A phone call with Gene Simmons of KISS | The Zak Kuhn Show

[@MartinPippin]

Gene, my kid not only knew, but could play most of KISS's popular songs by the time he was twelve. He actually had the opportunity to play with you on a few songs at Sweetwater during the vault tour. He just turned 18 and the highlight of the his birthday was meeting King Diamond. He loves rock, and is a staunch historian of 70's, 80's, and 90's metal If you need hope for the future, you should meet him again. He still loves showing people the photo of you and him when you let him wear Elvis's sunglasses.

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Hey your kid sounds awesome! Hope he keeps rocking!

[@mr.timebombman2230]

I saw that Carol Kaye bass lesson with him. Was interesting.

[@thezakkuhnshow]

I agree!

[@Sprucetroy69]

Very good questions! 👏😎❤️

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Thanks for listening!

[@Sprucetroy69]

@thezakkuhnshow Try for more KISS member interviews! 👏😎

[@eddiemuniz761]

Simmons should have a Universal distribution with offices in New York City and most definitely a ROCK n Brews in Times Square or somewhere downtown around Mercer street!!!!

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Heard it here Gene!

[@clausm2203]

Im a amateur bassist myself and i agree a 100 with gene simmons i think he is a great bass player

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Amazing player! Have you ever learned Gene’s bass parts?

[@clausm2203]

@@thezakkuhnshow Yes some of them firehouse and strutter and sure know something great lines🙂🎸

[@CincinnatusPublish]

Good interview. I wish you had asked him who came up with the idea that he spit blood. No one ever asks that and I don't know if it was Gene or their manager, Bill Aucoin.

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Next time! Thanks for listening!

[@jp0blues04]

A lot of us know this. The 4 of them walked into a meeting at bills office and this long haired magician type guy was sitting in a chair and bill said “we need something onstage to shock people with so 1 of u is going to spit fire.” They all looked at eachother and gene said he would do it. Got to KZbin nd see the first time he did it onstage and u will see his hair on fire and a roadie ready with a wet towel to put him out. Yes ….im armed with this silly information. Lol

[@Pamplemousse82322]

​@@jp0blues04Blood.

[@Sprucetroy69]

Gene is a fantastic Bassist! Fact.

[@thezakkuhnshow]

I agree!

[@Herestravy420]

This is the most real and off script I have heard Gene be.. Great interview!

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Thanks for listening!!! 🙌

[@user-ug5fd3qo8n]

My jaw dropped when the interviewer said Nirvana. And then dropped even lower when he said Pearl Jam. Does this guy live in a Seattle bubble in 1994?

[@unicyclical1821]

What band references reach your high standards? 😛

[@user-ug5fd3qo8n]

@ equivalent to the cultural impact of the BEATLES? None.

[@SoilentGr33n]

@@user-ug5fd3qo8n Nirvana absolutely had a cultural impact equivalent to the Beatles. The next decade of mainstream rock was entirely brought upon by that one song they wrote.

[@user-ug5fd3qo8n]

@ Nirvana was immensely popular. People could not physically be in the presence of the Beatles without losing consciousness. They are not the same.

[@SoilentGr33n]

@@user-ug5fd3qo8n Actually, MOST people COULD physically be in the presence of the Beatles without losing consciousness. Your metric is flawed, and of course "They are not the same." Plenty of people passed out at Elvis shows and he is also not "the same" as the Beatles. The last milestone rock band who went on to change the face of modern music is arguably Nirvana, and not because of how many people passed out at their show, but because if there was a generic timeline of musical evolution, they would have a fat dot on it, and so would the Beatles because they are definitely in the same league, influence wise.

[@eddiemuniz761]

Gene produced the first Van Halen demos with house of pain in 1977 that ended up re-recorded on 1984,did Gene meet with Mo Ostin who was then Warner bros president to submit the demos???????

[@thezakkuhnshow]

I’ll have to ask

[@bb-gc2tx]

for people who dont know gene is in on the joke about him being arrogant gene really is a class act and a good man

[@thezakkuhnshow]

There ya go!

