Discover everything you wanted to know about the Elder!

"Elder" Related!

Rob Freeman (2012)

Decorated producer/engineer offers a fascinating account of KISS' pre-"Elder" sessions at Ace in the Hole Studio in early 1981, meeting Bob Ezrin and how the project ultimately relocated to Canada.

Christopher K. Lendt (2012)

Former vice president of Glickman/Marks Management recalls the state of KISS in 1981 and the band's ambitious bid to redefine their career.

Kevin Doyle (2012)

Award-winning engineer shares his vivid memories of recording "The Elder," including capturing Gene Simmons' vocal performance on "A World Without Heroes," recording multiple days of spoken word dialog, and how the album ultimately evolved into the "Bob Ezrin show."

Brian Christian (2012)

The associate producer of "Music For The Elder" goes on record about not only his experience, but how KISS fans were ultimately not ready for the album...

Michael McCarty (2012)

Uncredited engineer Michael McCarty sheds some light on KISS' "Elder" sessions at Phase One Studios in Toronto...

Waring Abbott (2012)

Renowned photographer of many iconic KISS photos recalls his "Elder"-era sessions with the band.

Dennis Woloch (2012)

Longtime KISS art director details the creative process for the unusual album artwork for "Music From The Elder."

David M. Spindel (2012)

Renowned still life photographer recounts a different kind of photo shoot featuring a door, table, chairs, and a "messenger."

Bill Finneran (2012)

The first-ever conversation with the man who constructed "The Elder" door.

Chris Makepeace (2012)

A brief conversation with the Boy who had "the light in his eyes and the look of a champion, a real champion..."

Tony Powers (2012)

Key "Music From The Elder" contributor goes on record for the first time about his "Odyssey" with KISS.

Corky Stasiak (2014)

Recording engineer goes on the record about his work on "The Elder" during the final overdub sessions.

Bruce Gowers (2015)

Emmy-winning director of Queen's iconic "Bohemian Rhapsody" video chips in his recollections of working with KISS.

Paul Flattery (2015)

Producer from Gowers, Fields & Flattery fills in some blanks regarding the conceptual treatments for KISS' videos for "A World Without Heroes" and "I."

Jerry Watson (2015)

Director of photography puts the spotlight back on the KISS videos for "A World Without Heroes" and "I."

Charles McCracken (2012)

American Symphony Orchestra bassoonist Charles McCracken on his brief moment in KISStory.

Ida Langsam (2015)

Publicist pro discusses working with KISS during a challenging time in their history and trying to get word about "The Elder" out to the masses.

Antony Parr Revealed (2012)

A conversation with spoken-word actory Antony Parr's daughters, Kate Parker and Jennifer Parr, who filled us in on their father's storied career and their recollections of his involvement on this mysterious KISS album.

Bas Hartong (2015)

Phonogram International's A&R manager gives perspective on the state of KISS in 1981 and shares his recollections of Bob Ezrin's "Elder" presentation for the label.

Jerry Jaffe (2015)

PolyGram's head of rock promotion on why "The Elder" had a scarlet letter attached to it and why getting KISS radio airplay in 1981 was a lost cause.

Chip Taylor (2015)

PolyGram head of A&R and Hall of Fame songwriter on expecting to receive "the rock and roll record of all time."

Tim Trombley (2015)

"Music From The Elder" production coordinator details his recollections of the album and recounts his role as Bob Ezrin's assistant.

Bob Ezrin (2015)

Legendary producer speaks on "The Elder" in his own words.

Additional Related!

John Storyk (2013)

Renowned studio designer recalls his work on Ace Frehley's Ace in the Hole Studios in Wilton, CT.

John Picard (2015)

Picard is the guitarist/co-songwriter for the Kings, a Canadian band Bob Ezrin was concurrently producing while working with KISS on "The Elder."

Melanie Chartoff (2015)

Multitalented actress looks back on a "Fridays" adventure with KISS.

