No KISS Reunion At The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction

Ace Frehley announced Friday night on Eddie Trunk that there will NOT be a KISS reunion at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The Hall of Fame wanted to have the original line up perform but Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons refused that request and will only perform with the current line up of the band.
The KISS line up performing at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony on April 10th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York will be the current line up of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer.

GENE SIMMONS Is Open To Playing With PETER CRISS And ACE FREHLEY At ROCK HALL Induction

RollingStone.com spoke to KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons about the band’s upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Asked what lineup of the band is going to play at the induction ceremony, Simmons replied: “Well, KISS is Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. It’s like, if you introduced me to your wife and I go, ‘Wait, where are all the other wives?’ It’s like, ‘Yeah, I was married to them and now I’m here.’ You can argue that point and we’ll figure everything out as time goes on. This one is for the fans. If the fans didn’t care, we wouldn’t be here. If it meant nothing to them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Regarding whether he is open to the idea of playing with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley that night, Simmons said: “Sure, why not?… They were equally important in the formation of the band. When you have kids with your first wife, you give kudos. The fact you got remarried doesn’t delete or minimize the important. Hey, ‘You have gave birth to this thing, KISS, with Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene.'”

When The Pulse Of Radio last caught up with Paul Stanley, they posed the question as to what members of KISS should be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should the band finally be voted in. “Well, that’s a really good question,” he replied. “We would — y’know, it obviously would be something to think about if and when it happened. There’ve been a lot of people who have been a part of this — some longer than others, some adding less than others, and some who deserve recognition more than others. So, it would be something to think about.”

He told Billboard.com earlier today: “Peter and Ace are undeniably at the beginning of the band, and we built a foundation which has stood the test of time and has allowed us to build a monument for 40 years, so today I wholeheartedly embrace and acknowledge Peter and Ace and, likewise, a lot of people who have been in the band and also standing by the band — and that includes the fans. But the idea of misleading or giving anybody a sense that we would ever go back to that [original lineup] situation is totally off the table. We’ve done that and, with all respect, it crashed for very similar reasons both times and things have moved on. I say without any animosity and with all respect that we wouldn’t be here without what Peter and Ace contributed, and we wouldn’t be here with them today.”

ACE FREHLEY Signs With eOne Music

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has inked a new two-album deal with eOne Music.

Frehley has spent the past few days in the studio with drummer Matt Starr (BURNING RAIN) and bassist Chris Wyse (THE CULT, OWL) working on Ace‘s new CD. An early 2014 release is expected.

Frehley‘s last album, “Anomaly”, was made available as a 2-LP vinyl set featuring two new limited-edition colors on October 1 via Brookvale Records. Only 750 units of each color were manufactured.

Frehley told Billboard.com in a 2009 interview that he intended “Anomaly” to “kind of pick up where I left off with my first solo album” — 1978’s “Ace Frehley”.

“Prior to going into the studio, I listened to that first album, which everybody cites as their favorite Ace record,” Frehley said. “I dissected it and tried to get into the same mind set this time around. I think I recaptured some of the musical textures and attitude and vibe that I had on that first record.”

“Anomaly” was recorded at Schoolhouse Studios in New York and at Ace‘s home studio in Westchester, New York.

ACE FREHLEY Slams GENE SIMMONS Over ‘Cancer’ Comments: ‘All He Can Do Is Badmouth Other People’

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was interviewed on this past Friday night’s (November 1) edition of Eddie Trunk‘s “Eddie Trunk Rocks” radio show on New York’s Q104.3 FM. A few excerpts from the chat follow below (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On possibly being inducted — along with his fellow original KISS members — into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next spring:

Frehley: “I’m happy that I’m gonna be inducted — most likely — next year, in April, in New York City, and it should be a great event. There’s no way [KISS bassist/vocalist] Gene [Simmons] can put a lid on it. I mean, what’s he gonna do?”

On Gene Simmons‘ recent comments in an interview in which he compared being in a band with Frehley and original KISS drummer Peter Criss to having “cancer in your system” which must be cut out “as fast as you can”:

Frehley: “I don’t know what’s up with Gene. He used to say to me in the ’70s, every time I did something stupid, he’d go, ‘Ace, you’re shooting yourself in the foot again.’ Well, he’s been shooting himself in the foot for years.

“Gene‘s living in the past. He’s become a caricature of himself. I mean, from the very beginning, his only motivation was money. The guy has no friends; he’s not respected by his peers; he’s pissed off thousands of fans; he’s never had a hit single, like I’ve had. I had the most successful Gibson signature-series guitar in history. He didn’t. It goes on and on. He took the safe route: he never got loaded, he never partied. I took the same route Elvis Presley took and [Jimi] Hendrix and Keith Richards and Jim Morrison… it’s endless. I have all this life experience and thank God I can live to talk about it. What’s he gonna talk about? All he can do is badmouth other people.”

On his refusal to appear in what’s being billed as the definitive KISS documentary, “You Wanted The Best You Got The Best”, an officially sanctioned film which is being directed by Alan G. Parker:

Frehley: “I don’t know. I found it very weird that, instead of getting a call from Gene or [KISS manager] Doc McGhee or [KISS guitarist/vocalist] Paul [Stanley], because they’re behind this documentary, instead of getting a call from them, I get a call from my bodyguard, and he got a call from KISS‘ bodyguard about me doing an interview for this documentary. They tried to go through the back door — probably because they don’t wanna pay me any money, as usual, and it left a bad taste in my mouth, and I just passed on it. You want me to do a documentary? Let me know how much money you’re making, give me my fair share, and I’ll sit down and talk. You don’t wanna do it that way? Forget about it… If KISS is behind the documentary, Paul and Gene are making the lion’s share of the funds.”

