Ace Frehley Reveals Gene Simmons Collaboration Details: ‘I Was Really Pleased, And So Was He’
Last week, Gene Simmons revealed that he teamed up with Ace Frehley to write two songs for his former Kiss bandmate's upcoming solo album. Now Frehley has both confirmed the news and offered an in-depth breakdown of how the collaboration took place.
"I just shot him an e-mail and said, 'C'mon, let's write some songs together for my new record,'" he told Eddie Trunk (via Blabbermouth.) "Next thing you know, he's down here [at my house in Rancho Santa Fe, California] and within three hours we had written two songs together, which was, like, a record, for me and him. We ate in the backyard while I was watering my palm trees. [Laughs] He was going to [my fiancée] Rachel, 'This is something new I've never seen before.' He's eating a sandwich and I'm watering a palm tree in my backyard. But it was a lot of fun."
Once the dining and gardening was done, the two "just started jamming. We initially each picked up an acoustic guitar. I don't remember who came up with the beginning of the song. One guy plays one thing and then I play another thing. I think Gene actually came up with more ideas than I did and I just kind of complemented them. And then I started writing lyrics for a song title, which I don't wanna give away yet. And then we kind of took a break and then he started playing this bass line and said, 'Ace, play these three chords against it,' and within thirty minutes we had a second song. I was really pleased, and so was he."
Frehley also confirmed that he's ready to get serious about recording the follow-up to his 2014 album Space Invader. "After the Fourth of July, we're gonna go full force," he promises. "I have a studio now built in the new house here in Rancho Santa Fe."
News of Simmons and Frehley working together - combined with fellow founding Kiss star Paul Stanley recently contributing vocals to a track on Frehley's 2016 covers album Origins, Vol. 1 - have understandably caused many to wonder if Frehley might return to Kiss for another reunion tour. "I can only be honest with you," he tells Trunk. "It's something I haven't pushed and it's something that Paul and Gene haven't brought up to me. I'm just gonna let nature take its course."
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