The Vinnie Vincent Forum - Where Freedom Rocks!

Here are some of my Vinnie Lick it up Tour photos that I have had for many years...

The best Kiss Line-Up!!!!!

Genebaby wrote:The best Kiss Line-Up!!!!!

Totally agree. This is the best line up all time!

Kizz at their best! They didn't know a good thing when they had it unfortunately...

I think they did, but Vinnie wasn't happy and wanted to leave, so he did. If he'd stayed we may have more great music through his work with Kiss. Instead we have two Invasion albums, which was a good start.

Brooklyn_Born: Not sure if you know about these photo's or not. I am almost a hundred percent sure the 2nd one was taking in Baltimore, Md in 1984 I have a copy from the originals and knew the person who took it quite well. I think the 1st and 3rd were taking that night too.....I have the last one too, but not positive where that one was taking. Just sharing some background info on them. : - )

Hi Freddy

Thanks for the info, looks like all four pics are from the same night judging by Vinnie's stage wear... I purchased a photo album with about 40 live LIU Tour pics which are all old prints from a guy in the US...I can't remember his original location though? There are some cool shots!
If this was Taken at the Baltimore Civic Centre then that would mean the concert was on 28th February 1984, which funnily enough was my 9th Birthday! Vinnie also ended his tenure in kiss soon after with only 12 more concerts with them...

Hi Brooklyn_Born .....

Yes, I was at the show in Baltimore that night. On the outfit, he wore that samething for a period of time near the end of the tour. You are correct on the date. I am not certain if the one photo was taken in Baltimore or not but it is very possible. I was sitting right next to the Girl who took a couple of those. (if memory serves me correctly, she was the girlfriend of someone who figured in Vinnie's career later on) I took a few myself.... ; - P They were taken from the 2nd row on Gene's side of the stage.

the 84 kiss USA tour was VV's best look along with the Dean Markley ad as far a I am concerned.

Now I hear what was going on inside the band I am very surprised VV was in the band as long as he was.. it shows just how much kiss were using him for his writing talents. I actually am surprised they didn't get him to write the next record before parting ways.

That would have made sense Dino. Vinnie writes the best songs. I like Animalize but it pales compared to LIU and the Invasion albums.

Animalize would have shredded had Vinnie stayed with Kiss!

it may have been better seens as gene was shooting a movie.. maybe even v would have gotten to sing.

Well never know Dino. Vinnie would have definitely fit Pauls visual concept for the album... I can picture Vinnie on the back cover with the flames, lava and steel grates... He would have dug the whole concept and with Gene out of the picture as you said the final product would have definitely had Vinnie's stamp all over it... He may have gained some creative freedom on animalize... They let Mark St John let loose with his solos, I don't understand what their problem with Vin on LIU was??

They didn't let MSJ go on the record. He had to redo all of his solos because they were to crazy.

I don't believe Gene was the problem with Vinnie. I believe it had more to do with Paul's bruised ego.

I didn't know MSJ had to rerecord all his solos, that would have been a lot of work to fix... I remember reading an interview with Paul back in the 80's where he stated that he was driving to deliver the final mixed album of animalize to the record company and turned back because he wasn't happy with the final mix...he redone it until he was satisfied with the sound...

Some merit to that story since they had Bruce re-do Lonely Is The Hunter because they didn't like what Mark had played!

True Shram, Paul talked about Mark's inability to play the same thing twice and how it was a problem.
Who knows what things are true and what things aren't ? Somewhere along the line they ( Paul and Gene)
got themselves into a pattern of having multiple musicians play on records. Starting almost from the beginning. At first somewhat out of necessity, but then later out of choice and it eventually became a standard practice. I personally think it is bad for a "Bands" personal chemistry. But who am I to say,
They made it....I did not .... ; - D

I also agree with your assessment Rick. I think Paul was comfortable with his place in the band as the major songwriting force. I think Paul felt a little threatened by Vinnie's songwriting abilities. I can only echo other's
takes and say , what a shame they couldn't have co-exsisted. Think of all the GREAT songs we could have had with a Vinnie and Paul songwriting team !!!

Consider Paul's output since then. Not a lot of quality. Very hit and miss with A LOT of miss !!!

True Rick. I will just say that I consider Paul to be a GREAT songwriter. When taken in consideration the amount of quality songs Paul has written over the past 35 years, I can forgive a few clunkers. Eventually the well runs dry for everyone. I think this is why you see bands like Def Leppard putting out entire records of nothing but cover tunes. Nobody can keep it going forever. This speaks I think even more to how much KISS would have benefitted from Vinnie's songwriting presence. They definitly realize that, otherwise there is no way they would have brought him back around to write for Revenge.

