NEWS HEADLINES
March 30th -
 The demos I've been getting for my label, SIMMONS RECORDS have come in by the box full. I have gotten over 1,000 different submissions -- and that's in under a month. How many have interested me? None. There are a hand full of demos that show enormous promise. There is an artist with a song here and another artist with a song there. There is an artist with a flair/style of singing, without the songs. There is another artist with interesting instrumentation/arrangements/and production ...without good songs.
It's tough. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Thank you all for sending your stuff. I, personally listen to every single submittion.
 Met with our GENE SIMMONS TONGUE staff to review some preview layout pages of GS TONGUE #5 (which will not be coming out for a few weeks), but we already have: a ROBERT DUVALL interview, a BRUCE WILLIS short interview, ROBERT PLANT, an Eddie Kramer Rock Fotog Gallery from his archives, SNOOP DOGG (cover and interview), JULIO IGLESIAS JR., some of our Ladies In Waiting from GeneSimmons.Com will be featured and tons more.
Again, thanks to you, our magazine is a MONSTER.
March 27th -
Today was a full day -- starting with one meeting after another. Bankers. Investment people. Film. Television. Licensing. A big day.
 But just when I thought it couldn't get any fuller, I drove an hour outside of LA to join my staff and five beautiful girls (who are also friends -- girl-friends) to shoot SNOOP DOGG for our GENE SIMMONS TONGUE #5 cover.
This one is off in the distance, because issue #4 just hit the streets. Snoop couldn't have been more gracious. We went to his house and spent hours shooting him. I teamed up with Snoop and the girls for some shots and then....
...Snoop had me put him in KISS makeup!!!
We'll show you a sneak of our foto shoot in the near future.
Our thanks to the crew of NBC's EXTRA for showing up and to MTV for covering the event.
Gene, this was in today's Birmingham news.
Thought you might like to see it
Love you.
Linda
March 26th -
 Thank you all for making our new GENE SIMMONS TONGUE issue #4 a smash.
It's too early to really tell, but the first indications are that the issues are flying off the newsstands. Amazing!!!
We work really hard at giving you the kind of magazine we think you want to read and want you to send us your mail for publication...fotos welcome...all material sent becomes the property of GS TONGUE. You can e mail us here, or at GENE SIMMONS TONGUE.COM...
New letters posted...
"...another kind of "war related" protest is occuring-the ban of the Dixie Chicks."
"In BOTH movies there is mention of KISS..."
"I could've sworn I read somewhere that you don't have any tattoos..."
"I've herd many rumors that kiss may get back together."
March 21st -
Our Gene Simmons TONGUE PARTY was a blast. It was filled with wall to wall people -- beautiful girls (what we do without them?) and lots of wolves after them, present party included. DWIGHT YOAKUM came by for a chat and a good time was had by all.
Tomorrow, I am on my way to interview SNOOP DOGG for a possible next issue cover. Stay tuned.
March 20th -
Spent most of yesterday reading the forthcoming SEX MONEY KISS book I wrote for SIMMONS AUDIO/New Millennium. It will be released on the same date as the book version (Simmons Books/New Millennium)...Yes, I like to see my name up in lights. Don't you? Both book and audio book will see the light of day at the end of June.
Also included in the book (which will come in a *special* lunch box design) will be two unreleased demos I wrote - EVERYBODY KNOWS and YOU'RE MY REASON FOR LIVING.
Look for it.
March 17th -
 Just got back from our Vegas Show. Thanks to the diehards who braved the trek. I know the Palms Hotel at times seemed like a madhouse, but everyone seemed to be having a ball...and that includes the band. KISS in a confined area is like trying to keep a tiger in your living room. We had to exclude all our effects, hydraulics and fireworks and strip everything down to the basics: music.
It was very powerful to hear everyone singing along to our toons. It certainly effected the band.
And, there were more beautiful girls per square inch than most avowed heterosexual males can bear. Myself included.
On a sidenote, it should be mentioned that the band literally did a show in Yokahama, Japan the previous night, flew into LA, connected to Vegas and got up on stage to do our show that night. That's after having flown for 14 hours.
The concert sold out in under a minute!!! If you weren't there (and most of you weren't), I can tell you it's going to be one of our lasting memories.
Fans who checked into the hotel, were given KISS room keys. And for those who wanted 'em, there were KISS GAMBLING CHIPS. Yes. We do it all.
I had a chance to see the bluepages (a mock up) of my upcoming book, SEX MONEY KISS (no commas). It's going to be the debut release on my imprint, SIMMONS BOOKS (New Millennium). It will be released sometime in June. Look for it.
Over the weekend, I'll be reading SEX MONEY KISS for SIMMONS AUDIO (New Millennium) -- my talking books imprint. In the future, we may have celebs reading other books for the imprint.
While in Vegas, I had a chance to meet my joint venture partners in SIMMONS RECORDS (Sanctuary). We tossed around a lot of quirky ideas and I have to say it feels good to be surrounded by creative people who think "outside the box." We talked about some of the new artists who will be appearing on the label, promotional plans and so on.
We also reviewed some of my plans for a GENE SIMMONS SOLO RECORD. The record will not be recorded and released until sometime in the new year. But, I can tell you, I'm about as excited as I've ever been. For those of you who will be e mailing to find out info about the kind of record it's going to be, or what it's going to look like -- wait 'n see.
