Just what did Peter Criss play on?!
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mdmatt4ever
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i haven't read that site because i'm at work and it said access denied. what is the answer? according to paul and gene, criss played on every song on every KISS album until around love gun. it says so in the boxset. they actually give credit to the proper people who played on the album
rokk
Long Live =^.^=
I couldn't access the site at work is listed as Pornography
Well they do have a section on porn stars and their rock girls...
the story:
Musician Claims He Was A Stand-In Drummer For Peter Criss In KISS In The 70s
Posted by Jesse Capps | Date: Dec 20, 2007 | 2:31 pm
The leap from backup drummer for the heavy-metal rock band KISS to timpani player with the Moscow Ballet is, musically, beyond measure. But Jeff Thomas has made that giant stride with ease.
Some 30 years after doing a two-year stint as stand-in drummer for Peter Criss, Thomas, a 1967 graduate of McCaskey High School now living in Lititz, took off Friday to Niagara Falls, N.Y., to join the orchestra playing for the Moscow Ballet.
“I love to play ballet and opera,” Thomas said. “To me, there’s nothing in the world like it.”
A musician since he was a child at the old Mifflin Elementary School on Pearl Street, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Millersville State College — now Millersville University — and a Master’s degree in performance art from Manhattan School of Music.
And it was in New York that he launched his career.
“Being in New York City, you get all sorts of work, and that’s where I established myself as a timpanist and percussionist (orchestras) could trust,” Thomas said.
In a career that spans three decades, Thomas has played with organizations like the Metropolitan Opera, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Band and the American Ballet. He has struck the timpani, bells or xylophone for such famous conductors as Leonard Bernstein and Eugene Ormandy.
In the 1970s in London, he played under the direction of composer John Williams while recording the soundtrack for the first three “Star Wars” films.
Thomas has played in most of the world’s major cities, and has toured Europe. While in Italy, he played with an orchestra during a concert in the ancient Roman ruins at the Baths of Caraculla.
“We had a blast,” he said.
However, after every tour, Thomas said, “it was always good to come home.”
“When I come back to Lancaster County, it’s like a ton of weight has been lifted from my shoulders,” he said.
Not surprisingly, Thomas has dabbled in composing, and in 2000 won an award from the Julliard School of Music for “La Petit Nuages Soir de la Terra,” translated as “Evening Clouds of the Earth.”
“Or ground fog,” Thomas said.
Perhaps his most interesting gig, however, was with the heavy metal band KISS, as stand-in drummer for Peter Criss.
Criss, who struggled with alcoholism, Thomas said, sometimes was in no shape to perform. So the band held auditions for a back-up percussionist. Thomas, who was in New York at the time, auditioned and won the job.
“I had to be in place, made up and ready to go, just in case,” he said.
Being ready included donning a long, black wig, the outlandish clothes and intricate facial make-up that was KISS’ trademark prior to 1983.
On several of KISS’ late 1970s albums, those are Thomas’ drums being heard.
“There were many times I did play, and I played on a lot of their recordings,” he said. “They liked to record live performances. So when they knew they were recording, they made sure I was playing at that time because I was able to play without making a lot of mistakes.”
Thomas was not allowed to tell anyone about his job. The band did not want fans to know it wasn’t Criss, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley behind that face paint.
Thomas relishes the giddy memory of those days, but is also relieved that he didn’t get swallowed up by the madness.
“Fortunately, I didn’t get into all the debauchery that can take place in that environment, but I had a blast,” he said. “There’s nothing like just standing up and having a hundred thousand people cheer for you.”
Around 1980, KISS fired Criss and guitarist Stanley phoned Thomas at his Lititz home and asked him to go on the band’s Far East tour. Thomas turned it down.
“I had just gotten a day gig, and I had a new relationship, and I just couldn’t,” he said. “And I didn’t know if that was going to be a dead-end job, like a lot of musical jobs, or if it was going to keep on going. I was looking for a career.”
Thomas’s present gig with the Moscow Ballet happened while he was playing for the Harrisburg Opera’s performance of “The Magic Flute.” A representative of the Moscow Ballet heard him and asked if he’d like to play timpani in the orchestra. He instantly agreed.
