Kiss Release ‘Beth (Acoustic Mix)’ From New ‘Destroyer’ Box Set
Kiss have released a new acoustic mix of their 1976 hit "Beth" as the first sample of their upcoming Destroyer box set.
"For the new acoustic mix of 'Beth,' the original recorded acoustic guitar track was taken from the analog multitracks and has now been fully restored and mixed with the original piano, vocal and synthesizer tracks, adding a fresh yet familiar feel to this iconic recording," explains a press release.
You can hear the song below.
Arriving on Nov. 19, the 45th-anniversary Super Deluxe edition of Destroyer features a newly unearthed live album recorded during a 1976 show in Paris, nine previously unreleased demos by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and a disc filled with outtakes, single edits and alternate mixes.
"Beth" was originally released as the B-side to "Detroit Rock City" in July 1976. But after radio DJs began flipping over the single to play the Peter Criss-sung ballad, the track was released on its own and became a Top 10 hit. None of the Kiss members, besides Criss, perform on the original version of the song, which features Criss backed by producer Bob Ezrin on piano, Dick Wagner on acoustic guitar and the New York Philharmonic orchestra.
"Paul and Gene wanted to take 'Beth' off the album," manager Bill Aucoin recalled in the 2001 book Kiss: Behind the Mask. "I said, 'Look, I think it's a hit. I know it's not necessarily a Kiss song, but it does have a rock 'n' roll lyric to it. It's gonna stay on the album.' And they didn't fight me after that."
After a brief pause caused by positive COVID-19 tests for Stanley and Simmons, Kiss have once again resumed their frequently delayed End of the Road farewell tour. The current North American leg of the tour is scheduled to conclude on Oct. 17 in Dayton, Ohio, with tickets available at the band's website.