Biography
Frehley's Comet essentially represented former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley's solo vehicle spanning the late 1980s into the mid-1990s, with Frehley serving as the sole unchanging member while others rotated through the lineup. Its origins traced back to the strong reception of his 1978 solo album, issued at the same time as concurrent solo releases from the remaining Kiss members, which emerged as the standout effort and the only one to yield a hit single in "New York Groove."
Dissatisfaction with Kiss's increasingly unfocused trajectory prompted Frehley to exit the band officially in 1982. Progress on a solo career advanced slowly, however, confined initially to scattered East Coast shows in late 1984 that produced an abortive recording agreement with the Bronze label, which folded shortly after signing him.
Megaforce Records later secured Frehley, leading to the formation of Frehley's Comet with guitarist/vocalist Todd Howarth (who supplanted original member Richie Scarlet), bassist John Regan, and drummer Anton Fig. The quartet delivered its favorably received self-titled debut in 1987, climbing close to the Top 40 as longtime Kiss fans embraced the guitarist's reappearance.
A pair of 1988 releases followed from the group, the five-track EP Live +1 and the full-length Second Sighting, after Fig resumed his regular drum position in the house band on Late Night With David Letterman and yielded the drum chair to ex-Eric Clapton skinsman Jamie Oldaker. The album sought to align with the rising pop metal wave exemplified by Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard, yet it registered as a letdown both musically and commercially, with an opening slot on Iron Maiden's extended summer tour unable to revive its fortunes.
Frehley staged a stronger return in 1989 via Trouble Walking, produced by Eddie Kramer, the same figure who had overseen the boards for both his 1978 Kiss solo album and the debut Frehley's Comet release. The record outperformed its predecessor, as a remake of ELO's "Do Ya" secured modest MTV airplay, while also marking the return of original Frehley's Comet guitarist Richie Scarlet, though it fell short of replicating the commercial reach of Frehley's earlier masked-band work.
Thereafter operating strictly as Frehley's solo outlet with scant input from the remaining members, Frehley's Comet disbanded soon afterward, freeing Frehley and Scarlet to tour together through the balance of the decade until Frehley rejoined Kiss for its successful reunion tour beginning in 1996. Two Frehley's Comet compilations appeared in the late 1990s, 12 Picks and Loaded Deck, both featuring highlights alongside previously unreleased material.
Dissatisfaction with Kiss's increasingly unfocused trajectory prompted Frehley to exit the band officially in 1982. Progress on a solo career advanced slowly, however, confined initially to scattered East Coast shows in late 1984 that produced an abortive recording agreement with the Bronze label, which folded shortly after signing him.
Megaforce Records later secured Frehley, leading to the formation of Frehley's Comet with guitarist/vocalist Todd Howarth (who supplanted original member Richie Scarlet), bassist John Regan, and drummer Anton Fig. The quartet delivered its favorably received self-titled debut in 1987, climbing close to the Top 40 as longtime Kiss fans embraced the guitarist's reappearance.
A pair of 1988 releases followed from the group, the five-track EP Live +1 and the full-length Second Sighting, after Fig resumed his regular drum position in the house band on Late Night With David Letterman and yielded the drum chair to ex-Eric Clapton skinsman Jamie Oldaker. The album sought to align with the rising pop metal wave exemplified by Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard, yet it registered as a letdown both musically and commercially, with an opening slot on Iron Maiden's extended summer tour unable to revive its fortunes.
Frehley staged a stronger return in 1989 via Trouble Walking, produced by Eddie Kramer, the same figure who had overseen the boards for both his 1978 Kiss solo album and the debut Frehley's Comet release. The record outperformed its predecessor, as a remake of ELO's "Do Ya" secured modest MTV airplay, while also marking the return of original Frehley's Comet guitarist Richie Scarlet, though it fell short of replicating the commercial reach of Frehley's earlier masked-band work.
Thereafter operating strictly as Frehley's solo outlet with scant input from the remaining members, Frehley's Comet disbanded soon afterward, freeing Frehley and Scarlet to tour together through the balance of the decade until Frehley rejoined Kiss for its successful reunion tour beginning in 1996. Two Frehley's Comet compilations appeared in the late 1990s, 12 Picks and Loaded Deck, both featuring highlights alongside previously unreleased material.
Albums
