Crazy Nights
Encyclopedia
Crazy Nights is the 14th studio album
by American
band Kiss
. The album was recorded in June 1987 and officially released on September 18, 1987 by Mercury
and Vertigo
in Europe. The album featured keyboards which was another departure in their music style changing from their Lick It Up
/Animalize
/Asylum heavy metal sound into the pop-metal sound. The album peaked at #18 on the US Billboard 200 chart, making Crazy Nights the highest-charting Kiss album of the 1980s in the United States. The album was certified Platinum on November 18, 1987 in Canada
and few months later in the US, on February 18, 1988. It was re-released in 1998 as part of the Kiss Remasters series and to date is the last Kiss album to have been remastered.
"Crazy Crazy Nights
" and "Reason to Live
" were played regularly on live shows until Eric Carr
's death in 1991 (although Crazy Nights returned to KISS' set on the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
). Otherwise, the album has not been performed live ever since.
had ended, Kiss went on couple of month long hiatus due to Gene Simmons
' career as an actor and a producer which made Kiss seem like his side job instead of primary job. For KISStory, Paul Stanley
stated that he got sick of Simmons' lack of commitment and one day he told him:
Simmons' "departure" gave space to Eric Carr
and Bruce Kulick
. Kulick had four co-writing credits and Carr one but he almost got other material on the album. Stanley had worked with Desmond Child
, Diane Warren
and Adam Mitchell and co-wrote songs:
"Crazy Crazy Nights
", "I'll Fight Hell to Hold You" and "When Your Walls Come Down" with Mitchell ("I'll Fight Hell to Hold You" and "When Your Walls Come Down" with Kulick), "Bang Bang You", "My Way" and "Reason to Live" with Child ("My Way" with Bruce Turgon
also), and "Turn On the Night" was co-written by Stanley and Warren.
As Kiss' previous two albums had been self-produced, the band felt it needed to bring an outside producer who would the album achieve more commercial success. The result was Ron Nevison
, producer who made platinum albums for Chicago
, Heart
, Led Zeppelin
, Bad Company
, The Who
, Meatloaf, and Ozzy Osbourne
. Gene said for KISStory:
's idea. According to Eric:
The idea was dropped in June, but it managed to appear on some Japan
ese advertisements for the upcoming album.
Another title band thought of was "Condomnation", but as Paul said:
The record sessions started in March at One on One Recording Studios in Canoga Park, California but later continued in Rumbo Recorders also in Canoga Park and Can-Am Recorders in Tarzana, California. In June the album was completed and it was mixed at Can-Am Recorders by Ron Nevison, before being turned over to PolyGram in July.
" was the first single from the album and only reached #65 on Billboard Hot 100
and #37 on Mainstream Rock Tracks
, but it was a hit in United Kingdom
where it reached #4 and, to date, is KISS' highest charting single in the UK. "Crazy Crazy Nights" also went into the Top 40 in Norway
, Netherlands
and Australia
, where it reached #7, #28 and #34, respectively. A music video was made on August 8, 1987 at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles
, CA
which was directed by Jean Pellerin and Doug Freel. It was featured in Crazy Nights video
. The song would be performed regularly on live shows until Eric Carr
's death in 1991 but it returned to the set list on the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
.
.
"Bang Bang You" was only performed live during the Crazy Nights Tour
.
so it could be finished by Gene. According to Eric:
"I just set up a double bass drum beat on my drum machine. I just got this feel in my head and I started coming up with this real staccato stuff for the verse."
It is Bruce's album favorite because "It’s the fastest, ferocious thing, and it features me a lot."
Song was only performed live during the Crazy Nights Tour
.
's idea which came to him during the Asylum Tour
. Simmons
wrote the lyrics. Song was rarely performed during the Crazy Nights Tour
.
, Bruce Kulick
and Bruce Turgon
. It doesn't differ from the demo version a lot. Song was never played live.
's riff that came to him during the Asylum Tour
. Paul Stanley
had the chorus and with Adam Mitchell's assistance, song was finished. Song didn't come out well when played live so it was only played a couple of times.
" demo to Gene:
"I remember calling up Gene and playing it to him down the phone... I played the song to Gene and obviously the bomb had gone off at the other end. He was speechless."
