I think what's interesting about that video is that it exists in the first place. It seems to have been filmed at the same time as the Hard Luck Woman video. I wonder if this song originally was originally meant to be a single. Interestingly, there is no video for Dr. Love which is the only other single from the album besides HLW.
I found this on the subject. David Letterman - David Letterman's Drummer Was A Member Of Kiss For A Night by WENN | 30 July 2014 David Letterman, Ed Sullivan Theatre The drummer for U.S. chat show David Letterman's house band was once a member of Kiss for a night. Revered session musician Anton Fig, who had played on two Kiss albums as well as guitarist Ace Frehley's debut solo record, was initially drafted in to replace Peter Criss in 1980, but he was dismissed hours later when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decided to go in a different direction. Frehley recalls, "We were looking for a new drummer and we auditioned about a dozen drummers, including Eric Carr. I called up Paul and Gene, because I had been working with Anton on my solo record, and I said, 'Why don't we get Anton Fig to play drums?' and they both agreed. "So I called up Anton and said, 'You're in the band'. He was thrilled. He couldn't sleep all night. The next day, Paul and Gene calls (sic) me and says, 'You know what, I don't think Anton's a good choice'. So I had to do the dirty work and call Anton and say, 'Sorry, Anton, you're not in the band'. He was elated and then he was let down." Criss officially left Kiss in May, 1980, prompting the band to postpone a European tour. He was replaced by Eric Carr. Did KISS ever ask you to join the band for a full-time member, I mean, did you have a serious discussion from the subject ever? Anton Fig: Well… Ace took me out for dinner one night and asked me if I wanted into it. At the time I had this band with the Aucoin Management (Spider). We had a song in the top 40. So I thought about it for a little bit and then I said I feel like I should stay with my band because it looked like it would break it too you know…maybe not as big as Kiss but that it could break. Then what I heard was that Gene and Paul didn’t like the idea of me and Ace being like a group together so they kind of took away the offer if you know what I mean. But as far as I’m concerned, they did ask me, and I did say no.
Spider was a really good band and I can see how at that point that would have seemed a better bet. I can't blame him for turning them down.
I can see Fig thinking Spider was a better bet than KISS at the time. KISS was decidedly unhip and struggling during the time he was considered for a slot in the band.
My feeling is that if Gene and Paul wanted Anton then Anton would have been in KISS. To be honest I've never even heard of Spider so I have no idea where they were in their career at that point but regardless I still think Anton would have defected. Unless of course he suspected The Elder was coming next, then...... I mean, I love The Elder more than a lot of KISS records, but anybody could have told Gene and Paul (and Bill Aucoin and Bob Ezrin) that after Dynasty and Unmasked, The Elder was a terrible decision.
Yeah and it's funny how closely her version follows this. Right down to the vocal inflections. Like on the 'should I' part. btw, the keyboard player in that video, and co-writer of that song, is Holly Knight. Another Spider/KISS connection since she later did some writing with Paul. eta: and she plays on Unmasked
I like Love 'Em And Leave 'Em quite a bit, a solid start to Side 2! I actually like Peter's drumming on it, somehow odd but it works well with the bass. The guitars are edgy and sound great... The choruses are perhaps a little repetitive but then Ace takes the song to the stratosphere with yet another amazing solo! Definitely cringeworthy lyricwise but Gene's delivery is nonetheless rather convincing. Overall, not the best song on the album but provided with all the ingredients that make it one of their very best! That Rock And Roll Over energy is in there intact.
"Love 'Em And Leave 'Em", never really stood out for me from the album. Dunno, why but it feels maybe a bit bland track. Not sure why they did pick this song for video, if it was only for song that needed to be sung by Gene then they could have had a better choice. Good funky beats, Peter's groove and Ace's solo are things that I like the most. Ace saves the day again. Ace was a some serious machine delivering those nice solos and licks. Next...
LOVE 'EM AND LEAVE' EM It has me at the start, Gene sounds convinced he's onto something and I'm with him, as out of the gate it's got a cool strut riff thing going on and there's some real energy behind it. The chorus ?....... well it's not really bad, but it ends up being killed by repetition, with the end result sounding uninspired. I count 23 repetitions of the song title throughout the whole thing ! Ace shows up and gives proceedings a little bit of a kick in the pants, but that really isn't enough to get it above average. I'm pretty sure there's a great song in here somewhere, but our boys seemed to stop looking for it once they reached the chorus.
Yes...something like Get All You Can Take would be better if he wasn't showboating. That said, hearing that he did a lot of those songs IN ONE TAKE is damn impressive.
Baby Driver "Push that pedal to the floor!" Hot damn...I may be one of Peter's harsher critics, but damn this is a great song. As a kid I even requested it and got it played on the radio! And can I add that I think this is one of Gene's finest bass performances and sound? Plus Ace doing those bends (with Paul?) at the end are just killer.
