Beth ( song ) - wikipedia Beth ( song ) `` Beth '' Single by Kiss from the album Destroyer A-side `` Detroit Rock City '' Released August 1976 Format 7 - inch single Recorded 1976 Studio Record Plant, New York City Genre Rock Length 2 : 45 Label Casablanca ( NB - 863A ) Songwriter ( s ) Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Bob Ezrin Producer ( s ) Bob Ezrin Kiss singles chronology `` Flaming Youth '' ( 1976 ) `` Beth '' ( 1976 ) `` Hard Luck Woman '' ( 1976 ) `` Flaming Youth '' ( 1976 ) `` Beth '' ( 1976 ) `` Hard Luck Woman '' ( 1976 ) `` Beth '' is a ballad by Kiss, originally released on their 1976 album, Destroyer. To date, it is their highest - charting single in the US, reaching # 7 on Billboard 's Hot 100 chart. It is one of only two gold selling singles for the band ( the other being 1979 's `` I Was Made for Lovin ' You '' ), and their first of two Top Ten singles ( along with 1990 's `` Forever '', # 8 ) in the US. Beth was named # 3 in VH1 's 25 Greatest Power Ballads. Contents 1 Origins 2 Recording 3 Release 4 Chart performance 4.1 Weekly charts 4.2 Year - end charts 5 Sales certifications 6 Personnel 7 Other versions 8 Appearances on Kiss albums 9 References 10 External links Origins Kiss ' drummer Peter Criss sings the song, which was co-written by Criss and guitarist Stan Penridge. The song was written before Criss had joined the band, while he and Penridge were members of Chelsea. A bootleg exists of the song from 1971, but the song was sung `` Beck, what can I do ? '' `` Beck '' was the nickname of fellow Chelsea member Mike Brand 's wife, Becky, who would call often during practices to ask Mike when he was coming home. In an article for Rolling Stone, Paul Stanley questioned Criss ' role in co-writing the song, saying, `` Peter had nothing to do with it. '' Changing the song 's title to `` Beth '' for Kiss 's recording has been credited to both Bob Ezrin and Gene Simmons, but Lydia Criss ( who was married to Peter Criss throughout the 1970s ) says that she alone is responsible for the name change. Recording The song was a last - minute addition to the Destroyer album. According to Bill Aucoin, the manager of Kiss at that time, Simmons and Stanley did not want `` Beth '' on the album because it was not a typical Kiss song. Aucoin insisted on keeping the song on the record. During the recording sessions for the song, Criss was the only Kiss member in the studio, making it the only Kiss song that features no instrumental performances by any member of the band. Criss is backed by a piano and a string orchestra, a stark departure from the band 's usual hard rock - oriented sound. Release When released as a single, `` Beth '' was initially the B - side of `` Detroit Rock City ''. Some of the initial credit for the flip - hit goes to Rosalie Trombley, at the time the music director at `` The Big 8 '' CKLW in Windsor, Ontario. Trombley 's daughter had a copy of the 45 and was hooked on `` Beth '', and began nagging her mother about it. `` Beth '' was n't being promoted as the `` A '' side, but Trombley added it to CKLW 's playlist. After `` Beth '' became a smash, Kiss presented Trombley 's daughter with a gold record. Kiss and Casablanca Records reissued `` Beth '' as an A-side with `` Detroit Rock City '' as the B - side, and it was far more successful. The single went gold in the US ( the first Kiss single to do so ) on January 5, 1977 and in Canada on December 1, 1976. `` Beth '' is also credited as invigorating sluggish sales of the Destroyer album, which many fans initially saw as a misstep. In 1977, Kiss received a People 's Choice Award for `` Beth '', one of the few industry awards the band ever won. Live, `` Beth '' was performed by Criss alone on stage backed by a tape of the instrumental track. The acoustic version featured on Kiss Unplugged is the only recording with members of Kiss solely backing up Criss. The version of `` Beth '' featured on the group 's 2003 Kiss Symphony : Alive IV DVD and subsequent album ( less Ace Frehley ) would be the only time the song was performed live with an ensemble. In 2010, the song was performed live for the first time with Eric Singer on acoustic guitars during their Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour and again on their The Hottest Show on Earth Tour in 2011. It has since been again removed from setlists, but the band occasionally performs the song at meet and greet sessions. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1976 -- 77 ) Peak position Australia 79 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 5 Canadian Adult Contemporary 20 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 7 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 14 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 7 Year - end charts Chart ( 1976 ) Rank Canada 69 U.S. Cash Box 92 Sales certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Gold 1,000,000 shipments figures based on certification alone Personnel Peter Criss : lead vocals Bob Ezrin : piano Dick Wagner : acoustic guitar New York Philharmonic : orchestra Other versions This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2011 ) In 1988, Eric Carr re-recorded the vocal track of `` Beth '' for the Smashes, Thrashes & Hits compilation, something he was reportedly very hesitant to do having personal respect for the original lineup. Peter Criss also redid the song acoustic style on his 1994 album Cat # 1. For the Kiss Unplugged album and music video, the original Kiss lineup performed a version of `` Beth '' that featured Criss on vocals, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley on acoustic guitars, and Gene Simmons on acoustic bass guitar. However, they had to be taught the guitar version of the song by then - current lead guitarist Bruce Kulick since none of them, said Stanley, knew how to play it properly. The performance received a rousing standing ovation. Stanley can be seen plucking part of the song 's melody on an acoustic guitar as Criss sings in the Kiss film, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. This is the only time Criss ' natural voice was heard in the film, as his dialogue was dubbed over by voice actor Michael Bell. In the years since he quit Kiss in 1980, Criss admits that he radically changed the song for live shows. By his own admission, he made it more `` Vegasy ''. With his return to Kiss in 1996 for their reunion tour, the song returned to the setlist. However, when Criss was again let go in 2001 ( replaced by Eric Singer, who assumed Criss ' `` Catman '' persona ), the song was again dropped from the setlist until the Sonic Boom Over Europe tour in 2010. During and following the tour, Kiss has again replaced the song on the setlist ; however, the song is now sung by Singer on vocals and Stanley and Tommy Thayer on acoustic guitars. Punk rock band the Groovie Ghoulies covered `` Beth '' as an unlisted track on their 1989 debut album Appetite for Adrenochrome. No Use for a Name also covered the song as an unlisted track on their 1997 album Making Friends, as a medley with the Beverly Hills, 90210 theme and their own song Soulmate. Hardcore punk band Coffin Break also covered `` Beth '' for the Kiss tribute album Hard to Believe : Kiss Covers Compilation. Punk rock band Boris The Sprinkler covered `` Beth '' on a split 45 with The Droids. In the 2008 comedy film Role Models, the character Danny ( who expressed dislike for both Kiss and singing in front of crowds early in the film ) sings a version of the song to his girlfriend - whose name is Beth - with improvised lyrics and a mandolin and violin providing the instrumentation. The song is featured in the 2009 film I Love You, Beth Cooper, and the titular character reveals she is named after the song. In May 2009, American Idol runner - up Adam Lambert covered `` Beth '' during his performance with Kiss. In the May 2010 Glee episode `` Theatricality '', the show 's cast covered the song. `` Beth '' is also the name chosen for Puck and Quinn 's daughter, who is given up for adoption. In February 2011, `` Beth '' was covered by Laughon Bryant & The Midnite Riders on their album Down That Road. The 2016 Volkswagen Passat is using the song in television commercials to advertise their Car - Net App - Connect, which allows the driver to access certain apps from their smartphone through the dashboard. Appearances on Kiss albums `` Beth '' appears on the following Kiss albums : Destroyer Alive II - Live version Double Platinum Smashes, Thrashes & Hits - Eric Carr vocal Kiss Unplugged - Live acoustic version You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best ! ! Greatest Kiss The Box Set The Very Best of Kiss 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection : The Best of Kiss Kiss Symphony : Alive IV - Live version Gold : 1974 - 1982 - Sound & Vision Gold Ikons References Jump up ^ `` VH1 list of 25 greatest power ballads ''. Rateyourmusic.