CHAPTER 59 – Eric Carr extra/post-KISS (posthumous)

 

59.01. Don’t Leave Me Lonely (Bryan Adams, 1982)

Written by Eric Carr, Bryan Adams, and Jim Vallance, “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” could fall into the “Creatures Of The Night” section as much as this Eric Carr extra-KISS section. This is because the song was considered for use on the “Creatures Of The Night” album. The song started out with Eric and Bryan working on the song together in Los Angeles. Jim Vallance and Bryan later finished off the piece in Vancouver for inclusion on Bryan’s “Cuts Like A Knife” (1983) album.

 

However, Eric recorded the song during the KISS album sessions. He recalled, “We got a complete master of that song. I did the drums, it’s got the same ‘Creatures’ drum sound. I played bass. I played all the rhythm guitars on it. I did the lead vocal and all background vocals! The only thing not put on it was a lead guitar! I think I even did some percussion and stuff too. We were really trying to make it work. Two things: my voice didn’t sound right for that song. It didn’t have the attitude that Bryan’s does. And.... it just wasn’t right for Creatures” (Neon Glow, Spring ‘92).

 

59.02. Legends Never Die (Wendy O. Williams, 1984)

While Eric was listed as a guest performer on Wendy O. Williams’ 1984 Gene Simmons produced “W.O.W.” album, he wasn’t involved in the actual recording of this track with Wendy at all. According to Eric, “The track on Wendy’s album (drums and acoustic guitar) was recorded in ‘82 as part of ‘Creatures....’ So I didn’t actually go into the studio for Wendy. Gene used that basic track and built on it” (KISS Klassics #9). This wasn’t the only track on which Gene would use such a method.

 

59.03. Breakout (Frehley’s Comet, 1987)

Co-written with Ace Frehley and Richie Scarlet. Refer to “Ace Frehley post-KISS” for further details.

 

59.04. Electric Thunder

Following the end of the “Animalize” tour in 1985 Eric started branching out into different projects. While the “Rockheads” would start developing at this time, Eric also started looking at other bands to manage and produce. “New York” was one of the earliest bands he had any involvement with. The band featured vocalist J, Johnny ‘G’ Lover on guitars, Freddy Foster on bass, Rikk H?nz on drums and had released an independent EP, “Carry The Torch,” in 1985.

 

According to Eric, “there was one band named New York – I did not produce them, but I saw them play in Florida, I got interested in working with them. It was on again, off again thing for a year or so. The closest I ever got to producing them was I set them up in a studio in upstate New York, a friend of mine’s studio, and I went up there a day and a half before they actually started cutting just to do some quick pre-production work, you know, give them some opinions, some advice. We actually wrote a song that day which appeared on it. It’s called “Electric Thunder,” which is kind of neat. I came up with chorus for it, you know, the chords and everything and that was it. I let them go. I just didn’t see afterwards – after the initial excitement that I had about them – I just didn’t see it in the later material” (Nussbaum, Beth).

 

59.05. Rock Your Mind

Co-written with Ace Frehley. Refer to “Ace Frehley post-KISS” section for further details.

 

59.06. Unknown Song (1990)

According to Richie Scarlet, “It must’ve been in ‘91. It was a song we did for a radio station in Poughkeepsie, New York, to help raise money for homeless kids. I was lucky to be a part of it. I played guitar and I believe John Regan played bass. Darryl Hall and Benny Mardonas played on it. If anybody can find it, give me a shout. I don’t know the title of it, something about children. It was my one experience of recording with Eric Carr” (Tommy Grant). Nothing else is currently known about this Christmas charity song, but it is likely to have been done for “Feed The Hungry” for WPPH. Richie is also obviously wrong on the date, for 1991 would not have been possible for Eric.

 

59.07. Elephant Man

“Elephant Man” would be one of the last songs written by Eric Carr and while it was never recorded or demoed it dates from the time of Eric’s health battles. In some ways it may have been autobiographical: “Just like the elephant man / Nothing’s changed inside / People don’t seem the same / They smile with fear in their eyes / And the one true love / Shines through with the brilliance of a million suns / Aching with despair / Of things she cannot change / But seeing the pain he has // Just like the elephant man / Banished from the kingdom / By the evil king / And his not so secret queen / He sees the truth in the mirror / And feels the strength in his heart / Friends are there to hold him up / But only he can stop his fall / Just like the elephant man.” It would be too easy to look at the song, and taking Eric’s health, and other issues, and look at the lyrics allegorically, especially “Banished from the kingdom / By the evil king / And his not so secret queen,” but that really serves no purpose and would be conjecture.

 

59.08. Game Of Love

A demo featuring Eric Carr that was completed for the 1996 “Garbo Talks” album. See “Paul Stanley extra-KISS” section for further details.

