Complete List Of KISS Solo Albums And Discography

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This Complete List Of KISS Solo Albums And Songs presents the full discography of KISS Solo studio albums. The four original members of the band KISS all released solo albums on the same day in 1978 while keeping the band together. The solo albums were all released as side projects. Of course, upon release, everyone began to argue which was the best of the four. While that is subjective, only one of the albums spawned a big hit single, which turned out to be Ace Frehley’s “New York Groove.” Below is a listing of all four albums with in-depth credits provided for each one.

Peter Criss (1978)

Released September 18, 1978

Peter Criss marks the solo debut of Peter Criss. Released on September 18, 1978, this album was part of a collective endeavor with each Kiss member releasing a solo album under the Kiss label on the same day, including Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley. The production of the album was handled by Vini Poncia, who would later produce Dynasty (1979) and Unmasked (1980) for Kiss.

The album features several tracks like “I’m Gonna Love You,” “Don’t You Let Me Down,” “That’s the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes,” and “Hooked on Rock ‘n’ Roll,” which were originally penned in 1971 for Criss’s pre-Kiss band, Lips. Additionally, Criss covered “Tossin’ and Turnin’,” a track that was a No. 1 U.S. hit for Bobby Lewis in the summer of 1961 and later covered by Kiss during their 1979 tour.

Peter Criss took charge of lead vocals and drums on all tracks except for tracks 6, 7, and 10, where drums were played by Allan Schwartzberg, and he also provided percussion on track 8 and backing vocals throughout. The album also featured a host of other musicians including Bill Bodine and Neil Jason on bass, Art Munson, Stan Penridge, Elliot Randall, John Tropea, Brendan Harkin, and Steve Lukather on guitars, with Lukather delivering guitar solos on “That’s the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes” and “Hooked on Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Keyboards were played by Bill Cuomo and Richard Gerstein, while a rich array of backing vocals were contributed by a diverse group including the Faragher siblings, Maxine Dixon, Maxine Willard, Julia Tillman, Vini Poncia, Annie Sutton, and Gordon Grody. Tom Saviano arranged the horns, and Michael Carnahan provided the memorable saxophone solo on “Tossin’ and Turnin’,” with Lenny Castro on additional percussion.

The album’s engineering was managed by Mike D. Stone at the Record Plant in New York City, and the striking album artwork was created by Eraldo Carugati. Upon its release, Peter Criss charted in several countries, reaching number 59 in Australia, number 52 in Canada, number 40 in Japan, and number 43 on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified Gold in Canada and Platinum in the United States, reflecting its significant commercial success.

CD Track Listings:

“I’m Gonna Love You” – 3:18
“You Matter to Me” – 3:15
“Tossin’ and Turnin'” – 4:01
“Don’t You Let Me Down” – 3:38
“That’s the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes” – 2:59
“Easy Thing” – 3:53
“Rock Me, Baby” – 2:50
“Kiss the Girl Goodbye” – 2:46
“Hooked on Rock ‘n’ Roll” – 3:37
“I Can’t Stop the Rain” – 4:25

Ace Frehley (1978)

Ace Frehley was the debut solo album by Ace Frehley, released on September 18, 1978, by Casablanca Records. The album includeed the hit single “New York Groove,” a cover of a song originally written by Russ Ballard and recorded by Hello in 1975. This track proved to be exceptionally successful, significantly boosting the album’s sales and making it the most successful of the four Kiss solo projects.

Ace Frehley himself took on multiple roles, performing lead and backing vocals, playing lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars, as well as guitar synthesizer and bass. The album also featured several additional musicians: Anton Fig on drums and percussion, Will Lee on bass for “Ozone,” “I’m in Need of Love,” and “Wiped-Out,” and Carl Tallarico on drums for “Fractured Mirror.” Vocal support came from David Lasley and Susan Collins on “Speedin’ Back to My Baby,” “What’s on Your Mind?” and “New York Groove,” with Larry Kelly providing backing vocals for “Rip It Out.” The album’s unique sounds were further enhanced by Bill “Bear” Scheniman’s bell on “Fractured Mirror” and Bobby McAdams’s talkbox on “New York Groove.” Producers Eddie Kramer and Ace Frehley helmed the production, cementing the album’s place in rock history.