Paul was always okay with having power-ballads on Kiss
albums, which first started with "I Still Love You" on 1982 Creatures of the Night
. Paul also said:
"If a band was to be honest they would tell you that at that time the only hope for airplay was a ballad." A music video directed by Marty Callner
was made, and featured Playboy
centerfold Eloise Broady. "Reason to Live" reached #64 Billboard Hot 100
and #34 on Mainstream Rock Tracks
and #33 in the UK. The song managed to chart in Holland, reaching poor #89.
, Gene's friend Davitt Sigerson
and Davitt's song-writing partner Peter Diggins, whom Gene never met. The song was lyrically based on something obvious from Gene’s community college period:
"A young lady who Gene went to college with, a girl who started out the demure virgin, all coy and unclaimed... then met up with 'The Tongue'! The only sad thing about the tale is that when she finally did give way it was in the back seat of a car and with someone else, a friend of Gene’s in fact."
Song wasn't performed live.
, on December 15th 1987. Video was directed by Marty Callner
. "Turn On the Night" only charted in the UK, where it reached #41, respectively.
on her 1984 solo album W.O.W.
.
Bruce Kulick
, Desmond Child
and Paul Stanley
wrote a power ballad "Sword And Stone" that didn't manage to get on the album because Ron wasn't thrilled with the song. Bruce later stated:
The song was offered to Canadian
rock band Loverboy
, and was re-recorded by their lead-guitarist Paul Dean
on his 1988 album Hard Core
. The song was also recorded by German
heavy metal
band Bonfire
for a Wes Craven
movie Shocker
.
Eric Carr
, Gene Simmons
, and Adam Mitchell wrote "Dial 'L' For Love". Eric was the primary writer of the song, and he later passed it to Gene and Adam who completed it. As Eric stated, the song wasn't good at the time so it didn't get on the album. Demo was made, but it didn't include completed vocals. It was sung by Eric.
"Are You Always This Hot" is a song written by Simmons and Mitchell and is unique because it hasn't yet been found in collector's circles nor it was re-recorded by other artist. In '80s, Simmons had the ritual of making new songs that are based on some older songs, or simply spoken, he recycled them. And "Are You Always This Hot" is one of them. It was first written by Adam Mitchell in 1981.
The song "Time Traveler" was recoded during these sessions and later released on the 2001 KISS Box Set.
Some other songs that were written for the album, but never made it are "Boomerang", "‘X’ Marks the Spot", "Scratch and Sniff", "What Goes Up", "Hunger For Love", "Dirty Blonde" and "No Mercy", although "Boomerang" would be later featured on Hot in the Shade
. This list gets to approximately 40 songs.
All three songs had corresponding music videos which received heavy rotation on MTV
, and were also featured on the "Crazy Nights Home Video."
The most successful single was "Crazy Crazy Nights", charting in five countries, and the least successful single was "Turn On the Night" charting only in the UK, where it reached #41. The highest charting single was also "Crazy Crazy Nights", who reached #4 in the UK.
Album - UK Albums Chart
(United Kingdom)
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Singles - "UK Albums Chart
" (UK)
Singles - "Dutch Charts" (Netherlands)
Singles - "Norwegian charts" (Norway)
Singles - "Australian charts" (Australia)
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
. The album was recorded in June 1987 and officially released on September 18, 1987 by Mercury
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
and Vertigo
Vertigo Records
Vertigo Records today is a UK-based record label operated by Universal Music UK.-History:Vertigo Records was the name Philips Records chose in the late 1960s for its record sub-label to counter the progressive labels of its rivals EMI with Harvest Records and Decca Records with Deram...
in Europe. The album featured keyboards which was another departure in their music style changing from their Lick It Up
Lick It Up
Lick It Up is the 11th studio album by the U.S. band Kiss. On the day of the album's release, Kiss appeared on MTV without their trademark makeup. It was the first public appearance without makeup by Kiss since the very early days of the band...
/Animalize
Animalize
Animalize is the 12th studio album by the American band Kiss. In a continuation of the commercial resurgence begun with Lick It Up, Animalize was certified platinum by the RIAA on December 12, 1984. It was the biggest-selling Kiss album since 1977's Alive II.The album marked the only appearance by...
/Asylum heavy metal sound into the pop-metal sound. The album peaked at #18 on the US Billboard 200 chart, making Crazy Nights the highest-charting Kiss album of the 1980s in the United States. The album was certified Platinum on November 18, 1987 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and few months later in the US, on February 18, 1988. It was re-released in 1998 as part of the Kiss Remasters series and to date is the last Kiss album to have been remastered.
"Crazy Crazy Nights
Crazy Crazy Nights
"Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. The single peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987 and number 37 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart...
" and "Reason to Live
Reason to Live
"Reason to Live" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss featured on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. Released as a single in 1987, the song would prove to be a minor hit for the band, making the Top 40 charts in the United Kingdom and reached number 34 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" were played regularly on live shows until Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
's death in 1991 (although Crazy Nights returned to KISS' set on the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
The Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Kiss in support of their 19th studio album Sonic Boom, which was released in October 2009....
). Otherwise, the album has not been performed live ever since.
Album Background
After the Asylum TourAsylum Tour
The Asylum Tour was a concert tour by Kiss. It was the first Kiss tour since the Dynasty Tour to stay inside North America. Kiss also performed The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", usually in the encore. Paul Stanley, does his guitar smashing ritual after, "Lick It Up".On March 30, 1986, Kiss played...
had ended, Kiss went on couple of month long hiatus due to Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
' career as an actor and a producer which made Kiss seem like his side job instead of primary job. For KISStory, Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
stated that he got sick of Simmons' lack of commitment and one day he told him:
We were in the parking lot one day, and I said to Gene:
"Look – you're off doing all these other things while still reaping the benefits of this band, and I'm getting screwed. It's not fair for me to put in this kind of time, while somebody else who is supposed to be my partner, is not." And Gene looked at me and said:
"That's fair." I could have used Gene's input. But my attitude at that point was that I certainly wasn't going to listen to a guy who's off managing cabaret singers, and producing five bands, while I was trying to make an album.
Simmons' "departure" gave space to Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
and Bruce Kulick
Bruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
. Kulick had four co-writing credits and Carr one but he almost got other material on the album. Stanley had worked with Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
, Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
and Adam Mitchell and co-wrote songs:
"Crazy Crazy Nights
Crazy Crazy Nights
"Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. The single peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987 and number 37 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart...
", "I'll Fight Hell to Hold You" and "When Your Walls Come Down" with Mitchell ("I'll Fight Hell to Hold You" and "When Your Walls Come Down" with Kulick), "Bang Bang You", "My Way" and "Reason to Live" with Child ("My Way" with Bruce Turgon
Bruce Turgon
Bruce Turgon is an American bass guitarist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer who has played in several bands throughout his career, including Foreigner, The Lou Gramm Band, Shadow King, Steve Stevens, Warrior, Black Sheep, and Showcase....
also), and "Turn On the Night" was co-written by Stanley and Warren.
As Kiss' previous two albums had been self-produced, the band felt it needed to bring an outside producer who would the album achieve more commercial success. The result was Ron Nevison
Ron Nevison
Multi-platinum record producer Ron Nevison, throughout his career, has operated much like a surgeon, brought in during a critical point in a band's career to bring them back to the top from the commercial brink...
, producer who made platinum albums for Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Meatloaf, and Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
. Gene said for KISStory:
When we started working on "Crazy Nights", we looked for someone else to pull the cart – another person to help guide the band… So we hooked up with a producer named Ron Nevison, who Paul had wanted to work with for a while, although I never did.But because of Nevison's filled schedule, the band had to wait for awhile. Album was at first called "Who Dares Wins", which was Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
's idea. According to Eric:
During a photo session our wardrobe girl had this commando patch lying around with 'Who Dares Wins' on it, and I said: "Hey, what a great idea for an album title!" Then she brought it over to Paul who said the same thing. We ended up not using it because it didn't look good in print, and it sounded as if no one would understand it.
The idea was dropped in June, but it managed to appear on some Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese advertisements for the upcoming album.
Another title band thought of was "Condomnation", but as Paul said:
Well, "Condomnation" was never really the title. It was just a thought that passed through our minds and gave everyone a chuckle.
The record sessions started in March at One on One Recording Studios in Canoga Park, California but later continued in Rumbo Recorders also in Canoga Park and Can-Am Recorders in Tarzana, California. In June the album was completed and it was mixed at Can-Am Recorders by Ron Nevison, before being turned over to PolyGram in July.
"Crazy Crazy Nights"
"Crazy Crazy NightsCrazy Crazy Nights
"Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. The single peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987 and number 37 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart...