 

59.09. Too Cool For School

Written by Eric Carr in 1988 for his “Rockheads” animated project. Eric had started developing his concept in 1986 and had created numerous characters including Scruffy, Clive, Slider, Punky, Crystal, Roxy, Sandee, Bibi and Gabi Maxwell. Released on both the limited edition “Rockheads” EP and full “Rockology” album, “shows their attitude and Eric’s alter ego coming through in the lyrics. Deals with school yard rejection and, of course, trying to be cool! Eric had no problem being cool” (Rockology Liners).

 

59.10. Tiara

Written by Eric Carr in 1987 for his “Rockheads” animated project. According to Bruce, this piece was “beautiful love song written by Eric on keyboards. He played the keys to a drum machine loop with reverb that makes a hypnotic effect. Eric sings his heart out and the girls that got to know him remember what a romantic man he could be.” (Rockology Liners). A fully recorded track “Tiara” runs 4:26.

 

59.11. Can You Feel It?

According to Bruce Kulick, this song is “A rocker that Eric waits on. We would have loved Bryan Adams to cover the song! Eric programmed the drums and played bass. I played the guitars” (Rockology Liners).

 

59.12. Nasty Boys

The only track included on “Rockology” which features the input of a song-writer other than Adam Mitchell or Bruce Kulick, in this case Jonathan Daniels. This song is a “very defining song for The Rockheads showing their rebellious nature.... Eric’s on drums and bass and I covered the guitars. Lots of fun to record and we would have loved to play this one live” (Rockology Liners).

 

59.13. Eyes Of Love

Originally “Looking Through The Eyes Of Love” was one of four songs Eric Carr brought to the “Hot In The Shade” sessions. Sadly, the song would be rejected at the time. Eric described the song as an AC/DC meets the Beatles hybrid, “I had the title and melodies and stuff, and Gene and I worked on it for a while. We restructured the verse, and Adam Mitchell and I worked on the lyrics. I came up with the majority of them, but there was just something missing. We demoed it up, and had a whole thing done up on it, but it just didn’t sound right. I still think it’s a great song, it just wasn’t right for this album” (Dark Light, Spring ‘90).

 

59.14. Somebody’s Waiting

Like “Eyes Of Love” this song would be brought to the “Hot In The Shade” album sessions in 1989, but was rejected in favor of Paul Stanley’s “Forever.” According to Eric who was describing the songs he brought in to the band in 1989: “One of them was a really great ballad. But Paul came up with a really cool ballad that fits us better” (Valentino, Thomas). Eric would also add a bit of the “Strutter” drum introduction to his demo.

 

59.15. Heavy Metal Baby

Running to 4:34 this track is a completed musical idea with scat vocals on it. According to Bruce, “Eric scat/sang on this track to give us ideas for lyrics. They were never completed but the production is still strong with Eric on drums (programmed drum machine) and me playing guitars” (Rockology Liners). This piece dated from 1989.

 

59.16. Just Can’t Wait

According to Bruce this track is a “12-track demo of a very arranged song from 1987 that was never finished with vocals. The chorus was Eric’s idea, and Adam Mitchell and I worked it out with him. We added acoustics and some keyboards that were played by Adam” (Rockology Liners). The recording runs 3:56.

 

59.17. Mad Dog

While it shares a title with a much earlier Gene Simmons demo, this track is “a 12-track demo from 1987 that still rocks!! Eric’s on drum machine and bass and I’m on guitar. Great Chorus that’s missing dog barks that we were planning to put on the fade of the track. Only a cassette copy of this song exists” (Rockology Liners). The track runs 3:16.

 

59.18. You Make Me Crazy

Running 4:04 this song was “originally called ‘Van Halen’ for its influence, this is a cool track that exists only on a cassette, too. Eric is scat singing and playing drum machine and bass. I play guitars and had a blast with the solo” (Rockology Liners).

 

59.19. Nightmare

Dating from early 1987 this song would be a piece which Eric never really got finished. Running 4:22, this “first more developed version has Eric scatting vocals and playing drums” (Rockology Liners).

 

59.20. Nightmare (Live Demo)

According to Bruce, on this “live demo” version, “you can hear Eric on acoustic guitar playing and tapping the beat and I’m on electric guitar. Towards the end the end of the arrangement, the tape recorder dropped and we had quite a laugh about it” (Rockology Liners). This version runs 3:42.

 

59.21. Eyes Of Love (Alternate Version)

Released on the bonus EP which came with some copies of “Rockology,” this alternate version is some 12 seconds longer than the album version of the song. Apart from different guitar work and drums the overall sound and production of the piece is rougher indicating that it may have been the earlier “more primitive” 4 track demo version which Bruce mentions in the liner notes.

 

There would be several lyrical changes between the two versions: In the first verse “Don’t let me beg for more” would originally be “Guess everybody’s got to pay their dues.” In the bridge, “Don’t give a damn when lightning strikes” was originally “Everybody knows when lightning strikes”; and in the second verse “Take this heart of stone make it bleed tonight” was originally “Somebody let me know, why is hard to control.”