Wicked Lester

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Lore & Background

The roots of Wicked Lester trace back to 1964 when bassist Klein and guitarist Stephen Coronel played together in bands like The Long Island Sounds. By August 1970, they formed Rainbow with keyboardist Brooke Ostrander, adding rhythm guitarist Stanley Eisen after he was recommended by Coronel. In early 1971, the group performed their first show at Richmond Community College in Staten Island, only to discover another band already used the name 'Rainbow.' They adopted 'Wicked Lester,' a name Klein favored for its unusual quality. Their musical direction blended rock and roll with folk and pop elements, featuring original compositions alongside covers like The Hollies' 'I Wanna Shout'. In August 1971, the trio of Klein, Eisen, and Coronel recorded an acoustic demo tape containing 20 songs at Electric Lady Studios. Later that year, engineer Ron Johnsen produced further demos for Epic Records, which purchased the masters on one condition: firing Coronel. Session musician Ron Leejack replaced him in December 1971. The recording process dragged into a haphazard year-long schedule, finishing in July 1972. When presented to Don Ellis in August 1972, he hated the album, leading manager Lew Linet to request their release from Epic the very next day.

In Their Own Story

The band's brief public life included only two performances: a show at the Rivoli Theatre on April 23, 1971, and an event in Atlantic City later that summer. A major setback occurred when all their gear was stolen shortly after the second gig. Following the rejection of their album by Epic, Klein and Eisen realized their lack of vision caused the failure. In October 1972, a studio tape confirmed they were using the names Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. They asked Leejack to fire drummer Tony Zarrella and keyboardist Ostrander; Ostrander quit in November 1972, later teaching music in Vermont until his death in 2011. Simmons and Stanley pivoted toward a more aggressive rock style. In late August or early September 1972, they hired Peter Criss after he answered an ad in Rolling Stone seeking an 'EXPD. ROCK & roll drummer.' The trio showcased for Epic executive Tom Werman in November 1972; while impressed by the theatrics, Ellis turned them down again, reportedly after Criss's drunk brother vomited on his foot. Paul Stanley then placed an ad in The Village Voice in December 1972 for a lead guitarist. Paul 'Ace' Frehley auditioned without speaking, simply plugging in and playing. He joined by Christmas or January 3, 1973. Leejack resigned on January 15, 1973, just weeks before the first Kiss concert on January 30.

Reader's Guide

Wicked Lester's unreleased album remains a significant curiosity for fans, with sessions bootlegged as 'The Original Wicked Lester Sessions.' Three tracks were officially released by KISS in 2001: 'Keep Me Waiting,' 'She,' and 'Love Her All I Can.' The album featured eclectic styles, including folk rock and pop, contrasting sharply with the hard rock image KISS would later adopt. Songs like 'Love Her All I Can' and 'She' reappeared on KISS's 1975 album 'Dressed to Kill,' while the chorus of 'I Wanna Shout' inspired 'Shout It Out Loud' from 1976's 'Destroyer.'

The master tapes were originally held by CBS Records, which planned a late 1976 release to capitalize on KISS's fame. However, KISS and label president Neil Bogart purchased the tapes for $137,500 to prevent the release of these softer tracks and photos of Simmons and Stanley without makeup, fearing it would damage their hard rock image. The album cover art was reused by The Laughing Dogs in 1979. Today, only three tracks are officially available, preserving a glimpse into the band's pre-fame musical identity.

Did You Know?

• The band changed its name from Rainbow to Wicked Lester in early 1971 after discovering another local band already used the name 'Rainbow'.
• Epic Records agreed to fund a full album only on the condition that guitarist Stephen Coronel be fired and replaced by session musician Ron Leejack.
• Peter Criss was recruited via an ad in Rolling Stone that read: "EXPD. ROCK & roll drummer looking for orig. grp. doing soft & hard music."
• KISS purchased the master tapes of Wicked Lester's unreleased album from CBS Records for $137,500 to prevent their release.
• The only part of the original album initially released was the cover art, which was used for The Laughing Dogs' self-titled debut in 1979.