Strutter

1974 single by Kiss
"Strutter"
Single by Kiss
from the album Kiss
ReleasedJuly 1974 (US)
Recorded1973
StudioBell Sound (New York City)
Genre
Length3:10
Label
  • Casablanca
  • Warner Bros. (US) NB-9001
Songwriter(s)
  • Gene Simmons
  • Paul Stanley
Producer(s)
  • Kenny Kerner
  • Richie Wise
Kiss singles chronology
"Kissin' Time" / "Nothin' to Lose"
(1974) 		"Strutter" / "100,000 Years"
(1974) 		"Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" / "Hotter Than Hell"
(1974)
"Rocket Ride (Edit)" / "Tomorrow and Tonight (Live)"
(1978)
"Strutter '78" / "Shock Me (Live)"
(1978)
"I Was Made for Lovin' You (Edit)" / "2,000 Man"
(1979)

"Strutter" is a song by the American rock band Kiss, released in 1974 on their self-titled debut album, Kiss. It was the third single released from the album and failed to chart.

"Strutter" is one of the few Kiss songs written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley together. Stanley wrote new lyrics to "Stanley the Parrot", a song whose music was composed by Simmons.[3] Stanley's lyrics display his Bob Dylan influence.[4] The song was featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Guitar Hero 2.

Critical reception

"Strutter" is widely considered one of Kiss's best songs. Cash Box said that "this may be their most dynamic [rock 'n' roll song] to date" and has "lots of bass and guitar, along with those power driven vocals here, all making for a great single release."[5] Record World called it "pleasurably pompous rock in the best style and tradition of hard, boogie-gaited music."[6] In 2014, Paste ranked the song number two on their list of the 20 greatest Kiss songs,[7] and in 2019, Louder Sound ranked the song number five on their list of the 40 greatest Kiss songs.[8]

Covers

  • Extreme covered the song on the Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved album (1994).
  • The Donnas covered the song for the Detroit Rock City soundtrack (1999).
  • Vitamin String Quartet covered the song for the String quartet tribute to kiss album (2004).
  • Electric Six covered the song in their covers album, Streets of Gold (2021)

Appearances

"Strutter" has appeared on the following Kiss albums:

  • Kiss – studio version
  • Alive! – live version
  • The Originals – studio version
  • Double Platinum – re-recorded version titled "Strutter '78" ("I look back at that and think, 'Why?'" remarked Simmons in 1996. "The original version is the classic and the best."[9])
  • Smashes, Thrashes & Hits – remixed & edited studio version
  • Greatest Kiss – studio version
  • The Box Set – demo version
  • The Very Best of Kiss – studio version
  • Kiss Symphony: Alive IV – live version
  • The Best of Kiss: The Millennium Collection – studio version
  • Gold – studio version
  • Kiss Chronicles: 3 Classic Albums – studio version
  • Kiss Alive! 1975–2000 – Alive! version
  • Kiss Alive 35 – live version
  • Ikons – studio version
  • Kiss 40 – re-recorded version titled "Strutter '78"

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australian Singles (Kent Music Report)[10] 89

References

  1. ^ Philo, Simon (2018). Glam Rock: Music in Sound and Vision. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-44227-148-7.
  2. ^ Guarisco, Donald A. "Strutter - Kiss | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  3. ^ Stanley, Paul. The Kiss Box Set liner notes, The Island Def Jam Music Group, 2001. ISBN 0-446-53073-5
  4. ^ Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography, Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5
  5. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 13, 1974. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 13, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  7. ^ Lore, Mark (June 26, 2014). "The 20 Best KISS Songs". Paste. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "The 40 best Kiss songs of all time". Louder Sound. July 15, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  9. ^ Guitar World, September 1996
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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