Paul Stanley's Ultimate Playlist
It doesn't get any more rock and roll than KISS.
And it doesn't get much cooler than being the frontman of KISS.
Paul "Starchild" Stanley has been the ever-present lead vocalist and guitarist, of the New York rock band, who rose to fame in the 70s and never looked back, inspiring a host of acts that followed in their footsteps.
The UK is privileged to welcome the rock legends back to these shores, as they headline the Sunday of Download Festival this year. To celebrate, we caught up with Paul to discover his Ultimate Playlist: the tunes that mean a lot to him and the fascinating stories behind them.
Read on for a classic power ballad, a brilliant one-hit wonder, legendary soul and funk and, of course, some good old-fashioned rock and roll.
Head to downloadfestival.co.uk for more information and to buy tickets
Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify here
Favourite Sad Song
"I don't know if it's totally sad, but the first one that comes to mind is Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness. I love the way it starts, very much one-on-one... Otis was such a great deliverer of line and emotion, whether it was something like that or Dock Of The Bay and the song just builds to this great crescendo with the instruments coming in and him just going full bawl - it's kind of like emotional church. Support your woman... although it may not be sad, it's certainly emotional and empathetic, so I'll go there rather than try to find a sad song."
Favourite Movie Soundtrack
"That's an interesting one. Let's go with Phil Collins - Against All Odds. Why that song? Drama, drama! Y'know? It's all emotion, and it's all vulnerability and in that track he certainly eviscerates himself. It's pretty stunning in how he just tears himself open. That kind of desperate vulnerability... to be able to pull that off is terrific. The song ends beautifully and I love it. There's always grander songs or more heroic songs but sometimes the most difficult thing is to reveal the self. Phil Collins has done some really terrific stuff and it's always interesting to think of somebody who came from behind the drum kit...I was certainly scratching my head when I heard that Peter Gabriel was going to be replaced by their drummer! But he proved me and a lot of people wrong."
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