Tim McPhate | KissFAQ
KissFAQ has launched Back In The Solo Album Groove: The KISS Albums. 35 Years Later…, an ambitious multi-week retrospective dedicated to arguably the biggest milestone in KISStory: the 1978 KISS solo albums. Today, the site has published an interview with vocalist/pianist Eric Troyer, who contributed background vocals and played piano on the tracks “Radioactive” and “Living In Sin.”
The following are excerpts from Troyer’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:
On other musicians around the studio:
KF: Do you recall any of the other musicians who were present while you were in the studio?
ET: Yeah, I was there when Skunk Baxter did some guitar work. Rick Nielsen — it’s funny because when Cheap Trick first burst out they came to New York and did a show at Max’s Kansas City and Gene and I went to see them. Gene said, “You’ve got to come along and see this band. They’re outrageous. We’re thinking about bringing them along on tour with us.” So we went and we sat right in front. Rick, of course, was throwing picks at us all night. And Gene was throwing hundred dollar bills at him (laughs). It was really cool. So I knew Rick from those days. And then he was there at the session and he did some guitar work and it was really nice to see him. I’ve see him a few years since too — he’s a great guy, a great guitar player. We were hanging around with Cher a lot because Gene and Cher were together at that time. So I was there [when] Cher did her vocal part on “Living In Sin at the Holiday Inn,” which reminded me of that whole thing. I was just listening to it just a few minutes ago and I was like, “Oh my God, that was so awesome!” And Bob Seger and I did some vocals. I think I did some vocals separately too. I played piano — there’s some banging piano that I put on both those tracks [“Living In Sin” and “Radioactive”]. I was also there when Helen Reddy did her vocal part — she was kind of a pain in the ass but..
CRD: Yes, but what we did is we took them and did lithographs of the posters and that’s what made them special and a limited edition as a collectible item. We sent them to special press people that had been very supportive of us, and to radio and to VIPs in the business. So it wasn’t going to be blanketed. Those lithographs were going to be a really special item, so anyone who got one, it wasn’t like a mass-produced thing.
Putting together the piano part for “Radioactive:
KF: You are credited as playing piano on a couple of tracks, one of which was “Radioactive,” the single from the album. What do you remember about the piano part on this track?
ET: I remember a little bit of it. They knew they wanted some real banging sort of rock and roll piano. So I’m playing like these high-up eighths, you know [sings melody and rhythm], “Gang, gang, gang, gang,” that kind of stuff. I actually think I do that on both tracks, that sort of thing. And I think it helped because there are some gaps in some of the spacing in the arrangement. And when I listen to it now, I listen to the drums, the drums are so pre-’80s (laughs), it’s pretty funny. But a lot of the parts sound really good. It was recorded really well. I think they probably said, “We’ll hear the tracks and you play.” You know, Gene was pretty loose with that. The background vocals he was very specific with, “I want this something here, something here, maybe a little higher.” But the piano part, I think it was like, “We’ll listen to this song, run it down and play some parts.” I think what happened was I started to work out some parts and then they would listen and say, “Well, do more of that there and a little less of that there.” And it just sort of shapes itself, which is pretty generally how I would work when I would do piano overdubs and stuff like that.
KF: I assumed the piano would have been an overdub situation.
ET: Oh yeah. They cut the basic tracks in New York, Neil Jason and all those guys are New York guys. I’m sure they must have done all the basics there. This was after the fact.
On trying to get Lassie on the album:
KF: And what was the story with Lassie? Why would Gene have wanted a dog on the album?
ET: Oh yeah. I don’t remember exactly what track it’s on, but he was looking to do a “let’s just get everybody on this album. Let’s just load it up with interesting stuff.” And I don’t know what made him think of Lassie, but Lassie was more in the consciousness at that particular time. The TV show had probably ended for a bit, but it was still very popular. But I don’t exactly know why.
KF: And Lassie didn’t come down to the studio, you guys went to Lassie?
ET: Yeah, we went up to Lassie. We went up and did a field recording. We drove all the way up to wherever it was, I remember driving past the Knott’s Berry Farm so it was way out … somewhere (laughs). And it was a beautiful area and we set up the mics and everything and recorded it.
KF: Trying to get the dog to bark?
ET: Yeah, they could get it to bark on command. Speaking of barking, my dogs are barking down stairs right now (laughs).
On the eclectic nature of Simmons’ solo album:
KF: (laughs) Obviously, Gene’s album is quite eclectic. There’s a range of material and there’s “When You Wish Upon A Star” and there’s the “special guest” cast. But some have criticized the album for having “too much sizzle and not enough steak,” as Paul Stanley would say. What’s your take, Eric?
ET: Well, Gene used to say to me, he used to be very bold and clear-cut about, “[KISS is] just doing this one slice of music.” I think he loved the Beatles and he was into lots of other music as well. And I think if you talked to Paul, he would be too. But they knew that KISS had to be very clear-cut [with] no ambiguity [to] what they were doing musically. And so they really honed it and towed the line with that. But this was an opportunity for Gene to stretch himself out a little bit. So he took that opportunity. And It might have been Sean’s influence too, you know, “Why don’t you get this? Why don’t you get that?” Sean was that kind of guy, “Oh man, let’s get Lassie!” So he would have prodded and pushed Gene in that direction, which I think was kind of a natural direction for Gene anyway because he really like the Beatles and he was definitely influenced by all that stuff. But I think [the album is] pretty cool. I like both of those tracks [I played on]. I think they’re really good. There’s more depth to them, it’s not just slamming, in your face kind of rock and roll.
Full Eric Troyer interview:
http://www.kissfaq.com/78/interview_eric_troyer.php
About Back In The Solo Album Groove:
As KISS celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2013, KissFAQ.com has launched Back In The Solo Album Groove: The KISS Albums. 35 Years Later…, an ambitious multi-week retrospective dedicated to arguably the biggest milestone in KISStory: the 1978 KISS solo albums. More than 30 brand-new interviews were conducted with various individuals who either worked directly on the solo albums or have a strong connection of sorts. The interviews will offer readers fresh first-hand perspectives straight from studio musicians, producers, engineers, and collaborators, and the creative professionals working in the KISS camp at the time. Topical features will shed more light on KISS’ activity in 1978 while dissecting the albums and offering in-depth analysis and biographical information on the albums’ participants. Also featured will be a 1978 KISS calendar, a roundup of other notable album releases in the rock genre in 1978, a spotlight on “Double Platinum,” and much more. Back In The Solo Album Groove will put the four 1978 KISS solo albums center stage like never before.