Dim all the lights and listen to Paul Stanley’s disco demo version of ‘God of Thunder’

06.03.2019
07:38 am
Topics:
Music
Tags:
KISS, Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin, Destroyer, 1976

Paul Stanley of KISS.

KISS recorded their 1976 album Destroyer at Electric Lady Studios in 1975 with a little help from Alice Cooper guitarist Dick Wagner (who filled in for Ace Frehley, a chronic no-show to KISS’ sessions at Electric Lady) and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. It also featured contributions by Juno Award-winning producer Bob Ezrin’s children, who can be heard making background noise on the song “God of Thunder.” Ezrin was fond of wearing a whistle around his neck which he used to help “motivate” the band during the sessions, described by Paul Stanley as a kind of “musical boot camp.” According to Stanley, Ezrin always had the “final vote” when it came to how the songs on Destroyer should sound. This came into play several times while KISS was recording their fourth album, including “God of Thunder,” a song as synonymous with Gene Simmons as fire-breathing and spitting up blood.

According to Uncle Gene, the song was inspired by a rag session he had with Stanley during which Simmons accused the guitarist of only writing “monster songs like ‘God of Thunder’” and “stuff like that.” Stanley then chided Simmons saying all he was good for was writing songs like “Christine Sixteen.” If Simmons is to be believed, both he and Paul went home and re-wrote each respective song in the style the other would normally have employed. Stanley’s demo version of the song sounds like it belongs on KISS’ disco-tinged 1979 album Dynasty—and hold on to your hair—it’s really fucking good, something you already know if you own the massive KISS box set released in 2001.

Ezrin didn’t necessarily disagree but upon hearing Paul’s demo made the executive decision to have Gene take over the vocals. Here’s more Ezrin from a 2016 piece published in Rolling Stone on his choice to have Gene sing the song which would become his musical calling card:

“That decision was made not based on sound, but on the fact that these guys were playing characters. To me, Paul was the band’s romantic lead, if you will. So he’s the guy who sings “Do You Love Me.” And Gene was both the monster and also the cocksman of the band. So Gene gets to play the “God of Thunder.”

Paul has said he was shocked when Ezrin took “God of Thunder” and essentially “gave” it to Simmons, though Ezrin doesn’t recall Stanley having that kind of reaction. Whatever the case, Paul got over it and the album was a smash, much in part to the success of drummer Peter Criss’ ballad “Beth” (featuring Wagner on acoustic guitar.) Now, let’s get the disco ball spinning, maybe slip into something more comfortable like a pair of platform boots, and crank up Paul Stanley’s Studio 54 version of “God of Thunder.”

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