Frehley's Comet

Last updated
Frehley's Comet
Also known as Ace Frehley
Origin New York City, New York, United States
Genres
Years active1984–1988 (Reunions: 2017, 2018)
Labels
Past members Ace Frehley
John Regan
Anton Fig
Richie Scarlet
Arthur Stead
Tod Howarth
Billy Ward
Jamie Oldaker

Frehley's Comet was an American rock band formed and led by ex-Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley. [4] The group released two studio albums and one live EP before Frehley left the band to release his 1989 solo album, Trouble Walkin' .

Contents

The band name was a pun of a pun; Bill Haley & His Comets was a 1950s Rock-n-Roll band that derived its name as a pun of the typical mispronunciation of Halley's Comet (properly pronounced as "Hal-lee", rhymes with "valley", but commonly mispronounced as "Hay-lee"), a comet which orbits the Sun near Earth about every 75 years. It also helped people pronounce Frehley's name properly to connect it to the common mispronunciation of Halley as "Hay-lee", as in "Fray-lee" vs. the common mispronunciation as "Free-lee".

History


Before forming a band for his post-KISS career, Frehley had previously done a solo album in 1978 which was the most successful of the Kiss solo albums, and laid the groundwork for his solo career. Frehley left Kiss in 1982, but retained a one-quarter share in Kiss and could not release any solo projects until 1985 without losing that share. During this time Ace put together a band for his solo work, the original line-up consisted of Richie Scarlet on guitar, John Regan on bass, and Anton Fig on drums. [4] This band, together with keyboardists Arthur Stead and later Frehley's friend from the Bronx, Rob Sabino, played live and demoed 20 songs in various sessions with producers Eddie Kramer, Tony Bongiovi, Chris Kimsey and Vini Poncia. [5]

However, before they made their initial record, Scarlet (and Sabino) was replaced by Tod Howarth who played guitar and keyboards. [4] Frehley's Comet was supposed to simply be the title of Frehley's next solo album, but Frehley decided to use that as the name of the band rather than release the record as a solo artist. [4] Fig did not tour for the album and was replaced by Billy Ward as touring drummer. [6] For the second album, Second Sighting , Fig was replaced on drums by veteran Eric Clapton Band member Jamie Oldaker who also did the tour. [4] Two studio albums and one live album were released under the "Frehley's Comet" moniker (The live album, Live+1 featured four songs performed live in concert and one original studio song). Howarth and Oldaker left shortly after the last show under the Frehley's Comet name, opening for Iron Maiden in August 1988.

In 1989, for Trouble Walkin', his third studio release, Frehley dropped the Frehley's Comet name and put out a pure "Ace Frehley" solo album. [4] Tod Howarth was replaced by a returning Richie Scarlet, and Jamie Oldaker by ex-Riot drummer Sandy Slavin (although Anton Fig and ex-Kiss Drummer Peter Criss did perform some of the percussion work on the album). [4] The album featured numerous guest vocalists including Criss and Sebastian Bach. [4] The tour ended and the band dissolved after John Regan resigned with immediate effect after a show in Las Vegas on April 11, 1990. [7] Frehley did not perform live in any form for two years after that, until July 1992. [8]

Frehley put his solo career on hold to rejoin Kiss in 1996. He has since resumed his solo career with Richie Scarlet back in his touring band. After touring Australia together with Gene Simmons and his solo band in 2018, Frehley fired his entire solo band including Scarlet with whom he had played on and off since 1984 and replaced them with Simmons's backing band. [9]

The band played various one-off reunion shows in 2017 and 2018 with Frehley, Tod Howarth, John Regan, and Anton Fig together. [10]

Personnel

Members

Timeline

Frehley's Comet

Line-ups

19841984–19851985-19861986
  • Ace Frehley – lead guitar, lead vocals
  • Anton Fig – drums, percussion
  • John Regan – bass guitar, drums, backing vocals
  • Richie Scarlet – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Ace Frehley – lead guitar, lead vocals
  • Anton Fig – drums, percussion
  • John Regan – bass guitar, drums, backing vocals
  • Richie Scarlet – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Arthur Stead – keyboards
  • Ace Frehley – lead guitar, lead vocals
  • Anton Fig – drums, percussion
  • John Regan – bass guitar, drums, backing vocals
  • Richie Scarlet – rhythm guitar, vocals
  • Rob Sabino – keyboards
  • Ace Frehley – guitars, lead vocals
  • Anton Fig – drums, percussion
  • John Regan – bass guitar, drums, backing vocals
1986–1987, 2017, 20181987–19881988
  • Ace Frehley – lead guitar, lead vocals
  • Anton Fig – drums, percussion
  • John Regan – bass guitar, drums, backing vocals
  • Tod Howarth – rhythm guitar, lead vocals, keyboards
  • Ace Frehley – lead guitar, lead vocals
  • John Regan – bass guitar, drums, backing vocals
  • Tod Howarth – rhythm guitar, lead vocals, keyboards
  • Billy Ward – drums, percussion
  • Ace Frehley – lead guitar, lead vocals
  • John Regan – bass guitar, drums, backing vocals
  • Tod Howarth – rhythm guitar, lead vocals, keyboards
  • Jamie Oldaker – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Discography

Studio albums

Date of ReleaseTitle Billboard
July 7, 1987 Frehley's Comet 43
May 24, 1988 Second Sighting 81

[12]

[13]

Live albums/EPs

Date of ReleaseTitle Billboard
February 1988 Live+1 84

[13]

Demos

Filmography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Frehley</span> American guitarist, founding member of Kiss (born 1951)

Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician, best known as the original lead guitarist, occasional lead vocalist and co-founding member of the hard rock band Kiss. He invented the persona of The Spaceman and played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982. After leaving Kiss, Frehley formed his own band named Frehley's Comet and released two albums with this group. He subsequently embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour.

<i>Trouble Walkin</i> 1989 studio album by Ace Frehley

Trouble Walkin' is the second full-length solo album released by Ace Frehley. The album features guest performances by former Kiss drummer Peter Criss, as well as Skid Row members Sebastian Bach, Rachel Bolan and Dave Sabo.

<i>Unmasked</i> (Kiss album) 1980 studio album by Kiss

Unmasked is the eighth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on May 20, 1980, by Casablanca Records. It was their first not to feature original drummer and founding member Peter Criss. Despite having no involvement in its production, Criss features in the album's artwork and the video for "Shandi", and also receives credit.

<i>Second Sighting</i> 1988 studio album by Frehleys Comet

Second Sighting is the third solo album by Ace Frehley and the second and final to use the Frehley's Comet moniker. Due to Frehley's illness and substance abuse during the recording, Tod Howarth took a bigger role in singing and songwriting than on the previous album.

<i>Ace Frehley</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Ace Frehley

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<i>Frehleys Comet</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Frehleys Comet

Frehley's Comet is the second solo album by Ace Frehley, former lead guitarist of Kiss. It was also the first album that Frehley released after leaving Kiss in 1982.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tod Howarth</span> American musician

Tod Howarth is an American rock musician from San Diego, California. He is best known as serving as a keyboardist, a guitarist, and vocalist for the melodic hard rock group Frehley's Comet, led by former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley. The band recorded three albums and produced four music videos before the line-up ultimately dissolved, with Frehley moving back to solo efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anton Fig</span> South African drummer

Anton Fig, known as "The Thunder from Down Under", is a South African session drummer, perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. David Letterman, for whom the band served as house band on his late-night talk shows, often referred to Fig as "Anton Zip" or "Buddy Rich Jr." Fig is also well known for his work with Kiss, Ace Frehley and Joe Bonamassa.

<i>Live+1</i> 1988 EP by Frehleys Comet

Live+1 is a 1988 EP by the hard rock band Frehley's Comet. It was meant to serve as a stopgap until the release of the group's second studio album, Second Sighting. The first four songs were recorded live at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois, on September 4, 1987. The last song, "Words Are Not Enough," is a shorter version of a demo recording the group made in 1985.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shandi (song)</span> 1980 single by Kiss

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<i>12 Picks</i> 1997 greatest hits album by Ace Frehley

12 Picks is a greatest hits album by American hard rock guitarist/singer Ace Frehley. Songs 7–12 were recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, England on March 19, 1988.

<i>Greatest Hits Live</i> (Ace Frehley album) 2006 live album by Ace Frehley

Greatest Hits Live is a live album by Ace Frehley. The album contains ten live tracks and two studio recordings. Tracks 1-6, 8 and 10 were recorded in London, England. Tracks 7 and 9 were recorded in Chicago, Illinois. The final two studio recordings were outtakes from Frehley's previous greatest hits compilation, Loaded Deck.

John Michael Regan was an American musician, songwriter, producer, and bassist. He is notable for having been a member of ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley's band Frehley's Comet from 1984 to 1990 and recorded and performed with Peter Frampton from 1979 to 2011. He also recorded with John Waite, The Rolling Stones, Stephen Stills, Dave Edmunds, Robin Trower, Scandal, Billy Idol, David Bowie, and David Lee Roth. He lived in Wappingers Falls, New York.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talk to Me (Kiss song)</span> 1980 single by Kiss

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