Dressed to Kill (Album)

Occupation

• Bass, guitar, vocals: Gene Simmons
• Vocals, rhythm guitar Paul Stanley
• Lead guitar, vocals: Ace Frehley
• Drums, vocals: Peter Criss

Dressed to Kill is the 1975 Casablanca Records released, third studio album by the American hard rock band Kiss.

Genesis

Initial situation

Kiss went after the release of Hotter Than Hell on tour and had been for two "free" days on December 24 and January 25, 1975 Anything for My Baby and rock and roll all nite. recorded in Larrabie Sound Studio in Los Angeles. At this time the new album still operated under the working title " Kiss at Midnight ".

Recordings

The band broke the tour after the concert in Santa Monica (California ) on February 1, 1975, to record the next album in the Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Due to the rapid succession of touring and recordings, had to perform the band (the group was only three months after the release of Hotter Than Hell to the studio ), was hardly been time to write new songs.

For this reason, recourse was had to two titles, which dated back from the time of " Wicked Lester ", the band had emerged from the Kiss, namely Love her all I can and She. The " Hotter Than Hell Tour " was continued on 20 February 1975, still included three concerts ( 20, 21 and 22 February 1975) - then the production of Dressed to Kill was in New York until February 25, continued and complete. At the beginning of March, the samples for Dressed to Kill tour, which on 19 March 1975 in Northampton (Pennsylvania) began.

The album was produced by Casablanca Records head Neil Bogart, which was a result of a corporate conflict with Kiss' management: Bogart had a relationship with Bill Aucoins management partner, Joyce Biawitz begun, and was informed by her about a meeting that Aucoin, had Biawitz, the members of the group and the producer of the first two Kiss albums, Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise held to talk about an offer of the record label Atlantic Records, which wanted to take over the production team, the management and Kiss. Casablanca Records owed ​​Kiss at which time the payment of the contracted shares of all previously sold Kiss - recorded music, and the band's management saw therefore forced to consider alternatives.

Bogart dismissed Kerner and Wise, after he learned of the meeting and stressed the group to take over the tour cost, so that Aucoin was forced to pay these expenses out of pocket - which he did. The dispute was settled by Aucoin Biawitz ' took part in the joint company Rocksteady for $ 50,000 and Bogart conceded to take over the production of the new album. This solution especially Biawitz ' conflict of interest was resolved, at the same time could Aucoin strengthen its position, and Bogart put his ideas about the needs of the music market.

Bogart considered: What the market now obviously needs is fast, happy albums that can make them forget their worries people. This adjustment resulted in rock and roll all nite. The title was created from the beginning as an anthem: Bogart tried to put as many tracks as possible about each other to make it sound the song as possible as if the chorus sung by a large crowd. When the failed, he took all the available people from the studio environment to yourself and let them sing and clap. On the record are therefore in addition to other members of the Kiss - Peter Criss Entourage also ' then wife Lydia Criss and road manager JR Smalling heard.

Cover

The cover of Dressed to Kill was photographed by Bob Gruen. It shows the dressed with suits and yet masked members of the group on the road. The suits were borrowed by photographer; Gene Simmons wears his too-small suit clogs, which belonged to the former wife of the photographer.

The cover photo was taken during a break in a series of photos for the magazine Creem. Inspired by comic templates series shows the group members dressed in suits, as they find that John Denver is a concert. To save the world, they retreat into a phone booth and glue the John Denver Posters with the data of their own concerts, so that the audience ultimately go to a Kiss concert.

Publication

The album was released on 19 March 1975. Both pieces C'mon and Love Me and Rock and Roll All Nite were released as singles, but initially did not achieve high sales. Only the live album Alive!, Which appeared in the autumn of the same year, the band gave a breakthrough and in retrospect, album and singles sold better. Dressed to Kill reached number 32, and thus the top 40 on the Billboard charts, the charts of the magazine " Cashbox " it was enough for 39th place

Title list

Awards

1977 the album was certified Gold status by the RIAA.

Expenditure

• Casablanca NBLP - 7016 (19 March 1975): The first disc edition
• Mercury 824148-2 M -1 ( July 1987): First CD Edition
• Mercury 314 532 3762 (15 July 1997): Remastered CD