PAUL STANLEY On His Guest Appearance On ACE FREHLEY Album: 'It Was A Lot Of Fun'

Paul Stanley has joined forces with Ace Frehley for a new track on Frehley‘s upcoming solo covers set. The new album, “Origins Vol. 1”, will be released on April 26, and marks the first time the KISS co-founders have appeared on an original album together since the band’s 1998 set, “Psycho Circus”. Stanley takes the lead on Frehley‘s cover of FREE‘s classic 1970 track “Fire And Water”. Other high-profile artists guesting with Ace on the new album are Slash, Lita Ford, Mike McCready, and John 5. In addition to the FREE track, Ace and his guests tackle key classic rock touchstones by CREAM, STEPPENWOLF, LED ZEPPELIN, THIN LIZZY, THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, THE ROLLING STONES, THE KINKS — and even KISS.

During an appearance on KBAD 94.5‘s “Morning Crash” radio show, Stanley stated about his new collaboration with Frehley (see video below): “Ace was doing an album of covers, songs that influenced him and that he loved, and called me. And it’s always very funny, because with caller ID, I look, and the phone’s ringing, and I see Ace‘s name come up. So, of course…

“Look, for all the bickering and stuff that we may say about each other, we go back to a very magical time. We started this together. So in spite of whatever we may say from time to time or things that get blown up, we are a family, and a dysfunctional one, but nonetheless a family.

“So Ace said, ‘Would you do something on the album?’ I said, ‘Sure. Of course.'”

He continued: “If [Ace] succeeds, it only makes me happy. I don’t wanna see anybody fail, especially somebody who I’m close to. Even if I don’t speak to him weekly, even monthly, we are connected in a way that will go to the end.

“There’s a great song by FREE called ‘Fire And Water’, which was on the album with ‘All Right Now’. Paul Rodgers, besides being a friend of mine, is one of the consummate vocalists. So to get a chance to sing something that’s a little different than what I do in KISS was something I didn’t take lightly, because Paul Rodgers is a hell of a vocalist. So it was great, and it was a lot of fun, and it was terrific. And I only wish Ace well with it.”

Ace spoke to Rolling Stone about his teamup with Stanley. Frehley said: “I thought Paul did a fabulous vocal on it. He jumped at the chance to do this because it’s something that’s outside of KISS and his character in KISS, and it gave him a chance to, y’know, sing. With Paul, you usually think of him singing in a slightly higher register and on ‘Fire And Water’, he’s singing deep from his diaphragm, and it’s a real cool vocal. Everyone’s who heard it was just thinks it’s the shit.”

“Origins Vol. 1” track listing:

01. White Room (CREAM)
02. Street Fighting Man (ROLLING STONES)
03. Spanish Castle Magic (JIMI HENDRIX) (feat. John 5)
04. Fire And Water (FREE) (feat. Paul Stanley)
05. Emerald (THIN LIZZY) (feat. Slash)
06. Bring It On Home (LED ZEPPELIN)
07. Wild Thing (THE TROGGS) (feat. Lita Ford)
08. Parasite (KISS) (feat. John 5)
09. Magic Carpet Ride (STEPPENWOLF)
10. Cold Gin (KISS) (feat. Mike McCready)
11. Till The End Of The Day (THE KINKS)
12. Rock And Roll Hell (KISS)