intothewellsabyss

Jun 30, 20234 min read

KIϟϟ — Love Gun

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

46 years ago today, one million copies of this bands sixth studio album was shipped upon its release, making it already certifiable for Platinum status!

On this day (June 30) in 1977, KIϟϟ released their sixth full-length studio album, “Love Gun” Casablanca Records. Casablanca Records and FilmWorks shipped one million copies of the album on this date.

It was certified platinum and became the band's first top 5 album on the Billboard 200. The album was remastered in 1997 and again in 2014.

Background:

“Love Gun” is the first KIϟϟ album to feature a lead vocal performance from Ace Frehley, making it the first to feature lead vocal performances from all four band members. It was also the last studio album to feature Peter Criss on every song, as he was replaced by session drummer Anton Fig for all but one song on 1979's “Dynasty”. Before “Love Gun” was completed, a Gallup poll indicated that KIϟϟ was the most popular band in the United States, beating Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and The Eagles.

On August 26, 27 and 28, 1977, KIϟϟ recorded three shows at the LA Forum for their next release, their second live album “Alive II”.

The album cover was painted by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, who previously contributed the cover for 1976's “Destroyer”. A cardboard "Love Gun" (assembly required) was included inside the album, along with a KIϟϟ merchandise order form.

About the Songs:

"I Stole Your Love" Written by Paul Stanley, and is in the same vein as songs like "Makin' Love" and "C'mon and Love Me". Stanley has said that this song was influenced by Deep Purple's "Burn".

"Christine Sixteen" Then-unknown guitarist Eddie and drummer Alex Van Halen played on the demo of this song, as well as "Got Love for Sale". The lyrics have a similar theme to "Goin' Blind" from “Hotter Than Hell”; both songs involve older men falling in love with younger girls. It was sampled by Rapper Tone Loc on "Funky Cold Medina".

"Shock Me" The song was inspired by an event that took place during KIϟϟ's “Rock and Roll Over” tour when Frehley suffered an electric shock. On December 12, 1976, KIϟϟ performed a concert at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida. During the opening number, Frehley touched an ungrounded metal staircase railing. He was knocked backward, and the concert was delayed for 30 minutes. The show was eventually completed, and Frehley lost feeling in his hand for the remainder of the concert.

This was the first lead vocal that Frehley recorded. In his autobiography, he states that he originally intended for Gene Simmons to sing the song, but the bassist encouraged Frehley to try it himself. Frehley recorded his lead vocal part while lying on the floor of the studio because he liked the added pressure on his chest.

"Tomorrow and Tonight" The song was written to try to recapture the feeling of "Rock and Roll All Nite", but never reached the success of the aforementioned hit. A soundcheck recording of the song appears on “Alive II”. The song was never played live by the band until KIϟϟ Kruise VII in November 2017.

"Love Gun" The title song has been played on every KIϟϟ tour since its release. Stanley has cited it as one of his favorite KIϟϟ songs. It was the first song that Stanley wrote, arranged and produced in its entirety. The song shares many of its lyrics with "The Hunter", written by Booker T & The MGs, and recorded by Albert King, Ike & Tina Turner, Blue Cheer, and Free. In his autobiography “Face the Music”, Stanley acknowledges the derivation: "I stole the idea of a 'love gun' from Albert King's version of 'The Hunter,' which Zeppelin also nicked from for 'How Many More Times' on their first album."

"Plaster Caster" The song was inspired by Cynthia Plaster Caster, a former groupie famous for casting penises of famous Rock musicians, such as Jimi Hendrix.

"Then She Kissed Me" The song is one of several gender-reversed covers of the Crystals' 1963 single "Then He Kissed Me".

Re-issues:

“Love Gun” was reissued for the first time in 1985. The reissue included the original artwork, and while it featured a plain sleeve the jacket still contained a reference for the original color sleeve. The first 10,000 pressings contained label errors: specifically, the third track of the 'A' side was listed as "Plaster Caster" but played as "Got Love for Sale", and the 'B' side track listings were completely out of order.

“Love Gun” was remastered and reissued in 1997 as part of the KIϟϟ Remasters series.

It was remastered and reissued in a deluxe edition on October 28, 2014, with sleeve notes by Def Leppard's Joe Elliott and a second disc containing demos, live rarities and a 1977 interview with Gene Simmons. All tracks on the second disc were previously unreleased, bar the demo of "Reputation", which had appeared on the compilation “KIϟϟ 40” a few months earlier. The three live tracks were recorded at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland on December 20, 1977. "The potential for this to be the greatest deluxe edition of all time," noted music writer Geoff Barton, "is ruined by a too-clean remastering job – plus, if truth be told, a track that has dated badly in 'Christine Sixteen'."

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to “Love Gun (Deluxe Edition)” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/love-gun-deluxe-edition/1443210977

Click this link to listen to “Love Gun” via Spotify: Love Gun https://open.spotify.com/album/77opKywcxPnBu5aBMASS2b

Click this link to follow KIϟϟ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KISS

Click this link to follow Ace Frehley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialacefrehley

Click this link to follow the Peter Criss ultimate fan page on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/petercrissdrums/

Click this link to follow Paul Stanley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulStanleyOfficial

Click this link to follow Gene Simmons on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialgenesimmons

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells

KIϟϟ — Love Gun

Background:

About the Songs:

Re-issues:

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Follow Us:

Recent Posts

Comments

Subscribe Form