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2011. Jump up ^ Hiatt, Brian ( 2014 - 03 - 26 ). `` Kiss Forever : The Rolling Stone Cover Story ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ Prato, Greg ( February 15, 2016 ). `` Lydia Criss Tells the ' Beth ' Story ''. Songfacts. Retrieved November 2, 2016. Jump up ^ David Leaf, Ken Sharp. KISS : Behind the Mask - Official Authorized Biography, Warner Books, 2005 ISBN 978 - 0 - 446 - 69524 - 4 Page268 Jump up ^ Radio Revolution : Rise and Fall of the Big 8 Dir. Michael McNamara. Markham Street Films, 2004. Film Jump up ^ `` RIAA Gold & Platinum database ''. Riaa.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2009. Jump up ^ `` CRIA certification ''. Cria.ca. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Adult Contemporary Music Chart ''. Billboard. 1976 - 11 - 06. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2015 - 06 - 23. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 10 - 21. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 05. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Kiss -- Beth ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ `` Down That Road - Laughon Bryant, The Midnite Riders Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ Lifton, Dave ( 18 December 2016 ). `` Kiss ' `` Beth '' Given New Twist in Volkswagen Commercial ``. Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 18 January 2016. External links KISS : United States Singles Discography The Complete KISS Singles Chart Action Radio Revolution : Rise and Fall of the Big 8. Dir. Michael McNamara. Markham Street Films, 2004. Film SongFacts : `` Beth '' Sherman, Dale. Black Diamond - The Unauthorized Biography of Kiss. CG Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1 - 896522 - 35 - 1 Kiss Paul Stanley Gene Simmons Tommy Thayer Eric Singer Ace Frehley Peter Criss Eric Carr Vinnie Vincent Mark St. John Bruce Kulick Studio albums Kiss Hotter Than Hell Dressed to Kill Destroyer Rock and Roll Over Love Gun Dynasty Unmasked Music from `` The Elder '' Creatures of the Night Lick It Up Animalize Asylum Crazy Nights Hot in the Shade Revenge Carnival of Souls : The Final Sessions Psycho Circus Sonic Boom Monster ' 78 solo albums Ace Frehley Gene Simmons Paul Stanley Peter Criss Live albums Alive ! Alive II Alive III Kiss Unplugged You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best ! ! Kiss Symphony : Alive IV Kiss Instant Live Alive ! The Millennium Concert Kiss Alive 35 Kiss Sonic Boom Over Europe Kiss Rocks Vegas Compilations Double Platinum Killers Chikara Smashes, Thrashes & Hits Greatest Kiss The Very Best of Kiss 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection : The Best of Kiss The Best of Kiss, Volume 2 : The Millennium Collection Gold The Best of Kiss, Volume 3 : The Millennium Collection Jigoku - Retsuden Kiss 40 Kissworld Box sets The Originals The Box Set Kiss Chronicles : 3 Classic Albums Kiss Alive ! 1975 -- 2000 Ikons Video albums Animalize Live Uncensored Exposed Crazy Nights X-treme Close - Up Kiss Konfidential Kiss My Ass : The Video Kiss Unplugged Psycho Circus 3 - D Video The Second Coming Kiss Symphony : The DVD Rock the Nation Live ! Kissology Volume One : 1974 -- 1977 Kissology Volume Two : 1978 -- 1991 Kissology Volume Three : 1992 -- 2000 Kiss Rocks Vegas Tribute albums Hard to Believe : A Kiss Covers Compilation Kiss My Ass : Classic Kiss Regrooved A Tribute to the Creatures of the Night Kiss My Grass : A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss Spin the Bottle : An All - Star Tribute to Kiss Gods of Thunder : A Norwegian Tribute to Kiss Lick It Up -- A Millennium Tribute to Kiss Kiss My Ankh Sheep in KISS Make Up Concert tours The Early Days of Kiss Kiss Tour Hotter than Hell Tour Dressed to Kill Tour Alive ! Tour Destroyer Tour Rock & Roll Over Tour Love Gun Tour Alive II Tour Dynasty Tour Unmasked Tour Creatures of the Night Tour Lick It Up World Tour Animalize World