Desmond is so talented. Even his solo band, Rouge, put out a couple fantastic albums, the second of which was absolutely a precursor to eighties AOR in the same way that Journey was. Great songwriter. His songs are usually extremely polished and poppy, but live rent free in your head, without a doubt.
I always secretly thought being a behind the scenes 'songwriter' or even a session musician only was the best gig. No being on the road, no dealing with publicity, all the rockstar trappings,ect. Just gettin paid for your music, and being ..not anonymous, but not up front like a rockstar. I respect guys like Desmond here. Talented guy.
Child is one of those guys within the industry who can take a band with a unique and compelling songwriting style that appeals to a moderately sized but passionate, ride-or-die fanbase and collaborate with them to produce material that grabs average music listeners on a large scale but that also ends up repelling the band's hardcore fans.
Desmond Child was never KISS' producer though, only a co-songwriter with Stanley. He failed to mention 'Unmasked', the actual follow-up to 'Dynasty' also produced by Vini Poncia, which had many outside songwriters, just not Child. 'Music From The Elder' also had outside songwiters with Bob Ezrin, Lou Reed & Tony Powers contributing songs. For the record, Kiss didn't record an album without outside songwriter's until 'Sonic Boom' from 2008! Child's memory doesnt seem to match the timeline: 'What It Takes' was written & recorded for 'Pump' in 1989. The Dianne Warren song didn't happen until a decade later so they were not yet affiliated, so why would Steven Tyler even mention her? Child only became associated with them in '87. Aerosmith was at their career low-point in '81 as Joe Perry & Brad Whitford had left. Bon Jovi didn't even exist as a band yet. How were they mentioned by Stanley in passing? The sales figures he gives for Alice Cooper's 'Raise Your Fist And Yell' & 'Hey Stoopid' are grossly incorrect, RIAA shows both sold far more than he's giving them credit for in the US alone. He's just talking up his product that's all. Cooper wasn't dropped until after 2 albums later, so another exaggeration. Yet Child repeats these same claims in every single interview, thats why other viewers are getting a sense of deja-vu. No doubt Child was a talented pop writer, mentor & singer who yielded commercial results but I call bullshit on the majority of his claims. It must be frustrating to interview these types who wallow in their own self-importance when knowing the facts are different, I'm sure you would need to bite your tongue on more than a few occasions!
I was thinking the exact same thing. The timeline doesn't seem to match his stories. (not saying he is lying about some of the comments). Not sure about the first time he started working with Bon Jovi but a story I had heard after 7800 was Paul Stanley telling Jon that he needed to be more commercial with his songs which I believe ultimately led to them working with Desmond.
Raise Your Fist And Yell sold way more than 15000 copies and Hey Stoopid sold way more than 85000 copies. The label didn't drop Alice Cooper after Hey Stoopid. It was after the next album The Last Temptation..
@@arto2533Thank you, Desmond is trying to rewrite history just to make himself look good on belittling the sales of Raise Your Fist And Yell and Hey Stoopid.
@@johnkatsoudas4767 it's a very typical narcissistic trait. Making up self-glorifying stuff long enough to eventually start believing it yourself. He's done well enough to not have to do that.
Desmond Child's influence represents the kind of slick polished big time mainstream rock I always hated growing up in the 80's, but he seems like a nice guy who is very committed and passionate to what he does, I think anyone would kill for his success.
Yeah, his songwriting is of its time and he’s written some of the most successful songs from that era, but their really shite too. It just shows you the taste of music during that era.
I never minded slick and polished, music is music. What I and many others objected to is the fact that in the music business you either did that and got untold riches, or you didn't, and barely made a living. Still applies today. The first time you hear that song its "oh, thats a pretty cool song". Then on the five millionth time hearing it within six months you kind of hate it. The eighties were all about "this is the hit WE have chosen, you WILL listen to it every day, and no you won't hear any other music on radio but what we decide for you". THAT is what is really objectionable. PUblic airwaves should never have been handed over to corporations.
@@mikearchibald744 It was almost an anti-art time for music, thank God Nirvana came along, even though Nevermind was pretty slick itself, but the passion and realness was there, unlike all those big haired corporate monsters, Desmond Child made a career and I respect that, but I certainly don't wanna hear another Michael Bolton song for as long as I live!
@@richalderson6069 There was always some good songs tucked in there, but overall, yeah. I always found the irony was that once you bought the album, usually the 'hit single' was the worst song on the album. I mean "Bullet The Blue Sky" is a great song, but nobody remembers it off The Joshua Tree, its just 'with or without you'. Sting's "we work the black seam" was a brilliant working class song, but nobody reemmbers it but 'love is the seventh wave'. Blue Sky Mine I think only became a hit because it came from Australia. That whole album was great.
the stories about Alice Cooper's record sales are total bollocks. 'Raise Your Fist And Yell' (preceding 'Trash') sold well into six figures (gold certification in Canada for example), so certainly A LOT more than 15,000. 'Hey Stoopid' was the follow up to 'Trash' and has sold around 500,000 copies outside of USA alone, so globally at least ten times more than the claimed 85,000. And Sony/Epic certainly didn't drop Alice after that. He made one more record for the label (The Last Tempation). So, if you read this man's autobiography for some weird reason, better take everything with a pinch of salt. Probably a lot more lies and self-glorification in there.
