“This is the historically inaccurate tale of the song’s inspiration."
May 4, 2013 12:37 PM   Subscribe

 
That's a ton of careful hard well done work for what seems like a simple joke. I admit I'm pleased to live in a world where someone will go to that much trouble on accounta just cause.
posted by cccorlew at 1:31 PM on May 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


The original video.
posted by birdherder at 1:38 PM on May 4, 2013


The original video.
posted by birdherder at 4:38 PM on May 4


"It's a classic movie... classic movie if you're on drugs..." ~Gene Simmons
posted by peagood at 2:29 PM on May 4, 2013


I love the detail on the set of their home - the phone alone, and how she used it, made me laugh.

Our nine year old daughter became a huge KISS fan over this past year, and our Sunday afternoon drives to visit her Grandfather are just long enough for a listen to Destroyer. We have made up backstories and scripts to go with every song, and this is not too far off what she envisioned as being what happened with Beth. She likes to think that the Cat snuck it in there while the Demon was out of the studio because the God of Thunder and singer of Great Expectations would never allow an uncool love song on the album otherwise. And so of course that's why she is extra-gleeful that their highest-charting, award-winning single , and is even amused by the following trivia:


For the Kiss Unplugged album and music video, the original Kiss lineup performed a version of "Beth" that featured Peter Criss on vocals, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley on acoustic guitars, and Gene Simmons on acoustic bass guitar. However, they had to be taught the guitar version of the song by then-current lead guitarist Bruce Kulick since none of them, said Stanley, knew how to play it properly. The performance received a rousing standing ovation.

Paul Stanley can be seen plucking part of the song's melody on an acoustic guitar as Criss sings in the Kiss film, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. However, this is the only time Criss' natural voice was heard in the film. A voice actor overdubbed his dialogue.


And every time mrgood's band is in the studio, and he calls home, we pretty well play this exact scenario out, except that I just want him to bring home some milk (and he's the bass player...)
posted by peagood at 2:45 PM on May 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


the phone alone, and how she used it

Yes! The way she put it down then ran around the counter while waiting for him to answer was perfect.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:58 PM on May 4, 2013 [3 favorites]


She's a hard luck woman, but looks hotter than hell.
posted by davebush at 3:36 PM on May 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


This was great, I loved the attention to detail. Will be forwarding this to some friends.
posted by arcticseal at 4:58 PM on May 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


The actual official background of "Beth," per Wikipedia, is that it was written before Kiss was even a thing, while Peter Criss was drumming in a band called Chelsea with a guy named Stan Penridge, who wrote the song, which was originally addressed to someone named Beck, who was the wife of the other guy in Chelsea, Mike Brand, and who often called him during band practices to see when he'd be home.

So, basically, plot-wise, this video isn't really all that historically inaccurate. Just the people are wrong.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:42 PM on May 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


(Oh, and Peter Criss's wife at the time was named Lydia.)
posted by Sys Rq at 5:50 PM on May 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


mrgood watched it again and pointed out that Gene Simmons wasn't using that bass at that time. Nothing makes him happier than finding inaccuracies like that.
posted by peagood at 7:16 PM on May 5, 2013


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