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Mo Money Pawn
You're listening to the HMS Podcast, brought to you by Mo Money Pawn, Arizona's largest pawn shop for over 35 years.
Brady
All the show with none of the fluff.
John
Let's get started.
Brady
There's more of the best of homework's morning sickness.
John
Yesterday we told you that we had an interview with the legendary Gene Simmons of Kiss. Now, not being a huge Kiss music fan, that aside, I am a big Gene Simmons fan as far as, like, personalities and things. There's a no better musical businessman on the planet than Gene Simmons. So he called us, or he called us. His people reached out and said he's got this project he's doing and he'd love to promote it because he's the ultimate promoter. So he wanted to do an interview, but he wouldn't do it during the show because it was, you know, he's on Gene Simmons time. He's not getting up early. So we. We taped it yesterday at 10:30. If it was good, we were going to run it. If it wasn't, no big man. Bus just farted and I might pass out. Holy Christ, dog. Come on.
Mo Money Pawn
What are you able to feed him?
John
Wow, he's been doing this for two days. That's brutal. Okay, it's gone.
Mo Money Pawn
Oh, thank God for allergies.
John
Sorry. That was a quick wafting of the worst smell I've ever had. Anyway, my apologies. Back to business. Wouldn't it be great if that happened? If Mark Curtis said that every. Wow. Kariba just farted. Folks, I'm gonna have to take a break from the story. Anyway, so Gene called us yesterday at 10:30, and, yes, he was Gene Simmons, and it was very terrible. He's cool. So we're gonna play that for. And keep in mind, I'll tell you after the interview how much all this costs. Okay, so what he's promoting right now is a great idea, a very Good idea. And very unique and awesome. Then there's going to be the price, which I don't think he mentions once, does he? I don't think he talks about it.
Mo Money Pawn
He wouldn't say the price. I think we said it, but he didn't.
John
Did we? I thought we went to the. Said go to the site. I wanted to see if he was going to say it. I know I didn't, because part of my plan and my brain was see if he says how much Gene Simmons was on with us yesterday. And this is him right now. It's 98 KUPD. Gene, take it away. Mr. Simmons, are you there?
Gene Simmons
Sure I am.
John
How are you, sir?
Gene Simmons
Deliriously happy.
John
You're delirious. That's a great way to start this. I want to start by asking you a question. If it's a dream of mine, sort of.
Gene Simmons
If I. I never touched. I never touched her.
John
If I. If I could interview you as you.
Gene Simmons
Yeah.
John
Is that okay?
Gene Simmons
Sure.
Brady
If I told you that Gene Simmons was talking with Gene Simmons, what would Gene Simmons want to hear.
Gene Simmons
How great I am?
Brady
You are great, young man. You know, this deliriously great.
John
In fact, it's not bad, right?
Gene Simmons
You're going to be popular in jail. I have a feeling.
John
Yeah. But I mean, let's be honest. It's. It's a lot better than that hack. Craig Gass is running around doing.
Gene Simmons
Well, Craig Gas does an amazing thing, and it was a very sad event on Stern. Somebody was sick. Who I knew, famous actress. And Stern was, you know, in his bed when he was a bad boy, was, oh, my God. He was saying all kinds of things. And she said, no, it's okay. I'm fighting it and I'll be fine. And he says, you know, we've got a phone call coming in from somebody, you know, and she. And she said, who's that? He goes, oh, Gene Simmons is on the phone. Oh, Gene. Yeah, put him on. So I'm in the car, by the way, hearing this on the way to some place I come on and. Hi, how are. It's Gene. Oh, Jean, how are you? Nice to see you. Listen, I heard about you're fighting this disease and everything, and I want to send you something. She goes, oh, that's really sweet. Yeah, I'm going to help you with fighting this disease. I'm going to send you a KISS lunchbox. And of course. And of course, I got so much hate mail. And I kept saying, that wasn't me. That was, you know. Was this Craig Gas guy.
Brady
Yeah.
John
If Craig had any money, we'd have sued him, right?
