



Menudo and KISS are two bands that would never be mistaken for one another, though some historical fan-base overlap wouldn’t be out of the question. Both acts in their heyday tended to appeal to pre-teens, through either calculated intention or accidental finding of their niche.







By the time KISS cranked out the top 40 disco hit “I Was Made For Loving You,” they were comic book heroes with their own Hanna-Barbera-produced sci-fi action movie for kids and their own line of dolls. 1979’s “I Was Made For Loving You,” penned by Paul Stanley and hitmaker Desmond Child, was largely decried by KISS fans at the time as a major “sell-out,” despite the fact that KISS had already long sold out in every possible way imaginable. It was incidentally one of their biggest selling singles.







Time seems to have been kind to the “I Was Made For loving You” legacy, however, as “KISS Army” die-hards seem to have come around to accepting the track thanks to the band making it a barnstorming live concert staple, best exemplified on their Alive III album.

But before the “KISS Army” came around to “I was Made For Loving You,” the biggest latin boy-band of all time, Menudo, took their crack at it - and here’s the thing - their cover is actually pretty great.







“Fui Hecho Para Amarte” from Menudo’s 1981 Xanadu album is a cover of the KISS tune, played straight ahead, retaining most of the rock of the original. This track is one of five fascinating Spanish language covers on that album, the other four being “Cosita Loca Llamada Amor” (“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen), “No Se Puede Parar La Música” (“Can’t Stop The Music” by Village People), “Voulez-Vous” (originally by ABBA), and “Xanadu” (originally by Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra).

Menudo, whose own band rules forced their members into retirement by age 16, would later go on to launch the career of Ricky Martin, while KISS’ members never knew when to quit and would of course go on to spectacularly piss all over their own legacy for the next 30+ years.





Would anyone mistake Gene Simmons for anything other than a total asshole? He’s in the same category as Donald Trump, just the two of ‘em….



Here’s Menudo’s take on the KISS hit:

