The Smiley Smile Message Board

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I've always had a special place in my heart for both Brian Wilson and Gene Simmons.  They were both loners who sought refuge in music and fantasy. Both projected something they wished they were (but were not) through the image of their songs. Brian was abused by his father; Gene was abandoned by his - - so both men had 'father issues'. Brian and Gene  were both warned by fellow bandmates not to 'f*** w/ the formula' and did anyway - - only to feel like failures when their projects ceased to come to fruition or to catch the public's attention. Brian felt the weight of the world to succeed wildly in order to make his family members wealthy and prominent; Gene felt the weight of the world to succeed wildly so that his mother's time in the Nazi concentration camps could be redeemed.
Although KISS and The Beach Boys may not seem to outwardly have much in common - - I love them both and the fantasy world that their two leaders created for the rest of us...even if those two men themselves never really got to experience the fantasy as their own personal reality.
My Gene Simmons biography is due in December.

"My Gene Simmons biography..."  Does that mean YOU are writing it?  I'm an old KISS fan from way back, love to hear more about it.

Yes - it's in the hands of a Publisher now. The title is "Gene Simmons: A Rock 'N Roll Journey in the Shadow of The Holocaust". I'll keep you posted. :)

So, did you interview Gene for the book?

No - it's based on existing materials about the band, Gene's autobiography, interviews going back to 1975, research on children raised by Holocaust survivors, the history of Jews in the comic book industry, etc. From there, it's all sort of fused together.

I'm NOT trying to start an argument.. But i saw KISS on their very 1st tour and they played (opened ) for 2 other bands..Old long Beach Auditorium..1974.. I think they opened for either Savoy Brown.. Foghat..?? Manfred Mann"s earth band..don't remember..BUT.. there was people there that KNEW who KISS was and did not like them.. And THREW stuff at them and BOOED..! Very embarrassing.. KISS has come along way since then..I also saw the same thing happen to..The Raspberries.. Santa Monica Civic 1974..Opened for Roy Woods Wizard.. Flo + Eddie were there.. Allways wondered was this the time Flo + Eddie took Roy Wood to Brian Wilson"s house.. I have never since then seen an audience show disrespect for a band like that since..

This sounds like it'd be a good story and I've never heard of this. Can you perhaps expand on it a bit more please?

On 15 big ones the track.It"s Ok has Roy Wood on it on sax..Recorded in 1974.. During early 70"s according to Danny Hutton..He + Flo + Eddie used to bring new musicians up to BW house to play new songs + jam Shortnin Bread all nite long..Supposedly some of them included..Iggy Pop..Roy Wood..Elton John..As the story goes..Lots of BW songs he played back then were never recorded..

Since were talking about The Beach Boys and KISS in the same thread, does anyone else think Mike Love doing a cover of Calling Dr. Love would be hilarious?

New album title!