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/
It's Not Me
Paul Stanley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you try to tell me what I need
But your smile can never sell me what I don't believe
Now the gun is in your hand
And all the words are on your tongue
They gave you everything when you were young
You threw it all away when you were done
[Chorus:]
It's not me
I don't wanna be
I'm not the cure, I'm not your savior
Now there's danger every second that you breathe
It's not me
I don't wanna be
Another truth cuts like a razor
You're gonna have to save yourself
You better look for someone else
You turn the world your way
And you lose the truth within your lies
But the feeling that you crave, money never buys
(Money never buys)
All the warnings come too late
And your body starts to scream
And if you think you see me in your dreams
[Chorus:]
No, it's not me
I don't wanna be
Another truth cuts like a razor
You better look for someone else
When you run in a world full of trouble
Trouble always runs to you anyway
Now the damage is done and you want me to stay
But it's not me
(solo) No, No, No
They gave you everything when you were young
You threw it all away when you were done
You pray you found the chosen someone
[Chorus:]
It's not me
I don't wanna be
Another truth cuts like a razor
No, it's not me
I don't wanna be
I'm not the cure, I'm not your savior
You're gonna have to save yourself
You better look for someone else
'Cause it's not me
Paul Stanley's song "It's Not Me" is a defiant rejection of false authority and the pressure to conform, set to a pulsing rock beat. In the first verse, the singer rejects the advice of someone who thinks they know what the singer needs, but can't convince them of anything they don't already believe. The second verse is more ominous, with the singer addressing someone who has taken control, but has squandered the gifts they were given and now finds themselves in danger. The chorus repeats the refrain "It's not me" over and over, as a way of rejecting the idea that the singer is responsible for this person's problems, or that they can provide the solution.
The lyrics seem to be directed at someone who has made a mess of their life and is now looking for someone else to clean it up for them. The singer refuses to be that person, but also acknowledges that they can't simply walk away, as the problems caused by this person's actions are now a constant threat. The song is a reminder that we should be careful who we trust and not let others dictate our lives, even if they claim to have our best interests at heart.
Line by Line Meaning
You tell me what you want
The other person in the relationship tries to enforce their wants upon me
And you try to tell me what I need
The other person in the relationship tries to convince me of what I need
But your smile can never sell me what I don't believe
The other person in the relationship can never sell me something I don't believe is right
Now the gun is in your hand
The other person has all the power in the relationship
And all the words are on your tongue
The other person has the upper hand in being able to articulate their points of view more effectively
They gave you everything when you were young
In the past, the other person was given everything they wanted, either by family or society
You threw it all away when you were done
The other person wasted all of their opportunities and privileges
You pray you found the chosen someone
The other person thinks they have found their perfect match
It's not me
I am not the person the other is looking for
I don't wanna be
I am not willing to be the person to fit the other person's wants and needs
I'm not the cure, I'm not your savior
I cannot solve the other person's problems solely by myself
Now there's danger every second that you breathe
Being with the other person puts me in constant danger or at risk of being hurt
Another truth cuts like a razor
Telling the other person the truth is like using a sharp object that might harm them
You're gonna have to save yourself
The other person has to take responsibility for their own well-being and happiness
You better look for someone else
It would be better for the other person to find someone else who can fulfill their wants and needs
You turn the world your way
The other person wants things to go according to their wishes
And you lose the truth within your lies
The other person is unable to distinguish and choose the right thing because they are constantly lying
But the feeling that you crave, money never buys
Even though the other person wants a feeling of satisfaction, money cannot give them that
All the warnings come too late
It is too late to heed any warning signs or advice
And your body starts to scream
The situation has become so untenable that it is affecting the person's physical health
And if you think you see me in your dreams
If the other person thinks about me in their dreams, it means they are still attached to me in some way
When you run in a world full of trouble
The world can be filled with troubles and tribulations
Trouble always runs to you anyway
Even if one tries to run away from trouble, it will always eventually catch up to them
Now the damage is done and you want me to stay
Although the other person has caused much harm, they still want me to stay with them
No, it's not me
I cannot stay with the other person because I do not fit their ideal of a perfect partner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOLLY KNIGHT, CHARLIE MIDNIGHT, PAUL STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind