Ex-Manager Explains Why They Had To Stop Gene Simmons To Bring KISS Back
Former KISS manager Larry Mazer spoke to “Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live!” to discuss his era with the band and revealed what they told Gene Simmons to bring KISS back to its glorious days.
Larry Mazer started managing KISS in 1989 and appeared between the band’s Hot in the Shade and Revenge eras. At that time, the band had also abandoned their signature make-up for themselves and were having trouble being tied to a genre. Ticket sales had fallen, and the number of fans attending live music had dwindled. This was a major problem for KISS.
After that, the management brought everyone together to look for answers to the question of what can be done to bring KISS back. One of the founders of the band, Gene Simmons, was managing American actress Liza Minnelli under the name of his own Simmons Records. This was one of the factors that damaged the band’s music. Simmons had to drop this in order for KISS to get back to its old powerful sound, and that was just one of the things that was talked about.
Recently, a former manager detailed what they did to get old KISS back. Recalling their first meeting, Mazer revealed what they told Gene Simmons about dropping down his side-work with Simmons Records. It was clearly a call to Gene Simmons to get back in the band.
“At the very first meeting, I focused mostly on Gene, and I said, ‘Look, you got to get back in the band,'” he said (via UG). “During that period, he had gone into movies. He was managing Liza Minnelli. He had Simmons Records. So I said, ‘Look, for me to do this – that’s got to stop.’ No more Simmons Records. No more Liza Minnelli.”
Larry Says He Told Gene Simmons Looking ‘Silly’ When His Tongue Out Without His Makeup
Larry then revealed that he told Gene Simmons to stop taking his tongue out during the band’s unmasked era. He and Paul Stanley, the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the band, even fined him $1 whenever he took his tongue out, but of course it was just for fun.
“Then for last, I said, ‘And you got to stop with the tongue.’ I said, ‘It’s one thing with makeup on, but without the makeup on, you look silly.’ And Paul and I, funnily enough had this little fine, we never did it, but we had this thing where we’re going to fine him $1 every time he stuck his tongue out.
“But yeah, that was another condition – enough with the tongue. I mean, when you’re wearing the demon makeup, okay, but now, you’re in your 40s. I mean, stop already with the tongue. But now the makeup’s back on, and tongue’s out all the time.”
Earlier this past August, Gene Simmons talked about what being a member of KISS means to him, saying that there’s nothing that compares to being in the band.
“Now, that doesn’t mean that I’ve had as much fun doing that,” Simmons admits. “There’s nothing that compares to being in KISS. But there’s nothing that compares to you being — I don’t know — 13 or 14 and getting your first kiss. Your heart pumps like it’s never pumped before. It’s just, like, [feigns shortness of breath]. You can’t even catch your breath.”
