15 Famous Musicians You Didn’t Know Played For KISS Record

Ever wondered if all the sounds you hear on a Kiss album were played by the band members themselves? Turns out, Kiss has a long history of using uncredited guest musicians to bring their albums to life. As Gene Simmons revealed in the band’s 2005 book Kiss: Behind the Mask, “Sometimes the instruments that you think are members of the band are not members of the band at all.” Over the years, many talented musicians have secretly contributed to Kiss records, leaving their mark without official recognition.

Let’s take a look at 15 such musicians who played a key role behind the scenes on some of Kiss’s most iconic albums.

Dick Wagner – Destroyer (1976), Revenge (1992)
Dick Wagner, a guitarist known for his work with Alice Cooper and Lou Reed, was called in by producer Bob Ezrin to play on Destroyer. He played guitar on tracks like “Beth,” “Flaming Youth,” and “Great Expectations,” as well as the solo on “Sweet Pain,” much to the displeasure of Ace Frehley. Wagner later returned to contribute the solo for “Every Time I Look at You” on 1992’s Revenge.

Jimmy Maelen – Love Gun (1977)
Percussionist Jimmy Maelen, who worked with artists like Peter Gabriel and David Bowie, brought an exotic flavor to Love Gun. His conga playing added a unique touch to the track “Almost Human,” showcasing how diverse Kiss’s sound could be with some outside help.

Ray Simpson of the Village People – Love Gun (1977)
Ray Simpson, who would later become famous as the lead singer of the Village People, provided backing vocals for the song “Tomorrow and Tonight” on Love Gun. Simpson’s connection to Kiss might be unexpected, but it adds another layer of intrigue to the band’s musical history.

Bob Kulick – Alive II (1977), Unmasked (1980), Killers (1982)
Bob Kulick auditioned for Kiss’s lead guitarist spot in 1972 but lost out to Ace Frehley. Despite this, he was invited back to play when Frehley was unavailable, recording new songs for Alive II and contributing to Unmasked and Killers. Kulick kept his involvement secret, saying, “It was important to me to keep my word.”

Anton Fig – Dynasty (1979), Unmasked (1980)
Drummer Anton Fig replaced Peter Criss on all but one song on Dynasty and played on every track of Unmasked. Fig was hired when Criss was recovering from a car accident and contributed heavily during a transitional period for the band. He later admitted he earned about $20,000 for the work, a tidy sum for 10 days of recording.

Holly Knight – Unmasked (1980)
Holly Knight, a talented keyboardist, contributed to Unmasked after meeting Gene Simmons at their manager’s office. Knight went on to have a successful career, co-writing hits for artists like Pat Benatar and Tina Turner. While her role in Unmasked may have been small, it was an important stepping stone in her career.

Allan Schwartzberg – Music From ‘The Elder’ (1981), Animalize (1984), Asylum (1985)
Allan Schwartzberg, a studio drummer with a massive resume, stepped in when new Kiss drummer Eric Carr struggled to capture the right feel for certain tracks on Music From ‘The Elder’. Schwartzberg also contributed overdubs on later albums Animalize and Asylum, helping to polish the final recordings.

Vinnie Vincent – Creatures of the Night (1982)
Ace Frehley had already quit the band by the time Creatures of the Night was recorded, but his face still appeared on the album cover. Vinnie Vincent was brought in to play guitar on six of the songs and co-wrote three tracks. He would later join the band officially, but his tenure was short-lived due to personal conflicts.

Steve Farris of Mr. Mister – Creatures of the Night (1982)
Steve Farris, best known for his work with the band Mr. Mister, auditioned for Kiss and played the guitar solo on “Creatures of the Night.” Though he didn’t get the job, his solo remained on the album, contributing to the heavy, powerful sound Kiss was going for at the time.

Mike Porcaro of Toto – Creatures of the Night (1982)
Toto bassist Mike Porcaro played bass on the title track of Creatures of the Night. His collaboration with Kiss was a brief but significant moment that shows how diverse the pool of talent was that contributed to the band’s recordings.

Robben Ford – Creatures of the Night (1982)
Jazz-fusion guitarist Robben Ford contributed solos to the tracks “I Still Love You” and “Rock and Roll Hell” on Creatures of the Night. He later described his time with Kiss as the “weirdest gig of his career” because it was so different from his usual jazz and fusion style.

Jimmy Haslip – Creatures of the Night (1982)
Jazz bassist Jimmy Haslip, known for his work with the band Blackjack, was called in to play bass on Creatures of the Night when Gene Simmons refused to record due to his breakup with Diana Ross. Haslip played alongside Steve Farris and other session musicians late one night to finish the album under a tight deadline.

Rick Derringer – Lick it Up (1983)
After officially joining the band, Vinnie Vincent wasn’t entirely in control of the guitar parts on Lick It Up. Rick Derringer replaced his solo on the track “Exciter” after Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decided it didn’t quite fit the song.

Bruce Kulick – Animalize (1984), Psycho Circus (1998)
Bruce Kulick stepped in to record guitar solos on two tracks from Animalize when Mark St. John couldn’t handle the pressure. Kulick would go on to become Kiss’s full-time lead guitarist for over a decade. He also played on five tracks of Psycho Circus, even though the original members had reunited by that time.

Jean Beauvoir – Animalize (1984), Asylum (1985)
Bassist Jean Beauvoir played on several songs from Animalize when Gene Simmons was focused on his acting career. Beauvoir also co-wrote and performed on singles from Asylum, including the hits “Who Wants to be Lonely” and “Uh! All Night.”