Kiss and Make-Up


Book Description

You wanted the truth, you got the truth—the hottest book in the world! Fueled by an explosive mix of makeup, costumes, and attitude, KISS burst onto the music scene thirty years ago and has become a rock institution. The band has sold more than eighty million records, has broken every concert attendance record set by Elvis Presley and the Beatles, stands behind the Beatles alone in number of gold records from any group in history, and has spawned more than 2,500 licenses. There would have been no KISS without Gene Simmons, the outrageous star whose superlong tongue, legendary sexual exploits, and demonic makeup have made him a rock icon. KISS and Make-Up is the wild, shocking, unbelievable story, from the man himself, about how an immigrant boy from Israel studied to be a rabbi, was saved by rock and roll, and became one of the most notorious rock stars the world has ever seen. Before Gene Simmons there was Chaim Witz, a boy from Haifa, Israel, who had no inkling of the life that lay ahead of him. In vivid detail Gene recounts his childhood growing up in Haifa under the watchful eye of his beloved, strong-willed mother, a concentration camp survivor; his adolescent years attending a Jewish theological center for rabbinical studies in Brooklyn; his love of all things American, including comic books, superheroes, and cowboys; and his early fascination with girls and sex, which prompted him to start a rock band in school after he saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. KISS and Make-Up is not just the classic story of achieving the American dream through the eyes of an immigrant boy making good, but a juicy, rollicking rock and roll read that takes you along for the ride of your life with KISS, from the 1970s, when they were the biggest band in the world, through the ’80s, when they took off their world-famous war paint, and into the ’90s, when they came back bigger and badder than ever to become the number one touring band in the world. In his own irreverent, unapologetic voice, Gene talks about the girls (4,600 of them and counting); his tight bond with KISS cofounder Paul Stanley; the struggles he and Paul had with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss and their departures from the group; the new band members and Eric Carr’s untimely death; the enormous love and affection he has for the people who put him there in the first place—the KISS Army and the ever-loyal KISS fans around the world; his love life, including stories about his relationships with Cher and Diana Ross and with Shannon Tweed, Playmate of the Year, mother of his son and daughter, and his companion of eighteen years; and much more. Full of dozens of photographs, many never-before-seen pictures from Gene’s private collection, KISS and Make-Up is a surprising, intimate look at the man behind the mask. For the first time Gene reveals all the facets of his complex personality—son, rock star, actor, record producer, businessman, ladies’ man, devoted father, and now author.




Gene Simmons Is a Powerful and Attractive Man


Book Description

The earth revolves around the sun. The sun revolves around Gene Simmons, and Gene Simmons revolves around nothing. In this authorized parody of one of rock and roll’s biggest icons, fans will find incredible “facts” about the legend that is Gene Simmons, peppered with words of wisdom straight from the Demon’s tongue, hilarious reactions to Gene from kids, reimagined movie posters featuring Gene Simmons in the title role, and much, much more. · The Gene Simmons chess set has 1 king and 31 pawns. · When Gene Simmons breaks a sweat, everyone scrambles to put it back together. · Gene Simmons can get to the center of a Tootsie Pop in one lick. · When Gene Simmons walks into a strip club the girls pay him. · Gene Simmons doesn't need an umbrella because rain knows better. - Stan Lee was going to make Gene Simmons a Superhero, but decided to stick to fiction.




On Power


Book Description

YOU DESERVE TO HAVE POWER. IT IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING. GENE SIMMONS IS HERE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS TO THE TEMPLE. Gene Simmons, KISS front-man, multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, and master of self-invention, shares his philosophy on power—how to attain it, how to keep it, and how to harness it as a driving force in business and in life. As co-founder of KISS, America's #1 gold record-award-winning group of all time, Simmons knows the thrill and seduction of power firsthand. But gold records alone don’t equal power. The decisions you make once you attain a certain level of success are what separate the pretenders from the pantheon. Inspired by Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, Simmons offers his unique take on the dynamics of power in every realm of life, from the bedroom to the boardroom, to the world of rock, celebrity, and social media, to politics. With one-of-a-kind anecdotes from his life and career, as well as stories from historical and contemporary masters of power, including Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, Warren Buffett, Michael Jordon, Oprah, and Elon Musk, Simmons crafts a persuasive and provocative theory on how the pursuit of power drives civilization and defines our lives. The rules of power are changing in today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world in a way that Machiavelli never could have imagined, and we all need to learn to adapt. Simmons tells readers: Ignore the negatives. Be unrelenting. Rise above the rest. You are the architect of your success.




