Showing posts with label Jimmy Page. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy Page. Show all posts

CD/DVD Review: The Rolling Stones – From the Vault: The Marquee Club – Live In 1971

CD/DVD Review: The Rolling Stones – From the Vault: The Marquee – Live In 1971
Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access Rating: A

The Rolling Stones - From
The Vault: The Marquee Club -
Live In 1971
Still a month away from the hotly anticipated release of Sticky Fingers, the Rolling Stones – fresh off their "1971 Farewell Tour of the UK" – set up at London's famed Marquee Club for a rare intimate performance filmed for American television.

Eric Clapton was there to see it, and so was Jimmy Page, among others of similar stature. And the Stones showed them all how it was done, their swagger born of an innate knowledge that nobody, but nobody, could touch them on a good night, let alone a great one.

And to think, highly sought-after footage of that gig sat in an attic for two decades, just gathering dust. What better time than the present for its new unveiling, now that the Stones have reissued, in grand fashion, Sticky Fingers in all its gritty, cocksure glory.

Restored with loving care by Bob Clearmountain, its impressive 5.1 surround sound on the DVD and SD Blu-ray versions and rich, luxuriously colorful imagery capturing the essence of a band at the absolute peak of its powers, "From the Vault: The Marquee Club – Live In 1971" finds the Stones brimming with confidence and unafraid to mess around with songs considered sacred by many. They're almost cavalier in how they approach a rather ramshackle, easy-going version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" that seems gleefully out of step with the urgency and the barely contained sexual frustration of the original. And after romping through "Midnight Rambler" with feverish energy, the Stones sounding as tight and industrious as ever, and Mick Jagger huffing and puffing away on harmonica, a wide, natural smile spreads across Keith Richards' face and it says, "That was pretty good, wasn't it?" Yes it was, Keith. Yes it was.

Strutting and preening, as is his wont, the playful Jagger is a magnet for smartly directed cameras and close-ups, as he savors every line dripping from a slowly cooked "I Got The Blues," throws himself into a raucous cover of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock" and, as Ian Stewart's high-stepping piano gets to work, infuses machismo, arrogance and sass into the ripping opener "Live With Me." Charlie Watt's drumming is clever, propulsive and rigorous, while Bill Wyman calmly and unobtrusively steers the ship with gripping bass lines, Bobby Keys and Jim Price assertively blow their horns with soulful conviction on command and Richards and Mick Taylor negotiate whatever issues they had with an uneasy mixture of toughness and licks that can be nasty or tasteful.

Packaged as a CD/DVD combo, and also available as a DVD/LP or Blu-ray/CD offering, "From The Vault: The Marquee Club – Live In 1971" is a true treasure, since much of material has gone completely unseen. Filmed professionally with a thirst for action and seemingly covered in a lush, early '70s patina that's almost glossy, it has great historical value. This is where the forbidden fruits of "Brown Sugar," "Bitch" and a crisply played "Dead Flowers" were first tasted, and they must have left the ragged company that witnessed it flush with excitement. Eagle Rock Entertainment ups the ante on this concise, yet explosive set, with alternate takes of "I Got The Blues" and "Bitch," plus a bit of the Stones doing "Brown Sugar" on "Top Of The Pops" in 1971 adding value. All these years later, the Stones are still delivering the goods in concert, but they were hitting on all cylinders in 1971, and this is the kind of show that made them legends.
– Peter Lindblad

Led Zeppelin Celebration In September Classic Rock Auction

CLICK HERE: PREVIEW THE AUCTION NOW! 

September 1, 2013
Houston, TX

Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin is having its own "Celebration" in The Rock and Roll Summer Classic Auction.  "Over the years we have been fortunate to offer high-end Led Zeppelin collectibles and we are excited to once again have a most unique offering of fantastic memorabilia mementos", comments Backstage Auctions owner Jacques van Gool. "Led Zeppelin is one of the most collectible bands in the world and their fans are exceptionally loyal - and knowledgeable. All this makes for a great event and we couldn't be more pleased to be part of it".

There are quite a few gems in the collection which can all be viewed here: Led Zeppelin Auction Highlights

The undisputed Crown Jewel of the auction is a John Bonham owned and worn hat (ca. 1976 - 1977), which came directly from the Bonham estate and includes unquestionably provenance. Any authentic John Bonham collectible demands attention but this will make you sit straight up!


Another piece that could easily become the highlight of anyone's Led Zeppelin collection is this original RIAA re-issued hologram award, issued to Robert Plant.


Those looking for something vintage and truly one-of-a-kind need not to look any further. The auction includes the only known to exist 1973 Tuscaloosa concert t-shirt, which was printed by the student body of the University of Alabama...and subsequently confiscated by Peter Grant and his amigos. That is for this one remaining shirt!


Other desirable collectibles are autographed CDs by Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, unique promotional items that include a tour crew jacket, the infamous gray blimp, as well as the 20th anniversary release of 'Stairway to Heaven'.







 Special attention should be given to the many lots of vintage vinyl, promotional CDs and unique radio broadcast and live records and CDs. Each and any of these lots provide a fantastic opportunity to scoop up a sizeable chunk of Led Zeppelin audio that would otherwise take years to pull together.




Because there is so much to see and digest, the auction will start with a preview week, beginning Saturday August 31. The auction will start Saturday,  September 7 and will end Sunday September 15.

For more information about the auction, please visit Backstage Auctions and register for your free VIP All Access Pass.



Backstage Auctions is a boutique online auction house specializing in authentic rock memorabilia representing a long list of notable and very talented musicians, producers and managers in the music industry since 2003. Exclusive online auction events have featured the private collections of legendary producer Eddie Kramer (Hendrix, Zeppelin, Kiss) and since then, we have represented Scott Ian & Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Page Hamilton (Helmet), John Tempesta (Exodus, Testament, The Cult), John 5 (Zombie, Marilyn Manson),  Ted Nugent, Howard Kaylan (The Turtles), Ross Valory (Journey) and Michael Shrieve (Santana), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, White Snake), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Alcatrazz), Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Johny Barbata (Jefferson Starship), Kip Winger (Winger) as well as managers of legendary bands such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, KISS, Journey, Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band, Motley Crue, Pantera, White Zombie and more. Backstage Auctions works closely with each of their clients and incorporates their personal stories and memories throughout the online auction event. The end result is a unique, historical and unforgettable journey spanning decades of music history.

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Kingdom Come to 'Get It On' again with 'Outlier'

Lenny Wolf’s maturity shines on diverse new album
By Peter Lindblad

Kingdom Come's Lenny Wolf - 2013
Even now, after all these years, the furor over “Get It On,” that mysterious single leaked to radio in 1988 that was thought to be the work of the mighty Led Zeppelin, leaves Lenny Wolf with mixed feelings.

It all unraveled so fast for Kingdom Come. A year earlier, Wolf, having signed to Polydor Records, had recruited all the band’s original members. They’d hit the studio with producer Bob Rock, who would later work with the likes of Metallica and Bon Jovi, to record their debut LP.

Out of nowhere, the swaggering single “Get It On” made its way onto radio stations across the United States, but there was a great deal of uncertainty as to where it came from, even though it sounded remarkably like Zeppelin – heavy and bluesy, even Wolf’s vocals were eerily similar to those of Robert Plant.

And everybody wanted so badly to see the return of Led Zeppelin, who had been dormant since the 1980 death of John Bonham, that they seized upon the idea that it actually was Zeppelin. 

But it was somebody else that made “Get It On.” It was Kingdom Come.

At first, Wolf loved the comparisons, although he was a bit befuddled by them. And the meteoric AOR success of “Get It On” fueled sales of Kingdom Come’s self-titled debut album, which was afforded gold status upon it being shipped and eventually rose all the way to No. 12 on the U.S. album charts.

“In the beginning, it was a blessing, because people took notice who had never heard of us, and of course, we were flattered and hallelujah,” said Wolf, who has once again revived the Kingdom Come machine for his most recent album Outlier, released on May 7 via Steamhammer/SPV. “And being a big Zeppelin fan myself, I thought, ‘What the hell they were talking about.’ But hey, what do I care? Thank you very much. It’s nice to be compared to them, and it gives you a good amount of adrenaline, so I thought, ‘Okay.’”

Everything was more than just okay for Kingdom Come in the immediate aftermath. Comprised of guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, drummer James Kottack, and Johnny B. Frank on keyboards and bass, Kingdom Come was tapped for the North American Monsters of Rock tour in 1988, opening for such legends as The Scorpions, Van Halen, Metallica and Dokken. Up to that point, Wolf had played guitar in all the bands he’d been in. He gave it up for Kingdom Come.

“Oh, God, it was so beautiful,” said Wolf. “It was just an unbelievably strong concentration of – not just beautiful ding-dongs – but beautiful and nice people in general – like before the show, after the show, etc. Because it was such a big production that we carried around, we very often had two or three days off before the next show. So we’d get into the town a day or two in advance, and we just hung out, and because there was some big press stuff going on – Yay! The Monsters of Rock are here for our big stadium tour – people were recognizing us and inviting us to all kinds of things.”

Wolf once got a birds-eye view of the whole Monsters of Rock experience away from the stage.

Lenny Wolf enjoyed the
Monsters of Rock experience. 
“I mean, taking a helicopter around for a tour of the town and leaving a trail of people on the ground, which was a very big f- -king concept for a guy who likes breaking all the laws in the town. That was fun,” Wolf laughed. “I mean, I wasn’t flying around with the sheriff (laughs). But he actually took us to a fairly big home and was so sweet – I mean, all over the States, whether we’re talking Pittsburgh or wherever, it was great. That’s why I can’t point out one particular thing, it was just an overall fantastic experience and one I’m very grateful for.”

Although, Wolf would have appreciated a later time slot for Kingdom Come. They usually went on a little early for his liking.

“It was almost like a secondary thing at the end, because we’d only play 45 minutes, but travel around with the whole circus for … well, I don’t know, how long did it last? I don’t know, four weeks or something?” said Wolf. “We had a lot of time on our hands, you know. So, yeah, I wasn’t too thrilled about having to sing my ass off at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. I had to learn our catalog on the plane in, because I’m a night owl, and I only start functioning at 7 p.m. So that was hard, singing the blues at that time. But hey, no complaints … it is what it is, and hallelujah.” 

Up to that point, Wolf had played guitar in every band he’d been in, but he gave it up for Kingdom Come. Still, Wolf had a great deal of influence on the musical direction of Kingdom Come, as did Rock.

“The bottom line was, he was not one of those control freaks who are going to make it theirs or make it their mission,” said Wolf, referring to the acclaimed producer. “It was mainly, ‘How can I get the best out of them and finding their uniqueness, their tone – just improving it, and like I said, getting the best out of you in terms of character and just the way we got along, it was fantastic. I mean, I would love to work with him anytime again – very professional, very nice, very cool. It is like, why do you love a particular woman, rather than any other adult? It is hard to put your finger on it sometimes – one can cook and the other will give you something else, but in the end, you love her. But he was one of those guys ... I just thank God for having met him and worked with him, just like he actually made Metallica. Otherwise, they do not become as huge as they are.

Kingdom Come had its time in the sun, too, although it ended all too quicklyWhile Wolf and Kingdom Come were having the time of their lives with the Monsters of Rock, their reputations were taking a beating in the press. Critics were lining up to bash their first record as a slavish rehash of everything Led Zeppelin had already done. And one of Wolf’s heroes was adding his voice to chorus of jeers directed at Kingdom Come.

Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page was quoted in 1988 as saying, “Obviously it can get to the point where it gets past being a compliment, and it can be rather annoying, when you’ve got things like Kingdom Come, actually ripping riffs right off, that’s a different thing altogether.”

Hearing Page call out Kingdom Come and accuse them of theft was difficult for Wolf.

“What made me very sad is that one of my biggest idols, namely Jimmy Page … I was kind of disillusioned by a living legend,” Wolf said. “To even be annoyed by mentioning it, I thought that was very sad, because he should be above it all and just smile at the whole blah, blah, blah blowing up, if you know what I mean. That was what Robert Plant did when I saw Robert Plant in London. He was joking. He was just like goofing around. He didn’t care. He was like, ‘No, I’m a living legend. Who the hell is Kingdom Come?’ And it was like, ‘Okay, yeah. You’re right.’”

Had everybody in Kingdom Come taken the criticism leveled at them in stride, perhaps it all would have blown over. Understandably though, they got defensive when bombarded with questions about whether they had, indeed, stolen their sound from Led Zeppelin.

“In the end, unfortunately, [that was] due to a mistaken remark from Denny Stag, our former guitar player, who was so annoyed by being confronted with that question all the time, and at a coffee shop said, ‘Who’s Jimmy Page?’” said Wolf. “Of course, it was an ironical statement, but some writer overhead it and they made a big fuss over it. The majority of the press was jumping on the same train as he did and basically wrote the same bullshit without even knowing what was going on. But then, of course, people get like, ‘Well, holy Zeppelin … how can you?’ And blah, blah, blah … everybody who has seen Kingdom Come from long ago knows that I am one of the biggest Zeppelin fans around.”

Accused of heresy, Kingdom Come began experiencing darker times. Although their second single, the power ballad “What Love Can Be,” received a great deal of airplay and their first album reached platinum status, the growing backlash from “Get It On” was hitting them full in the face. And even though they were chosen to be the support act on The Scorpions’ “Savage Amusement” tour after their Monsters of Rock triumph, Kingdom Come was about to get a dose of reality.

Their second album, 1989’s In Your Face, didn’t even go gold. Later that year, Kingdom Come, as they
Kingdom Come - Outlier 2013
were originally configured, was no more, having disbanded due to personal reasons. Left to his own devices, Wolf kept Kingdom Come alive, releasing 11 albums in the years between In Your Face and Outlier.


The name of Kingdom Come’s latest record holds special significance for Wolf. It was a suggestion from a family member.

“I was thinking back to my childhood, and now musically, once again, taking a different route stylistically, it just made perfect sense,” said Wolf. “So I fell in love with it.”

Rather gloomy and atmospheric, Outlier is, nonetheless, a fully realized Kingdom Come record, with big, flowing melodies, well-constructed, powerful songs ensconced in a variety of sonic moods and textures, and even some rich electronic flourishes to flesh out pieces like “Rough Ryde Rally.”

“Actually, there was no master plan,” said Wolf, referring to creative process that resulted in Outlier. “When I get in the studio, I’m like a 5-year-old sitting in a candy store, like plucking at a guitar chord, hoping to get a hot line to the almighty – or the cosmos or whatever you want to call it – and just trying to pick up something more interesting or cool.”

A track like “Skip the Cover and Feel,” with its raucous, blues-driven stomp and ‘70s classic-rock architecture, wouldn’t sound out of place on Kingdom Come’s debut LP, however.

“That song, ‘Skip the Cover and Feel,’ offers something different from the rest of the songs [on Outlier],” said Wolf. “It was one of the songs I definitely could have written in ’88 or whatever, definitely. And that shows once again that I’m still attached to some of the good old vibes Kingdom Come used to offer and still do, but then at the same time, I’m trying to build a bridge [between the old Kingdom Come and the new one]. The hardest part about the two songs you mentioned was not to overproduce them, which is difficult to do when you’re in the studio and you get very creative, you know what I mean? So just leaving them alone and rocking out was the main mission, and I think we did it.”

And if the skies of Outlier don’t exactly seem sunny, that just reflects Wolf’s personality.

“I think that’s just basically me, but I’m glad you brought it up,” explained Wolf, a native of Hamburg, Germany. “It’s a big part of me. No, seriously, I’m a guy from the streets. Growing up in the big city, you get a little bit of that street-wise guy attitude. It’s hard to put into words. But certainly, I’m more into the heartfelt, dark side of moody, emotional … blah, blah, output, you know? Kingdom Come is not really a party band. There’s nothing like ‘Cherry Pie,’ let’s party, let’s all get wasted … blah, blah, blah. It’s something to do at the right time, but it’s not exactly what Kingdom Come is all about, even though we do have a few songs which simply rock out and you can have a good time. But that’s not exactly my musical fulfillment. I like the deep shit (laughs), and I’m just hoping to do enough to get at people’s emotions and their hearts, and hoping for them to enjoy the ride.”

There’s plenty of philosophical musings on Outlier, the successor to 2009’s Magnified, to placate intellectuals – “God Does Not Sing Our Song,” for one, is a sharply worded treatise on the all-too-human failings of organized religion. An epic in every sense of the word, it’s indicative of the fresh, revitalized approach Wolf took to making Outlier. With the exception of a few guitar solos by Eric Forester, Wolf recorded all the instruments himself at his Hamburg studio, dubbed the Two Square Noise Factory, and produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the new record completely on his own. For all intents and purposes, this is who Wolf is as an artist.

“I’m not stuck in the past, you want to put it that way,” said Wolf. “I do love ‘60s and ‘70s hard rock, with The Beatles, Hendrix, Zeppelin, AC/DC – of course, I love that stuff. I still listen to it a lot, but I also get like a second heart beating in me which is stuck very much in new sound elements, if you want to put it this way. I mean, our hearing habits have changed over the years. Once again, we don’t have any master plan or commercial interests or whatever. It’s just that we’re bloody kids at work hoping something cool comes out.”