You get (or got back then) Gold in Canada for just 50K albums sold. It only went to # 73 in the US. His sales figure may be off but overall, Desmond is correct.
@@arto2533 I replied to you on another post. Listen, it's worth what it's worth. I choose to believe him and simply put his factual errors on numbers and dates on his memory. But the essence of what he says is true...in my opinion of course. For example, I've read a lot of opinions from well-known artists (Brian Adams, Jim Vallance among others) on Gene Simmons' lies. I have therefore no problem believing Desmond in what he says about others artists. To simply say that he is full of it is a little too strong, in my opinion. That's all.
Gene should have just said thank u ! Do u want to make a crapload load of money ? Call Desmond ! The Priceof Loving U is one of my fav tunes ever ! Thank u , Desmond !
Hasn't this been uploaded before? Getting deja vu.. Edit : Ah I remember, this is from the Meatloaf gossipy vid earlier this year. Had to give up after about 15 x ''I was like..he was like..you know..it was like, you know...''
I'm sure I've definitely seen this interview before in its entirety- I'm sure I watched it months ago. Not sure why its re-appeared or been reuploaded, maybe Baz had to edit something naughty or libellous out of it.
I wish I could have been in the room to tell Desmond the same thing on the thumbnail: he ruined Aerosmith for me making them a soul sucking swill pop band starting with Permanent Vacation and he ruined Alice Cooper for a short while with the Trash album: tracks there sound like a Bon Jovi album. Of course he ruined Bon Jovi for me after the debut thanks to none other than Paul Stanley suggestion Bon Jovi speak to Desmond. The rest is history; Desmond Child is trash. Great channel! Cheers! But I loathe Desmond.
can't argue with anything you say, except maybe loathe the greedy artists for wanting to work with Child instead? You can loathe Child for telling the same self-glorifying lies in every interview.
Not to be disrespectful, But Paul flies across the stage during "Love Gun" not "I was made for Loving you" and They used a ton of outside writers (including Lou Reed) when they made the Elder and also Bon Jovi weren't a thing yet when the elder was released nor had Aerosmith ever worked with Child till 1987 's Permanent Vacation. I think Gene was saying that in the early 90's when they wrote Revenge "I remember reading it in Kerrang" What it was, was that Desmond Child was such a commercial and by default Successful songwriter that he had gained notoriety for being too formulaic and destroying a bands credibility especially in the changing tide of the early 90's.
I could never be a great songwriter because if I wrote “I Was Made For Lovin You” I would never present it to anyone because it sucks so bad. But somehow he knows what people apparently like
Congratulations Barry for keeping a somewhat straight face through all the bullshit this man was saying. I never could have done this without a million "well, actually..."'s
Just heard at 34:25 you're 70 All the subject matter says you're about 70 but you don't look it Great stories Desmond and thanks to this brilliant Brit I'm 72 and my son you do your homework
Not fake info. Desmond mixes up some info and years, that's all. He lumps "Trash" in with the two songs he wrote on "Hey Stoopid" together. The album he's referring to is "The Last Temptations" which followed "Hey Stoopid". And for ''The Elder'', Gene is known to lie a lot. Find out, for example, about Jim Vallance and Brian Adams and what they say about Gene and ''War Machine'' and ''Rock & Roll Hell''. What Desmond says about Gene is true. Gene often disowned the outside composers Kiss worked with. Now he is much more honest.
@@magicmike7198 The Last Temptation's certified sales in USA were 150,000 by 2002, and overall charted better in Europe. And NONE of Alice's 80's records have sold under 100,000. And also, Trash has NOT sold anywhere near 4 million copies, closer to 2 million (still great). So, no matter how you want to twist it, this man is just full of it.
@@arto2533 Agree to disagree. He gets the numbers wrong and his memory actually plays tricks on him... but in his case, I'm not talking about life in general, only in Desmond's case, I choose to believe him basically. The essence of what he says is true but his numbers, dates and chronologies are mixed up. This all happened a long time ago. Some, like you, choose to simply say that he is full of it. Too bad for him, I guess. But I, in the specific case of this exceptional songwriter, I choose to believe him. Other versions of the same facts make me say so.
@@magicmike7198 so he gets pretty much everything wrong in this interview, and you choose to believe him, "basically". Fair enough, if you're that big of a fan, I guess.
A little torn on this one. Appreciate that you got Child on for an interview, but this felt very unfocused and gossipy. More talk about personalities than music - though that seemed to be what he wanted to focus on. The most interesting part was the stuff on Meat Loaf because it hit on some wild session stories.
