Ace Frehley (album)

1978 studio album by Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley

Cover art by Eraldo Carugati

Studio album by

Ace Frehley

Released| September 18, 1978 (1978-09-18)
Recorded| June–July 1978
Studio| The Mansion, Sharon, Connecticut
Plaza Sound Studios, New York City
Genre| Hard rock
Length| 36:44
Label| Casablanca
Producer|

* Eddie Kramer
* Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley chronology
|  | Ace Frehley
(1978)  | Frehley's Comet
(1987)

|
|

Singles from  Ace Frehley

1. "New York Groove"
Released: 1978

Ace Frehley is the first solo album by American guitarist and former Kiss member Ace Frehley, released on September 18, 1978, by Casablanca Records.[1] It was one of four albums released by each separate Kiss member as a solo act, but yet still under the Kiss label, coming out alongside Peter Criss, Paul Stanley, and Gene Simmons.

Ace Frehley contains the cover hit single "New York Groove", which was originally written by Russ Ballard and recorded by Hello in 1975. The song would prove to be a major hit for Frehley and boosted sales for its parent album. The album would also prove to be the most successful of the four Kiss solo albums.

## Background

[edit]

The album was produced by Frehley and Eddie Kramer. It featured Anton Fig on drums. He later performed session work on the Kiss albums Dynasty and Unmasked, and later became a member of Ace Frehley's band Frehley's Comet. Fig and Will Lee, who played bass on three of the album's tracks, later gained prominence as members of the World's Most Dangerous Band and the CBS Orchestra along with Paul Shaffer on Late Night with David Letterman and Late Show with David Letterman. In an interview with Loudwire, Frehley stated that some of the songs from his solo album were originally slated for the fifth Kiss album, Rock and Roll Over. In an interview with Ultimate Guitar, Frehley also recalled being inspired by an incident at a band business meeting before work began on his solo album: "I remember Paul and Gene made a statement to me in front of everybody that was kind of a dig. They said, 'Oh Ace, by the way – if you need any help on your record, don't hesitate to call us.' In the back of my mind, I'm saying, 'I don't need their help.'"[2]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal| 8/10[4]
Pitchfork| (8.5/10)[5]
Rolling Stone| [6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide| 3/10[7]
Uncut| [8]

In a retrospective review Greg Prato of AllMusic wrote that "of the four Kiss solo albums, the best of the bunch is Ace Frehley's", who "did not stray far from the expected heavy Kiss sound".[3] Jason Josephes of Pitchfork concurred that it was the standout of the Kiss solo efforts, describing it as "a melange of riff rock, power pop, and just a little bit of soul".[5] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff defined Ace Frehley as "the least pretentious, heaviest and best-selling platter of the Kiss' solo album quartet", describing the music as "solid, well-rounded simplified '70s metal".[4]

## Commercial performance

[edit]

"New York Groove", which was first recorded in 1975 by the glam rock band Hello, rose to No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[9] This was the highest chart placement for any of the singles released from the 1978 solo albums. The album reached No. 26 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It was certified platinum on October 2, 1978, and shipped over 1,000,000 copies.[10] It is the highest selling of the four Kiss solo albums in the Sound Scan era (1991 onwards).[11]

## Track listing

[edit]

All credits adapted from the original release.[12]

All tracks are written by Ace Frehley, except where noted.

Side OneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Rip It Out"| Frehley, Larry Kelly, Sue Kelly| 3:40
2.| "Speedin' Back to My Baby"| Frehley, Jeanette Frehley| 3:37
3.| "Snow Blind"|  | 3:55
4.| "Ozone"|  | 4:43
5.| "What's on Your Mind?"|  | 3:28

Side TwoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

6.| "New York Groove" (Hello cover)| Russ Ballard| 3:03
7.| "I'm in Need of Love"|  | 4:39
8.| "Wiped-Out"| Frehley, Anton Fig| 4:13
9.| "Fractured Mirror" (instrumental)|  | 5:26
Total length:| 36:44

## Personnel

[edit]

Artist

* Ace Frehley – lead vocals, backing vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitar, guitar synthesizer, bass

Additional personnel

* Anton Fig – drums, percussion
* Will Lee – bass on "Ozone", "I'm in Need of Love" and "Wiped-Out"
* Carl Tallarico – drums on "Fractured Mirror"
* David Lasley and Susan Collins – backing vocals on "Speedin' Back to My Baby", "What's on Your Mind?" and "New York Groove"
* Larry Kelly – backing vocals on "Rip It Out"
* Bill "Bear" Scheniman – bell on "Fractured Mirror"
* Bobby McAdams – power mouth (talkbox) on "New York Groove"

