Gene Simmons has praised Paul McCartney as the “king of bassists.” In a recent interview, the Kiss star shared his admiration for McCartney’s innovative approach to bass playing. “When I’m listening to ‘Dear Prudence’ or those other great Beatles songs, you’re aware of what the bass is doing. That doesn’t happen with the Stones,” Simmons said.
He acknowledged his love for The Rolling Stones but emphasized how McCartney’s bass lines stand out uniquely. Simmons, who initially learned guitar, switched to bass to increase his chances of joining a band. “As a 14 or 15-year-old kid, I just taught myself by looking at people’s fingers and eventually started to write those early, simple songs, some of which developed into tracks recorded on Kiss albums,” he explained.
McCartney served as Simmons’ primary inspiration. “With McCartney, it’s like a string quartet. You have the high notes over there playing, but you can hear what the cello is doing.
His approach to bass playing might stem from the fact that he was a guitar player first and foremost,” Simmons noted.
Bass inspiration from Paul McCartney
The Kiss bassist also expressed admiration for Motown legend James Jamerson, who performed uncredited on numerous classic hits.
“Just the feel of [Jamerson’s playing] is incredible. It’s a rumble and a feel,” Simmons said. He credited Ronnie Wood, known primarily as a guitarist for The Faces and The Rolling Stones, for his influential bass work in the Jeff Beck Group.
“Ronnie Wood is a decent guitar player, but what he did on bass in the Jeff Beck Group is phenomenal,” Simmons added. Simmons shared insights into Kiss’s creative process, highlighting how The Beatles influenced the band’s sound. “Kiss was a strange band in the sense that we had three-part harmonies, classic song structures like the Beatles, but there were some heavy riffs in there,” he said.
Reflecting on diverse musical influences shaping a unique sound, Simmons concluded, “There are no rules in any kind of music. You can pick and choose your influences and try to apply it to your thing. It’s like food – it’s how you put it together that gives it the unique flavor.”
