STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - GENE SIMMONS - GENE SIMMONS

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Good morning Wednesday warriors and welcome back to Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we celebrate the 72nd Birthday of Chaim Witz, Israeli born musician and actor best known as Gene Simmons, The Demon vocalist and bassist for the rock band  KIϟϟ. Happy Birthday Gene ! To mark the occasion, we spotlight his first solo album, Gene Simmons. The LP was released September 18, 1978 on Casablanca Records. (As was solo albums by the other 3 members, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley). It was produced by Gene and Sean Delaney. It peaked at #22 on the Billboard, making it the highest charting of the four. the album's opener "Radioactive" was released as it's sole single (#66 Canada, #27 Hot 100, #41 UK). The disc runs the gamut when it comes to style, mixing straight forward rock n roll with pop, funk, choirs and string arrangements. Gene closes the record with a cover of  "When You Wish Upon A Star". The guest musicians are a impressive list with contributions from  Joe Perry, Bob Seger ,Rick Nielsen, Helen Reddy, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Donna Summer, cher, Michael Des Barres, and Katey Sagal.

1. "Radioactive" 3:50
2. "Burning Up with Fever" 4:19
3. "See You Tonite" 2:30
4. "Tunnel of Love" 3:49
5. "True Confessions" 3:30

Side two

6. "Living in Sin" (Simmons, Sean Delaney, Howard Marks) 3:50
7. "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide" 4:12
8. "Man of 1,000 Faces" 3:16
9. "Mr. Make Believe" 4:00
10. "See You in Your Dreams" 2:48
11. "When You Wish upon a Star" (Ned Washington, Leigh Harline) 2:44

Gene Simmons - vocals, guitars, acoustic guitar, co-producer

Neil Jason - bass
Elliot Randall - guitars

Allan Schwartzberg - drums
Sean Delaney - percussion, backing vocals, co-producer

Ron Frangipane - symphonic arrangements and conductor of Members of the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras

Gordon Grody, Diva Gray, Kate Sagal, Franny Eisenberg, Carolyn Ray - backing vocals
Eric Troyer - piano and vocals on "Radioactive" & "Living in Sin"

Steve Lacey - guitars on "Radioactive"

John Shane Howell - classical guitar, segue between "Radioactive" & "Burning Up with Fever"

Richard Gerstein - piano on "True Confessions" & "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide"

Joe Perry - guitars on "Radioactive" & "Tunnel of Love"
Bob Seger - backing vocals on "Radioactive" & "Living in Sin"
Rick Nielsen - guitars on "See You in Your Dreams"
Helen Reddy - background vocals on "True Confessions"

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitars on "Burning Up with Fever", "See You Tonite", "Tunnel of Love" & "Mr. Make Believe"

Donna Summer - background vocals on "Burning Up with Fever," & "Tunnel Of Love"
Janis Ian - backing vocals on the "Prelude to Radioactive"

Cher - spoken word phone call on "Living in Sin"

Mitch Weissman & Joe Pecorino (Beatlemania) - backing vocals on "Mr. Make Believe", "See You Tonite" & "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide"

Michael Des Barres - background vocals on "See You in Your Dreams"
Richie Ranno - guitars on "Tunnel of Love"

The Citrus College Singers - chorus on "True Confessions" & "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide"

George Marino - mastering
Eraldo Carugati - album artwork