Guitarist Bruce Kulick performed with KISS during most of the band’s non-makeup years from 1984 to 1996. He played on numerous classic KISS tunes including “Tears Are Falling,” “Who Wants To Be Lonely,” “Crazy Crazy Nights,” “Reason to Live,” “Rise To It,” “Let’s Put The X In Sex,” “Domino,” “I Just Wanna,” “Jungle” and many others.
Kulick’s time with the band came to an end after their appearance on “MTV Unplugged,” which also featured original KISS members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. The band’s original lineup put back on their trademark make-up and reunited for a few high-profile world tours and one album, “Psycho Circus.”
Recently, Kulick chatted with Eonmusic and was asked about not being approached to rejoin the band when Ace Frehley left again in 2002. “The whole time that I was in KISS, there was always this, ‘When’s the reunion?'” he admitted. “It was just something. It wasn’t a big, big shock when I realized, ‘Oh, okay, it’s actually happening.'”
Kulick elaborated on the “MTV Unplugged” set saying: “(Former drummer) Eric (Singer) and I weren’t aware that the reunion tour was going to come out of MTV that night. They were negotiating and wisely so because the offer was there. The truth is, Eric and I weren’t aware that it was so linked to the ‘MTV Unplugged’ thing, but that was the catalyst because once MTV scored having Ace and Peter there, then everybody knew that if they could do that, why don’t they go put the make-up on and go tour? ‘We offer you millions of dollars. Sign here.’ So that’s what they did.”
“That night, I wasn’t really that awkward about it because I wasn’t really clear that that was my last gig, but I was clear that there was romantic love for the original four, and let’s be honest, I wouldn’t have my opportunity if they didn’t establish KISS as a huge band. I’m still so proud of what Eric and I did with Gene and Paul that night; that set we did was magical.”
Bruce was then asked if he was disappointed that he wasn’t asked to wear Frehley’s makeup and become “The Spaceman.” Tommy Thayer joined the group and ended up emulating Ace’s guitar parts and look.
“That’s a great question a lot of fans ask, and they’re a little confused about it, like, why wasn’t it me?” he said.
“When I knew that Ace was causing problems for them, I heard the rumblings from people I knew that were close to the band, and I was always wondering like, would they really ask me to become the Spaceman, but basically negating everything from my era. Because I would then have to shoot rockets from my guitar; I would never play a whammy-bar solo in that outfit; I would then be playing Ace, maybe more note for note, something I never had to do.
“I really think they made the right choice, knowing what they were trying to do, which was just trying to sell the characters and the make-up version of the band,” Bruce said. ” By going with Tommy [Thayer, current KISS guitarist], it was no harm, no foul; there’s no connection to any era that wasn’t when they were doing the make-up. I was sad that I wouldn’t be in KISS, and somebody else would now be in KISS instead of the original guy.”
Singer, however, was asked to re-join KISS and donned Peter Criss’ cat make-up. Kulick commented on the move saying: “I think with Eric Singer it was much more natural behind the kit. They did tell him, ‘No double-bass drums. Play it a little more meat and potatoes.’ And then Eric sings real well, which helps out, because Peter sang. So, it was the right choice for them.”
Concluding, Kulick said: “Outside of me missing being in KISS, because that was something very much appropriate for the non-make-up years, me becoming the Spaceman I think would have been very awkward for me, and I think it would have almost stained my era.”
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