I’d put him up there with Paul McCartney and Geddy Lee for being a master of playing and singing simultaneously. This gets lost in all the bombast, but KISS’s “Unplugged” performance is a great example of Gene exhibiting actual nuance.
speaking as a bassist- he is much better than he gets credit for. Listen to the stuff he did in the early days like Goin Blind, Hard Luck Woman, etc etc. he played some very good bass. Above average
As a bassist of many decades- gene is actually a very good player. he may not be someone who can take off and blast into a mind blowing solo but he writes vcery good basslines, very busy/aggressive basslines. his basslines were much mor involved than most of the other bands in the Kiss genre. Listen to Goin Blind, Hardluck woman, hell even rock n roll all night. Great basslines
From a bassist: his technique isn't impeccable, and he may not be a great innovator or virtuoso, but he has what actually counts: he plays lines that serve the songs and have good hooks. Technique and ability are only important insofar as they serve the music, which he does very well. In that regard, he is a great player. A lot of his lines are also a lot of fun to play.
Never realized, even though they've talked about it quite a bit, how much of Beatles influence you can hear. To me, this is very reminiscent of an early McCartney bassline
you all probably dont give a shit but does someone know of a trick to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb lost my password. I love any assistance you can give me.
@Ezekiel Kole Thanks for your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm trying it out now. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Not many people think of Gene as a super talented bassist but he’s definitely written some great bass lines that aren’t just the parts the guitars play and his playing itself is solid
Yeah,he's a very melodic player and plays a lot of counterpoint. When his peers were playing roots and 5ths he had a different approach. It cracks me up when people rip on him as a bass player, because compositionally he generally plays more melodic than most.
Absolutely! Gene is such a talented yet sadly underrated bassist/musician! Been saying this for years. Hope some day someone actually hears. Some of the best bass lines ever written... \m/ (:o)
I've never really taken notice of the bass line in that song. I never realised how much there was to it given as it (like most KISS songs) is a very guitar-driven song. I saw Eric Singer do a Q&A in 2007 and he said that Gene is as good a bass player as any other but you just don't notice it when he is on stage and in character as that becomes the focus.
I gotta say I LOVE Gene’s voice. It’s pure rock & roll. The timbre is so serpentine and full. And it has a menacing growl to it. Like a lion just on the edge of full roar. It’s awesome.
Very cool , growing up in Detroit when ever I hear that song brings back great memories, now I live in South Florida it stills sounds great . Thanks for the great memories buddy.
I wonder how many times Gene has played this song? Pretty cool to hear him play the bass track. I didn't realize how much was going on with it. Gene has always been a solid bass player and great performer!
This is official concerts...then on top of that times like the video. And now many times just to record it? www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/kiss-6bd69ec6.html?song=Rock+and+Roll+All+Nite
I can tell that there are a lot of non musicians or maybe I should say people who don't play bass guitar commenting on this video. Gene keeps some of the parts the same and he changes others. He does not play most of the songs verbatim every time he plays them. Its called ad libbing. I heard different bass lines in this version than what has been recorded. He is playing through a very small amp, he most likely is having a hard time hearing the proper mix between his bass and the recording, and that recording was slightly different than kiss version. I've been playing bass guitar since 1977 and people are quick to judge and make comments when they don't know what they are talking about.
@@ronjames6128 Ah...the much anticipated "you don't know what you're talking about" bass player on a Gene Simmons' bass-playing video. We've never seen that before.
Jeez. Kills me that people have bashed him as a bass player over the years. His lines r always tasteful,plays to the song,great lead and bg vocals. To say he has great stage presence would be a HUGE understatement. Hes the whole package and has been since day 1
Well. This bass playing is really easy, a bit creative but he probably didn't wrote the bassline himself, and his technique is awful. It works. It's good enough. But it shouldn't be glorified.
but they played their instruments on all of the albums except when they used a few guitarists during Ace's bad days, and a drummer on Dynasty and Unmasked, but I assure its Gene and Paul on their respective instruments
It's easy for people to knock Kiss, and therefore Gene's playing, as simplistic or knuckleheaded, but set aside any preconceptions and prejudices and actually listen to the music and then learn his bass lines. The man plays some really fun, interesting lines that serve the songs very well. Gene is a serious bassist with a great sense for melody and hooks. More power to him.
He's a solid player, pretty tasteful lines. Recording is hard, mostly psychologically lol He's done well for himself. Not everybody needs to be flea or Pastorius
❤ If many people who know him say that he is a good person and that out of respect for his mother he does not use drugs or alcohol, I can only believe that he is a really good person and that he is very friendly with his fans ! 🇧🇷 Congrats from Brazil, GENE 🙌🏾
The best bass player is simply the person who creates the iconic basslines for the music played by the band. As far as the music will survive the band it doesn't count if there are better bass virtuosos out there.
Lots of the old venerable musicians get "shy" about performing outside of band situations. Keith Richards wont touch a guitar in interviews and I've seen a clip of him getting pissed at someone who tried to pressure him to play. We all get older and skills start to slip a bit... those old pros can still "pull it off" with a band around them to hide the clams and slop, but they get exposed a bit with isolated tracks. On top of getting older, those pros will frequently not touch their instruments outside of recording and touring. Music is an unforgiving master, rust grows pretty damn quickly when you put a guitar down. So, imagine your last tour/show was like 4+ years back and someone asked you to do this? Im actually impressed Gene was willing. He is usually a bit too concerned with his image to take a risk like that. They must have offered him plenty of money, and that was not half bad for a clearly rusty and out of form Gene.
