CHAPTER 62 - Ace
Frehley post-KISS
62.01. Bump And Grind (Wendy O. Williams)
See also “Gene Simmons
extra-KISS” section. Gene persuaded Ace to spend an hour recording the solo for
this track on Wendy’s album, which he was producing during 1984.
Eddie Kramer sessions
Vini Poncia sessions “half an album”
Chris Kimsey sessions “half an album”
Self-produced sessions “four songs”
Tony Bongiovi sessions “four songs”
For Ace’s recording
sessions at the Power Station, where Frehley’s Comet, then still unsigned
following the Bronze Records fiasco, would initially record, producer Tony
Bongiovi would be enlisted and finally provide the band with some of the
chemistry required for recording. According to Ace, “I worked with Eddie Kramer
on the project when I first started out. I did seven tracks with Vini Poncia
and then got together with Chris Kimsey, the guy who works [Ed. Who, at that
point, had “worked”] with the Stones. We did four [Ed. Or five, as mentioned in
another interview] tracks together. All the songs were good, but I didn’t hear
a hit” (KISS Explorer #15). This album, which was never released, was
tentatively titled “We Got Your Rock.” For the eventual “Frehley’s Comet”
album, Eddie Kramer would finish what he’d started out doing.
62.02. I Will Survive (Demo)
One of the earliest
Frehley’s Comet demos, this
While some of the verses
seem to deal with Ace’s experiences in school and growing up, it may just be a
rebellious anthem. A fun song, sometimes referred to as “I’ll Stay Alive,” that
unfortunately only circulates in substandard sound quality unlike many of the
other early recordings from the band.
62.03. I Got The Touch (Demo)
Coupled with “I Will
Survive,” this demo also had its copyright registered on
62.04. I’m An Animal (Demo)
The
62.05. Back In To My Arms Again (Demo)
Dating from 1984, with the
song’s copyright registered in August, this
62.06. Back On The Streets (Demo)
Throughout all of KISStory,
there are thick layers of irony. That Frehley’s Comet would record and perform
Vinnie Vincent’s “Back On The Streets” is something rather strange. Ace’s
manager George Sewitt, a former KISS road manager, received the demo from
Vinnie and gave it to Ace to use. Amusingly, Invastion bassist Dana Strum
didn’t know that the Comet had gone as far as to recorded the song. With a
couple of minor lyrical modifications
Richie Scarlet handled lead vocals and the band included their
62.07. Remember Me (Demo)
Definitely not a political
song, according to Ace, “Cause I’m not into that bullshit,” this song would
first be performed on Frehley’s Comet’s 5-night mini-tour in March 1985. While
credited on “Trouble Walkin’” to Ace and former Laughing Dogs keyboardist and
guitarist, Carter Cathcart, the song’s official copyright registration places
doubt on Ace’s involvement in the writing: “Words & music: Carter Cathcart;
words & music: Virgin Music, Inc., as employer for hire of Paul Frehley
p.k.a. Ace Frehley” (US Copyright Office). What does “employer for hire” mean?
Within the context of
United States Copyright law it means that Ace purchased the song from Cathcart
with agreement that Ace would own the copyright of the work as it was created
or assigned to him. During the early history of the band this song was often
used as a set closer. The original demo would run
62.08. Give It To Me Anyway (Demo Version #1)
Performed by Frehley’s
Comet at their debut concert, “Give It To Me Anyway” was a duet (or duel of
sorts) between Ace Frehley and Richie Scarlet who traded off vocals and guitar
licks on the track. Originally demoed by the Comet prior to Richie leaving the
band to work on his solo career, the song was re-recorded in 1989 with a
slightly different arrangement. The original demo ran
62.09. Audio/Video (Demo)
Invariably referred to as
“Catch Me When I Fall,” this
62.10. My Girl (Demo)
Completing the trio of
early Frehley’s Comet demos, this cover of the classic R&B hit is something
of an oddity for the band to have covered and, judging by the quality of the
recording, may just have been the band having fun with the tape rolling. It
seems likely that Richie is handling the vocals on the song and the rendition
is pretty faithful to the original.
62.11. The Hurt Is On (Demo)
The time frame, authors, or
recording members of the band, at the time this 4:10 demo was recorded, are not
clear, and it is possible (but unlikely) that the song is a cover. It has,
however, circulated for many years on bootlegs, being a popular inclusion on a
particular KISS bootleg from the 1980s. This track was one of the songs
included on the 1985/6 Frehley’s Comet demo that was circulated to record
companies, notably EMI and Elektra, which also included “Into The Night” and
“Words Are Not Enough.”
62.12. Wired Up (Demo)
This
62.13. I Heard An Angel (Demo)
Written and sung by Richie
Scarlet, this
62.14. Rock Or Be Rocked (Demo)
From the song’s sound, it
would be safe to hazard a guess that this demo was recorded in the period where
Frehley’s Comet was without a keyboard player. It may have been written by Bob
Halligan, Jr. in 1983. Bob is a song-writer better known for his work with
Judas Priest and Joan Jett (plus “Rise To It” and “Read My Body” with Paul
Stanley). It is certainly one of the angriest songs recorded by the band and
may have had some industry connotations at a time when the band were being
rejected by record labels: “Who’s been running the world / Must be the wrong
people / Just give ‘em some rock and roll / Who’s been running the world / They
think they’re the strong people / They don’t know shit about rock ‘n roll / If
you’re gonna run the show / You better get your ear to the radio.” The demo
recording runs
62.15. The Girl Can’t Dance (Demo)
Also known simply as “Girl
Can’t Dance.” One of the strangest Ace Frehley’s demos to circulate, demonstrating
a certain amount of artistic genre-hopping with its’ electronic-funk hybrid
vibe. This song may have been written by Taylor Rhodes and John Daniel Tate in
1983. It is similar in style, lyrically, to Frank Zappa’s “Dancin’ Fool.”
The lyrics “speak” for
themselves: “The mood excites / The room is hot and lights are low / I’m gonna
move it ‘til it stops / Dances with pride, with money on the line / And I’ve
seen her / At dinner for two / My Lord, My Lord / Said, ‘who is that girl at
the door?’ / She’s got buck teeth / No beauty queen / That skinny girl’s / Got
two left feet / And she can’t dance / She must be lost / Now show her to the
door before she gets out on the floor, because / The girl can’t dance.” This
demo runs
62.16. Baby, It’s You (Demo)
The date on this one is
something of a guess, but with the keyboard-heavy arrangement, it is possible
that it dates from the Arthur Stead lineup of Frehley’s Comet. Regardless,
“Baby, It’s You” is one of the more obscure Frehley’s Comet demos. However, as
good as the 3:18 song is, it is a cover of a Mack David, Barney Williams, and
Burt Bacharach composition, which was also recorded by The Beatles on their
first album “Please, Please Me” in 1963. Written in 1962 (for, and first
recorded by the Shirlees) the song has been covered by more artists than I care
to list here (I’ll mention the Carpenters for humor value for some), though it
is interesting to note that Ace also covered “My Girl” around the same time. In
1990 Ace again demoed the song, this time with vocalist Mary Ann Scandiffio,
lead vocalist with Black Lace and Bang Gang, for whom Ace was supposed to be
producing a demo at Northlake Studios.
“Frehley’s Comet” Album Notes:
Produced by Eddie Kramer
and Ace Frehley, assisted by John Regan. Recorded at Right Track Studios and
Sound Ideas Studios,
62.17. Breakout
It would take Richie
Scarlet to finally finish the piece that had started out life during KISS’
“Elder” sessions as “Heaven.” Originally an incomplete instrumental called
“Heaven,” Richie would put the finishing touches on the song during mid-1984 by
writing the lyrics, which Ace and Eric Carr had been unable to, and
re-arranging the music. This would be in time for the song to be performed at
S.I.R. Studios in November 1984 when Frehley’s Comet made their live debut. The
copyright of the song would not be registered until May 1985. Unfortunately,
Eric Carr wouldn’t even know that the song he had started with Ace had been
finished until fans started coming up to him and telling him how great the song
he wrote with Ace was! See also “Heaven” in the “(Music From) The Elder”
section and “Carr Jam 1981” in the “Revenge” section.
62.18. Dolls
Performed live at Frehley’s
Comet’s first concert at S.I.R. Studios in
Regardless, the song would
be one that critics picked up to pan, especially those who had heard the other
demos not used on the debut “Frehley’s Comet” album in 1987. Background vocals
on the album recording would be performed by Monique Frehley, Lara Kramer, and
Chay Fig, the daughters of Ace, Eddie, and Anton, respectively.
62.19. We Got Your Rock
Originally written solely by Marty Kupersmith in 1983, this song’s
original title was “We Got Your Rock (Right Here).” Marty was better known by
his stage name “Marty Sanders” as a member of the band Jay And The Americans
(note the connection with Paul Stanley’s pre-KISS band Uncle Joe). When
Frehley’s Comet took up the song, there may have been changes made to the
piece, though naturally that is not the only way Ace got his name on the
credits when the song was recorded for the band’s first album.
The song was performed at Frehley’s Comet’s debut concert in November
1984 and was a core song of the band’s set, even though many later reviewers
considered the song to be filler, rather than an anthem. “We Got Your Rock” was
for quite some time the “unofficial” working title for the album, which would
eventually become “Frehley’s Comet.”
62.20. Stranger In A Strange Land
Written by Ace in December
1984, “Stranger In A Strange Land” was added to the band’s live set in early
1985. It was one of the few tracks written in 1984 to make it on to the debut
album in 1987. Lyrically, according to Ace, the song really doesn’t mean a
thing. The song would be demoed in early 1985 and the copyright registered in
March 1985.
62.21. Into The Night
Ace obviously had an appreciation for the songwriting ability of Russ
Ballard, the writer of this song. He first demoed this song in 1985 with a
slightly different arrangement to the later album version which would become a
62.22. You Make It Hard For Me
Written by Ace and Marty
Kupersmith, who had also co-written “We Got Your Rock,” in 1985, it is not
clear whether this song was ever demoed at the time. Parts would be recycled in
1998 when Ace wrote a song with the same title with ex-Skid Row front man
Sebastian Bach. See also the “Psycho Circus” section.
62.23. Words Are Not Enough
First demoed prior to
Frehley’s Comet recording their debut album and used as part of one of the
band’s early demo tapes. This song would not be used on the album and would
later be re-recorded for the “Live + 1” EP in 1988. According to Tod the song
was left off the debut album as the band wanted to “come across as real heavy”
(MetalShop). The original
While credited to Ace and
Jim Keneally, it should be noted that the song was based upon an earlier
composition Jim had written on his own in 1980 (and copy-written in November
1986). Naturally, some changes would have to have been made to get Ace’s name
on the song writing credit.
62.24. Calling To You
While this song is technically not a cover, it was a reworking of a
previously released song. The original version, titled “Megaforce” appeared on
the 1982 “707” album “Megaforce” (Boardwalk NBI-33253). It was originally
credited to Tod Howarth, Jim McClarty, and Kevin Russell, though Jonathan Cain
also claims a co-writing credit. At the time future Frehley’s Comet
keyboardist/vocalist Tod Howarth was a member of this band, which was signed to
Neil Bogart’s post-Casablanca label Boardwalk Records following their departure
from Casablanca Records due to its sale to PolyGram and the post-sale in-house
cleaning they fell victim to.
The song had been released as a single in support of the movie of the
same title the band had provided a soundtrack for, and got decent reviews: “The
title track is from the movie of the same name which is getting a big push this
summer. The music is forceful mainstream pop-rock” (Billboard,
The reworking was released on Ace’s “Frehley’s Comet” album in 1987. The
song was heavily reworked from the original version for inclusion on the album
with only the verses retaining any semblance to the original. Tod Howarth
recalls how the track ended up getting recycled by Frehley’s Comet: “Ace had
heard the song in
62.25. Something Moved
Another of the songs
brought to Frehley’s Comet by keyboardist, vocalist, and guitarist Tod Howarth,
which he had written in 1985. This track would be another of the late additions
that would “bump” earlier material off the “Frehley’s Comet” album. The song
would include sampled sounds sequenced by Ace cohort Gordon Gebert.
62.26. Love Me Right
Written by Ace Frehley and
Ira Schickman. Ira was a friend of Gordon Gebert’s and part of Ace’s circle of
friends. Ira was also active in the music industry and would work with acts
including Chaka Khan. He would also write material for the “boy” band N’Sync in
recent years.
62.27. Rock Soldiers
One of the last songs to be
included on the debut Frehley’s Comet album, “Rock Soldiers” was written by Ace
and Chip Taylor in August 1986. The collaboration resulted from Chip calling up
Ace and suggesting that they write together. Their work together would result
in the creation of an anthem for the band. While the song is very much
autobiographical about Ace’s brushes with death and trouble in 1983, the song
is more notable for Chip having written the classic Trogg’s hit “Wild Thing.”
Ace recalled the song: “That song is my message to the youth of
According to bassist John
Regan, “It’s kind of an auto-biographical song for Ace, because at that point
he had really straightened his life out and gotten back on track. It was Ace’s
message to the world at the time, which basically said, ‘Don’t do the things
I’ve done’” (12 Picks Liners). The things that he’d done involved driving his
DeLorean sports car (as the lyrics state) 100 miles per hour against traffic
down the
62.28. Fractured Too
The closing piece on the
“Frehley’s Comet” album would be an instrumental written by John Regan and Ace.
The inclusion of an instrumental provided continuity with the 1978 solo album.
62.29. One Plus One
This track would be one of
the great unknowns of the Frehley’s Comet recording history and would only be
remixed by John Regan and David Cook and released on the “Loaded Deck”
compilation in 1998. Written by Anton Fig and Phil Gladston, the song would be
recorded during the first album sessions, but along with “Words Are Not Enough”
would be discarded and sit in Megaforce’s vaults for over a decade, forgotten
by all. According to John Regan, the song was “a bit on the commercial side,
but you have to remember this was 1986” (Loaded Deck Liners).
62.30. Calling To You (Remix)
Released only on a promotional 12” single, this remix of the song would
reduce the song from
62.31. Funk Rock
This instrumental jam has
long circulated as being a Frehley’s Comet demo from the “Second Sighting” era
of 1987/8; however, little additional information is available to add any
credence to the suggestion that it was a “demo” proper per say, versus just a
rough idea workout that was simply recorded. The demo, essentially, is built
around a single riff with there being more of a break than chorus section. It
is more of a discarded idea piece, with drum loop, than anything else. The
track runs 3:18.
62.32. Quick Lick Song
Dating from the same period
as “Funk Rock,” this instrumental piece would later be developed into the song
“Insane” on “Second Sighting.” Because of the piece’s later use, it is often
referred to as “Insane (Instrumental).” This rough demo runs 3:10 and is
essentially the core riffs of the song with basic backing drums.
62.33. Foxy Lady Revisited
Ace Frehley’s fixation with
Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” is no surprise with him having played the song live
during his solo career on numerous occasions and having recorded the solo for
the song on certain extra-KISS projects. Of course, there is also the legendary
story of his being an unofficial roadie for drummer Mitch Mitchell, at Jimmy’s
last show in New York at Randall’s Island in 1970 (possibly July 17, 1970), and
the influence the guitarist had on so many players during his short career.
During the song-writing prior to “Second Sighting,” Ace recorded some ideas on
tape, one of which would be titled, at the time, “Foxy Lady Revisited.” This piece
would not get used for some time, though it would be developed into “Shot Full
Of Rock” on Ace’s 1989 solo album. This early demo recording is often
alternatively referred to as “Shot Full Of Rock (Instrumental).”
“Live + 1” Album Notes:
Recorded live at the Aragon
Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, September 4, 1987. Produced by Ace Frehley, John
Regan, Tod Howarth, and Scott Mabuchi. Recorded by Andy Johns, assisted by
Timothy Powell, Mark Harder, Kathy Yore, and Isa Helderman. Project coordinated
by John Regan and Ed Trunk. Mixed by Scott Mabuchi at Right Track Studios, NYC,
NY, assisted by Danny Mormando and Jeff Abigzer. Mastered by Dennis King at
Atlantic Studios, NY.
62.34. Rip It Out
62.35. Breakout
62.36. Something Moved
62.37. Rocket Ride
According to Ace, “There
was never a version of ‘Rocket Ride’ or ‘Rip It Out’ on any of the live KISS
albums that I did with them. So this new EP isn’t just for Frehley’s Comet
fans, but also for any of the older KISS fans who have never heard those songs
recorded live before” (Kerrang #174).
62.38. Words Are Not Enough (Version #2)
Produced by Eddie Kramer,
Ace Frehley, John Regan and Scott Mabuchi. Mixed by Scott Mabuchi at Right
Track Studios, New York City, New York, assisted by Dan Mormando. While this
song had originally been demoed by the Comet long before it was released on
“Live + 1,” it would have work done on the arrangement resulting in it being 20
seconds shorter than the original demo. The track runs 3:25, with a third verse
from the original demo, which follows the guitar solo, being cut: “If you feel
the same / It’s always warm / And aside from me / I’ll just give you my love
‘til the world starts spinning / Lose all track of time.”
“Second Sighting” Album Notes:
Produced by Frehley’s Comet
with Scott Mabuchi. Executive producers Jon and Marsha Zazula, and Ed Trunk.
Project coordination by John Regan and Ed Trunk. Recorded and mixed by Scott
Mabuchi, assisted by Michael Reiter. Recorded at Media Sounds Studio, New York
City, New York. Mixed at Right Track Studios, New York City, New York.
62.39. Insane
Written by Ace and Gene
Moore, the song would be a comical look at Ace himself. According to Tod,
“That’s Ace’s signature tune. It’s a comical look at Ace and it’s inspired by
Ace himself, it’s got Ace’s fans in mind, they relate well to songs like this.
It’s a fun kind of song everybody in the band enjoys doing. It sort of says
that he’s a walking disaster, but he comes out okay in the end” (Metal Hammer,
7/4/88).
Musically, the song had
started out from rough ideas recorded in the studio in 1987 by Ace and titled
“Quick Lick Song.” “Insane” would be the second single from the album, though
it wouldn’t trouble the charts. The band did at least manage to release a
humorous video to go along with the song. According to Ace, “The lyrics are a
little indicative of my personality” (KISS Klassics #10).
