Frehley's Comet was an American

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

band formed and led by ex-

Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...

lead guitarist

Ace Frehley Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley (, ; born April 27, 1951) is an American musician who was the original lead guitarist, occasional lead vocalist and founding member of the rock band Kiss (band), Kiss. He invented the persona of The Spaceman (a.k.a. ...

. The group released two

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

s and one live EP before Frehley left the band to release his 1989 solo album, ''

Trouble Walkin' ''Trouble Walkin is the second full-length solo album released by Ace Frehley (two previous albums were credited to Frehley's Comet). The album features guest performances by former Kiss drummer Peter Criss, as well as Skid Row members Sebasti ...

''. The band name was a pun of a pun;

Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band formed in 1947 and continuing until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...

was a 1950s rock'n'roll band that derived its name as a pun of the typical mispronunciation of

Halley's Comet Halley's Comet is the only known List of periodic comets, short-period comet that is consistently visible to the naked eye from Earth, appearing every 72–80 years, though with the majority of recorded apparitions (25 of 30) occurring after ...

(properly pronounced as "Hal-lee", rhymes with "valley", but commonly mispronounced as "Hay-lee"), a comet which orbits the

Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

near

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

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 lineup consisted of Richie Scarlet on guitar, John Regan on bass, Regan's

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English-American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who rose to prominence as a member of the rock bands the Herd and Humble Pie. Later in his career, Frampton found significant success as a s ...

bandmate Arthur Stead on keyboards and former Kiss and

Spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...

drummer

Anton Fig Anton Fig (born 8 August 1952) 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 lat ...

. This band played live for the first time on November 30, 1984, and demoed 20 songs in various sessions with producers

Eddie Kramer Edwin H. Kramer (born 19 April 1942) is a South African-born recording producer and engineer. He has collaborated with several artists now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, L ...

Tony Bongiovi Anthony Carmine Bongiovi Jr. (born September 7, 1947) is an American record producer and recording engineer. He is the cousin of musician Jon Bon Jovi. Early life Anthony Carmine Bongiovi Jr. was born on September 7, 1947, in Raritan, New Jerse ...

Chris Kimsey Christopher Kenneth Kimsey (born 3 December 1951) is an English musician, engineer, and record producer, best known for his work with the Rolling Stones. Career Born in Battersea, London, England, Kimsey began his career in 1967 at Olympic Stu ...

and

Vini Poncia Vincent "Vini" Poncia Jr. (born April 29, 1942) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Life and career Early life Poncia was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He is of Italian ancestry. The 1960s In the 1960s, Poncia formed a ...

. In May 1985, Frehley's friend from the

Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, Rob Sabino, who also produced one of Scarlet's solo albums in 1984, replaced Stead (who went on to join

Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...

) on keyboards. British label

Bronze Records Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm. History Bron had been producing Uriah Heep (band), Uriah Heep for Vertigo Reco ...

reportedly offered the band a deal in the summer of 1985 but withdrew it due to Frehley's "unreliability", before ultimately folding in early 1986. In November 1986 Frehley signed a six-album deal with

Megaforce Records Megaforce Records is an American independent record label founded in 1982 by Jon Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula to release the first works of Metallica, and devoted primarily to hard rock and heavy metal. It has offices in New York City (whe ...

. Sabino and Regan had left the band at that point but Regan returned from touring with

John Waite John Charles Waite (born 4 July 1952) is an English rock singer and musician. As a solo artist, he has released ten studio albums and is best known for the 1984 hit single "Missing You (John Waite song), Missing You", which reached No. 1 on th ...

and

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album '' Horses'' made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fu ...

after the recording deal was signed. In December 1986, before they made their initial record, with producer

, Scarlet was replaced by former

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...

member

Tod Howarth Tod Howarth (born September 24, 1957) is an American Rock music, 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 ...

who played guitar and keyboards. ''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. Fig did not tour for the album and was replaced by Billy Ward as touring drummer. Before the second album, ''

Second Sighting ''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 ...

'', Ward was replaced on drums by veteran

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

Band member

Jamie Oldaker James Oldaker (September 5, 1951 – July 16, 2020) was an American rock music, blues rock and country music drummer and percussionist. Biography James Oldaker was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of the first bands that he was a member of was c ...

who played his first show with the band on September 22, 1987, and also did the entire tour for the 2nd album. 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). The last show under the Frehley's Comet name was in August 1988, opening for

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...

, and Howarth and Oldaker left before the end of the year. In 1989, for ''Trouble Walkin', '' his third studio release (produced by Eddie Kramer), Frehley dropped the Frehley's Comet name and put out a pure "Ace Frehley" solo album. Tod Howarth was replaced by a returning Richie Scarlet, and Jamie Oldaker by ex-

Riot A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...

drummer Sandy Slavin (although Anton Fig and ex-Kiss Drummer

Peter Criss George Peter John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is an American musician, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and an occasional vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established th ...

did perform some of the percussion work on the album). According to Frehley, He offered then KISS drummer

Eric Carr Paul Charles Caravello (July 12, 1950 – November 24, 1991), better known as Eric Carr, was an American musician. He was the drummer for the rock band Kiss from 1980 until his death in 1991. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer afte ...

a chance to be on a song. However, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons dissuaded Carr from doing so. The album featured numerous guest vocalists including Criss and

Sebastian Bach Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian-American singer who achieved mainstream success as the frontman of the hard rock band Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. He has acted on Broadway and h ...

. The tour ended and the band dissolved after John Regan resigned with immediate effect after a show in Las Vegas on April 11, 1990. Frehley did not perform live in any form for two years after that, until July 1992. 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 Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; ; born August 25, 1949) also known by his stage persona "The Demon", is an Israeli-born American musician. He was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss, which he co-founded wit ...

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. In 2014, Regan and Howarth reunited in the band Four By Fate. The band played various one-off reunion shows in 2017 and 2018 with Frehley, Tod Howarth, John Regan, and Anton Fig together.

Personnel

Members

– lead and rhythm guitar, lead vocals (1984–1988) * John Regan – bass, drums, backing vocals (1984–1988; died 2023) *

– drums, percussion (1984–1987) * Richie Scarlet – rhythm and lead guitar, vocals (1984–1985) * Arthur Stead – keyboards (1984–1985) * Rob Sabino – keyboards (1985–1986) *

– rhythm and lead guitar, keyboards, piano, lead vocals (1986–1988) * Billy Ward – drums, percussion (1987–1988) *

– drums, percussion, backing vocals (1988; died 2020)

Timeline

Line-ups

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums/EPs

Demos

*''

Sterling Sound George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...

tape June 12, 1984'' – Back Into My Arms Again (Stead/Frehley), I Got the Touch (Stead/Frehley), I'm An Animal (Stead/Kimsey/Regan), I Will Survive (Stead/Frehley), Breakout (Carr/Scarlet/Frehley), We Got Your Rock (Kupersmith/Frehley). Produced by

. *''Demo 2, 1984/85'' – Audio/Video (Stead/Frehley), Give It to Me Anyway (Frehley/Stead/Scarlet), Dolls (Frehley). Produced by Eddie Kramer (unconfirmed) *''Summer 1985 demo'' – Stranger in a Strange Land (Frehley), Back on the Streets (

Vincent Vincent (Latin: ''Vincentius'') is a masculine given name originating from the Roman name ''Vincentius'', which itself comes from the Latin verb ''vincere'', meaning "to conquer." People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003) ...

/Friedman), I Heard an Angel (Scarlet), Rock or Be Rocked (

Bob Halligan Jr Robert Sidney Halligan Jr. (born January 3, 1953) is an American singer, musician, music producer and songwriter who has collaborated with many artists, particularly in the hard rock/ heavy metal genre, throughout his career. He is currently the ...

.),

Baby It's You "Baby It's You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach (music), Luther Dixon (credited as Barney Williams), and Mack David (lyrics). It was recorded by the Shirelles and the Beatles and was a hit for both. The highest-charting version of "Baby It ...

(

Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...

, Barney Williams,

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–

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

cover) *''Power Station studio demo 1985'' – Dolls (Frehley), Into the Night ( Ballard), Words Are Not Enough (Jim Keneally/Frehley), The Hurt is On (Frehley/Sabino), The Boys are Back in Town (

Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...

cover). Produced by

. *''Vini Poncia demo 1985/86?'' – Remember Me (Frehley/

Cathcart Cathcart (; , )
is an area of

Jeff Paris (musician) Jeff Paris (born Geoffrey Brillhart Leib) is an American vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist who has primarily performed in the hard rock/ heavy metal genre. Still performing under the name Geoffrey Leib, Paris began his career as a session musici ...

), The Girl Can't Dance (

Danny Tate John Daniel "Danny" Tate (born November 10, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, composer, producer, and former Virgin Records recording artist best known for writing songs which were covered by Jeff Healey, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Lynyrd Skyn ...

/ Taylor Rhodes). Produced by

Filmography

*''Live+4'' (1988) (VHS)

References

External links

*
Official Richie Scarlet websiteOfficial Anton Fig WebsiteOfficial Tod Howarth Website
{{Authority control Glam metal musical groups from New York (state) Hard rock musical groups from New York (state) Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups disestablished in 1988 1984 establishments in New York (state) 1988 disestablishments in New York (state)