Gene Simmons
No, I don't sue everybody close to him.
John
That's beautiful. Also, before we get into why you're calling, it's been. It's been years since you've been on this show. You don't remember it, but do you realize how much your voice and Benjamin Netanyahu's voice are the exact same thing?
Gene Simmons
Well, we're from the same country.
John
Yes, but. But that's not true of everyone from Israel, is it?
Gene Simmons
You mean having that voice?
John
Yeah.
Gene Simmons
I don't. I think you're right.
John
All right. Well, I've got to pay closer attention to world affairs to realize that's how you identify someone. That's why.
Gene Simmons
Well, that's why you get the big bucks.
John
Maybe why it is. Now, speaking of big bucks, what you're doing right here, you are the greatest musical businessman of all time. I think I'll stop it.
Gene Simmons
But. But tell me more.
John
Yeah, no, I truly believe this is a great idea of what you're up to. I'll let you explain it because I think it's pretty neat. But tell me what you're doing.
Gene Simmons
Okay, so Kiss stopped touring just this December, after 50 years. And we went out with a bang. Three days on the COVID of New York Post newspapers. Nobody's ever done that. The Empire State Building lit up with Kiss. 800 Kiss taxi cabs driving around. If you went to the subway, got Kiss tickets, every pizza box had us on. I mean, it was crazy, right? But enough is enough. 50 years is plenty. So, since then, I've decided to do things I've always wanted to do, but could never do it because the band ate up so much of my time.
John
May I interrupt you for a second, Gene?
Gene Simmons
Sure.
John
I don't believe you.
Gene Simmons
I've heard that before.
John
I think you're going to tour again.
Gene Simmons
Well, I am going to tour again with the Gene Simmons Band, but Kiss is done.
John
I don't believe you.
Gene Simmons
As a matter. As a matter of fact, Gene Simmons band is headlining some festivals this summer across Europe. But let me finish the thing. I'm very excited by it. So, when I was growing up, and when you guys were growing up, we heard the latest record by Pearl Jam. And by the way, they've got a new track that's terrific. You should play it, and all kinds of cool stuff. And we had no idea. It was a mystery what the recording studio was all about. How did they do it? What's a microphone? How do you record? What's an amplifier and all that. So I'm. I don't believe anybody's ever done that. I'm going to take about 50 or 60 lucky fans, and I'm going to take you into the studio May 4, May 5, in Las Vegas at Hideout Studios. And the shortcut is go to Gene Simmons recording.com Gene Simmons recording dot com. And once you're in the studio with me, you are going to record and I'm going to produce you. Now, here's the. Here's the hook. You are the only one who's going to keep your recording. I'm not going to put it out. I'm not going to put it on social media. Totally up to you what you want to do with the recording. And nobody's ever done this before, so.
John
Technically, I own the song.
Gene Simmons
That's correct.
John
Wow.
Gene Simmons
Not only that, you can say Gene Simmons produced it, all that stuff. Now, you can bring one friend or wife or girlfriend or farm animal, you know, whatever your preferences are, and you can video the event. It's. For me, it's giving back. Because when I was pushed into the deep end of the pool, I had no idea. We were there on the first day of recording, on the first record half a century ago, and we had no idea what was going on. What is this? What is that? No, just go into that room, be quiet, and we'll tell you when you can start playing guitar. It's very strange, really. And so we're going to change all that and slowly but surely take the fans through the process, and they will hear themselves on their own recording, which they can do with as they please.
John
Okay, and what, like, are you doing KISS songs or what's. What are you singing?
Gene Simmons
You will find out if you're one of the lucky that's going to be there.
John
Wow. All right. That's impressive. All right, so I go into the studio. I'm. I'm more fascinated by the idea. You said that when KISS got discovered, when you guys broke, essentially, and somebody said, come with us, you didn't know how to record or what it was about.
Gene Simmons
No idea.
John
How did you guys get found?