That's not being nervous its not being able to play the bass.......sounds like shit, dude has less talent then I do and I don't know how to play any musical instruments.
@@TheMemo659 getting older has nothing whatsoever to do with our skills on an instrument diminishing. Unless you have a physical or mental health issue that would make your playing worse, you usually get better with age and time.
well I don't know about rare occasion. I make a few flubs every show-- but like 2-3 out of 40 songs. I know there are much better players than I and I'd say my numbers are pretty good
Gene has never been the greatest bass player but his bass line have always been so memorable, especially isolated. It takes time and appreciation to understand how underrated he is as a bass player.
Very percussive almost Motown bass lines! I’ve never been a KISS fan and Genes not a fancy solo guy, but what he does exceptionally well is play the bass as it was intended! Killer bass line!
FIRST TIME RECORDING PROCEDURES HAVE EVER BEEN SHOWN TO ME . THANK YOU GENE. THAT WAS VERY NICE OF YOU. I LIKE HOW HE HANDLES ALL THE SHIT TALKERS WITH JUST KEEPING QUITE AND LET THEM SPLAT. HE WAS NEVER MY FAVORITE BUT HE HAS BECOME MY FAVORITE THE OLDER I HAVE GOTTEN.
@@tiplady ya kinda, ace frehly was a beast, Peter criss kinda sucks, Eric carr was a monster, gene and Paul were ok, but 1974 to 1977 was prime time kiss, they actually killed it back then.
Okay... I'm a MASSIVE Kiss fan, and have always been a defender of Gene's songwriting, singing, and ability to craft a bassline, but, my god, I have never felt so unsure that those studio recordings were laid down by Gene himself, as I am at this moment lol... everyone calm down. I'm juuuust sayin lol
Well this is true that Frehely and criss weren't on all the albums, either they were too wrecked or in Ace’s case didn't turn up and wrecked, Criss wasn't the best player at times, but Simmons or Stanley rarely had their parts played by others.
Pure *"Gene-ious!"* Gene's a much better bass player than he gets credit for. On top of the bass playing, he sings, stomps around the stage with prolly 50-70 lbs. of gear on (including those ginormous demon boots), and deals with stage lighting that's prolly 115°. And has been doing it for *FIFTY YEARS!!* Takes a real special madman to be a member of KISS. Been a fan since 1977 (I'm 54 now) and I'm really gonna miss seeing you guys live! But the train has to stop sometime. Glad you can finally get some rest...you've definitely earned it! Love you Gene! 🤘🤘
So cool, he used a lot of hammer ons and pull offs. It’s not the easiest song to play if you’re not used to moving all over the fret board. Gene’s a guitarist first then he’s a bassist.
Excellent comment, gene Simmons is basic at best,its easy to get carried away by the KISS thing,never rated gene,its all a blag,good luck to ya son if gene Simmons can do it anyone can 🤘
We get older and we get rustier...it is a natural thing! I wish I could play like I did back in the late 70s and early 80s. It takes a lot of time to get back to where you were. Also, this is a take session where his instrument is way louder than it will be in the final mix or even the master. All those little oopses can be surgically removed with a lot of editing. I actually like seeing a video like this as it gives me some comfort to know that even a rock legend like Gene sounds like me when I am recording a bass track!
dobly58 He’s part of a Little Rock Band that’s been together for 45 years and known all over the world-and oh yeah, sold 100 million records. You can say he knows a little something about playing the bass....🤟😎🤟🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Missed opportunity. Would rather hear the bass line to Strutter or 100,000 Years but he cheesed out and did this!!!......but if I were there im sure I'd be complaining lol!!
@Conan 1812 He is an idol that inspire a lot of people to have their own band, maybe even bands that are famous and you idolize them, and you well....at least you have internet to insult him XD
@@TempoDrift1480 Yeah, why don’t you post your own video and show us all what real musicianship is like. And then after you sell over 100 million albums worldwide let’s get together and talk about it.
I am 57. In 1976 when I was 10, my neighbor bud and his older brother played played in a Kiss tribute band. I never really got into Kiss back then or even today but I do respect that they kept their novelty act going for 50 years.
Born in 95 I only seen them once but it was their end of the road tour their last tour in 2023 I was so happy to see them in saint louis they did great
Aw yeah, that trout pout is dynamite. He's charging people thousands of pounds for a lesson. They should most certainly expect at least technically proficiency, with no botched notes. He's charging these people more than he probably paid the session bassist to play on his albums.
@Mooch 514 Well, maybe he did play on his albums. I was going off a clip where where he and Carol Kaye played bass, and he was botching notes and timings, and she wasn't. There's also a video of him I've seen trying to do one hold a lesson he's charge four figures for where he's botching notes. It lead me to believe he cannot play even simple lines.
Without a doubt. People love to hate on him because of everything else, but his bass lines are super melody driven and creative. Far more boring bass players get much more recognition
Never knew Gene played counterpoint on this tune. I just assumed he was playing the same notes as the guitars. New found respect for the Demon! Which he's not BTW. Very nice guy.
Wow! whole new appreciation for this tune! That’s some good bass line! Gene in the 70’s. Walking bass line player as evident here. 80’s .. the steady hold it down thing. 90’s tune down full step.. 2000’s.. a mix of all pretty much. Jeez I sound like a idiot for pointing out the obvious . Lol😂
hahha yes to me it doesnt seems like he played and sang it for years over and over pretty every night... at least I expected he doesnt have to watch the bass while playing
@@stahlwerkrequiem Well, I think it's cool that he's an inspiration for you but he's NOT an amazing bass player. I think he would agree with me. He's adequate for a mediocre rock band like Kiss.
I can only imagine what it's like to play a song for 45 years. I wonder if he ever has to practice it or even think of the notes. Or does his fingers just know?
love how the drink by his foot finally tips over @5:22 from him swinging his boot like a kid sitting in a high chair lol. if that was me, you know it would've spilled all over the carpet which would've stopped the whole thing and made everyone focus on the mess i made, instead of my sweet looking licorice flavored cotton candy hair due and my cool bass line.
Agree. And back in 1975, you know how many garage bands started playing KISS music when they were learning how to play? Yeah, these sucky musicians were a major force in rock music for years and are still packing them in. Every bass player didn't start out to be or can play Jaco or Geddy or Jamerson. You play what the song needs. Ask Adam Clayton and Roger Waters.
@@nigelpisswater484 Be more successful. Jealousy is a sucky thing. Folks can dis Gene all they like, but he did what was needed in the music and put on a hell of a show. That's what the rock Kiss did was all about. If you want to hear bass solos and brain surgery bass playing, listen to Jaco. Both guys did what was needed in the respective music they performed.
Everyone talking about what 'a complicated bass track' this is. If any of you actually played bass, you'd realize that what he is playing is somewhat his live version. The album/written version is extremely basic. Even this somewhat stage/live version he is playing isn't complicated. As a drummer myself, I learned the written/album bass track in about 20 minutes. Most KISS bass lines are really simple.
Yes, you can easily detect the non-musicians in Kiss comment sections. Many who play will admit to loving Kiss for what they are and the whole Kiss "phenomenon" and that's respectable. ...however, Gene isn't a great bassist. I have better technique than he does but good technique isn't important for what Kiss does, especially at a live show. ..but yeah, it's annoying how many people gauge talent by commercial success. Sign of the times I guess.
I love Gene for who he is. A showman. And I've always suspected that he was handed his basslines by other members of the band because this is not the performance of a guy who wrote this line. It's 40 years old, kinda entry level and he makes it sound like just learned it that day.
Yes, exactly! I've been playing less than a year and I have better technique than Gene does. He wouldn't claim to be a great bass player himself, I'm sure. He's good enough to be in a mediocre rock band like Kiss.
@@pleromicpastry5445 I remember those days when I was pretty new to playing bass. My advice to you is this. Choose a song that you can work on that's way beyond your ability via Guitar Pro etc. I chose YYZ by Rush. It took months to crack. But once I did everything else was easy after that. Join a shitty band too. That pushes you to keep up. Best of luck!
To my ears it has a nice grunty tone, bright is not bad when you need to cut through a band with 2 guitarrists. I don't know what "Squire bass" you are referring to, but he has a pretty classic setup of a neckthru bass + emg pickups. But then, tone is subjective.
Look man, I have to agree on one point here. Squiers definitely have that feel. Especially the jazz basses. But heck, I made friends with that. Drop a nice active pre and a set of SD QP's in a Squier Jazz, and you have one angry snarling beast of a Squier.
This is quite a tough watch. He talks as if he’s explaining rudimentary studio techniques to a Jack Russel, then proceeds to play the basic bass line to one of the mainstays of the kiss live repertoire badly. Kiss have written some great tunes, but I think that the original members chose being rock stars rather than musicians a long time ago. But hey, it’s worked for them, so good luck to them.
We Solutions Hi. Cheers for the reply. Is there any particular part of my comment you’d like me to comment on further? It was a while ago that I wrote this, but presumably something must have particularly riled me about the post. Also I must have been feeling quite bolshy that day as I’m not naturally argumentative, nor am I an avid commentator on social media (too many parameters of effective communication missing for my liking). Anyway, happy to try to explain any or all of what I wrote 9 months ago.
He did EXACTLY what Kiss needed
as a Bass player, no more no less.
In a sense you could say he was the perfect Bass Player for his Band.
He would agree…
YOU SAID IT RIGHT , HIS BAND
Sounds like your saying, yeah he is not very good, but its ok, its KISS so he doesn't have to be. KISS has a low bar.
I’d put him up there with Paul McCartney and Geddy Lee for being a master of playing and singing simultaneously. This gets lost in all the bombast, but KISS’s “Unplugged” performance is a great example of Gene exhibiting actual nuance.
Never will Gene be as good as Geddy Lee.
Ever.
He’ll Never be confused as a great player, but he’s creative. His note selection and walking bass patterns are actually a lot of fun to listen to.
speaking as a bassist- he is much better than he gets credit for. Listen to the stuff he did in the early days like Goin Blind, Hard Luck Woman, etc etc. he played some very good bass. Above average
Completely agree. He walks his line “originally”
As a bassist of many decades- gene is actually a very good player. he may not be someone who can take off and blast into a mind blowing solo but he writes vcery good basslines, very busy/aggressive basslines. his basslines were much mor involved than most of the other bands in the Kiss genre. Listen to Goin Blind, Hardluck woman, hell even rock n roll all night. Great basslines
From a bassist: his technique isn't impeccable, and he may not be a great innovator or virtuoso, but he has what actually counts: he plays lines that serve the songs and have good hooks. Technique and ability are only important insofar as they serve the music, which he does very well. In that regard, he is a great player. A lot of his lines are also a lot of fun to play.
It's funny how so many virtuosos create music that people can appreciate....but don't really want to hear more than once or twice.
Gene's polarizing personality overshadows his musicianship, which is underrated- you can tell he loved Paul McCartney's playing
Yup! This is a blues song basically, and he came out with A very creative bass line, Beatles influence totally, good for him.
Never realized, even though they've talked about it quite a bit, how much of Beatles influence you can hear. To me, this is very reminiscent of an early McCartney bassline
"Totally agree, it seems to be an early Beatles influence for sure."
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@Ezekiel Kole Thanks for your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm trying it out now.
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Fantastic I didn’t appreciate his part till just now
Not many people think of Gene as a super talented bassist but he’s definitely written some great bass lines that aren’t just the parts the guitars play and his playing itself is solid
Yeah,he's a very melodic player and plays a lot of counterpoint. When his peers were playing roots and 5ths he had a different approach.
It cracks me up when people rip on him as a bass player, because compositionally he generally plays more melodic than most.
The majority of his bass parts were written and recorded by paul
He can be compared stylistically to Paul McCartney. Melodic, thoughtful lines.
Nah, he probably had someone else do it for him. He's Jewish you know.
He did more for the Bass aesthetically than techinically for sure.
That's a surprisingly busy bass part
Absolutely! Gene is such a talented yet sadly underrated bassist/musician! Been saying this for years. Hope some day someone actually hears. Some of the best bass lines ever written... \m/ (:o)
He added a couple of licks here & there. The ORIGINAL track from "Dressed To Kill", & live recordings, are simpler.
And he sings the lead on this song as well.
Fuckin right I was like wtf
@Jeepman89 Have you ever listened to Kiss Alive?
I've never really taken notice of the bass line in that song. I never realised how much there was to it given as it (like most KISS songs) is a very guitar-driven song. I saw Eric Singer do a Q&A in 2007 and he said that Gene is as good a bass player as any other but you just don't notice it when he is on stage and in character as that becomes the focus.
I gotta say I LOVE Gene’s voice. It’s pure rock & roll. The timbre is so serpentine and full. And it has a menacing growl to it. Like a lion just on the edge of full roar. It’s awesome.
Bro what.
@@ericlandry4849Gene sings some Kiss songs.
And you, sir, are a wordsmith.
The thing I love about this, is that Gene lets his nerdy side be shown. GOD BLESS HIM for that.!
Very cool , growing up in Detroit when ever I hear that song brings back great memories, now I live in South Florida it stills sounds great . Thanks for the great memories buddy.
I wonder how many times Gene has played this song? Pretty cool to hear him play the bass track. I didn't realize how much was going on with it. Gene has always been a solid bass player and great performer!
This is official concerts...then on top of that times like the video. And now many times just to record it?
www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/kiss-6bd69ec6.html?song=Rock+and+Roll+All+Nite
I can tell that there are a lot of non musicians or maybe I should say people who don't play bass guitar commenting on this video. Gene keeps some of the parts the same and he changes others. He does not play most of the songs verbatim every time he plays them. Its called ad libbing. I heard different bass lines in this version than what has been recorded. He is playing through a very small amp, he most likely is having a hard time hearing the proper mix between his bass and the recording, and that recording was slightly different than kiss version. I've been playing bass guitar since 1977 and people are quick to judge and make comments when they don't know what they are talking about.
@@ronjames6128 Ah...the much anticipated "you don't know what you're talking about" bass player on a Gene Simmons' bass-playing video.
We've never seen that before.
All Gene has ever needed to do was play KISS bass. No one is better at that. Solid rock player with a punishing (no pun intended) tone. Love Gene.
If he keeps practicing one day he’s gonna be really good !
Lol....no kidding.
hahahahaha...true
Nope
Keeps practicing? More like starts practicing.
He's so busy loading up the brinks truck 🚚 with 💰, he never had the time to become a musician but a performer..
He's never been given credit for what a solid and creative bassist he's been over time. In those early years he really had some unique parts
He is a really shitty bass player.
Didn't even nail the pink panther hahahaha lol
Yes. On the early albums he had some nice basslines
If you want to see a real bass guitar player, check out Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson. He can put Mr. Simons to shame on his worst day.
@@MegaTmarshall fuck go see mr wooten or billy sheehan haha
Gene Simons is quite possibly the worst bass player in a major band of all time.
Jeez. Kills me that people have bashed him as a bass player over the years. His lines r always tasteful,plays to the song,great lead and bg vocals. To say he has great stage presence would be a HUGE understatement. Hes the whole package and has been since day 1
Well. This bass playing is really easy, a bit creative but he probably didn't wrote the bassline himself, and his technique is awful.
