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Rockpages.gr: You were one of the ghost musicians that played on KISS Creatures of the Night. Would you like to tell us a few things about it?
Jimmy Haslip: Sure actually, the whole story is funny! I had just returned home after a long day in the studio rehearsing, recording etc .dont ask me what I was recording because after all these years its all a blur to me (laughs). It was summer of 1982 and I was preparing something to eat in my kitchen. It was 11 o clock in the night when the phone rang and although I was surprised to receive a phone call at such a late time of the day, I picked it up and it was Michael James Jackson (ed. note: Producer of Creatures of the Night). He sounded really desperate and he said to me that he had a deadline to have the album ready in about three days and Gene Simmons refused to play his bass parts because he had just broke up with Diana Ross and he wasnt in a mood for that stuff! He asked me if I would be interested in coming by the studio and lay down some bass tracks for the album. I said yes and remember that I had just returned from another studio picked up my bass and some other stuff and off I went to my car for a 15-minute drive to Record Plant Studios. When I entered the studio at about 12 midnight they were all there Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Vinnie Vincent in another room was Eric Carr with Steve Ferris and I think there was also Bob Kulick in there. I think that every single person who was in the studio that night was used by KISS for a recording session (laughs)!
Rockpages.gr: Do you remember on which songs you played?
Jimmy Haslip: I played on 5 songs and everytime I get asked on which one I only remember Danger. I am pretty sure, though, that I played bass on 5 songs.
Rockpages.gr: Maybe, the fact that at this specific night Steve Ferris was also there, there is a chance that you could have played on the title track
Jimmy Haslip: Thats a fair assessment. I cant really tell Do you know that my friend Robben Ford played guitar on Creatures ?
Rockpages.gr: Of course. After all, it seems that every musician in the world played in there apart from Ace Frehley who is featured on the cover sleeve!
Jimmy Haslip: (laughs) Yeah, you are right! Lets see what else I remember from that day I vividly remember recording my bass parts and Gene Simmons was sitting on a chair in front of me and he was pushing me to play better and better! It was funny to play bass for KISS and the bassist of KISS to b ethere and instruct me on my style of bass playing! I must tell you that it was an honour for me to be a part of a KISS album, as I was a big fan of theirs since the mid-70s. As a matter of fact, they send me a few years ago a platinum record for it
Rockpages.gr: Wasnt it a gold record? Officially Creatures is not certified platinum by RIIA
Jimmy Haslip: Yeah, you are right! It is one of those awards that I havent had the chance to put them out of their box theyre stuck in the middle of my office and my wife always tells me to put them in some place in order to make some space in the office.
Rockpages.gr: After that collaboration with KISS, did you have the chance to meet again Paul and Gene?
Jimmy Haslip: Yes. A few months ago, I was in Los Angeles for business and I went to this studio where I saw Gene Simmons speaking in his cell phone. I waved hello and he nodded like he didnt recognize me at least thats the impression that he gave me then after a while and while I was walking down the corridor there came Paul Stanley! He said something like: Hey, I know you! You are one of the guys who played on Creatures (laughs)! He had recognized me even though 25 years had passed by and I had shaved my moustache.
Rockpages.gr: Do you know what they were doing in the studio? I am asking you because KISS and studio dont go hand in hand nowadays.
Jimmy Haslip: Yeah, I know I asked Paul about it and he told me that they were re-recording some songs from their back catalogue so as to have the rights themselves and not the record label.
Rockpages.gr: You mean that the current line-up re-records classic KISS songs?
Jimmy Haslip: Thats what I figured.
Rockpages.gr: I cant say that I am thrilled with the idea, if it is true, of course
Jimmy Haslip: I know perfectly what you mean. But if you think about it, its about money that the record company gets and gives back to the artist some few bucks. The label gets the lions share but I know how the fans feel Maybe, they will use them in a collection or something maybe they wont use them at all. Who knows?