Outlier is cool, and it’s different. The songwriting is mature, producing epic songs that are dark, deeply personal and gripping in ways that the old Kingdom Come could never imagine, even if some of the past seeps into Outlier and reminds everyone why “Get It On” found such a receptive audience. And it wasn’t just the Zeppelin-esque sound.

“I can’t really change my vocal cords, so the basic tone, the basic height is still there,” said Wolf. “I started realizing, about 12 years ago, that my vocal cords had gotten a bit rougher, which I actually like. We all have done some maturing. It’s called growing up, I guess. So I think you can hear that right away when compared to the old records. There are some parts where it sounds rather cute and not like rocking or whatever, but that’s just part of growing up. I think the basic emotional output, to put it this way, it still kind of remains the same, but the packaging, of course, is what makes a product different, especially when it comes to any changes in audio packaging. You know, basically, it’s just like building frequencies and like gluing them together, and it can go from very poppy to a little bit aggressive; it could be good. And I think we’ve reached a much, much more mature approach now than we had like in the early ‘80s, not like when you’re 22 and the hormones are really getting in the way.”

Having sown his wild oats a long time ago, that’s no longer a problem for Wolf. 

CD Review: Kingdom Come – Outlier


Kingdom Come – Outlier
Steamhammer/SPV
All Access Review: B+

Kingdom Come - Outlier 2013
He is, in essence, now a lone Wolf – that’s Lenny Wolf, as in the mastermind behind Kingdom Come. As in the band that was first mistaken for Led Zeppelin in 1988 and then savaged by critics for sounding a little too much like them on the single “Get it On,” as well as on the self-titled debut album from whence came the track in question. As in the band that some waggish scribes dubbed “Kingdom Clone” and was taken to task by none other than Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as rip-off artists and forgers.

That was a quarter century ago, and while they still unapologetically wear their ‘70s hard-rock influences on the project’s tattered sleeves, Kingdom Come – basically, a solo project for Wolf these days, seeing as how he produced, engineered, mixed and mastered Outlier, in addition to playing all the instruments, with the exception of Eric Forster’s guitar solos – isn’t inextricably bound to them. Wolf has come into his own as a recording artist, becoming more assured as a songwriter and sonic architect. And his designs are more dramatic and impactful than ever.

Dark and moody, with Wolf often looking inward for lyrical inspiration and his passionate, slightly worn voice a blazing beacon, the sprawling Outlier – out now on Steamhammer/SPV – is awash in murky atmospherics, its expansive soundscapes stretching out far and wide on “Don’t Want You to Wait” and “When Colors Break the Grey.” The sweeping epic “Rough Ride Rallye” practically lives in Wolf’s shadowy synthesizers before growing in a full-blown supernova. Another silvery, cinematic production, with tendrils of distortion floating through the air, “God Does Not Sing Our Song” is similarly cast, enveloped in billowing guitar blackness and angelic melodies. Far more rugged, though just as starry and cosmic, “Running High Distortion” drives on through the night with drums bashing away and guitars flashing like lightning. These are beautiful sonic constellations, almost divine in their own way.

However, there is no God in “Let the Silence Talk” or the slow-burning, ballad-like “Holy Curtain,” both of them constructed according to more standard, earthbound metal blueprints. And with “Skip the Cover and Feel,” Wolf decides he can no longer keep his love for Zeppelin hidden, turning a gritty blues riffs inside-out, much as Jimmy Page once did, before a melodic flood rushes in. Outlier is a stylish album – even heavy, hook-filled hitters like “Such a Shame” and “The Trap is Alive” have their moments of dreamy transcendence, although the verses of the latter are somewhat clumsy in their movements.

Solidly built and ambitious, Outlier has a smoky quality and pulse-quickening tempos that make it perfect for moonlit caravans in fast convertibles. In the harsh light of day, few of its tracks beat their chests and demand to be singled out, but Outlier certainly is pretty and full of meaningful reflections on life and love. The echoes of past criticisms aimed at Kingdom Come are starting to fade. http://www.spv.de/
-        – Peter Lindblad 

More KISS memories with Lydia Criss


Former wife of Peter Criss releases expanded, revised version of “Sealed with a KISS,” readies auction items

By Peter Lindblad

1977 was the best year of Lydia Criss’s life. KISS was riding high, and she was there to witness it all, experiencing some of the greatest moments in the band’s history as the wife of drummer Peter Criss. And
Lydia and Peter Criss
then came 1978 and things began to unravel.

Trouble was brewing within her marriage. Peter’s infidelity, drug abuse and increasing paranoia began to take its toll. Eventually, they divorced.

All of the good and bad times are captured in Lydia’s book “Sealed with a KISS,” now in its second printing (visit www.lydiacriss.com for more information). The new expanded and revised version includes more photos and memorabilia, as well as Lydia’s engaging insider’s view of the KISS story and the rock ‘n’ roll industry of the 1970s and her acclaimed work as a music photographer. In addition, she is planning to auction off KISS-related items that appear in the book through Backstage Auctions.

Part I of our interview with Lydia appeared last week. Here is the rest of our chat with a woman who was instrumental in helping KISS become “the hottest band in the land.”

You met Alice Cooper at the Casablanca Records bash celebrating the creation of the label. What was he like at that point?
LC: Very quiet and very shy. At that point, he was like … it’s funny because [KISS] took whatever he was doing and made it five times bigger. But he was very gracious, very sweet. I met him years later, and he was the same way.

At that time, was he still struggling with alcoholism?
LC: I’m sure he was the first time, maybe not the second. We … I say “we” because I considered myself a part of KISS. Anyway, KISS had the same manager at one point, Frankie Scinlaro. He was a character, and he used to manage – well, not manage, but road manage – Alice and he used to tell stories about Alice, about his alcoholism. You know, those were the days when you could drink and it wasn’t looked down upon as much as it is now. Not that it’s looked down upon, but in those days, you weren’t an alcoholic. Now, you’re an alcoholic.

