Gene Simmons on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2024
- www.cbc.ca/thehour
The Gene Simmons you know now - cuddly TV dad, savvy businessman and rock star is pretty different from the Gene Simmons that rose to fame in the 70's. Back then, KISS freaked people out - big time. They sold millions of records and toured endlessly - sweating it out in greasepaint and leather. But KISS are more than just a band, they're a brand. KISS fans can buy t-shirts, comic books, toys, even a Kiss Koffin. The marketing of KISS changed the music biz and the resident genius-slash-showman is Gene. He might breathe fire and spit blood but he's also got his warm and fuzzy side. He's been happily "unmarried" to Shannon Tweed for more than 20 years. They have a son Nick, a daughter Sophie and a reality show called 'Gene Simmons Family Jewels.'
Easiest interview ever for George, just ask Gene how he's doing and sit back for 17 minutes and he'll tell ya.
"You have such lovely eyes; do you take your glasses off?"
"You have such lovely legs; take your pants off."
Fucking priceless.
that's a man that's completely & totally in love & obsessed with himself
Fascinating man, the 17 minutes went by like it was 2. Very inspirational.
George is impeccable at ending interviews within 3 seconds.
gene invented oxygen and gravity,,,hes so amazing
i like how gene didnt stop talking. he has so much to say
Gene is a classic psychopath personality in love with himself and in love with power.
Gene is Awesome, I learn something new everytime I hear the man speaking
Haha sorry I replied on the wrong comment
One of the very few interviews that George lost control. Gene played it well. The more you talk, the less uncomfortable questions you will be asked.
John Lennon was actually the first person to use the "devil horns" on an album cover and in photos, Yellow Submarine soundtrack 1968
Marketing doesn't have to be deceptive. And in this case it isn't. Everything with the KISS logo on it is high quality, which is why they are so successful at merchandising - this isn't dollar store crap that's going to fall apart. KISS merchandise is meant to last, which is why so many people collect it, either for personal use or investment.
Gotta love George!!!
back in 79 when I was a kid playing air guitar to KISS records I never could have predicted I'd be watching Gene Simmons without make-up, on a computer through the cable system talking about his TV show featuring his family.
Hmmm, never ever heard anymore of that band name and dont remember that reality series. So much for his super purchase power!
I have and have read all Gene's books, watched interview after interview with Gene. I used to love the guy, but in the end all I hear is "I can make money doing this or that". Money, money, money, I have the rights to the money bag, I have the rights to the Axe "Blah blah blah".
KISS is and will always be the greatest band,
YES ,,dio was in elf,,,but it was a small band and virtually not known,,,,rainbow came out later than kiss ....gene has this sign from the early days of kiss...
You have to hand it to him. He is a marketing genius. And He speaks from the heart mostly.
I admire his demeanor
Dio said it best when he said "Gene Simmons may say that he invented it but then again, Gene invented breathing and shoes"
Gene simmons was born on my birthday 25 august
#25thaug
#25thauggang
Dio, started doing the devil horns in 1978 or '79 ONLY after joining Black Sabbath. He wanted to do something like Ozzy (who he replaced) who was giving the Peace sign. Gene was doing it as far back as 1976! On the cover of Love Gun (1977) he is doing it although his hand is dropped. But to really go back (although it never caught on) look at John Lennon on the cover of Yellow Submarine. But Gene is the one who brought to the Rock'n Roll arena!!! In Sign Language it means "I LOVE YOU"!
Well say all you want about Gene but he's being honest by saying "I love money because it will take me me everywhere and get me what I want in life". You can say he's full of himself (and he is) but he's not pretending to be someone else, he's himself and doesn't play games, I respect that.
Tommy Skylar
You said it very well!! That's why I like, admire and respect Gene because he's not a LIAR and doesn't pretend to be someone he's not.
Stursa666 thanks so much for your kind support my friend.
Once again, it's obvious you don't appreciate great rock 'n' roll. Don't try to deny some of their great songs.
That sign is very old, and variations with or without the thumb sticking out, has various meanings in various cultures and settings.
In Bram Stoker's 1897 novel 'Dracula', the sign is described as a hand gesture used as a guard against an 'Evil Eye', which is what Ronnie Dio spoke of as well.
His mother used the gesture from time to time, to protect herself against people who gave her the evil eye.
It's also the sign language hand gesture for "I love you", with the thumb stretched out.
The first thing he talks about is how 'invented' the devil horns. It's like he doesn't think people believe him or something...
Whoa, an interview with a hot bag of air. Fascinating.
gene simmons has EVERY right to boast about all he has accomplished in life.he deserves all he has and more.he came to this country at 8 yrs of age with his mom from israel and dreamed he would be somebody.his mom taught him to never give up and dream till his dreams come true and he did
What would a band have to do in this era to equal what KISS accomplished during their career as far as music, the merchandise, the celebrity status, the money they make, and the longevity KISS had? If you say it's impossible because the internet exists now and there is illegal downloading, that's a defeatist attitude. The question becomes how do we turn those negatives into positives? Gene Simmons makes an absolutely brilliant point about rappers making today's rock stars look like bums.
Whether he did or didn't invent the devil horn, who cares?! Gene is a master marketer and a shrewd business man. He has made millions from Kiss and his other business ventures. His philosophies on money and relationships are blunt, honest, and to the point. He's in one of the most successful bands int he world and has a wonderful, respectful family. He obviously is doing something right. So many people hate him, but so what. He's a genius in my eyes and I applaud hiim.
KISS is so tame compared to todays stuff. And you gotta like Gene Simmons :D
Dio's grandmother invented it and Dio learnt it when he was about 6, so Simmons may not even have even been born when it was originally invented. I love KISS, but Simmons is a jack of all trades and a master of one. KISS.
That guitar pick story is a fabrication for marketing purposes. He holds his guitar pick between his thumb and index finger, so it's less likely a musician would move his pick to other fingers to do that sign
Ronnie James dio was the inavator of the horns
Gene was doing the horns in the 70's. Dio did the horns publicly in the 80's. The horns have been around long before either one of them were born.
@@louisborselio8608 actually Dio has been doing it ever since he was six.
No I'm not Gene Simmons, I'm a woman, and no he doesn't pay me to defend him... doesn't have to, he doesn't need defending and I'm just telling my point of view the same as you are.
He never gave up being a musician and songwriter, he will be that always... and a damn good one. The only reason there is so much KISS merchandise is because the fans know that the KISS name means quality and if we didn't buy it, they wouldn't produce it - there would be no profit in it.
Shalom
As Gene was describing what happened when he showed his mother his 'first' ten million dollar check and she said, 'Wonderful, now what are you going to do?'. I tend to agree with how George intepreted what she said @ 13:15 versus what Gene thought she meant @ 13:30.
Tommy isn't riding anyone's coattails, he's better than most guitarists that KISS has had, if anyone would REALLY, seriously listen to him. Not knocking Ace, I love his solo albums. Your other insults aren't worth replying to.
i was getting pissed by his showing off at the beginning but once he started talking to about his i realised the man deserves to show off
Yip, person below is correct - the gesture is much older than Gene Simmons and is called the mana cornuta, traditionally used to ward of the maloik or evil eye :)
No. Dio first used it in 1979, Simmons was first filmed giving it in 1975, but Geezer Butler had been using it since the late 60s ;)
GENE FOR PRESIDENT..
Gene Simmons knows! The father of Spider-Man is Steve Ditko NOT effing Stan Lee.
As per the Wiks:
"A March 31, 1985 article in Circus by Ben Liemer states that Gene Simmons of Kiss was influenced by Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. in 1977 after watching Sister perform in Los Angeles. Blackie had come across a hand salute known as the corna in an occult book and had started using it during live performances."
Dio's grandmother did the "malocchio" horns first...
Dio popularized the horns when he joined Black Sabbath in 1979, Gene did it on the cover of Kiss - Love Gun in 1977, John Lennon did it on The Beatles - Yellow Submarine albumcover in 1969. Dio did NOT create the devil's horn sign, neither did any other rockstar. It's an old symbol that with the times got associated with heavy metal.
Amazing interview. This is easily one of the best yet.
"I invented this baby"
No you didn't Gene.
