Crazy Nights

For other uses, see Crazy Nights (disambiguation).

Crazy Nights
Studio album by Kiss
Released	September 18, 1987
Recorded	March - June 1987, Can-AM Recorders, Tarzana, CA, One on One Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA, Rumbo Recorders, Canoga Park, CA
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	42:53
Label	Mercury Vertigo (Europe)
Producer	Ron Nevison
Kiss chronology
Asylum (1985) Crazy Nights (1987) Hot in the Shade (1989)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Metal Nightfall	[1]
Vistarecords	[2]
Allmusic	[3]
Sputnikmusic	[4]
TrueMetal	(75/100)[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Crazy Nights is the 14th studio album by American band Kiss. The album was recorded in June 1987 and officially released on September 18, 1987 by Mercury and Vertigo in Europe. The album featured keyboards which was another departure in their music style changing from their Lick It Up/Animalize/Asylum heavy metal sound into the pop-metal sound.^[7] The album peaked at #18 on the US Billboard 200 chart,^[8] making Crazy Nights the highest-charting Kiss album of the 1980s in the United States. The album was certified Platinum on November 18, 1987 in Canada^[9] and few months later in the US, on February 18, 1988.^[10] It was re-released in 1998 as part of the Kiss Remasters series and to date is the last Kiss album to have been remastered.

"Crazy Crazy Nights" and "Reason to Live" were played regularly on live shows until Eric Carr's death in 1991 (although Crazy Nights returned to KISS' set on the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour). Otherwise, the album has not been performed live ever since.

Album Background

After the Asylum Tour had ended, Kiss went on couple of month long hiatus due to Gene Simmons' career as an actor and a producer which made Kiss seem like his side job instead of primary job. For KISStory, Paul Stanley stated that he got sick of Simmons' lack of commitment and one day he told him:

We were in the parking lot one day, and I said to Gene: "Look – you're off doing all these other things while still reaping the benefits of this band, and I'm getting screwed. It's not fair for me to put in this kind of time, while somebody else who is supposed to be my partner, is not." And Gene looked at me and said: "That's fair." I could have used Gene's input. But my attitude at that point was that I certainly wasn't going to listen to a guy who's off managing cabaret singers, and producing five bands, while I was trying to make an album.^[11]

Simmons' "departure" gave space to Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick. Kulick had four co-writing credits and Carr one but he almost got other material on the album. Stanley had worked with Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Adam Mitchell and co-wrote songs:
"Crazy Crazy Nights", "I'll Fight Hell to Hold You" and "When Your Walls Come Down" with Mitchell ("I'll Fight Hell to Hold You" and "When Your Walls Come Down" with Kulick), "Bang Bang You", "My Way" and "Reason to Live" with Child ("My Way" with Bruce Turgon also), and "Turn On the Night" was co-written by Stanley and Warren.

As Kiss' previous two albums had been self-produced, the band felt it needed to bring an outside producer who would the album achieve more commercial success. The result was Ron Nevison, producer who made platinum albums for Chicago, Heart, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, The Who, Meatloaf, and Ozzy Osbourne. Gene said for KISStory:

When we started working on "Crazy Nights", we looked for someone else to pull the cart – another person to help guide the band… So we hooked up with a producer named Ron Nevison, who Paul had wanted to work with for a while, although I never did.^[11]

But because of Nevison's filled schedule, the band had to wait for awhile. Album was at first called "Who Dares Wins", which was Eric Carr's idea. According to Eric:

During a photo session our wardrobe girl had this commando patch lying around with 'Who Dares Wins' on it, and I said: "Hey, what a great idea for an album title!" Then she brought it over to Paul who said the same thing. We ended up not using it because it didn't look good in print, and it sounded as if no one would understand it.^[11]

The idea was dropped in June, but it managed to appear on some Japanese advertisements for the upcoming album. Another title band thought of was "Condomnation", but as Paul said:

Well, "Condomnation" was never really the title. It was just a thought that passed through our minds and gave everyone a chuckle.^[11]

The record sessions started in March at One on One Recording Studios in Canoga Park, California but later continued in Rumbo Recorders also in Canoga Park and Can-Am Recorders in Tarzana, California. In June the album was completed and it was mixed at Can-Am Recorders by Ron Nevison, before being turned over to PolyGram in July.

