Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

Former vice president of Glickman/Marks Management and author of “KISS And Sell” recalls the state of KISS in 1981 and the band’s ambitious bid to enter the pantheon of music’s elite

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, former vice president of Glickman/Marks Management Christopher K. Lendt recalled the state of the KISS union in 1981. Lendt also discussed how “The Elder” was an attempt to redefine the band’s career and shared details regarding the proposed “Elder” tour, among other topics.

The following are excerpts from Lendt’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

The state of KISS in 1981:

KF: Getting to “Music From The Elder,” which is the topic we’re discussing today. Prior to them even starting recording, how would you describe the overall health of KISS in 1981?

CKL: Well, that was coming off of the Australia tour, which was December 1980. That was the most successful tour KISS had done at that time. They were treated like the second coming of the Beatles. And I recounted all of that in the book. It was quite an event. They were really puffed up, and I say that without any sarcasm. Their egos were really boosted by such a successful tour. Their popularity was waning in the U.S., which they were aware of, but a big tour like that, playing stadiums and creating “KISS mania,” is a real climate to bolster your spirits and put you back in a different mood.

KF: Certainly. What do you recall about their initial studio album plans?

CKL: When they approached a new album, they had made a number of efforts going into the studio in 1981, recording different tracks [at] different studios. I don’t know if there were other producers involved but I know that they tried a number of different types of records. The consensus that they got from the people in Australia at PolyGram at that time was that they should come back in ’81 and do another really hard rock album, because that was the essence of what KISS was and they felt that that was something that that would serve KISS well. You know, the last advice offered that you hear from people who are in a position to have their advice listened to is often the advice that you go with. So that was their inclination: to go back into the studio and record a typical hard rock, heavy metal KISS album, which I think they tried to do, but it never coalesced. And the thinking was that they didn’t want to come out with another ordinary KISS hard rock album. Maybe it would have been good and accepted by the fans, but they didn’t think it was really big enough. So having their egos boosted by the tremendous success of the Australia tour, and with the influence of Bill Aucoin, they decided to go off in a different direction. And eventually emerged the idea of a “concept” album.

KF: Right, which was a deliberate attempt to steer away from recording a typical KISS album

CKL: Yes, rather than just a recording of 10 or 12 tracks that were all distinct and separate from one another, they decided to do something on a more elevated level creatively. The concept idea became the operating idea.
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