The New Spaceman

Spaceman is the sixth studio album by American guitarist Ace Frehley, released on October 19, 2018. It features a guest appearance from Frehley's former Kiss bandmate Gene Simmons, who also co-wrote two tracks. The album includes three alternative covers. The title was named by Simmons, who also co-wrote and played bass on the opener "Without You I'm Nothing" and co-wrote "Your Wish Is My Command," a song he originally intended for Kiss to record.

Quick Facts

Performer: Ace Frehley
Affiliation: KISS

Lore & Background

The album's title, Spaceman, was named by Gene Simmons. Simmons co-wrote and played bass on the opening track "Without You I'm Nothing," and also co-wrote "Your Wish Is My Command," which he had originally intended for Kiss to record. A historical connection emerges with "Rockin' with the Boys": Kerrang! magazine listed it as a Frehley song title for the upcoming Kiss album (before Music from "The Elder") in 1981. In a 2018 interview with Ken Sharp, Frehley confirmed that the chorus for "Rockin' With The Boys" was written in the 1970s, but he could never come up with a good enough verse and bridge until revisiting it for this album. The album features three alternative covers, though their specific designs are not.

Reader's Guide

The personnel for Spaceman are strictly documented. Ace Frehley performed vocals and guitars on all tracks, bass on tracks 2, 4–5, and 7–8, and handled creative direction and design. Gene Simmons played bass on track 1. Drummers included Scot Coogan (tracks 1, 3–4, 7), Matt Starr (tracks 2, 6, 9), and Anton Fig (tracks 5, 8). Additional musicians included Ronnie Mancuso on additional guitar (tracks 4, 7) and Alex Salzman on bass (tracks 3, 6). Background vocals were provided by Scot Coogan (tracks 3–4), Alex Salzman (tracks 2–4), and Rachael Gordon (tracks 2–3).