Eric Carr
Encyclopedia
Paul Charles Caravello also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer
for the rock
band Kiss
. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss
left in 1980. He remained a band member until his death from heart cancer
in November 1991, aged 41.
Caravello was an artist and went to the High School of Art & Design in New York City.
and Queens
. Only a handful of recordings were made, released on the "Jody" label, a small Brooklyn recording studio. Caravello then joined a band called "Things That Go Bump In The Night" and later "Smack", the latter of which consisted mostly of members from "The Cellarmen", who disbanded in 1968.
"Salt & Pepper" was Caravello's next cover band, playing music from multiple genres. He would go on with this band for nine years. It enjoyed some success, performing as opening act for established names such as Stevie Wonder
and Nina Simone
. Changing name to "Creation" in 1973, the band was now performing disco
music.
Tragedy struck when a fire broke out during a discothèque gig in Port Chester, New York
, killing dozens of people including the band's keyboardist and lead singer. Caravello escaped and was credited with saving another person. It was determined that the fire had been started by a thief in an adjacent building hoping to cover his tracks. The band continued for some time, sometimes using the name "Bionic Boogie".
In December 1979, Caravello successfully auditioned for a rock 'n' roll cover band called "Flasher". At this point he had become skeptical about his musical future after so many years trying to make it without a break, and considered settling down with a non-musical career. Flasher played the club circuit in New York City
and Long Island
. The band continued on despite the resignation of its keyboardist Paul Turino, but bookings diminished. Caravello handed in his resignation in May 1980. Shortly afterwards, he had a chance meeting with Turino in a club in Queens. Turino told Caravello about Peter Criss's departure from Kiss and urged Caravello to audition to become Kiss's drummer.
over his substance abuse problems and unreliability, Kiss held open auditions for a new drummer. Criss had not recorded an entire studio album with Kiss since 1977's Love Gun
.
's. "It sounded great!" he enthused years later in a fanzine interview. The application was put into a bright orange folder to make it stand out visually.
While sitting outside the actual room used for the audition, Caravello watched the three members of Kiss, Ace Frehley
, Gene Simmons
, and Paul Stanley, walk by to enter the room. He was one of the few people outside of the band's circle of friends, family, and music business partners, to see Kiss without make-up. "Paul, I knew right away", he told a fanzine in 1990 while interviewed on Kiss' tour bus. "The others I wasn't sure about."
Caravello was the last drummer to audition for the band and actually asked Stanley, Simmons and Frehley to autograph the list of Kiss songs he was to play with the band, in case he never saw them again. "But I knew I had it", he told a fanzine in 1990. According to Caravello, his audition was videotaped. He was also immediately comfortable, feeling the songs he had to play "...were a snap." He knew the arrangements better than the band did, from learning the recorded versions off Kiss' albums. "They had been on tour, and changed little things around," he said. He wasn't impressed with Kiss's performance at the audition. "They were awful!" he emphasized, "I had to remind them, "'No, I sing this harmony, you sing that one', stuff like that. It was great! Right away we were working together. I know it impressed them."
A significant advantage for Caravello may have been his relative anonymity, as it was important for the band to maintain the mystique surrounding the members. Said Paul Stanley, "It was really important to us that we got somebody who was unknown... We didn't want somebody who last week was in Rod Stewarts's band or in Rainbow." In fact, the press release announcing the induction of Caravello into Kiss deducted two years from his actual age in order to confuse those seeking information about his true identity.
After Caravello passed the audition, the time constricted band had some trouble coming up with a character persona and a stage name for him. Caravello originally considered going by the name "Rusty Blade", until he decided on Eric Carr, knowing that Criss' name was two syllables followed by a single syllable, the inverse of the other three band members' names. He decided to make his stage name sound the same rhythmically as Peter Criss' when people said all four names together. Carr was shortened from his birth name Caravello, and he chose Eric from a list of first names his girlfriend at the time had given him. Paul Caravello remained his legal name.
For his Kiss persona, Carr initially tried "The Hawk"; this concept was apparently very difficult to realize – a suitable make-up design was never created, and the "Hawk" costume was a "bright ORANGE-YELLOW!". With the band on deadline (only two weeks before Carr's stage debut), Carr came up with the make-up design for the persona of "The Fox"; Simmons liked it and thus the character was born. The original design was modified within days of Carr's initial photo sessions and for a single concert—his first as a member of Kiss. Carr was introduced to the public on an episode of Kids Are People Too!
filmed in late July, 1980 and aired in September 1980, and his first public performance was with the band in New York City's "The Palladium" venue on July 25, 1980. His parents, warned to not tell anyone their son was now in Kiss (to maintain the mystique that no one knew what the new guy looked like), attended the concert — and were recognized by a friend who actually worked with Paul Caravello at the repair shop and had no idea the new KISS member behind the kit was his co-worker. "'What are you doing here?'", Carr's father, Albert Caravello related in the Tale Of The Fox DVD, "'You like Kiss?' I said, "Yeah!'" Carr also, immediately after joining KISS, still did a few stove repair jobs. For Christmas in 1980, the KISS organization bought Eric a Porsche—so their new drummer would ride around in appropiate rock star-style. Ironically, the car broke down often, and caused Carr quite a bit of grief. ("Tale of the Fox" DVD).
His persona remained consistent for three years until the band's well-publicized removal of their stage makeup in September 1983, live on MTV network. "I thought the band was ending, and they weren't telling me", he told a fanzine editor in June, 1990. Kiss slowly turned their career descent into a rebound, and the band thrived. Carr earned a reputation amongst fans for being unusually friendly and approachable. He answered more mail than other band members, and often added messages to his autographs. Despite being a replacement member, his popularity soared among fans based on this personal decency and well-honed percussion skills.
