Hurt and betrayed by Gene Simmons' recent exposition of the details regarding Ace's departure from Kiss - substance abuse, lack of participation on certain Kiss albums and general self-destruction - Ace responds to some harsh accusations....

Guitar School : What was your initial reaction to Gene Simmons's statements regarding your departure from Kiss ?

Ace Frehley : It hurt bad. I just didn't understand why he would lower himself to that level. He obviously doesn't realize that words can cut like a knife. I really don't know where all this is coming from. I don't know what made him do it. Maybe he is going through a mid-life crisis (laughs)
I always thought that Gene and I had a good, honest relationship, where we could talk straight with one other. But sometimes it seems like he and Paul have to put down other people to make themselves look good-and that never works. Someone gave me a copy of the new kiss home video (Extreme close up), and in it, Paul puts down Emerson, Lake and Palmer. When I was in Kiss, I never understood why Gene and Paul would do things like that. To me, Kiss stood on its own. We were such a phenomenon that I didn't see what good it did to put down other bands. Also, in the same video, Paul says that I'm very talented, but never blossomed as a player. Hasn't he heard any of my records since I left the band ? Has he gone tone-deaf ?

GS : Which of Gene's statements do you believe are false ?

Frehley : First, I want to make it very clear that I quit Kiss - I wasn't fired, as Gene said. It took months of legal negotiations for me to be able to leave the band, and I can cet depositions from lawyers to prove it. Plus, when I left and they hired Vinnie Vincent, Gene called me from the road and asked me to come back. I even checked with my wife the other night to see if she remembers him calling me, and she did. I can believe that now, nine years later, I'm reading shit about me being fired !

GS : So why did you leave Kiss ?

Frehley : I was on the verge of destroying myself. I was abusing chemicals and alchohol, I had a few car accidents, and I was unhappy working with those guys on a musical level. Also, the success of my solo album was a big revelation to me. I was the only on to have a hit single from the four solo albums (Back in the New York groove), and that was pretty difficult for Paul and Gene to swallow.

GS : In the Guitar School (July 1992) interview, Gene said that your album was the best of the four because you had great music inside you that you weren't able to get out in Kiss.

Frehley : he admitted that mine was the best ? WOW ! There may be hope for Gene yet ! (laughs) I wanted to make my album more spontaneous than Kiss. Paul and Gene work in a very structured format, two hours and redo everything the next day - which we had to do severeal times while I was in Kiss. I wanted to work with different people and express myself in different ways.

GS : Were you nervous about leaving Kiss ?

Frehley : Sure. There was a part of me that was fearful, worrying if I'd be accepted without the makeup. And, for many years, I had a tough time dealing with it. But today, Ace can stand on his own, get up on stage and rock with the best of'em

GS : When you recorded your solo album, did you know that you'd soon leave the band ?

Frehley : When my solo album was finished and it received the critical acclaim that it did, I went back into the studio with Kiss to record the next album, Creatures of the Night. I had my creative juices flowing, but when I got into the studio with Paul and Gene, I could no longer be creative. It just wasn't the same anymore. And being screwed up didn't help either. I don't blame Paul and Gene for my drinking problem, but there were plenty of nights when the shit hit the fan and I got drunk because of it.

GS : How did the success of Kiss affect your alcohol and drug problems ?

Frehley : I can answer that by giving you an example of how I felt at the time. At the age of 27, I had a mansion in Connecticut with a 24-track studio in the basement, a fountain out front and four cars in the circular driveway: a Corvette, a Cadillac, a DeLorean and a Blazer. I thought to myself, here's a poor kid from a lower-middle-class family, who grew up in a three-room appartment in the Bronx and is now a huge star who lives in a mansion with over a million dollars in the bank. There was always a part of me that felt I didn't deserve all that success. I mean, doing what I did was never difficult for me. I love playing rock and roll, and would've done it for free. But I felt a little guilty about having money and achieving great status, not to mention having kids consstantly tell me that I was God. I was very flattered by all the attention, but man, I never even took a guitar lesson, and I still don't know how to read music. My success was just something that happened.

GS : were these guilty feelings the main reason you left the band ?

Frehley : That was only part of it. There were 10 different reasons why I felt I needed to leave. For one thing, those guys wanted to tour constantly, and I had a wife, a daughter and a home life. There was a conflict with my substance abuse, even though it never got in the way of my live performance. There were personality conflicts between us. It's like we were married for 10 years, and it was time for a change. But I still love and respect those guys, and there's still a soft spot in my heart for them. No matter what negative things they say about me, I know they still have a soft spot  for me as well.

GS : Do you miss the make up ?

Frehley : I loved putting on that spaceman makeup and the suit - I had a ball. But it got to a point where I felt like I HAD to do it, like, "Oh God, I have to put on this shit again ?" It became like a noose around my neck. We were talking about getting rid of the makeup while I was still in the band, and they ended up doing it soon after I left.

