Did Gene Simmons or Paul Stanley ever successfully make someone's career?

[aznsquirt]

The Black N' Blue thread got me thinking.

In the history of rock/metal in the late 70s through the mid 80s or so, it's clear that both Gene and Paul spent significant effort (esp. Gene) trying to parlay their careers into production/band development/etc. roles.

There are countless stories of this or that band getting courted by one or the other on their way up, and lots of examples of one or the other signing/producing/co-writing on albums, getting opening slots with Kiss, etc.

With the exception of Gene's role in Van Halen's early career (it's hard to say how much of an impact he had), I can't think of any examples of it ever really working out. There's a handful of medicore bands (Black N Blue, Keel, etc) and then a whole bunch of people who didn't even get off the ground.

Knowing Gene's business savvy, I'm willing to bet he still made money off of these ventures as a whole, but it sure seems like he missed the mark on making a star.

Am I missing anything?

[DangerZone]

i can’t think of any, though the names of Keel, BNB & EZO are still known.
He may have given Wendy Williams a bump?

Because of this board I learned of Gypsy Rose - great album executive produced by Gene

[KISStian]

Starz would tell you they sabotaged them.

[Rocker4Real]

Doesn't Gene claim to have something to do with Van Halen or Cinderella?

[rockker]

Desmond Child?

[str]

Didn't Stevie once say there was no way Tuff would ever sign with Simmons Records in one of the Tuff diaries?
They probably asked the same question

[pieceofme]

Thayer did well for himself.

[BernieTaupson]

Other than Paul having major success with Desmond Child with the disco song and then suggesting that he write songs with Jon Bon Jovi (a decision that Paul probably woke up screaming to every night in the mid 80s when KISS was on oxygen and Bon Jovi were a multi-platinum overnight) it’s just a load of C level shit.

EZO, Sleeze Beeze, Bag, Loz Netto, Gypsy Rose … a bunch of acts no one has ever heard of.

https://www.kiss-related-recordings.nl/ ... mmons.html

House of Lords had a popular album for about thirty seconds, they were on Simmons Records.

[ParaDime77]

I would figure Gene and Paul only got involved with upcoming bands as part of some sort of record label kick back and willingness to attach a new band to their name. I doubt they cared about any sort of outcome the band had after the release.

[Velvis]

Desmond Child.
It's possible if Paul didn't ask him to work with him and co-write I Was Made For Loving You, he might have never been brought to the attention Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Cher, Ricky Martin, Alice Cooper, Michael Bolton, etc.

[aznsquirt]

I was thinking more in terms of Paul and Gene trying to produce/groom bands etc, but the Desmond Child thing is something.

Surprised nobody's said Vinnie Vincent in that vein, haha.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Desmond Child.
It's possible if Paul didn't ask him to work with him and co-write I Was Made For Loving You, he might have never been brought to the attention Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Cher, Ricky Martin, Alice Cooper, Michael Bolton, etc.

Good answer. Even when he co-wrote Heaven's On Fire he was still on the come up and hadn't gone yuge yet.

[Zinny]

Paul turning down the opportunity to produce ”Appetite For Destruction” might have saved Guns ’N’ Roses!

[Bono Nettencourt]

Doesn't Gene claim to have something to do with Van Halen or Cinderella?

He "discovered" VH in '76, but Kiss' manager had no interest, so they languished in the clubs for another year before Templeman rediscovered them.

[aznsquirt]

Paul turning down the opportunity to produce ”Appetite For Destruction” might have saved Guns ’N’ Roses!

I don't think Paul turned it down, IIRC he was rejected by the band when he wanted to make a bunch of changes to the songs and their sound. He claimed in his autobiography that he suggested changing Nighttrain and Axl walked away, haha.

Unfortunately, this turned into a rumor that Paul helped write Nighttrain, but he never claims it and if you listen to their old live sets before their time with Paul, the structure of Nighttrain is the same.

It sounds like he definitely wanted to polish them up, give them the same ol' big arena sound, yada yada. Fortunately GnR was big and/or confident enough to not feel the need to go along with it.

[BernieTaupson]

GNR saw right through Paul’s pretentious shit. The only one who liked him was Adler and he was a massive KISStard. And even then, Adler said to him “who’s got the hairiest chest out of me or you?” and Paul looked at him dismissingly and said “me, of course” and walked off. Paul didn’t put that part in his book.

[risingfarce]

Desmond Child?

This is the answer to who had the most success after working with KISS first.

[aznsquirt]

Desmond Child?

This is the answer to who had the most success after working with KISS first.

I mean, you could argue that VH takes the cake, but Desmond Child does have writing credits on BOYS NITE OUT, so hey.

Also, not that it's much related, but Bryan Adams' career went absolutely nuclear shortly after writing a couple of tracks on Creatures of the Night.