Thanks Desmond, love the Bonnie Tyler hide your heart album. Would love more songs with her. And yes, would die for Trash 2. Alice please lets do it. so I can die in peace, thanks so much
This guy has the distinction of writing many of the worst songs ever, starting with that Kiss song through all the crap he wrote for other bands in the 90’s, but he made a lot of money writing all those awful songs, so it just shows you the tastes during that era. Every time I hear a shitty song from that period and I look who wrote it, it’s always Desmond Child. I don’t agree with Simmons on almost everything, but I have to agree with him on this, yeah, it put money in their pockets, but it’s still a shit song, along with all the others he’s written for other bands, but hey, what do I know? People,e loved those songs and Child is rich from being a songwriter and I’m just some guy commenting on UA-cam.
I agree with you to some level, but you have to admit: Desmond Child was an important songwriter for many. Not to my taste either, but still, he influenced the world of rock music in a major way.
@ yeah, I realize that,mi just can’t stomach any of the songs he wrote, but some of the songs he wrote fir bands brought back their career, I guess I have to put partial blame on the tastes of that era too, people love those songs, they just weren’t in my wheelhouse, but I still stand by what I say because if you listen to most of those songs now they don’t hold up, but hey, Desmond is rich now, he made his money.
I don't think that even half the things he says is true. The Alice Cooper thing is not true, for sure. It's ridiculous to think that RYFAY only sold 15000 copies.
He was really struggling. I got into Cooper through Poison. Love it. Alice has some real crap albums in early 80's. Trash is great I then bought Alice cooper greatest hits I'm 18 Be my lover Under my wheels and became a big fan seen him a dozen times. But some people dog the Trash album to commercial
Bat Out of Hell 3 is an album that should never have been made. The cover of "The Future Ain't What It Used To Be" is competent. I quite like Alive. But it was a huge mistake to call it 'BOOH'. Desmond is great, but I think that's a gig he should probably have turned down.
Even if some of the music Desmond has helped bring to fruition is overplayed on the airwaves, I should be the first to admit that it is overplayed because it is that good. Meanwhile, he gives me a whole lot of hope and motivation as a fellow gay musician.
Lola "no, I really didn't really know that song" says everything you need to know about a song writer that the record company brings in to work with classic rock artists...
I've been a songwriter my whole life,did the whole coverband thing, but always wanted to write with Desmond. Now I'm a Grandfather at 57 and haven't done much,but still have the passion . Maybe one day! Peace brother.
Desmond has written some great pop/rock tunes but 'Hey Stoopid' is Alice's BEST ALBUM in my opinion ans DC only wrote one song on it. He's totes up himself isn't he? We British can show the Americans a thing or too, like modesty for starters. You were very kind abd dererential Barry. Good show old chap ❤
I’ll be completely honest. When Dynasty first came out I kinda hated it having been a major KISS fan all through my teenage years. Over the years the album has grown on me and now I really like it, especially I was Made for Loving You. Great song!!
KISS would be nowhere near as successful without external songwriters, because most of their biggest hits were co-written by non-band members, namely Vini Poncia and Bob Ezrin. Their only huge hit that didn't have an outside writer was Rock and Roll All NIte
Simmons didnt like i was made for lovin you because it didnt feel right for his demon character and kiss at the time. The elder came out in 81 way before desmond child write bonjovi's abd aerosmiths greatest hits in the 80s
Alice? Industrial, electronic? Thank God that didn't happen. Desmond sure thinks a lot of himself. He may have sold a lot of records but that doesn't make them great. Barbara Cartland sold a lot of books, do you want to read them?
Desmond Child is the bridge to career Jumping the Shark - his touch removed any cool that Kiss had left at that point - destroyed Aerosmith's rock cred, & made one of my favourites - Alice Cooper a clown show. Hard no for Desmond Child
Desmond is undoubtably very talented, but his comment about Alice's previous album "Raise your fist and yell" only selling 15, 000 copies is not true. That album went gold (500,00 copies)
Desmond Child is responsible for neutering rock n roll. Worst thing to ever happen to hard rock. He took stuff that was cool and made it safe for mass consumption. Good for the bottom line… bad for rock n roll.
No Desmond Child without Paul Stanley. No Bon jovi without Paul stanley. Paul is the man. That no Desmond Child thing with Gene was not with the Elder but Revenge 1991. Bon Jovi wasn't around in 1981 . And Desmond Child didn't write with Aerosmith till 1987 Permanent Vacation record
Desmond can't get his facts straight. The KISS album he's actually referring to where he was actually BANNED from the premises by Mr. Simmons was Revenge...not The Elder. They could of actually used him for both albums being that they were seriously needing a hit.
Alice Cooper fan here, and “Raise Your Fist and Yell” to me is a rock album. “Trash” is a pop album. When you need to bring in ringers to sell artist or an album, it’s a sign of desperation. Alice was brought back into the public conscientiousness with “Trash” no doubt. I just didn’t think it was an Alice Cooper album.
hi, i was around Glenn Buxton for a while while he was staying at a friend's house and he sold me a silver motorcycle jacket for 50 bucks, only because it fit me the one time i put it on, then another 'friend' o f mine gave it away to a Penthouse Pet who probably left it in a limousine--was that jacket on any of their albums?
@@SeanPowell-p4v It's so odd that fans think that is some kind of great album. I hate that slick production and those cheesy ooh ooh vocals and the beginning on The Quiet Room. HYGSMN is just a horrible housewife ballad.
