Bob Kulick Reveals His KISS Character

Interview by Avril Savoie
Story by Dan Savoie

Exclusive to Rockstar Weekly

Bob Kulick is an American guitarist (best known for his studio work with Kiss) and Grammy Award-winning record producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he is the older brother of former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, and was the one to suggest Kiss hire him. He has worked with so many iconic artists that it seems appropriate that a book will be written about those experiences and the life of the gifted musician. He’s currently working on it now, as he revealed in a tell-all, no-holds-bared interview with RockStar Weekly. Bob put any rumors to rest and let his hair down, so to speak.

For those who may not know Bob Kulick’s work, he actually dates to the Jimmy Hendrix days, where he was rumored to have given the guitar legend a string. See our interview below to see if the rumor is true.

Kulick took a chance back in 1973 and auditioned for the lead guitar spot in a new band called KISS. The band, then Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss, loved everything about Bob’s sound, but it was the glitzier Ace Frehley who got the gig.

“I got a call about two weeks later,” Kulick recalls. “ They told me that the guy who came in after me got it. They liked his look, his vibe and his personality and that was more of what they were looking for.”

“They were a band about makeup and I would have done it if I got the job. It wasn’t until they made it that I went… Ahhh you idiot!”

Ming from Flash Gordon

So if Kulick was the chosen member of KISS rather than Ace Frehley, he revealed that his character would have been similar to Ming The Merciless from Flash Gordon. KISS then would have been the demon, the starchild, the cat and the Ming!

Kulick has some fond memories of many of the people he worked with, but admitted that Diana Ross, with whom he played lead on the hit Why Do Fools Fall In Love, is not one of his favorite people.

He has played (uncredited) on three Kiss albums, being Alive II (three of the five studio tracks), Killers (all four new studio tracks) and some minimal work on the following Creatures of the Night (from the same sessions he did the tracks on "Killers"). He also played (credited) on Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album and on his 1989 solo tour.

Bob was involved with a project called Skull, releasing one album, No Bones About It, in 1991. Bruce Kulick co-wrote one song and appeared as a guest guitarist on another track. In 1996 he released Murderer's Row with his band of the same name. This group included David Glen Eisley of "Giuffria" and "Dirty White Boy" on vocals.

Bob Kulick has been a member of the Neverland Express, Meat Loaf's touring band, on and off for years, and has appeared on several Meat Loaf albums, most notably on 1984's "Bad Attitude". He also formed a band called Balance, with Peppy Castro, formerly of the Blues Magoos and Doug Katsaros, multi-platinum recording arranger and Broadway conductor. Balance had modest chart success in the early 1980s. Kulick has served in various side projects such as Blackthorne and Observation Balloon. He also produced Motörhead's Grammy Award-Winning Song, "Whiplash" - 2004's Best Metal Performance, produced and played guitar on the theme for WWE wrestler, Triple H and has earned 11 Platinum or Gold records working with Kiss and Diana Ross.

In addition, Kulick played on the W.A.S.P. albums The Crimson Idol and Still Not Black Enough. He was only involved with the studio work and never toured with W.A.S.P. or became a member of the band.

He has produced or co-produced countless tribute albums with heavy metal artists and has appeared on several albums as a studio or guest guitarist.

RockStar Weekly thanks Bob for taking the time to remember these great stories. We look forward to his incredible story in an incredible book.

Listen to the entire interview below:

As a guitar player, you’ve played with some of the best and most famous bands and artists in the world. How does one man get to be so lucky to have a career like that?

Do you attribute some of your success to your cool rock guitar sound or is it the ability to adapt that got you all those jobs?

What is the guitar and amp formula that makes up your sound?

Even though you’re a rock icon, you do other things as well. Your IMDB profile shows that you’ve done a couple film soundtracks and a bunch of music for some fitness videos. Is it good to take a departure from the rock thing ever now and then?

Although the majority of the public will know you as a guitarist, you are an accomplished producer, even winning a Grammy Award. What inspired the move to production? Try to recall your thoughts when they announced Motorhead Whiplash as the winner of the Grammy for Best Metal Performance?

Weren't you shocked at all when they told you they won?

I heard Lemmy was a bit upset that it was never given out on the actual awards broadcast.

What got you involved in producing tribute albums?

Of the 11 gold or platinum awards you’re received, which was the most satisfying?

I’m going to mention some artists and I’d like you to comment and pass on some memories of working with them:

Meat Loaf

Alice Cooper

Diana Ross

Michael Bolton

Lou Reed

Mark Farner

WASP

Motorhead

Doro

Dave Grohl

Ronnie James Dio

KISS

It’s been well documented in the KISStory books that you were being considered the choice for guitarist until Ace walked in. What do you remember from those days?

Bruce always gets asked, but I don’t know if you’ve ever been. If you were chosen for KISS, what do you think your character would have been?

What happened that led to you suggesting Bruce take over the KISS guitar slot?

Would you have ever considered it yourself?

You released a DVD with Bruce called KISS Forever. Was that the first instructional video you’ve ever done?

The WWE used some of your work. How was that experience?

What are you working on now?

Will we ever see you in a live concert situation again?

I read a story about you giving Jimi Hendrix an e-string. Could you explain that?

Did Jimi ever jam with you or offer advice?

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