KISS Engineer ROB FREEMAN – “ERIC CARR Was A Sweet, Talented Guy, And Working With Him Was Always A Joy”

Prior to engaging the services of producer Bob Ezrin and transforming their 1981 project into a concept album, KISS set about recording at Ace Frehley’s Ace In The Hole studio. Several songs were worked on during that period and engineer Rob Freeman discusses those aborted sessions in a new interview with KissOdyssey.com. An excerpt follows:

Q: You said the band members all had a terrific sense of humor. Got any stories you’d like to share from those sessions?

A: “Throughout the long hours in the studio, you could always count on Ace to come up with entertaining ways to help keep moods light. He would bring in remote-controlled toys and gadgets of all kinds and even various types of weapons. Ace had a video that was just a close-up of one of his friends wearing tons of shaving cream all over his face doing a rather decent impression of Ed Koch, New York’s mayor at the time. It was actually quite funny, and Ace reveled in playing it over and over again. He played a variety of other videos, too – not all in the greatest of taste. What can I say? Ace was, well, Ace.

“Gene and Paul kept us in stitches with some weird song they kept singing for days on end. It resembled an American Indian chant and featured developing ever-more-depraved lyrics poking fun at certain members of their road crew. It was brutally funny.

“The studio bathroom, wired for sound, was also the source of some amusing moments. Paul was prone to singing, sometimes in funny voices, as he used the facilities. It was always interesting to hear what might be leaking [literally] through the studio’s reverb system.”

Q: Unfortunately, Eric Carr passed away in 1991. What do you recall about working with Eric during these sessions?

A: “Eric was a sweet, talented guy, and working with him was always a joy. I felt that he and I related very well together. During those sessions Eric confided in me about how he considered himself the luckiest guy in the world to have been accepted into KISS. He would say, “Last month I was playing in a Long Island bar band, and now I’m here, recording with KISS. How unbelievable!” He talked about the new Porsche the band had given him and how they set him up in a great condo in NYC, all expenses paid. He was truly humble about his recent change in fortunes. Fresh at the beginning of his time with KISS, Eric also expressed a touch of insecurity about his place in the band. I reassured him that from everything I’d heard his bandmates thought the world of him and truly respected him as a musician and as a person. It’s interesting to note the change just two short years later during the “Lick It Up” sessions at The Record Plant, NYC. Although he still remained very amiable, by that time Eric seemed to take his status as a member of KISS more in stride.

“Eric had an abundance of positive energy and was always ready to play. He’d arrive and go straight into the studio to begin tweaking the drum kit and warming up. When it came time to record, Eric would lay into his drums with everything he had, as if on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. He was lucky to be in KISS and they were lucky to have him.”

Read more at kissodyssey.com.

Once upon not yet, long ago someday… in 1981 KISS released Music From The Elder, a left-turn concept album that in short order was dismissed by critics and fans alike. Now, 35 years later, Odyssey, the latest book from KissFAQ Publishing, shines the spotlight back on the most controversial and mysterious album in the KISS catalog. Co-authored by Tim McPhate and Julian Gill, Odyssey, is available now.

A trailer for the book can be found below.

Through a series of more than 30 long-form interviews and more than 10 topical features, Odyssey offers the definitive examination of KISS’ lone concept album, which has attained cult-classic status among a segment of diehard KISS fans, and an unobstructed window into arguably the most fascinating period in KISStory.

A full listing of interview participants is below:

– Marty Cohen (early bandmate of Gene Simmons)
– Dennis Woloch (art director)
– Bill Finneran (“The Elder” door maker)
– David M. Spindel (photographer)
– Waring Abbott (photographer)
– Rob Freeman (engineer)
– John Storyk (Ace In The Hole Studio designer)
– Michael McCarty (uncredited engineer)
– Kevin Doyle (engineer)
– Corky Stasiak (engineer)
– Brian Christian (co-producer)
– Charles McCracken (American Symphony Orchestra member)
– Bruce Gowers (video director)
– Paul Flattery (video director)
– Jerry Watson (director of video photography)
– Ida Langsam (former KISS publicist)
– Melanie Chartoff (“Fridays” cast member)
– Ty Tabor (guitarist, King’s X)
– Chuck Klosterman (bestselling author)
– Bas Hartong (former Phonogram International executive)
– Jerry Jaffe (former PolyGram executive)
– Chip Taylor (former PolyGram head of A&R)
– Christopher K. Lendt (former Glickman/Marks executive)
– Mark Ravitz (KISS stage designer)
– Kate Parker/Jennifer Parr (daughters of Antony Parr, spoken word actor)
– Chris Makepeace (spoken word actor)
– Tim Trombley (production coordinator)
– John Picard (guitarist, The Kings)
– Tony Powers (songwriter)
– Bob Ezrin (producer)

Ranging from legendary producer Bob Ezrin and songwriter Tony Powers to former PolyGram record label executives Jerry Jaffe and Chip Taylor, “Elder” door maker Bill Finneran and spoken word contributor Christopher Makepeace, the book’s interviews were conducted with individuals who either worked on the project or have a connection of sorts, including professionals who have never told their “Elder story.” With additional interviews with individuals such as Emmy-wining video director Bruce Gowers, Fridays cast member Melanie Chartoff, KISS And Sell author Christopher K. Lendt, and a variety of the album’s engineers, readers will gain unique perspectives regarding the album’s creative process, commercial release and legacy, in addition to fun anecdotes and recollections.

The topical features in Odyssey shed more light on KISS’ activity in 1981 and early 1982 and dissect the album further with in-depth musical analysis, including a comprehensive summary of the album’s 11 tracks, an overview of the history of the concept album as an art form, a look at the studios utilized for “The Elder,” biographical information on the album’s participants, details on the aborted companion “Elder” film, and much more.

No KISS fan’s book collection is complete without Odyssey, the definitive examination of Music From The Elder.

Order via the Amazon widget below. For news and updates, visit kissodyssey.com.