62.40. Time Ain’t Runnin’ Out
One of Tod’s contributions
to the album was written from a personal relationship that didn’t work out
because Tod wouldn’t let it. For Tod, the album has been described negatively
as the “Tod Howarth” solo album because it contained five of his songs, only
one of which had a co-write (and in that case not even with Ace, but John
Regan). Tod has commented, “‘Second Sighting’ had a lot of my tunes on it but
it wasn’t because I was trying to ‘take over’ the band or make it my semi-solo
record. This rumor is a load of crap. It’s just that Ace hadn’t prepared a lot
of tunes by the time it came to record the new record, I had plenty of tunes
and he was secure enough to say, cool let’s run with them… It may have appeared
this way (the solo thing) but I was just doing my job, being a songwriter and
coming up with tunes that were needed for the new record” (TodHowarth.com).
62.41. Dancin’ With Danger
This song was originally
written by Daryl Gutheil, Kenny Shields, Kenny Sinnaeve (aka Spider), Billy
Carmassi, Jeff Neill, and Spencer Proffer (known collectively as the Canadian
band “Streetheart”), and released as the title track of the band’s 1983 album
(Boardwalk Entertainment Company NB-33265-1). The band, as was the case with
Tod Howarth’s 707, was signed to Neil Bogart’s post-Casablanca label. That
album would be certified platinum in Canada, though the band failed to make
much of an impact south of the border. Ace’s manager, George Sewitt, had found
the song for Ace several years before the Comet recorded it. This song can be
considered a cover version, since the changes made to the song are negligible.
Ace and Dana Strum would
make some very minor changes to the song, and thus get a songwriting credit for
the track when released on “Second Sighting.” Ace, on the other hand, would
remember the song differently: “That’s a song I originally put together with
some friends in 1985, and we’ve redone it for ‘88. It’s an anti-cocaine song, I
guess it’s from my personal experience. I think it’s a hard rock dance track
and I’m really happy with the way it came together” (Metal Hammer, 7/4/88).
Gordon Gebert would do some sequencing on the track. The 3:44 “demo” of the
recording, which often circulates as a Frehley’s Comet demo, is actually the
original Streetheart recording of the song.
The changes that were made
to the song to get Ace and Dana on the credits were very minor, and it is more
amusing than anything else considering the stature of both. On the chorus,
“Cause you’re dancin’ with danger” would be changed to “When you’re dancin’
with danger.” That would be one of only two lyrical changes, other than that it
is a matter of what was deleted from the original song. Since Ace has commented
about the song being drug related it is interesting that the drug references
were removed from Streetheart’s original at the beginning of the third verse:
“Shady dealers open up their door / Always free until you need some more / Then
they got you, you, you and you / Runnin’ lonely now you’re on the street.”
Ace’s version starts with the last line changed to “Runnin’ lonely and you’re
out of steam,” which comprised the start of the fourth verse. Completely missing
is the fifth and final verse: “Easy lovers give themselves for free / Taking
more than they’ll ever need / They got feelings, but they got no control.” As a
side note, two original members of Streetheart, Paul Dean and Matt Frennette,
went on to form Loverboy. Paul Dean would also record KISS’ “Sword And Stone”
on his 1989 solo project “Hardcore.”
62.42. Loser In A Fight
From the “Second Sighting”
album, this track would be notable for being the first occasion where Ace and
Tod would trade-off on lead vocals. According to Ace, “That worked really well,
the lyrics were suited to that kind of approach” (Metal Hammer, 7/4/88). Tod
recalls getting Ace to share the vocals somewhat differently, “I even asked him
to sing ‘Loser In A Fight’ so it wouldn’t seem so one sided, and he being the
kind of man that he was at the time, was way up for it” (TodHowarth.com). Tod
wanting to share vocals was a response to the amount of material he was
providing on the album. The song would be written by Tod Howarth and John
Regan, with Tod providing the original basis for the song. According to Tod the
song is “about a battle of wits. Use your brain, not your fists” (Metal Hammer,
7/4/88).
62.43. Juvenile Delinquent
This would be the only song
on the “Second Sighting” album Ace wrote on his own. It would be another
autobiographical song based on Ace’s youth of trouble-making, though he
“transferred the subject so that it’s written about a young girl” (Metal
Hammer, 7/4/88).
62.44. Fallen Angel
Another of the Tod Howarth
contributions to “Second Sighting,” Tod explains the song: “There were always
one or two unattainable women at High School or something, they won’t take any
notice of you. You’re fixated and she doesn’t even know you exist, so I guess
you end up wishing them bad luck, wish they would be ‘fallen angels’” (Metal
Hammer, 7/4/88).
62.45. Separate
Ace would state that the
lyrics to this song had been written back in the earliest era of Frehley’s
Comet: “‘Separate’ was originally recorded in 1983 up in my studio with John,
Anton Fig, and Eddie Kramer. They always loved the song but to me there was
always something missing so for this record John re-wrote the verses but we
kept the same chorus and it came across with a nice groove” (KISS Klassics
#10). It would take help from John Regan to pull the song together for the
“Second Sighting” album.
62.46. New Kind Of Lover
Recorded for the “Second
Sighting” album, “New Kind Of Lover” was written by Tod Howarth. According to
Tod, “That is a song I wrote after I had an idea about a guy being in love with
a ghost, after I read a Clive Barker book with a similar theme. I decided to do
the song. The ghost seduces the guy and he’s not sure if it’s a trick, an
illusion, a dream, whether she’s going to trap him, a horror theme” (Metal
Hammer, 7/4/88).
62.47. The Acorn Is Spinning
Following the form of
including instrumentals on each of his solo releases, this song would be the
B-side to both the “Insane” and “It’s Over Now” singles released commercially.
Written by Ace and John Regan, the instrumental was developed into a story by
adding dialogue. According to Ace, “The Acorn is the name of the boxer, and the
track is about his career. It goes with the computer graphic on the inner
sleeve” of the album (Metal Hammer, 7/4/88).
