Two pages. Same magazine. Two completely different mindsets.

In this episode, Robert John Hadfield digs into a Hit Parader from December 1987, and it just so happens to have Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley sitting almost right next to each other in print. Paul is out here trying to keep KISS relevant in a music scene that’s changing by the minute… while Ace is trying to become relevant again in that exact same landscape with Frehley’s Comet.

What makes this so fun is the contrast: Paul is pure “business + spin + keep the machine moving.” Ace is raw honesty, road-warrior energy, and “I’m just happy to be here.” And by the end, it turns into something bigger—why bands sometimes need both personalities (the corporate brain and the chaos spark) to create the secret sauce.

Big thanks to Gary Lighthall for sending these magazines—this whole series exists because of stuff like that. And thanks to Digitech for supporting the channel.

And if you’re a regular here, stick around to the end—Robert John Hadfield shares something personal about where the channel is headed next, and why he’s looking for a few good people to help build what comes after this.

Timestamps

00:00 – Two pages apart, totally different worlds
00:43 – Shoutout to Gary Light Hall (magazine box MVP)
00:53 – Thanks to Digitech (guitar players: you know)
01:17 – Paul Stanley in 1987: “the old guy” fighting the new era
02:00 – The 1987 rock landscape: Poison, Bon Jovi, Metallica, GNR
03:32 – Texas Jam: Paul plays Strutter… but KISS isn’t invited
06:54 – “Biggest stage ever”… or classic KISS salesmanship?
09:32 – Gene vs Paul: “other projects” vs “KISS is the mission”
12:28 – The “Paul Show” era and the Smashes, Thrashes & Hits vibe
15:23 – “We’re not stupid” — KISS as a business machine
19:03 – Paul admits it: rock is a business (and they want the money)
21:43 – Ace Frehley enters: no spin, just honesty
23:08 – Tom Snyder / “I’m a plumber” energy (business vs chaos)
26:33 – Ace on touring: “this is what I missed most”
27:21 – Staying clean on the road: the “who you surround yourself with” principle
29:49 – The audience shift: old fans + new kids discovering the era
30:52 – Ace’s humble truth: “We’ll never be as big as KISS”
32:39 – Brothers again: how Ace talks about Gene & Paul publicly
33:54 – Stage gimmicks + gear changes: what Ace notices first
35:16 – Same core drive: Paul and Ace both live for the stage
36:05 – Yin & yang: why bands need both personalities
37:24 – Real talk: gratitude, community, and what this could become
38:23 – The bigger vision: events, meetups, maybe even a cruise
38:44 – Why I can’t build the next level alone
39:37 – Looking for volunteers to help shape what’s next
40:15 – Email + closing

Links / Sponsor

Digitech: digitech.com
(If you check them out, let them know Audiomover sent you.)

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this, please like, subscribe, and comment—I read a lot more than you probably think.
And if you want to help build what’s next (behind the scenes, creatively, or organizationally), email me: [email protected]