Gene Simmons Says Peter Criss ‘Had Nothing to Do’ With ‘Beth’

Gene Simmons just lately tried to dispel the “mythology” surrounding Kiss‘ largest hit, “Beth,” claiming drummer Peter Criss “had nothing to do with that track” regardless of singing it and receiving a writing credit score on the monitor.

In a brand new interview with Professor of Rock, Simmons detailed the origins of “Beth,” which appeared on the band’s fourth album, Destroyer, and peaked at a career-high No. 7 on the Billboard Sizzling 100.

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How ‘Beth’ Began With a Clunkier Title

Simmons stated that in a limousine experience via Michigan, Criss hummed him a primitive model of the track, which on the time had the working title “Beck.” The melody piqued Simmons’ curiosity, and the bandleader instructed Criss present the track to Kiss producer Bob Ezrin.

“However earlier than then, I instructed within the automobile, ‘Why do not you alter it to “Beth”?'” Simmons stated. “As a result of while you say ‘Beck,’ that onerous syllable stops the melody. … And ‘Beth’ is a way more romantic concept.”

Gene Simmons Says Peter Criss ‘Does Not Write Songs’

Simmons then supplied two the explanation why Criss was not really a co-writer of “Beth,” regardless of it turning into one in every of his and Kiss’ signature songs.

“Peter is all the time household,” Simmons continued. “But it surely’s time for the reality: Peter doesn’t write songs. He would not play a musical instrument. Drums will not be a musical instrument, by definition. They’re referred to as a percussive instrument. Actually necessary, generally extraordinarily necessary in a band. It was for us. However you can not play a drum fill that could possibly be [copyrighted]. However you possibly can give you a riff which you can personal, and a melody and a lyric. These may be [copyrighted]. However nothing you do on drums will forestall anyone else from immediately copying no matter you probably did and making use of it to a different track.

“OK, that is primary,” he continued. “Quantity two: So far as I do know, Peter performs no different devices that I’ve ever seen. Not keyboards, six-string devices. Peter’s acquired an ideal whiskey voice within the early days.”

Hearken to Kiss’ ‘Beth’

So … Who Truly Wrote ‘Beth’?

“The one who wrote ‘Beth’ and ‘Child Driver’ and one or two extra is a man named Stan Penridge,” Simmons defined. “Stan Penridge was with Peter in a gaggle referred to as Chelsea. They’d a file out really. I feel it was on MCA. So Peter didn’t write ‘Beth.’ Peter didn’t write ‘Child Driver.’ Stan Penridge wrote that.

“However via politics and trace, trace, nudge, nudge — and I wasn’t there when the dialog went down — Stan Penridge apparently agreed that Peter’s identify would go within the songwriting credit score. It seems first. Peter Criss, Bob Ezrin, Stan Penridge, or the opposite method round. However Peter’s first. Peter had nothing to do with that track. He sang it.”

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How One other Legendary Boy Band Impressed ‘Beth’

Simmons additionally defined how “Beth” acquired its iconic string association. “To repair all of the mythology and the gossip and the outright lies, it was Bob Ezrin who stated, ‘I need to do that like “Yesterday” [by the Beatles],'” he stated. “Extra like a string quartet and piano, so extra acoustically, as a result of the melody of the track demanded it. And we would by no means carried out that. We by no means thought we would be doing a track like that, however all of us went, ‘Positive.'”

In conclusion, Simmons stated, “The mythology of ‘Beth’ is precisely that: mythology. The true story is Peter was fortunate sufficient to be in the identical place similtaneously a man who wrote a track referred to as ‘Beth.’ After which Bob Ezrin, when he heard the track, went dwelling earlier than it was recorded, after which Bob added the center part of the piano, which was taken legally as a result of it is public area. I imagine it was a Mozart piano concerto. And that’s the story behind ‘Beth.'”

See the place “Beth”‘s mother or father album Destroyer ranks amongst Kiss’ discography beneath!