Carr's first album with Kiss was 1981's Music from "The Elder", which marked a departure for the band toward a mystical art-rock direction. One of Carr's contributions to the album, "Under the Rose", featured a Gregorian chant-style chorus. Later, he would also have co-writer credits on "All Hell's Breakin' Loose
", "Under the Gun", and "No, No, No", amongst others. Carr said he found writing lyrics harder than writing music.
Besides drumming, Carr also played guitar, bass guitar, and piano and sang background vocals. Occasionally he sang lead vocals, such as "Black Diamond" and "Young and Wasted" live with Kiss. His first lead vocal in the studio was a re-recording of "Beth
" (a song originally sung by Peter Criss) for the 1988 compilation album Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
. Carr recorded his version of the song in the same room in the Record Plant where the song was originally recorded, using the same backing track as Criss. Carr would later claim that he regretted having to overdub what he felt was the definitive performance by Criss, but that he was so desperate to finally sing on an album that (against his better judgment) he agreed to do it.
In 1989 he recorded a demo with Kiss's lead guitarist Bruce Kulick
. Carr wrote the music, played bass and drums, while Kulick played guitar. As Carr was not a proficient lyricist, he presented the demo to Simmons with the words to Marvin Gaye
's 1965 classic "Ain't That Peculiar
". Simmons wrote new lyrics, which Carr recorded for the subsequent Hot in the Shade
release. Song was released as "Little Caesar
". He performed the song a few times, but it wasn't performed beyond the first month of the tour. Carr's last live performance with Kiss was November 9, 1990 in New York City
, at Madison Square Garden
.
Carr's last recording with Kiss was for the song "God Gave Rock 'N Roll To You II", which featured him on backing vocals. The last time Carr worked with Kiss was in July 1991 when Kiss filmed the video for "God Gave Rock 'N Roll To You" with Carr playing drums. Carr's last public appearance with the band was at the MTV Video Music Awards
in September 1991.
In his 1980 resume sent to Kiss, Carr stated that his drumming style ranged from heavy metal
and hard rock
to pop
and new wave
claiming that "I can adapt to most situations easily." Furthermore he listed drummers John Bonham
, Keith Moon
, and Lenny White
as influences.
In addition, Carr was an avid fan of The Beatles
and the band's drummer Ringo Starr
. In an interview he recalled, "I was caught up in the whole Beatlemania thing. I guess I was attracted to the drums because of the feeling of the rhythm and how it moved you, just sitting in your seat. I loved the way Ringo moved. I identified with him at the time ..." Photographs of Eric during his high school years show him wearing his hair like Starr did. To get his naturally curly locks to lay down like The Beatles' hair, he would soak it in "Dippy-Do" cream, and wear a stocking over his head while sleeping each night. His parents never said a thing to him as he'd retire each night. "I was a good kid, and they weren't gonna pick on me for a small thing like that. They're real good, hardworking Italian parents. I owe them everything".
Carr's interest in double bass drumming came from his admiration of Ginger Baker
and John Bonham, once telling 16 Magazine, "I just loved the way John Bonham played drums". Eric also had a love of all types of music; songwriter Adam Mitchell once described Carr as knowing a lot about folk, R&B and other non-rock styles. In a 1983 interview, Carr told USA Channel interviewer Al Bandero that he listened to "a lot" of Neil Young
, and liked many different types of music.
Simmons has stated that Carr's harder drumming style pushed Kiss into becoming a heavier band than it had been when jazz-inspired Criss was the band's drummer.
However, he was diagnosed as having an unexpectedly serious and extremely rare type of cancer – heart cancer
. In April 1991, Carr underwent a series of surgeries to remove tumors in his right atrium and lungs in an effort to restore heart
function and prevent the cancer's growth. He recovered sufficiently and pressed Paul Stanley
and Gene Simmons
to let him back in the band. They continually told him to get himself healthy and when he was he would be the Kiss drummer once again. The band was ready to film the "God Gave Rock and Roll" video and he asked Gene and Paul to at least let him be in the video and they finally agreed to let him appear in the video. He flew to Los Angeles in July 1991 to be with the band to play drums for their music video "God Gave Rock n' Roll To You". He was wearing a wig at that point because of treatment and according to Paul he gave it his all, doing the song over and over again until he got it right even as weak as he was. After the video shoot he flew back to New York to try to get healthy; his health had deteriorated to the point where he was unable to play drums for the recording session for Revenge, and Eric Singer
(who had played previously in Paul Stanley's solo band) was brought in. After filming the video, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Bruce Kulick
told him to go home and get well. After aggressive treatment, the cancer went into remission and Carr's health appeared to improve.
Carr's last public appearance with Kiss was at the MTV Video Music Awards
in September 1991. Not long afterwards he suffered from an aneurysm
and was rushed to a hospital. He survived that episode, but it was only a matter of days before he suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by cancer cells transported in his bloodstream to the head, and never regained consciousness. On November 24, 1991, Carr died, age of 41, on the same day Queen
frontman Freddie Mercury
also died, age of 45.
In keeping with Carr's accessibility to his fans, his family decided to open his funeral service to the public, while reserving the interment as a private event. The funeral procession to the cemetery was very long, with New York State troopers making sure fans did not enter the cemetery for the interment. Carr is interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery in the Town of Newburgh
, New York.
