The best of the solo albums
| The best of the solo albums | ||||
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| Compilation album by Kiss | ||||
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Publication |
1978 |
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admission |
1978 |
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| Label (s) | Casablanca Records | |||
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Format (s) |
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Title (number) |
12 |
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The Best of the Solo Albums is a compilation album by the group Kiss . It was released in Europe , Australia and Japan in 1978 .
History of origin
Kiss had released a new album on average every six months from 1974 to 1977, and with Love Gun and Alive II they had reached the peak of their work to date. In 1976, the group had renewed their contract with Casablanca Records , and this provided that the record company could require each member of the group to release a solo album, with the release of two solo albums equal to the release of one Kiss album. So four solo albums meant that the group would have fulfilled two more studio commitments from their contract. The idea of recording solo albums at all came from manager Bill Aucoin and Casablanca boss Neil Bogart and was included in the contract at their request.
In June 1978 the four members of the group went to different studios to record their respective solo albums.
The solo albums of all four Kiss members were released on September 18, 1978 in the USA , the circulation was four million albums, one million albums per member of the group. All four albums went gold and platinum on October 2, 1978 .
The release of the albums was a financial fiasco for Casablanca Records , as most fans simply couldn't afford to buy all four albums at once. Since Casablanca had offered retailers a “100% Return Policy”, what had happened to the label in 1975 was repeated: the number of returns was enormous.
Casablanca Records released the solo albums as Kiss albums, so members of the group are happy to use them for the total number of awards the band has won. In addition, the albums were all provided with the band's logo. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on the other hand, does not recognize them as band albums, but lists them under the names of the respective artists, so that they are actually not counted towards the awards for Kiss.
In Europe, Australia and Japan, shortly after the release of the solo albums, a compilation of twelve titles (three from each member of the group) was released under the title "Kiss: The Best of The Solo Albums" in order to increase the interest of the fans in the solo albums. Most albums from German production were imported for the American market.
The edition of the album published in Germany contained the titles in the order Ace Frehley , Peter Criss , Gene Simmons , Paul Stanley and was marketed under the title Best of Solo Albums .
Track list
- 3:01 New York Groove (vocals: Ace Frehley; lyrics and music: Russ Ballard )
- 3:39 Rip It Out (vocals: Ace Frehley; text and music: Ace Frehley, Larry Kelly, Sue Kelly)
- 3:35 Speedin 'Back to My Baby (vocals: Ace Frehley; text and music: Ace Frehley, Jeanette Frehley)
- 3:17 You Matter to Me (vocals: Peter Criss; text and music: John Vastano, Michael Morgan, Vincent Poncia)
- 4:01 Tossin 'and Turnin' (vocals: Peter Criss; text and music: Richard Adams / Malou Rene)
- 3:37 Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll (vocals: Peter Criss; text and music: Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Vincent Poncia )
- 3:50 Radioactive (vocals: Gene Simmons; text and music: Gene Simmons)
- 4:00 Mr. Make Believe ((vocals: Gene Simmons; lyrics and music: Gene Simmons))
- 2:48 See You in Your Dreams (vocals: Gene Simmons; text and music: Gene Simmons)
- 4:40 Tonight You Belong to Me (vocals: Paul Stanley; text and music: Paul Stanley)
- 3:11 Move On (vocals: Paul Stanley; text and music: Paul Stanley, Mikel Japp )
- 3:40 Hold Me, Touch Me, (Think of Me When We're Apart) (vocals: Paul Stanley; text and music: Paul Stanley)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Dale Sherman: Black Diamond - The Unauthorized Biography of Kiss ; Collectors Guide Publishing Inc., 1997, ISBN 1-896522-35-1
- ↑ Curt Gooch, Jeff Suh: Kiss Alive Forever - A Complete Touring History ; Billboard Books 2002, first edition; ISBN 0-8230-8322-5
- ↑ Database of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)