Tommy Thayer remains the longest-serving Spaceman in Kiss, but his relationship with the glam rock giants extends way before the time he officially donned the iconic outfit for the first time in the early 2000s.
Speaking about how he made the transition in a new interview with Guitar World, Thayer admits there was little discussion before he first stepped out on stage in his new role... save for a crucial request from Gene Simmons.
Thayer made a name for himself with a lyrical, melody-first approach to guitar playing and songwriting during the 1980s, a decade dominated by incendiary fretboard bothering. But Thayer wasn't going to abandon his influences in favor of such a trend.
His chops and style eventually put him in touch with Gene Simmons, who would go on to produce Thayer’s previous band, Black ’n Blue. In 1989, Thayer was working with Simmons again, this time demoing material for Kiss’ album Hot in the Shade.
“Gene had been producing Black ’n Blue and eventually asked if I’d be interested in writing for their next album,” Thayer tells Guitar World. “I went over to his place, and we sat down with a couple of guitars and wrote two songs. I remember recording demos for The Street Giveth [and The Street Taketh] and Betrayed at Cherokee Sound in Hollywood.”
Thayer’s creativity shone through and both songs made the cut, with much of the demo recording – including vocal and acoustic guitar parts – making it on to the studio version proper.
Then, from 1994, Thayer was drafted in to work on the book Kisstory and later helped Ace Frehley relearn parts from the band’s 1970s discography. Thayer was proving indispensable, and as uncertainty around Frehley’s future in the band grew, it felt like a matter of time until Thayer made the step up.
First, he lay in the wings as an emergency guitarist, but it quickly evolved into a full-time gig – and the change came naturally.
“There wasn’t much discussion,” Thayer goes on. “It was more about stepping in and filling the spot. I remember sitting with Gene and him saying, 'You need to start growing your hair again...' That was the discussion! [laughs] They needed to do something because it was becoming impossible for the band to move forward at that point.”
Thayer, a Kiss expert, felt tailor-made for the role. But that didn’t make joining any less daunting.
“I jumped in and did the best I could,” he responds when asked if the size of the task made him nervous.
“To be honest, it was tough at first, and I had a lot of anxiety. The playing part came easily, but stepping into that role and meeting the expectations that came with it was what made it challenging.”
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