
Speaker 3: You know some of that.
Speaker 4: I remember sharing one that Oh my god, those pants
in that jacket remind me of what you know, you know,
Taylor Swifts just made so popular this red at outfit.
Speaker 3: You don't have any of that anymore right now.
Speaker 4: I don't have any of the Assylum clothes. Most of
that stayed in the warehouse. And then when they had
that big Butterfield auction back in two thousand, those those
outfits was definitely sold. Don't know if they wound up
at like a hard rock or a private person bought it,
but they're out there.
Speaker 3: Were they were they working on the costumes before they
came up with the concept for the cover.
Speaker 4: Or you don't know. I'm not so sure. I don't
think they were necessarily connected.
Speaker 3: Okay, well, it just it would make sense because of
how the cover is compared to what the costs are,
you know, But I.
Speaker 4: Think it was just the time to do something. I mean,
you know, I first of all, the title animalized was brilliant,
and you know, fortunately animal clothes and accents and from
from everything about that style never went away, right, you know.
And obviously something like the asylum color colors and things
that that that's you gotta have a flavor for that,
you know what I mean, absolutely, and and and and
you know obviously even though they're this is just a drawing,
we know what the actual photo looks like, you know.
But but I like, you know, there's a great video
out there. I don't even want to get into too
much about the cover because the the artist that you know,
developed it with Paul Uh, he's done this videos of
him sharing Dennis We'll We'll. I forget how to pronounced
his last name. I'm pretty sure he's the one. He
explains everything about it, and I watched it and studied
it because I didn't know, Oh why is why is
it tilted? And even though Eric car might have gotten
the short end of the stick there, he did it
to make it a little artie, you know what I mean.
There are versions of those photos and then he explains
that each one of us just came in with like
a you know, I just pose. You know, it was
just a you know, photo of each and then you're
manipulating it obviously in whatever programs they used back in
forty years ago, I don't know what they used. You know.
Now it's always photoshop and stuff. Yeah, yeah, I mean,
and that's even when when I realized, well, what if
my face was on this, and then I could use
some of those brushstrokes? Where would I put them? You
see what I mean? Yeah, And I know that this
this looks perfectly balanced to me, But that guy had
that talent and I for it. And I think I
think it's you either love it or you hate it.
Either way, I love that my face is on the cover,
that's for sure.
Speaker 3: What do you remember about the making of the videos?
Speaker 4: Oh exciting? I mean, first of all, going to England,
which by the way, was a lot less expensive back then.
Then it would be now, okay, we all know how
expensive going to Europe is, and then you get the
vat tax and everything else. You know, it was first
of all, I love England, I love London. I grew
up loving the British invasion. So anything to do with
the Beatles to Who and led Zeppelin and on and on.
So I was very, very excited to be there. There's
a couple of my personal photos on the Kiss Online
article that I shared. Obviously, I was just always excited.
I got my first public shower with people, you know,
and tears of falling right right, yeah, and then I
got wet again in the other video, you know, that's right.
Wants to be lonely. The guitars survived, but it was
pretty weird, you know, the.
Speaker 3: All night video with all the girls. Yeah, you have
any good stories about the filming?
Speaker 4: I mean a lot of that stuff was shot some
of them they were in the same shot as us,
but not really. And and to be honest, I wish
I knew more about where the director kind of was wrought,
you know, stealing something from Hollywood, you know, the like
Pugs be the what is it called Berkeley something. Yeah,
my my wife knows all this stuff. Lisa is a
big she she got it right away. But what can
I say? It was very tongue in cheek anything outrageous
back then, and and sexy and it was a bit
burlesqui or whatever. It was was interesting, you know what
I mean? I was playing a charvel that I had
made post animalized with a zebra stripe design, something i'd like,
I'm going to explore in the future. I found is
he the original drawing I made to give Grover jack
really to create the guitar's cool and then tires a
fall and I used a custom design too. Unfortunately that
guitar was stolen. The zebra one I sold a long
time ago because I never bonded with the next shape
and everything. You know, who knew that, Like, why would
I get rid of something like that?
Speaker 3: But you do.
