CHAPTER 32 – Killers (1982)

“KISS Killers” Album Notes:

Produced by Michael James Jackson. Recorded at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, in May 1982. Engineered by Dave Thoener. Additional mixing and recording by Dave Wittman. Album released in Europe on June 15, 1982. The suggestion that KISS may have been considering releasing the four new tracks as an EP is incorrect according to Gene (KISS Kollector #6). That doesn’t mean the record label wasn’t…

32.01. I’m A Legend Tonight

This track would be one of the first which Paul Stanley and Adam Mitchell collaborate on after Adam was brought into the KISS camp to rejuvenate song-writing by Michael James Jackson. This song used a title Gene Simmons had come up with and was written at Adam Mitchell’s house in Hollywood. This song would be the last of the four “Killers” tracks to be released in the United States, when it was included on the “Gold” compilation released in 2004.

32.02. Down On Your Knees

Written by Paul Stanley, Mikel Japp, and Bryan Adams while Mikel was jamming with KISS at SIR Studios in Los Angeles. Also playing at the studios was Bryan who would give Paul’s song idea a listen and make some minor contributions. This song would be based on an initial idea by Mikel which developed as it was jammed.

32.03. Shout It Out Loud (Edit)

The version of “Shout It Out Loud” that is used on “Killers” runs 2:35, even shorter than the “radio single mix” issued in 1976. The shortening of the track is a result of the fade-out of the song starting during the first repetition of the “Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud” lyric following Gene’s “Oh yeah.”

32.04. Nowhere To Run

One of Paul’s favorite songs from “Killers” this track would be the only one of the new tracks solely written by Paul. It also dated to the period prior to the “Elder” sessions where the band were working on harder-edged material. This song sometimes shows up in collector’s circles in a mix which segues to “Just A Boy.” Unfortunately, that is a fan concoction. According to Paul, “I wrote this one about a woman who was in a relationship she wanted out of, found someone else. But then ran back to what was familiar, safe, and – miserable. I don’t remember much about recording it except Gene, Eric, and me doing backup vocals” (FKLL Liners). That woman would be one whom Paul was having an affair with, with the song being Paul’s “musical letter to her” (Box Set Liners) making the piece very much autobiographical.

Bob Kulick would provide the lead guitars and the track would be the only new track recorded with Gene playing bass. By the time KISS entered the Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles in the Spring of 1982 this song would be the only complete piece of the four new songs the band would record. Paul envisaged the song being “much more powerful and with the guitars in grander numbers and volume” (Box Set Liners), which might explain why this was one of the two “Killers” tracks remixed in 1989. This was the first “Killers” studio track to have been released in the United States, officially, with its appearance on the 2001 KISS Box Set. With the exception of “I’m A Legend Tonight,” the other tracks from “Killers” have only been released in the US on some promotional issues.

32.05. Partners In Crime

Recorded twice because the song was initially in too high a key for Paul to be comfortable with singing. Paul would also play bass on the track with Bob Kulick providing lead guitar. This song was also remixed in 1989 along with “Nowhere To Run.” The song was also considered for inclusion on “Creatures Of The Night” because “Killers” had only been released outside of North America. The song, along with “Nowhere To Run,” was remixed to bring the sound consistency in line with the rest of the tracks on “Creatures” and then dropped again. With “I’m A Legend Tonight,” this would be Adam’s earliest collaboration with Paul. Adam recalled, “Paul just came over and said listen, I got this idea, let’s see what we can do with this” (KISS Hell International), and the song would be built from the ground up.

32.06. Detroit Rock City (Edit)

The edit of “Detroit Rock City” is neither as brutal as the 1976 radio single or as patchy as the 1978 remix. Essentially, only the song’s introduction is removed with the car crash at the end being left untouched. The track length is 3:52.

32.07. God Of Thunder (Edit)

Apart from cutting the “OK, got reception” vocal by one of Bob Ezrin’s sons from the immediate beginning of the song, the “Killers” version, at 4:09, is identical to the original “Destroyer” recording.

32.08. I Was Made For Lovin’ You (Edit)

While not as drastic as the 1979 “Radio Single Mix,” the length of the song is edited by some 11 seconds down to 4:16. Like the 1979 edit the beginning measures of the song are reduced from four to two and the harmonizing following the guitar solo is halved.

32.09. Chrome Goes Into Motion

This title would be the first song which Gene Simmons and Adam Mitchell would collaborate on in 1982. According to Adam, “It was this kind of weird, almost Steely Dan.... just out there. It was not anything Kiss was ever going to do, but it was fun, and we just had a good time” (Ron Albanese, KISS Thought Vault #9).