Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this episode, Robert John Hadfield digs into a fascinating Summer 1987 magazine interview with Ace Frehley, released right as Frehley’s Comet hit stores. It’s a moment frozen in time—Ace trying to re-enter a rock world that had changed dramatically while he was gone, surrounded by seismic releases from bands reshaping hard rock and metal.
**** SHARE YOUR MEMORABILIA - HERE'S HOW - youtu.be/OfW2RZbCwp8
The heart of the discussion centers on Ace’s candid thoughts about KISS taking off the makeup, his complicated feelings watching from the outside, and why that decision symbolized a deeper identity crisis for the band in the MTV era. Robert John Hadfield places Ace’s comments in context—comparing KISS’s visual missteps of the early ’80s with their iconic ’70s presentation—and explores the ultimate “what if” scenario: could KISS have stayed relevant and kept the makeup by fully embracing MTV’s visual power?
Along the way, Robert John Hadfield examines how brutal the 1987 landscape really was for Ace’s comeback, with albums like Appetite for Destruction, Hysteria, Whitesnake, and Slippery When Wet dominating the scene. This is a thoughtful, opinionated deep dive into legacy, timing, image, and why Ace Frehley was—and always will be—essential to the story of KISS.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why Unmasked was a symptom, not the cause
00:41 – Discovering the 1987 Ace Frehley interview
01:24 – Ace reacts to KISS removing the makeup
02:13 – How long Ace was really out of the scene
02:40 – The brutal reality of the 1987 rock landscape
03:43 – Why anyone still paid attention to Ace
04:57 – Reading the magazine article
06:10 – When KISS became trend followers
07:41 – Ace reflects on leaving KISS
09:06 – “It hurt when they took the makeup off”
10:23 – MTV: the missed opportunity
11:52 – Why Destroyer and Love Gun still matter
12:44 – Dynasty, Unmasked, and the kid-fan problem
15:21 – Could KISS have survived with the makeup?
17:28 – Aerosmith as the comeback blueprint
19:05 – Ace’s voice, guitar style, and humanity
20:04 – Megaforce Records & Eddie Trunk
21:28 – Did the comeback work?
22:26 – Why KISS wouldn’t exist without Ace
Hashtags
#AceFrehley #KISS #FrehleysComet #ClassicRock #MTVEra #RockHistory #HitParader #CircusMagazine #80sMetal #Audiomover
In this episode, Robert John Hadfield digs into a fascinating Summer 1987 magazine interview with Ace Frehley, released right as Frehley’s Comet hit stores. It’s a moment frozen in time—Ace trying to re-enter a rock world that had changed dramatically while he was gone, surrounded by seismic releases from bands reshaping hard rock and metal.
**** SHARE YOUR MEMORABILIA - HERE'S HOW - youtu.be/OfW2RZbCwp8
The heart of the discussion centers on Ace’s candid thoughts about KISS taking off the makeup, his complicated feelings watching from the outside, and why that decision symbolized a deeper identity crisis for the band in the MTV era. Robert John Hadfield places Ace’s comments in context—comparing KISS’s visual missteps of the early ’80s with their iconic ’70s presentation—and explores the ultimate “what if” scenario: could KISS have stayed relevant and kept the makeup by fully embracing MTV’s visual power?
Along the way, Robert John Hadfield examines how brutal the 1987 landscape really was for Ace’s comeback, with albums like Appetite for Destruction, Hysteria, Whitesnake, and Slippery When Wet dominating the scene. This is a thoughtful, opinionated deep dive into legacy, timing, image, and why Ace Frehley was—and always will be—essential to the story of KISS.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why Unmasked was a symptom, not the cause
00:41 – Discovering the 1987 Ace Frehley interview
01:24 – Ace reacts to KISS removing the makeup
02:13 – How long Ace was really out of the scene
02:40 – The brutal reality of the 1987 rock landscape
03:43 – Why anyone still paid attention to Ace
04:57 – Reading the magazine article
06:10 – When KISS became trend followers
07:41 – Ace reflects on leaving KISS
09:06 – “It hurt when they took the makeup off”
10:23 – MTV: the missed opportunity
11:52 – Why Destroyer and Love Gun still matter
12:44 – Dynasty, Unmasked, and the kid-fan problem
15:21 – Could KISS have survived with the makeup?
17:28 – Aerosmith as the comeback blueprint
19:05 – Ace’s voice, guitar style, and humanity
20:04 – Megaforce Records & Eddie Trunk
21:28 – Did the comeback work?
22:26 – Why KISS wouldn’t exist without Ace
Hashtags
#AceFrehley #KISS #FrehleysComet #ClassicRock #MTVEra #RockHistory #HitParader #CircusMagazine #80sMetal #Audiomover
