Catching us all up on the story so far. New page next week as the gang wakes up after their first night in New York while crammed in a tiny, sleazy hotel room.
While looking for rock songs about New York, I found this song from Ace Frehley of Kiss. I vaguely remember this song. But what I do remember is that those four solo Kiss albums were just awful, and this song is just this side of awful, so it’s listenable. It just drones on and those god-awful key changes don’t help make the song any better.
Now, I’m going to offend a large portion of the Kiss Army, and many will come to their defense, but remember, this is just my opinion and that’s worth about as much as Florida swamp land. I know there are many, many albums and/or groups I listen to that would make some of my readers blow lunch right onto the floor. ABBA is a good example. Why do I like their music? No idea, but I do. They’re one of my guilty pleasures.
Like it or not, here’s “New York Groove” from Ace.
I was reminded that Ace’s version of this song is a cover of a version done in 1975 by a group called Hello. They’re basically the same, but Ace’s is a bit heavier than the Hello version.
I was embarrassed how long it took me to realize that was a cover. For Ace Covers I like Space Truckin. Kicks in at 33 seconds. (His Cover of Magic Carpet Ride is good too) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHvYK-ruvd4
Now that version of “Space Truckin'” rocks! I’m not a fan of his voice, but it is certainly not the worst male vocalist I’ve heard by a long shot.
I always kind of liked his rendition of ‘Cherokee Boogie’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HolYU8zxZLk
But his other work is good too, underrated as a guitarist, or maybe nobody expects him to be that good because of the makeup overshadowing the talent ?
That’s as good an excuse as any for a medley…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph11BRpeKCY
Managed to see KISS live in ’76, the playing abilities were as satisfying as the stage show, maybe moreso but I can still see that line of flashbulbs leading up to the BIG one everybody thought was a ‘mirror ball’ hanging rom the ceiling 😉
I first saw them in 79. My one and only front row center ticket. The did disco. I pretty much stopped being a fan at that point, Though I saw the Creatures of the Night tour, and one of the “farewell” tours. 98 I think.
I’d almost forgotten this one…
You want a cover of Space Truckin’ with a unique voice ?
Start at 5:59 not a second before 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbpVggeh0YU
Well fun anyway,
Well… yes. 🙂
Just tramps and thieves? No gypsies?
I was SOOOOO tempted to put in gypsies and see who would get the nod to Cher’s hit from the early ’70s. My mom liked Cher so I do believe the single was in our household at one point in time.
I preferred April Wine’s Gypsy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ohq2xImvUU
or Uriah Heep’s 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI0BO575x8w
Cher was good…until she went completely insane
I got the nod to the Cher song. Considering your readership I expect most of us remembered it instantly.
I’ve noted in the past that my readership was about a 50/50 split of old farts like me and then folks in their 20s & 30s. Oddly, a fair amount of them born in 1977 which led to the joke “Where did your mom hang out?” It would take a second or two, but they soon caught on.
But I think you’re right in that a majority of my current readers are old enough to get most of my references.
Huh, I always liked this piece, although it was the Hello version I knew in my youth. Hearing both now, I do like the Hello version a bit better, if only because that is the one I knew.
For me, it brings back the memory of this wondrous attraction I suddenly started to feel for the girls. Took me years (until just before the Ace version, in fact) to finally be able to act on it, the first serious – and mindblowing – kisses.
I don’t often pan music, but for some odd reason Kiss has always triggered a negative reaction in me. Not really sure why, it just does. I can’t argue with their success and huge fanbase, that’s for sure.
It was the only concert in town.
I really only cared for maybe a half dozen of their tunes, ‘Beth’ being conspicuously absent from that list, but they did have some musical ability, when they used it instead of relying on theatrics, and I do appreciate some genuine talent when it shows.
A friend of mine, always an avid music lover and hobby musician, was a Kiss fan when they were big, and still has a soft spot for their music. I never knew much of their stuff myself, but his being a fan told me they must have had something. (Not a fan of “I Was Made For Loving You”, though.)
Well, I never took to Kiss as a group, but my brother had a couple albums and I heard some stuff there. Liked “Hard Luck Woman,” but not much else. Heavy metal, even light heavy metal like Kiss, weren’t my thing.
I was much amused, and I’m sure others were, that when the four members released solo albums at the height of their fame (it was all downhill from there), that the only hit from any of them wasn’t from Gene Simmons, but Ace Frehly and “New York Groove.”
And… Any song that connects us to those first romantic kisses is a winner no matter who did it. I was 16 when I had my first serious girlfriend and those first, deep, long kisses, while standing at her parent’s backdoor, are forever etched in my brain. Good times!
Ready and waiting for the story to continue !!!
They are other songs about New York city to pick that spare one of conflict with the KISS army. 1, First we take Manhatten Leonard Cohen. 2, New York not my home Jim Crocker. 3, New York city boy Pet shop boys. 4, Autumn in New York Billy Holiday. 5, I’m waiting for the man The Velvet underground. 6, I’m in a New York state of mind Tony Bennett. 7, New York New York it’s hell of a town Bobby Short. 8, New York New York Frank Sinatra. 9, Ramones pinhead. 10, Van Halen running with the devil. Don’t forget the Rockettes Buddet, Lorraine and Robyn can always apply if plan 9 folds. Think sexy costumes and being on TV maybe see Howard Stern when he was cool. About Ace Frehley I read the book Look me in the eye by John Elder Robison he was the man who created the special effect guitars for Kiss and was nick named ampie by the band. His little brother Christopher Robison was less grateful being called baby ampie by kiss. Christopher wrote the book running with scissors which was made into a movie and is presently married. John would later work for Milton Bradley company, wrote the book be different and is now married with family. I saw the movie Detroit rock city about rock and roll teens and their misadventures going to a kiss concert despite a mother who is a religious zealot. The moral wait for a rock concert in your home town so you can take in the experience without the drugs and risky underage sex. I’m certain it’s just too hard to cope with.
Okay, I’m sad to admit, I did *not* know that Hello released “New York Groove” before Ace Freely did. That’s on me…
In terms of alternate New York songs, this might not have worked, as no one in the group is a surfer, but there was “New York’s a Lonely Town,” by the Trade Winds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D84xQetgIM8
Still one of my favourite New York songs, they captured the atmosphere perfectly 😉
Being born and raised in New York
There ain’t nothing you won’t see
‘Cause the streets are filled with bad goings-on
And you know that’s no place to be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt5nIVJY6q0