Released September 18, 1978

CD Track Listings:

“Rip It Out” – 3:39
“Speedin’ Back to My Baby” – 3:35
“Snow Blind” – 3:54
“Ozone” – 4:41
“What’s on Your Mind?” – 3:26
“New York Groove” – 3:01
“I’m in Need of Love” – 4:36
“Wiped-Out” – 4:08
“Fractured Mirror” – 5:25

Paul Stanley (1978)

Released September 18, 1978

Paul Stanley is the debut solo album by Paul Stanley, released on September 18, 1978; this album was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on the same day, all under the Kiss label. Unlike the other albums from Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, and Gene Simmons, which included cover songs, Paul Stanley featured only original tracks, distinguishing it from the others.

Paul Stanley not only provided lead and backing vocals for the album but also played rhythm guitar, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, and EBow. He was particularly involved on track 7, playing all guitar parts, and contributed significantly to the album’s production and mixing. Supporting musicians included Bob Kulick on lead and acoustic guitar, Steve Buslowe on bass for the first five tracks, Eric Nelson on bass for the remaining songs, and drummers Richie Fontana, Carmine Appice, and Craig Krampf on different tracks.

Additional backing vocals were provided by Diana Grasselli, Miriam Naomi Valle, Maria Vidal, and Peppy Castro, with Doug Katsaros performing piano, Omni string ensemble, and backing vocals on track 7. Steve Lacey was featured on electric guitar for track 8. The production team was rounded out by Jeff Glixman, who engineered and produced several tracks, and Paul Grupp, who handled additional engineering.

CD Track Listings:

“Tonight You Belong to Me” – 4:39
“Move On” – 3:07
“Ain’t Quite Right” – 3:34
“Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me?” – 3:16
“Take Me Away (Together as One)” – 5:26
“It’s Alright” – 3:31
“Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We’re Apart)” – 3:40
“Love in Chains” – 3:34
“Goodbye” – 4:09

Gene Simmons (1978)

Released September 18, 1978

Gene Simmons, the eponymous debut solo album from Kiss’s bassist and co-vocalist, launched on September 18, 1978. It emerged alongside the solo efforts of his bandmates Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and Paul Stanley, yet it uniquely topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at number 22, outperforming the other three releases from Kiss members that year. This album stands out not only for its chart success but also for its eclectic musical mix, blending traditional hard rock with orchestral elements like choirs and strings, and exploring genres from Beatles-esque pop to ’70s funk and rock.

Gene Simmons features Gene Simmons himself on vocals, guitar, and bass. The album also includes Neil Jason on bass, Elliot Randall on guitars, Allan Schwartzberg on drums, and Sean Delaney handling percussion and backing vocals. Ron Frangipane contributed the symphonic arrangements and conducted members of the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras. The backing vocals were provided by a diverse group including Gordon Grody, Diva Gray, Kate Sagal, Franny Eisenberg, and Carolyn Ray. Eric Troyer played piano and sang on “Radioactive” and “Living in Sin,” while Steve Lacey handled guitars on “Radioactive.” John Shane Howell added classical guitar and crafted the segue between “Radioactive” and “Burning Up with Fever.” Piano contributions on “True Confessions” and “Always Near You / Nowhere to Hide” were made by Richard Gerstein.

The album boasts high-profile guest appearances with Joe Perry playing guitar on “Radioactive” and “Tunnel of Love,” and Bob Seger providing backing vocals for “Radioactive” and “Living in Sin.” Rick Nielsen was featured on guitar for “See You in Your Dreams,” and Helen Reddy contributed background vocals on “True Confessions.” Jeff “Skunk” Baxter played guitars on several tracks including “Burning Up with Fever,” “See You Tonite,” “Tunnel of Love,” and “Mr. Make Believe,” while Donna Summer added background vocals on “Burning Up with Fever” and “Tunnel of Love.” Additional vocal contributions came from Janis Ian, who sang backing vocals on the “Prelude to Radioactive,” Cher, who performed a spoken word phone call on “Living in Sin,” and Mitch Weissman and Joe Pecorino of Beatlemania provided backing vocals on three tracks. Michael Des Barres’s background vocals featured on “See You in Your Dreams,” and Richie Ranno played guitars on “Tunnel of Love.” The Citrus College Singers performed the chorus on “True Confessions” and “Always Near You / Nowhere to Hide.”

Gene Simmons co-produced the album alongside Sean Delaney. George Marino was responsible for mastering, and Eraldo Carugati designed the album cover. Upon its release, the album charted in several countries, reaching number 32 in Australia, number 21 in Canada, number 24 in Japan, and peaking at number 22 on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified Gold in Canada and Platinum in the United States, reflecting significant commercial success.