Former KISS guitarist dies at 51

by **Wally_Hatchet** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:04 am

RIP Mark St. John

Spinning "Heaven's On Fire" in your honor.

http://kissonline.com/#story-1

by **T-Bone** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:14 am

http://forums.melodicrock.com/phpBB/vie ... hp?t=24294 :wink:

by **Wally_Hatchet** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:28 am

Sorry for the double post. Missed that.
:oops:

by **JSS** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:52 am

That's awful, I knew Mark back in '86 or so when I left Yngwie's band, he was supposed to be part of another band I was looking into...51 is way too young!!! RIP

by AR » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:09 am

I was at his first actual Kiss gig - Baltimore 11/27/84. He was only able to play the 2nd half of the show due to an arhtiritic hand condition. He then was able to play 2 full gigs that followed in upstate New York. Afterwards he was replaced permanently by Bruce Kulick, who had already played the majority of the Animalize tour.

Mark then went on to play in a band called White Tiger that recorded one album.

Rest in Peace.

by **belar** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:16 am

That's really sad. Hopefully he's at peace.

by **Blueskies** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:27 am

yes, 51 is way too young. RIP

by **larryfromnextdoor** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:36 am

this is the first ive heard of this.. oh my this stinks! very sad..

by **T-Bone** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:15 pm

Very underrated guitarist due to his short tenure in Kiss. I always thought he and Bruce were very very similar in style. RIP Mark. Rock The Heavens!

by **JohnH** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:08 pm

I saw him with White Tiger at Gazarri's in Hollywood in 1988 , but his sound wasn't as good as on the Kiss album, because he had one of those horrible racks filled with effects and those were just usually awful. He played great though and seemed fully recovered from his condition. The band didn't seem to have any decent material. I really was bummed out when he had to leave Kiss and the only Kiss show I saw was on the Animalize tour and I sure wish it would have been with Mark. I loved his playing on that album. This is very sad.

John

by **Paul_UK** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:48 pm

Animalise was always one of my favorite Kiss albums, some great work from Mark on there.

I seem to remember vaguely that he was replace by Bruce Kulick initially on the Animalise Tour due to some kind of hand illness, comman with a lot of guitar players and later became a more permanent move. Does anyone else recall this?

RIP Mark. :cry:

by **Sassie** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:19 pm

Very sad.

by **Just_Plain_Eric** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:05 am

I saw Kiss on the Animalize tour in Ft Wayne IN and this must have been one of Kulick's first full shows with them...I had no idea St. John had been replaced...the wierd thing is I noticed Mark was standing on the side of the stage during the whole show...

Rest in Peace Mark!

E

by **larryfromnextdoor** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:08 am

JohnH wrote:I saw him with White Tiger at Gazarri's in Hollywood in 1988 , but his sound wasn't as good as on the Kiss album, because he had one of those horrible racks filled with effects and those were just usually awful. He played great though and seemed fully recovered from his condition. The band didn't seem to have any decent material. I really was bummed out when he had to leave Kiss and the only Kiss show I saw was on the Animalize tour and I sure wish it would have been with Mark. I loved his playing on that album. This is very sad.

John

wow!! i cant believe you saw this short little tour.. great memory,, and the studio songs on that whitetiger album were just no good.. i bought it and wished it was a better album...

by AR » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:16 am

Paul_UK wrote:Animalise was always one of my favorite Kiss albums, some great work from Mark on there.

I seem to remember vaguely that he was replace by Bruce Kulick initially on the Animalise Tour due to some kind of hand illness, comman with a lot of guitar players and later became a more permanent move. Does anyone else recall this?

RIP Mark.

Yes read my post above. He played 3 shows with Kiss. 1/2 of the Baltimore show I attended, and 2 in upstate New York. Kulick did every show before and after those 3.

by **conversationpc** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:27 am

Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

by **larryfromnextdoor** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:34 am

conversationpc wrote:Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

he said that about vinnie, st.john , and kulick,,

by **conversationpc** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:34 am

LarryFromNextDoor wrote:
conversationpc wrote:Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

he said that about vinnie, st.john , and kulick,,

Never did like Simmons very much. At least the guy's honest, though.

by **larryfromnextdoor** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:35 am

AR wrote:
Paul_UK wrote:Animalise was always one of my favorite Kiss albums, some great work from Mark on there.