Speaker 4: You know, when it's five years after it's you don't
have the same importance. But now with time I go like,
what did I do? And the other one was stolen
along with a few other of my guitars back in
eighty eight. That was the one that was purple with
you know lines on it. I designed that too with
you know, and gave him, gave Grover Jackson that that design.
I was never the guy to put like naked girls
and skulls on my guitars, you know, I wanted I
wanted something just some I like our deco and I
liked animal stuff. So I had had those approaches but
and then of course the multi squirrel was featured in
one of them. You know, this guitar is still legendary,
and the original one, the one the one is with
a tremendous collector. And Sweden had who even has one
of my outfits from that era. I think he got
that in the auction or through someone that bought it
in the auction and then they passed it down. So
and the other guitar, the flip Flop Blue, which I
just was selling. I still have a few remaining mini
guitars of this. That's at the hard Rock in London
where they keep the vault and the merch. Okay, it's
right right in Hyde Park. That that one the hard
Rock bought from me ages ago. So cool stuff.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 4: I love looking through all the years about the guitars
that I used.
Speaker 3: Of course, when you when you go back and watch
those videos, is it do you grin? Is there anything
that makes you cringe a little bit? Or do you
just enjoy it all?
Speaker 2: No?
Speaker 4: Now I enjoy it. I know that. Probably if you
asked me that in nineteen ninety five or something, I
would have been like, what's going on?
Speaker 2: You know?
Speaker 4: But no, I love it Lisa and I whenever we've
revisited some of these things, like me looking in the
keyhole in one. Yeah, that's right, you know, do the
key hole, Bruce, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3: Yeah, oh the key hole.
Speaker 4: Okay, so no, no, I get it. And then you know,
imagine that I'm forever. You know, first of all, the
tear drop going on my guitar neck. You know, they
start the promotions on you know, if you look online,
a lot of the promotions that that was put together
by Pophouse and all show that. But to be you know,
in the shower, the volcano, all that. No, I really
I think all of them stand to test the time
in a fun way, and I love that they were.
You know, my very first video with the band is
actually a live video for Thrills in the Night. Of
course we were sind but they realized, all right, that's
the next single, and that's a terrific song. It really is. Okay,
but that was really the first one I ever did
with them. But all three of these songs are so
important and something I always want to be connected to
the videos you're talking about. Just because of the videos,
I think they're the most they're the most accessible commercially
of those songs you know, of that record rather, but
I still love that you like the exciting ones. And
people talk about King of the Mountains sometimes.
Speaker 3: If there's if you had to pick one song on
there that a video was not made for, which one
would you know?
Speaker 4: Well, let me think about that one. Well, I certainly
let me look at the song list, just so I
don't give you a bullshit answer there. Hang on, I'll
tell you King of the Mountain would be exciting. That
was always my first thought. Not a lot of songs
on the record.
Speaker 3: You know, you're right, right right, Well, that was back
in the day where.
Speaker 4: Yeah, there were only you know, yeah, so yeah, I
would say King of the Mountain that would be really cool,
just visually what you could do with it, even though
we use a volcano and tears of falling, maybe it
could be something with that.
Speaker 3: That'd be cool. Uh then, h then you guys are
going out on tour. Actually, I just interviewed Jamie Saint
James yesterday from Black and Blue, who was seen They
did a bunch of dates on that tour with you.
What do you remember remember about the tour?
Speaker 4: Well, you know, obviously it was very exciting.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 4: I know, we had great ambitions and expectations, and for
for one reason or another, actually the attendance it didn't
didn't stay at the height of the animalized thing, which
was obviously disturbing for Gene and Paul. The sign was
the biggest sign they ever used. I think it's still
is true to even later. Okay, even with all the
years of technology. It was the first like incredible multi
colored sign. Okay, unusual.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 4: Probably in the beginning. There was even faces on the floor,
which I think were too difficult, maybe slippery whatever, and
they were retired. Uh. And then if we want to
talk about the four lightning bulb steps, which whoever designed them, uh,
you know, should be shot because climbing them was not friendly. Okay,
that's like like like an escalating nightmare, you know what
I mean, And I have there's plenty of video out there.
Speaker 2: Paul.