Album Songs

"Crazy Crazy Nights"

"Crazy Crazy Nights" was the first single from the album and only reached #65 on Billboard Hot 100 and #37 on Mainstream Rock Tracks, but it was a hit in United Kingdom where it reached #4 and, to date, is KISS' highest charting single in the UK. "Crazy Crazy Nights" also went into the Top 40 in Norway, Netherlands and Australia, where it reached #7, #28 and #34, respectively. A music video was made on August 8, 1987 at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA which was directed by Jean Pellerin and Doug Freel. It was featured in Crazy Nights video.^[12] The song would be performed regularly on live shows until Eric Carr's death in 1991 but it returned to the set list on the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour.

"I'll Fight Hell to Hold You"

Adam Mitchell reportedly plays on the song along with Bruce Kulick.^[13]

"Bang Bang You"

According to Paul, "Bang Bang You" is: "...the classic story of boys and their toys".^[14]
"Bang Bang You" was only performed live during the Crazy Nights Tour.

"No, No, No"

"No, No, No", was originally titled "Assume The Position" and later "Down On All Fours". It was based on Bruce's riff which he and Eric developed into a song in Eric's apartment in New York so it could be finished by Gene. According to Eric:
"I just set up a double bass drum beat on my drum machine. I just got this feel in my head and I started coming up with this real staccato stuff for the verse."^[15]
It is Bruce's album favorite because "It’s the fastest, ferocious thing, and it features me a lot."^[15]
Song was only performed live during the Crazy Nights Tour.

"Hell or High Water"

"Hell or High Water" is a song based on Bruce Kulick's idea which came to him during the Asylum Tour. Simmons wrote the lyrics. Song was rarely performed during the Crazy Nights Tour.

"My Way"

"My Way" was written by Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick and Bruce Turgon. It doesn't differ from the demo version a lot. Song was never played live.

"When Your Walls Come Down"

"When Your Walls Come Down" is another song based on Bruce Kulick's riff that came to him during the Asylum Tour. Paul Stanley had the chorus and with Adam Mitchell's assistance, song was finished. Song didn't come out well when played live so it was only played a couple of times.

"Reason to Live"

Paul recalled when he played the "Reason to Live" demo to Gene:
"I remember calling up Gene and playing it to him down the phone... I played the song to Gene and obviously the bomb had gone off at the other end. He was speechless."^[16] Paul was always okay with having power-ballads on Kiss albums, which first started with "I Still Love You" on 1982 Creatures of the Night. Paul also said:
"If a band was to be honest they would tell you that at that time the only hope for airplay was a ballad."^[16] A music video directed by Marty Callner was made, and featured Playboy centerfold Eloise Broady.^[16] "Reason to Live" reached #64 Billboard Hot 100 and #34 on Mainstream Rock Tracks and #33 in the UK. The song managed to chart in Holland, reaching poor #89.

"Good Girl Gone Bad"

"Good Girl Gone Bad" was written by Gene Simmons, Gene's friend Davitt Sigerson and Davitt's song-writing partner Peter Diggins, whom Gene never met. The song was lyrically based on something obvious from Gene’s community college period:
"A young lady who Gene went to college with, a girl who started out the demure virgin, all coy and unclaimed... then met up with 'The Tongue'! The only sad thing about the tale is that when she finally did give way it was in the back seat of a car and with someone else, a friend of Gene’s in fact."
Song wasn't performed live.

"Turn On the Night"

"Turn On the Night" was the third single off the album. A music video was made in Worcester, Massachusetts, on December 15th 1987. Video was directed by Marty Callner. "Turn On the Night" only charted in the UK, where it reached #41, respectively.

"Thief in the Night"

"Thief in the Night" was first recorded by Wendy O. Williams on her 1984 solo album W.O.W..

Unreleased Songs

A few other songs were recorded for the album, but not included.
Bruce Kulick, Desmond Child and Paul Stanley wrote a power ballad "Sword And Stone" that didn't manage to get on the album because Ron wasn't thrilled with the song. Bruce later stated:

I just felt really bad that Ron Nevison didn't like the song 'cause then it would have been on "Crazy Nights". But I couldn't control that. And the demo that is out there in bootleg form is pretty good. We did it at Electric Lady with Eric Carr and it's a full-blown KISS track practically. I actually came up with that riff backstage on tour early on, "Asylum" I think. That's what happens. Paul didn't mind as much, I felt pretty bad about that.

