Gene Simmons spotted a still-unsigned Van Halen playing at a Los Angeles club and took them under his wing. However, he failed to convince the other members of KISS, nor their manager, Bill Aucoin, to take the group on.
Gene Simmons talks about KISS
During a recent interview with Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson, Simmons recalled his seemingly close call with signing Van Halen, revealing that he regrets not convincing his long-time Kiss partner to see the band’s greatness. Gene offered:
“Paul [Stanley] knew stuff I didn’t know. I knew stuff he didn’t know. He should have taken my advice and signed Van Halen. I found that band.”
“I couldn’t convince Paul or the rest of the guys in the band or the management. They just said, ‘What are you talking about?’ I said, ‘In a year or two, this is going to be the biggest band.'”
Going more into it, Simmons also discussed important career advice he gave them at the time, which they followed. The bassist continued:
“[I] convinced them not to sign with a yogurt manufacturer. Literally. And I told them, ‘Forget about money. I’ll pay for it. I’ll fly you to New York. I’ll put you at Electric Lady Studios. I’ll produce your first 15-song demo.'”
Simmons’s demo has since been majorly referred to within Van Halen bootleg trading circles as “Van Halen Zero.” It was recorded back in 1976 and contained tracks that appeared on the first few classic Van Halen albums, tunes that were never re-recorded for subsequent VH records.
It was quite fortunate for the band that they caught the eye of producer Ted Templeman not long after their close call with Simmons, who helped get the fledgling band signed to Warner Bros. Records.