Kiss


Book Description

With over 150 photos--most of which are published here for the first time--Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley take readers on an intimate tour of the early days of KISS. Full color and b&w.




Me, Inc.


Book Description

Me, Inc. features a black simulated-leather cover with gold foil stamping and a black ribbon bookmark. The fact that KISS is one of the most successful rock bands in the world is no accident. From the beginning Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had a clear-cut vision of what they wanted to do and how they wanted to operate KISS as a business well before they ever first took the stage. Since deciding with Paul to manage the band themselves, Simmons has proved himself to be a formidable businessman, having sold over 100 million CDs and DVDs worldwide, overseen over 3,000 licensed merchandise items, and starred in the longest running celebrity reality show to date. More impressive is that he handles all of his business ventures on his own—no personal assistant, few handlers, and as little red tape as possible. In Me, Inc., Simmons shares a lifetime of field-tested and hard-won business advice that will provide readers with the tools needed to build a solid business strategy, harness the countless tools available in the digital age, network like hell, and be the architect for the business entity that is you. Inspired by The Art of War, the book dispenses Simmons’ in-depth insights via thirteen specific principles for success based on his own experience, triumphs, and instructional failures in business—from finding the confidence within yourself that’s necessary to get started, to surrounding yourself with the right people to partner with and learn from, to knowing when to pull the plug and when to double-down. These thirteen principles are a skeleton key into a world of success, freedom, peace of mind and, most importantly, financial success.




Sex Money Kiss


Book Description

"Let's face it, just because I stick out my tongue a lot and spit fire doesn't mean I have any qualifications to advise anyone on relationship, money or career issues. I don't. Yet I've lived with a beautiful woman for twenty years with never a cross word between us, in a relationship based on honesty and full disclosure. I've amassed a fortune--and "expert business people" work for me. And for three decades I've been in KISS--a band that has scaled the heights and broken every possible record, from album sales to touring to merchandising and licensing. What I have and have always had (thanks in full to my mother's wisdom) is an abiding faith in me. Call it a "life philosophy": a philosophy about money (mine!) and happiness (mine again). It works for me. It can work for you!




Kiss and Make-Up


Book Description

The co-founder of the rock group KISS shares his candid reminiscences about growing up as an immigrant kid from Israel, his creation of one of the world's most popular bands, and three decades of life and fame in the world of rock music.




Dominatrix


Book Description

When Dominique Stern, a professional dominatrix, becomes ensnared in a world of government cover-ups and international conspiracies. After a client loses his composure during an intense session and blurts out top-secret information, Dominique finds herself a reluctant superhero who must save herself, her friends, the government jerk who got her into this mess, and quite possibly her country.




