March 19 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of KISS’ classic third studio album, Dressed to Kill, and to celebrate the milestone, a special audio walking tour of New York City has been created highlighting important locations in the band’s history.
Videos by American Songwriter
The immersive audio presentation will debut on Friday, March 22. It features exclusive interviews with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and famed rock photographer Bob Gruen, who share recollections about historic moments and sites tied in with the making and promotion of Dressed to Kill.
The audio walking tour will be available for free at KISSOnline.com, but only can be accessed via mobile devices.
The Dressed to Kill album cover features a photo, taken by Gruen, of the band members—Stanley, Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss—in full makeup wearing business suits while standing on a New York City street. The walking tour begins at the site where the pic was snapped, on the corner of West 23rd Street and 8th Avenue.
As explained in the accompanying audio, the photo originally was taken for a cartoonish Creem magazine feature that showed KISS’ members transforming from everyday guys to rock gods.
Other locations featured in the walking tour include the band’s early rehearsal space, known as The Loft, on East 23rd Street; the site of the Academy of Music, a venue where KISS played some of its early concerts; and Electric Lady Studios, where the group recorded Dressed to Kill.
The presentation also features audio of Stanley and Simmons recalling how they wrote KISS’ signature anthem, “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Other Plans to Commemorate Dressed to Kill’s 50th Anniversary
KISS is encouraging fans to help celebrate Dressed to Kill’s 50th anniversary by visiting the spot where the album cover photo was taken and recreating it, then sharing their pics on social media using the hashtag #dressedtokill50.
Also in conjunction with the anniversary and the walking tour’s debut, a KISS-themed pop-up shop will opening at Generation Records. The store is located at 210 Thompson Street in New York City.
More About Dressed to Kill
Dressed to Kill featured such classic KISS tunes as “She,” “C’mon and Love Me,” and, of course, “Rock and Roll All Nite.” The album peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard 200. In 1977, Dressed to Kill was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies in the U.S.
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