Bryan Adams will celebrate the launch of his new label, Bad Records, with the August 30th release of a double-A-sided single of two songs he wrote for KISS when he was 22 along with his longtime songwriting partner Jim Vallance and KISS bassist Gene Simmons.
"War Machine" and "Rock and Roll Hell" both appeared on the 10th KISS studio album, Creatures of the Night.
Adams says, “I got a call out of the blue from producer Michael James Jackson to see if I would like to write for KISS, which I was thrilled to do...
“While sitting with the band, Gene played me this fantastic bass riff, which ended up being the backbone of ‘War Machine.’ I was trying to think of a theme that could possibly match the riff and came up with the title. Seeing as the other song we’d written was about hell, war was the obvious theme to coincide with it."
“Rock and Roll Hell" was actually written by Vallance years earlier and recorded by Bachman Turner Overdrive -- minus Randy Bachman -- for their 1979 album, Rock n' Roll Nights. But Adams suggested they rewrite it for KISS. "It’s incredible to think these themes are unfortunately still playing out for real in the world today, but I’m very grateful to the KISS guys for giving me the chance back then.”
"Rock and Roll Hell" is out now digitally along with a video filmed on the rooftop of London’s Royal Albert Hall during Adams’ recent residency there.