, along with Carr's family, released Carr's first and only solo album in 1999, titled Rockology
, which featured many demos that Kulick and Carr worked on together (along with songwriter and friend Adam Mitchell). The CD features several songs with Carr on lead vocals as well as on bass guitar, along with Kulick on guitars and Mitchell assisting Carr with many of the background vocals. This album includes "Somebody's Waiting" and "Tiara", a song that he originally wrote for his planned children's cartoon show called Rockheads, a rock band parody featuring four characters (Slider, Clive, Scruffy and Punky) with different characteristics and personalities.
featured what is said to be the only drum solo Carr ever recorded with the band, entitled "Carr Jam 1981", a jam session recorded for the Music From "The Elder" sessions (former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley
's original guitar part was overdubbed by Bruce Kulick). Much of the soloing was seasoned during Kiss's 1980 Unmasked Tour of Europe and Australia, and put down during The Elder sessions, since that album was recorded following that tour. Carr had for years been trying to get his hands on a copy of the solo for his personal collection, but his request was always rebuffed by Bob Ezrin
with the excuse that he did not know where the masters
for the session were. Once Carr died, however, the solo surfaced as "Carr Jam 1981".
The Revenge album was dedicated to Carr. He was also homaged on the "Kiss My Ass" video, as well as Kissology 2. However, the band declined a tribute concert that was requested by a circle of fans the year after his passing. Simmons stated, "We didn't want to do a tribute concert. We are dedicating the album to his name, but no concerts in his name. It's not our style."
A further tribute was produced in 1992, called Eric Carr: The Memorial Tribute. It was first broadcast live on 88.1 FM / WCWP, where Carr had been interviewed three years earlier while doing press for the Hot in the Shade
album. Running for approximately 3 hours, the tribute featured a re-broadcast of the interview, interspersed with biographical information and details of Carr's extracurricular projects, along with all the officially-released songs Carr had written or co-written. Though broadcast just once, Eric Carr: The Memorial Tribute was released several years later (seemingly in an unofficial capacity) as a two-tape box set, designed to resemble the Kiss solo albums. It featured a newly commissioned painting of Carr in his fox makeup, patterned after the rarely-seen original by Eraldo Carugati (the artist who did the paintings for the original four Kiss solo album covers, plus one of Carr that was never officially released).
Fifteen years to the day of Carr's Kiss debut, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock Walk Hall of Fame at Guitar Center in Hollywood, California. Carr's parents, Albert and Connie Caravello, accepted a plaque in Carr's honor. Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley
was inducted in the "Rock Walk" during the same ceremony. Frehley's handprint was not added to the Kiss display. Carr's acknowledgment was a bronze plaque with his name, autograph and a separate icon of the Fox makeup he wore. Both were added to the Kiss display. Also, on numerous solo tours since Carr's death, Ace Frehley would play "Breakout" (with lyrics written by Carr and Frehley and later re-recorded as "Carr Jam '81" on Kiss' Revenge album) and dedicate it to Carr, who Frehley hopes is "checking out the show up there". Frehley also dedicated his 2009
solo album Anomaly to Carr.
In July 2005, Carr was voted in tenth place for the world's best drummer by Planet Radio Rock. No other member of Kiss was given the distinction of making the top 10 in the categories of vocalist, bassist or guitarist. Carr was only the second American drummer to make the list, with all others being either British or Canadian.
There is a hidden 'easter egg
' in the 2007 Kissology II DVD collection (on disc three at the end of the production credits) showing a family videotape made of Carr, on his hospital bed, speaking into the camera thanking his fans for their cards, letters, and concern about his health. Dressed in white, Carr then exits the bed, and begins walking away only to return and moon
the camera in rock n' roll style.
On August 13, 2011, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Carr's passing, a tribute concert was held in Atlanta, Georgia called Night of the Fox: The ERIC CARR Tribute Concert. The main act, going under the name Little Caesar, played a 90-minute set of songs related to Eric Carr. Made up mostly Kiss
songs from Carr's time in the band, the show also featured a song from Rockology ("Eyes of Love") plus songs written or co-written by Carr but recorded by other artists, such as "Don't Leave Me Lonely
", a song recorded by Bryan Adams
which was written by Eric for inclusion on Creatures of the Night
album, but was rejected. Also, a tribute album featuring never released songs and interviews called Unfinished Business was released by his family. The album featured members and former members of Kiss, Twisted Sister
, Seether
, ZO2
, Europe
. The album was released on November 8.
Though stated by Carr's family that the recordings would be released in 2006, they remain unreleased as of 2011. Some of the songs were released on the album Unfinished Business.
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
left in 1980. He remained a band member until his death from heart cancer
Heart cancer
Heart cancer is an extremely rare form of cancer that is divided into primary tumors of the heart and secondary tumors of the heart.-Primary:...
in November 1991, aged 41.
Caravello was an artist and went to the High School of Art & Design in New York City.
Early music career
Caravello played with a string of bands mostly performing covers of well-known songs before joining Kiss. The first band, "The Cellarmen", was formed in 1965 by him and a couple of friends. They started playing local clubs in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. Only a handful of recordings were made, released on the "Jody" label, a small Brooklyn recording studio. Caravello then joined a band called "Things That Go Bump In The Night" and later "Smack", the latter of which consisted mostly of members from "The Cellarmen", who disbanded in 1968.
"Salt & Pepper" was Caravello's next cover band, playing music from multiple genres. He would go on with this band for nine years. It enjoyed some success, performing as opening act for established names such as Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
. Changing name to "Creation" in 1973, the band was now performing disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music.
