KISS Love Gun 35 yrs

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Geo Sav
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KISS Love Gun 35 yrs

Post by Geo Sav »

It's crazy how fast time goes by but I can't believe Love Gun was released 35 years ago.
Paul Wolfe
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Re: KISS Love Gun 35 yrs

Post by Paul Wolfe »

I'm so glad you mentioned this, because I've been wanting to discuss Christine Sixteen from that record.

I read an interview with Eddie VH in which he claimed he and Alex wrote Christine Sixteen with Gene... so I went digging and found this:

Hi Gene -

Long time KISS fan here, since like '75 or so. I was 6 then. :)

I just have a quick question for you. I read someplace earlier that the guitar solo on "Christine Sixteen" on Love Gun was actually performed by Eddie Van Halen, not Ace Frehley. Any truth to this, or is this just yet another fool trying to sound like he knows something about which he actually has no clue?
Thanks man. Looking forward to the new album!

Scott Wedel


Response from Gene:

Close. But no guitars. The real story is, when KISS got back from Japan, I couldn't sleep and wrote Christine Sixteen in my sleep. I called Eddie and Alex Van Halen and asked em to help me cut three songs at Larabee Sound in LA. We cut Christine, Got Love For Sale and Tunnel of Love. The solo you're talking about WAS played by Eddie...note for note, but ONLY ON THE DEMO. The KISS version has Ace playing those notes.



Very interesting that Gene admits Ed played the solo on the demo... here's the quote from Ed in March of 1980:

"...And the other one was Christine Sixteen. Remember the solo in that? I wrote the solo for that and it sounded so good when we played with him because I double tracked it. It was a double solo, a double lead. It sounded so good and then all of a sudden their record comes out (Love Gun) and they played the same solo but it sounded like he used some kind of octave box. It didn't sound the same. That guy, he fucked up my solo. It sounded so good: it was a melodic little thing that really fit in.

He goes on to say he liked Ace's solo album and didn't want to cut him down because he still looked up to the guys who came before him.

Christine Sixteen Live
Paul Wolfe
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Re: KISS Love Gun 35 yrs

Post by Paul Wolfe »

And here is a must see CNN piece on the KISS money machine.
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Geo Sav
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Re: KISS Love Gun 35 yrs

Post by Geo Sav »

Yeh that was when gene was trying to get them a recording contract and paid for there demo. The other song was on genes solo album and I dont think he used eddies solo there. I understand ace playing on christine sixteen and GLFS but why didn't gene use ed for anything on the solo record especially the song tunnel of love. He had guest musicians on that album ex. Joe perry,rick nelson ect. No ed and alex.
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