Eddie Kramer on producing Ace Frehley of Kiss

[@donseagrave]

on the Ace album...just put on speeding back to my baby...the solo is amazing.

[@chriswright2250]

Ace's solo album fromm KISS still sounds fresh today.

[@magnusvanttinen7855]

Ace solo album is fantastic, it's pure rock n roll and Ace is a very important part of the KISS sound. We are all happy that all four, Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter are alive and of course they should unite and give us the REAL FINAL KISS show.

[@atlasking6110]

Ace's album still holds up and still kicks ass!

[@josephnickell6652]

Kramer was Kiss' best producer.

[@3hooks781]

Absolutely!

[@christervainio]

Yeah, Bob Ezrin was crap. Destroyer is a way overrated album. The Elder was a catastrophe.

[@joeanthony7759]

@@christervainio You know what they say about opinions….

[@christervainio]

@@joeanthony7759 Yeah, I don't care about yours, I got mine.

[@JoeyP322]

“Rock and Roll Over” was their best album. I just wish it was mixed like “Dressed to Kill” or “Dynasty”

[@willchew4040]

ACE FOREVER !!!!

[@adamwilliams3963]

I was in hs when the solo albums came out. It was at the height of disco’s popularity. When they played NY Groove in the clubs, the dance floor got crowded!

[@ralphtarr5931]

I loved that lineup! John Reagan had a great voice and presence especially for the time. He sounded excellent on "Breakout"!

[@kjnodwell]

That was Tod Howarth on vocals. John Regan played bass and sang back up only.

[@butters395]

they're talking about his kiss solo album from 1978

[@booshting3520]

😅

[@rediron44]

Ace's solo record still kicks ass today. Easily better of the 4.

[@mikeglazier5993]

😂 so what? Is it better than Destroyer or Hotter than Hell? Better than Love Gun or Rock and Roll over? If not for the success of those albums no one would have known Ace and there wouldn't have been a solo album. All his solo album proved was that he could write and didn't bother to contribute (aside from Cold Gin) so Paul and Gene are holding the good material for Kiss and Ace is shooting his wad. What a team player! 😂 It's hilarious how so many of you guys just pretend like those solo albums would've happened without all those successful Kiss albums. The dude pissed away his talent for decades and ended up a glorified lounge act that still relies on Gene and Paul's material to fill out his set. Are we really going to pretend Rock Soldiers or Trouble walkin' were masterpieces?

[@Stafford-d8u]

Yeah man! Ace’s attitude was great

[@mikeglazier5993]

Yeah, show up late, wasted and with a shit attitude. If it were up to Ace, Kiss would be a footnote

[@Anubis22774]

And yet Ace’s solo album is the only one I need to revisit regularly.

[@seagullpoet]

Ace was 27 years old during the solo record.

[@azzamzamzam1822]

"Eddie Kramer and Bob Ezrin were the best rock producers of the 70' s"

[@stanleybroniszewsky8538]

Bob Ezrin also produced Pink Floyd The Wall. I seriously wonder if Bob was the same way with Floyd as he was with KISS.

[@mr.brenman2132]

​@@stanleybroniszewsky8538There was a lot of turmoil in that experience as well. You should read up on it.

[@mikeglazier5993]

​​@@stanleybroniszewsky8538I doubt it, Floyd were better musicians. Ezrin had to walk Kiss through the woods. 2 of them came out better players and writers and the other 2 came out with bigger coke habits (everyone learned something from Bob)

[@kjnodwell]

Eddie Trunk who was instrumental in getting Ace a deal with Megaforce has said that at that time Ace was considered damaged goods in the eyes of the recording industry. His personal issues and substance abuse etc were very known at the time and he was considered somebody not to do business with, his commercial appeal had nothing to do with his difficulty in getting a record deal. According to Trunk , before Jon Zazula signed Ace to Megaforce he met with Ace and talked to him at great length as to whether or not he was indeed on the straight and narrow.

