On this day in KISSTORY - February 18, 1974, KISS released their self-titled debut album.

Track listing:

1. "Strutter"
2. "Nothin' to Lose"
3. "Firehouse"
4. "Cold Gin"
5. "Let Me Know"
6. "Kissin' Time"
7. "Deuce"
8. "Love Theme from KISS"
9. "100,000 Years"
10. "Black Diamond"

"Kissin' Time" did not appear on the original release of the album. The track was added to a re-pressing in July 1974.


Celebrate the 38th anniversary of the album's release with the cool fan-made video below -The KISS Albums Revisited: KISS

"Nothin' to Lose: the Making of KISS (1972-1975)" will be released on August 14, 2012.

Written by Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Ken Sharp, "Nothin' to Lose: the Making of KISS (1972-1975)" is a 448-page hardback book that chronicles for the first time the crucial formative years of the legendary rock band KISS, culminating with the groundbreaking success of their classic 1975 album "Alive!" and the smash single "Rock and Roll All Nite", a song that nearly four decades later remains one of the band's most enduring anthems.

Drawing on more than 200 interviews, the book offers a captivating and intimate fly-on-the-wall account of their launch, charting the struggles and ultimate victories that led them to the threshold of super-stardom. Constructed as an oral history, the book includes original interviews with Paul, Gene, Ace, and Peter, as well as producers, engineers, management, Casablanca Records staff, roadies, costume and stage designers, music writers, and musical contemporaries from the time, including original managers Bill Aucoin and Joyce Bogart, Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart, rock photographers Fin Costello, Norman Seeff, Bob Gruen and Joel Brodsky, promoter Ron Delsener, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Dick Clark, Alice Cooper, Iggy & the Stooges, Todd Rundgren and Marshall Crenshaw, as well as members of Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Rush, Styx, Nazareth, Slade, Blue Oyster Cult, Uriah Heep, Argent, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Mott the Hoople, the New York Dolls, James Gang, Wishbone Ash, Status Quo, Savoy Brown, Manfred Mann's Earth band, Black Oak Arkansas, Todd Rundgren, the Guess Who, Jo Jo Gunne, Montrose, the Ramones, Suzi Quatro, The Rockets among others.

The end result is an indelible and irresistible portrait of a band on the rise and the music scene they changed forever. Profusely illustrated with scores of rare photographs and vintage ephemera.

We will post the cover art on KISSOnline as soon as it is finished.

Pre-order "Nothin' to Lose: the Making of KISS (1972-1975)" now at Amazon.com

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Hey KISS!!

This is a photo of a float from a Mardi Gras Parade here in New Orleans last weekend. I remember when KISS rode into the Superdome on a Mardi Gras float in '83 on the Creatures of the Night Tour!! First concert I'd ever been to! Awesome!

Keep Rockin!

Al Teppen
New Orleans, LA

LETTERS

Kiss‘s battle against zombies in Riverdale are about to come to an end, with the fourth and final issue of ‘Archie Meets Kiss’ headed to comic book stores next Wednesday (Feb. 22). Don’t wanna wait that long? We’ve got an exclusive sneak peek for you!

We’ve already brought you five-page previews from issues two and three, where many of the town’s teens, including our hero Archie, were turned into mindless zombies. Kiss were able to free their new friend, but last we looked, the battle was far from over.

Judging by this exclusive double-panel spread from the upcoming comic book, it seems we’ve come to the inevitable scene where the music of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and company saves the day! “This is awesome! They’re going to destroy those monsters with music!,” exclaims our favorite red (well, orange) head.

It seems things are well in hand, except.. if that’s the case, what’s Betty want to make sure everybody sees? Tune in next week!

America’s only hard-rock and heavy-metal award show is back for 2012! The fourth annual REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARD SHOW presented by Epiphone® will take place Wednesday, April 11, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages.

The Golden God Award, given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, will go to KISS demon Gene Simmons, whose band will release their highly anticipated 20th studio album, “Monster,” this year. “It's an honor and privilege to accept the Golden God Award,” Simmons said in a statement. “A God is only as powerful as the faithful who worship him. Signed, [THE] GOD OF THUNDER.”

