Derek Scancarelli

Ace Frehley loves staring at the stars. He even spent a pretty penny to get a better look at them. When he explains the inner workings of his $6,000 Meade telescope, it’s like a child talking about his favorite toy.

“It has a computer built into it,” Frehley, age 67, says. “If you align it to the North Star, it’ll go to all the planets in the solar system. If you wanna go see Saturn, you punch in a three-digit code. It’s a high-end telescope. Serious astronomers buy it. I love all that sh*t.”

It’s appropriate that the KISS co-founder and guitarist coined himself “The Spaceman,” back in the 1970s. Decades later, the nickname still sticks. Fresh off the release of his eighth solo album, aptly titled Spaceman, the musician carried himself with a sense of wonderment uncommon in could-be jaded rockstars.

Frehley had been running around New York like a madman. With two hours to rest, he stopped back at The London NYC hotel. He threw himself on his suite bed — cheetah print shirt, leather pants and boots on — taking phone calls from friends and family as he shared his adventures promoting the new record. With a glass bottle of Coke, he took a breather on the couch before his next engagement. Hundreds were already lined up outside of Sam Ash Music Store on W. 34th Street eagerly awaiting autographs. Earlier in the week, he signed the birth certificate of a fan’s child. The boy’s middle name was Ace.

“You’d be surprised what I’ve signed,” Frehley says. “Asses, tits, you name it. I’ve never signed a penis though. That’s where I draw the line. I’ve had guys ask for hugs and then kiss me on the cheek. That’s a little weird, but, what are you gonna do?”

Frehley remains unfazed at the rigmarole of releasing a new album. That week, he made traditional media appearances, like performing for Fox 5’s morning program Good Day New York, but also got a kick out of sitting down for an interview with a 10-year-old YouTuber. He was tired, but ecstatic with the reaction to Spaceman.

“The artists that say they don’t give a sh*t about reviews are bullsh*tting,” he says. “They do care. They only say that when they get bad reviews. When they get good reviews, believe me, they talk about it.”

Frehley says critics have likened the sound of his new album to his 1978 self-titled solo record which featured the hit “New York Groove.” Forty years later, he’s fond of the comparison.

“That’s a real big compliment because that album has withstood the test of time,” Frehley says. “It’s still my biggest-selling solo record. If Spaceman can do half what that record did, then this is going to be a huge!”

The parallels to Frehley’s older work actually go back to 1976, when KISS released its fourth studio album, Destroyer. Fans have acknowledged a correlation between Spaceman single “Rocking With The Boys” and KISS classic “Beth.”

“Ironically, I never really thought about it when I was writing it,” Frehley says. “I wrote that chorus in the ‘70s, but I was never happy with the verses or the bridge, so I revisited it. It’s about touring with KISS and leaving our loved ones behind.”

While the dark side of rockstardom taught the guitarist a particular loneliness, he’s happy to say that doesn’t represent his life anymore. On the road, his fiancée helps him keep his act together. But a healthy romantic relationship is no substitute for a clear state of mind. Twelve years sober, Frehley is gradually regaining his wits.

“Without the use of substances and alcohol, I’m much more focused,” he says. “My creativity for this past record was at an all-time high. Every year I’m away from drugs and alcohol, some of the memory cells are coming back. My producing is better and the songs I’m writing are better.”

He continues: “Prior to the release of Anomaly in 2009, 20 years went by before I released a record. I find it mind-boggling that I let that happen. But when you’re under the influence, you lose track of time and you make mistakes. Right now I’m making up for lost time. And I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”

Frehley’s day-to-day life is calm now. This wasn’t guaranteed, considering his years of substance abuse and raucous childhood hot-wiring cars with the Ducky Boys gang.

“It seems like a different lifetime,” Frehley says. “I wanted protection. I got tired of getting beat up. Once you joined, it’s like you were untouchable. If somebody f*cked with you, retribution would follow.”

But the youngster was often pulled away from violence, frankly, because of scheduling conflicts.

“By the time I was 15, I’d be getting calls from the Ducky Boys saying, ‘We’re going to a rumble tonight in a school yard, bring a switchblade and a chain.’” Frehley says. “And I’d say, ‘I can’t, I got two gigs this weekend!’ In essence, music saved my life, because half of those guys ended up dead, overdosing on drugs or going to jail. One of my best friends stabbed a guy in a bar and did some serious time. God has a plan for everybody. I was lucky enough to get out of that element. Music took me away.”

Frehley recorded Spaceman at his home studio in Rancho Santa Fe, California, about a half-hour north of San Diego. His house rests on four acres and features a guesthouse, pool, a pond and palm trees. For an ex-member of one of the world’s biggest rock bands, it’s charming how excited he gets about the domestic side of life. He describes it as his own oasis — and raves about the money he saves through solar panels and well water.

