THE LAND OF HYPE AND GLORY

Before Gene Simmons put an abrupt end to all of the fun and many years before the internet allowed your mouse to do all of the work, if a fan wanted to get their vintage KISS fix the only option was left in the hands of mail order bootleggers. Everyone had their personal favorite supplier. Mike Jackson lined the pockets Frank Carligo. Myself, I fancied Peter Arquette’s detailed mailers. The bottom line, no matter who you chose they were all gold mines of vintage footage young KISS fans never thought they were ever going to get the chance to see. The first video I ever ordered from such bootleg mailers was a compilation tape called, "Ancient KISS Videos #2" containing one of my more favorite interviews, THE LAND OF HYPE AND GLORY. What makes this video fun for me was that not only was this a KISS interview and outtakes from classic 77’ photo sessions, it also serves as a snapshot of the American landscape circa 1977. The little kid skateboarding at the beach, the brand new single "Smooth Sailing" by The Dingo’s, Foreigner performing "Cold As Ice" and then BAM!!…there it is…KISS in all of their larger than life glory. Hype marketed perfectly. Suddenly everything else seems pretty damn boring. Bill Aucoin is a freaking genius. If you were not a KISS fan before viewing this clip try to fight the urge …it is simply impossible. Besides, what else does a young teenage boy, dreaming of rock stardom need besides the ending quote,
"The youngest KISS is 26, the oldest 31…they are all millionaires."
What a way to make a living…indeed!