And, the daily grind of making sure our upcoming GENE SIMMONS TONGUE #4 PARTY preparations are going smoothly consumes what little time I have left in the day. But, it's a lot of fun, don't kid yourself. We will be covering the party with fotogs for a future issue. The rsvp list is impressive. So are the girls.
 Being a comic books fan, I have to say it was a kick to see the birth of MR. SPEED, a character I created in the new issue of KISS COMICS (Dark Horse). Go to your local comic book store (you know, the one down the block that has thousands of comic books) and pick up the series. Upcoming, in the pages of KISS COMICS is another character I created: CHRISTINE 16. She's the 16th in a line of androids. She turned out well. The other 15, however, are bad. Real bad.
SIMMONS RECORDS is off and running. I have received literally thousands of demos. I listen to every one. But, I listen brutally...the same way you channel surf. If it doesn't grab you in a few seconds, you could care less. The strong parts of most of the demos is the presentation. The fotos, bio and actual recording of the demos is quite good. What's missing, almost without exception, is real talent.
That's a tough thing to tell someone.
Which is why the rules of the land are simple: If you send me a demo, move on with your life. Don't send me messages asking me what I thought. I will not reply. If I'm interested, I'll call you. If I'm not, I won't. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to have a one on one with you about your band. But, thanks to all for being nice enough to send me your stuff. It's appreciated and I keep all the demos in a file. They are NOT thrown out. So, keep sending 'em.
New letters posted...
"The Symphony show was unbelievable."
"I am sitting in my room at the Palms..."
"It's America, and everyone has the right to their opinion......"
"Gene, is it true that you saved Ace Frehley from drowning in the 70's ???"
March 11th -
 Well. What can I say? We're having a ball on tour. The KISS SYMPHONY was a success of A lifetime. We all loved being a part of it and apparently, from press, as well as fan reaction, it couldn't have gone better.
More news about the Symphony on KISSONLINE.COM.
While we were in Melbourne, we caught the Rolling Stones and, as usual, the impact of over four decades of classic music is undeniable.
 We went to see them again here in Tokyo. They were playing the night before our 3 sold out nights at the Budokan. I have to say the Japanese audience was great. And the boys never sounded better.
While here, I've been having meetings with Square Entertainment, the creators of FINAL FANTASY about a few KISS projects. More news as it develops.
ALso, scheduled more meeting about our long in the works KISS CARTOON series.
And, met Miss Universe Japan, who I will interview and fotograph for GS TONGUE #5.
Meanwhile, our GS TONGUE ISSUE FOUR PARTY is being held at the Key Club in LA on the 20th. The invite list is very limited, sorry to say.
A lot of other developments, but until they get closer to reality, will hold off on commenting. People assume that "develop" is the same thing as "fact." It's not. Try to imagine you're trying to hit the bullseye. Just because you have the chance to shoot, doesn't mean you'll hit the mark. But, of course, the age old addage is true: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
That's what I do.
New letters posted...
"...her criminology class teaches that the band KISS's name stands for Knight's/Kids In Satan's Service."
"Are there any quirks and/or habits you don't like in a woman?"
"Why such a small venue?"
New Lady in Waiting!
March 2nd -
My apologies for not posting news until now, but I have been swamped with all the KISS activity here in Australia, not the least of which was the KISS SYMPHONY.
To be short, the event was a spectacle. The fans loved it. The band loved it. A grand time was had by all. The reviews are over the moon about the event. Every newspaper over here had cover stories about the event.
For more info, log onto the only authorized KISS site ...KISSONLINE.COM.
 March 20th -- the KEY CLUB in Los Angeles will host the GENE SIMMONS TONGUE issue #4 PARTY. Our cover story is Jack Nicholsen ("You Don't Know Jack") with lots of cool people, and beautiful girls. Truckloads of 'em. And, Travis Tritt and Marvel"s Avi Arrad talking about the Hulk and Daredevil and on and on.
I also did a phoner just now with our editor Dee Mclaughlin about the day by day, blow by blow of our Symphony for GS Tongue #5.
While in Melbourne, we got a chance to go see the ROLLING STONES at the smaller Arena here (they played 3 nights) and went backstage with Paul to say hello to Keith Richards and Ron Wood. The Stones worked hard and put on a great show. They are an inspiration. A band that has been around longer (43 years) than KISS is a band I respect. We've been doing this for 30 years and pride ourselves on getting up there every night, and giving it our all. It's great to see the Stones up there as a shining example that passion has no bounds.
Also talking with Keith and Ron and maybe some of the other Stones about being in our GS Tongue magazine.
They will be playing the night before us at Tokyo's Budokan. We then follow them with three sold out nights at the same facility. While there, we may do an article and photo session for our magazine.
SIMMONS BOOKS/New Millennium debut release will be SEX MONEY KISS by myself. It will hit the bookstores sometime in April/May. I had a ball writing it and from the responses I have been getting (from people I've sneaked the book to), the results may be to your liking. My lawyer, for one, said he found himself laughing out loud at certain sections.
SIMMONS AUDIO/New Millennium, the talking books division, will also release the spoken word version of the books sometime around the same time. I'll be reading the book once I return from our Japanese concert dates.
Again, I remind myself often and want to remind you as well, that you make everything I do possible. I appreciate that you're out there and respect the relationship we have -- honest, no bull. It's the only way we can be with each other and I value our dialog.
Want an example of what I mean? Check out our Letters section.
New Lady in Waiting!
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