Before finally deciding on the legendary name “Kiss,” the band had quite a few other names. First, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley used to perform in New York using the name “Wicked Lester.” Interesting choice. Later on, after Criss and Frehley joined Simmons and Stanley, the four were not sure what to call themselves.
They had many different ideas like“Albatross” and “Crimson Harpoon.” While Simmons suggested, they should just be called after the infamous four-letter word. So how did they end us choosing Kiss? Randomly enough, Criss said he had a band that was named “Lips,” so they decided to go with Kiss.
A Total Of Ten Kisses
Kiss had been around since the '70s, which means it makes sense that some band members were replaced by others. But, did you know that the only two original Kiss members that are a part of the band to this day are Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons? Frehley and Criss haven't really been a part of the band since 1996.
Over the years, there were a total of 10 people who at some point were Kiss band members. Eric Carr and Eric Singer, who play drums, were replacements for Peter Criss, while Bruce Kulick and Tommy took over Frehley's solos.
Kiss The Kiss Logo Goodbye
The original Kiss logo was and always will be iconic. It was actually Ace Frehley, the band's guitarist that came up with the idea for the design. One of the logo's special features is that the two final letters create what looks like two lightning bolts. But, when the band toured in Europe, the logo caused some trouble.
The problem was that the logo's last two letters resemble a German symbol from World War II. In order not to offend anyone and to avoid any problems, the logo was altered to look like two Zs in several countries.
A Change of Character
Apparently, Paul “The Starchild” Stanley wasn't that happy with his original character. This is why he is the only Kiss member that has ever tried switching to a different one. The year was 1973, and Paul wanted to try being “The Bandit” instead. We do have to admit that “The Bandit” sounds a lot cooler.
In order to become “The Bandit,” he changed his makeup, but his new look ended up looking a little less like a bandit and a little more like a raccoon. The fans did not respond well to the raccoon, and Stanley was doomed to forever be “The Starchild.”
Kiss And The King Of Pop
Kiss and The King Of Pop, AKA, Michael Jackson, had a nice thing going for them. They both were at the top of their musical genres, and they developed what seemed to be a really close friendship. After Michael Jackson died, Kiss was actually asked to be a part of the Michael Forever concert.
But, they were dropped from the show in less than 24 hours. This is because Simmons had some controversial opinions about Jackson, and he wasn't ashamed to state them publically. MJ fans were outraged, and Kiss was kicked off the show. Simmons just couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his own life.