LOVE ‘EM AND LEAVE ‘EM Well here is the clunker for me. Not terrible, and not a track I'd skip, but certainly the weakest track on RNRO. It just sounds like Gene wrote this in 5 minutes or less and tossed it out there.
Curve read my mind on this track...I'll go one step further...like "Baby Driver", another dud on this album.
MR. SPEED 1976 (Stanley, Delaney) 3:19 Equal parts The Rolling Stones and Faces, Rock and Roll Over’s “Mr. Speed” written by Paul Stanley and Sean Delaney is a welcome change up from the dull cut before it “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em”. Just as “Love ‘Em” lulls you sleep with its monotonous chorus outro, “Mr. Speed” with it’s Richards/Wood inspired opening chords makes your ears perk up a bit. “Mr. Speed” is a mid tempo, fun time rocker that is characteristic of Paul Stanley’s material for this album (save “Hard Luck Woman” but more on that later). A highly melodic tune with some great background vocals starting at 0:41 (sounding almost very do-wop), “Mr. Speed” rumbles along with a great grooving bass line and an almost country/roots inspired lick on the guitar. It’s the guitar lick that gives off such a Faces/Stones vibe. A tune like this could easily be found on Sticky Fingers or Exile on Main Street or A Nod Is As Good As a Wink … to a Blind Horse. I particularly like Gene’s bass tone on this song. It’s got a real chunky flavor to it and moves along tastefully under the guitar riff. Ace puts in a well placed melodic lead ala Ron Wood or Mick Taylor at 1:56 (some Chuck Berry in there, too) and then the song is back to the main riff and Gene doing some Jack Bruce like riffs underneath. Again, I don’t hear anything very outstanding on the drums here, but, oh well. Stanley says the song’s lyrical content is about a guy that can pick up women really quickly and I quote “seeing those pick-ups reach their logical conclusion”. Right. That’s certainly a better angle than being called “Mr. Speed” for another reason in a sexual context (har har). Actually, not knowing this tune very well, I assumed the song was drug related, but that’s pretty off because it’s, well, KISS. I mean, think about it, how many tunes has the band done that encourage drug use or alcohol abuse? “Cold Gin” is one of the few songs that even broaches the subject. The song is, of course, loaded with sexual innuendo as are most KISS tunes. It doesn't hit you right in the face, because that probably wouldn’t have set well with the younger audience of which KISS was acquiring more and more of a following with. These were the days of the KISS Army after all. Not sure how much this was played in concert, if at all, during the 70’s. It, like a lot of other more deeper cuts, has been resurrected for the cruises and sets later in the band’s career.
I have always, always, always loved Mr. Speed. Look, this is one of the few times that lyrics be damned (because they make no sense) it's just so catchy and melodic that I don't care. The harmonies are incredible, and paired with Hard Luck Woman. is probably the closest KISS has come to country.
Umm, from the same album, from the same songwriter(s).... "put your hand in my pocket, grab onto my rocket" and "sittin' in the back, her head down in my lap" That's like saying Quentin Tarantino likes implied violence.
"Mr. Speed" -- speaking of Chuck Berry . . . Very nice, heavily Chuck-influenced riffing on this one. What strikes me most about this tune, though, isn't any music-theoretical details. It's rather the overall mood. It has such an easygoing, carefree, positive-vibe feel to it. It strikes me as a very southern California song, or at least a late spring or summer tune. "If the Beach Boys had been KISS instead, 'Mr. Speed' would have been their bread & butter." It's a subtle difference, really, to the normal attitude of a KISS song (and I'm speaking purely musically, by the way--this is no comment at all on the lyrics), but there's a difference in my opinion, and it's a unique tune in their catalog because of this.
Baby Driver - meh. Love 'em and Leave 'em - As previously stated, I always thought this was the album opener, and I quite liked it in that context. I still quite like it and my enjoyment was only enhanced by Gene's head moves in the video. Lyrically, between this and "Ladies' Room," it's almost as if Gene is trying to pre-brief his groupies. Mr. Speed - Now we're really talking. Paul Stanley gold. Great tune, ridiculous lyrics, great guitar sound, classic Ace lead work. This one really has everything you want - a classic KISS experience. Oh, and Paul vocals. It's just all here. One of my all-time favorite KISS tracks.
Mr. Speed is a very cool rocking song, and yet another co-write with Sean Delaney. One of the highlights on the album, like perhaps Magic Touch on Dynasty, Mr. Speed's got great harmonies going, great little guitar riffs and bass lines, and a quick, melodic solo that fits the song perfectly..... Paul's at the top of his powers and his vocals are superb on it. All in all, a very important, vital track on Side 2 of the album.
