DETROIT ROCK CITY
Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin
The third single from the album Destroyer. Chart: (did not chart).
Time - 2:58, 3:35, 5:17. Flip Side: "Beth". Released in U.S.A. July 28, 1976.
Recorded at Record Plant Studios, New York City, New York, USA, 1976. Produced by Bob Ezrin and . Engineered by Jay Messina and Corky Stasiak.
The basic riff was taken from an earlier unreleased song they only played in concert called 'Acrobat'. starting out as a song inspired by a city, Detroit, to being about a fan on the previous tour killed in a city not far from Detroit on his way to a KISS concert. Originally released as the third single from the album, it failed miserably and did not even chart. DJ's began flipping over the single and it was re-released by Casablance with 'Beth' as the A side, becoming the band's first top 10 hit. Since then the song has been performed regularly on tour. One cannot imagine them performing in Detroit without this song! - Larry -
Paul Stanley - lead/backing vocals, rhythm guitar |
Paul Stanley"I had the basic riff of the song, the 'Get up, get down' part. but I didn't know what the song was about except it was about Detroit. And then I remembered on the previous tour, I think it was in Charlotte, somebody had gotten hit by a car and killed outside the arena. I remember thinking how weird it is that people's lives end so quickly. People can be on their way to something that's really a party and a celebration of being alive and die in the process of doing it. So that became the basis for the lyric." |
Paul Stanley - 2016:Mlive
"There had been an accident outside of an arena in Charlotte. Someone was killed coming to the concert. I thought, how odd and how striking and the juxtaposition of someone coming to a Kiss concert, which celebrates being alive, to lose your life. That was the twist of "Detroit Rock City." To change it from a song about your amazing city to something much more epic.
While we were still an opening back on a three act bill, we were headlining in Detroit. The city embraced us. We were met with open arms and legs. Detroit always understood what we were about. There was a point of view and embracing of rock and roll that saw us taken in with a hospitality that we hadn't seen yet anywhere else.
I had heard a few songs about cities, and I thought, well, Detroit is as good as it gets. So, I thought of "Detroit Rock City." The first thing that came was the chorus: 'Get up! Get down! You gotta lose your mind in Detroit Rock City.'
Then when the lyrics started, we were trying to push ourselves on 'Destroyer,' and step out of the box on the kind of songs we'd been singing before."
YOU TUBE STUDIO TRACK YOU TUBE LYRIC VIDEO YOU TUBE LIVE 1976, Halloween Special YOU TUBE LIVE 2014, Dodger Stadium (LA Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks) I feel uptight on a Saturday night Nine o' clock, the radio's the only light I hear my song and it pulls me through Comes on strong, tells me what I gotta do I got to... Get up! Everybody's gonna move their feet Get down! Everybody's gonna leave their seat You gotta lose your mind in Detroit, Rock City Get up! Everybody's gonna move their feet Get down! Everybody's gonna leave their seat Getting late I just can't wait Ten o'clock and I know I gotta hit the road First I drink, then I smoke Start up the car, and I try to make the midnight show Get up! Everybody's gonna move their feet Get down! Everybody's gonna leave their seat Movin' fast, doin' 95 Hit top speed but I'm still movin' much too slow I feel so good, I'm so alive I hear my song playin' on the radio It goes Get up! Everybody's gonna move their feet Get down! Everybody's gonna leave their seat You gotta lose your mind in Detroit, Rock City Twelve o'clock, I gotta rock There's a truck ahead, lights starin' at my eyes Oh my God! No time to turn I got to laugh 'cause I know I'm gonna die Why? Get up! Everybody's gonna move their feet Get down! Get up! Everybody's gonna leave their seat Get down!