Ace recalled the
development of the piece: “We were kind of bored sitting around the studio and
the catch phrase ‘The Acorn Is Spinning’ came from a video tape from a friend
of mine that was imitating Howard Cosell talking about a fighter. We just got
silly one night and I told the engineer to plug a mic in and give it to me and
I just started rattling off the dialogue. Tod got involved and then John and we
thought that everybody was going to think it was a ridiculous song but it
turned out to be a lot of the people’s favorite one” (KISS Klassics #10).
62.48. It’s Over Now
This song would be a single
released off the “Second Sighting” album. This song, written by Tod Howarth,
would be a “powerful ballad about a special person in my life right now” (Metal
Hammer, 7/4/88). It had originally been written in early 1986 for Cheap Trick,
with whom Tod was then working on pre-production for their “The Doctor” album.
Cheap Trick would pass on the song. Tod recalled, “I wrote that song originally
for Cheap Trick, but they declined. I remembered letting Bun E. Carlos listen
to it, he offered a few suggestions (I ignored most) and said, ‘Not bad, but
don’t give them (Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander) so much. They like a tune
unfinished.’ Jeeez, I wonder why? I also remember their manager at the time
hearing it, and later asking me if they liked the song. Funny that I actually
had to tell him! I guess that he had hoped they would hear the same promise
that he heard, who knows. Anyhow, I kept the song close to my heart because I
thought that maybe some day it could surface again - and I believed that if
given the right push, it could really go far” (Clown White). When the time came
for Frehley’s Comet to record the song, Tod would lay down the lead guitar for
the track to show Ace what he felt would work for the song since the recording
of the song’s music had already been completed without him. Ace was satisfied
with the piece Tod had done and left it on the track.
62.49. It’s Over Now (Remix)
When released as a single
this would be the first Frehley’s Comet single released as a promotional CD.
The remix of the track would cut the song’s length from 4:39 to 3:55 by
removing the ending section and fading the song out over the repetition of the
chorus following the guitar solo.
62.50. Rocker Room Theme
Written by Ace cohort
Gordon Gebert and Mike Kakos as the theme music for Gordon’s 1988 cable
television show for which Gordon was music director. Ace would record the short
0:48 piece in his home studio in Tarrytown with Gordon handling the drum, bass,
and keyboard sampling. According to Gordon, “For a thirty second theme song,
Ace played some real kick ass leads. You can clearly hear his famous 2 stringed
octave bends and quick pull offs on this track” (KISS & Tell, p. 118). This
piece of music would be included on Gordon Gebert’s “Something Wicked This Way
Comes” EP in 1998.
According to Gordon, “it
was a rock interview/TV cable show that was all over the Tri-stare area and was
pretty well known. I was the band leader on the show and I came up with the
theme song. I originally recorded and wrote it with this guy Mike Kakos, and
then as the show progressed and got bigger I asked Ace if he wanted to
re-record the song with me and Ace put a kick-ass lead on it. He did a tremendous
job on it. It is very short, only a 30 second clip, but it’s new music Ace
kicked ass on” (KISS Asylum).
62.51. Rip It Out
62.52. Breakout
62.53. Cold Gin
62.54. Shock Me
62.55. Rocket Ride
Tracks 62.51-62.55 recorded
live at the Hammersmith Odeon, in London, England. These tracks would not be
released in audio form until 1997 on the “12 Picks” compilation. However, the
tracks had been released in video form on Ace’s 1989 video compilation “Live +
4.”
62.56. Deuce
Recorded live at the
Hammersmith Odeon, in London, England. This audio track would not be released
until 1997 on the “12 Picks” compilation. This track had not been released on
Ace’s 1989 video compilation “Live + 4.” That this song would turn up on one of
Ace’s solo releases is not too surprising considering its history as the first
song he played with Gene, Paul, and Peter. Ace has fond memories about the
song: “I have always loved that song. I think it’s got an attitude. It was on
our first album. It was something we used to always open our show with. I have
fond memories of the early days when we were out, trying to make it” (Guitar
One).
62.57. Something Moved
The only live video
recording from the “Live +4” (originally intended to be titled “Live In
London”) video that was not released on “12 Picks” in audio form.
“Trouble Walkin’” Album Notes:
Produced by Eddie Kramer,
Ace Frehley and John Regan. Mixed by Scott Mabuchi and Eddie Kramer. Engineered
by Eddie Kramer, Ed Solan, Dave Cook, Michael Reiter, and Chris Laidlaw.
Recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios, and Northlake Sound, New York. Mixed
at Bearsville Studios, New York. The album would feature backing vocals by
Sebastian Bach, Dave “The Snake” Sabo, Rachel Bolan, Peppy Castro, Al Fritsch,
Peter Criss, and Pat Sommers.
62.58.
Hide Your Heart
Ace is also
included, in a list of too many artists, for his unfortunate cover of Paul
Stanley’s “Hide Your Heart,” which was released at the same time as KISS’
version. Other artists recording the song at the same time included Molly
Hatchet, Robin Beck, and Bonnie Tyler. During his solo career Ace has
technically covered plenty of KISS material, but since he was in the band
that’s his right. He has also covered Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” live in
concert, and played on the ESP version of the song released in 1998. Paul
Stanley had offered Ace material as early as 1984, so it is ironic that Ace
would eventually cover a KISS song at the same time just about everyone else in
the music industry was recording it, effectively killing the song’s chances of
success by any act! It was probably brought to Ace by John Regan, who had
played on Bonnie Tyler’s recording of the song.
62.59. Do Ya
Also included on
the “Trouble Walkin” album, this song was a cover of a song which had been
recorded by both Jeff Lynne’s bands, The Move and Electric Light Orchestra
(ELO). Written by Jeff, the song was originally released as a B-side of The
Move’s 7” single with Ella James fronted by “California Man” (United Artists
UA-50928) in 1972. That single would only manage a dismal #93 on the singles
charts as the popularity of the band, notably their main market in the UK,
declined. The song, and the other two from the single, were also included on
The Move’s “Split Ends” compilation album of that year (United Artists UAS-5666),
which was essentially a compilation that replaced the weakest tracks off an
earlier LP, “Message From The Country” (1971), with the single’s tracks. Later
that year Lynne, Rick Price, and Bev Bevan formed ELO, following the departure
of Roy Wood from the band, to explore melodic rock with classical undertones.