Tragedy struck when a fire broke out during a discothèque gig in Port Chester, New York
Port Chester, New York
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is part of the town of Rye. As of the 2010 census, Port Chester had a population of 28,967...
, killing dozens of people including the band's keyboardist and lead singer. Caravello escaped and was credited with saving another person. It was determined that the fire had been started by a thief in an adjacent building hoping to cover his tracks. The band continued for some time, sometimes using the name "Bionic Boogie".
In December 1979, Caravello successfully auditioned for a rock 'n' roll cover band called "Flasher". At this point he had become skeptical about his musical future after so many years trying to make it without a break, and considered settling down with a non-musical career. Flasher played the club circuit in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The band continued on despite the resignation of its keyboardist Paul Turino, but bookings diminished. Caravello handed in his resignation in May 1980. Shortly afterwards, he had a chance meeting with Turino in a club in Queens. Turino told Caravello about Peter Criss's departure from Kiss and urged Caravello to audition to become Kiss's drummer.
Audition for Kiss and stage persona
Following two and a falling-out with Peter CrissPeter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
over his substance abuse problems and unreliability, Kiss held open auditions for a new drummer. Criss had not recorded an entire studio album with Kiss since 1977's Love Gun
Love Gun
Love Gun is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss. It was certified platinum on June 30, 1977, just two weeks after the album's release....
.
Audition
Caravello was working for his father as an oven repair man for Jamaica Stove in Brooklyn while playing drums in "Flasher" when Kiss dismissed Criss. Caravello, who had played in cover bands throughout the 1970s, was told by former Flasher keyboardist Paul Turino that he should audition for Kiss. Along with the application, Caravello submitted a cassette tape of Kiss's current single "Shandi" but with his vocals over the music instead of Paul StanleyPaul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
's. "It sounded great!" he enthused years later in a fanzine interview. The application was put into a bright orange folder to make it stand out visually.
While sitting outside the actual room used for the audition, Caravello watched the three members of Kiss, Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
, Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
, and Paul Stanley, walk by to enter the room. He was one of the few people outside of the band's circle of friends, family, and music business partners, to see Kiss without make-up. "Paul, I knew right away", he told a fanzine in 1990 while interviewed on Kiss' tour bus. "The others I wasn't sure about."
Caravello was the last drummer to audition for the band and actually asked Stanley, Simmons and Frehley to autograph the list of Kiss songs he was to play with the band, in case he never saw them again. "But I knew I had it", he told a fanzine in 1990. According to Caravello, his audition was videotaped. He was also immediately comfortable, feeling the songs he had to play "...were a snap." He knew the arrangements better than the band did, from learning the recorded versions off Kiss' albums. "They had been on tour, and changed little things around," he said. He wasn't impressed with Kiss's performance at the audition. "They were awful!" he emphasized, "I had to remind them, "'No, I sing this harmony, you sing that one', stuff like that. It was great! Right away we were working together. I know it impressed them."
A significant advantage for Caravello may have been his relative anonymity, as it was important for the band to maintain the mystique surrounding the members. Said Paul Stanley, "It was really important to us that we got somebody who was unknown... We didn't want somebody who last week was in Rod Stewarts's band or in Rainbow." In fact, the press release announcing the induction of Caravello into Kiss deducted two years from his actual age in order to confuse those seeking information about his true identity.
Character and stage persona
For his Kiss persona, Carr initially tried "The Hawk"; this concept was apparently very difficult to realize – a suitable make-up design was never created, and the "Hawk" costume was a "bright ORANGE-YELLOW!". With the band on deadline (only two weeks before Carr's stage debut), Carr came up with the make-up design for the persona of "The Fox"; Simmons liked it and thus the character was born. The original design was modified within days of Carr's initial photo sessions and for a single concert—his first as a member of Kiss. Carr was introduced to the public on an episode of Kids Are People Too!
Kids Are People Too!
Kids Are People Too was a television series that ran on Sunday mornings from 1978 to 1982 on ABC. The series was a variety/news-magazine show oriented towards kids with the intention of recognizing them as people. During its four year run, the series was nominated for five Emmy Awards and won the...
filmed in late July, 1980 and aired in September 1980, and his first public performance was with the band in New York City's "The Palladium" venue on July 25, 1980. His parents, warned to not tell anyone their son was now in Kiss (to maintain the mystique that no one knew what the new guy looked like), attended the concert — and were recognized by a friend who actually worked with Paul Caravello at the repair shop and had no idea the new KISS member behind the kit was his co-worker. "'What are you doing here?'", Carr's father, Albert Caravello related in the Tale Of The Fox DVD, "'You like Kiss?' I said, "Yeah!'" Carr also, immediately after joining KISS, still did a few stove repair jobs. For Christmas in 1980, the KISS organization bought Eric a Porsche—so their new drummer would ride around in appropiate rock star-style. Ironically, the car broke down often, and caused Carr quite a bit of grief. ("Tale of the Fox" DVD).
His persona remained consistent for three years until the band's well-publicized removal of their stage makeup in September 1983, live on MTV network. "I thought the band was ending, and they weren't telling me", he told a fanzine editor in June, 1990. Kiss slowly turned their career descent into a rebound, and the band thrived. Carr earned a reputation amongst fans for being unusually friendly and approachable. He answered more mail than other band members, and often added messages to his autographs. Despite being a replacement member, his popularity soared among fans based on this personal decency and well-honed percussion skills.
Music career with Kiss
All Hell's Breakin' Loose
"All Hell's Breakin' Loose" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss, that appeared on their 1983 album Lick It Up. It was the second and final single released from the album and did not chart in the US....
", "Under the Gun", and "No, No, No", amongst others. Carr said he found writing lyrics harder than writing music.
Besides drumming, Carr also played guitar, bass guitar, and piano and sang background vocals. Occasionally he sang lead vocals, such as "Black Diamond" and "Young and Wasted" live with Kiss. His first lead vocal in the studio was a re-recording of "Beth
Beth (song)
"Beth" is a song by Kiss, originally released on their 1976 album, Destroyer. To date, it is their highest-charting single, reaching #7 on Billboard's American charts. It is one of only two Gold selling singles for the band , and their first of two Top Ten singles...
" (a song originally sung by Peter Criss) for the 1988 compilation album Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
Smashes, Thrashes & Hits
-Charts:AlbumSingles- Certifications :...
. Carr recorded his version of the song in the same room in the Record Plant where the song was originally recorded, using the same backing track as Criss. Carr would later claim that he regretted having to overdub what he felt was the definitive performance by Criss, but that he was so desperate to finally sing on an album that (against his better judgment) he agreed to do it.
In 1989 he recorded a demo with Kiss's lead guitarist Bruce Kulick
Bruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
. Carr wrote the music, played bass and drums, while Kulick played guitar. As Carr was not a proficient lyricist, he presented the demo to Simmons with the words to Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's 1965 classic "Ain't That Peculiar
Ain't That Peculiar
"Ain't That Peculiar" is a 1965 song recorded by American soul musician Marvin Gaye for the Tamla label. The single was produced by Smokey Robinson, and written by Robinson, and fellow Miracles members Ronald White, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin...
". Simmons wrote new lyrics, which Carr recorded for the subsequent Hot in the Shade
Hot in the Shade
-Personnel:*Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, vocals*Gene Simmons – bass guitar, vocals*Bruce Kulick – lead guitar, backing vocals*Eric Carr – drums, percussion, vocals-Charts:AlbumSingles- Certifications :...
release. Song was released as "Little Caesar
Little Caesar (KISS song)
"Little Caesar" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, featured on their 1989 album Hot in the Shade. It is the lone original song that drummer Eric Carr sang lead on during his tenure with Kiss...
". He performed the song a few times, but it wasn't performed beyond the first month of the tour. Carr's last live performance with Kiss was November 9, 1990 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
Carr's last recording with Kiss was for the song "God Gave Rock 'N Roll To You II", which featured him on backing vocals. The last time Carr worked with Kiss was in July 1991 when Kiss filmed the video for "God Gave Rock 'N Roll To You" with Carr playing drums. Carr's last public appearance with the band was at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in September 1991.
Influences and style
Carr was a powerful hard-hitting drummer and one of the first drummers to adopt the classic 1980s snare drum sound : a highly reverberated and low-tuned sound.In his 1980 resume sent to Kiss, Carr stated that his drumming style ranged from heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
to pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
claiming that "I can adapt to most situations easily." Furthermore he listed drummers John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, and Lenny White
Lenny White
Leonard White III, better known as Lenny White is an American jazz fusion drummer, who is best known for playing in Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:...
as influences.
In addition, Carr was an avid fan of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and the band's drummer Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
. In an interview he recalled, "I was caught up in the whole Beatlemania thing. I guess I was attracted to the drums because of the feeling of the rhythm and how it moved you, just sitting in your seat. I loved the way Ringo moved. I identified with him at the time ..." Photographs of Eric during his high school years show him wearing his hair like Starr did. To get his naturally curly locks to lay down like The Beatles' hair, he would soak it in "Dippy-Do" cream, and wear a stocking over his head while sleeping each night. His parents never said a thing to him as he'd retire each night. "I was a good kid, and they weren't gonna pick on me for a small thing like that. They're real good, hardworking Italian parents. I owe them everything".
Carr's interest in double bass drumming came from his admiration of Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
and John Bonham, once telling 16 Magazine, "I just loved the way John Bonham played drums". Eric also had a love of all types of music; songwriter Adam Mitchell once described Carr as knowing a lot about folk, R&B and other non-rock styles. In a 1983 interview, Carr told USA Channel interviewer Al Bandero that he listened to "a lot" of Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, and liked many different types of music.
Simmons has stated that Carr's harder drumming style pushed Kiss into becoming a heavier band than it had been when jazz-inspired Criss was the band's drummer.
Death
In February 1991, Carr began feeling ill. Medical tests revealed what at first appeared to be manageable problems with his health.However, he was diagnosed as having an unexpectedly serious and extremely rare type of cancer – heart cancer
Heart cancer
Heart cancer is an extremely rare form of cancer that is divided into primary tumors of the heart and secondary tumors of the heart.-Primary:...
. In April 1991, Carr underwent a series of surgeries to remove tumors in his right atrium and lungs in an effort to restore heart
Tricuspid valve
The tricuspid valve, or right atrioventricular valve, is on the right dorsal side of the mammalian heart, between the right atrium and the right ventricle. The normal tricuspid valve usually has three leaflets and three papillary muscles. They are connected to the papillary muscles by the chordae...
function and prevent the cancer's growth. He recovered sufficiently and pressed Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
and Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
to let him back in the band. They continually told him to get himself healthy and when he was he would be the Kiss drummer once again. The band was ready to film the "God Gave Rock and Roll" video and he asked Gene and Paul to at least let him be in the video and they finally agreed to let him appear in the video. He flew to Los Angeles in July 1991 to be with the band to play drums for their music video "God Gave Rock n' Roll To You". He was wearing a wig at that point because of treatment and according to Paul he gave it his all, doing the song over and over again until he got it right even as weak as he was. After the video shoot he flew back to New York to try to get healthy; his health had deteriorated to the point where he was unable to play drums for the recording session for Revenge, and Eric Singer
Eric Singer
Eric Doyle Mensinger , better known as Eric Singer, is a hard rock and heavy metal drummer for the rock band Kiss and formerly for singer Alice Cooper...
