Why Gene Simmons hates KISS’ ultimate anthem
Towards the tail-end of the 1970s, disco fever had taken over rock and roll. As such, every band with a keen sense of knowing where the dollars were tried to get in on the act with the hope of a hit single, including KISS. However, Gene Simmons detests their attempt, even though it gifted the band their most-successful song.
Following the success of their 1977 album, Love Gun, KISS were ready to take advantage of their newfound fame and plotted to take it to new heights with their next record. Being in a band is a democracy, and, naturally, not all group members will be on the same page 100% of the time, as KISS discovered with Dynasty’s lead single, ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’.
From the outset, Simmons was against the track, which singer Paul Stanley penned with the assistance of professional songwriters Desmond Child and Vini Ponicia. By KISS’ standards, ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ was unashamedly poppy and a clear attempt to break into the mainstream.
For Simmons, his hatred of the song derives from his vocal parts, which he felt were too feminine. In a 2018 interview with OK Magazine, he recalled his initial memories of the song, “Paul Stanley comes in and he says, ‘Did you write any songs? I go, ‘Oh yeah. I’ve got one called ‘Almost Human.’… How about you, Paul?’ He goes, ‘I’ve got one – ‘Tonight.’ ‘Oh, that’s cool. What’s the next line?’ ‘I’m gonna give it all to you.’ ‘Oh yeah, I know what “it” means. I know exactly what you mean.'”
Simmons’ initial excitement about the band’s new creation soon crumbled when he discovered what he was expected to contribute to ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’. He added, “Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. … You’re killing me! Really? I’m gonna sing like my grandmother? I hate playing that song to [this] day. Stadiums full of people jump up and down like Biblical locusts, they go nuts, with tattoos and grills on … they’re all jumping up and down and I’m going, ‘Do, do, do, do do …’ Kill me now!”
After the female interviewer asked Simmons if his opinion of the hit single had changed over time and if he’d warmed to the song, the bassist decided to turn the tables: “Well, how about you sing that song? You’re a girl. I wanna sing guy stuff.”
Despite Simmons’ deep-rooted hatred for ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’, it’s their most-streamed song on Spotify by a considerable margin and has been listened to over 640 million times. Furthermore, it’s officially a Gold record in the United States, and over a million copies have been sold.
Although it was successful, Simmons’ opinion on the track is common within the hardcore KISS fanbase. However, their reasoning was they believed they’d sold out and deserted their soul to try for commercial success rather than the effeminate backing vocals.