Several years later
ELO re-recorded the song and released it on a 7” single backed with
“Nightrider” (Jet UA-XW939-Y) and on the album “A New World Record” (United
Artists UA-LA679-G) in 1976. Ace was initially uncomfortable in recording the
track. According to John Regan, “I always liked ‘Do Ya.’ I thought Ace did a
great job, although he was always hesitant to say that he enjoyed working on
that song. But I thought he did a really good job with it” (MiningCo). This
would be another of the tracks on the album to feature Peter Criss and
Sebastian Bach on backing vocals. This song would feature the sole video from
Ace’s “Trouble Walkin’” album.
62.60. Shot Full Of Rock
Richie Scarlet’s favorite
song off the album. One of the notable sonic features on the “Trouble Walkin’”
album would be Ace and Richie dueling on guitar. Richie recalled that this
probably came about as a result of their seeing Rick Derringer and Johnny
Winter doing the same at a concert. Featuring Peter Criss on percussion and
backing vocals, this song would be credited to Ace and Richie. Richie would
write most of the music for the song after being inspired by the television
show “Mission Impossible,” but worked with Ace on the lyrics which only took a
few hours. Like many of the songs which involve Richie, this track features he
and Ace trading solos. Ace plays the first, third and outro solos, while Richie
plays the second and forth. He also provides guitar harmony with Ace on the outro.
62.61. Five Card Stud
Credited to Ace and Marc
Ferrari (real name: Mark Schulman), the song’s copyright notice states, “words
& music: Mark Ferrari; words & music: Virgin Music, Inc., as employer
for hire of Paul Frehley p.k.a. Ace Frehley” (USCO). Marc had enjoyed a career
that had included a stint as Keel’s guitarist during the time Gene Simmons was
producing the band’s albums. Following his departure from that band in 1988, he
worked writing songs for Peter Criss.
62.62. Lost In Limbo
Written by Richie Scarlet
and Ace Frehley, though the copyright notice mentions, “words & music:
Richie Scarlet; words & music: Virgin Music, Inc., as employer for hire of
Paul Frehley p.k.a. Ace Frehley” (USCO).
62.63. Trouble Walkin’
This song was written in
1988 by Phil Brown, an “employer for hire of Bill Wray.” Phil Brown is a
bassist and guitarist while Bill Wray is a producer who has worked with the
likes of Lisa Hartman. He had also been a musician, releasing material in the
1970s and early 1980s. This track would be the only one on which Sandy Slavin
would drum, with Anton assisting in the studio on the rest of the songs. The
members of Skid Row would record their backing vocals for this, and other songs
on the album, on June 23, 1989.
62.64. 2 Young 2 Die
Originally written by
Richie Scarlet in 1986 this song was titled “Loneliness.” The verses somewhat
similar to Ace’s recording with different choruses: “Walking urban streets and
I got myself a gun / Thinking about my life and the shape, shape, shape / Shapes
of things to come / Listen little darlin’ I said you’ll never understand /
Time’s running out for this, out out out / For this lonely desperate man // I
can’t take it no more / Break down, gonna shake down these walls // Ducking
down the alleyways of fear / A hungry cat calls and he knows, knows, knows /
Knows the end is near / Clock strikes twelve and the wind begins to moan /
Shivers down my spine and I don’t, don’t, don’t / Don’t wanna feel alone.” The
song features the dueling guitars of Richie and Ace. Richie has commented that
he and Ace were inspired by the onstage guitar interaction of Johnny Winter and
Rick Derringer.
62.65. Back To School
Written by Ace Frehley and
John Regan.
62.66. Remember Me
See also entry for 62.07.
“Remember Me” had dated back to Frehley’s Comet original lineup of 1984. By the
time it was recorded for an Ace Frehley album some minor changes were made to
the song.
62.67. Fractured III
According to John Regan,
“Ace and I worked pretty closely on that one. And it has a pretty good
emotional range in it, as far as the way it builds. It just kind of has.... it
gets pretty climatic at one point. It just has a pretty good atmosphere to it.
It’s a little eerie. And I thought he played spectacular guitar” (About.com).
62.68. Give It To Me Anyway (Version #2)
For a while “Give It To Me
Anyway” was under consideration for use on the “Trouble Walkin’” album and was
fully recorded by Ace, Anton, Richie, and John. However, it was not used at the
time and the recording would only be released on 1997’s “Loaded Deck”
compilation. Part of the reason it was not used on the album, according to John
Regan, was that there simply wasn’t enough room on the album!
62.69. Hot Lips
While there had not been
much communication between KISS and Ace following his departure from the band,
by 1989 Ace and Gene Simmons would be collaborating on a track. Mentioned in
early 1989, when the song-writing for “Trouble Walkin’” would have been taking
place, “Hot Lips,” would never come to fruition. With how the relationship
between Ace and Gene and Paul would break down in the early 1990s, this odd
collaboration between Gene and Ace is a loss for all KISS fans.
62.70. Guitar Wars
Title of a track reported
to have been recorded for “Trouble Walkin.’” This track may simply have been
given another title and been used on the album, since a high-point of “Trouble
Walkin’” is Richie and Ace dueling.
62.70. Trouble Walkin’ (Demo)
Ace’s original demo of this
song would be the same arrangement as the album version of the song and runs
3:04.
62.71. 2 Young 2 Die (Demo)
Richie’s original 1986 demo
is markedly different to the version eventually recorded by Ace Frehley. See
also 29.64.
62.73. Rock Your Mind
At the time that Ace
Frehley was working on his “Trouble Walkin’” album, he hooked up with Eric Carr
to write what they’d call “Breakout II.” It was initially planned for Eric to
record the song with Ace on the album, but Eric’s contract with KISS apparently
did not permit such an activity, so Eric’s involvement in the recording of the
album never got past his helping out during pre-production at SIR Studios. Eric
also helped Ace audition new guitar players at the time. Ace himself was never
shy of announcing to audiences that Gene had not allowed Eric Carr to appear on
the album, especially after Eric had passed away and with the bad blood between
the two camps during the early 1990s.