Nothin' to Lose


Book Description

“Nothin’ to Lose brought back great memories of our days touring with KISS in the ‘70s. The book is an incredible ride through KISS’s early days and a must read for any KISS fan!” — Don Powell, Slade “Like taking a time machine back to the ‘70s, Nothin’ to Lose is a wild and no holds barred look at the rise of KISS.” — Eric Carmen, Raspberries “In Nothin’ to Lose you witness first-hand the extraordinary transformation of four struggling musicians from New York City overcoming almost insurmountable odds to become worldwide superstars. This is the definitive account of KISS’s early years.” — Kevin Cann, author of David Bowie: Any Day Now “The KISS boys will go down in history for their indefatigable work ethic, spirit, and insatiable appetite for all things honest-to-God outrageous rock ‘n’ roll. KISS is the real deal and this book is the real story of the American rock ‘n’ roll dream.” — Ted Nugent “Nothin’ to Lose is an electrifying look at a band that changed the course of rock and roll history by sticking to their guns and blazing their own trail of heavy metal thunder. I couldn’t put it down. Two thumbs up!” — Joe Perry, Aerosmith “Rises above the standard cookie-cutter anecdotes... [for] a unique look at the origins of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Anyone who wants to know what it was like to make it in rock ‘n’ roll in the seventies will need to pick this up.” — Dale Sherman, author of Black Diamond: The Unauthorized Biography of KISS “Told with complete accuracy and attention to detail... Mandatory reading for every new artist. This is a masterpiece!” — Kenny Kerner, Co-producer of KISS and Hotter Than Hell “A joyous and mesmerizing exploration of the early history of the ‘Hottest Band in the World’... This book is addictive. You won’t be able to put it down!” — Julian Gill, author of the Kiss Album Focus series “From KISS’s earliest days playing crummy bars in front of 50 people to headlining arenas, Nothin’ to Lose is a gripping look at the underbelly of rock ‘n’ roll. And as one of the members of KISS’s original road crew, I should know, I was there.” — Peter "Moose" Oreckinto, KISS roadie (1973-1976) “The ultimate KISS book. . . Nothin’ to Lose gives the insider’s perspective any KISS fan must have — Charles R. Cross, author of Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain “Even casual fans will be enthralled.” — Robert Rodriguez, author of Revolver: How The Beatles Reimagined Rock 'N' Roll “Revel in the roar of the greasepaint and the smell of the crowd as they share it all, blow-by-blow, first hand.” — Paul Myers, author of A Wizard A True Star: Todd Rundgren In The Studio “A fascinating read about one of rock’s most outrageous bands.” — Simon Kirke, Bad Company/Free “I found the story of KISS’s fanatical determination, shockingly rare matter-of-fact common sense, raw luck, exquisite timing-not to mention the sheer brinksmanship of the whole lunatic enterprise-exhilarating and inspiring.” — Binky Philips, My Life in the Ghost of Planets: The Story of a CBGB Almost-Was “A vivid oral history of the early days of one of rock’s most outrageous and enduring bands, Nothin’ to Lose makes every reader an eyewitness to the dawn of Kiss. Here’s a book that screams out: C’mon and read me.” — David Browne, author of Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth “An incredibly vivid and gripping oral history that illustrates how Kiss went through a slow and steady transformation from a loft party band to the hottest concert attraction capable of blowing anybody and everybody off the stage.” — Daniel Siwek, House of Blues “If you thought you knew everything there was to know about KISS . . . well, you’d be wrong. . . Buy this book or just KISS off!” — Alice Cooper “A fascinating chronicle of the construction of a multimedia phenomenon.” — Publishers Weekly A rollicking oral history. — Kirkus Reviews Does the world really need another KISS book? Perhaps not, but the world really needs Sharp’s . . . KISS book. . . Full of extraordinary primary-source material that will keep KISS fans up at night, Sharp’s excellent work should serve as a blueprint for future rock oral histories.” — Library Journal (starred review)




KISS Kompendium


Book Description

In '77, blood from each member of the rock band KISS was drawn by a registered nurse and poured into vats of red ink used for printing the band's first comic book. It was created by Marvel legend Stan Lee and was the beginning of a hugely successful KISS comic book franchise. All are now out of print. Now, for the first time, the KISS Kompendium combines the most breathtaking KISS comic books into a lush oversized collector's compilation. Brought to life by graphic illustrations as riveting and hardcore as the band's real-life fire-breathing line-up, the Demon (Gene Simmons), Starchild (Paul Stanley), and the other band members' superhero alter egos defeat evil in over 1200 pages of stunning KISS comics! This is a book authorized by KISS. KISS founding members Gene Simmons, a rock legend and star of A&E's Family Jewels, and Paul Stanley have contributed the forewords to this. The book also includes exclusive never-before-seen backstage photos from KISS' newest tour along with commentary by the band-members. This is a must-have for every KISS fan eagerly awaiting the band's new album, their first in over 10 years, and a perfect holiday gift for comic-book lovers to pour over time and time again.