Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Frehley began playing guitar when he received an electric six-string for his 14th birthday in 1965. Already a big fan of the Rolling Stones, he was blown away when he caught a multi-band live show in N.Y.C. in early 1967, featuring both the Who and Cream, among others, which solidified his desire to pursue rock guitar more seriously (and put a promising art career on the back burner). Frehley began playing in local bands soon after, adding both Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to his influences -- and around this time, adopted the nickname "Ace." Although none of the bands he played with had taken off, he answered an ad in a local paper for a new hard rock, theatrically based group in early 1973.
A few weeks after his initial tryout, Frehley was hired as the lead guitarist for the new quartet, joining bassist/singer Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss to form the band Kiss. By year's end, the greasepaint- and costume-wearing band was signed to Casablanca Records, and by 1978, had become one of the world's top hard rock bands. A string of platinum albums and sold-out tours lasted from 1975 until 1979, until the trappings of fame threatened to break up the band. Frehley's best friend in the band, Criss, left Kiss in 1980, as the group unsuccessfully experimented with non-metal styles. Ace Frehley's use of alcohol and drugs increased due to his ever-increasing unhappiness in the band, and, by 1982, he'd exited Kiss.
Within a year or two after his split from Kiss, Ace began putting his own solo band together, Frehley's Comet. The band played local N.Y.C. clubs, but failed to issue a record until 1987's self-titled debut for Megaforce Records. Instead of following the heavy metal direction of his exceptional 1978 solo album, Frehley's Comet tried to keep pace with the current pop-metal movement (Mötley Crüe, etc.), issuing two other albums (and a live EP) by 1989. Around this time, Frehley put his old art talents to use once again through computer graphics, with a few of his images even being featured in an art exhibit. Despite mudslinging in the press between Simmons/Stanley and Frehley in the early '90s, all four original Kiss members made up in time to reunite for a 1995 taping of MTV Unplugged. The taping was such a success that it led to a full-blown reunion of the original lineup, resulting in the massively successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour.
Frehley continued as a member of Kiss until the end of their Farewell Tour (lasting longer than fellow original member Peter Criss, who dropped out in 2001). Live appearances, including gigs at the massive Rocklahoma festival, kept Ace busy until 2009, when he released the album Anomaly on his own label, Bronx Born Records. In 2011 he published No Regrets, a detailed and frank memoir that recounted, among other things, his aforementioned struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. In 2013 he celebrated seven years of sobriety and spent much of that year appearing at horror, sci-fi, and pop culture conventions.
The following April, after a long wait, Kiss was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, before August brought the release of Space Invader, a solo album that took a heavier approach than Anomaly. Released in 2016, Origins, Vol. 1 was an all-covers album featuring songs from Ace's favorite bands, up to and including Kiss, with new versions of "Parasite" and "Cold Gin" sitting next to songs from Thin Lizzy and Cream. The following year, Frehley joined Kiss bassist/vocalist Simmons on-stage at a Hurricane Harvey benefit for the Children Matter organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the former bandmates had performed together in over 16 years. In 2018 Frehley issued his eighth solo long payer, Spaceman, which featured a power pop cover of Eddie Money's "I Wanna Go Back" and the rowdy single "Rockin' with the Boys," the latter of which was written during Kiss' '70s heyday.
In the fall of 2018, Frehley revealed that he was changing his entire solo backing band from guitarist Richie Scarlet, bassist Chris Wyse and drummer Scot Coogan to Gene Simmons‘ solo band members consisting of Philip Shouse on guitar/vocals, Ryan Cook on guitar/vocals, Jeremy Asbrock on guitar/vocals, and Christopher Williams on drums.
He then released a second covers album, Origins, Vol. 2, in September 2020.
Biography by Greg Prato
Website: http://www.acefrehley.com
Ace Frehley (1978)
Frehley's Comet (1987)
Second Sighting (1988)
Trouble Walkin' (1989)
Anomaly (2009)
Space Invader (2014)
Origins Vol. 1 (2016)
Spaceman (2018)
Origins Vol. 2 (2020)
10,000 Volts (2024)
What's On Your Mind?