Desmond named his son Nyro after Laura Nyro. He performed at the memorial concert for Nyro at the Linclon Centre following her passing in 1997 with a host of stars. Bernard Purdie was the drummer. Nyro is Alice Cooper's favourite artist.
The song, I was made for loving you sucks. It has nothing to with KISS. It originates with Paul’s issues. Not KISS. Gene is right about the song NOT being a KISS song. Hell that whole Album was just leftovers from their solo album efforts anyway. I never listen the Dy-nasty album.
@@HappyMachorino-bd8no It’s not being stubborn, when you are stating facts. KISS was at its best from the beginning through the Alive album. When they were dark and dangerous, before Bob Ezrin (Destroyer Producer) turn them into cartoon characters. A complete tragedy.
@@robertnoble6600 I'm the "Dynasty" type of fan. I don't know if the 70s KISS were touring in Europe. The first time they appeared on TV was "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Ironically your tragedy was my happiness✌️
I've always wanted to know why he used the fake alias "Sir Arthur Payson" to hide the fact he actually produced Ratt's 1990 album "Detonator." No, dude, there is no such guy as Sir Arthur Payson, you're Sir Arthur Payson. The guy receiving the production credit does not exist.
I Was Made for Loving You should have been on a second Paul Stanley solo album. Very low testosterone and moved a lot of people away from the band. The second most embarrassing thing they did after Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.
I can’t stand Gene Simmons. Especially after the shxt he said about Dio. I wish Dio was alive today. Gene is just an evil blimp! Keep taking the shots Gene!
no disrespect but just because a song becomes a hit doesn't mean its a good song. " I was made for loving you" was a sappy song made for sheep. money doesn't determine great art . that song was not a kiss song and it pissed off the hardcore fans. it only appeals to the sheep that have bland taste.
What a guest. He must be in the top ten in terms of most successful songwriters of all time.
Most successful shittiest songs ever.
Desmond is so talented. Even his solo band, Rouge, put out a couple fantastic albums, the second of which was absolutely a precursor to eighties AOR in the same way that Journey was. Great songwriter. His songs are usually extremely polished and poppy, but live rent free in your head, without a doubt.
I always secretly thought being a behind the scenes 'songwriter' or even a session musician only was the best gig. No being on the road, no dealing with publicity, all the rockstar trappings,ect. Just gettin paid for your music, and being ..not anonymous, but not up front like a rockstar. I respect guys like Desmond here. Talented guy.
Desmond Child pretty much wrote the soundtracks to my life.
He was part of some of my best memories.
Such a talent.
Child is one of those guys within the industry who can take a band with a unique and compelling songwriting style that appeals to a moderately sized but passionate, ride-or-die fanbase and collaborate with them to produce material that grabs average music listeners on a large scale but that also ends up repelling the band's hardcore fans.
Desmond Child was never KISS' producer though, only a co-songwriter with Stanley. He failed to mention 'Unmasked', the actual follow-up to 'Dynasty' also produced by Vini Poncia, which had many outside songwriters, just not Child. 'Music From The Elder' also had outside songwiters with Bob Ezrin, Lou Reed & Tony Powers contributing songs. For the record, Kiss didn't record an album without outside songwriter's until 'Sonic Boom' from 2008! Child's memory doesnt seem to match the timeline: 'What It Takes' was written & recorded for 'Pump' in 1989. The Dianne Warren song didn't happen until a decade later so they were not yet affiliated, so why would Steven Tyler even mention her? Child only became associated with them in '87. Aerosmith was at their career low-point in '81 as Joe Perry & Brad Whitford had left. Bon Jovi didn't even exist as a band yet. How were they mentioned by Stanley in passing? The sales figures he gives for Alice Cooper's 'Raise Your Fist And Yell' & 'Hey Stoopid' are grossly incorrect, RIAA shows both sold far more than he's giving them credit for in the US alone. He's just talking up his product that's all. Cooper wasn't dropped until after 2 albums later, so another exaggeration. Yet Child repeats these same claims in every single interview, thats why other viewers are getting a sense of deja-vu. No doubt Child was a talented pop writer, mentor & singer who yielded commercial results but I call bullshit on the majority of his claims. It must be frustrating to interview these types who wallow in their own self-importance when knowing the facts are different, I'm sure you would need to bite your tongue on more than a few occasions!
I was thinking the exact same thing. The timeline doesn't seem to match his stories. (not saying he is lying about some of the comments). Not sure about the first time he started working with Bon Jovi but a story I had heard after 7800 was Paul Stanley telling Jon that he needed to be more commercial with his songs which I believe ultimately led to them working with Desmond.
Kiss did use outside writers for The Elder...like Lou Reed and Jean Beauvoir.
Desmond Child is my favorite songwriter of all time!!!!!! Thanks SO much for this!!!!!
What an interesting guy... Great interview Barry! It is a really good thing you let him speak!
Brilliant interview Barry. Very interesting questions and answers. You can tell Desmond enjoyed the chance to speak freely with no interruptions
One of the best you have ever done,thank you !