[@williamcurry1132]

John Regan is fantastic, a very nice guy

[@jcsolomon6470]

Back in the day,for me,78,as a Kid,Ace was The Face Of Coolness,nah!I Got the 8-Track,of Aces Solo,Record,Dressed to Kill,like Ace 4,Halloween!Good Times!Still!When You Spin dat Record,now!Take care!Eddie,Ace,and Fans!

[@shannon5373]

Wiped Out and I'm in Need of Love!!!

[@Richardhaitz]

Eddie had the best sonics. If Paul had that engineering his album would’ve been better.

[@vincentjoubert5514]

Paul Stanley was the one for me, followed closely by Ace!!

[@yvonnewalrond5014]

Listen to Ace's fractured mirror at high volume then tell me you think Paul or Gene's solo album was better.

[@mpjlpoole]

My favorite song...

[@12floz67]

That was the best tune on the album

[@kevinstrong8265]

@@12floz67 The albums great start to finish.

[@mikeglazier5993]

😂 without all those songs Gene and Paul wrote there would be no solo albums. Gene and Paul used the good material for Kiss, Ace held it all back. Imagine how much better Kiss would've been if Ace had been writing the whole time. We got Cold Gin, Rocket Ride and Shock me from the guy in all those years. Yeah, he had the best solo album, but his contributions to the band were far and few and without those first 5 years there would be no solo albums. It's called perspective

[@miker1721]

Gene and Paul are big time control freaks…….after a while, why would anyone in their right mind try to even bring up their own ideas to those two?! It’s called “walking on eggshells.” Gene and Paul always outvoted the other two’s ideas. Peter Criss described those two as having “Machiavellian Tactics.” Look it up for yourself…..

[@jimilove7773]

Thanks!

[@chrispraz5198]

Ace's album was the best because he was the most authentic out of kiss. He lived rock n roll daily.

[@rediron44]

Paul and Gene, once the popularity was there. They was concerned about what would sell. Ace always was about the music.

[@rticle15]

@@rediron44 lol. Funny how everyone talks about Ace like he was writing all these non-commercial masterpieces. The only hit on his solo album was a remake. How authentic is that? Ace is cool and brought something important to Kiss but by and large he wrote generic forgettable rock tunes. He was the third best songwriter in Kiss.

[@kevinstrong8265]

@@rticle15 His solo was great start to finish. His 80's stuff was strong too. You're not too slick.

[@mr.brenman2132]

​@@rticle15It's not only that his single was the biggest hit but also his album has sold more the then other 3 for 40 years. This despite the fact that Paul and Gene have been trying to whitewash Ace and Peter out of the bands history for almost as long. He made New York Groove his own. Eddie Kramer asked him to do it. It fit him like a glove. Really? Most rock musicians are more a fan of Ace's KISS songs. After the success of his album he was getting more songs then Gene on the albums.

[@stanknugget]

@@mr.brenman2132Don’t kid yourself. His New York Groove cover is almost identical to Hello.

[@dirtyharryville]

I've been hearing New York Groove at Wal-Mart

[@OceanbornAngel]

Me too!

[@annwilkiemeyer3433]

RIP 😥 🙏 🕊 ☮ John Regan 0:57

[@kevinstrong8265]

Remember Me is fkn awesome!

[@EricMSmith1971]

I think Paul’s “Tonight, you belong to me” was the best song from the solo albums!

[@paulwalrond]

Ace frehley is authentic, Gene and Paul are synthetic rock and roll. Instead of playing from the heart and soul they play what they think we wanna hear.

[@kevinstrong8265]

Gene and Paul, the tRump's of rock and roll!

[@nkmcfrln]

@@kevinstrong8265The two of you are ______ dorks. Hotter than Hell, Fire House, Deuce, Ladies in Waiting, 100,000 Years, Rock and Roll All Night would be the furthest thing from synthetic rock and roll.

[@DickGozinya-zl2bd]

@@kevinstrong8265 Found the Pedophile.