Thomas will do four performances of “The Nutcracker Suite” in Niagara Falls, then have a few days off, before traveling to Baltimore for five more performances. Technically, his stint with the orchestra then ends, although he could be invited to remain with the tour for its performances of “Swan Lake” and “Cinderella.”
“I don’t know how long that would last,” he said.
So whether it’s accompanying Lancaster’s own New York opera star John Darrencamp, playing timpani for a ballet or banging the drums for KISS, Thomas is thoroughly in love with the life he has forged.
“To me it’s a blessing, because I’ve never wanted to do anything else,” he said. “And to be able to be recognized and to have artistic fulfillment, is very important to a musician.”
Musician Claims He Was A Stand-In Drummer For Peter Criss In KISS In The 70s
Posted by Jesse Capps | Date: Dec 20, 2007 | 2:31 pm
The leap from backup drummer for the heavy-metal rock band KISS to timpani player with the Moscow Ballet is, musically, beyond measure. But Jeff Thomas has made that giant stride with ease.
Some 30 years after doing a two-year stint as stand-in drummer for Peter Criss, Thomas, a 1967 graduate of McCaskey High School now living in Lititz, took off Friday to Niagara Falls, N.Y., to join the orchestra playing for the Moscow Ballet.
“I love to play ballet and opera,” Thomas said. “To me, there’s nothing in the world like it.”
A musician since he was a child at the old Mifflin Elementary School on Pearl Street, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Millersville State College — now Millersville University — and a Master’s degree in performance art from Manhattan School of Music.
And it was in New York that he launched his career.
“Being in New York City, you get all sorts of work, and that’s where I established myself as a timpanist and percussionist (orchestras) could trust,” Thomas said.
In a career that spans three decades, Thomas has played with organizations like the Metropolitan Opera, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Band and the American Ballet. He has struck the timpani, bells or xylophone for such famous conductors as Leonard Bernstein and Eugene Ormandy.
In the 1970s in London, he played under the direction of composer John Williams while recording the soundtrack for the first three “Star Wars” films.
Thomas has played in most of the world’s major cities, and has toured Europe. While in Italy, he played with an orchestra during a concert in the ancient Roman ruins at the Baths of Caraculla.
“We had a blast,” he said.
However, after every tour, Thomas said, “it was always good to come home.”
“When I come back to Lancaster County, it’s like a ton of weight has been lifted from my shoulders,” he said.
Not surprisingly, Thomas has dabbled in composing, and in 2000 won an award from the Julliard School of Music for “La Petit Nuages Soir de la Terra,” translated as “Evening Clouds of the Earth.”
“Or ground fog,” Thomas said.
Perhaps his most interesting gig, however, was with the heavy metal band KISS, as stand-in drummer for Peter Criss.
Criss, who struggled with alcoholism, Thomas said, sometimes was in no shape to perform. So the band held auditions for a back-up percussionist. Thomas, who was in New York at the time, auditioned and won the job.
“I had to be in place, made up and ready to go, just in case,” he said.
Being ready included donning a long, black wig, the outlandish clothes and intricate facial make-up that was KISS’ trademark prior to 1983.
On several of KISS’ late 1970s albums, those are Thomas’ drums being heard.
“There were many times I did play, and I played on a lot of their recordings,” he said. “They liked to record live performances. So when they knew they were recording, they made sure I was playing at that time because I was able to play without making a lot of mistakes.”
Thomas was not allowed to tell anyone about his job. The band did not want fans to know it wasn’t Criss, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley behind that face paint.
Thomas relishes the giddy memory of those days, but is also relieved that he didn’t get swallowed up by the madness.
“Fortunately, I didn’t get into all the debauchery that can take place in that environment, but I had a blast,” he said. “There’s nothing like just standing up and having a hundred thousand people cheer for you.”
Around 1980, KISS fired Criss and guitarist Stanley phoned Thomas at his Lititz home and asked him to go on the band’s Far East tour. Thomas turned it down.
“I had just gotten a day gig, and I had a new relationship, and I just couldn’t,” he said. “And I didn’t know if that was going to be a dead-end job, like a lot of musical jobs, or if it was going to keep on going. I was looking for a career.”