It works. It's good enough. But it shouldn't be glorified.
Stage presence? He's Larger Than Life.
Thanks, Gene! So much fun.
Love watching Gene play!
..his sound is epic..the real touch of a rock bassplayer...love it..!!
Going blind is the most amazing bass lines he got
Who played that for him then?
@@Chriswoodworker it's well known kiss used studio musicians. they were entertainers first and foremost.
Sure know something is also really good
@@BKPS that's a bunch of complete bullshit
but they played their instruments on all of the albums except when they used a few guitarists during Ace's bad days, and a drummer on Dynasty and Unmasked, but I assure its Gene and Paul on their respective instruments
It's easy for people to knock Kiss, and therefore Gene's playing, as simplistic or knuckleheaded, but set aside any preconceptions and prejudices and actually listen to the music and then learn his bass lines. The man plays some really fun, interesting lines that serve the songs very well. Gene is a serious bassist with a great sense for melody and hooks. More power to him.
I agree 💯 with you! 👍
His bass playing always reminded me of a heavy version of Paul McCartney. At least the early stuff.
Great comparison.
Kinda of the same bass to i thought as well
you just have to groove and swing, Paul as some cool riffs, as a bass man and a guitarist
This is a melody or it could be. He actually got it right towards the end. There's some missing range at first.
He's a solid player, pretty tasteful lines. Recording is hard, mostly psychologically lol He's done well for himself. Not everybody needs to be flea or Pastorius
Or Geddy Lee
Or Joe Dart
It's cool, Gene genuinely seems to be enjoying himself.
❤ If many people who know him say that he is a good person and that out of respect for his mother he does not use drugs or alcohol, I can only believe that he is a really good person and that he is very friendly with his fans !
🇧🇷 Congrats from Brazil, GENE 🙌🏾
Fantastically written baseline. Fantastically performed baseline good job, Gene.
Bass line.
Gene looks like he’s wearing Rick Moranis’ helmet in Space Balls.
Lmao
a hair helmet
I can't BREATHE in this thing!!
He wishes he was that cool
@@Adam666... Dark Helmet was bad ass. Gene only wishes he could compare to Rick Moranis.
The best bass player is simply the person who creates the iconic basslines for the music played by the band. As far as the music will survive the band it doesn't count if there are better bass virtuosos out there.
I never expected anything less from Gene. I really enjoyed this.
Always loved Gene's bass playing simple but effective one of rocks greatest bass tones.
strange. he plays like he's nervous here. Playing in smaller rooms can often be away tougher than to large crowds.
It's totally true!
Lots of the old venerable musicians get "shy" about performing outside of band situations. Keith Richards wont touch a guitar in interviews and I've seen a clip of him getting pissed at someone who tried to pressure him to play. We all get older and skills start to slip a bit... those old pros can still "pull it off" with a band around them to hide the clams and slop, but they get exposed a bit with isolated tracks. On top of getting older, those pros will frequently not touch their instruments outside of recording and touring. Music is an unforgiving master, rust grows pretty damn quickly when you put a guitar down.
So, imagine your last tour/show was like 4+ years back and someone asked you to do this? Im actually impressed Gene was willing. He is usually a bit too concerned with his image to take a risk like that. They must have offered him plenty of money, and that was not half bad for a clearly rusty and out of form Gene.
That's not being nervous its not being able to play the bass.......sounds like shit, dude has less talent then I do and I don't know how to play any musical instruments.
@@TheMemo659 getting older has nothing whatsoever to do with our skills on an instrument diminishing. Unless you have a physical or mental health issue that would make your playing worse, you usually get better with age and time.
@@d34dj3d1 your full of shit regarding Gene not knowing how to play the bass. You definitely aren't a musician or a bass guitarist.
I love Gene's bass playing.
I loved this. It was so much fun.
Anyone who plays any instrument knows playing anything flawless is a rare occasion. Gene did rather well IMO
gives us regular musicians a little relief...
well I don't know about rare occasion. I make a few flubs every show-- but like 2-3 out of 40 songs. I know there are much better players than I and I'd say my numbers are pretty good
Just takes more practice the better u get
If you listen to the isolated keyboard track on Van Halen's jump even Eddie Van Halen screwed up on the Studio version.
I think gene spent more time being a business man than working on playing bass. Guess it's up to the person and what they want.
Gene has never been the greatest bass player but his bass line have always been so memorable, especially isolated. It takes time and appreciation to understand how underrated he is as a bass player.
Really dig his bass playing. I can tell he started as a guitar player with the constant alternate picking
He plays with fingers too. I reckon it’s which ever tone he’s going for he decides how to play
@@shayh.3556 Gene plays pick like 90% of the time.. And yes he did start out as a guitar player.
Ive never cared much for Kiss but I never realized how complex this bass line was for this song. It was pretty cool to see him play in a raw setting.
Very percussive almost Motown bass lines! I’ve never been a KISS fan and Genes not a fancy solo guy, but what he does exceptionally well is play the bass as it was intended! Killer bass line!
Several Great Rock Stars have said Gene Simmons is just an average bass player! I can definitely tell!