Gene Simmons
We were actually playing locally in New York, and within two or three of these local gigs where we play our own songs, and of course, that full makeup and all that stuff, people saw us and started making bids because the rest of the bands were playing locally in New York, were doing cover songs, Stone songs and Otis Redding and all that stuff. So within. We got signed, we put together the band 1973 at 10 East 23rd street, and within a year and A half of that. We were headlining Anaheim Stadium. Now, you have to understand, this is before cell phones. Yeah. Before mtv, before digital, even before voicemail. And somehow it just happened. It happened past to the point where 19, 78, 79, and 80. I'm sorry, 77, 78, 79. We were the Gallup Poll number one band on earth, above the Beatles, Zeppelin, and others, man. Yeah. It was crazy.
John
Yeah. And it. And you guys were just kids, and you had never recorded anything. You just all. You decided to throw the makeup on.
Gene Simmons
No, I.
John
And do everything without recording.
Gene Simmons
No idea. We just went into studio, they twirl the knobs for us, and then they nodded their heads when we could start. We were rehearsed, of course, and never, never been outside of New York, so the whole world was brand new. You go to South Carolina. How y'all doing? What are you doing over there? Wow. Because the only. The only time you heard those accents were on Bonanza on tv.
John
Right? That is amazing. I didn't know that was your origin story. I thought you guys were like. No.
Gene Simmons
For knuckleheads off the streets of New York who, strangely enough, decided to put on more makeup and higher heels than your mommy ever wore. You don't know one of those things? Oh, now, settle down. Don't get excited.
John
Them fighting words.
Gene Simmons
By the way, your mom is fine. She's alive. Everything good?
John
Yes, she's all good. Yeah. Still in the makeup, still in the high heels.
Gene Simmons
What's. What's your name?
John
Her name is Marcy.
Gene Simmons
Oh, yeah. I remember myself.
John
I knew that was coming, too. And I could also listen to you do the Southern accent for about 12 hours if you wanted to keep that up.
Gene Simmons
What are you doing out there? And the strangest thing was, once you leave New York and you say, can I have a bagel or croissant? They have no idea. Well, back then in the 70s, early 70s, they had no idea what you're talking about. And they said, would you like some grits? And I had no idea what they were talking about.
John
Yeah. But there you were. How old were you when all this was going on? When it first kicked off, 56. Were you in your mid-50s? Wow. You looked great.
Corey
For that idea.
John
You were 20 and 21. Wow.
Gene Simmons
Yeah.
John
That is an insane story.
Gene Simmons
And the thing that changed overnight was you had to work hard when you saw a pretty girl to try to better down and all this. What sign are you not on the first date? What do you. What do you think of this? Is all this talking, all this torture? Stick your tongue out and abandoned stuff and you'll wind up with somebody whose name you never bothered to learn overnight.
John
Damn it. You tell me this now? I'm in my early 50s. I could have used that information 30 years ago. Damn it.
Gene Simmons
No, no comment, young man.
John
So I. I would. So let's say I want to be one of your lucky winners and. And head on up to Vegas. Is there a chance we can become friends and go hit the casinos together? Is this just one stop, shop and get out of Gene's face? No to all of that. Okay, sums it up. So if I wanted to be part of this, what do I do? I go to the website.
Gene Simmons
You go to gene simmons recording.com and it shows you everything you need to do.
John
Okay.
Gene Simmons
And you don't have to take your pants off or, you know, none of that stuff. All right.
John
Not.
Gene Simmons
This will be harmed.
John
Yeah, but I still might do that.
Gene Simmons
If you take pictures, I would appreciate it.
John
Okay, I'll do that. So if I do that, I do the whole thing. And, and is there a. Am I being chosen at the end? Is there a fee? What am I looking at?
Gene Simmons
Oh, there's a fee. Oh, yeah.
John
Why is it you answer everything comically? There's a fee involved.
Gene Simmons
I am a joke. Yeah.
John
No, no, no. So the.
Gene Simmons
So morning. It's morning radio. Of course. You got it right.
John
It's true. You're killing it. The. So there's a fee involved. Is it a. Is it a hefty fee? Should I ask what the fee is?
