Sure, rock n' roll is just rock n' roll right? You might be surprised what some people might do to become rich and famous. But, just how far up the chain does the corruption go? Starting with one book and one band, very popular band at that, I'm going to give you a few excerpts to ponder over and let you come to your conclusions.
Read the excerpts very carefully and keep in mind that it is NOT UNUSUAL for shoulders to rub up against CIA shoulders at various celebrity functions! Yes, just ask actor Dean Haglund from The Lone Gunmen fame, if the CIA doesn't show up at the most peculiar places. Enjoy!
KISS-Behind the Mask-An Official Authorized Biography-David Leaf and Ken Sharp
Warner Books-An Aol Time Warner Company-October 2003
My italics!
page 46- Througout the early 70's, right up until the week before KISS went on its first tour, Gene held a succession of jobs ranging from assistant director of the Peurto Rican Interagency Council to a man Friday at Vogue magazine.
page 48- While Kiss rehearsed by night, Gene sold the band by day.
Gene: "I was working at Vogue(as assistant to the editor)...
page 66- At the time, a live album was completely contrary to the trends in the record industry.
page 68- Bill Aucoin: ...we knew about six months before Alive! was released that we were destined for success...
page 87- Cher and Gene met at a party Neil Bogart gave for California governor Jerry Brown on February 18,1978.
page 89- Gene is determined to keep KISS apolitical, and he thinks that "when the current generation gets into political power, Republicans and Democrats will be obsolete..."
page 89-Gene: "President Kennedy had a lot of style."
Thing is, is Gene REALLY apolitical? Well check this
out---
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/4/15/130556.shtml
Gene Simmons Kisses Off Anti-war Crowd
James Hirsen
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
THE LEFT COAST REPORT
A Political Look at Hollywood
As for fellow libs in the entertainment biz, Simmons says that he’s “ashamed to be surrounded by people calling themselves Liberal who are, in my opinion, spitting on the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their life to fight a war that wasn't theirs ... in a country they've never been to ... simply to liberate the people therein.”
The rocker makes an appeal to those who hold fast to an appeasement mentality: “The answer to any doubters lies in watching Iraq's people dancing in the streets.”
Note: If Gene was trying to keep KISS apolitical, then he himself would have to remain apolitical. Why comment at all about the war in Iraq? Obviously, Simmons cannot remain apolitical and hence neither can the rest of KISS!
Gene would say 'hats off to all those Republicans and Democrats who voted to invade Iraq AND Afghanistan. Liar liar Gene! We're onto you Chaim!
KISS Alive! (front cover)
page 95- Peter: There was no legendary American rock n' roll band before, and I feel KISS is it.
Paul: There was another time when I had run out of money, and Neil couldn't give us any more... the next day, he(Gene) brought me a cashier's check for $1,000.
page 128- Erc Carman of the Raspberries: (on Iggy Pop)...the chamber of commerce refused to let him in the city.
page 148- Buck Dharma, Blue Oyster Cult: They were certainly well funded right from the beginning,even when they weren't making money.
page 153- Jim Lea,Slade: ...they just made everything James Bond.
On page 246, Eddie Kramer talks about how the album Alive! went through extensive re-recording and how that fact was withheld from the public for many years. Kramer said that many bands were doing it back then. Essentially everything was taken out except for the drums and even the drum mistakes were masked by using the volume of the audience. Audience sound was also manipulated to make the audience sound even bigger. So, what was supposed to have been a live album, was really an album that was manipulated by heavy mixing and this information was kept from the people.
page 248- Fin Costello(on the Alive! front cover): As you can see from the high angle of the camera this could not have been taken at a live show, as I would have had to have been suspended above the stage to get that angle.
page 252- Ace Frehley: At that point in time, I was a party animal. I was hitting Studio 54 a lot.
page 275- Larry Harris: Payola was used with KISS on Top 40 radio. Payols was widespread, it involved all the other big bands at the time too, not just KISS. KISS didn't know this nor should they have known this..."Calling Dr. Love," "Hard Luck Woman," "Christine Sixteen" were not big records. They were singles that we manipulated to look big using various methods. One was using the charts, one was buying our way onto Top 40 radio through payola. A perfect example is one of the stations in Miami.
