Paul Stanley Thought Guns N’ Roses’ Slash When Ace Frehley Left KISS In 1982

In a new interview with WM Music, Guns N’ Roses historian Marc Canter revealed a fact that says KISS frontman Paul Stanley looked for Slash when Ace Frehley left the band in 1981.

The rock pioneer KISS gained international success shortly before they were formed in 1973. Releasing its debut release in 1974, which was the self-titled KISS, the band rose to prominence with their energetic and shocking live performances. Featuring blood-spitting, smoking guitars, or fire-breathing, they took attention easily and brought a different vision to the rock scene.

While the band was going through a successful career with the release of nine different studio efforts, things didn’t go well with one of the band’s founding members, Ace Frehley, as he left the band in 1982. After Frehley parted ways with his co-founded band, he launched a solo career that brought him much commercial success. Following a 14-year breakup, Frehley rejoined the band in 1996 but once again quit the band in 2002.

When KISS first parted ways with Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, who had no idea he was Slash when he made a phone call with him, contacted the Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, who was Saul Hudson at the time. The KISS member, who thought that being a 17-year-old kid would be a problem for touring and many other things, did not urge him to audition. Thus, an era that many were wondering about was over before it started.

However, recently, Guns N’ Roses historian Marc Canter, who revealed the original story of the issue, detailed the moment Paul Stanley called Slash when he was 17. Revealing how Paul Stanley got Slash‘s number, the historian said that Slash was a great player, even though he was 17. That was the reason Paul Stanley called Slash to his band.

“Also, there are so many other things that aren’t in the book,” the historian says. “Like Slash barely remembered this – I saw him a couple of weeks ago – and first, he said he didn’t remember, then he said, ‘You know, I vaguely do remember that.’

“Paul Stanley called Slash when he was seventeen and interviewed him to join KISS when Ace Frehley left. But Paul doesn’t even know this because all Paul knows is that he called some kid; he had no idea the kid was Saul Hudson.

“And how did he get that number? Because Slash was working at a Hollywood music store. The owner saw that in between no customers, Slash would plug into something and noodle around. So, the owner saw that Slash was extraordinary, and when he found out that KISS was looking for a guitar player, he recommended Slash.

“So, Paul Stanley called him, but Paul knew he was only seventeen, and that could be a problem legally.

“I’m not saying there aren’t musicians that are underage – there are – but touring with KISS can be a liability. You don’t know what could happen with a seventeen-year-old kid.”

‘Slash Would Have Probably Been In KISS, And Guns N’ Roses May Have Never Happened’

In the continuation, Guns N’ Roses historian admitted a fact that says Guns N’ Roses may have never happened if KISS decided to get Slash in the band. Revealing Paul Stanley‘s conversation with Slash, the historian said there were interesting stories in the archive.

“So, Slash made it through the phone interview, but they never took a look at him,” he continues. “They never had him come down, learn a few songs, and see what he had. Had they done that, Slash would have probably been in KISS, and Guns N’ Roses may have never happened.

“That’s the joke of it. So, it worked out. Paul Stanley was asking, ‘Would you be able to tour? Are your parents cool with that? Could you record?’ He was asking him the right questions, but he just never got to the next level, and Vinnie Vincent was hired, and that was the end of that.

“There are stories like that that got lost and never made it into anything. They’re interesting stories. There’s a number of them, and they’ll come up as we get to the gigs.”

This past June, Slash mentioned whether he has any Guns N’ Roses records in his collection. Saying that he hasn’t owned any GN’R records, Slash explained the reason while speaking to Goldmine Mag.

“Well, you have to understand — I mean, it’s like this for all the records I do — I don’t collect any of it,” Slash says. “If you were to come to my house, you’d be hard pressed to know I was in a band. Or at least any band you had heard of. I mean there’s instruments around, but I don’t have any, like, souvenirs or anything special from the releases over the years.

“I don’t think I’ve ever owned the Appetite for Destruction record. And even if I did, I didn’t live anywhere, so I wouldn’t have any place to put it!

“Granted, I did have a lot of records I’ve kept. But I just never was one to sort of really collect records of the bands that I’m actually in. Does that make sense?

“I mean, you make a record, you go through this whole process of creating the music and working on it with the guys and developing it. Then you go into the studio and you record it, then go in and mix it. And then the final process is mastering. And once that’s done and it’s off to be released, you’ve moved on. You know what I mean? It’s like you’ve gone through everything you need to on that material, and the only thing you have to look forward to at that point is going out and performing it.

“And, so, I don’t really get in my car and listen to it eight million times when you’re mixing and mastering. [Laughs]”