Dressed to Kill (album)
Encyclopedia
Dressed to Kill is the third studio album
from American
hard rock band Kiss
. It is unique for having been produced by Casablanca Records
president Neil Bogart
, as the financial situation of the label at the time did not allow the hiring of a professional producer.
"C'mon and Love Me
" and "Rock and Roll All Nite
" were released as singles. Both failed to rise high on the charts until "Rock and Roll All Nite" was released in its live format as a single later that year off their double live album Alive! and reached #12 on the singles charts.
The album was re-released
in 1997 (along with most of Kiss' earlier albums) in a remaster
ed version. Possibly due to the very short length of the album, original vinyl versions had unusually long pauses between each track to create the illusion that the sides were longer than they were. Each side ran just fifteen minutes, and some of the times of the songs were incorrect on the vinyl versions. For example, "Two Timer" was listed at 2:59 and "Ladies in Waiting" was listed at 2:47.
It peaked at #32 on the US charts and was certified Gold
by the RIAA
on February 28, 1977.
While the album cover depicts Kiss in business suits, the only member of the band who actually owned one was Peter Criss
. The suits worn on the cover by the rest of the band were owned by manager Bill Aucoin
.
While "Rock and Roll All Nite" remains a permanent staple in the band's concerts (often played to close out a show), there are several other songs still played from this release such as "She
", "Rock Bottom" and occasionally, "C'mon and Love Me
".
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...
from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock 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,...
. It is unique for having been produced by Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
president Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart was an American record executive. He is perhaps best known as the founder of Casablanca Records, with Peter Guber....
, as the financial situation of the label at the time did not allow the hiring of a professional producer.
"C'mon and Love Me
C'mon and Love Me
"C'mon and Love Me" is a single by rock band Kiss from their 3rd album Dressed to Kill. Written by Paul Stanley, a live version exists on Alive!. Paul was inspired by a Moody Blues song, "Question" when writing the song which had been done under an hour...
" and "Rock and Roll All Nite
Rock and Roll All Nite
"Rock and Roll All Nite" is a song by Kiss, originally released on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill. It was released as the A-side of their fifth single, with the album track "Getaway." The studio version of the song peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard singles chart, besting the band's previous...
" were released as singles. Both failed to rise high on the charts until "Rock and Roll All Nite" was released in its live format as a single later that year off their double live album Alive! and reached #12 on the singles charts.
The album was re-released
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
in 1997 (along with most of Kiss' earlier albums) in a remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed version. Possibly due to the very short length of the album, original vinyl versions had unusually long pauses between each track to create the illusion that the sides were longer than they were. Each side ran just fifteen minutes, and some of the times of the songs were incorrect on the vinyl versions. For example, "Two Timer" was listed at 2:59 and "Ladies in Waiting" was listed at 2:47.
It peaked at #32 on the US charts and was certified Gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on February 28, 1977.
While the album cover depicts Kiss in business suits, the only member of the band who actually owned one was Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
. The suits worn on the cover by the rest of the band were owned by manager Bill Aucoin
Bill Aucoin
William "Bill" Aucoin was an American band manager, well-known for his work with the rock band Kiss.-Biography:...
.
While "Rock and Roll All Nite" remains a permanent staple in the band's concerts (often played to close out a show), there are several other songs still played from this release such as "She
She (Kiss song)
"She" is a song by American hard rock group Kiss. It was released on the band's third studio album Dressed to Kill in 1975. The song was written by Gene Simmons and Stephen Coronel while Simmons was in a band called Bullfrog Bheer...
", "Rock Bottom" and occasionally, "C'mon and Love Me
C'mon and Love Me
"C'mon and Love Me" is a single by rock band Kiss from their 3rd album Dressed to Kill. Written by Paul Stanley, a live version exists on Alive!. Paul was inspired by a Moody Blues song, "Question" when writing the song which had been done under an hour...
".
Track listing
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...
- 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...
, vocals - 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:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Ace FrehleyAce FrehleyPaul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
- 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... - Peter CrissPeter CrissGeorge Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
- 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 ....
, percussion, vocals
Production
- Neil BogartNeil BogartNeil Bogart was an American record executive. He is perhaps best known as the founder of Casablanca Records, with Peter Guber....
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Dave Wittman - engineer
- George Lopez - assistant engineer
- George Marino - CD masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Joseph Palamacco - remastering
Charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
32 |
Certifications
Releases
- CasablancaCasablanca RecordsCasablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
NBLP-7016 (March 19, 1975): 1st LPGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
issue - MercuryMercury RecordsMercury 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...
824 148-2 M-1 (July 1987): 1st CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
issue - Mercury 314 532 3762 (July 15, 1997): RemasterRemasterRemaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed CD