Take us back to 1977. That was a big year for KISS.
LC: That was one of the best years of my life. Okay, first I did the People’s Choice Awards. Then I did an interview for Rock Scene I think it was. It was just myself. It was just me and I didn’t have time to because I was on my way to Japan.

That was the one Gene got so mad at.
Peter Criss - May 1977
Mercedes to be Sold at Auction
LC: Yeah. He didn’t like the photo I took. He said, “We were going to do a photo session for you.” It was Liz Derringer. She actually became my neighbor. Where I live right now, she used to live right down the block with Rick [Derringer], but then they got divorced and they moved out. But, yeah, he said he didn’t like the photo that I used, but I used something that I already had. I had just sent it to her. It was a snapshot and I mailed it to her to put it in the magazine. And then I went to Japan and when I got back, the management company said you better look for a home outside of New York.

Lydia and Peter Criss' House 1977

So, we started looking [and] not only did we find a house, but we found a sheepdog that we bought along with [it]. It was born in the house. So we
bought [the dog] from the owners, and then we bought a Mercedes. ’77, yeah, they played the Garden. I mean, it was the best year of my life. It was all uphill. We bought a house in Greenwich, Conn. We moved in, [and] I had a big, big birthday on the same day we had a big housewarming party. And then everything in ’78 went downhill.


Amazing what can happen in one year.
LC: Not even a year. You know, it was like maybe it was the first quarter of ’78. We went to Japan and the whole thing. In the book, you know, Peter and I had the fight where he threw the book, the chair, and all I said to him was, “You know, you went through the garbage and then you weren’t going to take me to
Lydia Criss (second from left) Japan 1978
Japan.” He actually had a limo come up to the house in Greenwich from Manhattan, which is an hour away, just to turn around and go back, because we made up by the time the limo got there. You know, we wasted like a hundred bucks just to run him off or whatever. And then I wound up going to Japan, but then after that, everything went downhill when I came home, because that’s when he went and met Debbie [Svensk, Peter Criss’s second wife]. He went to a Rod Stewart party and met Debbie there. And everything after that was … I felt like we got this house for nothing. We ended keeping the house for eight years, which I loved, I loved. I moved out of it. I rented it for two years or a year and a half and then I moved back into it. 

It looks beautiful from the photos in the book.
LC: It was.

You mentioned Liz. Were you friends with any other rock-star wives outside of KISS?
LC: Um, not really. I would have liked to have been. Oh, the only one I was a little friendly with was Penny McCall, who was Peter Frampton’s girlfriend. I mentioned her in the book. I really didn’t get the opportunity to meet a lot of the wives, and when you do … you know, I was close to [Ace Frehley’s wife] Jeanette, and whoever Gene was with at the time or whoever Paul was with at the time. But, no I wasn’t and it’s sad. It’s really sad because I wanted to. I mean, I’ve met famous wives like Bianca Jagger and Angela Bowie, but I wasn’t friends with them.

Was there a favorite show of yours from the early days that was special to you for some reason? Maybe it was wilder than others.
LC: Well, I do remember one show in Evansville, Indiana, and I used to always sit by the sound board … not the sound board, but the monitors, the monitor mixer, which was onstage. But there was a time when the truss that holds the lights fell on me. And I thought somebody was playing with my hair. I’m going, “What the hell? Leave my hair alone. Don’t touch my hair. I’m at a concert, please.” And then all of a sudden, I realized something was falling on me. And I had to go to the hospital. They made me go. I didn’t feel like I needed to, but they made me go. And whoever was on the truck at the time … because the truck was tall and somebody sat on top of it, so whoever was on there went to the hospital with me. But they released me. I should have sued, but I didn’t (laughs).

Did it come close to doing some real damage?
LC: Not with me. Well, it could have. It really could have. They had to stop the show, because the truss fell right onto the middle of the stage, with Paul dancing. But luckily, I was okay. I kept saying, “I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay.” They kept saying, “You’ve got to go to the hospital. Go to the hospital.” And they checked me out and I was fine.

When it came to assembling all the graphic material – the memorabilia, the photos, etc. – did you do that yourself?
LC: Yes, and it was a horror (laughs). It was a horror. It was so much work I told my family and friends, “You will not see me or hear from me for one year. Don’t even invite me to anything for the next year.” And basically, that’s what happened. It was one year. They would call me, but they were only allowed to talk with me for 10 minutes, because I have girlfriends you can be on the phone with for two hours. You’re only allowed 10 minutes and that’s it – just to see that I’m okay. But I would stay up until the sun came up, which would be about 7 a.m. And then I would go to sleep and wake up at 2 p.m. and start all over again. I lived and breathed this book for one entire year. And pulling all that stuff out, I did it with the first publisher. I pulled all the stuff out and it was already scanned, and so it was already done, but I did pull a lot more. Once I started doing the book, I want certain photos. There was a lot more stuff that I wanted that I had, that I had acquired, since like five years earlier when it was originally started. I mean, I had acquired the dolls … you know, the big KISS dolls, the big ones. I had acquired those. I acquired certain things that I wanted in the book, and then there were certain things that I had sold but yet a friend had them. You know, like maybe the Victrola … you know, the record player. I had sold that years before, so I used his. So, you know, there were certain things, like the guitar that I sold, and he had the KISS guitar. So I wanted a lot more photos in there, and the guy that scanned everything came up from Maryland and took photos. Do you know Dave Snowden? He worked on the book with me – one of the guys, yeah.

One of the things I like about books like this one is that you get to see what it was like in the early days and the small places they played, and things that didn’t go so well. I’m looking at a photo of Peter playing and the perspiration has washed his makeup completely off.
LC: Oh yeah. It happened a lot in the early days.

