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Love Gun is an album by the American hard rock band KISS.
With Love Gun, KISS eased up on the hard rock sound that was so prominently featured on their previous two releases, Destroyer and Rock and Roll Over. Songs like "Christine Sixteen" and "Plaster Caster" were decidedly more pop-oriented than past efforts.
Love Gun is notable for being the first KISS album to feature a lead vocal performance from lead guitarist Ace Frehley. Frehley had written or co-written several songs many fans consider classics — "Cold Gin" and "Parasite", for example, both of which are sung by Gene Simmons. But Frehley had never sung lead up until the recording of "Shock Me", which was inspired by a real life event. On December 11, 1976, KISS was playing at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida. It was the first show on the Rock and Roll Over tour. Frehley began descending the stairs on one side of the stage. The railing wasn't grounded and Frehley was nearly electrocuted. Although he suffered burns on his hand, Frehley was able to continue after a short delay to receive medical attention. He later claimed he had no feeling in his hand.
The legend is that Ace Frehley was forced to record the lead vocal track by Simmons and Paul Stanley, but a self-conscious Frehley insisted on singing while lying on his back and out of view. Some fans dispute this due to the fact that for years, Frehley had sung backing vocals live with no hint of trepidation. However, the legend may also have roots in fact. For the Rock and Roll Over album, Frehley had written a song called "Queen for a Day" that did not make the final cut. * Thus, it can be argued that when Frehley or any of his bandmates speak of him recording his first lead vocal, they're confusing "Shock Me" with "Queen for a Day".
The song "Plaster Caster" was inspired by Cynthia Plaster Caster, a former groupie who is infamous for casting penises of famous rock musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa, as well as breasts of female music artists.
The album closes with "Then She Kissed Me", a re-worked and feminized version of The Crystals' 1960's pop classic "Then He Kissed Me". It was the second cover song to appear on a KISS record.
Love Gun, like other KISS albums from the 1970s, was packaged with a free promotional item. In this case, a paper "Love Gun" was included. The album also came with a KISS merchandise order form. Love Gun was the second KISS album to ship platinum, and would eventually achieve triple platinum status. __NOTOC__
Track listing
- "I Stole Your Love" (Paul Stanley) - 3:04
- Lead vocals - Paul Stanley
- "Christine Sixteen" (Gene Simmons) - 3:12
- Lead vocals - Gene Simmons
- "Got Love For Sale" (Simmons) - 3:28
- Lead vocals - Gene Simmons
- "Shock Me" (Ace Frehley) - 3:47
- Lead vocals - Ace Frehley
- "Tomorrow And Tonight" (Stanley) - 3:38
- Lead vocals - Paul Stanley
- "Love Gun" (Stanley) - 3:16
- Lead vocals - Paul Stanley
- "Hooligan" (Peter Criss, Stan Penridge) - 2:58
- Lead vocals - Peter Criss
- "Almost Human" (Simmons) - 2:48
- Lead vocals - Gene Simmons
- "Plaster Caster" (Simmons) - 3:25
- Lead vocals - Gene Simmons
- "Then She Kissed Me" (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector) - 3:01
- Lead vocals - Paul Stanley
Personnel
- Gene Simmons - bass guitar, vocals
- Paul Stanley - rhythm guitar, vocals
- Ace Frehley - lead guitar, vocals
- Peter Criss - drums, vocals
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Pop Albums | 4 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | "Christine Sixteen" | Pop Singles | 25 |
| 1977 | "Love Gun" | Pop Singles | 61 |
External link
"Love Gun"