The song was offered to Canadian rock band Loverboy, and was re-recorded by their lead-guitarist Paul Dean on his 1988 album Hard Core. The song was also recorded by German heavy metal band Bonfire for a Wes Craven movie Shocker.

Eric Carr, Gene Simmons, and Adam Mitchell wrote "Dial 'L' For Love". Eric was the primary writer of the song, and he later passed it to Gene and Adam who completed it. As Eric stated, the song wasn't good at the time so it didn't get on the album. Demo was made, but it didn't include completed vocals. It was sung by Eric.

"Are You Always This Hot" is a song written by Simmons and Mitchell and is unique because it hasn't yet been found in collector's circles nor it was re-recorded by other artist. In '80s, Simmons had the ritual of making new songs that are based on some older songs, or simply spoken, he recycled them. And "Are You Always This Hot" is one of them. It was first written by Adam Mitchell in 1981.

The song "Time Traveler" was recoded during these sessions and later released on the 2001 KISS Box Set.

Some other songs that were written for the album, but never made it are "Boomerang", "‘X’ Marks the Spot", "Scratch and Sniff", "What Goes Up", "Hunger For Love", "Dirty Blonde" and "No Mercy", although "Boomerang" would be later featured on Hot in the Shade. This list gets to approximately 40 songs.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Crazy Crazy Nights"	Paul Stanley, Adam Mitchell	Stanley	3:47
2.	"I'll Fight Hell to Hold You"	Stanley, Mitchell, Bruce Kulick	Stanley	4:10
3.	"Bang Bang You"	Stanley, Desmond Child	Stanley	3:53
4.	"No, No, No"	Gene Simmons, Kulick, Eric Carr	Simmons	4:19
5.	"Hell or High Water"	Simmons, Kulick	Simmons	3:28
6.	"My Way"	Stanley, Child, Bruce Turgon	Stanley	3:58
7.	"When Your Walls Come Down"	Stanley, Mitchell, Kulick	Stanley	3:25
8.	"Reason to Live"	Stanley, Child	Stanley	4:00
9.	"Good Girl Gone Bad"	Simmons, Davitt Sigerson, Peter Diggins	Simmons	4:35
10.	"Turn on the Night"	Stanley, Diane Warren	Stanley	3:18
11.	"Thief in the Night"	Simmons, Mitch Weissman	Simmons	4:07

Singles

• "Crazy Crazy Nights" / "No No No" - August 18, 1987 (Mercury 888 796)
• "Reason to Live" / "Thief in the Night" - November 12, 1987 (Mercury 870 022)
• "Turn On the Night" / "Hell or High Water" - February 18, 1988 (Mercury 870 215)

All three songs had corresponding music videos which received heavy rotation on MTV, and were also featured on the "Crazy Nights Home Video." The most successful single was "Crazy Crazy Nights", charting in five countries, and the least successful single was "Turn On the Night" charting only in the UK, where it reached #41. The highest charting single was also "Crazy Crazy Nights", who reached #4 in the UK.

Personnel

• Paul Stanley - vocals, rhythm guitar
• Gene Simmons - vocals, bass
• Bruce Kulick - lead guitar, backing vocals
• Eric Carr - drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional Personnel

• Phil Ashley - keyboards
• Tom Kelly - backing vocals

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1987	The Billboard 200	18[8]

Album - UK Albums Chart (United Kingdom)

Year	Chart	Position
1987	UK Albums Chart	4[17]

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Single	Position
1987	Mainstream Rock	"Crazy Crazy Nights"	37[18]
	Billboard Hot 100		65[18]
	Mainstream Rock	"Reason to Live"	34[18]
1988	Billboard Hot 100		64[18]

Singles - "UK Albums Chart" (UK)

Year	Chart	Single	Position
1987	UK Singles Chart	"Crazy Crazy Nights"	4[19]
	UK Singles Chart	"Reason to Live"	33[20]
	UK Singles Chart	"Turn On the Night"	41[21]

