CHAPTER 37 - Crazy
Nights (1987)
“Crazy Nights” Album Notes:
Produced
by Ron Nevison. Recorded
at One on One Recording Studios,
While there were
suggestions that the album was going to be called “Condomnation,”
the working title, and title which stuck for quite a while was “Who Dares Wins”
which had been suggested by Eric. In some ways that would have been an
appropriate title for the album considering the gamble the band had taken
waiting for Ron Nevison to become available to
produce.
37.01. Crazy Crazy Nights
During early 1987 Paul
mentioned in some interviews that he was writing material for the next KISS
album using keyboards. This was an omen for many, and for a band which had
written much of their material during their classic era on acoustic guitars.
One of these tracks would be “Crazy Crazy Nights,” a
song which was intended to be the album’s lead off single long before the band
had entered the studios to record the album. As would usually be the case the
demo Paul recorded would vary very little from the version KISS would record.
Written with Adam Mitchell, Paul is fond of the song though would prefer more
guitars and less keyboards. He’s commented, “it’s a
really good song, but I’m not terribly fond of its sound on the album. There
are some songs that I think are absolute crap, but ‘Crazy....” isn’t one of
them” (Classic Rock, 11/2001).
37.02. I’ll Fight Hell To Hold You
Written in
37.03. Bang Bang You
Where Gene is guilty of
being Spinal Tap-ish on his writing of “Spit” in 1992
the same can be said for Paul, and Desmond Child, who would resurrect “Love
Gun” in this ode to sexuality in 1987. According to Paul the song would be “the
classic story of boys and their toys” (HP 1/88).
37.04. No, No, No
Originally titled “Assume The Position” and later “Down On All Fours,” this song would
be written by Gene, Bruce and Eric Carr.... The song started out with a Bruce
riff which he and Eric developed into a song idea, at Eric’s apartment in
37.05. Hell Or High Water
Written by Gene and Bruce
Kulick the initial idea for the song would come from Bruce during the “Asylum”
tour of 1985/6 with Gene adding the lyric and song-title for use on the album.
This tune would also get rare live performance on the “Crazy Nights” tour of
1987/8.
37.06. My Way
Written by Paul Stanley,
Desmond Child, and Bruce Turgon, this song would not
change much from Paul’s original demo of the song. Bruce was the bassist in the
band Black Sheep, with Lou Gramm (later of
Foreigner), who had toured with KISS during the “Alive!” tour of late-1975.
Unfortunately, the band would lose the support act slot due to an equipment
accident.
37.07. When Your Walls Come Down
This song dated from a riff
Bruce Kulick had come up with during the “Asylum” tour. Added to a chorus which
Paul already have and polished off with the assistance of Adam Mitchell the
song would get a rare live appearance on the “Crazy Nights” tour, but did not
work out well.
37.08. Reason To Live
Not only the second single
released off “Crazy Nights,” “Reason To Live” was the
album’s mandatory power-ballad. Written by Paul and Desmond Child, Paul
recalled, “I remember calling up Gene and playing it to him down the phone....
I played the song to Gene and obviously the bomb had gone off at the other end.
He was speechless” (Kerrang #155). Paul is defensive about the inclusion of
such power ballads on KISS albums, a situation which had first started with “I
Still Love You” in 1982. He comments, “if a band was
to be honest they would tell you that at that time the only hope for airplay
was a ballad. Somehow to make it more palatable they got labeled power ballads.
A ballad is a ballad” (Box Set Liners). Similarities to
Foreigner’s “I Wanna Know What Love Is” from the
Agent Provocateur album (1984).
37.09. Good Girl Gone Bad
Written
by Gene Simmons and two, then newcomers to the KISS song-writing camp, Davitt Sigerson and Peter Diggins. Davit was a friend of Gene’s
while Peter was Davitt’s song-writing partner whom
Gene never met. Prior to writing with Gene, Davitt
had recorded solo material and written songs which were recorded by the Jim Vallance related band Prism. He had also written material
for Jeff Paris, Eddie Money, and Loverboy, and had
co-written with Desmond Child. Davitt would produce
Olivia Newton John’s 1988 album “The Rumor.” In later years Davitt
would become President and CEO of EMI records (until 1997). Lyrically, the song
was based on something obvious out of Gene’s community college period, “a young
lady who Gene went to college with, a girl who started out the demure virgin,
all coy and unclaimed.... then met up with ‘The Tongue!’ The only sad thing
about the tale is that when she finally did give way it was in the back seat of
a car and with someone else, a friend of Gene’s in fact” (Kerrang #155).
37.10. Turn On The Night
Written by Diane Warren and
Paul Stanley in March/April 1987, this would be Paul’s first collaboration with
the rising
37.11. Thief In The Night
Essentially, this song
would see KISS covering their own song. During 1984,
while Gene had been producing Wendy O. Williams, he had given this song,
written with Mitch Weissman, to Wendy to record. By
the time “Crazy Nights” was being recorded two songs from that earlier era
would be considered, with the other being “It’s My Life.” According to Gene,
the band recorded this song simply because he had always liked it and nothing
more.
