Kiss scored their biggest American hit with Beth back in 1976. The ballad came from drummer Peter Criss and marked a huge change for the hard rock band. Producer Bob Ezrin helped transform the song from its original form. The track had no heavy guitars or drums like typical Kiss music. Many fans hated the soft approach at first.
The song started as Beck when Criss played with his earlier band Chelsea. He wrote it with bandmate Stan Penridge about a guitarist's wife who kept calling during practice. The original version was faster and more upbeat as a joke song. Ezrin wanted Kiss to appeal to female fans beyond teenage boys. He slowed down the tempo and made the lyrics more vulnerable.
Peter Criss sang lead vocals on the finished recording. The New York Philharmonic provided orchestration for the ballad. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons doubted the song would work. Their manager insisted Beth stay on the Destroyer album. Radio stations flipped the Detroit Rock City single to play Beth instead. The song climbed to number seven on the Billboard charts.
The song started as Beck when Criss played with his earlier band Chelsea. He wrote it with bandmate Stan Penridge about a guitarist's wife who kept calling during practice. The original version was faster and more upbeat as a joke song. Ezrin wanted Kiss to appeal to female fans beyond teenage boys. He slowed down the tempo and made the lyrics more vulnerable.
Peter Criss sang lead vocals on the finished recording. The New York Philharmonic provided orchestration for the ballad. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons doubted the song would work. Their manager insisted Beth stay on the Destroyer album. Radio stations flipped the Detroit Rock City single to play Beth instead. The song climbed to number seven on the Billboard charts.
