WICKED LESTER - MOLLY!

[PinkWiz]

Stanley imitating McCartney. I 've always fukn loved this tune... wish KISS would've used it.

Love it from 1:28 to 1:43!

[youtube][/youtube]

[Slayer]

Though he isn't Billy Sheehan or Stu Hamm - Gene Simmons is a solid bass player especially when you consider that the Wicked Lester stuff was recorded 40 years ago.

[Possio]

Always loved Simmons´s Bass playing style, and his tone is cool too on this one!
Supposedly (acc to the man himself) his bass-playing is in the "Motown style": Four Tops, Temptations etc,
and naturally, McCartney. He´s also perfectly on the beat which creates a snappier feel I think.
/O

[PinkWiz]

Yeah Gene's bass line kills in this tune... sounds really good thru a pair of headphones.

For some odd reason I think this song would've worked on the first KISS album... much like Love Theme From Kiss fit in a weird way.

[jesternjeff]

Gene's bass is 10 times better on Love Theme From Kiss, the song its self blows this tune out of the water ! Im happy this song didn't make it to any KISS albums. It's not a bad song, it just aint a KISS song. I do agree w/ Gene being a solid bass player and as most of you know Paul ( Beetles ) was a huge influence on Gene !!!

[ankh]

Gene mentioned as influences also Jack Bruce and especially Felix Pappalardi...............

[PinkWiz]

Beth wasnt a "KISS" style song either...

[jesternjeff]

Actually, Beth is very much a kiss song. For starters it was originally titled Beck ( as in becky ) and Bob Ezrin came in & stepped all over it, changing the name and added in the orchestrated parts. It is as KISS as it gets, it made KISS who they are, without that song Kiss might not have become the Kiss we know today ! Not only was it the song that got them the recognition, it was the song often brought up by most people when talk of Kiss. People know Kiss because of Beth so, to say that that song isnt Kiss is wrong. Dont worry Pinkwiz I know what you mean though. Cheers !

[PinkWiz]

Actually, Beth is very much a kiss song. For starters it was originally titled Beck ( as in becky ) and Bob Ezrin came in & stepped all over it, changing the name and added in the orchestrated parts. It is as KISS as it gets, it made KISS who they are, without that song Kiss might not have become the Kiss we know today ! Not only was it the song that got them the recognition, it was the song often brought up by most people when talk of Kiss. People know Kiss because of Beth so, to say that that song isnt Kiss is wrong. Dont worry Pinkwiz I know what you mean though. Cheers !

Beth's popularity was only AFTER the fact... up until 1976, KISS was a hard rock band.

[PinkWiz]

To me this tune sums up Eisen's sense of melody and pop sensibility as a songwriter... why this tune didn't at least end up on the box set is beyond me. Shows off his Raspberries/Eric Carmen influence.

[PinkWiz]

hard to believe this is the same guy playing bass on this tune:

[Genebaby]

How awesome is that pic? It's my avatar these days at other places.

[jesternjeff]

Actually, Beth is very much a kiss song. For starters it was originally titled Beck ( as in becky ) and Bob Ezrin came in & stepped all over it, changing the name and added in the orchestrated parts. It is as KISS as it gets, it made KISS who they are, without that song Kiss might not have become the Kiss we know today ! Not only was it the song that got them the recognition, it was the song often brought up by most people when talk of Kiss. People know Kiss because of Beth so, to say that that song isnt Kiss is wrong. Dont worry Pinkwiz I know what you mean though. Cheers !

Beth's popularity was only AFTER the fact... up until 1976, KISS was a hard rock band.

It's easy to say that now but, until Beth was played .... Kiss was hard rock band w/ little recognition & no money !

[PinkWiz]

Jeff, it doesn't matter how much recognition KISS had early on, there was a reason Gene and Paul didn't want Beth on the album... because it wasn't in KISS' usual hard rock style. Of course Beth's a great song but just because it was hugely popular doesn't make it an automatic "KISS-style" song.

Now if the debut KISS album was 10 songs in the style of Beth, Molly, Love Theme From Kiss, etc. then you might have an argument.

[PinkWiz]

How awesome is that pic? It's my avatar these days at other places.

scared the crap out of me at 5 years old... I always imagined him in that pic stalking the forest for prey!

[jesternjeff]

Jeff, it doesn't matter how much recognition KISS had early on, there was a reason Gene and Paul didn't want Beth on the album... because it wasn't in KISS' usual hard rock style. Of course Beth's a great song but just because it was hugely popular doesn't make it an automatic "KISS-style" song.

Now if the debut KISS album was 10 songs in the style of Beth, Molly, Love Theme From Kiss, etc. then you might have an argument.

No argument here, understand there might not have been a Hard luck women or a Shandi had they not gone w/ Beth, these songs are as much Kiss as say Hotter Then Hell !

[poserboy71]

Yes Jeff, you are correct about possibly not seeing the other songs if they didn't record Bth although that may have been a good thing if they didn't.

[PinkWiz]

You can't say Molly isn't a KISS-style song and turn around and say Beth is. Beth is closer to Molly than say God Of Thunder or Hotter than Hell. The popularity of Beth is only after the fact. Just like Alice Cooper recording You and Me... it was a popular tune but in no way did it represent the majority of Cooper's 'hard rock" style material.

[Slayer]

Here you go JJ

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[metatron]

Thank God they got off the weed.

Na, it's a good tune. Sounds like a cross Tiny Tim & Treasure when it first starts off. Very Beatles.

[doublev2]

really like molly. there is a song that sounds like its from the musical 'hair' that Stanley sings in wicked lester that I really like. They should really do a Wicked Lester set one day. why not?

[doublev2]

this one i like [youtube][/youtube]

[PinkWiz]

yes I like that one too... kinda sounds like the 5th Dimension.