For Bruce Kulick, the years 1984 and 1985 were a whirlwind of unexpected opportunities and career-defining milestones. What began as a brief stint contributing “ghost guitar” parts to KISS’ Animalize soon transformed into a full-fledged membership in one of rock’s most iconic bands. But perhaps the most unforgettable moment in this journey was recording his first full album with KISS—1985’s Asylum.
In a recent interview with Chaoszine, Kulick looked back on this crucial chapter in both his career and the band’s history. The transition from a temporary stand-in for guitarist Mark St. John to a permanent band member left Kulick feeling like he had struck gold.
“Asylum, I thought I won the lottery when I was a temporary member,” Kulick said, as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar. “So now, I’m a full-time member. And obviously starting an actual record from the ground up—meaning songwriting and recording, not coming in as a ghost guitar player—was obviously very exciting.”
A significant part of that excitement came from working at Electric Lady Studios, the legendary recording facility originally built by Jimi Hendrix. Kulick noted the special atmosphere of the place, having worked there previously with Michael Bolton, but said it felt different—and thrilling—doing it this time with KISS.
“I love that they used Electric Lady,” he explained. “That was exciting. I had some other experience there with Michael Bolton, actually, but it was a real thrill to be there with KISS. And I remember we did a lot of press.”
Collaborating with KISS co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley for the first time in a studio setting was another eye-opening experience. Having only toured with them before, Kulick was eager to contribute more creatively. Right from the beginning, he was encouraged to take part in the songwriting process.
“But working with Gene and Paul—I only toured with them, so I didn’t know the studio experience,” he said. “But I fit in because I knew to do the best I could. I was very happy that I was able to contribute some songs, and that was very exciting.”
One especially memorable moment was when Paul Stanley first introduced him to what would become one of the album’s most enduring tracks.
“To just be a part of the whole process, from having Paul show me Tears Are Falling—‘What do you think of this?’—and I’m like, ‘Oh, I love it!’ To then recording it and then contributing a really good guitar solo to it that I’m proud of to this day. It was very, very cool. And then, of course, my face is on the cover of the record, so it felt great.”
Released on September 16, 1985, Asylum marked KISS’ thirteenth studio album and featured hit MTV videos like “Tears Are Falling” and “Uh! All Night.” Kulick received co-writing credits on three of the album’s ten tracks: “King of the Mountain,” “Trial by Fire,” and “I’m Alive.”
For Kulick, Asylum wasn’t just his first full album with KISS—it was a defining moment that solidified his place in the band’s storied legacy.
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