How did they fix that?
LC: I think they might have changed their makeup. 

I suppose, being guys, they didn’t know what makeup to use for it.
LC: Yeah, well the thing was, they didn’t have a lot of money, so they bought the cheap stuff in the beginning. And then eventually, you get to the better stuff when you have the money. You know, people research it for you.

I think there was a photo where Peter had split his pants.
Peter Criss split pants
Too Big for his Britches?
LC: Oh yeah. I actually sold those pants (laughs). For five hundred dollars, I think. I don’t know. I made those pants, but my mother sewed them after he split them. My mother was able to repair them, but still, you could see the repair. But I still sold them for $500 in one of Jacques’s auctions [for Backstage Auctions].

One of the things I was going to ask you about was you actually had tickets to Woodstock, but you couldn’t go.
LC: Yeah, we didn’t go, because Peter booked something else in Maine.

Any regrets about that?
LC: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Who knew? But you know what? Peter said, “There’s no way I would have wanted to be there,” because Peter hates camping. And this was all camping. So he said there’s no way I would have wanted to be there with the rain. My mother thought I was at Woodstock. These were the days when you had to lie to your parents (laughs). She thought we were going to Woodstock, and she saw it on the news, and she’s going, “Oh my God, my little girl (laughs),” even though I really wasn’t. And I wasn’t wet. I was dry.

And that was when Peter was playing with Nautilus, I believe.
LC: Yes. Yes, he was with Nautilus. So I actually took the bus up there with my girlfriend, Carol, who was going out with the lead guitar player.

They did covers, too, then.
LC: Yeah, they were nice guys. The lead guitarist, he was adorable, but they weren’t songwriters and they weren’t creative.

Looking back, what was your favorite part of being involved with the whole KISS phenomenon?
LC: That’s a hard one. I just think it was the pride that I had. And I still have it. I still have it. I’m so proud that they’re still famous all these years. I just remember one day standing on a corner waiting for the light to turn, and I just said, “I feel like we just won the lottery.” You really feel like you won the lottery. I’m very proud of them – Gene and Paul and me (laughs), the whole band, that they’ve kept it alive all these years.

You also had a friendship with Peter Frampton that was very interesting.
LC: Yeah, yeah. I was friends with Peter Frampton. He was a sweetheart. I haven’t seen him in years, but I was friends with him at two different points in my life. And he was a great guy.

You were a big fan of his before you met him.
LC: Oh yeah. Yeah, the first time … yeah.

That was after Frampton Comes Alive!
LC: Well, I actually saw him in Humble Pie.

Oh, you did?
LC: Yeah, I saw him in Humble Pie. And then, I saw him at the Fillmore, I believe. It was either the Fillmore or the Academy of Music. Both get me very confused. I don’t know which one, but I saw him as Frampton, and then I saw him at the Garden, but I also saw him between them as a person.

You’ve seen hundreds of bands over the years. I know Queen was your favorite. And you saw Led Zeppelin, too. What was that experience like?
LC: I saw Led Zeppelin a couple of times, but the best thing was … I mean, I met Jimmy Page twice, two different times. Once at the A.R.M.S. concert, and there was a party afterwards, and then I also met him at my girlfriend’s home. But anyway, Zeppelin’s great.

Peter met him, too, and they were going to go back to your place, but [Led Zeppelin manager] Peter Grant stopped it.
LC: Oh yeah. He was going to come back to my place. We were at TRAX, and he was going to come back, but Peter Grant wouldn’t let him come. He had just had an OD. He’d Od’ed from heroin I guess. And [Grant] said, “How do you know that’s Peter Criss?” And [Page] said, “Oh, he has a limo.” And [Grant] goes, “That doesn’t mean anything.” So he wouldn’t let him come. But, I was kind of afraid, ‘cause I was saying, “Don’t tell me Jimmy Page is going to wreck my apartment.”

They did have quite the reputation back then.
LC: I was afraid. You didn’t ask me who my favorite solo artist was, did you?

I don’t remember.
LC: You didn’t ask me that. My favorite solo artist is Rod Stewart.

Did you meet him?
LC: Oh, of course – many times. 

What is he like?
LC: He’s nice, but he stays distant. He stays away. I’ve seen him a lot backstage and that type of stuff, but I’ve seen him where I could actually talk to him at CD signings, where he’s selling something. Yeah, he was supposed to come to this party, and I go, “Rod, you were supposed to come to this party. What the hell happened to you? You didn’t call me and I went to sleep.” I went to sleep, because I was friends with Carmine Rojas’s cousin. Carmine Rojas was his musical director in those days, and it was Rojas’s birthday. He was supposed to show up at the China Club, and I said, “I fell asleep.” But I met Rod a few times, yeah.

You guys got kicked out of a few places. Was there one time that was a little crazier than the rest?
LC: I don’t remember … I wasn’t with them, maybe. Did I mention getting kicked out of some places in the book?

Yeah, I thought there were some in the book – either restaurants or hotels.
LC: Huh. Well, there was one time in Sweden. We were in Sweden and oh, the hotel they took our passports … yeah. We didn’t get kicked out, but yeah, they took our passports because they were fighting in the lobby. That was the roadies. They were fighting. Not the band, it was the roadies, but they took our passports. And then there was also … we were in Sweden and we were at a restaurant, and it was called the Shrimp Bar or something, or the Shrimp Boat. You had to remote your shrimp … the shrimp were on a boat, and you had to remote them to you. There was like a pool in the middle of the restaurant and then tables all around, and they would send your food out, and you had to remote it with a remote control to your table. And Ace got so annoyed with it that he just walked in the pool, and they said, “You can’t walk in the pool!” And it was because the bottom wasn’t walk-able. It was just something you could swim in. And they said, “You’re going to wreck the bottom of the pool.” So they threw us out (laughs).

