Gene Simmons on The Apprentice

[winston]

I have not watched this show for a couple of seasons but did anyone catch the season opener for The Apprentice last night? Gene Simmons (from KISS) is the bomb. He is so business oriented and so well connected that his team just ran away with the first task. He has to be one of the coolest 70's Rock stars still living.

I could not tear myself away from the TV the show was that good.

[winston]

It would be my guess based on the apparent lack of interest in this topic that there aren't too many Kiss (or maybe Gene Simmons) fans on the forum.

That's too bad, because these guys are consumate businessmen and are worth studying. Even if you don't like their music they have a lot to offer in terms of ideas and experience to someone just starting out.

Back in the day when I was in the concert promotion business, I met the guys when we had them play in Vancouver for us. Even though their first album was just beginning to get airplay on FM stations their concert was sold out in no time flat. They were a lot of fun, but nowhere near as wild as one might think, they had their collective eye firmly focused on the business end of their show.

[ozover50]

The new series will probably not be shown here for a number of weeks, Brian, but I have enjoyed the few shows that I have been able to see from the earlier series. Seems like a very intelligent and switched-on fella!!

BTW...... I have to admit that I was never a fan of Kiss at all!

[rickenbrother]

I was a very big of Kiss until right after the "Rock N Roll Over: album. I still like their early stuff I'll have to catch The Apprentice starting next week I think Gene Simmons is pretty cool. I hope to meet him someday. I remember him being on a celebrity episode of "who Wants To Be A Millionaire". I know he's a pretty smart guy, so I expected him to to do much better than he did. He couldn't answer the "Pertaining to elephants, what is the meaning of Pachyderm" question. The answer was think skinned. I couldn't believe he missed that one!! He made it to $30,000.

There should be a few Kiss fans here. I know Darren is. I think Kenny likes Kiss also.

[alanz]

Didn't Gene and his team get fired last week?

[winston]

I did not get to watch the episode when Gene got fired but apparently (at least from what I have read) Gene would not offer up a sacrificial lamb and Trump reluctantly fired him. That's it for me. I won't watch the show at all now.

[phlemmy]

I love KISS up to the Animalize LP. Gene is the king of name recognition marketing. Every band I have been in since the 80s has taken direction in merchandising from Gene. Most of the money I ever made from playing music came from merch sales.

[rickfan63]

I was a huge KISS fan early on. They sort of lost me after they took the makeup off. When they put it back on I got interested again. Gene is a very underrated bass player IMHO. Alive I and II were as big an influence on me bass wise as Macca was at that time. Gene and Paul were all business when it came to the music. I wish some of the musicians I have worked with would have been as motivated. Unfortunately, most of them were more concerned about getting laid or wasted....or both, rather than getting paid well for their work. But that's another story.

[shamustwin]

Never a fan of KISS' bubblemetal.
But I will say GS is probably one of the best buisnessmen in rock, if not the entertainment industry.

[winston]

GS is probably one of the best buisnessmen in rock, if not the entertainment industry.

I agree.

[wints]

Quite possibly the worst band ever, but certainly one of the best marketing concepts.

GS understands this and has done very very well.

Overall, the Stones, who had been brilliantly handled by Prince Rupert zu Loewenstein for many, many years, still remain the band to which all others should aspire when it comes to making $$$$.

[winston]

Quite possibly the worst band ever, but certainly one of the best marketing concepts.

Wints,

Before I hasten to join you in your observation, I am reminded of an "Unplugged DVD" that I saw in 1995 or perhaps 1996. They were very good. Kiss fanatics will of course tell us that these guys are the best in the business.

[jimk]

Quite possibly the worst band ever, but certainly one of the best marketing concepts.

GS understands this and has done very very well.

I was never a big fan. My roommate during my 3rd year of college was a fan, however.


JimK

[wints]

Quite possibly the worst band ever, but certainly one of the best marketing concepts.

GS understands this and has done very very well.

I was never a big fan. My roommate during my 3rd year of college was a fan, however.


JimK

That pretty much sums it up. Teenage "Spot Rock"....

Just another subjective observation...

[wints]

And there was Gene, in one of my downtown haunts last night.

It's a funny old world....