New York Groove

Russ Ballard

This song was originally recorded by the British band Hello (from Tottenham, London) in 1975. The members of this band included Bob Bradbury (Guitar & Lead Vocals), Keith Marshall (Guitar & Vocals), Jeff Allen (Drums and Vocals), and Vic Faulkner (Bass). The song was a Russ Ballard composition, which was inspired by Russ' return to New York in 1975, though the song wasn't written until Russ was in the studio working with the band. Produced by Mike Leander, the Hello version of "New York Groove" was released as a single and was a hit in Germany, spending 19 weeks on the charts and reaching #7. The song was included on the 1976 album "Keeps Us Off The Streets."

Ace's version barely differs from the original recording and stands as the only hit from the five singles released from the KISS solo albums. Minor lyrical changes were applied to the original song's first verse: "It's been a year since I was here / On the street I'm just passin' my time away / To the left and to the right / A town of stone grows to the sky / And it's outta sight, in the dead of night / Here I am again in this city / With a fistful of dollars / And baby, you'd better believe." It reached #13 during early 1979 during a 21 week run on the charts, the longest charting of any of the KISS solo singles.

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