Imagine how many times he’s played that song ❤
FIRST TIME RECORDING PROCEDURES HAVE EVER BEEN SHOWN TO ME . THANK YOU GENE. THAT WAS VERY NICE OF YOU.
I LIKE HOW HE HANDLES ALL THE SHIT TALKERS WITH JUST KEEPING QUITE AND LET THEM SPLAT. HE WAS NEVER MY FAVORITE BUT HE HAS BECOME MY FAVORITE THE OLDER I HAVE GOTTEN.
The thing with kiss is that there's a weird power that sucks you in, and on that day you join the kiss army forever.
@general rodcocker you suck ._. ( im sorry )
@general rodcocker your last name sucks more
True that! I love Kiss!!!
Yeah but when you grow up you realise they weren’t the amazing musicians you thought they were.
@@tiplady ya kinda, ace frehly was a beast, Peter criss kinda sucks, Eric carr was a monster, gene and Paul were ok, but 1974 to 1977 was prime time kiss, they actually killed it back then.
Killer bass line
No....not at all.
it is a good bassline for what the song needs.@@rachelflair4835
Looks fun to play
LMFAO 😅
Okay... I'm a MASSIVE Kiss fan, and have always been a defender of Gene's songwriting, singing, and ability to craft a bassline, but, my god, I have never felt so unsure that those studio recordings were laid down by Gene himself, as I am at this moment lol... everyone calm down. I'm juuuust sayin lol
Fellow sceptic.
Interesting. What makes you think that?
@@jamesjustice8711 Because Gene seems incompetent
Well this is true that Frehely and criss weren't on all the albums, either they were too wrecked or in Ace’s case didn't turn up and wrecked, Criss wasn't the best player at times, but Simmons or Stanley rarely had their parts played by others.
Many of them weren't, especially in the mid 80s.
So so beautiful and so cool bass parts. When i watching this video my brain is numb.
I’ve always liked his tone and his well placed notes.
Pure *"Gene-ious!"* Gene's a much better bass player than he gets credit for. On top of the bass playing, he sings, stomps around the stage with prolly 50-70 lbs. of gear on (including those ginormous demon boots), and deals with stage lighting that's prolly 115°. And has been doing it for *FIFTY YEARS!!*
Takes a real special madman to be a member of KISS. Been a fan since 1977 (I'm 54 now) and I'm really gonna miss seeing you guys live! But the train has to stop sometime. Glad you can finally get some rest...you've definitely earned it! Love you Gene! 🤘🤘
Such a cool bass line.
So cool, he used a lot of hammer ons and pull offs. It’s not the easiest song to play if you’re not used to moving all over the fret board. Gene’s a guitarist first then he’s a bassist.
he is better on bass than guitar
My son has been playing bass guitar for only 3 months and suddenly he sounds like a professional after watching this
Are you kidding or what?????
Excellent comment, gene Simmons is basic at best,its easy to get carried away by the KISS thing,never rated gene,its all a blag,good luck to ya son if gene Simmons can do it anyone can 🤘
We get older and we get rustier...it is a natural thing! I wish I could play like I did back in the late 70s and early 80s. It takes a lot of time to get back to where you were.
Also, this is a take session where his instrument is way louder than it will be in the final mix or even the master.
All those little oopses can be surgically removed with a lot of editing.
I actually like seeing a video like this as it gives me some comfort to know that even a rock legend like Gene sounds like me when I am recording a bass track!
Exactamente y luego de tocarlo 3000000 de veces .Se equivoca el que hace ..ídolo total !
I love Gene Simmons. He's awesome and can really play the bass!
I'm inclined to say that he can but at a post entry-level standard. Which this is. But to be fair, he's got a huge catalogue of great songs.
dobly58 He’s part of a Little Rock Band that’s been together for 45 years and known all over the world-and oh yeah, sold 100 million records. You can say he knows a little something about playing the bass....🤟😎🤟🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Well, I don't know about all that...🤔☕🥁🌃
@@brianjezuit4085 What's up? Everyones opinion counts! I know I won't be upset with anything said, its good to know different views on things.
He’s a douchebag
Missed opportunity. Would rather hear the bass line to Strutter or 100,000 Years but he cheesed out and did this!!!......but if I were there im sure I'd be complaining lol!!
Interesting how he bends almost all the notes slightly up as he plays
patrick leduc Whether you think he sucks or not, he’s still undeniably a fucking legend, dumbass.
@Conan 1812 He is an idol that inspire a lot of people to have their own band, maybe even bands that are famous and you idolize them, and you well....at least you have internet to insult him XD
@@dollysinn and he still fucking sucks
Something hes been doing lately. The bends arent on the record. 🤔
@@TheLyricsGuy A legend who sucks.
I was in middle school during their heyday back in the 70s - How could I not be influenced?!
love him or hate him, you cant deny the dude is a fuckin' icon.
So is the Windows Trashcan
You rock Gene! Thanks for showing the bass line! I just learned it and now I need to tell my middle aged band mates we need to play some Kiss!
He's played that tens of thousands of times and still fucks it up???? I would think he would be able to play that in his sleep.
Very cool all around. Gene classy and polite as ever, showcasing that the bass line for R&R All Night is more bad ass than we may have thought.
He doesn’t suck, but he should have taken this performance seriously and put on a better display of his musicianship.
