Crazy Nights
A pop-metal album featuring keyboards and synthesizers, recorded by the unmasked lineup of Simmons, Stanley, Kulick, and Carr.
Crazy Nights stands as the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, recorded between March and June 1987 before its September 21 release. It marked the second record for the lineup of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, and Eric Carr. Moving away from their previous self-produced efforts, the band hired Ron Nevison to steer them toward commercial success. The album is defined by a pop-metal sound heavy with keyboards and synthesizers, reflecting the commercial rock trends of the late 1980s. Recorded across One on One, Rumbo Recorders, and Can-Am Recorders in California, it was mixed by Nevison before being turned over to PolyGram in July.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Kiss
- Released
- 18 September 1987
- Recorded
- March–June 1987
- Studio
- Can-AM Recorders (Tarzana)
- One on One (Hollywood)
- Rumbo Recorders (Los Angeles)
- Genre
- Pop metal, pop rock
- Label
- Mercury
- Producer
- Ron Nevison
Lore & Background
The band approached this record with a desperate need to prove themselves after a career decline and the loss of two prime members. Management changed hands to Larry Mazur, but internal friction grew; Paul Stanley eventually confronted Gene Simmons in a parking lot about his lack of commitment while pursuing acting and producing other bands. 'I'm getting screwed,' Stanley told him, to which Simmons replied, 'That's fair.' This tension left space for Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick to contribute significantly, with Kulick securing four co-writing credits and Carr one.
While Simmons provided 20–25 potential songs, including the unused 'I'm Going to Put a Log in Your Fire Place,' producer Ron Nevison noted that he did most of the work with Paul and Bruce, often finding Gene reading Variety in the back of the studio. The album was initially titled 'Who Dares Wins,' an idea from Carr inspired by a commando patch, but it was dropped for sounding unclear in print.
Reader's Guide
The resulting album features singles like 'Crazy Crazy Nights,' which reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Kiss' joint highest-charting single in the UK at No. 4. Another track, 'Reason to Live,' charted at No. 64 in the US and No. 33 in the UK, supported by a music video featuring Playboy centerfold Eloise Broady that dominated MTV's Dial MTV. 'Turn On the Night' followed as the third single, reaching No. 41 in the UK. While many songs were performed on the supporting tour, most were dropped shortly after; only 'Crazy Crazy Nights' survived into the Hot in the Shade Tour before vanishing for nearly 20 years until the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour. This makes the album one of the least represented in their catalog, trailing only Music from 'The Elder' and Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions. It was re-released in 1998 as part of the Kiss Remasters series.
Did You Know?
- 'Crazy Crazy Nights' is Kiss' joint highest-charting single in the UK alongside 'God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II,' reaching No. 4.
- The song 'Thief in the Night' was first recorded by Wendy O. Williams on her 1984 solo album WOW before being covered for this album.
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