Paul only writes when he HAS to for an album. A real songwriter writes because something inside them HAS TO EXPRESS an emotion , not because of a deadline.

The real deal will always shine through.

R.I.P.- Paul Stanley's consistent songwriting chops. I consider Gene to be more of a songwriter within those terms .


No one wants to hear Kiss singing anthems trying to unify sports teams. We want Kiss to sing about PUSSY !!!

Kiss has suffered the most because of Paul Stanley's EGO.

LOL Rick !!! We'll have to agree to disagree on the point of Gene being a "Songwriter" LOL

it is what it is....

Check out the acoustic ,ballad-type, stuff Gene has written. Good stuff. At least he is prolific and has hundreds of song ideas at the ready.

Gene's recent solo disc was a heck of a lot better than Paul's solo album. Gene's had more variety and didn't sound like a Pepsi commercial.

Well Rick , we will have to agree to disagree again....I have all of the KISS and KISS related stuff, so I am very familiar with his tunes. I thought "Asshole" was absolutely horrid. Gene always has a few "re-hashed" song idea's at the ready that's for sure. But then usually he has someone else complete it and he ends up taking credit for it. Example, his Kiss solo record that was almost completely written by Sean Delaney. I have to say you are one of the first persons I have met that has referred to Gene's songwriting as "Prolific" !!! To each his own I guess? I respect your opinion though and music likes and dislikes are fortunately a matter of opinion. There is something for everyone. Hey at least we agree on Vinnie's music ! ; - D

Both Gene & Paul have missed the target over the years... (Gene-Asylum/Psycho Circus Paul-Psycho Circus) my preference was for Pauls solo album although I enjoyed Genes effort from '04 I though Pauls was still true to his music style and influence whereas Gene was trying too hard to be contemporary... Only my opinion though...

Gene wrote that fabulous song "Feel Like Heaven"!!!!!

That he did!!

I'll have to revisit his 04 Solo album as I really disliked it when I first heard it.

Paul's LTW was great, as was the live show and DVD.

Feel like Heaven is a cool track...

Brooklyn_Born wrote:Feel like Heaven is a cool track...

Oh it's dreadful!! Funny when you're 15 but that's it!!!!

OK, funny when you're 25 too! But it's still crap!

Yeah that cracked me up when I first heard it too! I still dig it..

He was jealous of Vin's talent and his ability to fit the Rock star image so easily... He was virtually unknown and he entered Kiss & just owned it man...! He was made for Glam

It's a shame Paul couldn't be comfortable with another awesome songwriter in the band... He probably wasn't too keen on the fact that he
ran circles around him on the fretboard either...

Brooklyn_Born wrote:He was jealous of Vin's talent and his ability to fit the Rock star image so easily... He was virtually unknown and he entered Kiss & just owned it man...! He was made for Glam

It's a shame Paul couldn't be comfortable with another awesome songwriter in the band... He probably wasn't too keen on the fact that he
ran circles around him on the fretboard either...

I second that!

FREDDYB3 wrote:Well Rick , we will have to agree to disagree again....I have all of the KISS and KISS related stuff, so I am very familiar with his tunes. I thought "Asshole" was absolutely horrid. Gene always has a few "re-hashed" song idea's at the ready that's for sure. But then usually he has someone else complete it and he ends up taking credit for it. Example, his Kiss solo record that was almost completely written by Sean Delaney. I have to say you are one of the first persons I have met that has referred to Gene's songwriting as "Prolific" !!! To each his own I guess? I respect your opinion though and music likes and dislikes are fortunately a matter of opinion. There is something for everyone. Hey at least we agree on Vinnie's music ! ; - D

I just believe that Gene has more of as musical and artistic soul than Paul. Gene at least has many ideas where Paul only writes what he thinks he needs for an album.

I think they are all hit and miss . However I did like some of genes tunes on asylum in comment to someone here. For me unholy was his last great tune.

I liked Childhoods End from Carnival of Souls... Good track

i remember reading years ago that vinnie was gonna sing a lead vocal for animalize... maybe animal, twisted or i wanna be your victim since those 3 were written for animalize initially?

Wow PW, I never knew that... I always wished Vinnie, Gene & Paul could resolve their differences to keep together to record animalize... With Vinnie's influence it could have been the greatest Kiss record ever