I seem to remember vaguely that he was replace by Bruce Kulick initially on the Animalise Tour due to some kind of hand illness, comman with a lot of guitar players and later became a more permanent move. Does anyone else recall this?

RIP Mark.

Yes read my post above. He played 3 shows with Kiss. 1/2 of the Baltimore show I attended, and 2 in upstate New York. Kulick did every show before and after those 3.

reiter's syndrome.

by **Just_Plain_Eric** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:57 am

conversationpc wrote:Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

Gene said his playing sounded like an angry fly buzzing

But then again, Gene at the time looked like Elizabeth Tayler after a 2 week crack binge...so who's countin?

E

by **NealIsGod** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:01 am

conversationpc wrote:
LarryFromNextDoor wrote:
conversationpc wrote:Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

he said that about vinnie, st.john , and kulick,,

Never did like Simmons very much. At least the guy's honest, though.

But does he earn scumbag status? :lol:

by **larryfromnextdoor** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:06 am

NealIsGod wrote:
conversationpc wrote:
LarryFromNextDoor wrote:
conversationpc wrote:Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

he said that about vinnie, st.john , and kulick,,

Never did like Simmons very much. At least the guy's honest, though.

But does he earn scumbag status?

Instigator!!!!! :wink:

by **Big J** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:35 am

Mark was also in a band called Balls of Fire in the late 80's (I think) with Peter Criss!

RIP.

by **NealIsGod** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:36 am

LarryFromNextDoor wrote:
NealIsGod wrote:
conversationpc wrote:
LarryFromNextDoor wrote:
conversationpc wrote:Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

he said that about vinnie, st.john , and kulick,,

Never did like Simmons very much. At least the guy's honest, though.

But does he earn scumbag status?

Instigator!!!!!

Who? Me? Naaaahhh...

by AR » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:14 am

Just_Plain_Eric wrote:
conversationpc wrote:Was St. John the guy that Simmons didn't like because he thought he was just trying to play too technical or something like that?

Gene said his playing sounded like an angry fly buzzing

But then again, Gene at the time looked like Elizabeth Tayler after a 2 week crack binge...so who's countin?

E

Gene wasn't used to that kind of guitar player in 84. Kiss's classic sound revolves around Ace Frehley's style which he wasn't looking to deviate from. As the 80's went on, the band got more comfortable with a different guitar sound that was technically superior. St John, Vincent and Kulick can play circles around Ace.

However Ace is still my favorite of the bunch. Listen to the solo in the 1974 song "Strangeways" - love that one. Ace was very influential and very good. Just not a speed demon on the fretboard, but when you hear him play - the tone is unmistakable. He is sited by so many players as the reason the picked up a guitar in the first place.

by **conversationpc** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:20 am

AR wrote:Gene wasn't used to that kind of guitar player in 84. Kiss's classic sound revolves around Ace Frehley's style which he wasn't looking to deviate from. As the 80's went on, the band got more comfortable with a different guitar sound that was technically superior. St John, Vincent and Kulick can play circles around Ace.

However Ace is still my favorite of the bunch. Listen to the solo in the 1974 song "Strangeways" - love that one. Ace was very influential and very good. Just not a speed demon on the fretboard, but when you hear him play - the tone is unmistakable. He is sited by so many players as the reason the picked up a guitar in the first place.

Yeah, I remember that comment now. Anyway, I would definitely take an Ace Frehley type player over someone like Vinnie Vincent any day of the week. Fortunately, with Neal, you can get both in one player.

by **Big J** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:18 am

AR wrote:
However Ace is still my favorite of the bunch. Just not a speed demon on the fretboard, but when you hear him play

Living proof that you don't need to be. My favorite Ace solos are from Move On and Tossin' and Turnin', live on the Largo '79 show.

Honestly I think he was edged out in the early 80's as much for taking more of the center stage than he had previously as much as for any other reason. He was clearly becoming as popular as Gene.

by **larryfromnextdoor** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:23 pm

it moves slowly ,, but still a tribute... thanks to AOL... and Bruce Kulick..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTSAAZ8VyIs

MR

Former KISS guitarist dies at 51

Former KISS guitarist dies at 51

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