Speaker 4: You know, I'm not sure if Paul ever felt, but
I know Eric did, and I know I I stumbled
as well. Fortunately you didn't fall off the complete stare,
but you get stuck there for a minute. So I eventually,
I know, we got rid of two of them. Uh,
and then we might have kept too, and then maybe
they all went away. I don't remember. There's some guys
in Sweden that are such pros about the tour. They
always talk about the variations of the staging. But it
was an exciting stage and unfortunately it's not a lot
of video of it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that there's really not a lot of video
or any of the asylum stuff, not a I.
Speaker 4: Mean there's some rough, rough things. Is one thing that
came out that was pretty cool that was somebody sink
the video to the what what what they had was
was part of a promotional video. I'm looking in the
tour book if there was anything like I know, you know,
you always take pictures, but you got admit, I mean
that's pretty hard still killer, you know. And this was
included that was included on the you know, off the
soundboard product.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: So and then you know, Eric had a drum riser,
you know, which was really cool. So but yeah, I
I wish it was video. And then again there's my
tailor swift out and I know flur fullir loved that
when I shared that, you know, and and here's my
getting wet in the in the the show, you know,
in the video, you.
Speaker 3: Know, Yeah, is that Is that a reprint of the
book or is that the actual No, this.
Speaker 4: Is an actual book. In fact, it's slightly falling apart.
But I have a few of them like this. If
anybody needs one to reach out, I could, I could
tell you a signed one.
Speaker 3: Smart. Smart?
Speaker 4: Do you think? No? I love the book? You know?
Because right?
Speaker 3: Yeah, well that's killer, that's kill.
Speaker 4: You know where the animal is? You cat to remember
for animalized? Obviously all the merch started off with Mark
Saint John. Then they finally real hope Bruce is now
in the band. We gotta re you know, fixed fix
the cover, and then uh they left it's funny. And
then when they had the one shot of me in
the in the thing included, they left a picture of
his hand in it, which was all swollen, you know,
which was part of the condition, which made no sense.
I guess. I guess that was a reminder of we
replaced the guy that unfortunately had to swollen hand with this.
Speaker 3: You know, Hey, Bruce, Uh, before we go here, I
do want to touch on you are going to be
playing here in November with the Big kiss e vent tire.
What what can people expect from you?
Speaker 4: I think there's this schedule out there, okay, and my
band will play on Sunday night. I got a you know,
it's like a Kiss cruise. It would be like a
set from the cruise, except usually on a cruise is
it's five days and usually you got to play twice.
I'm playing one time. I actually, on purpose, chose the
earlier slot because it's a three day weekend in Vegas.
You know, what could happen. I didn't want to go
on at you know, nine thirty o'clock and all that, right,
So we'll be followed by Black and Blue, which I
believe Tommy will sit in with them for some of
that set. I am going to play along with Kiss
on the Saturday night. I don't know what songs and
how much, but now that's when when they do their
you know performance. I'll be there all three days, although
I'm not I don't have the schedule beyond that of
what what exactly I'll be doing. But you know, it
is kind of a cruise on land, you know, and
the Virgin, which is a fine hotel. I know the
locals and your local too, we both live in Vegas.
Are roll upset? Well? I want to go, but I
don't want to stay with the Virgin, but they got
to understand that it's sold that way as a complete package,
you know. So I'm looking forward to it. I'm preparing
the songs now that I'm gonna do with my band,
and you know, obviously I can't cover my whole catalog,
but I'm going to try to touch upon everything that's
that I know they'd love with a couple of left turns.
I can't go too deep because I still want to
cover my stuff. I got to give a shout out
to my good buddy Chris Jericho because his Quarantine band
is going to play as well. Yeah, I love the
guys with Quiet Riot. They're playing on the Friday night.
Stephen Pearcy and warn De Martino, who are you know
representing rat Basically they're there as well, and I might
be forgetting another artist to sew Sebastian Bob oh, yeah, Sebastian.
Of course. That's on the same night as the Kiss
thing and during the day. I think there's a lot
of these other things and I am aware of doing
something with even though Bob Ezrin, the famous producer of course,
can't be there in person. We're going to Zoom and
do a panel and discuss revenge. I believe that's going
to be exciting.
Speaker 3: That's good. Do you who's going to be playing with
you for this?
Speaker 4: For your show, I'm gonna have Brent fitz on drums. Okay,
Todd Kurrns, of course is my guitar player front man.
