Think of it, the man who wrote this was an ex-boxer, who wrote some song for Jackie Wilson. He recorded this for the record label he founded, and it was the label's first hit in the summer of 1960. That label would go on to have more hits than any other record label in the 1960s. Amazing.
The Barrett version isn’t bad at all.
Hard to believe the record companies didn’t want it. I have heard of many songs they rejected that became huge hits.
The groups often got it wrong too.
A piano ballad not typical of Kiss’ sound, this was released as the B-side of “Detroit Rock City,” which was the third single from the album, following “Shout It Out Loud” and “Flaming Youth.”
These three first single releases were hard-driving anthems in the style of Kiss’ previous hit “Rock And Roll All Nite,” but the song that got the most attention was “Beth.”
Radio stations began playing the song, and the record company responded by flipping the sides of the single, with “Beth” becoming the A-side about six weeks later. It became the biggest hit for Kiss, and their only song to get significant airplay on Top 40 radio and even - gasp - Adult Contemporary formats.