Gene Simmons
Yes. Yes, it is.
John
Okay. And that's because you deserve it. This is a big opportunity.
Gene Simmons
Because of the cost. No, that's because of the cost of what we're doing, which is there's going to be food for, oh, I don't know, 100 people or so, catering throughout the day. There's going to be champagne and booze and blah, blah, blah. And we've got to take over the whole studio. So we've got to have an entire staff doing that. And nothing's cheap, my friend.
John
No, not at all. All right, Beautiful. Well, that's a good thing. And the opportunity to be in a room with these professionals, musicians who've been at it for, like you said, and it still doesn't resonate with me a half a century to be in a room with you singing away has got to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for a Kiss fan. Huge.
Gene Simmons
And also Hineout Studios, by the way, is legendary. It's in Las Vegas. Most people don't know about it, but everybody's recorded there. Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck, everybody.
John
Yeah.
Gene Simmons
That's really historical. And again, for me, growing up, I had no idea. How do those things get. You know, you just listen to the music and you're awed by it. But the process is what I want to show the fans how to do it. And maybe that kindles some kind of flame. Whereas the singing shows, the Voice and American Idol. And by the way, I'm going to be one of the judges on American Idol in April. Just, you know, the qualification seems to be if you sing in the shower, you wind up on the show.
John
Yeah.
Gene Simmons
But let me tell you something. That's just not enough. Other than Clary Clarkson.
John
Yeah.
Gene Simmons
Who's an. You know, who's an example of somebody who's really got the goods. The rest of the folks who won contests. Nothing really happens.
Brady
Yeah.
John
There's like three or four total. And there's how many singing shows and everything?
Brady
You.
John
Carrie Underwood. Her. What's the.
Gene Simmons
He was. Yes, Hudson, you've got to have the goods.
John
Yeah.
Gene Simmons
What the. What. What that is. Nobody knows you either. Just have it. When you step up on that stage voice, the stagecraft, the charisma. And they can't. You can't teach that.
John
Well, Gene, you're clearly describing me. Can I get a discount and be part of this?
Gene Simmons
No.
John
Right. That's kind of what I expected. What. What gave you this side real quick? What gave you this idea to want to do this? I mean, what was the thing that said, you know, now that.
Gene Simmons
Now that Kiss is stopped touring, there'll be other Kiss stuff is Kiss avatars. We have the Kiss World Museum at the Rio Hotel is off. All sorts of crazy stuff. There's a movie and a cartoon show and all that stuff. But I have more free time and I sort of. You get into yourself. And what did I always want to do? Well, when I was a kid, I never got a chance to learn what that is because they don't teach you that stuff. There's no. There's no class that. Here's how the Beatles recorded their first record. You have no idea. And I wanted to do something, and I'm bullheaded. When I want to do something, no matter what the hurdles are, I make it happen.
John
Yeah, that's pretty impressive. Now, who would you. Gene, want to record with that you didn't ever have an opportunity to. Who would you like to be in a room with?
Gene Simmons
Jesus.
John
Jesus.
Gene Simmons
Well, he's. He's Israeli too.
John
That's right. You guys have. Does Jesus sound like you? If Jesus comes back, will he say.
Brady
Hello, I'm Jesus from the Bible?
Gene Simmons
I haven't heard his voice. I haven't heard his voice lately. But you never know.
John
You never know. It could be amazing. Gene, this is an incredible opportunity for people who love music, who absolutely love you, love Kiss and everything you guys have done. And give me the website one last time before we let you go.
Gene Simmons
Genesimmonsrecording.com.
John
All right, that's perfect. And this is a great thing, and thanks for taking time this morning and doing this. We'll definitely try to get people your way, and maybe the next great singer or musician or engineer comes out of this thing.
Gene Simmons
That's up to you. It's like anything in life, you know, Life gives you the tools. All the knowledge of mankind is in your hand. It's called Call the Cell Phone. And then what you do, it is up to you.
Brady
There you go.
John
Well, thank you so much for. For everything you've done and in this interview and everything else. We appreciate it, man.
