ACE FREHLEY Had 'A Lot Of Fun' Reconnecting With PAUL STANLEY And GENE SIMMONS

In a brand new interview with SILive.com, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was once again asked whether he will ever play with his former bandmates again. "It's been 15 years but over the last two years, I've kind of reconnected with Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons]," he responded. "I reconnected with Paul on the [FREE cover] 'Fire And Water' [on 'Origins Vol. 1']. He actually shot a video with me. So that was a lot of fun and it was good to reconnect with an old buddy. And then more recently, I did two songs with Gene for this new studio record that will be coming out. And then I did a [Hurricane Harvey] charity event with Gene in Minneapolis. That was a big success. And just a couple of weeks ago, I was with Gene, he invited me to come up to Los Angeles because he was doing an event for 'The Vault' [CD box set], and he wanted me to come up and perform with him. And we exchanged some great stories. We had a lot of fun."

As previously reported, Frehley will perform on The KISS Kruise VIII. The cruise is set to sail on Halloween (October 31) on Norwegian Jade leaving out of Miami, Florida. Also scheduled to play on the ship this year are KISS, as well as former KISS and current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD guitarist Bruce Kulick and his brother Bob.

Stanley told Billboard last year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup."I sang on Ace's most recent album and did a video with him," he said. "I have the connection and the reconnection and to celebrate the good things we've done together is terrific. The band as it is — I've played with [current KISS drummer] Eric Singer for, I think, twenty-five years and Tommy's [Thayer, guitar] been in the band probably fifteen years at this point. I have no thoughts of revisiting the past. With that said, I am happy to enhance or do whatever I can for anyone who has helped put me where I am, but that doesn't include getting hitched again to somebody I unhitched from."

Asked directly about the chances of Frehley's return to KISS, Simmons told "The Cassius Morris Show" last September: "That's not gonna happen. Ace has been in and out of the band three different times. That's enough."

The four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2014 by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello.

KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Stanley and Simmons insisted on the current lineup performing as well. In the end, nobody won that battle.