Songfacts®:

• Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley wrote this song, which is about a guy who has only his gin to keep him warm. Frehley explained: "I wrote 'Cold Gin' in a New York subway, in my head, both lyrics and music. I had a spiral notebook with me. I never took a guitar lesson, nobody believes that. I didn't realize it was gonna become a Kiss classic."
• Gene Simmons: "Ace [Frehley] brought in 'Cold Gin.' When we first heard it I remember being struck by that great opening guitar riff, which was the basis of the song. The problem we had with it was that after the verse and chorus, it didn't seem to go anywhere. It was an unfinished idea. I suggested a section in the middle of the song that became the riff part of the song. It changed the song from an 'A' voicing to a riff section in the key of 'G' and kept ascending up the scale until it finally wound up in an 'E.' Paul suggested a couple of arrangement modifications in the song, and presto, 'Cold Gin,' the complete song. I insisted that Ace should sing the song, but he refused and said that he preferred I sing it. The original version of the song as recorded on the first Kiss demo, changed very slightly through the years and was to remain a staple of our live concerts to this day." >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Ken - LaSalle, Canada
• The irony of this song is that Gene Simmons, who sings it, doesn't drink and has never done drugs. Simmons claims that his only addiction is to sex, and that he's slept with over 4000 women. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Sid - Bryson City, NC
• This song was played at the funeral of the late guitarist (Dimebag) Darrell Abbott, as Kiss and Ace Frehley were his favorite band and guitarist. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Randy - Colerain Twp., OH