As much as I love Kiss/Gene Simmons, I (have to) question his attitude toward or about "loving or enjoying what you do." In my opinion, you HAVE TO "LOVE or ENJOY WHAT YOU'RE DOING-REGARDLESS IF IT'S THE WEEKEND, a WEEKDAY, OR WHAT TIME OF YEAR IT IS." If you enjoy or love what you're enjoying, EVERYDAY is a HOLIDAY. When you can NO LONGER look forward to going to work. When you feel it's NO USE trying anymore, QUIT BEFORE YOU'RE FIRED.
Oh, and you don't like to get paid for the work that you do? Everything that Gene gets paid for, he's earned. He's a genius when it comes to conducting business.
And actually it was Rush on the Fly By Night tour who remembered Ace's b-day and got him gifts and drunk and high, while the rest of Kiss had no clue/ didn't even wish him a happy one. Guess it was the begining of self-centeredness of the band.
How is he being a scumbag for being a marketing genius? Most people would kill for that kind of talent... musically and otherwise. And some of his followers listen to him because he actually makes sense... which is proved by his success.
@orangeambience: If you go back and look at the picture folder from KISS Alive!, you'll see a picture of Gene doing the "horns" in 1975.
I have to respect a man who cares more about money than fucking himself up with drugs and alcohol.
I would LOVE to work with Gene in a marketing/sales position (and yes, I have been such a long term fan!! And I love Toronto---Rush!!!).....but when I was in the Kiss Army (check it),,,,Gene's hand sign was a hearing impaired sign for "I Love You"..... Am I wrong Gene? If not, get in touch with you, and I would love to work with you for peanuts and prove my worth to the company....pure capitalism...I'll prove it..... I was the good Catholic boy with Kiss posters all over my wall!!! lol
Again, I've done nothing hypocritical. I love KISS, I support their music by buying CDs and merchandise (can't wait for the Motley Crue/KISS concert this fall). You know, you're a huge drag to talk to... what a miserable life you must lead. I on the other hand want to ROCK AND ROLL ALLLLL NIIIIGHT, AND PARTY EVERY DAY!
KISS is great at marketing because the products are high quality and last. And yes, when a KISS Army member lowers themselves to impart wisdom, you should indeed feel honored. KISS absolutely cares for their fans, and has proved it over and over again, so I hardly need to go into that subject.
omg no, I would never sell it. I make jewelry out of guitar picks and stuff, but the KISS logo and various images are copyrighted images. I would never steal from KISS by trying to make a profit of it. The paintings and stuff are for personal use only.
that was some awesome footage in opening clip
rock and roll is never going to be dead. it just changes with the times. I'm with Dio (Ronnie James that is) "Gene thinks he invented shoes and walking..." I laughed when Dio said that. Turns out it was invented in Sicily by Grandmothers warding off the evil eye. You can interpret it any way you want. I like "Up the Irons" cause I love Iron Maiden. Take your pick
You've obviously never sat and compared live video for hours on end... or heard When Lightning Strikes. Gene and Paul certainly do let Tommy (and Eric) be as original as they want to be, within KISS's style, obviously.
Gene and kiss were out before dio
Gene can back up what he says so that's confidence or at worst it's justified arrogance. It's hard to argue with success, especially success on the level he has consistently had. Any time KISS had a down turn, they reversed it and entered a new stage of success in their careers. They've had different lead guitarists and drummers but Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are the backbone of the band that is always there. So Gene has good reason to come across as he does.
I would love to see a discussion about rock music and its history between Gene, Ronnie James Dio, Ozzy, Dee Snider, and Robert Plant. I bet that would be some interesting conversations on who is great and had such influence. I mention Dee SNider because of his claim to fame with standing up for rock music against PMRC in the US Congress.
Gene seems to be very smart and has been around the biz for a long time, but he sounds more of a salesman anymore and less about the music.
down with webster is amaazing. there were a bunch of label people at their show at the rivoli last week.
true. Dio got the idea when he was a child, before spiderman even came around, his italian grandmother would point at people on the street with the "devil horns" in dissaprooval
Gene Simmons is one of the Greatest ever, bar none, Next to me that is. -dk
Amen brother...
wow pretty awesome interview
Ronnie was the first to do it though, it's supposed to be an old italian curse. Of course they could both have came up with it indipendently
Dio did it with Black Sabbath. But Gene did it before Dio started with Black Sabbath.
