Lick It Up

Zoo Freaks, get ready to crank up the volume as the Zoo Crew spins Lick It Up by KISS from their 1983 album of the same name! This track is a landmark in KISS history, marking the first time the band appeared without their iconic makeup, a bold move that shocked fans when they debuted their bare faces on MTV on September 18, 1983. The song itself, written by Paul Stanley and Vinnie Vincent, is a hard-hitting anthem with a sexually charged edge, though Stanley has said it’s really about living life to the fullest. Its catchy riff and in-your-face energy made it a staple of KISS’s live shows, with the band performing it over 1,500 times as of December 2022, cementing its place as one of their top ten most-played songs.

The Lick It Up music video is a wild ride, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with scantily clad women and the band strutting through what looks like a gritty, abandoned lot. Fans on X have called it both hilarious and iconic, with one user noting Paul Stanley chewing gum during the stage scenes, adding a quirky touch to his rock-star swagger. Behind the scenes, though, there was tension. Vinnie Vincent, credited as the lead guitarist, didn’t play every solo—producer Michael James Jackson revealed that Rick Derringer was brought in for the opening track because Vincent’s melodic style sometimes clashed with KISS’s raw energy. Vincent’s time with the band was rocky; he was fired after the European leg of the Lick It Up tour for “unethical behavior,” though he briefly returned for the North American dates before parting ways for good.

In interviews, Paul Stanley has been candid about the album’s success, stating in KISSology 2 that fans bought Lick It Up more than its predecessor, Creatures of the Night, simply because the band ditched their makeup. He argued that Creatures was the stronger album, but the visual shift—Gene Simmons sticking out his legendary tongue on the album cover—grabbed attention and reintroduced KISS to a new generation. The album went platinum, selling over a million units in the US, and its title track hit No. 66 on the US charts, proving the band’s gamble paid off. On X, fans still celebrate the album’s release, with posts from @kiss and @crockpics marking its anniversary and asking fans for their favorite tracks.

KISS began in New York City in 1973, born from the ashes of an earlier band called Wicked Lester, where Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley first teamed up. Frustrated with Wicked Lester’s lack of edge, they recruited drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley to form KISS, a band built on larger-than-life personas and theatrical live shows. Inspired by comic book aesthetics, each member adopted a character—Stanley as the Starchild, Simmons as the Demon, Frehley as the Spaceman, and Criss as the Catman. Their early gigs in small NYC clubs like the Coventry and Hotel Diplomat quickly built a cult following, thanks to their shock-rock antics: fire-breathing, blood-spitting, and pyrotechnics that turned concerts into spectacles. By 1975, their third album, Dressed to Kill, and the live record Alive! launched them to stardom, with hits like Rock and Roll All Nite defining their gritty, party-hard sound.

The band’s rise wasn’t just about music—it was about creating a cultural phenomenon. Their makeup and costumes made them instantly recognizable, and their merchandising empire, from lunchboxes to comic books, turned fans into the devoted KISS Army. Despite lineup changes—Criss left in 1980, Frehley in 1982, and Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr cycled through in the early ’80s—Simmons and Stanley kept KISS’s core vision alive. The decision to go unmasked for Lick It Up was a response to declining sales and a need to evolve, proving their resilience. Today, KISS remains a live juggernaut, with current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer joining Simmons and Stanley to carry the torch.

Connect with KISS and their massive fanbase online! Check out their official website at kissonline.com for tour dates and merch. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and throwback posts. Fans can dive deeper at sites like KISSFAQ for detailed band history or join communities like the KISS Army Warehouse on Facebook to trade stories and memorabilia with fellow Zoo Freaks who live for the KISS legacy.