Mark Ravitz (2015)

Stage designer recalls working on what was at the time an unnamed 1981–1982 KISS tour design.

Chuck Klosterman (2012)

From the packaging and the meaning of "Odyssey" to analyzing Paul Stanley's disdain for the album, New York Times bestselling author/KISS fan dissects "Music From The Elder"...

Ty Tabor (2012)

King's X guitarist discusses being one of the proud few who liked "The Elder" upon its release and the simple reason why the album didn't catch on with the majority of KISS fans, plus other odds and ends.

Seb Hunter (2012)

Writer/director of unsuccessful "The Elder" film goes on record regarding his feelings about the album, details his film's progress and when he hopes to officially approach KISS, and fires off a message to his critics.

Brian Brewer (2015)

KISS fan Brian Brewer was the winner of "The Elder" script in the 2000 "KISS: The Auction" hosted by Butterfields/Greg Manning Auctions. As owner of the sole copy, Brewer reveals never-before-revealed insights into the "Elder" film that never was.

Robert V. Conte (2017)

KISS' 1990's catalogue consultant recalls his encounters with "The Elder" and working with the band on various projects.

Nineteen hundred and eighty-one. It has to be one of the most intriguing, fascinating, yet misunderstood years in KISStory. KISS were fresh from their hugely successful 1980 tour of Australia and New Zealand -- the zenith of the Super KISS era. Building off this high, the band -- Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and new drummer Eric Carr -- went back to work with the focus of recording a traditional hard-rocking KISS album. By the time the calendar turned to November, KISS and producer Bob Ezrin had completed work on "Music From The Elder," a sophisticated concept album, ripe with elaborate musical arrangements, choirs, orchestras, falsetto vocals, chanting, and peculiar pieces featuring instruments such as the crumhorn (a Renaissance-period woodwind instrument).

What exactly happened? Through this series of interviews you have the opportunity to find out. "Odyssey" is the most expansive examination of this cult-classic KISS album to date. But, in the spirit of full disclosure, this book started as something more modest. What merely began as the latest interview for KissFAQ's Interview Series spiralled into another interview, and then another. Suddenly an idea materialized: Let's conduct a series of "Elder" specific interviews and mix in some new feature content and document this obscure KISS album like never before.

More than 30 interviews were conducted, all with the intent of putting this album and era of KISStory back into the spotlight. Through the accounts of various individuals who either worked on the project or have some sort of tie to it -- many of whom have never gone on record about their "Elder experience" before -- this book presents credible insight into the creative and recording processes and the challenges unique to this chapter in the band's history, as well as some candid viewpoints, fun stories and maybe even a surprise or two.

Why bother with "The Elder," KISS fans might ask? It's a fair question, and one that is perhaps best answered with another question: Why not? In truth, KISS fans would be hard-pressed to find an album shrouded in more mystery than "The Elder." And it's arguably the most polarizing album in KISS' catalogue -- some love it, others (including some band members themselves) probably would just as well erase it from KISStory. No matter where you stand, if you're reading this, chances are you're a diehard member of the KISS Army. I hope this effort proves to be an entertaining read and a valuable addition to your KISS knowledge -- as you read through it, we invite you to dig out the album and give it a fresh spin.

The odyssey continues...

This feature was the brainchild of then KissFAQ co-admin Tim McPhate. Tim drove the project to celebrate "The Elder" with drive and passion.

Editor's note: The editing of the interviews comprising this work were approached with a desire to leave the original intent and "voice" of the interviewee intact; even at the cost of correct grammar. Except in the most egregious cases, a bare minimum of corrections have been applied, and in some cases, the ubiquitous [sic] has been inserted out of respect to what are in essence transcriptions of conversations converted into a more readable form. Hopefully, the unique character of each interviewee's "voice" is preserved, and won't cause too much reader discomfort! Please also consider that one person conducted and transcribed the vast majority of these interviews, and another is taking on the task of editing the work. Therefore, only the former would recall the nuances only present in the original tone of the conversation.