Raise Your Fist And Yell sold way more than 15000 copies and Hey Stoopid sold way more than 85000 copies. The label didn't drop Alice Cooper after Hey Stoopid. It was after the next album The Last Temptation..
the US sales alone were 325,000 and 500,000, respectively. None of Alice's records before the 2000's sold under 100,000 copies in the US.
@@arto2533Thank you, Desmond is trying to rewrite history just to make himself look good on belittling the sales of Raise Your Fist And Yell and Hey Stoopid.
@@johnkatsoudas4767 it's a very typical narcissistic trait. Making up self-glorifying stuff long enough to eventually start believing it yourself. He's done well enough to not have to do that.
He sure comes off having a giant ego.
Desmond Child's influence represents the kind of slick polished big time mainstream rock I always hated growing up in the 80's, but he seems like a nice guy who is very committed and passionate to what he does, I think anyone would kill for his success.
Yeah, his songwriting is of its time and he’s written some of the most successful songs from that era, but their really shite too. It just shows you the taste of music during that era.
I never minded slick and polished, music is music. What I and many others objected to is the fact that in the music business you either did that and got untold riches, or you didn't, and barely made a living. Still applies today. The first time you hear that song its "oh, thats a pretty cool song". Then on the five millionth time hearing it within six months you kind of hate it. The eighties were all about "this is the hit WE have chosen, you WILL listen to it every day, and no you won't hear any other music on radio but what we decide for you". THAT is what is really objectionable. PUblic airwaves should never have been handed over to corporations.
@@mikearchibald744 It was almost an anti-art time for music, thank God Nirvana came along, even though Nevermind was pretty slick itself, but the passion and realness was there, unlike all those big haired corporate monsters, Desmond Child made a career and I respect that, but I certainly don't wanna hear another Michael Bolton song for as long as I live!
@@richalderson6069 There was always some good songs tucked in there, but overall, yeah.
I always found the irony was that once you bought the album, usually the 'hit single' was the worst song on the album.
I mean "Bullet The Blue Sky" is a great song, but nobody remembers it off The Joshua Tree, its just 'with or without you'. Sting's "we work the black seam" was a brilliant working class song, but nobody reemmbers it but 'love is the seventh wave'.
Blue Sky Mine I think only became a hit because it came from Australia. That whole album was great.
@@mikearchibald744 I also remember hearing those songs as well and liking them better than the singles! I always bought albums, never singles.
the stories about Alice Cooper's record sales are total bollocks.
'Raise Your Fist And Yell' (preceding 'Trash') sold well into six figures (gold certification in Canada for example), so certainly A LOT more than 15,000.
'Hey Stoopid' was the follow up to 'Trash' and has sold around 500,000 copies outside of USA alone, so globally at least ten times more than the claimed 85,000. And Sony/Epic certainly didn't drop Alice after that. He made one more record for the label (The Last Tempation).
So, if you read this man's autobiography for some weird reason, better take everything with a pinch of salt. Probably a lot more lies and self-glorification in there.
You get (or got back then) Gold in Canada for just 50K albums sold.
It only went to # 73 in the US. His sales figure may be off but overall, Desmond is correct.
Read my response to Strikedn, a bit before your comment... Desmond is misxing up some info and years, that's all. It's been a long time...
@@magicmike7198 that's the point. Why believe anything he says or writes if his memory is this bad and serves only to glorify his input.
@@arto2533 I replied to you on another post. Listen, it's worth what it's worth. I choose to believe him and simply put his factual errors on numbers and dates on his memory. But the essence of what he says is true...in my opinion of course. For example, I've read a lot of opinions from well-known artists (Brian Adams, Jim Vallance among others) on Gene Simmons' lies. I have therefore no problem believing Desmond in what he says about others artists. To simply say that he is full of it is a little too strong, in my opinion. That's all.
dude wrote the most watered down formulaistic shallow meaningless pap imaginable. There isn't a rock and roll bone in his body.
Gene should have just said thank u ! Do u want to make a crapload load of money ? Call Desmond !
The Priceof Loving U is one of my fav tunes ever ! Thank u , Desmond !
Hasn't this been uploaded before? Getting deja vu.. Edit : Ah I remember, this is from the Meatloaf gossipy vid earlier this year. Had to give up after about 15 x ''I was like..he was like..you know..it was like, you know...''
I'm sure I've definitely seen this interview before in its entirety- I'm sure I watched it months ago. Not sure why its re-appeared or been reuploaded, maybe Baz had to edit something naughty or libellous out of it.
I wish I could have been in the room to tell Desmond the same thing on the thumbnail: he ruined Aerosmith for me making them a soul sucking swill pop band starting with Permanent Vacation and he ruined Alice Cooper for a short while with the Trash album: tracks there sound like a Bon Jovi album. Of course he ruined Bon Jovi for me after the debut thanks to none other than Paul Stanley suggestion Bon Jovi speak to Desmond. The rest is history; Desmond Child is trash. Great channel! Cheers! But I loathe Desmond.
can't argue with anything you say, except maybe loathe the greedy artists for wanting to work with Child instead? You can loathe Child for telling the same self-glorifying lies in every interview.
there would be no desmond child without paul stanley…. gotta respect him for sayin that
Child is a Rock Legend!!!!