I will mention that Unfortunately, Zach has another commitment, Zach Throne,
who's who's a dear friend and wonderful musician. He's been
playing with Jerry Cantrell and they now have a given
gig in Mexico, so he wasn't able to make it.
But I'm actually poaching, shall I say. And I've played
with him before and done a full set of kiss music.
Joe McGinnis, the guy who plays guitar actually with Chris,
who's really excellent, and he did play at another show
with me in Florida when I played with Joey Cassada
and we did an entire and Todd Currents and we
did an entire show of a live three and Joe
has been the you know he can play the bass
and sing. Did you know that Joe McGinnis was part
of that? There was this record that came out of
all originals that was called something seventy eight.
Speaker 3: Re Yeah classic seventy eight.
Speaker 4: Seven Yeah Classics seventy eight. And I knew Joe a
while before I even knew that he was one of
the principles of that writing and singing. And it was interesting.
Joe much like my guys. Meaning when I say my guys,
I mean Todd and Zach. They could sing either Paul
or Jean, you know what I mean. Certainly I prefer
when Zach sings Gene and Joe doesn't fine Gene, and
I don't want to overttax anybody with the vocals, so
that's why you split it up. Todd being like always
such a brilliant artist, and that's why he works so
all the time. Ye prod Kurns is just an incredible
front man and musician, and and Brent is just a
tremendous drummer and a super musician who could play any instrument,
so he always knows everything anyway, So anyone who see
me on the cruise, and there was another cruise that
Zach had to be somewhere else that I brought in
a guy from from Canada that Brent knew, This guy Chaz,
who did a great job too. So the important thing
is I hire whoever can play with me when I'm
missing one of my A team, as I like to
call it, who is willing to put the time and
the effort. And there is no bigger kiss fan than Joe,
even though he's also an incredible country ours, you.
Speaker 3: Know, and and he's very he's very jealous in my
eighties Ace Jacket, I didn't.
Speaker 4: Know you knew him, and you know I hooked him
up with ESP guitars. I mean, first of all, he
plays me incredible in Chris's band, and I get a
kick out of that because he's actually he's way younger
than me, so he can fire off some things that
I'd rather not do at the age of seventy one. Okay,
you know what's funny is baseball players retire. You're lucky
if you're playing in your forties, you know, in the
major leagues. But musicians have to play, you know, when
they're on Social Security. Okay, yeah, makes no sense to me,
you know. But but my point is Joe I knew
that he's a credible country guy too, and I said
to ESP, this guy can pick like the country guys
and play me you know what I mean from Kiss,
So you got to give it, you got to hook
up on them. They love them and they know that.
That's kind of cool to have an artist like that
because usually esp IS is driven mostly by obviously there's
the legacy guys like me and George Lynch and stuff
like that, but they're driven by the artists that are
kind of darker, you know, heavy heavy metal stuff, you know,
from around the world. So but I'm still, you know,
grateful that I'm still connected with them, which is awesome.
I was just at their fiftieth anniversary party, and that's right,
that's right to think I was with them now forty
years because Asylum is where I started playing their guitars
and George was the president of esp was George's tech
when Docin was opening for I mean with on Kiss tour,
so imagine that, and then years later he became the president. Yeah.
He's a dear friend of mine too, Matt, So yeah,
small world. That was really cool to see George there.
I know when I posted the picture, not all the
Kiss fans of Docin fans, but they should know that
connection that forty years from the Asylum tour, you know,
that's crazy.
Speaker 3: That's just wild man. Well, it's been a great run
and I'm so happy that this album is finally people
are finally opening their eyes to it, and I want
to help. I want to take some responsibility for that
because I convinced Trunk, and then Trunk went to the
airwaves and now everybody's loving Asylum and that's all because
of me. So thank you.
Speaker 4: That's great. Yeah, I hate yeah, but that's great, and
I do. I think it was important for us to
talk about the product and the fortieth anniversary stuff, even
though it came up a little while ago. If they don't,
you know, follow kiss online, they may not see that
that that cool stuff, you know, So anyone that's interested
in that, it's not that hard to find. You just
go to kissing Online. You dig through and you look
for you know, music, and you click on that and
you can find your own. And then if you've got
to have the picture this, then you got to go
to eBay and you gotta pay a fortune exactly exactly.
