PAUL STANLEY - "I Think 'Strutter' Is One Of The Greatest KISS Songs"
August 20, 2021, 2 years ago
Speaking with Paul Brannigan at Classic Rock, KISS frontman Paul Stanley looked back on writing the band's classic, "Strutter", which Stanley regards as "one of the greatest KISS songs." Following is an excerpt.
Stanley: "With 'Strutter', I was trying to approximate the feel of the Stones’ 'Brown Sugar', to write a song that had swagger and attitude and a bravado to it. Gene had a song called 'Stanley The Parrot' and there was a short plodding segment in that which struck me as something that could be kicked up in terms of tempo and made to bounce and rock: that ended up being the verse chords. Once the feel of the song changed it seemed to lend itself to a lyric which captured that swagger.
I think 'Strutter' is one of the greatest KISS songs. One of the best things about early KISS songs is that they really were uninhibited and very much from the gut: we had nothing to live up to, except doing what turned us on. Over time you can learn too much: you might become a better songwriter, but sometimes it’s the freedom of naivety that makes for the best results."
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"Strutter" was released in 1974. It was the third single from KISS' debut album but it failed to chart. It's one of the few KISS songs written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley together.