On reports that he is fighting a foreclosure action on on his home in Yorktown in Northern Westchester County, New York, 35 miles from New York City, the $735,000 mortgage on which the guitarist reportedly stopped paying on March 1, 2011:

Frehley: “I left the house over two and a half years ago. My attorney is taking care of it. It’s not in foreclosure. Things got blown out of propotion. Somebody didn’t take care of what they were supposed to do. And my attorney is taking care of it. But, basically, I’m out in California now, and I have people living on that property, taking care of it, and they’ve been showing it to people who are interested in possibly purchasing it. And the whole thing was kind of a misunderstanding.”

On how he likes living in California:

Frehley: “I’ve lived in New York my whole life. A lot of people used to come out to California and say, ‘Hey, what are you doing? You are a traitor.’ But since I’ve been out here, I don’t see myself coming back. I like the climate. I couldn’t do the winters anymore. Once you hit 60, it’s, like, get me outta here.”

GENE SIMMONS COMMENTS ON POSSIBLE KISS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

Now that Kiss are on the ballot for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, fans have started daydreaming about what it might be like to see the band enshrined alongside some of their fellow rock legends. But if your dream includes seeing the original lineup play at the induction ceremony, Gene Simmons has some bad news for you.

Asked during a recent interview if he’d be interested in welcoming original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss back into the fold for the night, Simmons reportedly responded in typically blunt fashion. “No! How many chances in life do you get? Both of those guys had three chances to be in the band. Three times they [expletive] it up,” he scoffed.

While conceding that Frehley and Criss “were every bit as important as we were at the formation of the band,” he insisted that he and his longtime foil Paul Stanley are better off without them in the lineup — and what’s more, he thinks his former bandmates are better off too. “When you have a cancer in your system, it’s best to cut it out as fast as you can,” he explained. “It used to be part of your body, it turned into cancer. You gotta cut it out. I believe that both Ace and Peter are happier now. They belong home and doing autograph shows in clubs. They’re happier.”

As any Guns N’ Roses or Creedence Clearwater Revival fan will tell you, Kiss aren’t the first band to let bad blood between members overshadow their Hall of Fame triumph. But that doesn’t make these conflicts seem any less petty or unfortunate when they’re held up against the kind of amazing success that affords an artist this type of honor. Here’s hoping cooler heads prevail.

* Update: On Oct. 24, Simmons stated via Twitter that he was “clearly misquoted,” and that the only thing he said was that the original lineup “will not tour together.” Here is his post in full:

ACE FREHLEY And PETER CRISS Pass On Official KISS Documentary

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss have opted out of appearing in what’s being billed as the definitive KISS documentary, “You Wanted The Best You Got The Best”. Classic Rock magazine spoke to director Alan G. Parker, who’s behind the officially sanctioned film, and he shed light on why the two co-founders are staying away from anything having to do with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, explaining, “Gene and Paul were shocked at first, but now they don’t seem to be. There’s been so much bitchiness down the years, and so much said about and done to Ace and Peter that they interpreted the request to be in the movie as a favor to Gene and Paul. Because of that, they won’t go anywhere near it. The negotiations were interesting, to say the least.”

In the end, Parker will use footage shot of Frehley and Criss by band archivist — and current lead guitarist — Tommy Thayer back in 2001. In addition to Thayer and current drummer Eric Singer, Parker has filmed interviews with former guitarist Bruce Kulick and his brother Bob Kulick — who performed on many of the band’s studio tracks. Parker also held, “positive meetings” with the family of Eric Carr, the band’s late drummer, who replaced Peter Criss in 1980 and died of heart cancer in 1991.

With a few more interviews still to undertake, Parker “hopes to show the finished film to the band in February or March, followed by a spot at the Cannes Film Festival in May and a worldwide opening in the autumn of 2014.”

Former KISS filmmaker Tommy Thayer now “portrays” Frehley‘s character in KISS‘ live show. Unlike Frehley‘s original replacement Vinnie Vincent — who was given his own unique persona — fans have had mixed reactions to Thayer possibly “duping” some people into thinking Frehley is still playing with the band. Thayer looks at it from a theatrical, rather than a historical perspective. “You’ve had different guitarists in and out of the band, and different members. At this point, if you start introducing new characters and new makeup designs and things, I think that it really dilutes the whole core and, y’know, the original foundation of what KISS is,” he said. “And those four original characters are certainly the whole basis of it. To change that and come up with a new design or character, it just convolutes things.”

Ace Frehley left KISS after the band’s 2002 “Farewell” dates, saying afterwards that he took the word “farewell” seriously.

Peter Criss claimed that his contract with KISS wasn’t renewed in March 2004.

Gene Simmons Calls Ace Frehley, Peter Criss ‘Drunks,’ ‘Losers’

Gene Simmons is not one to bite his tongue and that was apparent during a recent interview with Rolling Stone. During the interview Simmons called original KISS members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley “drunks” and “losers.”

Simmons was promoting his new book, “Nothin’ to Lose: The Making of KISS” when he tore into Criss and Frehley. When asked if he feels like he is the bad guy following the dismissals of Criss and Frehley from the band, Simmons said to Rolling Stone:

“I am the bad guy. I won’t stand for drunks and alcoholics, who get up on stage and consider it their birthright. I consider it a privilege to get up there and arrive on time and be sober, and I’ll be an a—— to anybody who thinks otherwise. You know who else is an a——? Your teacher was an a——. Your parents are a——-. Your drill sergeant was an a——. Because they wouldn’t let you get away with s—. Ace and Peter have had a lifetime of being losers. And not just with drugs and alcohol. They’re losers because of wrong decisions. You sleep in the bed you make. How many chances in life do you get? They were in and out of the band three different times. Why should they get another chance?”