Speaker 3: You'll get soaked, Bruce as I'm hitting my ultro music.
Where can they find you give all your give all?
Speaker 2: Sure?
Speaker 4: Well, I mean websites aren't as like vital as they
used to be. But certainly Bruce Culick dot com shows
uh it shows actually some of my social media feed too,
you know. But Facebook, I have an official page and
a personal page. I generally post about the same stuff
on even one. But just look for Bruce Culick. It
always has a blue check. Don't don't get fooled by
a scammer, you know what I mean. They're out there.
Same thing with Twitter and Instagram. Not hard to find
me all the links I'm on Google. And then my
YouTube channel has a lot of content that I don't
spend because I never monetize YouTube. It's not my thing
till I constantly be doing product I mean meaning content
because the guys that do the content, you know, frequently
you know they're running a living from YouTube, especially when
you see that they have, you know, half a million
subscribers or a million subscribers. I don't do that. I
do it to connect with the fans. I do it
to share my stuff. And this way is a little
easier with the music and what I want to share
and what I want to show, of course, but everything's
you know, it's really easy to find all my content
and then you can see the stuff that I do
with my wife. Where I'm headed and obviously looking forward
to seeing the fans in Las Vegas later this year.
And then if anyone, I know, you're getting this out
on the anniversary or one of the anniversaries of Asirgen,
So if you're anywhere near Florida, you can make your
way there. The Fanboy event is going to be great
three days down in Orlando, and that's at the end
of this month, September. Okay, So, and I'm always active
doing things, you know.
Speaker 3: So yeah, you're out and about. And last question, who's
playing drums for kiss at the thing whatever?
Speaker 4: And the honest answer is I don't know, and don't
ask me why it may not be Eric. I say,
may not be Eric, because I'm always like a hail Mary,
you know, like last minute that that things worked out.
But even I don't know the answer to that. And
it's unfortunate, but I know that. Ah, it's a big
question on everyone's mind and unfortunately even I don't have
the answer to it. I know Doc McGee gave some
answer that didn't make any sense on some interview. I'd
love to hear somebody ask Gean and Paul, but I
don't know. What can I say? And everyone knows and
I love Eric and I would protect him, uh, one
one million percent if he did tell me something. But
I can tell you right now, I don't know. And
he's he he's smart with his behavior that way. You know. Absolutely,
he's personal to him and it's his business. And he
knows I'm too close to everything, you know what I
mean anyway, and and he knows that. I'm like, I
just want I hope you can work it out whatever
is to hold up. But if anyone thinks that, like,
oh my god, you know he is not well or something.
You know, you see you saw him.
Speaker 3: I saw him last night.
Speaker 4: Ye, he's fine and we keep in touch and I
hope it gets worked out. That's all I mean. Another
question could be easily be where's as Where's Peter?
Speaker 3: Yeah? Well, I mean Doc was very uh when when
they asked him about that on Show It Out loudcast,
he was He made it like he made it sound
like he wasn't going to give an answer, but he
gave an answ certain he goes And you didn't hear
that from me? Yeah, I mean, who knows you.
Speaker 4: Well either way, no matter what happens. Everybody that is participating,
participating will absolutely want to make this memorable experience for
the Kiss, you know, and let's let's I'm looking forward.
You know, they were. They were like a wild tribe
in the sense that bands, you know, and as as
they merge together like some uh you know sci fi
board group of people you know that are interconnected in
all these ways. You know, Well, we'll celebrate Kiss, which
which always should be celebrated because it's just such an
incredible catalog and and entertaining band.
Speaker 3: You know, I'm just I agree, Bruce. Thanks you to
be part of history, you know that, absolutely, dude, thank
you so much for doing this and taking it.
Speaker 4: Anybody want an asylum scarf, reach out to me. No,
I love this, I love it, sleep with it, sleep
with it.
Speaker 3: I love it? All right, Ladies and gentlemen, hit up
ruf acubitty, can you can find me hold on and said,
we'll say goodbye off the air. Find me Izzypresley dot com,
Patreon sign up. It's only five dollars a month. Five
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What I lack and talent, Well, you know the answer
to that.