Ace Frehley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're breakin' my heart, I don't wanna start a new day, new day
I'm wreckin' my brain, I'm feelin' insane, you make me crazy, crazy
I'm changin' my ways, I'm leavin' today, but things look hazy, hazy'
I can't express the words to tell you 'bout the feelings I got,
Locked up inside
If only you would give me a reason why you're so uptight,
Maybe we could make it one more time, maybe we should try it again
Maybe we could make it one more time, baby please let me know when
You're breakin' my heart, I'm fallin' apart, you make me crazy, crazy
You're breakin' my heart, I'm spinnin' apart, I'm lookin' this and that way
I can't express the words to tell you 'bout the feelings I got,
Locked up inside
If only you would give me a reason why you're so uptight,
What's on your mind?
What's on your mind, what's on your mind, what's on your mind - tell me
Maybe we could make it one more time, maybe we should try it again
Maybe we could make it one more time, baby please let me know when
I can't express the words to tell you 'bout the feelings I got,
Locked up inside
If only you would give me a reason why you're so uptight,
What's on your mind?
I can't express the words to tell you 'bout the feelings I got,
Locked up inside
If only you would give me a reason why you're so uptight,
What's on your mind?
I can't express the words to tell you 'bout the feelings I got,
Locked up inside
If only you would give me a reason why you're so uptight,
What's on your mind?
The lyrics to Ace Frehley's "What's On Your Mind?" reveal an intense emotional turmoil experienced by the singer in a relationship that seems to be on the brink of collapse. He accuses his partner of "breaking his heart" and driving him "crazy" with her inconsistent behavior. Despite his efforts to change and leave the relationship, things appear "hazy" and uncertain. The singer pleads with his partner to reveal what's truly on her mind to help him understand her behavior and possibly salvage the relationship. He expresses a desire to reconcile with his partner and make things work again.
The song's lyrics are relatable to anyone who has experienced the stress and anxiety of a relationship that seems to be on the verge of ending. Frehley's raw vocals effectively capture the feelings of confusion, frustration, and desperation that often accompany such situations, making the song an emotionally charged ballad that is easy to connect with.
Line by Line Meaning
You're breakin' my heart, I'm fallin' apart, you make me crazy, crazy
The subject's heart is being broken and they are falling apart due to the actions of the person they are addressing, which is causing them to feel insane.
You're breakin' my heart, I don't wanna start a new day, new day
The subject is feeling heartbroken and does not want to start a new day due to the actions of the person they are addressing.
I'm wreckin' my brain, I'm feelin' insane, you make me crazy, crazy
The subject is feeling upset and crazy due to the actions of the person they are addressing, and is having trouble finding a solution to their issues.
I'm changin' my ways, I'm leavin' today, but things look hazy, hazy'
The subject is planning on making a change in their life by leaving the situation behind, but they are unsure of what the future holds.
I can't express the words to tell you 'bout the feelings I got, Locked up inside
The subject is having a hard time expressing their feelings to the person they are addressing who is causing them emotional pain.
If only you would give me a reason why you're so uptight, What's on your mind?
The subject is asking the person they are addressing to tell them what is bothering them and causing them to behave in an uptight manner.
Maybe we could make it one more time, maybe we should try it again
The subject is expressing a desire to give their relationship another chance with the person they are addressing.
Maybe we could make it one more time, baby please let me know when
The subject is asking the person they are addressing to let them know if they are open to the idea of reconciling their relationship.
I'm spinnin' apart, I'm lookin' this and that way
The subject is feeling out of control and confused due to the actions of the person they are addressing.
What's on your mind, what's on your mind, what's on your mind - tell me
The subject is asking the person they are addressing to openly communicate with them about the issues that are bothering them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ACE FREHLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind