Listen to Gene Simmons and Rick Rubin for three hours and more

Gene Simmons and Rick Rubin (composite image) — (Image credit: Gene Simmons: Kevin Mazur | Rick Rubin: Tristar Media)

Gene Simmons has appeared on the latest edition of Rick Rubin's Tetragrammaton podcast.

Over the course of a wide-ranging, three-and-a-half-hour, 28,000-word conversation, the pair discuss Simmons' early years, the formation of pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester, Kiss's 50-year career, Simmons' relationships with his bandmates and romantic partners, and all points in between.

While lots of the stories are the usual, well-rehearsed Simmons schtick, the sections on Kiss's music are more interesting, as he and Rubin listen to tracks and talk about their origins and recordings, and the producer remembers his early obsession with Kiss.

"I can remember listening to I want to rock and roll all night and party every day," says Rubin. "I can remember I was in the gymnasium of my junior high school and I remember listening to it over and over again. I want to say trying to understand it.

"I don't mean understand the words, and I don't mean understand the music, but understand what was happening. Why do I want to listen to this over and over again?"

"This is really interesting to me," says Simmons. "Keep going. Keep going."

"I remember that experience of listening to it over and over," Rubin continues. "And it didn't relate to my life in any way, but something about the combination of the music and the sentiment of the words moved me at – I don't know, 13 or 14 years or however old I was at the time – and I remember listening to it over and over and over again and just feeling like it made me want to know more."

The podcast, which promises "In-depth interviews that may blow your mind," has previously featured the likes of actor Al Pacino, journalist Malcolm Gladwell, controversial entrepreneur Peter Thiel, popular YouTuber Rick Beato, System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian and Beach Boys' members Bruce Johnston and Mike Love.

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Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.