[Love_Industry]

If bands they took out as opening bands count, the list grows:

Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, Rush, Mötley Crue and Iron Maiden all opened for Kiss shortly before they themselves became arena headliners.
And that's just off the top of my head. Maybe Slaughter too, but their successful career didn't last very long after the Kiss tour.

[risingfarce]

Desmond Child.
It's possible if Paul didn't ask him to work with him and co-write I Was Made For Loving You, he might have never been brought to the attention Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Cher, Ricky Martin, Alice Cooper, Michael Bolton, etc.

Desmond Child's band Desmond Child & Rouge was a short-lived band from NYC. Paul saw them playing in a club and liked their music. The two wrote "I Was Made For Loving You" for KISS and “The Fight” for Desmond Child & Rouge’s debut lp.

Desmond Child was not well-known at this time. "I Was Made For Loving You" went RIAA gold in the U.S. (over 1 million copies sold) and became an international hit. It ended up being KISS' biggest selling single.

After Bon Jovi opened for KISS on the European leg of the "Animalize" tour, Jon asked Paul for Desmond's phone number.

Desmond Child has stated that he owes his success to Paul.

[risingfarce]

Desmond Child.
It's possible if Paul didn't ask him to work with him and co-write I Was Made For Loving You, he might have never been brought to the attention Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Cher, Ricky Martin, Alice Cooper, Michael Bolton, etc.

Good answer. Even when he co-wrote Heaven's On Fire he was still on the come up and hadn't gone yuge yet.

He co-wrote a one million selling single in the U.S., plus "I Was Made For Loving You" sold very well internationally. He had success fairly early. He was not a household name at that time though.

[risingfarce]

Paul turning down the opportunity to produce ”Appetite For Destruction” might have saved Guns ’N’ Roses!

Paul didn't turn GNR down, GNR turned him down.

[BernieTaupson]

Desmond Child has stated that he owes his cold sore to Paul.

[risingfarce]

Desmond Child?

This is the answer to who had the most success after working with KISS first.

I mean, you could argue that VH takes the cake, but Desmond Child does have writing credits on BOYS NITE OUT, so hey.

Also, not that it's much related, but Bryan Adams' career went absolutely nuclear shortly after writing a couple of tracks on Creatures of the Night.

Gene brought the band to NYC and produced and paid for their demo tape. He bought DLR some stage clothes. But, KISS, that is Gene, didn't have any other input into VH's successful career.

"Creatures Of The Night" bombed when it was released, so Bryan Adams' career wasn't helped by KISS. "Rock And Roll Hell" was only played once or a few times in concert. "War Machine" was not a single, but did appear on live cds and dvds, so Adams got some royalties from that. The lp did eventually go RIAA gold (500,000 million in the U.S.).

[BernieTaupson]

RIAA gold (500,000 million in the U.S.).

[risingfarce]

If bands they took out as opening bands count, the list grows:

Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, Rush, Mötley Crue and Iron Maiden all opened for Kiss shortly before they themselves became arena headliners.
And that's just off the top of my head. Maybe Slaughter too, but their successful career didn't last very long after the Kiss tour.

AC/DC, Queensryche, Accept, Scorpions, Tom Petty, Styx, Journey, Bob Seger, John Cougar, Cheap Trick, Night Ranger.

There were others who had some level of fame before opening for KISS: Sammy Hagar, Blue Oyster Cult, J Geils Band, Poison, Def Leppard (co-headliner going on before KISS).

[risingfarce]

Desmond Child has stated that he owes his cold sore to Paul.

I'm sure you got your cold sore from Desmond.

I'm also sure you're the type to pass it around.

[GoodJudge]

He may have given Wendy Williams a bump?

I see what you did there.

But Wendy was and is still known for the Plasmatics, not for It's My Life or anything else on that album.

[KISStian]

If bands they took out as opening bands count, the list grows:

Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, Rush, Mötley Crue and Iron Maiden all opened for Kiss shortly before they themselves became arena headliners.
And that's just off the top of my head. Maybe Slaughter too, but their successful career didn't last very long after the Kiss tour.

AC/DC, Queensryche, Accept, Scorpions, Tom Petty, Styx, Journey, Bob Seger, John Cougar, Cheap Trick, Night Ranger.

There were others who had some level of fame before opening for KISS: Sammy Hagar, Blue Oyster Cult, J Geils Band, Poison, Def Leppard (co-headliner going on before KISS).

Salient point on the opening acts. Used to be a big deal to see who they'd take out.

[TooOldToCare]

The answer is no one.

Gene's version of discovering VH has been debunked down to maybe recording a demo, and that's it. Desmond took off because a disco-rock song took off. Indirectly, Paul jump-started his renowned career, but it wasn't Paul's doing. Desmond co-wrote (or probably mostly wrote) the song. It was his own doing.

I remember Gene going on and on about that Bag dude. WTAF? That was shit.

Very little non-KISS business was successful including people they worked with or who worked for them.