Released on September 18, 1978.
Peter Criss' solo album was produced by Vini Poncia, who went on to produce
Kiss' Dynasty and Unmasked.
Peter's solo album was dedicated to Michael Benvenga, a former Lips member
and friend that passed away from pneumatic meningitis. Peter had always promised
Michael that if he ever did a solo album, he would have Michael play on it.
When the time came in 1978, Michael had already passed. Peter in turn dedicated
the album to him.
Peter George John Criscoula was born on December 20, 1945 in New York, USA.
Peter
played in several bands before Kiss. Most notable was Chelsea, who recorded
a record on MCA, and Lips. Both these bands featured a guitarist named Stan
Pendridge. Stan and Peter wrote many songs together, including the mega-hit
"Beth".
In
September and October 1971 Peter and Stan's band Lips recorded a demo at Bell
Sound Studios. Included in the group's songs were several that turned up on
Peter's 1978 solo album including "Don't You Let Me Down," "I'm Gonna Love
You," "Hooked on Rock and Roll" and "That's The Kind of Sugar Papa Likes".
Peter
joined Kiss after Gene answered Peter's advertisement in Rolling Stone in
April 1972 that stated "Drummer with eleven years of experience willing
to do anything to make it."
Peter
Criss: "I'd give mine five (stars), not because it's mine or to be egotistic,
but because I really worked hard. I just got out of a car accident so all
my fingers were broken. My ribs were broken. I had a concussion. I had plastic
surgery. I played on everything. F***ing A, with these iron braces on all
my fingers and tape on all fingers. It was my baby. I'd give my baby, a five." -Kiss Behind the Mask, p 320.
Peter
Criss: "My (solo) album reflected my musical tastes–Motown-inspired R&B with horns and black back-up singers. Paul's was more the English Zeppelin sound that he liked. Ace's was his typical Hendrixy thing, and Gene's was the most bizarre, almost a pop album."
-Peter Criss, Makeup to Breakup, p. 179
Bill
Acoin: Peter's solo album went platinum, eventually.
"My Catman character came to me one night. I was designing one of my stage costumes at home. I was sketching it out and smoking a joint and then I just kind of zoned out and started staring at my wife's black cat, who was named Mateus. I realized that we both shared a lot of personality traits. We wer both wild, independent, aggressive, powerful–yet also soft, gentle, warm, and comforting at the same time. I loved cats...and like me they had nine lives. So becoming a cat was a no-brainer for me. I brought the idea back to the guys, and they loved it."
-Makeup to Breakup, Peter Criss, p.65