37.12. Are You Always This Hot (Studio Track, 1987)
According
to Gene, “There were 50 songs written and 12 recorded.
11 were used. There’s one other song called ‘Are You Always This Hot’ that was
recorded but not used... We never finished it. Maybe it wasn't right for the
album” (15 Years On). This song, the one not used on the album, was written by
Gene Simmons and Adam Mitchell. It has not yet made it into collector’s
circles, unlike some of the demos from the album, nor was the track ever given
to another artist to record. “Are You Always This Hot” was possibly based on a
song which had been solely written by Adam in 1981 (PAu-304-128) and processed
through the Gene Simmons recycling machine., though
Gene has also suggested that it wasn’t totally completed.
37.13. Sword And Stone (Studio Track, 1987)
“Sword And Stone,” another
of the KISS power anthem cast offs, was written by Bruce Kulick, Desmond Child,
and Paul Stanley. The song would be demoed for the “Crazy Nights” recording
sessions and the style of keyboards and guitars mix well with a powerful bass
riff. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios the track is nearly a complete KISS
track, though it was not fully recorded for the album because producer Ron Nevison was not particularly keen on the song. The song
would be offered to Loverboy to record, and Paul Dean
would cover it on his 1988 “Hardcore” album. Within two years the German band
Bonfire, who had in 1987, been recording in the studio next to KISS, would
cover the song for the KISS involved “Shocker” soundtrack. One of the better
KISS songs of the late-1980s this song circulates in excellent quality on the
demo trading circuit in a couple of forms. The catchy chorus, “I feel the power
runnin’ through my bones / I am the sword, you are
the stone / I swear forever we can stand alone / I am the sword, you are the
stone / I am the sword.... you are the stone,” is often considered a better
example of Desmond’s work with the band.
A second variation of the
song, almost an earlier demo, starts off with a more pronounced drum roll and
has less keyboards. One minor lyrical difference
occurs in the final line of the chorus with “I am the sword, you are the stone”
being changed to “I am the sword and you are the stone.” This “rougher” version
is 15 seconds shorter than the more polished primary recording. Oddly, Eric Carr,
Bruce, and Adam Mitchell also published a song called, “You Are The Wish, I Am The Well” which bears some similarity to the
chorus of this song.
37.14. No Mercy
Written by Gene Simmons and
Bruce Kulick around the time of the “Crazy Nights” album sessions this song
never got past the song-writing stage....
37.15. Dial L For Love
This song was written by
Eric Carr, Gene Simmons, and Adam Mitchell and was demoed, but not fully
recorded, for “Crazy Nights.” Eric has commented that the song was not good
enough (at that point) to make it onto the album, and that it was a song which
was being worked on. As the primary writer of the song, Eric had taken it to
Gene and Adam for polishing, something which he had done several times. Gene
has commented: “Eric and I co-wrote a song called ‘Dial L For
Love,’ a real fine tune. If it won’t be on a KISS record it’ll be on somebody’s
record” (Rock Scene Spotlights #2). There is apparently a rough demo of the
song which does not include any completed vocals, though it was intended that
Eric (at least from Eric’s perspective) would sing the song.
37.16. The Troubles Inside You
Written by Eric Carr and
Mitch Weissman, Eric would demo the song playing all
of the instruments himself. Nothing would ever come of the demo....
37.17. It’s My Life
After being discarded in
1982, the song which could have been KISS’ anthem for the 1980s was considered
for use on “Crazy Nights,” according to Gene Simmons. It is not clear whether
the Kulick-era lineup ever demoed it or whether it was just a thought to use
it. One may well shudder at the thought of what the “Crazy Nights” production
qualities would have done to the song.
37.18. When Two Hearts Collide
During the 1987/9 period
Paul was gearing up for the possibility of working with
In 1989 Paul would comment
that he had also written a song with Desmond Child for her with the possibility
of doing a duet with her. Unfortunately, those plans were trashed due to the
scheduling of the “Hot In The Shade” recording
sessions. Running
37.19. Best Man For You
Another of the
keyboard-laden Paul demos from his home studio recording era of 1987-9, though
this
37.20. Don’t Let Go
This song was another of
the demos put out by Paul for publishing, and was written with former KISS
producer Vini Poncia with
whom the band were working around the time of the “Hot In The
Shade” album. Running
37.21. Jump The Gun
Another of the songs from
the “Paul Stanley Compilation” publishing tape, “Jump The
Gun” was a
37.22. My Way
Running to
37.23. My Way
Simply
37.24. Reason To Live
Running to
37.25. Bang Bang You
Running to
37.26. Crazy Crazy Nights
While Paul’s songs rarely
differed much in the translation from demo to album recording the original demo
had a much deeper layer of voices on the chorus (recorded by Paul, Eric, and
Adam Mitchell at Electric Lady Studios) which would be lost in the mix on the
album version. According to Adam, “it was almost like a whole arena singing
along” (KISS Online).
37.27. Hide Your Heart
Like
other Paul demos little changed when the song was used on an album.
In the case of “Hide Your Heart,” the song would not be used on the “Crazy
Nights” album, though the demo version of the song does have a longer
instrumental introduction to the song and some minor arrangement differences
which result in the song running