Ill bite, many thanks Desmond and Classic Album Review
Not to be disrespectful, But Paul flies across the stage during "Love Gun" not "I was made for Loving you" and They used a ton of outside writers (including Lou Reed) when they made the Elder and also Bon Jovi weren't a thing yet when the elder was released nor had Aerosmith ever worked with Child till 1987 's Permanent Vacation. I think Gene was saying that in the early 90's when they wrote Revenge "I remember reading it in Kerrang" What it was, was that Desmond Child was such a commercial and by default Successful songwriter that he had gained notoriety for being too formulaic and destroying a bands credibility especially in the changing tide of the early 90's.
Doesn't he stay on that stage when they do 'i was made...'?
@@classicalbumi thought so but i also have not seen kiss live since 2014
Totally wrong, even as far back as 2004 he flew across for I Was Made....just watch the "Rock The Nation" version 👍
I could never be a great songwriter because if I wrote “I Was Made For Lovin You” I would never present it to anyone because it sucks so bad. But somehow he knows what people apparently like
Desmond about Paul:
"I love him to death".
This was really nice.
Congratulations Barry for keeping a somewhat straight face through all the bullshit this man was saying. I never could have done this without a million "well, actually..."'s
Great interview. Very talented artist.
Mr. Child thanks for helping write a good soundtrack of a youthful time
Just heard at 34:25 you're 70
All the subject matter says you're about 70 but you don't look it
Great stories Desmond and thanks to this brilliant Brit I'm 72 and my son you do your homework
The dude has a cosmetic surgery habit.
Paul probably gave Gene a talking to and made it clear to back off Desmond , not many people can rope Gene in but Paul can
Alice Cooper's "Hey Stupid" went gold in the US. Kiss used external writers in The Elder. Lots of fake info. More like gossip galore.
Not fake info. Desmond mixes up some info and years, that's all. He lumps "Trash" in with the two songs he wrote on "Hey Stoopid" together. The album he's referring to is "The Last Temptations" which followed "Hey Stoopid". And for ''The Elder'', Gene is known to lie a lot. Find out, for example, about Jim Vallance and Brian Adams and what they say about Gene and ''War Machine'' and ''Rock & Roll Hell''. What Desmond says about Gene is true. Gene often disowned the outside composers Kiss worked with. Now he is much more honest.
@@magicmike7198 The Last Temptation's certified sales in USA were 150,000 by 2002, and overall charted better in Europe. And NONE of Alice's 80's records have sold under 100,000. And also, Trash has NOT sold anywhere near 4 million copies, closer to 2 million (still great). So, no matter how you want to twist it, this man is just full of it.
@@arto2533 Agree to disagree. He gets the numbers wrong and his memory actually plays tricks on him... but in his case, I'm not talking about life in general, only in Desmond's case, I choose to believe him basically. The essence of what he says is true but his numbers, dates and chronologies are mixed up. This all happened a long time ago. Some, like you, choose to simply say that he is full of it. Too bad for him, I guess. But I, in the specific case of this exceptional songwriter, I choose to believe him. Other versions of the same facts make me say so.
@@magicmike7198 so he gets pretty much everything wrong in this interview, and you choose to believe him, "basically". Fair enough, if you're that big of a fan, I guess.
@@arto2533 Anyway, i guess i didn't explain myself well enough. So be it. Have a nice day.
A little torn on this one. Appreciate that you got Child on for an interview, but this felt very unfocused and gossipy. More talk about personalities than music - though that seemed to be what he wanted to focus on.
The most interesting part was the stuff on Meat Loaf because it hit on some wild session stories.
I liked Hey Stoopid far more than Trash.
Thanks Desmond, love the Bonnie Tyler hide your heart album. Would love more songs with her. And yes, would die for Trash 2. Alice please lets do it. so I can die in peace, thanks so much
This guy has the distinction of writing many of the worst songs ever, starting with that Kiss song through all the crap he wrote for other bands in the 90’s, but he made a lot of money writing all those awful songs, so it just shows you the tastes during that era. Every time I hear a shitty song from that period and I look who wrote it, it’s always Desmond Child. I don’t agree with Simmons on almost everything, but I have to agree with him on this, yeah, it put money in their pockets, but it’s still a shit song, along with all the others he’s written for other bands, but hey, what do I know? People,e loved those songs and Child is rich from being a songwriter and I’m just some guy commenting on UA-cam.
I agree with you to some level, but you have to admit: Desmond Child was an important songwriter for many. Not to my taste either, but still, he influenced the world of rock music in a major way.
@ yeah, I realize that,mi just can’t stomach any of the songs he wrote, but some of the songs he wrote fir bands brought back their career, I guess I have to put partial blame on the tastes of that era too, people love those songs, they just weren’t in my wheelhouse, but I still stand by what I say because if you listen to most of those songs now they don’t hold up, but hey, Desmond is rich now, he made his money.
Interesting guy.
