A fascinating anecdote concerns the title "Beth", which became the biggest commercial success in the band's history (Number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100).

Originally, this ballad was not even to appear on the album! Here are the behind-the-scenes of this piece:

A "Face B" surprise: "Beth" was originally released as the B-side of the Detroit Rock City single. But the radio hosts began to pass the ballad in a loop, forcing the record company to reverse the single.
Alone in the studio: It is the drummer Peter Criss who sings. No other KISS member plays on the song; it is accompanied only by an orchestra of 25 musicians.
Internal tensions: Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley did not want this song on the album, finding it too far from the "hard rock" image of the band. It was producer Bob Ezrin who insisted on including it, saving what would become their platinum record.

The album ends with a short hidden track (not listed) entitled "Rock and Roll Party", which consists of an experimental sound loop created by the producer.

Une anecdote fascinante concerne le titre "Beth", qui est devenu le plus grand succès commercial de l'histoire du groupe (numéro 7 au Billboard Hot 100).

À l'origine, cette ballade ne devait même pas figurer sur l'album ! Voici les coulisses de ce morceau :

• Une "Face B" surprise : "Beth" a été initialement publiée comme la face B du single Detroit Rock City. Mais les animateurs radio ont commencé à passer la ballade en boucle, forçant la maison de disques à inverser le single.
• Seul en studio : C'est le batteur Peter Criss qui chante. Aucun autre membre de KISS ne joue sur le morceau ; il est accompagné uniquement par un orchestre de 25 musiciens.
• Tensions internes : Gene Simmons et Paul Stanley ne voulaient pas de cette chanson sur l'album, la trouvant trop éloignée de l'image "hard rock" du groupe. C'est le producteur Bob Ezrin qui a insisté pour l'inclure, sauvant ainsi ce qui allait devenir leur disque de platine.

L'album se termine d'ailleurs par un court morceau caché (non listé) intitulé "Rock and Roll Party", qui consiste en une boucle sonore expérimentale créée par le producteur.

Here are some fascinating anecdotes about this album and its iconic cover:

1. The Mystery of the Hermit (Finally) Solved

For 52 years, the man's identity on the cover remained a total mystery. It wasn’t until November 2023 that a researcher from the University of the West of England discovered the original photo in a Victorian album. It was Lot Long, a thatched roofing craftsman born in 1823.

2. A pocket without name

The band (and especially Jimmy Page) insisted that no band name or album title should appear on the original cover. Atlantic Records feared a "commercial suicide," but Page wanted to prove that Led Zeppelin's music could only sell on his reputation, without classical marketing.

3. The photo was found by chance

The image is not a staging. Jimmy Page bought it from an antique shop in Reading, England. It was a framed oil painting that the group then hung on the wall of a demolition house to take the final photo of the cover.

4. The Hermit of the Tarot

The character inside the opening pocket (gatefold) is inspired by the Hermit's card in the Tarot. It represents the ascension to knowledge and inner light.

5. "Stairway to Heaven" almost didn't be a single

Although it was one of the most aired songs in radio history, the band has always refused to release it as a single. They wanted people to buy the whole album to live the full experience.

6. The Secret of the Drum Sound of "When the Levee Breaks"

To achieve this monumental drum sound, John Bonham installed his battery in the entrance hall of a villa (Headley Grange) and the microphones were suspended three floors higher in the stairwell to capture the natural echo.

Here are some fascinating anecdotes and details about the musicians who shaped the iconic tracks of the album Bad:

1. Legendary collaborations

"Just Good Friends": This duet with Stevie Wonder is one of the few tracks from the album that Michael did not write himself. It was Quincy Jones who insisted on this collaboration between the two giants of the Motown.
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You": Originally, Michael wanted to sing this song with Barbra Streisand or Whitney Houston, but they declined. It was finally Siedah Garrett, a then little-known chorist (who also co-wrote Man in the Mirror), who was chosen.

2. Revolutionary sounds

"Smooth Criminal": The drum rhythm at the beginning of the song is actually the sound of Michael Jackson's own heartbeat, recorded digitally and then looped by sound engineer Bruce Swedien.
"Speed Demon": To get the sound of the engine of the bike at the beginning of the song, they did not use studio sound effects: they brought a real motorcycle into the recording studio to capture the sound live.

3. The musicians of the shadows

Dirty Diana: The explosive electric guitar solo is played by Steve Stevens, the guitarist of Billy Idol. Michael was looking for an "aggressive rock" sound to compete with Beat It's success.
The Way You Make Me Feel: The irresistible rhythm of this song is based on an overlay of 55 tracks of different drum and percussion sounds to create this unique sound impact.

4. The anecdote of the clip "Bad"

The music video for the title song was directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. It lasts 18 minutes in its full version and features a young actor then unknown: Wesley Snipes.

Here are two fascinating aspects that made this album technically revolutionary:

1. The technique of “Sonic Refinement”

Sound engineer Bruce Swedien used a unique method for the album Bad:

Massive multitrack recording: For titles like The Way You Make Me Feel, he superimposed dozens of drum tracks to get a striking and "thick" sound that we didn't hear anywhere else at the time.
The "stereo wide" sound: He used pairs of microphones spaced to capture the instruments, creating a feeling of immense space when listening to the album on the headphones.

2. The meaning hidden behind the lyrics

Michael Jackson used this album to respond to his critics and assert his identity:

"Leave Me Alone": This is a direct and ironic response to the tabloids of the time that had nicknamed him "Wacko Jacko". The clip also shows Michael having fun with the craziest rumors (the oxygen box, the bones of Elephant Man).
"Man in the Mirror": Although Michael didn't write it (it's Siedah Garrett), she became his most personal song. It expresses its philosophy of life: to change the world, you must first change yourself.
"Dirty Diana": Contrary to popular belief, the song does not speak of Diana Ross, but of the "groupies" that followed the artists on tour. Diana Ross herself was having fun with this confusion and sometimes used the song as an introduction to her own concerts!

3. The Michael vs Prince duel

For the song "Bad", Michael Jackson had originally planned a duo with his lifelong rival, Prince.

The meeting: The two stars met to discuss it, but Prince refused.
The reason: Prince did not want to sing the first sentence of the text: "Your butt is mine" (Your behind is mine). He would have said to Michael, “Who is going to say that to whom? Because you won't tell me, and I won't tell you either! »