Tour Asylum Tour Crazy Nights World Tour Hot in the Shade Tour Revenge Tour Kiss My Ass Tour Alive / Worldwide Tour Psycho Circus World Tour Kiss Farewell Tour World Domination Tour Rock the Nation World Tour Rising Sun Tour Hit ' n Run Tour Alive 35 World Tour Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour The Hottest Show on Earth Tour The Tour Monster World Tour The KISS 40th Anniversary World Tour Freedom to Rock Tour The KISSWORLD 2017 Tour Films Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Detroit Rock City Scooby - Doo ! and Kiss : Rock and Roll Mystery Why Him ? Merchandising Action figures Comics Kiss : Psycho Circus Pinball Pinball video game Kiss : Psycho Circus : The Nightmare Child Kiss Kasket Los Angeles Kiss Bibliography Related Articles Discography Videography Band members Awards Kiss Army Rock School Gene Simmons Family Jewels Operation Payback The Elder Bands Black ' n Blue Black Sabbath Chelsea Eric Singer Project Frehley 's Comet Grand Funk Railroad Mini Kiss Union Vinnie Vincent Invasion White Tiger Wicked Lester Albums Asshole Live to Win One Live Kiss Origins, Vol. 1 Rockology Unfinished Business People Bill Aucoin Neil Bogart Stephen Coronel Bob Ezrin Anton Fig Eddie Kramer Bob Kulick Doc McGhee Vini Poncia Nick Simmons Shannon Tweed Kevin Valentine Book : Kiss Category : Kiss Kiss singles discography Kiss `` Nothin ' to Lose '' `` Kissin ' Time '' `` Strutter '' Hotter Than Hell `` Let Me Go, Rock ' n ' Roll '' Dressed to Kill `` Rock and Roll All Nite '' `` C'mon and Love Me '' Alive ! `` Rock and Roll All Nite '' ( Live ) Destroyer `` Shout It Out Loud '' `` Flaming Youth '' / `` God of Thunder '' `` Detroit Rock City '' / `` Beth '' Rock and Roll Over `` Hard Luck Woman '' `` Calling Dr. Love '' Love Gun `` Christine Sixteen '' `` Love Gun '' Alive II `` Shout It Out Loud '' ( Live ) `` Rocket Ride '' Double Platinum `` Strutter ' 78 '' Solo albums Gene Simmons `` Radioactive '' Ace Frehley `` New York Groove '' Peter Criss `` Do n't You Let Me Down '' `` You Matter to Me '' Paul Stanley `` Hold Me, Touch Me ( Think of Me When We 're Apart ) '' Dynasty `` I Was Made for Lovin ' You '' `` Sure Know Something '' Unmasked `` Shandi '' `` Talk to Me '' ( except US ) `` Tomorrow '' Music from `` The Elder '' `` A World Without Heroes '' `` I '' `` The Oath '' ( Japan only ) Creatures of the Night `` I Love It Loud '' ( US ) `` Killer '' ( UK ) `` Creatures of the Night '' ( UK ) Lick It Up `` Lick It Up '' `` All Hell 's Breakin ' Loose '' Animalize `` Heaven 's on Fire '' `` Thrills in the Night '' Asylum `` Tears Are Falling '' Crazy Nights `` Crazy Crazy Nights '' `` Reason to Live '' `` Turn On the Night '' Smashes, Thrashes & Hits `` Let 's Put the X in Sex '' `` ( You Make Me ) Rock Hard '' Hot in the Shade `` Hide Your Heart '' `` Forever '' `` Rise to It '' Revenge `` God Gave Rock ' N ' Roll to You II '' `` Unholy '' `` Domino '' `` I Just Wanna '' `` Every Time I Look at You '' Alive III `` I Love It Loud '' ( Live ) Kiss Unplugged `` Rock and Roll All Nite '' ( Unplugged ) Carnival of Souls `` Jungle '' Psycho Circus `` Psycho Circus '' `` We Are One '' `` I Finally Found My Way '' `` You Wanted the Best '' Sonic Boom `` Modern Day Delilah '' `` Say Yeah '' `` Never Enough '' Monster `` Hell or Hallelujah '' `` Long Way Down '' Best of Kiss 40 `` Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na '' ( with Momoiro Clover Z, Japan only ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beth_(song)&oldid=819036875 '' Categories : Kiss ( band ) songs 1976 singles 1970s ballads Casablanca Records singles Rock ballads Songs about women Song recordings produced by Bob Ezrin Songs written by Bob Ezrin Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from October 2014 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2009 Certification Table Entry usages for United States Articles needing additional references from August 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles with unsourced statements from April 2008 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español Français Italiano Norsk Русский Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 7 January 2018, at 01 : 26. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings the song beth i hear you calling
Answer: Kiss