(who had played previously in Paul Stanley's solo band) was brought in. After filming the video, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Bruce Kulick
Bruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
told him to go home and get well. After aggressive treatment, the cancer went into remission and Carr's health appeared to improve.
Carr's last public appearance with Kiss was at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in September 1991. Not long afterwards he suffered from an aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
and was rushed to a hospital. He survived that episode, but it was only a matter of days before he suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by cancer cells transported in his bloodstream to the head, and never regained consciousness. On November 24, 1991, Carr died, age of 41, on the same day Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
frontman Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
also died, age of 45.
In keeping with Carr's accessibility to his fans, his family decided to open his funeral service to the public, while reserving the interment as a private event. The funeral procession to the cemetery was very long, with New York State troopers making sure fans did not enter the cemetery for the interment. Carr is interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery in the Town of Newburgh
Newburgh (town), New York
Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
, New York.
Rockology and Rockheads
Former Kiss guitarist Bruce KulickBruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
, along with Carr's family, released Carr's first and only solo album in 1999, titled Rockology
Rockology
Rockology is an album by former Kiss drummer Eric Carr released in 1999.The album features songs that Carr was working on before his death in 1991 which was completed by his former Kiss bandmate Bruce Kulick. Several of the songs featured were intended for use on Kiss albums, such as "Eyes of Love"...
, which featured many demos that Kulick and Carr worked on together (along with songwriter and friend Adam Mitchell). The CD features several songs with Carr on lead vocals as well as on bass guitar, along with Kulick on guitars and Mitchell assisting Carr with many of the background vocals. This album includes "Somebody's Waiting" and "Tiara", a song that he originally wrote for his planned children's cartoon show called Rockheads, a rock band parody featuring four characters (Slider, Clive, Scruffy and Punky) with different characteristics and personalities.
Tributes
As a tribute, the group's 1992 release RevengeRevenge (KISS album)
Revenge is the 16th studio album by American heavy metal band Kiss, released on May 19, 1992. It was the band's first album after the death of long-time drummer Eric Carr in November 1991. His replacement, Eric Singer, had played with Black Sabbath, Brian May, Alice Cooper and even Paul Stanley,...
featured what is said to be the only drum solo Carr ever recorded with the band, entitled "Carr Jam 1981", a jam session recorded for the Music From "The Elder" sessions (former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
's original guitar part was overdubbed by Bruce Kulick). Much of the soloing was seasoned during Kiss's 1980 Unmasked Tour of Europe and Australia, and put down during The Elder sessions, since that album was recorded following that tour. Carr had for years been trying to get his hands on a copy of the solo for his personal collection, but his request was always rebuffed by Bob Ezrin
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
with the excuse that he did not know where the masters
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
for the session were. Once Carr died, however, the solo surfaced as "Carr Jam 1981".
The Revenge album was dedicated to Carr. He was also homaged on the "Kiss My Ass" video, as well as Kissology 2. However, the band declined a tribute concert that was requested by a circle of fans the year after his passing. Simmons stated, "We didn't want to do a tribute concert. We are dedicating the album to his name, but no concerts in his name. It's not our style."
A further tribute was produced in 1992, called Eric Carr: The Memorial Tribute. It was first broadcast live on 88.1 FM / WCWP, where Carr had been interviewed three years earlier while doing press for the Hot in the Shade
Hot in the Shade
-Personnel:*Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, vocals*Gene Simmons – bass guitar, vocals*Bruce Kulick – lead guitar, backing vocals*Eric Carr – drums, percussion, vocals-Charts:AlbumSingles- Certifications :...
album. Running for approximately 3 hours, the tribute featured a re-broadcast of the interview, interspersed with biographical information and details of Carr's extracurricular projects, along with all the officially-released songs Carr had written or co-written. Though broadcast just once, Eric Carr: The Memorial Tribute was released several years later (seemingly in an unofficial capacity) as a two-tape box set, designed to resemble the Kiss solo albums. It featured a newly commissioned painting of Carr in his fox makeup, patterned after the rarely-seen original by Eraldo Carugati (the artist who did the paintings for the original four Kiss solo album covers, plus one of Carr that was never officially released).
Fifteen years to the day of Carr's Kiss debut, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock Walk Hall of Fame at Guitar Center in Hollywood, California. Carr's parents, Albert and Connie Caravello, accepted a plaque in Carr's honor. Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
was inducted in the "Rock Walk" during the same ceremony. Frehley's handprint was not added to the Kiss display. Carr's acknowledgment was a bronze plaque with his name, autograph and a separate icon of the Fox makeup he wore. Both were added to the Kiss display. Also, on numerous solo tours since Carr's death, Ace Frehley would play "Breakout" (with lyrics written by Carr and Frehley and later re-recorded as "Carr Jam '81" on Kiss' Revenge album) and dedicate it to Carr, who Frehley hopes is "checking out the show up there". Frehley also dedicated his 2009
2009 in music
The following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year...
solo album Anomaly to Carr.
In July 2005, Carr was voted in tenth place for the world's best drummer by Planet Radio Rock. No other member of Kiss was given the distinction of making the top 10 in the categories of vocalist, bassist or guitarist. Carr was only the second American drummer to make the list, with all others being either British or Canadian.