Desmond, you and thousands of others have said that to Gene.
The Elder was a flop commercially. It's one of their best records musically.
I have no doubt that Desmond and Paul were lovers
hmmmm…. thats a thinker
I don't think that even half the things he says is true. The Alice Cooper thing is not true, for sure. It's ridiculous to think that RYFAY only sold 15000 copies.
325,000 in USA alone. None of Alice's albums sold under 100,000 copies in US until 'Brutal Planet'.
He was really struggling. I got into Cooper through Poison. Love it. Alice has some real crap albums in early 80's. Trash is great I then bought Alice cooper greatest hits I'm 18 Be my lover Under my wheels and became a big fan seen him a dozen times. But some people dog the Trash album to commercial
Correction, Lou reed contributed to the elder album Mr Blackwell
Badass song one of the best on the album
if you start making corrections to Desmond Child's recollections of what happened, you'll be here all day.
Great interview, and a very talented guy, although some of Desmond's timelines are messed up with a few of the things (maybe he has a Time Machine)
Desmond at his best! Only Desmond needed to talk about Bon Jovi!
Good interview Barry 👍
Bat Out of Hell 3 is an album that should never have been made. The cover of "The Future Ain't What It Used To Be" is competent. I quite like Alive. But it was a huge mistake to call it 'BOOH'. Desmond is great, but I think that's a gig he should probably have turned down.
Awesome interview😎👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Glad you enjoyed it
Even if some of the music Desmond has helped bring to fruition is overplayed on the airwaves, I should be the first to admit that it is overplayed because it is that good. Meanwhile, he gives me a whole lot of hope and motivation as a fellow gay musician.
You're joking right? Some of the best musicians in history were bi and homo, that has nothing to do with anything.
Great interview. Cheers
Cruising for the ladies would've been better!
Loved his early stuff with Rouge
Trash 2 would kick ass!
Lola "no, I really didn't really know that song" says everything you need to know about a song writer that the record company brings in to work with classic rock artists...
Is this a re-upload or have you now interviewed him twice? It seems like I saw this before or he's in the same mahogany background for a revisit
The Elder was full of outside songwriters. That Gene quote was about Revenge 11 years later.
Revenge was full of outside writers too though
Desmond Child is a music genius!
I've been a songwriter my whole life,did the whole coverband thing, but always wanted to write with Desmond. Now I'm a Grandfather at 57 and haven't done much,but still have the passion . Maybe one day! Peace brother.
The guys in dream theater won't sing his praises like paul Stanley 😅
Desmond has written some great pop/rock tunes but 'Hey Stoopid' is Alice's BEST ALBUM in my opinion ans DC only wrote one song on it. He's totes up himself isn't he? We British can show the Americans a thing or too, like modesty for starters. You were very kind abd dererential Barry. Good show old chap ❤
I’ll be completely honest. When Dynasty first came out I kinda hated it having been a major KISS fan all through my teenage years.
Over the years the album has grown on me and now I really like it, especially I was Made for Loving You.
Great song!!
KISS would be nowhere near as successful without external songwriters, because most of their biggest hits were co-written by non-band members, namely Vini Poncia and Bob Ezrin. Their only huge hit that didn't have an outside writer was Rock and Roll All NIte
Nope. The first 5 kiss albums that have all their best work is stanley/simmons
Simmons didnt like i was made for lovin you because it didnt feel right for his demon character and kiss at the time. The elder came out in 81 way before desmond child write bonjovi's abd aerosmiths greatest hits in the 80s
Great interview
Desmond child name is on the front cover of bat out of hell 3
Alice? Industrial, electronic? Thank God that didn't happen. Desmond sure thinks a lot of himself. He may have sold a lot of records but that doesn't make them great. Barbara Cartland sold a lot of books, do you want to read them?
I'm sorry, but whenever I'm down I turn on Livin' on a Prayer and it picks me up. Every time.
How very sad.
Desmond Child is the bridge to career Jumping the Shark - his touch removed any cool that Kiss had left at that point - destroyed Aerosmith's rock cred, & made one of my favourites - Alice Cooper a clown show. Hard no for Desmond Child
Alas THE MADE THE CHOICE! and poor choices they were
Sure know something 😀 I was made for loving you great songs.dudes look like a lady great songs
Yup! I like maybe 3 songs he's ever written, but everything he touched turned to gold. Plating. Inside the plating was pure aluminum schlock!
Desmond is undoubtably very talented, but his comment about Alice's previous album "Raise your fist and yell" only selling 15, 000 copies is not true. That album went gold (500,00 copies)
Desmond Child is responsible for neutering rock n roll. Worst thing to ever happen to hard rock. He took stuff that was cool and made it safe for mass consumption. Good for the bottom line… bad for rock n roll.
i was made is the one KISS SONG every KISS FAN hates...
No, it's "Beth"!
Everyone hates it. Beth was never KISS.
No Desmond Child without Paul Stanley. No Bon jovi without Paul stanley. Paul is the man. That no Desmond Child thing with Gene was not with the Elder but Revenge 1991. Bon Jovi wasn't around in 1981 . And Desmond Child didn't write with Aerosmith till 1987 Permanent Vacation record
The interviewer seems really interested.