[@mikeglazier5993]

So... who's songs got them to 1978 for the solo albums to even be relevant? Are we pretending that Kiss were just skating by on Beth and Cold Gin? Ace was an unreliable and unpredictable jack ass for decades. I saw him solo in the 90s the dude was a complete train wreck.

[@dannyholloway2007]

I'm reading the 2003 Kiss bio right now. Paul an Gene really are just petty. Ace and Peter were such a key part in those first six studio albums. Just look at how much their sound changed once they weren't there. Not as much grit and pure rock n' roll sludgeyness. Kramer and Ezrin were the best producers for kiss of opposite extremes. One was more meat and potatoes while the other was threw everything but the kitchen sink in.

[@mikeglazier5993]

WTF are you talking about?! Creatures was way heavier and more rock than anything else they did before. I'd be "petty" too if I was in a band with 2 half wits that did everything they could to destroy my band. Say what you will, but clearly Paul and Gene were the real songwriters, they wouldn't have made it through the 80s otherwise and if that hadn't happened no one would've cared about a reunion. They'd be nothing more than the rock and roll clowns of the 70s

[@mysteriowc]

I will believe Eddie Kramer over Paul and Gene when he says that Ace was always focused in the studio and a pleasure to work with. I wonder how much of G and P saying Ace was horrible to have play in studio had to do with G and P themselves being horrible band mates.

[@TimothyWarner-q7s]

Cause Ace put his soul into things it not always about money with him he cares about his fans unlike Paul who's only goal is the money

[@shanewalsh4337]

That's why he talked about needing at least 250,000 per show to even consider appearing with them on the last tour.

[@mikeglazier5993]

Yes, where would Kiss have been without Rocket Ride? Without the first 5 years of cruising on Paul and Gene's songs there would be no solo albums. Ace spent decades showing up late, being to hammered to play and being belligerent to fans on stage during his solo career. Kiss is the ONLY reason he was relevant

[@arildthordal810]

Much of the reasons for the records success is of course Eddie

[@flash21502]

Disco beat??! New York Groove has the Bo Diddley beat, anyone knows that!

[@carllinnaeus20]

Rhythm is Bo Diddley. Beat is four on the floor, a disco beat that even Pink Floyd dabbled in during the late 70’s. Anyone knows that.

[@JoeyP322]

@@carllinnaeus20 Ezrin convinced Pink Floyd to make a “disco” song on “The Wall” so they could have a hit single off of the album… a lot of bands did it and were successful, including Ace and Kiss…

[@carllinnaeus20]

@@JoeyP322 Yep.

[@nkmcfrln]

@@JoeyP322Another Brick in The Wall (Part 2) and Run Like Hell.

[@pc7135]

It was no contest. Ace's album was like a KISS record. The other 3 had no balls. They were soft and middle of the road by the standards of KISS Alive, Love Gun and others. Kiss was about guitar playing and Ace was the lead guitarist whose solos were legendary.

[@nolagospeltracts8264]

I think out of all the solo albums you can put together one decent Kiss album and that's what they should have done.

[@WhyTheHorseface]

Nah. I loved each of them completely except Gene’s record, which seemed like he didn’t really go in with a lot of material prepared. If we only got two or three songs from each album, what songs would you have abandoned?

[@eltoro969]

Is this interview recorded on a potato on the moon???

[@mickblack2800]

Ace was the only one to actually make a ROCK N ROLL album, the other 3 just embarrassed themselves with self indulgent fluff. ♠👊♠

[@bobpugliese4428]

The other 3 figured it out and ace spent the next 40 years taking about it embarrassing himself.

[@ajjy1110]

kramers memory is fkd.. he still think anton fig played on side 4 of alive 2...😂

[@billwang5462]

Can we hear the complete interview? So awesome

[@arekristoffersenfromaasgaard]

Ace is cool 👽✌️🚬

[@JoeyP322]

I think Paul’s album was the best solo album. It could’ve passed for a Kiss album with the exception of a couple lame songs. 1978 was when Kiss jumped the shark. The solo albums came out after that horrendous Kiss TV movie, and little kids were showing up to the shows… there were no families with children when I saw Black Sabbath or AC/DC to name a few…. the only reason Ace’s album did so well was because of the disco hit “New York Groove”… most of the hardcore fans I knew gave up that year and moved on to other rock groups that didn’t have an elementary school age following.

