The Gene-EVH-Ace-Joe Perry Connection
Have you picked up “Guitar World Presents 40 Years of Van Halen” yet? Zactly – I didn’t even know it existed until I saw it in a bookstore (remember those? lol). Anyhow, I’m always amazed at how I think I’ve memorized every word ever written about Ed and his gear and then I read something I don’t remember reading.
(Maybe alcohol really does kill brain cells….)
Anyhow, there’s a lot I’m going to pull out here and there from that book/mag, but here’s a ditty I don’t think I ever knew. But first, listen to this, notably the lead at 1:24:
That sound like Edward Van Halen riffage to you? Wellllllll, here’s the story (Ed talking):
“He [Gene Simmons] wanted me and Al to play on his solo album but we couldn’t because we were on tour. A couple songs on the record we played on the demo tape, and they sounded much better.
“‘Tunnel of Love,’ but [the final version is] done different – it’s half-beat on this one, but it was more rock when me and Al played it.
“And the other one was Christine Sixteen.’ Remember the solo in that? I wrote the solo for that and it sounded so good when we played with him because I double-tracked it. It was a double solo, a double lead [I’m thinking he means harmony lines?].
“It sounded so good, and then all of a sudden their record comes out [Love Gun] and they played the same solo, but it sounded like he [Ace or producer] used some kind of octave box. It didn’t sound the same.”
“[The solo as Ed wrote it] sounded good. It was a good melodic little thing that really fit in.”
Unfortunately I couldn’t find the studio version of “Christine Sixteen” with the MXR Blue Box-sounding lead. Anyhow, now listen to this and imagine it faster with Ed and Al kicking the crap out of it:
Chased down the credit for the lead on that tune: Joe Perry! WTF! This one too:
Back to Ed and Al: Would love to hear those tracks and I’m sure I’m not alone. You listening, Gene? It’s more dollar$ for ya!
More
> Ed: “I was surprised with Ace Frehley’s solo album. I liked it. It’s just more ‘up.’ At least he stepped out a little bit.”
> Some vintage Ed and Al, courtesy of Gene:
Category: Ace Frehley, Alex Van Halen, Edward Van Halen, Joe Perry, KISS
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Where is the Joe Perry connection? Also, I don’t think the lead in Christine 16 remotely sounds like EVH. That sounds a lot like classic Ace to me.
Uh…Joe Perry mentioned as the guy who played on the Simmons solo album songs. And uh…C16 IS Ace, but supposedly Ed’s lead riff.
Maybe it’s because it was the first show of the reunion, but that’s a pretty lifeless performance of Christine. Ace looks like he’s got on cement shoes and Paul looks especially bored. Perhaps the guys were nervous and were uncertain Ace and Peter still had the chops. Anyway, I never thought I’d say it, but I’m geeked for the new record with Tommy and Eric. Sonic Boom was a pleasant surprise, although re-recording the old songs with the new guys was sacrilege in my opinion.
Rockpages.gr: Jimmy Haslip…he saw you in the studio a while ago and he was quite certain that Paul had told him that KISS re-recorded old tracks…
Eric Singer: OK! Yes, that’s true! You know that many bands re-record songs so as to have the control over the copyrights. For example, if someone asks for a KISS tune, the band doesn’t have to get into a bureaucracy with the record label. It is very convenient…
This was taken from a 2008 interview and its the only reason a band re-does old classics. All about money. They stand to make a bunch.
Regardless of the Joe Perry credit, I’m more than 90% certain that solo is STARZ’ guitarist Richie Ranno. It sure sounds like his tone & guitar. (He plays a very uniquely altered humbucking equipped Strat,, & he was doing that long before EVH ever got a record deal.)
A/B that track with something from Starz’ self titled 1976 LP, or something from their 1977 LP, “Violation” & I think you’ll see the similarity.
You didn’t really expect Gene $immons to tell you the truth, did you?
It is all sacrilege,they need to stop ,all old fat wig wearing idiots ,also the dang l.a.kiss fake football is embarissing.I can’t take it. Also Ace almost human could be Richie.