So Alice Cooper couldn't produce his own album?
Am very familiar with Mr Child's work and can use the following adjective- SHIT.
Desmond can't get his facts straight. The KISS album he's actually referring to where he was actually BANNED from the premises by Mr. Simmons was Revenge...not The Elder. They could of actually used him for both albums being that they were seriously needing a hit.
How old is Desi? Shaping up alright for the era he worked in...Ok he is 70? Holy hell. Cant have hit the coke too hard, or at all!
If everyone would have hired him, they would have all been successful… Just ask him, he’ll tell you…
Alice Cooper fan here, and “Raise Your Fist and Yell” to me is a rock album. “Trash” is a pop album. When you need to bring in ringers to sell artist or an album, it’s a sign of desperation. Alice was brought back into the public conscientiousness with “Trash” no doubt. I just didn’t think it was an Alice Cooper album.
Alice has had a bunch of ringers for years. I agree it's a shit album but most of his albums after were shit.
@ Yes, I agree. He tried to keep a somewhat consistent band during the mid seventies. I also hated what David Foster did on “From the Inside”.
hi, i was around Glenn Buxton for a while while he was staying at a friend's house and he sold me a silver motorcycle jacket for 50 bucks, only because it fit me the one time i put it on, then another 'friend' o f mine gave it away to a Penthouse Pet who probably left it in a limousine--was that jacket on any of their albums?
@ If it was, I don’t remember seeing him wearing the jacket.
@@SeanPowell-p4v It's so odd that fans think that is some kind of great album. I hate that slick production and those cheesy ooh ooh vocals and the beginning on The Quiet Room. HYGSMN is just a horrible housewife ballad.
I respect him a lot, but I don’t think that the story with Alice is totally accurate. I believe hey stupid became gold in USA.
The guy who wrote the classic "My Uncle is a Raft" doesn't like Desmond Child's songwriting? Go sing that falsetto part Gene!
Not fair. Because we can't compare what Desmond Child wrote as a bloody beginner. He said once Paul taught him everything.
This guy can take any great band... and turn them into a sell out pop band
Wouldn't Meatloafs car have had a scratch too..He coulda just taken a look at it .
Desmond named his son Nyro after Laura Nyro. He performed at the memorial concert for Nyro at the Linclon Centre following her passing in 1997 with a host of stars. Bernard Purdie was the drummer. Nyro is Alice Cooper's favourite artist.
in 1981 there was no BonJovi js
The song, I was made for loving you sucks. It has nothing to with KISS. It originates with Paul’s issues. Not KISS. Gene is right about the song NOT being a KISS song. Hell that whole Album was just leftovers from their solo album efforts anyway. I never listen the Dy-nasty album.
"Beth" was not KISS either! But both songs "Beth" and "I Was Made..." are absolutely KISS 💋. Timeless. Forever songs.
@ Yeah they’re two songs that most KISS fans don’t listen to. They skip past them when listening to the album they’re on.
@@robertnoble6600
How stubborn. Relax and enjoy
@@HappyMachorino-bd8no It’s not being stubborn, when you are stating facts. KISS was at its best from the beginning through the Alive album. When they were dark and dangerous, before Bob Ezrin (Destroyer Producer) turn them into cartoon characters. A complete tragedy.
@@robertnoble6600
I'm the "Dynasty" type of fan.
I don't know if the 70s KISS were touring in Europe. The first time they appeared on TV was
"I Was Made For Lovin' You".
Ironically your tragedy was my happiness✌️
I've always wanted to know why he used the fake alias "Sir Arthur Payson" to hide the fact he actually produced Ratt's 1990 album "Detonator." No, dude, there is no such guy as Sir Arthur Payson, you're Sir Arthur Payson. The guy receiving the production credit does not exist.
Paul discovered him maybe from the inside too.
The last Kiss show was "truly majestic?" And by majestic he means lip-synced.
Raise Your Fist And Yell sold 15,000 copies? B don't think that's true
“Trash” did not sell 4.5M copies. Lol.
I Was Made For Lovin' You, Polluted the Kiss brand?! !!!!
Kiss polluted Kiss's brand. Over and over!
Nice Springsteen shirt
I Was Made for Loving You should have been on a second Paul Stanley solo album. Very low testosterone and moved a lot of people away from the band. The second most embarrassing thing they did after Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.
Get your Alice info right
Not got his wig on today.
I can’t stand Gene Simmons. Especially after the shxt he said about Dio. I wish Dio was alive today. Gene is just an evil blimp! Keep taking the shots Gene!
Who???
Rehab Bam
Gene got insecure and jealous.
What a ...... Is he gay?!?!
He helped write some great songs but I don't agree with homosexuality.
no disrespect but just because a song becomes a hit doesn't mean its a good song. " I was made for loving you" was a sappy song made for sheep. money doesn't determine great art . that song was not a kiss song and it pissed off the hardcore fans. it only appeals to the sheep that have bland taste.
What makes you think that you are not a "sheep"?🐑