Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media
Published on November 7, 2025
Credit: Vevo
Legendary rock band KISS joins Vevo to celebrate their iconic anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite” exclusively in a new episode of Footnotes, which debuts today. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley take fans behind the scenes of their definitive hit that has become the ultimate fan anthem and closed out their shows for the last five decades.
The Vevo Footnotes episode covers the song’s creation and enduring legacy. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons discuss how the track was born as an “anthem song” for their fans inspired by Casablanca president Neil Bogart, with Paul crafting the chorus and Gene using verses from a previous song, “Drive Me Wild.” They also share how friends, road crew, and fellow musicians contributed to the track, making it a truly collaborative effort. They reflect on the excitement of New York’s music scene during their early years, where rock and glam bands influenced their work, and how Gene and Paul’s chemistry and collaborative process have fueled KISS for over four decades.
The episode also includes a behind-the-scenes look from the song’s video, featuring classic footage and never before scene concert moments from the 90-minute film KISS eXposed, released in 1987, where they filmed a spoof of what people imagined their lives to be like at a Hollywood mansion. Finally, they describe “Rock and Roll All Nite” as the quintessential KISS song and how their music often has been about making the most of life which connects with people on all different levels across generations of fans.
Recently announced, KISS celebrate five decades of their seminal third full-length album, Dressed To Kill, with a robust 50TH Anniversary Deluxe Edition available now via UMe. It arrives in multiple configurations: Super Deluxe 5CD + Blu-ray Audio, Super Deluxe 8LP + Blu-ray Audio, Premium Color Vinyl, Super Deluxe Digital, and a Deluxe Picture Disc Vinyl (available November 21, 2025). Dressed To Kill has been newly remastered in HRA 192/24, HRA 96/24, or 44.1/16, and Atmos. The physical versions are now available HERE via KISS’s Official Store. The Super Deluxe Digital is live on all DSPs HERE.
Full Transcript Below:
0:08 – “Rock And Roll All Nite” is from the band’s 1975 album, Dressed To Kill. It’s been the closing song of nearly every KISS show over the past five decades.
0:25 – Paul Stanley: Casablanca President Neil Bogart brought up the idea of us writing an “anthem song.” After explaining the concept of a rallying song that would represent our connection to our fans, I went back to our hotel on Sunset Blvd. and came up with the chords, melody, and lyrics of the hook, which was “I wanna rock & roll all night and party every day.”
0:45 – Gene Simmons: It was very much a collaborative effort, with Paul writing the chorus and me writing the verses that were pulled from a song I had previously written called “Drive Me Wild,” which was actually a song about a car. We also brought in some of our friends and road crew and other musicians to clap and sing on the record.
1:08 – Gene Simmons: It’s “The” rock anthem. It’s lived on in such a magical and special way throughout the years and continues to after 50 years.
1:25 – Gene Simmons: The concept of KISS and oftentimes our songs, in particular this one, has always been about making the most of life. It wasn’t even really about getting high or stoned or anything – more about making the most of life.
1:45 – Gene Simmons: You have to remember how exciting New York was at the time we were forming a band and making music. There were rock bands and glam bands and it was such an exciting time to be a musician. That had an impact on everything we created.
2:05 – Paul Stanley: Gene and I understand each other and we always seem to put the pieces together. Sometimes we brought things together that we did separately and it just clicked. It wasn’t always seamless, but it’s worked for us for over 40 years!
2:25 – In response to the question of who had better face paint, Paul and Gene gave the same answer: “Me!”
2:45 – This video is from KISS eXposed, a 90-minute film the band released in 1987. “It was a spoof of what people imagined our lives to be like,” said Paul Stanley.
3:05 – Gene Simmons: We were told to go to a mansion in Hollywood and I remember we had a full day of filming scenes all day, it was a lot of fun!
3:25 – Gene Simmons: We gave them a lot of our classic pre-video era concert cuts so most of it was never-before-seen footage at the time.
3:40 – Paul Stanley: It’s kind of a quintessential KISS song in our discography. This song is such a big piece of our story. And it connects with people on all different levels across generations and generations of fans.
ABOUT KISS:
During the band’s 50-year history, KISS has been known for exceptional and first-of-its-kind fan events that always put the fans first. Events like the Kiss Kruise were yearly fan get-togethers that created a community and connection to the band. Following the band’s final shows on “The End of The Road” world tour, KISS recently announced an epic fan experience “KISS Army Storms Vegas” set to take place in November 2025. The massive convention will include a one-of-kind KISS “unmasked” show from band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and special guests.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS have provided the most iconic live show in rock n roll for decades. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, continue to devote themselves to their millions of KISS Army fans.
