Acclaimed songwriter Desmond Child says he was hurt when KISS publicly badmouthed his collaboration with the band, “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”.
Although “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” was a huge chart success for KISS 40 years ago, it was maligned by many of the group’s fans who didn’t appreciate the track’s disco beat.
During a recent appearance on the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, Child said that he wrote “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” with Paul Stanley after befriending the KISS frontman in the late ’70s.
“I was experimenting then with a drum machine, and the idea of having dance beats with rock had occurred to me,” Desmond recalled.
“So I kind of hoodwinked him into this idea of four-on-the-floor dance beat with these heavy guitars. Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] never bought it — he never liked it, [and] he [still] doesn’t.
“I remember when they made a record — I think it was [1981’s] ‘[Music From] ‘The Elder” — and they started doing hundreds of interviews saying, ‘Well, this time, we’re putting guards in front of the door to keep Desmond Child out,'” he continued.
“And I was so hurt. I called Paul and I said, ‘Paul, why don’t you criticize your enemies, not the friends that put money in your pocket?’ And he says, ‘Well, you know, that’s Gene — it’s not me.’ So, the next day I came home and there was a message on my answering machine. And it was, like, ‘Hi. It’s Gene. Sorry.’ And he hangs up. [Laughs] That was his apology.”
According to Child, he and Simmons eventually reconciled. “After all these years, he’s been an amazing friend and supporter and, actually, mentor,” Desmond said.