Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit Hole

'I Was Made for Loving You': How KISS Jumped the Shark

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On this episode of Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit Hole, hosts Butch Bays and Kevin Gibson dig into the 1979 KISS hit "I Was Made for Loving You." Is it rock? Is it disco? Was it a sellout? Regardless of what it is or was (aside from just being a darn catchy song), it rocketed to No. 11 on the Billboard charts and sold more than 1 million copies ... but it signaled a downward turn for KISS's career, at least for the time. The guys discuss the backlash to the song and what it meant for the 1980s, the band and rock 'n' roll in general.

Kevin and Butch hit on several topics:

  • Butch coins a new phrase, "nuances and nuisances."
  • Opening ceremonies: Apocalypse Brew Works Irish Rapture Red is the beer of the episode.
  • Tale of the Tape -- Canada really was into the extended disco version of "I Was Made for Loving You." The single version hit No. 1 in many countries.
  • Some tidbits about the band you may not know.
  • The song is iconic ... but when it was released, it was not met with a welcome reception by many KISS fans, who felt the band was selling out. But they were marketers as well as entertainers.
  • Really loud mimes.
  • Were KISS the Beatles of the '70s?
  • How the song came to be and Desmond Child's role in writing it.
  • Stanley's bandmates hated the song -- especially Simmons, who didn't want to sing the falsetto part.
  • The song brought the band a whole new genre of fans while alienating their original hardcore fans. It ultimately worked against KISS.
  • Just one year later, the band toured and played only one show in America, a small venue out west. KISS had jumped the shark.
  • Kevin shares a final theory that "I Was Made for Loving You" ironically killed disco by embracing it -- and helped usher rock 'n' roll back to the top of the charts.
  • Bonus: Watch the official video and look for the bloopers, particularly around the 1:42 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhIsAZO5gl0
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    Rock 'n' Roll Rabbit HoleBy Kevin Gibson/Butch Bays