Kiss Me Red

"Kiss Me Red"
Single by Cheap Trick
from the album The Doctor
B-side	"Name of the Game"
Released	1986
Genre	Rock, power pop
Length	3:34
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly
Producer(s)	Tony Platt
Cheap Trick singles chronology
"It's Only Love" (1986) "Kiss Me Red" (1986) "The Flame" (1988)

"Kiss Me Red" was covered by the American rock band Cheap Trick, for their ninth studio album, The Doctor, and was released as a European single in 1986. A 7-inch single was released in Europe, while a promotional 12-inch single was issued in the US, featuring the song on both sides of the vinyl. The B-side on the 7-inch vinyl was "Name of the Game", which was taken from The Doctor. Originally, Epic Records had Cheap Trick record "Kiss Me Red" as they believed it would be a potential hit single for the band. It was set to be released as the leading US single from The Doctor, but was replaced by "It's Only Love".^[4]

Unlike "It's Only Love", no music video was filmed to promote the single, but the band did perform the song live on the American TV show The Rock 'n' Roll Evening News, along with the tracks "It's Only Love" and "I Want You to Want Me". Upon release, adverts for The Doctor album highlighted "Kiss Me Red" as a stand-out track.^[5][6]

7-inch single

1. "Kiss Me Red" - 3:34
2. "Name of the Game" - 4:16

12-inch single (US promo)

1. "Kiss Me Red" - 3:34
2. "Kiss Me Red" - 3:34

Cheap Trick

• Robin Zander - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Rick Nielsen - lead guitar, backing vocals
• Jon Brant - bass, backing vocals
• Bun E. Carlos - drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Tony Platt - producer, mixing
• Paul Klingberg - mixing

"Kiss Me Red"
Song by ELO Part II
from the album Electric Light Orchestra Part Two
Released	1990
Genre	Pop
Length	4:01
Label	Scotti Brothers
Songwriter(s)	Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly
Producer(s)	Jeff Glixman

In 1990, ELO Part II recorded an orchestrated version of the song for their debut studio album, Electric Light Orchestra Part Two. It was produced by Jeff Glixman. The song had been performed live by the group, with the song being performed and professionally filmed live in Moscow during 1991.

In a review of the album, Doug Stone of AllMusic commented: "Out of the blue, ELO II even takes a crack at 'Kiss Me Red,' a roguish non-hit composed by the authors of 'Like a Virgin' that Cheap Trick attempted on the wire-crossing Doctor."^[7] In his review of the album's reissue, Part Two: Once Upon A Time, Thom Jurek of AllMusic commented: "Cluing you into the desperation here, there's a rather strange, surprise cover here of 'Kiss Me Red'".^[8]

ELO Part II

• Neil Lockwood - lead vocals
• Eric Troyer - keyboards, backing vocals
• Pete Haycock - guitars, bass, backing vocals
• Bev Bevan - drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Jeff Glixman - producer
• Don Arden - executive producer
• Mark Derryberry, Jonathan Miller - engineers
• Bob Norberg, Kevin Reeves - editing
• Wally Traugott - mastering
• Louis Clark - string arrangements