CHAPTER 68 – Vague Appearances
68.01. Surrender (Cheap Trick)
While not an appearance by
any KISS member, Cheap Trick did offer a “tip of the hat” to KISS, a band
they’d toured with during KISS’ “Love Gun” tour on this song. Originally
released on the band’s “Heaven Tonight” album in 1978, the song’s third verse
includes the lyric: “Whatever happened to all this season’s losers of the year?
/ Every time I got to thinking, where’d they disappear? / When I woke up, Mom
and Dad are rolling on the couch / Rolling numbers, rock and rollin,’ got my KISS records out.” The song was written by
Rick Nielsen.
68.02. Manana (Jimmy Buffet)
Again, this song does not
feature any appearance by a member of KISS, but does include a KISS reference
in the third chorus: “So please don’t say manana if
you don’t mean it (don’t mean it) / I have done your lines for so very long /
Don’t try to describe a Kiss concert if you’ve never seen it / Don’t ever
forget that you just may wind up being gonged .” Written by Jimmy the song was
included on his “Son Of A Son Of A Sailor” album in 1978.
68.03. Funky Cold
One of the first officially
released rap songs to feature a KISS sample, in which case Tone-Loc asked for
permission to use part of “Christine Sixteen” in their 1989 hit.
68.04. C’mon Now (Leila K)
It would be unfair, and
incorrect, to call “C’mon Now” a song written by Gene Simmons and Vinnie
Vincent. It would also be a misrepresentation and suggest that it was one of
the additional tracks Vinnie contributed to, during the recording of “Revenge,”
which was not used by KISS. The song is registered through BMI (#3994977) which
lists the following song-writers: Herbert Crishlow,
Vincent Cusano, Pop Denniz,
Leila K, Martin Mak, and Gene Simmons. Recorded by
Swedish rap artist Leila K in 1995, the song simply includes samples of Eric
Carr’s drum track from “I Love It Loud” while the lyrics are an original
composition.
The KISS music was
officially licensed from PolyGram. The song would be released on Leila K’s 1996 album “Manic Panic” was released as a single (May
1996) where it performed well enough to become one of Leila K’s
key tracks. Several mixes of the song exist including: Album version (
68.05. Hard Luck Woman (Acoustic Radio)
Released on the 1999 CD
“Bootleg: Live On-Air” (Restaurant Records 1008-2) this 3:16 track would be an
acoustic version recorded live on the air on Boston’s WAAF’s
“The Usual Suspects” Radio Show on July 1, 1993. Also played on air at the time
were “Cold Gin” and “Lick It Up” which were not issued on the CD. This radio
appearance was in conjunction with the promotional tour undertaken for the
“Alive III” album release.
68.06. Feelin’ Funky (Madison Park, 2001)
Credited to the core
members of Madison Park, James Cool and DeAnna Edwards,
the song’s credits also include Paul Stanley, Vini Poncia, and Desmond Child. The song simply uses a sample
part of “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”: “I was made for lovin’ you baby / You were made for lovin’
me / Loosen up get straight with me baby / We’ll start feelin’
funky.”
68.07. The Way (Reverend Run, 2005)
From the legendary Run DMC
rapper’s “Distortion” album, this song uses a sample of the main riff from “God
Of Thunder.”