Lost Classic: Beth [VIDEO]

There are two songs that, off the top of my head, will make me stop everything I'm doing and listen. I guess you could also call these my "Guilty Pleasure Songs." Hmmmmmm, I might have to make that subject a blog unto itself, at some point.

One of those songs is Alice Cooper's "I Never Cry" and the other is today's "Lost Classic." I'm wondering if it's because both of these songs come from what, at the time, where considered "Heavy Metal" groups. Both bands, yes Alice was a band not a person, had success with a heavier sound and these songs pull a 180 to the other end of the spectrum. KISS was most known for their "rock anthem," Rock 'n Roll All Night. Pretty tame by today's standards. But it was this one (of two) songs that the "Catman," Peter Criss got to  be featured in. (The other being, "Hard Luck Women").

The original title of this "power ballad" was called "Beck." That was the name of the girlfriend of co-writer Bob Ezrin. Criss recalls that Beck was always calling Ezrin and "interrupting rehearsals." After 6 weeks of the constant calls, the group would know who it was was when the phone began to ring.

Peter brought the song to KISS and it was Gene Simmons who suggested changing the name to Beth, so as not to confuse the title with guitarist Jeff Beck. It was released as the flipside of "Detroit Rock City," but when a radio station decided to play the b-side, the record company re-released it as a single. It would go on to be the groups first Top 10 single and the rest is Rock & Roll History.

Enjoy today's Lost Classic by KISS and Beth.