On 12. December 1978, Gene Simmons attended the re-release party for the 1940 “Pinocchio” movie at Fiorucci, Beverly Hills, California. Gene had invited people to come and hear his new recording of “When You Wish Upon A Star” from his solo album.
Gene Simmons invitation to listen to “When You Wish Upon A Star” from his solo album, 12. December 1978
Gene Simmons:
All the sights and sounds in America played a very important role in my development as a kid. When I went to see Pinocchio and I heard Jiminy Cricket at the end of the movie singing, “When You Wish upon a Star,” I really thought he was singing to me. He was saying, “You, Gene, I’m talking to you. They all hear me but I’m speaking to you. When you wish upon a star all your dreams come true.” I did that song for me. I knew everybody would say “Oh, that’s nonsense.” As a homage, I felt that I had to record that song in some way to pay back Jiminy Cricket because my dreams at that point had come true. I cried on the recording of the song. It hit me really hard, big lump in the throat. When I went into the sound booth and I was singing the song, all those original memories came back. In some ways it was a connection to the little boy. When no one’s looking, even the big guys cry. It’s an astonishing melody. The lyrics are truer than most religious lyrics because it doesn’t ask anything from you. It just says “believe.” It’s not a song for kings, it’s a song for the Everyman in all of us.
– “Kiss: Behind the mask” by David Leaf.
Photo by Jeffrey Mayer.