[@yvonnewalrond5014]

Are you high?????? Yes Paul's album was good but Ace's is much better. Why???? Because it was straight RAW in your face rock and roll. Not that corporate shit Gene and Paul does. This comes from the heart and soul. RAW!! No FN retake after retake. That my friend is why Ace Frehley's album was number one. Don't ever forget that Fact!!!!!!!

[@ianheath4332]

Noooooooo

[@bcushing]

There's a difference between being funky and being disco. NYG was the former.

[@rediron44]

Whatever you're smoking, put it down Aces album kicked ASS. Paul's sucked, Genes was fair at best, as was Peters. New York Groove isn't a disco song. But "Rip it Out" "Wiped Out" "Snow Blind" and a few others, like "Whats on your Mind" they absolutely rock..

[@yvonnewalrond5014]

@@rediron44 thank you brother brad let these mofos know!!!!

[@mikeglazier5993]

Here we go with the "Gene and Paul suck" crap. Its hilarious because it was Gene and Paul writing the songs that got them to 1978. After 5 years of writing and producing the music that made Kiss famous, Ace comes in with a handful of good songs and thats "proof" that he was the talent? 😂 As if they rode the "genuis" of Cold Gin for 5 years just waiting for Ace to show his brilliance. If the onus of success had been on Ace, they would've never made it to 1978 to make the solo albums. What a bunch of half wits who can't get off their knees for Ace and Peter and don't realize if not for Gene and Paul no one would give a crap about either of them. At some point we should probably acknowledge how sloppy and loose both Ace and Peter played. If they were so essential why TF did Kiss keep selling recirds long after they were gone?

[@dustdevil240]

Aces solo effort is one of the best solo albums ever easy. And NYGroove sounds more regae then disco u clown interviewer

[@carllinnaeus20]

Haha, KZbin - the best forum for insults. Reggae, you say? There’s no offbeat rhythm section here.

[@kevinmcc3147]

Not reggae

[@mikeglazier5993]

And without the first 5 years of Kiss who would've even known who Ace was in 1978? Do you really think he would've pulled off that album without the Kiss machine behind him. Why am I wasting my time talking to a guy who thinks a four on the floor disco beat was reggae?

[@christervainio]

The best producer for KISS. Bob Ezrin was a disaster.👎

[@rediron44]

Bob did do the Revenge record. Which is excellent

[@christervainio]

@@rediron44 Too bad, he had to fuck up both Destroyer and The Elder before that.

[@tomjulian7226]

Uhhhh. Destroyer is still their best selling album. Disaster?

[@christervainio]

@@tomjulian7226 Overrated crap. Great Expectations, Flaming Youth, Sweet Pain ??? Yeah, painful it is.

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

@@christervainio- Detroit Rock City? Beth???

[@georgeswca]

Useless interview. "I don't remember." "It was so long ago..."

[@carllinnaeus20]

Thank you for checking in. I listened back to the clip to see of it's useless. There's one answer near the end where Eddie is saying "I don't remember, it was so long ago", and then I help him down memories lane. If this is what you take with you from this clip, I feel sorry for you.

[@FrontSeatDriver]

@@carllinnaeus20 boom!! Well said.

[@FrontSeatDriver]

@@carllinnaeus20 You did a great job of helping him bring back those memories to reveal the story. Well done.

[@johnmarshall3903]

I thought it was a great interview, thanks for sharing this.

[@mrski749]

Probably the least talented musician he's ever worked with

[@stf259]

well Eddie thinks highly of him, and that says a lot. He is a millionaire in the Rock Hall of Fame, that says a lot more than criticism from someone nobody has ever heard of

[@marck8899]

Eddie Kramer felt in his own words about Ace, that he was a “Riffmeister.” I think that pretty much disproves your assertion.