But don’t be misled. Frehley doesn’t spend his time adjusting thermostats. On his property, he built the studio where Spaceman and much of his recent work was recorded. If he has an idea for a song, at any hour, he heads to the studio, lays down a few tracks, then reviews them in the morning. If it’s as good as he thought it was the night before, he’ll continue to develop it.

For the first time during the recording of Spaceman, Frehley’s old KISS cohort Gene Simmons joined him in his private studio. After working with Simmons on some of his elaborate Vault fan experiences, Frehley pulled the favor card.

“Getting Gene on the record was a brilliant idea,” Frehley says. “He kinda felt guilty saying ‘no.’ He showed up on my doorstep and within three or four hours we had two songs done.”

During the session that produced “Without You I’m Nothing” and “Your Wish Is My Command,” Frehley felt happy to flex some of his technical skills.

“Once we figured out the songs with acoustic guitars, I said, ‘Let’s lay down a demo, you play bass, I’ll play electric guitar.’” Frehley says. “I’m running the Pro Tools, setting up the mic, doing this and that. One of the first things Gene said to me once I started engineering was, ‘How’d you learn to do all this stuff Ace?’”

He continues: “I said, “Unlike you, sometimes I used to stay after the recording session and ask, ‘What do these buttons do?’”

While Frehley did use an engineer for his new album, he takes pride in his ability to record. He remembers back in the ‘70s, learning from engineers like Eddie Kramer, who worked on his debut solo album.

“’New York Groove,’ Eddie Kramer is responsible for that song,” he says. “I didn’t even want to record it. But, he was persistent and wore me down. We actually finished the last of the dubs down in Manhattan at a studio that I don’t think exists anymore, it was up above Radio City Music Hall. The Rockettes would walk by the studio on their way to the roof to sun themselves.”

As a member of KISS, Frehley spent little time behind the microphone. The Bronx-native is far from a traditionally trained guitarist and save for a few vocal lessons, he’s been on his own when it comes to singing, too. But, as a solo artist, Frehley has assumed the role of lead vocalist.

“You can take the boy out of the Bronx, but you can’t take the Bronx out of the boy,” Frehley says. “I still have a Bronx accent. Maybe not so much when I sing, but my voice is very recognizable. I’ve never considered myself a lead singer. I’ve always sang out of necessity. I’d be much happier just playing lead guitar and singing one or two songs. Singing and playing guitar at the same time takes a lot out of me, but my voice has gotten stronger over the years.”

On tour in 2018, Frehley likes to arrive 10 minutes prior to showtime. He checks his hair, throws on a guitar and walks on stage. He has no patience for warm ups or getting dolled up.

“It’s the complete opposite of what happened when I was in KISS,” Frehley says. “We used to get to the show at least two hours before we performed and went through that whole ritual of putting on the makeup. We’ve had so many great acts open for us over the years and I never got a chance to see them. At one point, I told them to put a monitor in our dressing room so we can at least watch them while we’re putting on the makeup.”

He’s not exaggerating either. Bands like Cheap Trick, Rush and Bob Seger often opened the show for KISS, giving the artists a chance to perform to arenas. But in reality, it’s been many years since Frehley has been tied down to the makeup chair. After the release of the 1981 record Music From “The Elder,” Frehley departed the band.

Fifteen years later in 1996, he rejoined the original lineup for a reunion tour and contributed to the 1998 album Psycho Circus. After a 2000 “Farewell” tour, Frehley once again exited the band. Since his departure, guitarist Tommy Thayer has assumed the role of The Spaceman.

At the time of this interview in mid-October, Frehley addressed rumors that he might rejoin KISS for the band’s yet-to-announced farewell tour.

“I would do it for the fans if the price was right, but I wouldn’t do it halfway,” Frehley says. “I’m the real Spaceman. If there’s gonna be a real KISS reunion, I’m gonna regain my throne and Tommy’s gonna have to do something else.”

By the end of the month, KISS announced the 2019 End of the Road tour,and despite recently performing some tracks with members of KISS on a concert cruise, there is no plan for Frehley to join the band next year.

In addition to the lineup changes of KISS, Frehley’s band has experienced some upheaval as of late. In October, he fired all of the members of his touring band to replace them with Gene Simmons’ solo backing band, citing issues with communication, ego and work ethic. It was met to some dismay by fans, although Frehley doesn’t pay it much mind.

“Everybody’s got an opinion, like everybody’s got an a**hole,” Frehley says. “I don’t pay attention to the internet. Luckily the positive comments far outweigh the negative stuff. I’m in a good place. There’s always gonna be some idiot that’s gonna say something stupid. I don’t let that stuff bother me.”

In 2019, Frehley will begin work on his next album, Origins, Vol 2. December 7-9, you can meet him and see him perform at the New Jersey KISS Expo. In late January, he’ll be playing a handful of shows on the West Coast.