" was the first single from the album and only reached #65 on Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #37 on Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
, but it was a hit in United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where it reached #4 and, to date, is KISS' highest charting single in the UK. "Crazy Crazy Nights" also went into the Top 40 in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where it reached #7, #28 and #34, respectively. A music video was made on August 8, 1987 at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
which was directed by Jean Pellerin and Doug Freel. It was featured in Crazy Nights video
Crazy Nights (video)
Crazy Nights is a music VHS by American hard rock band Kiss. The VHS features 3 videos from their non make-up era album of the same name.It included the music videos for "Crazy Crazy Nights", "Turn on the Night" and "Reason to Live"....
. The song would be performed regularly on live shows until Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
's death in 1991 but it returned to the set list on the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
The Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Kiss in support of their 19th studio album Sonic Boom, which was released in October 2009....
.
"I'll Fight Hell to Hold You"
Adam Mitchell reportedly plays on the song along with Bruce KulickBruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
.
"Bang Bang You"
According to Paul, "Bang Bang You" is: "...the classic story of boys and their toys"."Bang Bang You" was only performed live during the Crazy Nights Tour
Crazy Nights Tour
The Crazy Nights Tour was a concert tour by Kiss. It began in Jackson, Mississippi, marking the second time that a major recording act had started a tour in that city. . The night before the Jackson show, bassist Gene Simmons played DJ on local rock and roll station Z106. It was the first time Kiss...
.
"No, No, No"
"No, No, No", was originally titled "Assume The Position" and later "Down On All Fours". It was based on Bruce's riff which he and Eric developed into a song in Eric's apartment in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
so it could be finished by Gene. According to Eric:
"I just set up a double bass drum beat on my drum machine. I just got this feel in my head and I started coming up with this real staccato stuff for the verse."
It is Bruce's album favorite because "It’s the fastest, ferocious thing, and it features me a lot."
Song was only performed live during the Crazy Nights Tour
Crazy Nights Tour
The Crazy Nights Tour was a concert tour by Kiss. It began in Jackson, Mississippi, marking the second time that a major recording act had started a tour in that city. . The night before the Jackson show, bassist Gene Simmons played DJ on local rock and roll station Z106. It was the first time Kiss...
.
"Hell or High Water"
"Hell or High Water" is a song based on Bruce KulickBruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
's idea which came to him during the Asylum Tour
Asylum Tour
The Asylum Tour was a concert tour by Kiss. It was the first Kiss tour since the Dynasty Tour to stay inside North America. Kiss also performed The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", usually in the encore. Paul Stanley, does his guitar smashing ritual after, "Lick It Up".On March 30, 1986, Kiss played...
. Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
wrote the lyrics. Song was rarely performed during the Crazy Nights Tour
Crazy Nights Tour
The Crazy Nights Tour was a concert tour by Kiss. It began in Jackson, Mississippi, marking the second time that a major recording act had started a tour in that city. . The night before the Jackson show, bassist Gene Simmons played DJ on local rock and roll station Z106. It was the first time Kiss...
.
"My Way"
"My Way" was written by Paul StanleyPaul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
, Bruce Kulick
Bruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
and Bruce Turgon
Bruce Turgon
Bruce Turgon is an American bass guitarist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer who has played in several bands throughout his career, including Foreigner, The Lou Gramm Band, Shadow King, Steve Stevens, Warrior, Black Sheep, and Showcase....
. It doesn't differ from the demo version a lot. Song was never played live.
"When Your Walls Come Down"
"When Your Walls Come Down" is another song based on Bruce KulickBruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
's riff that came to him during the Asylum Tour
Asylum Tour
The Asylum Tour was a concert tour by Kiss. It was the first Kiss tour since the Dynasty Tour to stay inside North America. Kiss also performed The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", usually in the encore. Paul Stanley, does his guitar smashing ritual after, "Lick It Up".On March 30, 1986, Kiss played...
. Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
had the chorus and with Adam Mitchell's assistance, song was finished. Song didn't come out well when played live so it was only played a couple of times.
"Reason to Live"
Paul recalled when he played the "Reason to LiveReason to Live
"Reason to Live" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss featured on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. Released as a single in 1987, the song would prove to be a minor hit for the band, making the Top 40 charts in the United Kingdom and reached number 34 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" demo to Gene:
"I remember calling up Gene and playing it to him down the phone... I played the song to Gene and obviously the bomb had gone off at the other end. He was speechless."
Paul was always okay with having power-ballads on Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
albums, which first started with "I Still Love You" on 1982 Creatures of the Night
Creatures of the Night
Creatures of the Night is the tenth studio album by Kiss. It is the band's last album for Casablanca Records, the only label the group had ever recorded for up to that point...