Musicianship? That's like telling a giraffe that he needs to display his carpentery skills.
It's not a concert. It's having some fun with a few friends and fans.
@@TempoDrift1480 Yeah, why don’t you post your own video and show us all what real musicianship is like. And then after you sell over 100 million albums worldwide let’s get together and talk about it.
@@cooltheengines don't you love shit talkers that have no fukn clue what they are talking about..
If this is the best he can do... wow. Maybe he never recorded no any single track all over these years after all. 🤭
I am 57. In 1976 when I was 10, my neighbor bud and his older brother played played in a Kiss tribute band. I never really got into Kiss back then or even today but I do respect that they kept their novelty act going for 50 years.
Born in 95 I only seen them once but it was their end of the road tour their last tour in 2023 I was so happy to see them in saint louis they did great
Listen, like it or not that is one of the most LYRICAL and catchy basslines ever written. No way around it
Not technical,but he plays his part,with style,and thats all anyone can ask.
Aw yeah, that trout pout is dynamite. He's charging people thousands of pounds for a lesson. They should most certainly expect at least technically proficiency, with no botched notes. He's charging these people more than he probably paid the session bassist to play on his albums.
@@mr.anonymous5501 its all free on you tube wtf dude.....
@@mr.anonymous5501 Did he actually get session bassists to play on the albums?, really?. Or are you just being a douche?
@@Hard-Boiled-Bollock I think he's talking about Simmons's solo albuns, the 1978 solo record and Asshole, from 2004.
@Mooch 514 Well, maybe he did play on his albums. I was going off a clip where where he and Carol Kaye played bass, and he was botching notes and timings, and she wasn't. There's also a video of him I've seen trying to do one hold a lesson he's charge four figures for where he's botching notes. It lead me to believe he cannot play even simple lines.
That is a REALLY sweet looking bass
I’ve always thought that Gene was an underrated bass player.
@Jeepman89 he’s groovy and has pretty impressive bass lines.
@@The_Original_Alex_Channel Gene didn't play bass on KISS albums.
@@publicanimal he only didn’t play on a few. and the impressive bass lines are incorporated live. I can tell he’s good by his live playing.
@@The_Original_Alex_Channel He didn't play live either, they had a bass player under the stage playing his parts.
Without a doubt. People love to hate on him because of everything else, but his bass lines are super melody driven and creative. Far more boring bass players get much more recognition
His bass playing is fine. It was his vision , song writing, and a combination of timing and luck that made him mega successful.
Wish he had visioned a better wig for himself because this one looks terrible.
@@Digginbehindthedikes I'm not sure that's a wig. I believe it may be a tarantula 😆
God of Thunderous bass, Gene Simmons❗
Dude, I’ve been playing for 8 months and i can say with confidence that I’m better that him
Yes!!! Ive always loved Gene on bass!
Never knew Gene played counterpoint on this tune. I just assumed he was playing the same notes as the guitars. New found respect for the Demon! Which he's not BTW. Very nice guy.
He sounds like the Devil fron the SNL show , ''Devil can't write no love song '' :)))
Wow! whole new appreciation for this tune! That’s some good bass line! Gene in the 70’s. Walking bass line player as evident here. 80’s .. the steady hold it down thing. 90’s tune down full step.. 2000’s.. a mix of all pretty much. Jeez I sound like a idiot for pointing out the obvious . Lol😂
How does he play this while singing ?
Good question... He doesn’t.
simplified version.
you serious, clark?
Gene Simmons, That is great and awesome.
48 years later and still sounds like he’s just picked up his first £50 bass from Argos.
hahha yes to me it doesnt seems like he played and sang it for years over and over pretty every night... at least I expected he doesnt have to watch the bass while playing
Never one to understate his own ability. He’s no Chris Squire or Larry Graham is he?! 😆
He's doing just fine. It's loose and he's just having fun.
Lol! A bit mean!
“Oh my god I’m amazing” - Homer Simpson
That was painful to watch, personally. To all that believe that was some godly playing , I respect your opinion
give me Kurt Hamond
Creative bass line. Awesome.
Wow! He can actually play bass! And quite well!
U never learned or played an instrument
Thanks for this video. I got some really cool screens that will make some awesome artwork.
i do hear and feel he's got a lot of swing background style ,the precision in the obbligatos,remind me the horn section,really into it ,real musician.
Still remain a cult classic to this day, so HELL YEAH I AM REALLY GOING TO ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT, PARTY EVERY DAY!!!!
Um verdadeiro gênio do rock... Deus te abençoe !!!
Gene Simmons plays a hell of a Bass. People need to stop hating. Obviously it didn't get them anywhere cuz he showwwww...still in bizniz.
gene simmons is such an inspiration for me, he’s an amazing bass player
His technique sucks for playing so long. Also, he makes so many mistakes on this performance. He should be able to play this in his sleep.
pleromic pastry idc what u say I really don’t. I still like him no matter how much it sucks for u...
@@stahlwerkrequiem Well, I think it's cool that he's an inspiration for you but he's NOT an amazing bass player. I think he would agree with me. He's adequate for a mediocre rock band like Kiss.
If he's your inspiration ,your destined to be a no talent hack, good luck with that.
@@pleromicpastry5445 Don't let your hatred for KISS cloud your judgment.
