Before KISS, Paul Stanley was in a local band, Rainbow (not to be confused with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow) and Uncle Joe. Through a mutual friend of Gene Simmons', Stanley joined Simmons' band Wicked Lester in the early 1970s. The band recorded an album in 1972, but as of 2008 it has never been officially released (although songs from the album appeared on Kiss's 2001 box set). Wicked Lester soon fell apart and Stanley and Simmons placed ads for a drummer and a guitarist in various New York papers. This resulted in Peter Criss and Ace Frehley joining the group, and they named themselves Kiss. Kiss released their self-titled debut in February 1974.
Stanley's persona in Kiss is "The Starchild", "The Bandit" in the mid-1973 shows.
In his book Sex Money Kiss, Gene Simmons admits that Stanley was the driving force for Kiss during the makeup-free 1980s, while Simmons was feeling lost without his demon makeup and attempting to launch a film career.
In 2006, Stanley resumed his association with Washburn Guitars and using the Washburn PS2000. Previously, he has had four signature guitars made by Silvertone, and tweaked the Ibanez Iceman to his specifications, calling it the PS10.
Stanley's most recent performances with Kiss were a group of shows in July 2007, dubbed the Hit 'N Run Tour. Prior to the final show on July 27, Stanley was hospitalized with an extremely rapid heartbeat. In his absence, Kiss performed live as a trio for the first time in decades. Previously, Kiss performed as a trio at Studio 54 in New York City for an international satellite broadcast on January 28, 1982, lip-syncing the song "I" from Music from "The Elder" for the Italian Festival della canzone italiana, also known as the Sanremo Festival, when Ace Frehley failed to show for the performance due to what was described at the time as a "mystery illness". The July 27, 2007 concert is the first Kiss concert Stanley has missed during his 34-year tenure with the group. In September 2007, Stanley took part in Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp as a guest star for his second time in New York City.
Stanley has very rarely recorded or performed outside of Kiss. In 1989, he embarked on a brief club tour, performing only Kiss songs (with one cover, Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown"). His touring band included guitarist Bob Kulick and future Kiss drummer Eric Singer.
Stanley wrote and recorded material for a solo album in 1987–88, which was shelved in favor of the Kiss compilation, Smashes, Thrashes & Hits. While never officially released, songs such as "Don't Let Go" and "When 2 Hearts Collide" have circulated as bootleg recordings. One song from the project, "Time Traveler", was released as part of the Kiss's 2001 box set.
In 1989, Stanley loaned his voice to the title track for the soundtrack of the Wes Craven horror flick "Shocker". The song was written by long time Stanley collaborator Desmond Child, along with Jean Beauvior and Guy Man-Dude. The song was performed by a group of well known artists calling themselves "The Dudes Of Wrath". The Dudes consisted of Stanley and Child on vocals, Guy Man-Dude and Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard and Dio) on guitars, Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Ozbourne, Whitesnake and Dio) on bass and Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe) on drums. Background vocals were provided by Desmond Child, Louis Merlino, Alice Cooper guitarist Kane Roberts and Michael Anthony of Van Halen.
In the past, Stanley has been asked to produce albums for Poison and Guns N' Roses, but he was never able to commit due to his work on Kiss projects.
In 2005, a bootleg CD began circulating entitled People, Let Me Get This Off My Chest: The Very Best of Paul Stanley's On Stage Banter. The fan-made disc compiled 70 tracks worth of Stanley's distinctive song introductions and on-stage banter.
28 years after releasing his first solo album (as part of the four simultaneously released Kiss solo albums), Stanley released a second album, Live to Win, on October 24, 2006. The title song of his solo album, "Live to Win", appeared on the South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft"
In October and November 2006, Stanley embarked on a theater tour in support of Live to Win. His touring band was the house band from the CBS TV show, Rock Star. The band appeared on both seasons of the show - Rock Star: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova. The band was composed of Paul Mirkovich (keyboards), Jim McGorman (guitar), Rafael Moreira (lead guitar), Nate Morton (drums), and Sasha Krivtsov (bass). In April 2007, Stanley extended the tour to include Australia, playing in Coolangatta, Wollongong, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. Portions of the tour were filmed for an as-yet-unreleased documentary titled Paul Stanley: Live to Dream by the Chicago-based Film Foetus. The band's performance at the House of Blues in Chicago, IL, was captured on film and released in 2008 on DVD and digital audio download formats as One Live KISS.
In 2008, Stanley sang a duet with Sarah Brightman, "I Will Be with You", on her Symphony album.
In 1999, Stanley starred in a Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera, in which he played the role of The Phantom. He appeared in the musical from May 25 to August 1, and again that year from September 30 to October 31.