Here's a sign on a vendor booth advertising the new Hello Kitty KISS line spotted by KISS Army member Steve Feldman at the 2012 New York Toy Fair. Thanks for sending the photo to KISSonline!

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

If it has not already been done, Marsha and I would like to claim Antarctica in the name of the KISS Army and Navy! Rocking at the bottom of the world! KISS, now on the 7th continent, truly encompasses the world!

Wes and Marsha Thurmann

LETTERS

Congratulations to David Howard and Natasha Fegan! They will be the first couple married in the KISS by Monster Mini Golf Hotter Than Hell Wedding Chapel!

WhatSellsBest.com is reporting a Valentine's Day auction for the first-wedding at the KISS (rock band) “Hotter Than Hell” wedding chapel, was sold on eBay for $15,300. The auction may have had a hidden value for the chapel that went far beyond the final sales price.

The Wedding, scheduled for March 15, 2012, (the same day as the wedding chapel's grand opening) was described on eBay as; "the perfect Rock & Roll Wedding". The 'Rock' theme included wedding invitations designed as concert tickets, rose petals replaced by guitar picks, and a personal visit from rock stars Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS as wedding guests. Even the wedding limo was swapped out for a Rock & Roll Tour bus.

According to James Massey, publisher of WSB; "$15,000 may seem like a bargain for a wedding like this, especially when you see what else was included. But, I think someone was smart to recognize the hidden-benefit of auctioning the chapel's first wedding. The publicity it generated among fans worldwide has a considerable value. It's hard to put a price on it, but if you compared the cost of advertising to the same amount of free publicity the chapel received, I think they probably did really well."

West Virginia DJ listens up to a warning about hearing loss from KISS guitarist

By Douglas Imbrogno

Bill France owes a double debt to KISS vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley.

If you're not as serious a KISS fan as France is, here's an assist: Among the white grease painted faces of the legendary rock outfit, Stanley is the one with the black star painted over his right eye.

France's first debt is to Stanley and the band's costumed rock music, since it isn't quite accurate to call the Logan County resident a "serious" fan of KISS's raucous, over-the-top stagecraft.

He's a super-fan.

"Gosh, my first KISS concert was in 1978, and I've probably seen them a couple dozen times," said the 40-year-old France, who teaches language arts and broadcasting at Logan High School.

"I've met them several times, and I've actually done some artwork they used on their website. I kind of know all the outer circle. A couple of band members know me by my name -- Paul doesn't."

BIDDING ENDS IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS! DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO BID!

KISS By Monster Mini Golf to Auction off Wedding Package Starting February 10 with KISS’ Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as Guests of Honor

Bidding for the first “Hotter Than Hell” wedding is now open on eBay!

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – KISS® by Monster Mini Golf® is giving KISS® fans the opportunity to be the first couple married at the “Hotter Than Hell” wedding chapel with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley as the guests of honor.

The first wedding or vow renewal ceremony will be up for auction on eBay Thursday Feb 9th at noon (PST) and will close Valentine’s Day, at noon (PST.) Partial proceeds will benefit Toys 4 Smiles.

Bid now on the “Hotter Than Hell” wedding package!

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Hey KISS!

Here's a picture of my girlfriend and I at the Penn State basketball game this past weekend. I went as The PSU Catman and she as the PSU Lady Demon! In the middle of the show they had a "Fan of the game" contest, we were selected by the cameramen to be contestants and then the crowd cheered us on to be the winners. We weren't the only winners that day. Penn State went on to win the game 67 to 51 against Nebraska! We love taking KISS wherever we go!

Matt

LETTERS

Hi,

I'm Kauan of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! I have a rock n 'roll band here, and KISS is the highest aspiration in my career. So I got a tattoo yesterday for my favorite band! If you want to see my band has a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJBCX-Zk6j8 Thanks, and come to Brazil! I am a big dreamer ... And my dream is to open a KISS concert, and one day I'll do it!

Kauan Calazans

LETTERS

Check out these great photos of the KISS Army celebrating KISS! Thanks for sharing with KISSOnline. Please keep them coming...We LOVE to see our KISS friends from around the world!

You can now get these KISS Avatar accessories in the XBOX Avatar Marketplace.

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