Gene Simmons (album)

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Gene Simmons
Studio album by Gene Simmons
Released September 18, 1978
Recorded the Manor, Oxford, England, Cherokee Studios, LA, California, Blue Rock Studio, New York, February-July 1978
Genre Rock
Length 38:58
Language English
Label Casablanca
Producer Gene Simmons, Sean Delaney
Gene Simmons chronology
Gene Simmons
(1978)		 Asshole
(2004)
Kiss chronology
Love Gun
(1977)		 Gene Simmons
(1978)		 Ace Frehley
(1978)

Gene Simmons is a 1978 solo album by Gene Simmons, the bassist and co-vocalist of American hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. Although he is the bass player in Kiss, Simmons played mainly electric and acoustic guitars on this album, leaving the bass duties to Neil Jason.

The album features guest appearances from several well-known musicians, including Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Bob Seger, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and Cher. Though unknown at the time, backing vocalist Katey Sagal would go on to a successful television career, starring in the sitcom Married... with Children. Simmons re-recorded "See You in Your Dreams" because he reportedly was not happy with the way it was recorded on Rock and Roll Over.[1]

Contents

[edit] Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars[2]
Pitchfork (5.0/10)[3]
Rolling Stone 2.5/5 stars[4]

The album reached #22 on the US Billboard album chart, making it the highest-placing of all the four Kiss solos of 1978. It was certified platinum on October 2, 1978, having shipped 1,000,000 copies.[5] Allmusic gave the album 3 stars out of 5 and called it an "unpredictable yet ultimately enjoyable release."

[edit] Track listing

All songs written and composed by Gene Simmons, except where noted. 

No. Title Length
1. "Radioactive"   3:50
2. "Burning Up with Fever"   4:19
3. "See You Tonite"   2:30
4. "Tunnel of Love"   3:49
5. "True Confessions"   3:30
6. "Living in Sin" (Simmons, Sean Delaney, Howard Marks) 3:50
7. "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide"   4:12
8. "Man of 1,000 Faces"   3:16
9. "Mr. Make Believe"   4:00
10. "See You in Your Dreams"   2:48
11. "When You Wish upon a Star" (Ned Washington, Leigh Harline) 2:44

[edit] Personnel

  • Gene Simmons - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals, co-producer
  • Neil Jason - bass guitar
  • Elliot Randall - guitar
  • Allan Schwartzberg - drums
  • Sean Delaney - percussion, co-producer
  • Ron Frangipane - symphonic arrangements and conductor of Members of the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras
  • Gordon Grody, Diva Gray, Kate Sagal, Franny Eisenberg, Carolyn Ray, Sean Delaney - Backing vocals
  • Eric Troyer - piano and vocals on "Radioactive" & "Living in Sin"
  • Steve Lacey - guitar on "Radioactive"
  • John Shane Howell - classical guitar, segue between "Radioactive" & "Burning Up With Fever"
  • Richard Gerstein - piano on "True Confessions" & "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide"
  • Joe Perry - Guitar on "Radioactive" & "Tunnel of Love"
  • Bob Seger - backing vocals on "Radioactive" & "Living in Sin"
  • Rick Nielsen - guitar on "See You In Your Dreams"
  • Helen Reddy - Background vocals on "True Confessions"
  • Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitar on "Burning Up With Fever", "See You Tonite", "Tunnel of Love" & "Mr. Make Believe"
  • Donna Summer - Background vocals on "Burning Up With Fever"
  • Janis Ian - backing vocals on the "Prelude to Radioactive"
  • Cher - spoken word phone call on "Living In Sin"
  • Mitch Weissman & Joe Pecorino (Beatlemania) - backing vocals on "Mr. Make Believe", "See You Tonite" & "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide"
  • Michael Des Barres - Background vocals on "See You in Your Dreams"
  • Ritchie Ranno - Guitar on "Tunnel of Love"
  • The Citrus College Singers - "True Confessions" & "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide"

[edit] Charts

Question book-new.svg This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: MOS:CHART. Please help improve this section if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (August 2011)

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1978 Pop Albums 22
Chart Peak
Position
U.S.A. 22
Japan 24
Austria 32
Canada 21


Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year Single Chart Position
1978 "Radioactive" Pop Singles 47

Singles - Billboard (Canada)

Year Single Chart Position
1978 "Radioactive" Pop Singles 66

Singles - Billboard (United Kingdom)

Year Single Chart Position
1978 "Radioactive" Pop Singles 41

[edit] Certification

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[6] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[7] Platinum 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gene Simmons, by Gene Simmons
  2. ^ Gene Simmons (album) at Allmusic
  3. ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 2003-06-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20030626072525/www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/k/kiss/gene-simmons.shtml. Retrieved 2012-01-10. 
  4. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kiss/albumguide
  5. ^ "RIAA - Gene Simmons". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=gene%20simmons&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2009-01-26. 
  6. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Gene Simmons – Kiss". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Kiss&sa=Gene+Simmons&smt=0. 
  7. ^ "American album certifications – Gene Simmons – Kiss - Gene Simmons". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Kiss+-+Gene+Simmons%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH

[edit] External links

Kiss
Studio albums
'78 solo albums
Live albums
Compilations
Box sets
Video albums
Tribute albums
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