There were so many characters within and surrounding KISS. What was Bill Aucoin like?
LC: Bill Aucoin was a character. He loved doing everything … at that same restaurant we tried throwing him
Peter & Lydia with Bill Aucoin
in the pool. But he caught us right before. He knew what we were up to. We were getting him really drunk and then we were going to throw him in the pool (laughs). He realized what we were doing.

He really was one of those managers in rock history that you really remember. What was he like as a professional?
LC: He was very, very professional. He used to love to have fun. That was the thing you loved about Bill. I love him. I miss him to this day. Me and Richie … Richie was closer to him at one point. (Laughs) Richie and him have stories. Richie could tell you those.

How did you meet Richie?
LC: Well, Richie was managed by Bill Aucoin. He was in Piper. And actually, me and Jeanette were on our way to see KISS. I think we went down to Georgia. And then right after that, it was supposed to be New Year’s Eve. So, [we were going to spend] New Year’s Eve like in [this] North Carolina town, but we wanted to go to Georgia, to Atlanta, because it was a big gig. We went and we were waiting for our limo to pick us up at the airport and we were standing outside, and all of a sudden, there’s Richie. And there were the other guys in his band waiting to be picked up also. So, I said, “Wow, he’s cute, but I’m married, so I can look but I can’t touch.” That was it. But then years later … many, many years later, actually 10 years ago … let’s see, that was back in the ‘70s, and then I saw him in the ‘90s at one of the KISS parties at Studio 54, but he thought I was still married to Peter, so he didn’t approach me. We said, “Hello,” and we kissed, but that was it. Then, back around 2001, Sean Delaney was staying at my apartment, and he invited somebody over named Richie. And I thought it was Richie Ranno from Starz. I’m going, “Who did you invite to my apartment on New Year’s Eve?” And he said, “Richie Fontana.” And I said, “I love Richie Fontana.” And then about a month later, we were talking on the phone, and he’s calling me and e-mailing … well, within the month, we were talking right away. So within the month, we had a date, we made a date. And we’ve been together ever since. I actually invited him over. I said, “Come over and have some spaghetti,” but he was working on his CD. And he says, “I’ll have to take a rain check.” That was some time later.

Were you apprehensive about getting involved with a musician again?
LC: No way. That’s what I’m attracted to. Well, now I am. Years ago, I wasn’t, but now I am. I’m always attracted to musicians, and I’m always attracted to drummers and bass players. That’s what I usually go out with – drummers and bass players, the rhythm section.

You mentioned the creativity of Sean Delaney, that he was integral to the band’s success.
LC: Absolutely. He was very, very responsible for a lot of their choreography, a lot of their theatrics, and he
Sean Delaney, Jeanette Frehley,
Bill Aucoin, Lydia Criss 
didn’t get the appreciation he was due. Gene and Paul sometimes ignore Sean Delaney … they’re really very, business-wise, it’s like, “Okay, you did this for me. We paid you, on to the next thing.” That’s how they are.

What do you remember about meeting Sean for the first time?
LC: Well, I’ve always been attracted to gay guys. I guess I’m a fag hag, or whatever. I had cousins that were gay when I was little, and also at my first job, at school, there was a guy named Raymond that we loved. And he was one of the first gay friends I ever had. And then I worked in Abercrombie & Fitch and there was a guy named Rudy. Oh, he was so flamboyant it was unbelievable. He’d come off the elevator and we could hear him on the other end of the floor. He’d come up and we’d go, “Oh, Rudy’s here.” But I was always attracted to gay people because they’re so creative and funny, and they just love women. Gay guys love women. You know, maybe a guy might be apprehensive, but women aren’t. We just loved them, and then years later, we were friends with Frank Dugan, who gave us that million dollar check
Frank Dugan's Million $$ Check
[described in Lydia’s book]. He was gay, and we’ve just always had gay friends all of our lives. Since I was a little girl, I’ve had gays in my life, even though at times I didn’t know what gay was. I had gay relatives. I didn’t know they were gay. I didn’t know what that was. I just thought they were funny and they were great to hang out with. And then when you grow up, you realize what it is. Even when I was in school, I didn’t know Raymond was gay. I just thought he was a character. You know, we just loved him. I used to play games with him, like “What songs can you sing?” We’d listen to the radio, and we’d get all the words to every song. And it was, “Okay, what song did you get last night?” And I’d sit at the radio in my mother’s bedroom and just write all the lyrics to all the songs.

How did your family get along with Peter? Did they like Peter from the start?
LC: No, at the beginning, no. But, you know, they eventually got to love him, even before he made it. You know, once we got married, they loved him. At one point, I said, “I might elope,” and my mother said, “If you elope, you’ll be disowned.” It was [my parents’] initial meeting [with] him with the long hair, ‘caused I lived in projects. I grew up with blacks and Puerto Ricans in a neighborhood that was lower class. And Peter was from an even lower-class neighborhood. The thing is, he had long hair, and my mother never knew what that was. They never had that. Peter was the first long-haired guy I brought home. Actually, he was the first guy I brought home. Oh yeah. I only had two boyfriends before him, so they never met them. They saw me walking with my first boyfriend when I was living with the projects. But Peter, we had already moved out of the projects when I met Peter. We had just moved out of the projects when I met Peter, within 40 days of moving out of the projects. And I didn’t bring him home right away. I brought him home eventually, and they weren’t too happy, because of – like I said – the long hair, but they liked him, like I said at the beginning of the interview, because of his personality.

What were Peter’s parents like?
LC: Peter’s family was great. They were sweethearts. I’m telling you, you could say anything to his mother … not like my mother. [You could say] anything to his mother and his mother was the greatest. I mean, I’ve actually even smoked pot with his mother.