However, the two had
recorded the song in at least demo form with Eric singing lead, since Ace has
recounted stories of playing the tape in his car and crying at the memories of
Eric. Eric recalled writing the song with Ace, “He came over to my house and we
were writing. You know I talked to him a while before that. He wanted to come
up with another ‘Breakout,’ because ‘Breakout’ was one of the more popular
songs of his solo stuff that he had done since he had been out of KISS. Kids
really liked that song and he wanted me to come up with another kind of
‘Breakout’ type tune. Which I did. I just kind of took the riff from
‘Breakout,’ threw it in a blender and it came out sideways, and it sounded
great. It sounded really good. Ace liked it a lot. We worked on it, we got
something that was pretty together as far as a musical track and some words. It
was called ‘Rock Your Mind.’ That was the title Ace came up with. And I did a
scratch vocal on it. But somewhere along the line, he and the people he worked
with just felt it was too much like ‘Breakout’ and that there was a lot of
other material that they had already that was better. So they just decided not
to use it” (Firehouse #38/39).
62.74. Reckless
This song was the alleged
collaboration between Ace Frehley and Blackie Lawless of WASP around the time
of the “Trouble Walkin’” sessions. Ace and Blackie’s relationship went far
enough back for Blackie to have been in the audience of the Friday’s TV show in
1982, and Ace would reportedly produce demos for WASP in 1983 and was linked
with the band as a possible producer for their debut album. Blackie, however,
these days, suggests that Ace did nothing in regards to the demo production,
and that Bill Aucoin was simply interested in the band in 1982/3, but was too
busy with Billy Idol for the band to want to sign with him....
“Maryann Scandiffio Demo”
Session Notes:
Produced by Ace Frehley;
Engineered by Eddie Solan; Recorded at Northlake Studios during the summer of
1990. Bang Gang was a band which included former Black Lace (which included
future Ace Frehley Band drummer Steve Werner) vocalist Maryann Scandiffio on
lead vocals. Other members of the band included Gordon Gebert (Keyboards), Rob
(Guitars) and drummer Scott. Ace would sing backing vocals on the tracks.
62.75. The Backstreet Shuffle
This 3:25 track was written
by Maryann and Anthony Fragnito, who had been the bassist in Black Lace in
1986. Black Lace had at one time included one Steve Werner on drums, though he
hadn’t appeared on either of their studio albums. Anthony’s brother, Carlo, was
also a member of the band and they released the albums “Unlaced” (1984) and
“Get It While It’s Hot” (1985) on Mausoleum Records before disbanding in 1987.
62.76. I Need You
62.77. Baby, It’s You
This 3:33 demo was
Maryann’s recording of the same Mack David, Barney Williams, and Burt Bacharach
composition which had been demoed by Frehley’s Comet prior to their first
album.
62.78. Don’t Go
62.79. I Want Out
62.80. Rocket Ride (Love Not Lisa)
Produced by For Love Not
Lisa and engineered by Bill Krodel. Appearing on the band’s 1993 “Softhand” EP,
Ace would guest on guitar and backing vocals on this cover of the classic Ace
song from KISS’ “Alive II.” For Love Not Lisa were formed in the early 1990s in
Oklahoma City and relocated to Los Angeles where they released an independent
EP. Following the release of their debut album, “Merge,” the band were able to
persuade Ace to participate in their planned recording of the cover.
62.81. Shock Me
62.82. Rip It Out
62.83. Rocket Ride
62.84. Breakout
62.85. Cold Gin
62.86. New York Groove
62.87. Parasite
62.88. Shot Full Of Rock
62.89. Rock Soldiers
Tracks 62.81-62.89 were the
live recording released on the “Acevision Volume 1” video issued by Ace’s Rock
Soldiers Fan Club. Performance material was from the “Just For Fun” tour filmed
in Orlando, Florida on March 13, 1993. The live performance would be
interspaced (interrupted) with an interview with Ace. Produced & Directed
by: David Streicher; Video Coordinator: Gordon G. G. Gebert.
62.90. Breakout (Live Studio)
Recorded for Anton Fig’s
“In The Groove” instructional music video this 3:23 version of the track would
feature Ace, Anton, Richie Scarlet, and Saul Zonana. It would be recorded at
Electric Lady Studios, New York City, on February 19, 1994. The video, “In The
Groove,” would be released in 1996. There is a certain amount of justice in
Richie finally being on the recording of this track, whose lyrics he wrote,
since he had originally left Frehley’s Comet prior to the song being recorded
and released on their debut album in 1987.
62.91. Bad Attitude
See also “Peter Criss
post-KISS” section. Reciprocating for Peter appearing on his 1989 album, Ace
would record guitar parts for Peter’s solo album in 1994. This song would be
the sole single released from the album.
62.92. Walk The Line
See also “Peter Criss
post-KISS” section. Reciprocating for Peter appearing on his 1989 album, Ace
would record guitar parts for Peter’s solo album in 1994.
62.93. Blue Moon Over Brooklyn
See also “Peter Criss
post-KISS” section. Reciprocating for Peter appearing on his 1989 album, Ace
would record guitar parts for Peter’s solo album in 1994.
62.94. Cherokee Boogie (Instrumental)
An instrumental composed by
Ace, this track would be included on the Guitar World’s “Guitars That Rule The
World Vol. 2: Smell The Fuzz” released in October 1996. The dating of the song,
due to bassist Saul Zonana’s participation in the session, would indicate that
it was recorded sometime during his tenure in the Ace Frehley Band in mid to
late-1994, but it may simply have been a matter of him simply being a session
player at a later date. However, the track is a solo recording with Phil
Richford playing drums. The instrumental was produced, engineered and mixed by
Ace and Saul, and recorded at 20/20 Music Studios, New Jersey. Ace would
dedicate the song to his daughter, Monique, in the liner notes.
62.95. Sister (Demo, 1995)
During 1995 Ace Frehley and
his band recorded a three (or five or six depending on who is asked, but one
version definitely was three songs, 62.95-97) song demo at Baby Monster Studios
in New York City. The final lineup of the Ace Frehley Band had finally
stabilized in late 1994 with Richie Scarlet on guitars and vocals, Steve
“Budgie” Werner on drums, and Karl Cochran on bass and vocals. It was around
this time that this song first made its live debut in the band’s set, something
which Ace would have usually been against: “I don’t believe in doing that
because there’s always someone there with a tape recorder and it’s gonna get
out. I would rather have the stuff come out fresh where nobody’s heard it
before” (Sound Attitude Magazine).
