Paul Stanley on Richie's audition for KISS
 

Paul Stanley's new book "Face The Music: A Life Exposed" came out a while ago, but Europe had to wait for our copies. I got mine a few days ago, and there's a paragraph about Richie's audition (and Bon Jovi). The date of the audition is around summer 1982:

"With Ace gone, we put the word out that we were looking for a new guitar slinger. Among others, we auditioned Steve Farris of Mr. Mister, Robben Ford, who was a great blues player, and Steve Hunter. Richie Sambora, who was in a newly formed band called Bon Jovi, flew in from New Jersey to audition. He wasn't yet the consummate player he would become, and he didn't get the gig.

It's funny, but years later I heard him say he hadn't really wanted the job because he wanted to be in something more blues-based. First of all, it's hard to imagine that he flew to California to audition for KISS just because he liked airplane food; also, Bon Jovi's done a lot of great things, but they don't sit next to Howlin Wolf in my record collection. "


Ice

Fair comments really.

Just that there's no way he was in Bon Jovi back in 1982. In fact, there wasn't even anything called Bon Jovi back in 1982.

Also, what Richie said in that Howard Stern interview is that Paul and Gene wanted someone to worship them and expected him to know all the songs which he didn't. He just wanted to jam. It's not like he claimed he turned down the gig, but told his version of the story. As about the Blues... There was certainly more room for blues in Bon Jovi than in Kiss.

Just saying really... Paul probably misunderstood :p

Paul Stanley was, is and always will be a conceited douche nozzle.

It's also entirely possible that both parties felt the chemistry wasn't there and opted against him joining the band. In terms of the quality of either band's music when compared against one another, it's apples and oranges. You wouldn't put Jovi's stuff anywhere near the best of Kiss but I haven't even got a single Kiss album in my collection so it's a moot point really.

The decision worked out well for Richie. I'd imagine working for Gene Simmons would be even shittier than being under the watchful eye of our beloved CEO.

Gene isn't the main problem. Paul is.

Richie made a good call. He went on to conquer the world with Jovi instead of cow towing to Paul and Gene's call. Personally I think he would have been a good fit for KISS,his guitar playing has a decent,melodic tone to it.
Sadly the KISS army had to endure the bumblebee drizzle that was provided by Vinnie Vincent.

Based on what?

Liked his music on LIU and Creatures but hated his live sound,just a flurry of notes at speed and his stand alone guitar solos were painful

Somebody is lying like a rug. But Richie's the one who has told this story consistently over the years, and more to the point, the timeline fits.

Got revisionism, Paul?

P.S. Dave Sabo was an inexperienced underaged temporary fill-in, and he knew it. The guitarist Richie actually replaced left at the last minute to join a cover band!

If you weren't interested in blues-oriented guitarists, Paul, why did you audition Robben Ford? And wouldn't you have auditioned for Howlin Wolf if the worst outcome would be free a trip to where you could make additional professional contacts, plus the ability to mention it on your resume? Spare us your injured innocence!

Based on the common knowledge that Paul is an asshole. Read the article in Rolling Stone about KISS that came out last month. Gene is all about the money, but he's open abut it. Paul is a liar and makes shit up about Ace and Peter. The best is claiming that Peter didn't write "Beth", but he did. The guy is a dick. He's constantly changing his story on any issue to fit his needs.

Umm... Richie's timeline is the one that's wrong, the audition was in 1982, because Creatures was released in 1982. So, I believe Paul on this one.

Seriously, can you read? And what do you have against KISS?

It clearly says RICHIE was the one claiming than KISS wasn't blues-based enough, not the other way around. It's Richie claiming Bon Jovi is more based in the blues than KISS, which is bullshit. Richie was the nobody who had nothing under his belt and who keeps saying he didn't want the gig. Which is obviously bullshit, since he flew to the audition.

Again, I believe Paul is telling it like it happened, Richie just wants to make himself look good.

Ice

He may have flown to the audition and been a nobody at the time but there are plenty of reasons why he could have walked away from it as much as been turned down for the role. Without having been there, it's all speculation so take the blinkers off and consider the simple fact that there would have been no Bon Jovi (as we know it) if that decision had not been made, regardless of who made the call.

I'll just add that trying to start a topic based on pure speculation to have yet another dig at Richie's questionable character is going a tad overboard, much like the 'dissection' of his remarks in the interview being discussed in the other thread.

I'm sure the boys in KISS are absolute saints so it simply must be Richie that's lying. :roll:

Paul is the ONLY reason KISS still exists. And Peter didn't write Beth, it was Stan Penridge. And Penridge has said so. He also said Peter didn't write anything on any of the songs they "collabarated". If Peter was a songwriter, how come he never wrote a song by himself? Because he can't play any instruments. He's not capable of writing a song.

