On 10. November 1973, Kiss entered Bell Sound Studios on 54th Street in New York City with producers Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise to record their debut album. The album took six days to record and seven days to mix. The album was engineered and mixed by Warren Dewey. Art direction/design by Lockart. Photography by Joel Brodsky. “Firehouse” fire engine driven by the magnificent Eddie Solon, Marc Labow, and Richie Wise. “Kissin’ Time” recorded at Bell Sound Studios, New York City, NY; April 1974. Recordings were 16 tracks. Versions of the original Warner NB-9001 pressing do exist with “Kissin’ Time” included, though it is not always listed on the label or cover. It was added to the vinyl with a sticker on the cover sometimes proclaiming the song’s inclusion. Some copies with the sticker/label listing do not include the song on the vinyl. The 10 track “Kiss” album started appearing during the summer of 1974, though the band had not wanted “Kissin’ Time” added to the LP.

Richie Wise, producer:
“Kiss was such an easy band to record, the songs fell together so quickly. The desire to be huge, the desire to hit the grand slam right out of the box was the foundation that Kiss was built on. Nothing was gonna stop them from becoming the biggest band in the world. I never sensed that Kiss was about about making musical magic; they wanted to make rock and roll history.”
– Nothin’ To Lose: The Making of Kiss 1972-1975 by Ken Sharp, Paul Stanley & Gene Simmons. It Books 2013

Paul Stanley:
“Recording the first album was the culmination of everything I’d worked for up to that point. Looking back on it, some bands have had the good fortune of being in the studio with technicians and a creative team that would capture their sound. And I think unfortunately, starting with the first album that was never achieved with Kiss.”

Gene Simmons:
“We recorded the first Kiss album at Bell sound in New York. It was kind of an extension of the first demos we did. I would give it three stars.”

Ace Frehley:
“I’d give it five stars. It was one of our best records because it had that spontaneity that that tough kind of sound. I think we put 110 percent into that record. The songs on the first album are good. We knew those songs backwards and forwards.”

Peter Criss:
“I’d give it five stars because it was our first album. The first album was my baby. I gave it my all. I was so amazed that we were in a studio and signed to a real record contract even though it was a nobody contract at the time. But we did it, we really did it… made our dream come true.”

– Band quotes from the book “Kiss: Behind the Mask”.

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