This Cat was and still is one of the coolest personalities from the 70's Rock scene! That's all I have to add TBH
he was such an animal on stage in 74 🤘
In the 80ties, Paul, Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick played bass on some songs, not always Gene. I guess, he learned the bassparts for the liveshows
Just love me some Gene Simmons!!!!❤❤❤❤ great player!
I can only imagine what it's like to play a song for 45 years. I wonder if he ever has to practice it or even think of the notes. Or does his fingers just know?
No doubt, he'll play it flawlessly being woken up at 4 in the morning. Pure muscle memory :)
Muscle memory
love how the drink by his foot finally tips over @5:22 from him swinging his boot like a kid sitting in a high chair lol.
if that was me, you know it would've spilled all over the carpet which would've stopped the whole thing and made everyone focus on the mess i made, instead of my sweet looking licorice flavored cotton candy hair due and my cool bass line.
You laugh at Gene’s bass playing, he laughs at your bank account balance 🧐
Agree. And back in 1975, you know how many garage bands started playing KISS music when they were learning how to play? Yeah, these sucky musicians were a major force in rock music for years and are still packing them in. Every bass player didn't start out to be or can play Jaco or Geddy or Jamerson. You play what the song needs. Ask Adam Clayton and Roger Waters.
yeah its really gonna help him in hell. Terrible bass player, worse human being
@@peterdejong5857 goddamn bro, what did he do to you?
@@nigelpisswater484 Be more successful. Jealousy is a sucky thing. Folks can dis Gene all they like, but he did what was needed in the music and put on a hell of a show. That's what the rock Kiss did was all about. If you want to hear bass solos and brain surgery bass playing, listen to Jaco. Both guys did what was needed in the respective music they performed.
@@johnvrabec9747 I'd really rather not ask Adam Clayton anything involving a stringed instrument.
He’s written some great bass parts - and they’re fun to listen to
Jeez dude you been playing this song for 50 yrs and you don't have it down?
Kiss were never nothing without their makeup and this proves it.
Everyone talking about what 'a complicated bass track' this is. If any of you actually played bass, you'd realize that what he is playing is somewhat his live version. The album/written version is extremely basic. Even this somewhat stage/live version he is playing isn't complicated.
As a drummer myself, I learned the written/album bass track in about 20 minutes. Most KISS bass lines are really simple.
good for you.
Yes, you can easily detect the non-musicians in Kiss comment sections. Many who play will admit to loving Kiss for what they are and the whole Kiss "phenomenon" and that's respectable. ...however, Gene isn't a great bassist. I have better technique than he does but good technique isn't important for what Kiss does, especially at a live show.
..but yeah, it's annoying how many people gauge talent by commercial success. Sign of the times I guess.
Most of KISS songs are extremely basic. Never gonna be compared with RUSH that’s for sure. It is what it is.
Wow! This is really good!
I love Gene for who he is. A showman. And I've always suspected that he was handed his basslines by other members of the band because this is not the performance of a guy who wrote this line. It's 40 years old, kinda entry level and he makes it sound like just learned it that day.
Yes, exactly! I've been playing less than a year and I have better technique than Gene does. He wouldn't claim to be a great bass player himself, I'm sure. He's good enough to be in a mediocre rock band like Kiss.
@@pleromicpastry5445 I remember those days when I was pretty new to playing bass. My advice to you is this. Choose a song that you can work on that's way beyond your ability via Guitar Pro etc. I chose YYZ by Rush. It took months to crack. But once I did everything else was easy after that. Join a shitty band too. That pushes you to keep up. Best of luck!
Nice playing. I like the breaks in the strings.
Huh. For some reason I expected the tone of the bass to be a bit richer. It sounds just like a Squire bass. Its very bright sounding.
To my ears it has a nice grunty tone, bright is not bad when you need to cut through a band with 2 guitarrists.
I don't know what "Squire bass" you are referring to, but he has a pretty classic setup of a neckthru bass + emg pickups. But then, tone is subjective.
f you are good squier or fender changes nothing..Without direct effect on the real sound amplifier ... he is not in a studio or on a big stage.
@@ericgisclon8122 Agreed. Squier actually makes some very respectable products. In fact I'm going to get Squier short scale Jaguar soon.
Look man, I have to agree on one point here. Squiers definitely have that feel. Especially the jazz basses. But heck, I made friends with that. Drop a nice active pre and a set of SD QP's in a Squier Jazz, and you have one angry snarling beast of a Squier.
Gene it's all over
This is quite a tough watch. He talks as if he’s explaining rudimentary studio techniques to a Jack Russel, then proceeds to play the basic bass line to one of the mainstays of the kiss live repertoire badly. Kiss have written some great tunes, but I think that the original members chose being rock stars rather than musicians a long time ago. But hey, it’s worked for them, so good luck to them.
*Andy* why would you say this? Just curious
We Solutions Hi. Cheers for the reply. Is there any particular part of my comment you’d like me to comment on further? It was a while ago that I wrote this, but presumably something must have particularly riled me about the post. Also I must have been feeling quite bolshy that day as I’m not naturally argumentative, nor am I an avid commentator on social media (too many parameters of effective communication missing for my liking). Anyway, happy to try to explain any or all of what I wrote 9 months ago.