Songs alleged to be, but in reality not by KISS or Barely Related!



1980'S LADIES
WASP... duh... this one should be pretty obvious really. Well, not really: after the demise of Killer Kane (which was short lived anyway [c. 1976]), and then Sister in 1978, Blackie Lawless founded Circus Circus with Randy Piper in 1979. It would be this band that would record this demo which would turn up on KISS bootlegs for decades even though it was so obvious who it was singing! The KISS connection for this song comes from the fact that Randy met Blackie through a friend of Ace Frehley. Circus Circus basically developed into WASP which then had Ace Frehley work with them producing their first demo...
EUGENE & BUZZ ME
long circulated as Ace Demos. In fact they do have Ace Frehley involvement having been recorded by Crazy Joe & The Variable Speed Band, which included future Frehley's Comet member John Regan on bass, in 1980. The album would be released as "Eugene" in 1981 (Casablanca/PolyGram NBLP-7254), and the song would get release as a 7" and 12" single (Casablanca/PolyGram NB-2298 & Casablanca/PolyGram NBD-20233DJ [US] / 6180 017 [Europe]). Additionally, the "Eugene" single had originally seen independent release as a 12" via PolyGram distribution in 1980 (Mumbo Records/PolyGram CJ1183). Furthermore, the track "Eugene" was co-written, co-produced and on which Ace plays syndrum. "Buzz Me", a Renda composition, is simply from the same album and has no Ace involvement...
tattoo GIVE IT TO YOU EASY
was alleged to be a Wicked Lester or early KISS demo, at a time when few authentic versions of the available material circulated, and has turned up on numerous demo collections and bootleg CDs. It has nothing whatsoever to do with KISS or related members and was actually by the band Tattoo and was released on their 1976 self-titled album (Prodigal P6-100141S1). Tattoo was an offshoot of the Raspberries, who had opened up for KISS on New Year's Eve 1974/5. Featuring Wally Bryson the lineup for the album included Jeff Hutton (Keyboards, played live with Raspberries and on one of their albums), Dan Klawson (Bass, ex-Choir Band), David Allen Thomas (Guitars) , and Thom Mooney (Drums, ex-Nazz). The history of the band was short, "what had started with promise ended in disaster: a poorly mixed record badly represented what was reputed to have been a powerful, ballsy stage band. The label withdrew support for the album and tour, yet strangely offered Tattoo a second album - an offer that was refused by the band. The group broke up shortly thereafter in 1977" (http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Lot/9447/tattoo.html). "Give It To Ya Easy", the song was written around 1972 by Wally (Tattoo Is Making Its Musical Mark by Jane Scott). Wally recalled, "In 1976, we got signed to Prodigal, Motown's 'white label'. In the studio, the tracks we laid down had a good sound, but they killed it in the mix. The record was terrible. They mixed the tracks without the band. The producer, Ray Ruffin, red-lined all the VU meters. The album was basically white noise. I was sick about it" (Joyce Halasa). Note: Thanks to Ken Sharp for putting me on the right track about this song!!
hard RING DANG DO
turned up on the Fancy Fair Bootleg album in the early 1980's and was attributed to Gene Simmons pre-KISS circa 1968. However, it's by the other Gene Simmons, the "Jumpin" Gene Simmons of Rockabilly fame.
sabu ROCK ME SLOWLY & WET AND WILD
There's not a whole lot to say about these songs. They were, for a long time, attributed to Eric Carr and/or his post-Disco band Flasher. However, a fan once played the song for him and he denied having anything to do with it or being able to recognize it, though that did very little to stop it circulating in fan circles. It was, in fact, by Paul Sabu and released on his self-titled 6 track EP on MCA Records (MCA-3236) in 1980. The song "Rock Me Slowly" was also released as a single at the same time (MCA-41211), though whether "Wet And Wild" was the B-side is unclear, though this would explain why the two are together on the KISS collector's tapes. The son of actor Selar Sabu, this release by him, and his work with disco artists such as Debbie Jacobs and Ann Margaret, along with his own disco-tinged release on Ocean Records, "Loose Lucy" EP, in 1979 (Ocean 7510), confused listeners and didn't allow him to gain broad appeal. His band for the "Rock Me Slowly" EP included bassist Rick Bozzo, keyboardist Steven Presley, and drummer Dan Holmes. Paul Sabu would produce tracks on the Silent Rage album for Simmons Records in 1989. (Note: Thanks to Jelle Jansen for the nudge in the right direction on this one!)
zon SUICIDE & TAKE IT ALL FROM ME
Both of these songs were alleged to have been a demo by Mark St. John, however, the tracks were actually from the Canadian band Zon's 1979 album "Back Down To Earth" that was released on Epic JE-36022. Click on cover for large scan. "Suicide" was the fifth and final track on side one of the album and was written by Brian Miller; "Take It From Me" was the second song from side 2 of the album and was written by Denton Young, Brian Miller, Howard Helm, Jim Samsom, and Kim Hunt (the whole band). The album had been produced by Don Lorusso and Dale Jacobs and was recorded at Manta Sound Studios in Toronto, Canada.
hard THUNDER (IN MY HEART)
Thanks to Bob Roderick, of the KISS 'Fact Of The Week' Fame, at the KISS Asylum website, who provided some information that allowed this to be tracked down! It can now be said that this song was "recorded by an obscure New York group called Kagny (Ed. not Cagney!!) and the Dirty Rats" (Roderick). That band had recorded at least one promotional single, "Dirty Rats" (MOT-1672). Further releases include a 4 track 12" record titled "Dirty Rats" issued promotionally on Motown (PR-117) in April 1983 and the inclusion of their song "At 15" (instrumental and vocal versions) on another promotional 4 track various artist's 12" (PR-120) in May 1983. They released on self-titled album for Motown ([UK] Motown STML-12187; [USA] Motown 6038ML) in early 1983 containing the following songs: [Side A] Dirty Rats, Watchout (Somebody's Watching You), At 15, Put Up Or Shut Up [Side B] Pocket Rocker, Playin' With Fire, Emotions, F.M. (Don'tcha Turn It Down). The album was Produced by Kerry Ashby and Benny Medina. Guitarist on this recording (just like his early role in RATT) was one Mark Torien of later Bulletboys fame. Featured on the front cover of the album with Marq is lead vocalist Steve St. James who'd later front LA bands Sarge (which included C.C. Deville) and St. James...