Gene Simmons
You're a powerful and attractive man.
John
Thank you. Thank you. All interviews must end with your powerful and attractive man, Gene Simmons, on there from Kiss. And again, he doesn't care if you like his music or not. Just keep it coming in, keep it paying. Yeah. As long as you're letting him go. Gene's got the deal. Now, we didn't mention the cost of this. And if you go to the website, which, by the way, he was giving out the wrong website, but they fixed that. Since it'll direct you to the right thing, it is six grand kind of worth it. When you think about being in that space for a full day to hang out with somebody like that. If you're a super fan of Kiss, and I think you get to do Kiss songs, so you get to go in there and basically, he's gonna engineer and professionally karaoke some.
Gene Simmons
Yeah.
Corey
I'm curious to see if they. If they do that or they have.
John
Well, because the video I saw of it yesterday when I was looking, they're all. Everybody in the room is there at the same time. So if you're all in there, like 30 of you at a time, and everybody goes up and sings a part of Love Gun or whatever they're doing, and then. And then you knock that out and you get a copy of it, or maybe you do your whole song on your own. It would be fun. And it's. You know, it's. You don't have to be a professional singer or be intimidated by it. Just go up there and have Some fun goofing around. It's karaoke. Kiss with Kiss, which is pretty neat.
Mo Money Pawn
I think it'd be cool to just talk to him.
John
Just have him in a room. Just have him being, you know, Gene turned on in front of 30 people that he knows are fans of his. I mean, he's going to be fun. So for six friend now, I also would like to offer the opportunity for those who don't want to spend $6,000.
Brady
For $3,000, I'll put the wig and the makeup on and we'll go to Larry Elias Mind's Eye. And you can record any song you'd like for $3,000.
Gene Simmons
It's gonna cost a lot.
Brady
I need 80 people at 3,000 Brady. That should.
Corey
Good number.
Brady
That's a very good number. And we'll take care of you. And a semi professional singer and a professional engineer will put your song together for half price. And it'll almost feel exactly the same.
Corey
There'll be booze and food.
Brady
That's right, we'll have booze. We'll have food. That's going to cost. That comes from your 3,000. No reason for flight or accommodation. You should live here. There's a reason. It's cheaper. And I'll put the makeup on and the shoes. Walk around with a bass guitar and we'll play Pretend. For three grand, you could have the Kiss experience. And if you'd like, I'll even stick my tongue out.
John
Perform fellatio of some sorts on a few of you. I don't know. But three grand to be like Kiss light.
Mo Money Pawn
Yeah. Get the helmet hair, though. That's the problem. That's what you're missing.
Brady
I've got people for that. Put on a wig just like Gene Simmons does and pretend that it's my hair.
John
He's pretty great. That's. He's fun. And when he took a shot at my mom, that was even better. And then he had to ask if she was still alive. Even better. Those are those moments when I. Like when somebody makes a joke and then realizes that guy's. My mom might be dead.
Brady
And then she's still with us.
John
Yeah. Okay, good then. Because that guilt will hit you. Yeah, that's the thing. If you want to get in on it though, I. I would love to hear from you afterward. If you're a big Kiss fan or you're just a big music fan. This is kind of a cool opportunity. I do this for quite a few bands. Who would you want to do this with? You've been in pro recording Rooms and stuff. But who would you like to sit and go, man, and you don't get to bend their ear all day. But.
Mo Money Pawn
Sinatra.
John
Well, he's dead.
Mo Money Pawn
Well, I mean, if we're good, if.
Corey
We'Re shooting, let's go with living.
Mo Money Pawn
Living.
John
Well, I mean, Gene did say Jesus, so. Yeah, I mean, Sinatra. All right.
Mo Money Pawn
He picked Jesus because he was Israeli Sinatra. Come on.
John
All right. What am I gonna do? ABBA now or Asa Base? Who about you, Brittany?
Corey
Well, for going. You know anyone. I, I, I think it'd be fun to spend the day with the King.