Singles - "Dutch Charts" (Netherlands)

Year	Chart	Single	Position
1987	Dutch Charts	"Crazy Crazy Nights"	28[22]
1987	Dutch Charts	"Reason to Live"	89[23]

Singles - "Norwegian charts" (Norway)

Year	Chart	Single	Position
1987	Norwegian charts	"Crazy Crazy Nights"	7[22]

Singles - "Australian charts" (Australia)

Year	Chart	Single	Position
1987	Australian charts	"Crazy Crazy Nights"	34[23]

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[9]	Platinum	100,000^
Finland (IFPI Finland)[24]	Gold	25,000[24]
United States (RIAA)[10]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. ^ "KISS : CRAZY NIGHTS (1987)". metal.nightfall.fr. http://metal.nightfall.fr/index_434_-crazy-nights.html. Retrieved 8 August 2011. 
2. ^ "VISTA RECORDS - KISS - Crazy Nights (1987)". vistarecords.proboards.com. http://www.vistarecords.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=albumreviewsanddiscussion&action=display&thread=177. Retrieved 8 August 2011. 
3. ^ Crazy Nights at Allmusic
4. ^ "Crazy Nights review". http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/34603/KISS-Crazy-Nights/. 
5. ^ "Recensione: Kiss, Crazy Nights - TrueMetal.it". truemetal.it. http://www.truemetal.it/reviews.php?op=albumreview&id=2830. Retrieved 8 August 2011. 
6. ^ KISS at Rolling Stone
7. ^ "KISS music style changes again". http://www.allmusic.com/album/crazy-nights-r11068/review. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Billboard chart history-Kiss albums". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=5004&model.vnuAlbumId=66345. Retrieved February 11, 2009. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Canadian album certifications – Kiss – Crazy Nights". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Crazy+Nights&sa=Kiss&smt=0. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "American album certifications – Kiss – Crazy Nights". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Crazy+Nights%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
11. ^ ^{a b c d} "Crazy Nights' story". http://www.kissfaq.com/KissFAQ-wiki/index.php?title=Kiss_Album_Focus_-_Crazy_Nights. 
12. ^ "Crazy Crazy Nights info". http://www.kissfaq.com/KissFAQ-wiki/index.php?title=Crazy_Nights_Album_-_Crazy_Crazy_Nights. 
13. ^ "I'll Fight Hell To Hold You info". http://www.kissfaq.com/KissFAQ-wiki/index.php?title=Crazy_Nights_Album_-_I%27ll_Fight_Hell_To_Hold_You. 
14. ^ "Bang Bang You info". http://www.kissfaq.com/KissFAQ-wiki/index.php?title=Crazy_Nights_Album_-_Bang_Bang_You. 
15. ^ ^{a b} "No, No, No info". http://www.kissfaq.com/KissFAQ-wiki/index.php?title=Crazy_Nights_Album_-_No%2C_No%2C_No. 
16. ^ ^{a b c} "Reason to Live info". http://www.kissfaq.com/KissFAQ-wiki/index.php?title=Crazy_Nights_Album_-_Reason_To_Live. 
17. ^ "UK Albums chart history". http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=9723. Retrieved July 15, 2009. 
18. ^ ^{a b c d} "Billboard chart history-Kiss singles". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Singles&model.vnuArtistId=5004&model.vnuAlbumId=66345. Retrieved February 11, 2009. 
19. ^ ""Crazy Crazy Nights" UK chart history-Kiss singles". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=14705. Retrieved July 15, 2009. 
20. ^ ""Reason to Live" UK chart history-Kiss singles". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=14891. Retrieved July 15, 2009. 
21. ^ ""Turn On the Night" UK chart history-Kiss singles". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=15709. Retrieved December 23, 2010. 
22. ^ ^{a b} ""Crazy Crazy Nights" Dutch chart history-Kiss singles". http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=KISS&titel=Crazy+Crazy+Nights&cat=s. 
23. ^ ^{a b} ""Reason to Live" Dutch chart". http://www.kissfaq.com/charts/scharts.html. 
24. ^ ^{a b} "Finnish album certifications – Kiss – Crazy Nights" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/artistit/Kiss. 

External links

• Album Official Website