. Paul also said:
"If a band was to be honest they would tell you that at that time the only hope for airplay was a ballad." A music video directed by Marty Callner
Marty Callner
Marty Callner is a director. His primary work is with music videos. Marty has directed work from such popular artists as Cher, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith and has work recorded back as far as 1977 and as recent as 2009. He has been nominated for 7 Emmys, 3 DGAs, and 1 CableACE Award...
was made, and featured Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
centerfold Eloise Broady. "Reason to Live" reached #64 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #34 on Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
and #33 in the UK. The song managed to chart in Holland, reaching poor #89.
"Good Girl Gone Bad"
"Good Girl Gone Bad" was written by Gene SimmonsGene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
, Gene's friend Davitt Sigerson
Davitt Sigerson
Davitt Sigerson is an American novelist whose first career was in the music business. Sigerson was a record producer, singer, songwriter, record company executive, and journalist.He went to school and Oxford University in the UK...
and Davitt's song-writing partner Peter Diggins, whom Gene never met. The song was lyrically based on something obvious from Gene’s community college period:
"A young lady who Gene went to college with, a girl who started out the demure virgin, all coy and unclaimed... then met up with 'The Tongue'! The only sad thing about the tale is that when she finally did give way it was in the back seat of a car and with someone else, a friend of Gene’s in fact."
Song wasn't performed live.
"Turn On the Night"
"Turn On the Night" was the third single off the album. A music video was made in Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, on December 15th 1987. Video was directed by Marty Callner
Marty Callner
Marty Callner is a director. His primary work is with music videos. Marty has directed work from such popular artists as Cher, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith and has work recorded back as far as 1977 and as recent as 2009. He has been nominated for 7 Emmys, 3 DGAs, and 1 CableACE Award...
. "Turn On the Night" only charted in the UK, where it reached #41, respectively.
"Thief in the Night"
"Thief in the Night" was first recorded by Wendy O. WilliamsWendy O. Williams
Wendy Orlean Williams , better known as Wendy O. Williams, was the lead singer for the American punk band the Plasmatics, as well as a solo artist...
on her 1984 solo album W.O.W.
W.O.W.
W.O.W. is the first solo studio album released by Wendy O. Williams in 1984 after her group, the Plasmatics, broke up .In 1982, KISS asked for Wendy and the Plasmatics to appear as a Special Guest on their tour...
.
Unreleased Songs
A few other songs were recorded for the album, but not included.Bruce Kulick
Bruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
, Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
and Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
wrote a power ballad "Sword And Stone" that didn't manage to get on the album because Ron wasn't thrilled with the song. Bruce later stated:
I just felt really bad that Ron Nevison didn't like the song 'cause then it would have been on "Crazy Nights". But I couldn't control that. And the demo that is out there in bootleg form is pretty good. We did it at Electric Lady with Eric Carr and it's a full-blown KISS track practically. I actually came up with that riff backstage on tour early on, "Asylum" I think. That's what happens. Paul didn't mind as much, I felt pretty bad about that.
The song was offered to Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock band Loverboy
Loverboy
Loverboy is a Canadian rock group formed in 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout the 1980s, the band accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, earning four multi-platinum albums and selling millions of records...
, and was re-recorded by their lead-guitarist Paul Dean
Paul Dean (guitarist)
Paul Dean is the lead guitarist for the Canadian rock band Loverboy which reached huge fame in the early 1980s.-Biography:...
on his 1988 album Hard Core
Hard Core (Paul Dean album)
Hard Core is the first solo album released by former Streetheart & Loverboy lead guitarist, founder, and main songwriter, Paul Dean from 1989. The lead-off track, "Sword & Stone" was demoed by Kiss for their Crazy Nights album in 1987, and later additionally recorded by the German Rockers, Bonfire...
. The song was also recorded by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Bonfire
Bonfire (band)
Bonfire is a German heavy metal band, founded in Ingolstadt, Germany in 1972. Bonfire has a unique history. Currently there are two bands who have held the name. The original group started out as Cacumen, became Bonfire and ended in 2011 as Charade...
for a Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
movie Shocker
Shocker (film)
Shocker is a 1989 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. The relatively low-budget film has since become a cult classic...
.
Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
, Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
, and Adam Mitchell wrote "Dial 'L' For Love". Eric was the primary writer of the song, and he later passed it to Gene and Adam who completed it. As Eric stated, the song wasn't good at the time so it didn't get on the album. Demo was made, but it didn't include completed vocals. It was sung by Eric.
"Are You Always This Hot" is a song written by Simmons and Mitchell and is unique because it hasn't yet been found in collector's circles nor it was re-recorded by other artist. In '80s, Simmons had the ritual of making new songs that are based on some older songs, or simply spoken, he recycled them. And "Are You Always This Hot" is one of them. It was first written by Adam Mitchell in 1981.
The song "Time Traveler" was recoded during these sessions and later released on the 2001 KISS Box Set.
Some other songs that were written for the album, but never made it are "Boomerang", "‘X’ Marks the Spot", "Scratch and Sniff", "What Goes Up", "Hunger For Love", "Dirty Blonde" and "No Mercy", although "Boomerang" would be later featured on Hot in the Shade
Hot in the Shade
-Personnel:*Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, vocals*Gene Simmons – bass guitar, vocals*Bruce Kulick – lead guitar, backing vocals*Eric Carr – drums, percussion, vocals-Charts:AlbumSingles- Certifications :...
. This list gets to approximately 40 songs.
Track listing
Singles
- "Crazy Crazy Nights" / "No No No" - August 18, 1987 (Mercury 888 796)
- "Reason to Live" / "Thief in the Night" - November 12, 1987 (Mercury 870 022)
- "Turn On the Night" / "Hell or High Water" - February 18, 1988 (Mercury 870 215)
All three songs had corresponding music videos which received heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and were also featured on the "Crazy Nights Home Video."
The most successful single was "Crazy Crazy Nights", charting in five countries, and the least successful single was "Turn On the Night" charting only in the UK, where it reached #41. The highest charting single was also "Crazy Crazy Nights", who reached #4 in the UK.
Personnel
- Paul StanleyPaul StanleyStanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
- vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Gene SimmonsGene SimmonsGene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
- vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Bruce KulickBruce KulickBruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals - Eric CarrEric CarrPaul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, backing vocals
Additional Personnel
- Phil Ashley - keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Tom KellyTom Kelly (musician)Thomas F. Kelly is an American musician, best known for his songwriting partnership with Billy Steinberg. Steinberg and Kelly co-wrote numerous hit songs for popular music artists, including five number-one singles on the Billboard Top 100 chart in the 1980s....
- backing vocals
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Billboard 200 | 18 |
Album - UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
(United Kingdom)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | UK Albums Chart | 4 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Single | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Mainstream Rock | "Crazy Crazy Nights" | 37 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 65 | ||
| Mainstream Rock | "Reason to Live Reason to Live "Reason to Live" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss featured on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. Released as a single in 1987, the song would prove to be a minor hit for the band, making the Top 40 charts in the United Kingdom and reached number 34 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks... " |
34 | |
| 1988 | Billboard Hot 100 | 64 |
Singles - "UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
" (UK)
| Year | Chart | Single | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | UK Singles Chart | "Crazy Crazy Nights Crazy Crazy Nights "Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. The single peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987 and number 37 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart... " |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart | "Reason to Live Reason to Live "Reason to Live" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss featured on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. Released as a single in 1987, the song would prove to be a minor hit for the band, making the Top 40 charts in the United Kingdom and reached number 34 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks... " |
33 | |
| UK Singles Chart | "Turn On the Night" | 41 |
Singles - "Dutch Charts" (Netherlands)
| Year | Chart | Single | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Dutch Charts | "Crazy Crazy Nights Crazy Crazy Nights "Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. The single peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987 and number 37 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart... " |
28 |
| 1987 | Dutch Charts | "Reason to Live Reason to Live "Reason to Live" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss featured on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. Released as a single in 1987, the song would prove to be a minor hit for the band, making the Top 40 charts in the United Kingdom and reached number 34 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks... " |
89 |
Singles - "Norwegian charts" (Norway)
| Year | Chart | Single | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Norwegian charts | "Crazy Crazy Nights Crazy Crazy Nights "Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. The single peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987 and number 37 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart... " |
7 |
Singles - "Australian charts" (Australia)
| Year | Chart | Single | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Australian charts | "Crazy Crazy Nights Crazy Crazy Nights "Crazy Crazy Nights" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1987 album, Crazy Nights. The single peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987 and number 37 on Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart... " |
34 |