GS : Do you see your solo career as a means of proving yourself to those who doubted you after you left Kiss ?

Frehley : As a solo artist, I don't think I'll ever achieve the success that Kiss had in the late Seventies. But that's okay - that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. As far as my music, I think my last album, "Trouble Walkin" was my best effort to date, and that's a good sign that I am growing. My solo career has yet to get me where I want to be, but I think my next album will take me to a higher pinnacle.

GS : What's the status of the next album ?

Frehley : Right now I'm talking to three or four labels who are interested in signing us, and I hope to have the album out in the spring. I'll tell you something interesting about what will be on the album : A couple of days ago, I was going through some tapes in the car, and I found some demos from Trouble Walkin. One tape was labeled "Rock Your Mind", and I couldn't figure out what it was. So I put it in the deck, and heard Eric Carr singing on the track. I started crying, and I had to pull over to compose myself. While I was listening, all this emotion came over me. Eric and I wrote that song - which was kind of like a "Breakout Part Two" - in his appartment while I was putting together songs for Trouble Walkin. The two of us were really excited about the song, and I told him that I would love for him to play on it. He said yes, and a couple of weeks later I got a phone call telling me that Gene and Paul wouldn't let him play on my albums. So I'm thinking of using it on my next album, either in its original demo state or in a new version. And I'll contribute all the proceeds to the Eric Carr Cancer Fund.

GS : Even without new products to promote, you still tour constantly. Where do you get your motivation ?

Frehley : I can answer that by telling you the name of my current tour. It's called "Just for Fun". You know why ? Because I'm doing it just for fun. I've been having more fun on the road than I ever had in my life. Plus, I haven't had a drink in over a year, and playing sober is a whole new experience for me. I'm glad I've conquered alcohol, and people tell me that I'm playing better than ever before. I can't tell you how much fun I'm having.

GS : How do you divide your live show between your solo material and Kiss songs ?

Frehley : It's roughly 50-50. I still do Deuce and Cold Gin. On this tour I'm doing a five-song medley of Torpedo Girl, Speedin Back to My Baby, She, Wiped Out and Hard Times. The great thing is that the kids still know all the words, and that's very falttering.

GS : How will you approach the music on your next album ?

Frehley : Well, my music has never really changed. I mean, what you see is what you get. It'll basically be the same as my other albums, but hopefully better.

GS : Who will be playing with you on the next album ?

Frehley : Sandy Slavin, who used to play with Riot, on drums; James Lomenzo, formerly of White Lion, on bass; and Richie Scarlet on guitar. This is definitely the hottest line-up I've ever had.

GS : Isn't James playing with Zakk Wylde ?

Frehley : I know he was working with Zakk, but i didn't know they had a band. If he is, then I guess James will have to make a decision. If he decides to leave, I won't be happy about it, but more power to him. He seems like he's having fun with me, unless he's a great actor (laughs)

GS : How has being sober affected your creative process ?

Frehley : It was kind of difficult in the beginning. But now, once I get started, I can't stop, and I'm able to be much more creative. You know, I'm not embarrassed about my substance abuse. Just look at the top 10 guitar players in the world : Clapton, Page, Van Halen, Hendrix - every single one of them has either been in the Betty Ford Clinic or has overdosed. I'm just thankful that I'm clean and sober now.

GS : Who are some of your main influences ?

Frehley : Clapton, Hendrix, Page, Beck, Keith Richards

GS : How do you avoid being a carbon-copy of them ?

Frehley : I do what painters do. They go to art school, study different masters, and then come up with their own style. I steal a little from Page, a little from Hendrix ans some from Beck, but rehash it so it comes out sounding like Ace Frehley.

GS : Do you still try to challenge yourself as a player.

Frehley : Sure. I still try to come up with new and interesting licks. But you have to understand something : As a solo artrist, I have a lot more to worry about. I have to deal with vocals, background vocals, production, arrangements, touring, and everything else. In Kiss, Paul and Gene did most of the writing and lead vocals - all I had to worry about was wheteher or not my solo was good. But it's a lot more gratifying now when I come up with a product I'm proud of.

GS : What guitars are you using ?

Frehley : I am using the same guitars that always used : Les Pauls-the black, smoking guitar that I used in Kiss and the guitar that lights up that I used on the Dynasty tour. I also just picked up a 73 two-pickup cherry custom.

GS : Do you think you have yet to release the definitive Ace Frehley solo album ?

Frehley : I don't think I've done my best record yet. It might happen with the next album, or maybe it'll take two or three more to reach that pinnacle. But i won't stop doing this - I love it too much.

GS : Why has it taken you so long to put out another record after Trouble Walkin ?

Frehley : Like I said, I'm very undisciplined. I'm in no hurry to put out another album. I think product suffers when you try to pump out an album every year. Look at bands like Def Leppard - they wait five years to put out albums. But don't worry, when my album does come out next year, it'll be worth the wait.