Rockpages.gr: You were one of the ghost musicians that played on KISS Creatures of the Night. Would you like to tell us a few things about it?
Jimmy Haslip: Sure actually, the whole story is funny! I had just returned home after a long day in the studio rehearsing, recording etc .dont ask me what I was recording because after all these years its all a blur to me (laughs). It was summer of 1982 and I was preparing something to eat in my kitchen. It was 11 o clock in the night when the phone rang and although I was surprised to receive a phone call at such a late time of the day, I picked it up and it was Michael James Jackson (ed. note: Producer of Creatures of the Night). He sounded really desperate and he said to me that he had a deadline to have the album ready in about three days and Gene Simmons refused to play his bass parts because he had just broke up with Diana Ross and he wasnt in a mood for that stuff! He asked me if I would be interested in coming by the studio and lay down some bass tracks for the album. I said yes and remember that I had just returned from another studio picked up my bass and some other stuff and off I went to my car for a 15-minute drive to Record Plant Studios. When I entered the studio at about 12 midnight they were all there Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Vinnie Vincent in another room was Eric Carr with Steve Ferris and I think there was also Bob Kulick in there. I think that every single person who was in the studio that night was used by KISS for a recording session (laughs)!
Rockpages.gr: Do you remember on which songs you played?
Jimmy Haslip: I played on 5 songs and everytime I get asked on which one I only remember Danger. I am pretty sure, though, that I played bass on 5 songs.
Rockpages.gr: Maybe, the fact that at this specific night Steve Ferris was also there, there is a chance that you could have played on the title track
Jimmy Haslip: Thats a fair assessment. I cant really tell Do you know that my friend Robben Ford played guitar on Creatures ?
Rockpages.gr: Of course. After all, it seems that every musician in the world played in there apart from Ace Frehley who is featured on the cover sleeve!
Jimmy Haslip: (laughs) Yeah, you are right! Lets see what else I remember from that day I vividly remember recording my bass parts and Gene Simmons was sitting on a chair in front of me and he was pushing me to play better and better! It was funny to play bass for KISS and the bassist of KISS to b ethere and instruct me on my style of bass playing! I must tell you that it was an honour for me to be a part of a KISS album, as I was a big fan of theirs since the mid-70s. As a matter of fact, they send me a few years ago a platinum record for it
Rockpages.gr: Wasnt it a gold record? Officially Creatures is not certified platinum by RIIA
Jimmy Haslip: Yeah, you are right! It is one of those awards that I havent had the chance to put them out of their box theyre stuck in the middle of my office and my wife always tells me to put them in some place in order to make some space in the office.
Rockpages.gr: After that collaboration with KISS, did you have the chance to meet again Paul and Gene?
Jimmy Haslip: Yes. A few months ago, I was in Los Angeles for business and I went to this studio where I saw Gene Simmons speaking in his cell phone. I waved hello and he nodded like he didnt recognize me at least thats the impression that he gave me then after a while and while I was walking down the corridor there came Paul Stanley! He said something like: Hey, I know you! You are one of the guys who played on Creatures (laughs)! He had recognized me even though 25 years had passed by and I had shaved my moustache.
Rockpages.gr: Do you know what they were doing in the studio? I am asking you because KISS and studio dont go hand in hand nowadays.
Jimmy Haslip: Yeah, I know I asked Paul about it and he told me that they were re-recording some songs from their back catalogue so as to have the rights themselves and not the record label.
Rockpages.gr: You mean that the current line-up re-records classic KISS songs?
Jimmy Haslip: Thats what I figured.
Rockpages.gr: I cant say that I am thrilled with the idea, if it is true, of course
Jimmy Haslip: I know perfectly what you mean. But if you think about it, its about money that the record company gets and gives back to the artist some few bucks. The label gets the lions share but I know how the fans feel Maybe, they will use them in a collection or something maybe they wont use them at all. Who knows?
Yeah... right...