"how much of it was Peter really responsible for, if any?"
Penridge:
"Beck was written, almost word for word, from Mike Brand's responses to his wife's constant calls that interupted our rehearsals. It got to the point where I wrote down his remarks over a period of 3 or 4 days in what I called my "wizard book". It was merely a small notebook I carried to jot down silly sayings, sketch in, anything....to save ideas. If you look at the lyrics and view them as a hen-pecked hubby's remarks to his nagging wife you'll see what I mean. Just pause after every sentence and pretend there's a bitch at the other end of the line. You'll catch it - I'm sure. Absolutely not responsible at all. Another poorman's copyright by me in '70."
http://kissmonster.com/interviews/in...idge082000.php


I've read all the KISS books and Paul's is the most believeable. Ace and Peter are the ones making stuff up and Gene exaggerates everything. Kiss & Tell shows how much Ace lies in his book, as the same stories are there, only twisted so that it makes Ace look like the hero. And this from a guy who says he can't remember anything about the 70's or the 80's.

Paul isn't the asshole, he's the reason KISS kept going. And he's the reason it will keep going, despite the "real fans" who think Ace and Peter could still have something to contribute. Peter couldn't play a concert if his life depended on it. Ace probably could, but only the songs he remembers. Which aren't too many in numbers. And even then, his playing is touch and go. Just listen to the recent performances. I'd rather listen to a tribute band.

Ice

Those are Paul's words, verbatim.

Funny, Peter seemed to play the drums just fine for KISS for years while they were one of the biggest bands out there. Let's be honest, writing "Beth" doesn't make someone a musical genius. Hell, you or I could sit down one night and write that song. But why now, so many years later, is Paul trying to take credit for it? Because whether Paul likes it or not, and sad as it may be, it was probably their most successful commercial song, and all these bad feelings came up again because of the Hall of Fame debacle. Far from even belonging on any KISS greatest hits, but it is what it is.

I don't disagree about Paul being the main reason KISS still exists, though let's be serious - Who would care about KISS without Gene?

How is Paul taking credit for Beth?

No, mine. I just happen to agree with Paul.

But he didn't. He was good in the beginning, but after Love Gun he hardly played on an album and live he sounded bad. The tempos were all over the place and the producers (even Vini Poncia, who produced Peter's solo album) didn't want him to play on the albums. The reunion tours sounded horrible. The triggered sounds made it painfully obvious how bad Peter had become. The solos were actually pathetic.

Yep. But it still takes skill to play a musical instrument. Something that you can play melodies and chords on. Not drums. Plus, at least three people have been on record saying that Peter didn't write it. Why would you doubt people who have nothing to gain (in the 70's all members of KISS got a fixed 25% of everything, Penridge still got royalties, Ezrin gets royalties) by telling the truth?

He's not! He doesn't have anything to do with Beth, and he never said he did.

It's not the first time this has been brought up, it's been discussed for decades. Look it up. They were talking about it in the 80's, when Peter's solo albums all flopped.

Many don't care about KISS _with_ Gene. I'm sure that they will find replacements for both Gene and Paul in the near future.

Ice

He misread the article in RS. He didn't claim he wrote it, just said that Peter didn't.

Paul's words on Beth:

Criss is desperately proud of the song, but Stanley claims the drummer had little to do with its creation. "Peter can't write a song, because Peter doesn't play an instrument," Stanley argues. "Penridge came up with [sings], 'Beth, I hear you calling. . . .' Peter had nothing to do with it. Because if you write one hit song, you should be able to write two. That's the reality. Devastating? It's the truth. It was a lifeline that Peter hung on to validate himself, but it wasn't based on reality."

I didn't have an agenda, I just wanted to point out what Paul wrote. Others in this thread do seem to have a chip on their shoulders, though. I'm not trying to have a dig at Richie, I like the guy. I'm just saying that he may have been trying to make him look better in this situation. There's no reason for Paul to lie, and every reason for Richie to make it seem like HE was the one who turned the gig down. I'm not saying Richie's lying, but he was a nobody at that point, and I'm sure he would've joined KISS if they'd asked him. But they didn't.

And having another opinion from someone who was ACTUALLY THERE, is hardly speculation.

Ice

So? Where does it say Paul wrote it or wants credit for it? Beth was written by Stan Penridge and Bob Ezrin. Peter got a credit, just like many members before and after, on songs they didn't write. Paul's not the bad guy here, Peter's the one lying.

Ice

Im sure they will try, but once Paul and Gene leave then KISS is over.

As already stated I reckon Richie would have been a good fit for KISS but the planets just didnt line up.I would really have no idea how Paul and Gene tossed him away and went with bumblebee Vincent instead.His live performances were just embarrassing,luckily when recording an album P&G could control his output.In the end Richie got a much better gig with Jovi than limping through the late 80s with KISS.

As for Paul's book,its a decent read but there are a couple of low blows which were uncalled for. Paul is no different than any of the other KISS members,he only writes about things he wants you to know.He attaches blame to everyone and yet fails to mention misjudgements on his part.

Right. I read the book too. Where is Paul taking credit for Beth there? He's taking credit away from Peter, and rightly so as he truly did not write it, but how is he in the wrong in this case?

It should be water under the bridge at this point. What does Paul have to gain?