Image: Bad Records
Bryan Adams recently launched his own record label, Bad Records – and the first music on it is a double A-side single which was originally written for KISS, back when Bryan was in his early 20s, long before he attained fame and fortune.
War Machine and Rock And Roll Hell were written by Bryan along with Jim Vallance and Gene Simmons, for KISS’ 1982 album Creatures Of The Night. Says Bryan:“To commemorate the first single on Bad Records, here are two songs I co-wrote when I was a 22-year-old struggling songwriter. I got a call out of the blue from producer Michael James Jackson to see if I would like to write for KISS, which I was thrilled to do, and these are a couple of the songs that were the result, written with both Gene Simmons and Jim Vallance.”
“While sitting with the band, Gene played me this fantastic bass riff, which ended up being the backbone of ‘War Machine’. I was trying to think of a theme that could possibly match the riff and came up with the title. Seeing as the other song we’d written was about hell, War was the obvious theme to coincide with it.
“‘Rock and Roll Hell’ was actually Jim’s song that had been released a few years earlier with Bachman Turner Overdrive, and I suggested that we rewrite it for KISS. It’s incredible to think these themes are unfortunately still playing out for real in the world today, but I’m very grateful to the KISS guys for giving me the chance back then.”
The 7 inch vinyl single will drop Friday August 30; the video for Rock And Roll Hell was shot on the roof of Royal Albert Hall, during his residency there.
Love, Dr. Scott James
