Marko Syrjala at Metal-Rules.com recently caught up with guitarist and Grammy Award winning producer BOB KULICK for an in-depth interview. The follwing excerpt comes to BW&BK; courtesy of Syrjala and KISS Army Finland:

Q: I think that the most asked thing from you is the KISS audition. When you went to do that legendary audition for in 1973, how much you did know about KISS or WICKED LESTER before doing that session?

Kulick: "I didn’t know any of them, even though they were around the scene. I didn’t know the Wicked Lester situation. I had just come back from a European tour. Actually, it wasn’t a European tour. It was an American tour with European bands. URIAH HEEP was the headline act then. That was when I played with John Baldry – 'Long John' Baldry. Right after that was when KISS had the ad in The Village Voice for looking for lead guitar player – LED ZEPPELIN-like band. Led Zeppelin-like band? I’ll have to check that out. That was the connection. That’s how they looked at themselves. They were sort of like Led Zeppelin."

Q: So was it anything like that in your opinion?

Kulick: "It was for a minute (laughs)."

Q: Well, when you first played with KISS guys, how they were as musicians?

Kulick: "Well, we played, and it sounded really good, and I really liked Paul a lot and Gene. Peter I hardly remember at all. And I remember Paul calling me a couple of weeks later saying, 'You know, the guy that played after you, that guy, you know, he kind of fits with us better even though you’re a better player, but we should keep in touch.' And we did. So that was really the good thing that came out of that was – and when I first saw them I realized, you know, this guy, he fits this band. I never had delusions that they made a mistake or anything like that. I thought that he was the right guy for what they were looking for as far as a songwriter and as far as a guitar player. He certainly gave them what they needed at the time. So I have nothing bad to say about Ace whatsoever. By the time when I had to be Ace, it was a whole other story then, you know, by the time it had gotten to that."

Q: At that time, how much the guys had already created their future image, the makeup, clothing etc.?

Kulick: "They had a Polaroid with some prototype makeup. Now, again, back in that day – DAVID BOWIE, ALICE COOPER and NEW YORK DOLLS, so there were people wearing makeup. There were people doing stuff like that. Now, it was drastic, but there were still people doing that. So I remember saying, 'This is all well and good, but isn’t the music the most important thing. If we’re just great, shouldn’t that be enough? Shouldn’t that be enough?' They agreed but said 'Having a gimmick could give us an edge in other ways.' And I said, 'Yeah, I’m not saying it wouldn’t. I’m just saying to you I wouldn’t want to count on that. I would want to count on the talent, and that would be sort of another selling point.' Well, a man actually wears facial makeup and they have guises that they assume. Okay. I didn’t think about it that much because it didn’t get that far."

Click here for Part 1 of the interview, and here for Part 2

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