Fortunately, the material
did get out, and while Ace had expected to get the solo material out to the
public in the autumn of 1995 something else got in the way: The Reunion. As far
as subject matter goes the song is strange: “Call her sister, but she’s really
not / My friends would ask me, ‘cause they heard a lot / About the way she
makes you feel, (oh yeah!) / She’s not my sister, but she’s very real.” The
full demo recording of the song runs 4:25 while there also is a wickedly
“loose” 2:55 instrumental version that is little more than the core riff.
62.96. Take Me To The City (Demo, 1995)
Written by Ace Frehley, and
part of the Ace Frehley Band 1995 demo, a recording of this song would be
included on the Japanese release of the “Spacewalk: A Salute To Ace Frehley”
tribute album. Along with the band Sebastian Bach would guest on backing
vocals. Technically, this is the only piece of music Ace’s band would release
in the 1990s. This song has a great catchy chorus: “Take me to the city, see
the ever-lasting light / Take me to the city, I wanna party through the night /
Until I see the sun, shining through the windows.” The 3:16 album version,
which amusingly begins with Ace quipping, “anybody can make a record,” would be
produced by Ace. The demo of this song is slightly longer, at 3:29 and instead
of having the band talking in the back-ground begins with 11 seconds of
distorted guitars.
62.97. Don’t Wanna Lose You (Demo, 1995)
Written by Ace Frehley and
Richie Scarlet this was one of the tracks recorded in March 1995 for the band’s
demo at Baby Monster Studios. This high octane 3:26 demo features Richie
Scarlet on lead vocals on the verses. Ace sings the chorus: “Girl, you know
you’re bringing me down / Because I need you, need you / Baby, I wish you’d
make up your mind / Don’t want to lose you, lose you (no).”
62.98. Too Far Gone
Written by Ace
Frehley and Richie Scarlet this song was a part of the Ace Frehley Band demo.
However, the song dated back much earlier having been a crowd favorite when
performed by Richie’s band The Seducers in the mid to late-1980s, prior to his
rejoining the Ace Frehley band in 1989. What contributions Ace made to the
song, if any, for his credit are unclear. The Seducers included Richie on lead
guitar and vocals, Joey Criffo on drums, and Frank Deville on bass, and played
the East Coast bar scene. The song would finally see release on Richie’s
“Insanity Of Life” album in 2002.
According to Richie
the song is about “a chick who grew up listening to The Dolls, Sex Pistols
& Nirvana. Now she belongs to a lost generation” (Insanity Of Life Liners,
2002), but that’s pretty obvious from the lyrics: “Sex Pistols at age
twenty-one / Black leather’s great having so much f..f..fun / Got hair like a
rainbow shooting colors through the night / She don’t melt like a wicked witch
when she feels the sunlight.”
62.99. Foxy Lady
In 1998 Ace would record
the lead guitar and solo for a track, from his hero Jimi Hendrix, that he had
often performed live in concert during the early 1990s. Eric Singer’s solo
project featured Bruce Kulick, John Corabi, and Karl Cochran. See also the
“Eric Singer post-KISS” section.
62.100. Freedom
Ace plays guitar on one
track on Karl Cochran’s “Voodooland” EP, the 4:16 demo version of a song that
Karl would also fully record himself on the same EP. Also included on the track
is drummer Eric Singer who would also drum on the album version. The song was
written by Karl, Robert Mason, and Bruce Terkilsen and mixed by Dave Wittman.
Eric’s drums on the track recorded by Curt Cuomo. The song would be recorded at
NRS Studios, New Jersey. The demo would also be released, as a bonus track, on
Karl’s 2004 album, “Give Me Air.”
62.101. Johnny’s In Love
Ace guests on this track in
addition to appearing on “Too Far Gone” on Richie’s “Insanity Of Life” album.
62.102. Too Far Gone (Richie Scarlet)
While this song had been
demoed by the Ace Frehley band in 1995, and had long been a part of Richie’s
band, The Seducers set in the 1980s, it wouldn’t be until 2002 when it was
finally released. Ace and Steve Werner, who with Richie, would comprise three
quarters of the Ace Frehley band of 1995 would play on the track.
62.103. Know Where You Go (Anton Fig)
Ace guests with Richie
Scarlet and Sebastian Bach on one track on Anton’s solo album, “Figments.” Ace
would record several solos for the track leaving Anton to piece together what
he wanted for the track. According to Anton, the song is a “really old song, I
finally got to do it with Sebastian Bach singing and with my friend Ace Frehley
on lead guitar. I had just played on Sebastian’s record and he came in and
wailed on this. Ace, whom I have played with for so many years, came up briefly
one night and dropped on a few solos - it’s classic Ace. I played the rhythm
guitars and bass but felt the bass was too static so I asked Richie Scarlet to
overdub some fills and combined the parts. I have played with Richie for years
in both Ace and Sebastian’s’ bands so it was natural for him to be a part of
this song. Chris Palmero, a great musician, played organ. The combination of
musicians really worked” (AntonFig.com).
62.104. Bad Choice (Kathy Valentine)
Go Go’s bassist Kathy
Valentine snagged Ace to play on one of her songs in 2004: “I met Ace through a
friend, he came to my birthday party and then we had several occasions to
socialize. I invited him to do a solo on my record and he was nice enough to
say yes and then actually do it. I don’t know much about him as a guitarist,
but I love the solo he played on my song” (KathyValentine.com). This song, produced
by Gilby Clarke, would be released on Kathy’s 2005 album, “Light Years.”
62.105. Never Told You (Venus Envy)
62.106. Mystic Lady (Venus Envy)
62.107. Pretty Injured (Venus Envy)
From 1998 through 2000,
Wendy Moore was Ace’s “girlfriend.” During the time that they were together Ace
would play on three songs for her band Venus Envy in 1998. The tracks were
produced by Alex Woltman and recorded at Goodnight LA Studios in
62.108. 2,005 Man
“2,005 Man” is an twelve
string, somewhat psychedelic, re-recording of the Rolling Stone’s “2,000 Man”
that KISS had covered for “Dynasty.” Ace played a very rough