On 18. July, 1979, ABC’s news program “20/20” filmed interviews and parts of Kiss’ concert at the Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland, Ohio, for a feature that aired on 16. August, 1979. At the height of the “Dynasty” era, the report offered viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the band, combining backstage interviews, live concert footage, and an inside examination of Kiss’ rapidly growing merchandising empire.
Rather than focusing solely on the music, the segment explored how Kiss had become one of the most successful commercial brands in the entertainment industry. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss were interviewed backstage before the show, providing a glimpse of their personalities away from the stage, while longtime manager Bill Aucoin explained how the band had evolved into an international marketing phenomenon. The feature also examined the importance of the band’s trademark makeup and image, as well as the unprecedented success of Kiss merchandise.
ABC also interviewed young fans and collectors, showcasing extensive collections of Kiss dolls, comic books, lunch boxes, trading cards, posters, and other licensed products. By 1979, merchandising had become one of the band’s most significant sources of revenue, making Kiss one of the first rock acts to be profiled by a major television news program as both musicians and a multimillion-dollar business enterprise.
The “20/20” report remains one of the most comprehensive contemporary television documentaries of the original lineup during its commercial peak and one of the final major network television profiles of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss before the lineup began to change the following year.
This concert at the Richfield Coliseum was the only known performance of “Makin’ Love” on this tour. This was also the last performance of Peter Criss’ solo album song “Tossin’ & Turnin”.
C. K. Lendt:
“Despite the fact that the tour was losing money hand over fist, Dynasty, the recently released Kiss album, was a big hit, reaching #9 in Billboard. A single from the album, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” was tearing up the charts. Kiss had shrewdly calculated that a song with a disco beat—1979 was the year the disco craze peaked—would be their ticket to getting airplay and moving up the charts. It would also help ticket sales. At the very least, Dynasty helped cushion the blow from a tour that had become unhinged, and helped to keep the group’s spirits up. In August, Kiss received another boost when they were featured in a profile on the ABC News program 20/20. The focus was on the big business impact of Kiss—expecting to do gross retail business of $100 million that year. Inflated sales figures were always a key element of the Kiss hype.”
– “Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup” by C. K. Lendt.
On 18. July, 1979, ABC’s news program “20/20” filmed interviews and parts of Kiss’ concert at the Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland, Ohio, for a feature that aired on 16. August, 1979. At the height of the “Dynasty” era, the report offered viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the band, combining backstage interviews, live concert footage, and an inside examination of Kiss’ rapidly growing merchandising empire.
Rather than focusing solely on the music, the segment explored how Kiss had become one of the most successful commercial brands in the entertainment industry. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss were interviewed backstage before the show, providing a glimpse of their personalities away from the stage, while longtime manager Bill Aucoin explained how the band had evolved into an international marketing phenomenon. The feature also examined the importance of the band’s trademark makeup and image, as well as the unprecedented success of Kiss merchandise.
ABC also interviewed young fans and collectors, showcasing extensive collections of Kiss dolls, comic books, lunch boxes, trading cards, posters, and other licensed products. By 1979, merchandising had become one of the band’s most significant sources of revenue, making Kiss one of the first rock acts to be profiled by a major television news program as both musicians and a multimillion-dollar business enterprise.
The “20/20” report remains one of the most comprehensive contemporary television documentaries of the original lineup during its commercial peak and one of the final major network television profiles of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss before the lineup began to change the following year.
This concert at the Richfield Coliseum was the only known performance of “Makin’ Love” on this tour. This was also the last performance of Peter Criss’ solo album song “Tossin’ & Turnin”.
C. K. Lendt:
“Despite the fact that the tour was losing money hand over fist, Dynasty, the recently released Kiss album, was a big hit, reaching #9 in Billboard. A single from the album, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” was tearing up the charts. Kiss had shrewdly calculated that a song with a disco beat—1979 was the year the disco craze peaked—would be their ticket to getting airplay and moving up the charts. It would also help ticket sales. At the very least, Dynasty helped cushion the blow from a tour that had become unhinged, and helped to keep the group’s spirits up. In August, Kiss received another boost when they were featured in a profile on the ABC News program 20/20. The focus was on the big business impact of Kiss—expecting to do gross retail business of $100 million that year. Inflated sales figures were always a key element of the Kiss hype.”
– “Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup” by C. K. Lendt.