There is a hidden 'easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
' in the 2007 Kissology II DVD collection (on disc three at the end of the production credits) showing a family videotape made of Carr, on his hospital bed, speaking into the camera thanking his fans for their cards, letters, and concern about his health. Dressed in white, Carr then exits the bed, and begins walking away only to return and moon
Mooning
Mooning is the act of displaying one's bare buttocks by removing clothing, e.g., by lowering the backside of one's trousers and underpants, usually bending over, whether also exposing the genitals or not...
the camera in rock n' roll style.
On August 13, 2011, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Carr's passing, a tribute concert was held in Atlanta, Georgia called Night of the Fox: The ERIC CARR Tribute Concert. The main act, going under the name Little Caesar, played a 90-minute set of songs related to Eric Carr. Made up mostly Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
songs from Carr's time in the band, the show also featured a song from Rockology ("Eyes of Love") plus songs written or co-written by Carr but recorded by other artists, such as "Don't Leave Me Lonely
Don't Leave Me Lonely
"Don't Leave Me Lonely" is a song by the Canadian musician Bryan Adams featured on his 1983 album Cuts Like a Knife.Written by Adams, collaborator Jim Vallance and late Kiss drummer Eric Carr, the song's origin dates back to sometime in 1981 or 1982 when Adams was working with the band on material...
", a song recorded by Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
which was written by Eric for inclusion on Creatures of the Night
Creatures of the Night
Creatures of the Night is the tenth studio album by Kiss. It is the band's last album for Casablanca Records, the only label the group had ever recorded for up to that point...
album, but was rejected. Also, a tribute album featuring never released songs and interviews called Unfinished Business was released by his family. The album featured members and former members of Kiss, Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands...
, Seether
Seether
Seether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
, ZO2
ZO2
ZO2 is a Brooklyn-based rock trio.-History:ZO2 has released three albums since its inception. ZO2 was invited to open for Kiss and Poison on their 40-city national VH-1 sponsored "Rock the Nation" tour.-Television series:...
, Europe
Europe (band)
Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
. The album was released on November 8.
With Kiss
- Music from "The Elder" (1981)
- KillersKillers (KISS album)Killers is the second compilation album by American hard rock group Kiss. The album was released only outside the United States, but quickly became available as an import. Of the twelve songs on Killers, four were new compositions recorded specifically for the album...
|*| (1982) - Creatures of the NightCreatures of the NightCreatures of the Night is the tenth studio album by Kiss. It is the band's last album for Casablanca Records, the only label the group had ever recorded for up to that point...
(1982) - Lick It UpLick It UpLick It Up is the 11th studio album by the U.S. band Kiss. On the day of the album's release, Kiss appeared on MTV without their trademark makeup. It was the first public appearance without makeup by Kiss since the very early days of the band...
(1983) - AnimalizeAnimalizeAnimalize is the 12th studio album by the American band Kiss. In a continuation of the commercial resurgence begun with Lick It Up, Animalize was certified platinum by the RIAA on December 12, 1984. It was the biggest-selling Kiss album since 1977's Alive II.The album marked the only appearance by...
(1984) - Asylum (1985)
- Crazy NightsCrazy NightsCrazy Nights is the 14th studio album by American band Kiss. The album was recorded in June 1987 and officially released on September 18, 1987 by Mercury and Vertigo in Europe. The album featured keyboards which was another departure in their music style changing from their Lick It...
(1987) - ChikaraChikara (album)Chikara is a compilation album by the rock band Kiss. It was released on CD only in Japan in support of Kiss' 1988 Japanese tour. It was limited to 100,000 copies and has long been out of print...
(1988) - Smashes, Thrashes & HitsSmashes, Thrashes & Hits-Charts:AlbumSingles- Certifications :...
[•][/] (1988) - Hot in the ShadeHot in the Shade-Personnel:*Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, vocals*Gene Simmons – bass guitar, vocals*Bruce Kulick – lead guitar, backing vocals*Eric Carr – drums, percussion, vocals-Charts:AlbumSingles- Certifications :...
(1989) - RevengeRevenge (KISS album)Revenge is the 16th studio album by American heavy metal band Kiss, released on May 19, 1992. It was the band's first album after the death of long-time drummer Eric Carr in November 1991. His replacement, Eric Singer, had played with Black Sabbath, Brian May, Alice Cooper and even Paul Stanley,...
[¤] (1992) - You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! is a Live hits album released by American hard rock band Kiss. The album was issued to coincide with the group's 1996–97 Alive/Worldwide Tour. All of the songs on the album are live versions. Most were taken from Alive! or Alive II but four recordings had...
[‡] (1996) - The Box Set (2001)
- The Very Best of KissThe Very Best of KISS, -Personnel:*Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar , lead vocals , guitar solo , first guitar solo on , bass guitar .*Gene Simmons – bass guitar , lead vocals...
(2002) - The Best of Kiss, Volume 2: The Millennium CollectionThe Best of KISS, Volume 2: The Millennium Collection-Personnel:*Paul Stanley - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals*Gene Simmons - Bass, Lead Vocals*Vinnie Vincent - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals*Eric Carr - Drums, Backing Vocals*Mark St. John - Lead Guitar*Bruce Kulick - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals...
(2004) - GoldGold (KISS album)Gold is a 2005 greatest hits collection from hard rock band Kiss. This two-disc set covers the band's recordings from 1974 to 1982. All tracks are previously available.-Track listing:Disc 1:#"Strutter"...