So to everyone.
Gene would be the one that actually started it.
But you know? Who cares?
Gene (or) Dio.
They both Rock and they both have huge influences on the Music culture today and forever.
this is why i like kiss he talks good about canada im canadian and i know so many people talk bad about canada p.s. gene make me a star i can sing and same tongue as you but im only 12
Texas Longhorn fans have been doing the Horn sign a LOT longer than either Simmons or Dio
Hey Gene, l'm still waiting on 'Down with Webster'....maybe next century they will hit big
kISSOLOGY kiss was founded in new york city by vinnie vincent, and ace frehley, gene used to deliver hamburgers for the sessions, while paul was driving taxi and helping them get to gigs, then tommy thayer was asked to join, and then eric carr,,,,touring extensivley in albania, and upper siberia kiss sold over five hundered albums, and then toured upper volta, and zimabwe...THE REAL STORY..VINNIE VINCENT FOUNDED THIS BAND....
It wasn't Dio and it wasn't Gene. The "horns" are deaf sign language for "I love you". That's how it all started. Jinx Dawson of Coven brought it into Rock & Roll in '69. That's enough of music trivia for today. Okthanksbye
@TeilerTeiler i heard it began when some band i have no idea which was performing live and the guitarist was waving at someone and held the pick with the two middle fingers and his thumb and the audience all of a sudden started doing it too and became a rock symbol.
Id have to say they both did!! They both came up with the idea in diff ways !!
Showbizz baby!
Preach on.....Bro!!!
.........
he was holding it in his middle finger when he was WAVING TO THE FANS!!! NOT WHEN HE WAS PLAYING!!
ronnie james dio said he started the hand sign.
Gene does not use the devil sign, Dio, however, does. Gene shows thumb, Dio shows the 2 horns..difference.
Actually, if you look at the picture book that came with ALIVE!, you'll see a picture of Gene doing it in 1975.
I can add that Dio stated he invented it as well.
Very insulting that he said "Where are we, Much Music? Jeez, George, Stand up Man!!!
UltMitSinner78 Kiss has been out for 37 years, not 35. Dio is not older then Gene, and it was Gene who came up with the horns first.
Actually, if you go back and look at the pictures in Alive! you'll see Gene doing the horn thing. That was 1975. Dio started doing it when he joined Black Sabbath in 1980. Like it or not, Gene was first.
Nope Dio’s Grandma used to do it to him as a child and ever since he was 6 he was doing it.
Ace and Peter were partying all night (and during the day ..)... neither Gene nor Paul were with them .. so the two are gone (and thanks to this, the kiss but are still with us today ...)
Italian grandmas did, according to the man himself. He brought it into metal.
Dio invented that hand signal...Gene is full of it.
@muffirub it was John Lennon, he did this gesture in a photo session for the yellow submarine album
Dude was born 5 days after Phil Lynott
"homosexual innuendos"?? KISS?
Wtf?!?!!
I'm sorry to tell you, but I saw Simmons doing the devil horns in the early 70's before anyone even heard of Dio. Maybe someone was doing it before Simmons, I could care less, but Ronnie James Dio came much later.
The thing is Dio has been doing it since he was 6
Also Rainbow’s first album was in 1975. Same year as kiss alive.
Wow KISS Coffin !
The Band is Down With The Webster! they are amazing check them out on myspace/youtube!
I like him. He seems smart.
Happy Birthday, Gene! (You kill me.)
He's the best at everything he does including inventing metal.
He didn’t invent metal.
Sorry Gene...your sadly mistaken about the hand sign you claim to have invented. The Texas Longhorns have been waving that sign for over 50 years. It stand for.....Longhorned Cattle. Also...the Hawaiian people have been using that sign longer than the Longhorns. A mythical Hawaiian warrior,Chaka,(not Chaka Zulu) lost his middle two fingers in a fierce battle. The legend says people in the field would wave that sign to warn everyone that Chaka was on his way.
Dio's version didnt have the extended thumb. Gene is right, I saw him do it in concert in 1978.
Hes a fucking interesting person. I don't care about that he's almost saying he's god because he is damn cool