[@greyarea6688]

"It's ok guys, I'm only pretending to be a smug, arrogant nobend!!" :D

[@eddiemuniz761]

KISS just learned from the New York dolls what not to do and not follow in their footsteps,yet the dolls had the blueprint of what to do with rickety management and poor direction,look at the magic leiber & Krebs did for Aerosmith!!!

[@thezakkuhnshow]

🙌🙌

[@JeffTaylor-z5v]

Yes exactly the Dolls (Bowie, too) The glam look hot at that exact time, hello. Gene’s a marketing pro. He claims to be influenced by black music but never mentions the jazz greats as a pure American export which tells you everything you need to know.

[@eddiemuniz761]

How much persuasion did it take Gene to get Neil Bogart to sign ANGEL to Casablanca records?????

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Ha! We’ll never know!

[@zachary_attackery]

This guy thinks bands who peaked in 1993 are "new"?

[@raphaellall6270]

Exactly!! Nirvana and Pearl Jam are from 30 years ago! A mom who is 28 years old with 2 kids was not even born as yet! That was a generation ago. It shows how dated the argument is. Show me the new bands in 2024 with members who are under age 25 years. That's where the future of Rock is...

[@zachary_attackery]

@raphaellall6270 There's absolutely zero rock bands from the past 5 to 10 years that can headline arenas on their own

[@danlovingmusic1342]

@@zachary_attackerynot many for sure but Greta Van Fleet are doing it.

[@Pamplemousse82322]

​@@zachary_attackeryAnd these bands don't have the songs. Foo Fighters included in that.

[@greyarea6688]

​@@zachary_attackery Get out more.

[@eddiemuniz761]

That drum sound that Eric Carr acquired on Creatures of the night should be stuffed into a genie bottle and used elsewhere, was Micheal James Jackson a big part in taking credit along with Eric????????

[@SHOUTband]

YES that sound was all Michael James Jackson a great producer + Eric Carr's powerful Drumming style. it was tracked in the studio and then re-recorded letting it echo down an elevator shaft. there is interviews with him out there about it. they could not reproduce that drum sound for lick it up so they gave up on it.

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Good question! Will have to ask next time. Thanks for watching Eddie!

[@KissRemastersFilms]

Your not a a very good interviewer dude, Gene is telling you stuff and you hardly engage you just move onto the next question, you have much to learn.

[@thezakkuhnshow]

😂 all right when you book Gene Simmons on your podcast, you can do it your way

[@KissRemastersFilms]

@ will do.

[@KissRemastersFilms]

@ actually you got better around the middle of the interview and through til the end to be fair, good job 👍

[@RonPro-u1t]

Gene Simmons …….from kiss !

[@thezakkuhnshow]

That’s the one!

[@k2rocksstl]

Simmons has 2 S.

[@thezakkuhnshow]

2 S?

[@k2rocksstl]

@thezakkuhnshow It has 2 Ms. Typos happen, apparently.

[@erikmaldonado8334]

do u mean Gene Simmons from KISS???!!!!! : ) LOL

[@thezakkuhnshow]

🙌🙌

[@erikmaldonado8334]

@@thezakkuhnshow LOL

[@JohnHughes-Ottawa]

Yup, Gene is right, Rock died ages ago...these boy bands or girl bands dancing in unison haven't a clue how to play an instrument .... Show some skin and you're in!! Sad!!

[@thezakkuhnshow]

💀💀💀

[@JeffTaylor-z5v]

We never thought Gene could really play either, back in the day. He was entre for anyone who thought they might want to get into music and could at least start with Gene and get over.

[@eddiemuniz761]

Gene produced the first Van Halen demos with house of pain in 1977 that ended up re-recorded on 1984,did Gene meet with Mo Ostin who was then Warner bros president to submit the demos???????

[@thezakkuhnshow]

Ill have to ask next time he is on if he met with Mo then