John
Elvis Presley. That's a solid one. What would you pay for that? 6 grand for kiss is the going rate. That's gonna be a hefty fee for the Elvi.
Mo Money Pawn
Well, just think what you're paying for Yee. This weekend.
John
Yeah. Let's say Kirby. Kirby wants to spend a day in the studio with Yay. Because she's a big Kanye.
Mo Money Pawn
Hey, whatever.
John
Yeah. Yay. Yay. Yay, Kirby.
Gene Simmons
I hate the juice, too.
John
Kanye.
Brady
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
John
So you would spend, like, if it was, like, $10,000 for Kirby to spend the day with Kanye, would you do it?
Corey
No.
John
If she wanted to, you know. Yep. For Christmas.
Corey
She can use her money to do that.
John
No, but my money and your money are the same.
Brady
You do it.
John
Does daddy get to go hang out with.
Corey
Because with. That's the other thing that 6K with Gene Simmons. You get to bring a friend.
John
Yeah. You can pal around with somebody. They don't get to do anything. Corey brings up a good point. Says, doesn't it defeat the purpose of giving back to the fans, which is what he's saying he wants to do to get the fee. It's Gene. How did I start the interview? You're the greatest musical businessman on the planet.
Corey
Yep.
John
He knows it's giving back. It's an opportunity for the fans to be part of his world. And it is giving back because it's limited. If it was for all the fans, taking the money's bad. But this is a very limited opportunity.
Corey
Hopefully we know someone that went, no.
John
Yeah.
Corey
And hear the feedback. Like, it. This was the Fyre festival.
John
Or I would love to do that.
Corey
Or, man, that was an amazing day. Everything he said, they delivered on.
John
Maybe for the night of the Singing Dead, we'll all dress this Kiss, and then if one of them goes, and then we'll have. Maybe we could just do Kiss for my birthday. Not any of the songs. We'll just dress as Kiss, and then you guys can spend $3,000 to see what it would be like if they sang better songs. Anyway, Gene Simmons is awesome. There you go. Take advantage of it. It might be kind of great. It's out of control now.
Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona: BEST OF HMS PODCASTS
Episode: BEST OF HMS PODCASTS - WEDNESDAY
Release Date: March 12, 2025
Guest: Gene Simmons (Call-In Recorded March 2024)
Host: John Holmberg with Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo
Source: 98KUPD | Hubbard Radio
In this standout episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness (HMS), listeners are treated to a memorable call-in interview with none other than Gene Simmons, the iconic frontman of KISS. Recorded in March 2024 and released on March 12, 2025, this episode showcases John Holmberg's adept ability to engage with high-profile guests, blending humor with insightful discussion.
The focal point of the episode revolves around Gene Simmons announcing an exciting new project aimed at engaging and giving back to his passionate fanbase. Simmons introduces a unique opportunity for fans to experience the recording process firsthand.
Key Details:
Notable Quotes:
Throughout the interview, Gene Simmons delves into the history of KISS, sharing anecdotes about the band's rise to fame and the challenges they faced in their early days. He reflects on the transition from performing locally in New York to becoming a global phenomenon.
Highlights:
Notable Quotes:
The episode is peppered with light-hearted moments and witty exchanges between John Holmberg and his co-hosts, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo. These interactions add a layer of entertainment, showcasing the show's signature blend of humor and candid conversation.
Examples:
Notable Quotes:
As the interview wraps up, Gene Simmons reiterates his excitement about the recording project and his commitment to providing fans with a unique, hands-on musical experience. The hosts express their appreciation for Simmons' time and insights, encouraging listeners to take advantage of this limited opportunity.
Closing Remarks:
Notable Quotes:
This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness exemplifies the show's ability to blend celebrity interviews with engaging, humor-infused discussions. Gene Simmons' candid insights into his latest endeavor provide both aspiring musicians and KISS enthusiasts with an intriguing opportunity to connect with one of rock's most legendary figures.
For more information and to participate in Gene Simmons' recording project, visit genesimmonsrecording.com.