Over 40 years ago today, KISS had a special on MTV where they appeared for the first time without makeup. I did not see it live.

However, I did leave my high school at lunch (there was an open campus back then) to go to the local record store a few days later, buy the album Lick It Up, and see the photo on the cover. I’m sure that was the first time I’d seen the band sans makeup.

The video for the song “Lick it Up” received decent play on MTV, and I remember seeing it several times during normal viewing.

It’s strange now to think about how that event was such a pivotal part of my high school years.