(2005) - |*|non-U.S. compilation featuring four newly recorded tracks
- [¤]backing vocals on "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You IIGod Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You IIThe video was filmed in Los Angeles, California in July 1991 and was directed by Mark Rezyka. It features the band playing in a room with flashbacks of Simmons and Stanley during the make-up era of Kiss's heyday. There were no prominent clips of Carr during the make-up years featured in the video,...
" & drums on "Carr Jam 1981" - [•]vocals on remake of "Beth" and drum overdubs
- [/]Greatest Hits with 2 newly recorded songs
- [‡]Japanese version & U.S. Vinyl,drums on New York GrooveNew York Groove"New York Groove" is a song written by Russ Ballard and first recorded by Hello in 1975 and later by Ace Frehley in 1978.-Hello:The British glam rock band Hello first recorded the song in 1975, for their debut album, Keeps Us Off The Streets...
Kiss Video Albums
- Animalize Live Uncensored (1985)
- ExposedExposed (Kiss)Exposed is the name of a 1987 long form music video released by the band Kiss. This was the band's second home video release.The video is a long interview with Kiss interspersed with music videos and live concert clips including:*Promotional videos for "Lick It Up" and "All Hell's Breakin' Loose"...
(1987) - Crazy Nights (video)Crazy Nights (video)Crazy Nights is a music VHS by American hard rock band Kiss. The VHS features 3 videos from their non make-up era album of the same name.It included the music videos for "Crazy Crazy Nights", "Turn on the Night" and "Reason to Live"....
(1988) - Kiss My Ass: The VideoKiss My Ass: The VideoKiss My Ass: The Video, also known as Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved is a VHS tape released in 1994, by American hard rock band Kiss. The video includes clips from various live concerts and interviews with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons...
(1994) - Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991Kissology Volume Two: 1978-1991Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991 is a DVD/Home Video that was released by Kiss on August 14, 2007. It contains three discs, plus three separate bonus discs sold only within initial first pressings. Some initial packages included a replica ticket to Magic Mountain for Kiss meets the Phantom of the...
(2007)
Solo
- The Rockheads (1999, Rock Hard Records) – EP with all four songs co-written by Carr. He also played drums on all tracks, sang lead vocal and backing vocals
- RockologyRockologyRockology is an album by former Kiss drummer Eric Carr released in 1999.The album features songs that Carr was working on before his death in 1991 which was completed by his former Kiss bandmate Bruce Kulick. Several of the songs featured were intended for use on Kiss albums, such as "Eyes of Love"...
(April 2000) - Unfinished Business (November 8, 2011)
Other albums
- Lightning: "Lightning" (1979, Casablanca Records) – As Paul Caravello, played drums and performed backing vocals on all tracks
- Bryan AdamsBryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
: Cuts Like a KnifeCuts Like a KnifeCuts Like a Knife is the third studio album by the Canadian rock artist Bryan Adams. Released on 18 January 1983 through A&M Records, the album became a huge commercial success in Canada and the United States whereas outside North America, the album did poorly...
(1983, A&M Records) – Co-wrote "Don't Leave Me LonelyDon't Leave Me Lonely"Don't Leave Me Lonely" is a song by the Canadian musician Bryan Adams featured on his 1983 album Cuts Like a Knife.Written by Adams, collaborator Jim Vallance and late Kiss drummer Eric Carr, the song's origin dates back to sometime in 1981 or 1982 when Adams was working with the band on material...
" - Wendy O. WilliamsWendy O. WilliamsWendy Orlean Williams , better known as Wendy O. Williams, was the lead singer for the American punk band the Plasmatics, as well as a solo artist...
: W.O.W.W.O.W.W.O.W. is the first solo studio album released by Wendy O. Williams in 1984 after her group, the Plasmatics, broke up .In 1982, KISS asked for Wendy and the Plasmatics to appear as a Special Guest on their tour...
(1984, JEM/Passport Records) – Drums on "Legends Never Die" and co-wrote "Ain't None of Your Business" - Frehley's CometAce FrehleyPaul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
(1987, Atlanic / Megaforce Records), Ace FrehleyAce FrehleyPaul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
: Frehley's CometFrehley's Comet (album)Frehley's Comet is the second solo release from Ace Frehley, former lead guitarist of Kiss. Frehley also named his band after the title of this album, and in this way it is also considered the self-titled first album credited to the band Frehley's Comet . It was the first album Frehley released...
, Greatest Hits LiveGreatest Hits Live (Ace Frehley album)Greatest Hits Live is a live album by Ace Frehley. The album contains ten live tracks and two studio recordings. Tracks 1-6, 8 and 10 were recorded in London, England. Tracks 7 and 9 were recorded in Chicago, Illinois...
– Co-wrote "Breakout" - Garbo Talks (1998, MTM Music) – Drums on "Game of Love"
- Prophecy: A Tribute to Eric Carr (2000, Lunar Moth Records) – Radio ID and performed "Your Turn to Cry"
- Faith Circus: "Faith Circus" (2008, Kivel Records) – Co-wrote "Can You Feel It"
Unreleased recordings
Carr's family announced in 2006 that they would release material written and recorded by Carr between 1980–1991, including the following songs:"Kiss: Newly Discovered Songs From Late Eric Carr to Surface". Blabbermouth.net. March 14, 2006.- "Elephant Man"
- "Dial L for Love"
- "Midnight Stranger"
- "Tiara" (demo)
- "The Troubles Inside You"
Though stated by Carr's family that the recordings would be released in 2006, they remain unreleased as of 2011. Some of the songs were released on the album Unfinished Business.