Peter Criss (album)

Peter Criss
Studio album by Peter Criss
Released	September 18, 1978
Recorded	February-July 1978, Electric Lady Studios, New York City, Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA, Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA
Genre	Rock, pop
Length	34:57
Label	Casablanca
Producer	Vini Poncia
Peter Criss chronology
Chelsea (1970) Peter Criss (1978) Out of Control (1980)
Kiss chronology
Ace Frehley (1978) Peter Criss (1978) Paul Stanley (1978)

Peter Criss is a 1978 solo album by Peter Criss, the drummer of American hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. The album was produced by Vini Poncia, who went on to produce the Kiss albums Dynasty (1979) and Unmasked (1980). Criss covered "Tossin' and Turnin'," which was a #1 hit for Bobby Lewis in the U.S. during the summer of 1961. The song was subsequently covered by Kiss on their 1979 tour. Much of the material on the album was originally written in 1971 for Criss's pre-Kiss band Lips.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Sputnikmusic	link
Pitchfork Media	(0.0/10) link
Rolling Stone	link

Reviews for Peter Criss were mostly negative. The album was the lowest charting of all the Kiss solo albums of 1978, reaching #43 on the US Billboard album chart. It had the distinction of being the only album of the four to have two singles released from it, "Don't You Let Me Down" and "You Matter to Me".

Track listing

Side one

1. "I'm Gonna Love You" (Peter Criss, Stan Penridge) – 3:18
2. "You Matter to Me" (Vini Poncia, Michael Morgan, John Vastano) – 3:15
3. "Tossin' and Turnin'" (Ritchie Adams, Malou Rene) – 3:58
4. "Don't You Let Me Down" (Criss, Penridge) – 3:38
5. "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes" (Criss, Penridge) – 2:59

Side two

1. "Easy Thing" (Criss, Penridge) – 3:53
2. "Rock Me, Baby" (Sean Delaney) – 2:50
3. "Kiss the Girl Goodbye" (Criss, Penridge) – 2:46
4. "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll" (Criss, Penridge, Poncia) – 3:37
5. "I Can't Stop the Rain" (Delaney) – 4:25

Cover versions

• Harvey Milk covered "Easy Thing" for their compilation album The Singles.

Personnel

The following musicians played on Peter Criss.

• Peter Criss - lead vocals, drums on side 1, and track 4 on side 2, percussion on track 3, side 2, backing vocals
• Allan Schwartzberg - drums on tracks 1, 2 and 5 on side 2
• Bill Bodine - bass guitar on side 1, and track 4 on side 2
• Neil Jason - bass guitar on tracks 1, 2 and 5 on side 2
• Art Munson - guitar on side 1, and track 4 on side 2
• Stan Penridge - guitar on side 1, and tracks 3 and 4 on side 2, backing vocals
• Elliot Randall - guitar on "Easy Thing" and "I Can't Stop the Rain"
• John Tropea - guitar on tracks 1, 2 and 5 on side 2
• Brendan Harkin - guitar on "Easy Thing"
• Steve Lukather - guitar solo on "That's The Kind of Sugar Papa Likes" and "Hooked on Rock and Roll"
• Bill Cuomo - keyboards on side 1, and track 4 on side 2
• Richard Gerstein - keyboards on tracks 1, 2, and 5, side 2
• Davey Faragher, Tommy Faragher, Danny Faragher, Jimmy Faragher, Maxine Dixon, Maxine Willard, Julia Tillman, Vini Poncia, Annie Sutton, Gordon Grody - backing vocals
• Horns arranged by Tom Saviano
• Michael Carnahan - saxophone solo on "Tossin' and Turnin'", baritone sax on "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll"

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1978	Pop Albums	43

Certification

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)	Gold	50,000^
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,000,000^
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Releases

• Casablanca NBLP-7122 (September 18, 1978): 1st LP issue (with poster)
• Casablanca NBPIX-7122 (September 18, 1978): US picture disc
• Mercury 314 532 386-2 (September 16, 1997): Remastered CD (with poster)

External links

• Kiss FAQ - Peter Criss, Accessed on July 13, 2005.
• KISSONLINE.COM Discoography- Peter Criss, Accessed on July 28, 2008.
• The KISSFAQ- RIAA Certifications, Accessed on July 28, 2008