Skip to main content

TL;DR:

  • The Rolling Stones inspired one of Kiss’ songs.
  • The chords of the song were taken from a song Gene Simmons wrote about a parrot.
  • Kiss’ Paul Stanley felt like Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys when he wrote the track.
Kiss' Gene Simmons licking a guitar
Kiss’ Gene Simmons | Mick Hutson / Contributor

The Rolling Stones inspired many other artists. For example, they inspired one of the songs from Kiss’ first album. Notably, the song was based on a track about a parrot.

How a song about a parrot and The Rolling Stones inspired 1 of Kiss’ songs

In his 2014 book Face the Music: A Life Exposed, Stanley is critical of Gene Simmons’ early songs. Some of them had unusual titles such as “My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” “My Uncle Is a Raft,” and “Stanley the Parrot.”

Subsequently, Stanley discussed the creation of Kiss’ self-titled debut album. “Much of the time Gene and I sat facing each other on the old wooden chairs, acoustic guitars in our laps,” he said. “Among the first things we worked on were ‘100,000 Years,’ ‘Deuce,’ and ‘Strutter.’ The chords of ‘Strutter’ were from Gene’s old song ‘Stanley the Parrot.’ Although the original song was a bit offbeat, I always loved the chords in it.”

Stanley discussed some of the influences behind “Strutter.” “We started trying to recast it in the vein of The Rolling Stones,” he said. “And the words just came to me.”

Why Paul Stanley felt like Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys when he wrote the song

Subsequently, Stanley discussed how the women around him also inspired “Strutter.” “Of course, I wasn’t doing so well socially — I spent all my time rehearsing or driving a taxi, not hanging out in clubs,” he recalled.

“God knows, I didn’t have a girlfriend in fishnet stockings or satins,” he added. “But I saw hip women walking around the Village, and I saw other bands with their girlfriends. For me, it was singing about an ideal. I was celebrating something I wasn’t really part of.” Stanley felt like Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, who wrote songs about surfing despite not being a surfer.

Related

Mick Jagger Didn’t Like the Songs on This Rolling Stones Album When It Was Released

How Kiss’ ‘Strutter’ and its parent album performed on the pop charts in the United States

“Strutter” was never a single in the United States. Because of this, it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune appeared on the album Kiss, which hit No. 87 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 23 weeks.

“Strutter” appeared on the compilation album Greatest Kiss. The album reached No. 77 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for four weeks.

The Rolling Stones had a massive influence on other rock bands and Kiss’ “Strutter” wouldn’t be the same without them.

Best in Entertainment