Thomas’s present gig with the Moscow Ballet happened while he was playing for the Harrisburg Opera’s performance of “The Magic Flute.” A representative of the Moscow Ballet heard him and asked if he’d like to play timpani in the orchestra. He instantly agreed.
Thomas will do four performances of “The Nutcracker Suite” in Niagara Falls, then have a few days off, before traveling to Baltimore for five more performances. Technically, his stint with the orchestra then ends, although he could be invited to remain with the tour for its performances of “Swan Lake” and “Cinderella.”
“I don’t know how long that would last,” he said.
So whether it’s accompanying Lancaster’s own New York opera star John Darrencamp, playing timpani for a ballet or banging the drums for KISS, Thomas is thoroughly in love with the life he has forged.
“To me it’s a blessing, because I’ve never wanted to do anything else,” he said. “And to be able to be recognized and to have artistic fulfillment, is very important to a musician.”
Psychonaut
God Of Emptiness
mdmatt4ever
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Not a fan KISS but dunno sounds too much like someone trying to get recognition for free out of the band IMO.
Now I'm gonna check the porn section Sixxi told about
NP: Sebastian Bach - 'By Your Side'
exactly, there are a few studio songs and live performances they had a stand in but not that many. all the KISS dvd performances are criss. like i said check the liner notes of the boxset. they tell you who plays on the songs and the few studio songs thats not criss they say its anton fig
EerieVon
Member
Some of the time you could hear the different style of drumming, and good recent example of that is the track "dreaming" off Psycho Circus, its so blatant its Eric Singer yet Criss was credited
mdmatt4ever
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honestly did he play on any of that album
if you listen to his style i think criss plays on 4 tracks on that album. i can tell for a fact he played on every song from self titled-destroyer. i'm a huge fan of his drumming. he had a unique style and was very talented when he wasn't messed up on drugs. after destroyer i think there are 11-16 songs someone else plays on until he left in the early 80's
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Life is full of priorities
Probably I wouldn't ever noticed if it wasn't for the filter on the job's server, I guess I have to be grateful with censorship NP: Cypher Seer - 'Awakening Day'
sumairetsu
Joker's Favorite
Having gone through the box set's liner notes, I can say that this guy isn't even listed on any of the songs of that period. There are a couple of demo recordings where the drummer is marked as unknown, but nothing regarding the albums. Anton Fig, drummer for the Late Show band, is pretty well known as having played the drums on the albums "Dynasty" (with the exception of the song "Dirty Livin'") and "Unmasked."
Peter's performances were limited on "Psycho Circus." Remember, he had just had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome (he's documented in the DVD "The Second Coming" icing his arms before the shows) and was still recovering at the time.
Peter's performances were limited on "Psycho Circus." Remember, he had just had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome (he's documented in the DVD "The Second Coming" icing his arms before the shows) and was still recovering at the time.
EerieVon
Member
Another thing about PC is alot of the guitar, solos, do not sound like Ace, they sound very much like Bruce Kulick. I have a feeling most of that album are the "good" tracks from the carnival of souls sessions
I think Bruce played 90% of the album, if not Tommy Thayer...
Drums on that record were handled by Kevin Valentine who played on the Doro album produced by Gene and also he played with Cinderella at one point... Now are they the good songs that didn't make Carnival of Sins? I think those are the tracks that didn't make it because they didn't fit the vibe of Carnival of Sins, as you know the KISS fans refer to that record as the grunge album...
mdmatt4ever
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carnival of sins? thats a motley crue tour. carnival of souls is a great KISS album though.
anyways i think the guy in that article is lying. paul and gene both said peter played on everything until love gun and gene said when ace missed a session for destroyer that was the first time someone outside of the original 4 kiss members played on a song that wasn't a demo version
Busted!!! I was listening to Motley at the time...
The guy could have lied, but then again Gene and Paul lied before about Peter and Ace until they were busted... Somewhere there is the truth. Not that it really matters anymore, the records in the 70's are king...
I do love the Hot in the Shade/Revenge line-up though...
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