Production

* Eddie Kramer and Ace Frehley – producers
* Eddie Kramer and Rob Freeman – engineers
* Eric Block and Don Hunerburg – assistant engineers
* George Marino – mastered at Sterling Sound, New York
* Dennis Woloch – album design
* Eraldo Carugati – album artwork

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (1978–1979)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[13] | 48
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[14] | 34
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[15] | 30
US Billboard 200[16] | 26

## Certification

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Canada (Music Canada)[17] | Gold  | 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[18] | Platinum  | 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Ace Frehley, Kiss – Ace Frehley Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved March 24, 2023
2. ^ "Ace Frehley Recalls a 'Dig' from Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley That Inspired his '78 Solo Album".
3. ^ a b Prato, Greg. "Ace Frehley / Kiss – Ace Frehley review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
4. ^ a b Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 163–164\. ISBN 978-1-894959-02-5.
5. ^ a b Josephes, Jason. "Review Ace Frehley". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on June 26, 2003. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
6. ^ "Kiss: Album Guide". Rolling Stone Music. Archived from the original on June 27, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
7. ^ Cohen, Jason (1995). "Kiss". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 212\. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
8. ^ Kulkarni, Neil (December 1997). "Made up for it". Uncut. No. 7\. p. 100.
9. ^ "Ace Frehley Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
10. ^ "RIAA Gold & Palatinum Database: Ace Frehley". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
11. ^ Barnes, Ken (February 9, 2007). "The Kiss sales report". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
12. ^ Kiss (1978). Ace Frehley (LP Sleeve). Los Angeles, California: Casablanca Records. NBLP 7121.
13. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
14. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0097a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
15. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
16. ^ "Ace Frehley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
17. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ace Frehley – Kiss". Music Canada.
18. ^ "American album certifications – Ace Frehley – Kiss – Ace Frehley". Recording Industry Association of America.

## External links

[edit]

* Ace Frehley at Discogs (list of releases)
* KISSONLINE.COM Discography- Ace Frehley, Accessed on July 28, 2008

* v
* t
* e

Ace Frehley

* Ace Frehley
* Ryan Cook
* Jeremy Asbrock
* Scot Coogan

* Jason Hook
* John Regan
* James LoMenzo
* Anton Fig
* Jamie Oldaker
* Greg D'Angelo
* Tod Howarth
* Chris Wyse
* Todd Youth

Studio albums|

* Ace Frehley
* Frehley's Comet
* Second Sighting
* Trouble Walkin'
* Anomaly
* Space Invader
* Origins Vol. 1
* Spaceman
* Origins Vol. 2

Live albums|

* Live+1
* Greatest Hits Live

Compilations|

* 12 Picks
* Loaded Deck

Singles|

* "New York Groove"
* "Do Ya"
* "Fox on the Run"
* "The Joker"
* "White Room"

Related|

* Kiss
* Frehley's Comet
* No Regrets: A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir

* v
* t
* e

Kiss

* Paul Stanley
* Gene Simmons
* Peter Criss
* Ace Frehley
* Eric Carr
* Vinnie Vincent
* Mark St. John
* Bruce Kulick
* Eric Singer
* Tommy Thayer

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

1978 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
* 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
* The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss
* The Best of Kiss, Volume 2: The Millennium Collection
* The Best of Kiss, Volume 3: The Millennium Collection
* Jigoku-Retsuden
* Kiss 40

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

Concert tours|

* Club Tour
* 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
* The Farewell Tour
* Alive 35 World Tour
* Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour
* The Hottest Show on Earth Tour
* The Tour
* Monster World Tour
* Kiss 40th Anniversary World Tour
* Freedom to Rock Tour
* Kissworld Tour
* End of the Road World Tour

Films|

* Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
* Detroit Rock City
* Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery

Merchandising|

* Action figures
* Comics
* Kiss: Psycho Circus
* Pinball
* Pinball video game
* Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child
* Kiss Kasket
* Kiss by Monster Mini-Golf
* Los Angeles Kiss
* Bibliography

Related|

| Articles|

* Discography
* Band members
* Songs
* Awards
* Kiss Army
* Operation Payback
* "Road to Europe"
* Rock School
* Gene Simmons Family Jewels
* The Elder

|

Bands|

* Black 'n Blue
* Chelsea
* Eric Singer Project
* Frehley's Comet
* Mini Kiss
* Union
* Vinnie Vincent Invasion
* White Tiger
* Wicked Lester

Albums|

* Anomaly
* Asshole
* Cat #1
* Gene Simmons Vault
* Let Me Rock You
* Live to Win
* One for All
* Out of Control
* The Original Wicked Lester Sessions
* Origins Vol. 1
* Origins Vol. 2
* Rockology
* Space Invader
* Spaceman
* Trouble Walkin'
* Unfinished Business

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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