(Album cover for the bootlegged Wicked Lester record)Īnother Wicked Lester track that might raise some eyebrows from KISS fans is their cover of the Hollies “We Want to Shout it Out Loud”. Is it a coincidence or a wink to their past? Interestingly, these two tracks are featured back-to-back on Dressed to Kill. Despite some slightly softer vocals, these two tracks bear much more similarities. Wicked Lester also recorded the original version of “Lover Her All I Can”, which also went on to be re-recorded for Dressed to Kill. You will notice this version features predominately acoustic guitar and sweeter vocal harmonies than the KISS classic, but the DNA of the track is intact. KISS fans might be most interested in the original rendition of “She”, which went on to be reworked for the 1975 record Dressed to Kill. Unfortunately, there is no live footage of Wicked Lester proper, but some demos have been unearthed over the years. It would take a few years for Paul and Gene to delve deeper into the hard rock and heavy metal sound, but from the recording, you can still hear where Wicked Lester would lead. Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the two founders of KISS have always had a knack for making deals in the music industry.ĭespite the sinister name, Wicked Lester’s sound fit in well with the folk-rock sounds of the time. Being together for only a year and with only a handful of live performances under their belt, they got the chance to record a demo tape at the world famous Electric Lady Studios. With a few line-up changes along the way, Wicked Lester carved out a name for themselves very quickly. The original line-up consisted of bassist Gene Klein (Simmons), rhythm guitarist Stanley Eisen (Paul Stanley), keyboardist Brooke Ostrander, lead guitarist Stephen Coronel, and drummer Joe Davidson. You can spot a young Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley)įormed in 1970, the band original went by the name Rainbow (5 years before Ritchie Blackmore’s Band).
Separate yourself from the rest and stand out as a true die-hard fan with this piece of rock and roll history! KLICK TEE SHOP celebrates the roots of KISS with our WICKED LESTER CLASSIC TEE. Everyone has an origin story, and the Hottest Band in the World are no exception.