On 24. August 1973, Bill Aucoin presented Kiss an offer for a record deal with Neil Bogart’s new label, eventually called Casablanca, and have their debut album out in the beginning of 1974.
On August 24, after a gig at the Daisy, Aucoin met with the band with an offer from Bogart: they would be signed to the new label as soon as a financial backer could be found. If things went according to plans, Kiss could be in the studios by the fall of that year and would have an album out at the beginning of 1974. It was a dream come true for the band, and their impression of Aucoin had doubled over his speed in getting a deal for them. They, of course, did not realize the behind-the-scenes way Aucoin already knew that Kiss was going to get a record contract whether he was there or not. With the end results, it did not matter. Kiss now had a record label; a label that was to be named Emerald City Records.
– “Black Diamond: The Unauthorized Biography of Kiss”, book by Dale Sherman.
