‘Reagan’ Movie Features a New Song From Kiss’ Gene Simmons
The best classic rock stars know how to surprise you. For example, Kiss’ Gene Simmons recorded a song for Reagan, a movie about President Ronald Reagan. Simmons explained why he chose to cover a classic track for the film. Fascinatingly, Simmons is only one of several big names who contributed tracks to Reagan.
Kiss’ Gene Simmons wanted 1 of his songs to evoke a time period in the movie ‘Reagan’
When people think of Simmons, they think of big rock ‘n’ roll songs like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City.” Or maybe they think of Simmons’ hair metal era from the 1980s. Or perhaps they think of “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” Kiss’ beloved foray into disco. They probably don’t think of traditional pop.
Despite this, Simmons decided to become Michael Bublé for just a moment to cover the old standard “Stormy Weather.” During a 2024 interview with Spin, Simmons explained why he chose to record that song for a movie about the Gipper. “Music has become compartmentalized,” he said. “Hip-hop over there, country over there, rock over there. I wanted to contribute a song in a style that had wide appeal and reflected the times the movie was set in. This is a movie worth watching.”
The movie ‘Reagan’ also features songs from Bob Dylan and others
Interestingly, Simmons is not the only famous musician to get involved in the movie Reagan. The film included songs by Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, and counterculture icon Bob Dylan. Like Simmons, Dylan decided to record an old standard for the movie: “Don’t Fence Me In” by Cole Porter.
When people think of Reagan, they think of the decade he helped define: the 1980s. Despite this, Simmons and Dylan looked farther into the past for material. Notably, Reagan is a biopic that covers several periods in the former president’s life, not just his time in the Oval Office.
Kiss’ Paul Stanley criticized Gene Simmons’ involvement in the movies
Who knows how Kiss fans will react to Simmons’ music appearing in the movie? What we do know is that Kiss’ Paul Stanley was openly critical of Simmons’ work in the film industry. In his 2014 book Face the Music: A Life Exposed, Stanley said he was working on Kiss’ album Crazy Nights.
“Gene would stagger into the studio after not sleeping all night — he was too busy once again making movies or working with other bands, including one called Black ‘n Blue, who had opened for us on the last tour,” he said. “Gene ended up writing some songs with the band’s guitar player, Tommy Thayer. Or he spent the whole time on the phone, working this or that angle. The few songs Gene brought in seemed to have been written by other people, with Gene pasting his name on after the fact. Needless to say, once again the songs were not impressive.”
Today, Simmon’s most famous film role came in the cult classic horror film Trick or Treat. He also appeared in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, a bizarre television film featuring the original lineup of Kiss. Between Trick or Treat, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, and Reagan, Simmons has certainly had an interesting career in Hollywood.