Is there anybody from the old days you hang out with and if so, have they read the book? What do they think of it?
LC: Well, I don’t hang out with anybody from the old days, but I just talk to them. I talk to Elvera [Capetta], who was one of my bridesmaids. I talk to Joey Lucenti. He was in Peter’s band before KISS. I talk to Pepe Gennarelli. He was in Peter’s band. I’m trying to think … there’s not many left. A lot of the people are just gone. We can’t reach them.

We should talk about what you’re doing now.
LC: Well, my book is in the second printing.

And you’ve expanded it, right?
LC: Yeah, that’s what I was going to say. It’s revised and expanded. What I’ve done is I’ve corrected a few errors, changed a few things, I’ve made some pictures bigger, changed colors and stuff … not many, but a few. And then I also expanded it by 16 pages, with 22 more photos, and that’s it. It’s in its second printing. And the other thing is I’m working on an auction … I’m going to sell stuff that’s in the book, but more stuff, more personal stuff – like if Paul Stanley gave me a gift, it might be in the auction. A lot of the clothes I’m wearing might be in the auction. Certain things, like if Gene gave me a gift … Gene gave me a clock, Paul gave me a clock, they might both be in the auction.

I remember seeing that in the book, that they both gave you the same clock.
LC: Not the same, but they both gave me clocks. But, anyway, there will be a lot of things that are in the book, personal things, like if you see … like my crazy bathroom in Brooklyn, with the Mickey Mouse. I still have those towels and stuff, so that’s going to be in the auction (laughs). I can’t really say exactly what’s going to be in the auction, but there’s going to be a lot of personal stuff.

Well, it would cool to see those platform boots of yours from the old days (laughs). Those are cool.
LC: Yep, those big platform boots. Oh, definitely … (laughs). I found two pairs already. There might be a third. I’m not sure. I’ll find the other pair.

###

Lydia has completed the last and final selection of her treasures and will be doing one more final auction with Backstage Auctions. There will be plenty of KISS memorabilia including the Mercedes as well as other music related relics. Register for your VIP All Access to receive auction notifications.

To purchase Lydia's second printing and expanded version of Sealed With A KISS, you can buy it directly from Lydia by visiting her website: http://www.lydiacriss.com/

Sealed with a KISS by Lydia Criss

A real Zeppelin treasure comes up for auction

 Written By: Patrick Prince, Powerline Magazine

Fully Signed Led Zeppelin "House of The Holy" Album
Fully Signed Led Zeppelin "House of The Holy" Album
Led Zeppelin memorabilia is always hot. And Backstage Auctions, a premiere rock auction house, has a primo Zep item up for auction in their recent Rock n’ Pop Auction taking place November 3-11 (a preview is currently live).

This particular item will open any hard rocker’s eyes and is a coveted piece of memorabilia: a fully-signed Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy vinyl LP. This album, which was owned by music photographer Philip Kamin, is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a collector — since all four signatures from the band members is a rarity. The opening bid is $2500.00. And as far as condition, the album is in overall excellent condition and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

The impact of autographs on a Led Zeppelin record cover are substantial,” says Rick Barrett, one of the leading experts in all things Zeppelin, “and values go up starting with if you just had one signature — and if it was John Bonham’s that’d be the best. If it was Jimmy Page, that’s the next best. The third one would be Robert Plant. And if you just had one with John Paul Jones, it’s still nice and collectible but that’s the least valuable. And then if you had more than one signature, they go up substantially. And if you have all of them, that’s quite a piece.”

“Autograph collecting is really different in today’s world than it was in the ’70s,” Barrett continues. “John Bonham died in September of 1980 and people just didn’t collect in the same fashion, to the same degree, with the same passion and the same numbers as they do now, and certainly did in the ’90s. So fully signed pieces that are legitimate are few and far between, and they are quite sought after, quite collectible and quite valuable.”

Backstage Auctions has had many great Zeppelin auctions before, including a 2005 auction which represented legendary engineer/production, Eddie Kramer. But the auction house has never auctioned off a fully-signed Zeppelin item before.

“This is a first for us,” says Backstage Auction owner, Jacques van Gool. “We have had signed items by Jimmy, Robert and JP but we’ve never had anything signed by John — let alone something signed by all four. Led Zeppelin collectors know that a fully signed — and authentic — Led Zeppelin item is far and between, especially considering the fact that so many forgeries are in circulation. Over the years, I believe that we’ve seen more fake Led Zeppelin autographs than Beatles or Elvis Presley ones. In a weird way, that’s a testament to the demand for signed Led Zeppelin items, I suppose.”

Van Gool also adds that Zeppelin memorabilia will remain in demand, for various reasons.

“I believe there are many reasons,” says van Gool. “One being that their music is timeless. A Zeppelin songs today still sounds as good and exciting as it did 35 or 40 years ago and current generations are aware of that. And while their excellent musicianship naturally is the basis for their music, they have something that few other bands or artists have, which is that they are true icons. When your lead singer becomes the ‘image’ of rock, your drummer the ‘sound’ of rock and your guitar player the ‘hero’ to every aspiring musician around the globe, you’ve got a pretty magical combo. If — on top of that — your songs are played on the radio every day four decades after you made them, magazines still put you on the front cover and commercials and movies still use your tunes, you’re entering into a very select and elite group — Beatles, Elvis, Stones — and who wouldn’t want to own a piece of that?”

In-demand means more fans year after year. Hopefully, this also means that the members of Led Zeppelin will become more available for autographs.

“Robert Plant used to sign absolutely everything. He loved people being around him. Now he’ll sign 1-3 items,” Barrett explains. “Jimmy Page does not sign anything at all, for the most part. He just refuses. And before he would sign 1-2, depends on a good day if you could catch him. John Paul Jones is good. He will sign and always has signed.”

Backstage Auctions' - 2012 Rock 'n Pop Auction is open for bidding November 3 - 11th, but is available now for previewing the entire catalog. VIP All Access Registration is FREE and only takes a minute or two.