MovieChat Forums > The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976) Discussion > This TV show changed my life forever!

This TV show changed my life forever!


It was, obviously, aired right around Halloween in 1976, actually, I think it was October 30th. of that year. We went over to my grandma's house. I was 8 years old. This was a night that changed my life forever, becauee I saw something that blew my mind - KISS!

Prior to this event, I really didn't pay attention to music, but you can bet that I did afterward. When Kiss came on playing "Detroit Rock City" - something in my mind literally snapped, and it said "That's what I want to do for the rest of my life!" At that point, air guitar was born in me. Hahaha.

Kiss also performed "King of the Nighttime World" and "Beth" from their Mega-selling 1976 record Destroyer.

And yes, much to my mother's chagrin, I became the worst of all things - a Musician; my younger brother, who was 4 at the time, was as deranged as I was about Kiss - He got into a Rock band as a Bass player that got a record deal with Virgin Records for 5 years! And I will put him up against anyone as a bass guitarist, he's one of the best to have haver played the instrument.

Now at 36, I've been playing drums for well over 20 years. I studied Classical guitar for 2 years, and studied classical voice for 5. I've been a Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fan ever since this fateful event took place.

And to think, if we had not known that this TV show was going to be on - because I had NO idea who Kiss was, or that they were going to be on this show, my life may have been completely different. I spent over 5 years without getting my haircut, and even worked substandard jobs just so I could keep that long hair. Currently, at 36 I'm clean cut, but since I have now returned to college full time to study Digital Multimedia and Television production, I decided to grow it back out, and keep it long.

All because of something that was born in me on that night in 1976.


Tim

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I'm not a huge Kiss fan but there is something about "Detroit Rock City" (maybe becuase I'm from around the area) not to mention a few of their other cuts like "I Love It Loud" that really gets me. That was a great surprise. I knew they did "Beth" but it was cool that they did two other songs.

Nice to hear it had such an influence on you. I think Kiss gets a bad wrap becuase they are so successful at merchandising to their mega fans (and if fans didn't want the stuff, they wouldn't buy it) more so than as musicians, but they are pretty good. And consider this DVD....It's a Lynde special and Kiss isn't even in the title and probably has nothing to do with it's release, but fans are clamoring.

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Well I was only about 6 or so when the show aired but I remember tuning in JUST to see friggen KISS!!
Sure they weren't virtuosos on their instruments, nor did they write lyrics that made Dylan or Springsteen green w/ envy. But they knew how to hit a certain nerve in a LOT of people back then, as well as merch themselves out in a way that not only capitalized on their fame, but which pretty much set the standard for acts now. Plus, those of us who were impressionable back then remember them fondly now.

Thus when I see them get routinely passed over by the so-called Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it further diminishes my opinion of the Hall (not that it was all that high to begin with).

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