"Love Gun" is a song by the
American
hard rock
band KISS released on their 1977 album of the same
name. The
B-side is the
album track "Hooligan", a song written by drummer
Peter Criss.
Sung by guitarist/vocalist
Paul
Stanley, he has claimed in several interviews since its release
that it is one of his favorite KISS songs, even stating that
"... "Love Gun" is quintessential KISS and is probably
one of the five signature essential [KISS] songs." Stanley has
also said that "The Hunter" section of the
Led Zeppelin song "
How Many More Times" inspired the lyrics
of "Love Gun".
"Love Gun" has been played on every KISS tour since its release,
and has made numerous appearances on KISS greatest hits and
compilation albums despite the fact that it stalled at #55 on the
U.S. singles chart.
Cover versions
"Love Gun" was covered by the
Surfin'
Ceasers for 1982's Kiss
tribute
album Hard to
Believe. In 2003
Hayseed
Dixie released
Kiss My Grass: A
Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss, and album consisting entirely
of Kiss covers, including "Love Gun", played in the
bluegrass style. Former
Styx guitarist
Tommy Shaw
contributed his version of "Love Gun" for the 2004 Kiss tribute
album
Spin the
Bottle. Eccentric British rock band
Sack Trick covered the song on their Kiss covers
album
Sheep in KISS Make
Up. German guitarist
Axel Rudi
Pell covered this song on the album
Diamonds Unlocked.
Appearance in films
"Love Gun" was featured during the opening credit sequence in the
1999 film
Detroit Rock
City, the movie itself named after
the KISS song. The song was also
featured in the 2008 film
Role
Models, where the character Wheeler (
Seann William Scott) explains that the
song is about Stanley's 'dick'.
References