The bands original drummer Peter Criss and the bands frontman Paul Stanley are currently fighting over the rights to the highest charted single the band has ever released titled Beth.
Stanley, being as vehement as he always is claims,
"Peter can't write a song, because Peter doesn't play an instrument," Claimed Stanley "Penridge came up with [sings], 'Beth, I hear you calling...' Peter had nothing to do with it. Because if you write one hit song, you should be able to write two. That's the reality. Devastating? It's the truth. It was a lifeline that Peter hung on to validate himself, but it wasn't based on reality."
And Peter, as emotional as ever retorted,
"Paul is so full of fucking shit, cause as a lead singer of the band he never got to write the hit. That's his problem. They hated the fact that I wrote a hit record and won a People's Choice."
Thanks to Blabbermouth.com, I found an interview from 2000 that makes a good case for Paul. Mike Penridge claims that, "[Peter was] absolutely not responsible [for it] at all. Another poorman's copyright by me in '70." and that "'Beck'" (The song that went on to be known as 'Beth') "was written, almost word for word, from Mike Brand's responses to his wife's constant calls that interrupted our rehearsals,"
I can only conclude with what I know (and that's not a lot). But Bob Ezrin's comment, “I don’t think that I can break this tie. I wasn’t there when he was working with that co-writer.” seems to ensure the unlikelihood of this argument being solved anytime soon.
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