Stanley made his debut as a painter in 2005, exhibiting and selling original works of art.
http://www.paulstanley.com/
Do You Love Me
Paul Stanley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You like the way the wheels roll
You like my seven inch leather heels
And goin' to all of the shows, but
Do you love me, do you love me
Do you love me, really love me
Money can really take you far
You like the hotels and fancy clothes
And the sound of electric guitars, but
Do you love me, do you love me
Do you love me, I mean like do you
Really love me
You really like rock 'n' roll
All of the fame and the masquerade
You like the concerts and studios
And all the money, honey, that I make, but
Do you love me, do you love me
Do you love me, really love me
Your backstage pass and black sunglasses
Make you look just like a queen
Even the fans, they know your face
From all of the magazines, but
Do you love me (do you love me)
Do you love me (do you love me)
Do you love me (do you love me)
Really love me (really love me)
I want to know
Do you love me (do you love me)
Do you love me (do you love me)
Do you love me (do you love me)
I mean like do you
Really love me (really love me)
I want to know
Do you love me (do you love me)
Do you love me (do you love me)
Do you love me (do you love me)
I mean like do you
Really love me (really love me)
I want you to (do you love me, do you love me)
I need you to (do you love me, do you love me)
And you know I'm so tired of everybody sayin' it
And you know, (do you love me, do you love me)
I just gotta know if you really really really, really love me
(do you love me, do you love me)
So come on, do you love me (do you love me)
I need you to
Do you love me (do you love me) I want you to
Do you love me (do you love me) I need you
Really love me (do you love me)
I want to know
Do you love me (do you love me) do you, do you
Do you love me (do you love me)
I just got to have some love (do you love me, do you love me)
I just got to have some love (do you love me)
I just got to have some love, love, love, love, love
The song "Do You Love Me" by Paul Stanley is about a man questioning the true intentions of his lover. The lyrics refer to materialistic aspects of his life, such as his limousine, seven-inch leather heels, credit cards and private planes, and fancy clothes. The woman in question seems to enjoy these things, as well as his fame and the rock and roll lifestyle that comes with it. However, the singer wants to know if she actually loves him for who he is as a person, beyond the material possessions and glamour of his job.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Do you love me" multiple times, emphasizing the singer's need for validation and certainty in the relationship. The final line of the song, "I just got to have some love," shows his vulnerability and desperation for love that goes beyond superficial aspects.
Overall, "Do You Love Me" is a song about the struggle for genuine love and connection in the midst of fame and materialism. It reflects the pressure and scrutiny that come with celebrity status, and the fear of not being loved for who you truly are.
Line by Line Meaning
You really like my limousine
You're attracted to the material things I possess.
You like the way the wheels roll
You enjoy the luxurious lifestyle that comes with being with me.
You like my seven inch leather heels
You're into my style and appearance.
And goin' to all of the shows, but
You enjoy being seen with me in public, but there's more to a relationship than that.
Do you love me, do you love me
I'm questioning your level of affection for me.
Do you love me, really love me
I want to know if your feelings for me run deeper than superficial attraction.
You like the credit cards and private planes
You're attracted to the wealth and power that comes with being with me.
Money can really take you far
You're aware of the societal benefits of being rich and successful.
You like the hotels and fancy clothes
You enjoy living a lavish lifestyle with me.
And the sound of electric guitars, but
You also enjoy the perks that come with being with a famous musician like me.
Your backstage pass and black sunglasses
You have backstage access and look the part of a rockstar's significant other.
Make you look just like a queen
All of these perks make you feel important and special.
Even the fans, they know your face
You have become recognizable to others because of your association with me.
From all of the magazines, but
You have received media attention because of your relationship with me.
I want to know
I need to find out if your feelings for me are genuine.
And you know I'm so tired of everybody sayin' it
I'm tired of people assuming that you love me, just because of the perks that come with being with me.
I just gotta know if you really really really, really love me
I want to feel loved for who I am, not just for what I can provide.
So come on, do you love me
I'm asking you directly if your feelings for me are real.
I want you to
I need you to show me genuine affection.
I need you to
I can't continue this relationship if your feelings for me aren't real.
Do you love me (do you love me) I want you to
I want to know if you really love me, and I want you to show me.
Really love me (do you love me)
I need you to show me that your love for me is genuine.
I just got to have some love (do you love me, do you love me)
Without genuine love, this relationship won't work.
I just got to have some love (do you love me)
I need to feel loved for who I am, not just for what I have or can provide.
I just got to have some love, love, love, love, love
I crave genuine love and affection.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KIM VINCENT FOWLEY, PAUL STANLEY, BOB EZRIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind