ACE IN THE HOLE STUDIO - ONCE OWNED ESTATE OF GUITARIST ACE FREHLEY FORMERLY OF THE ROCK BAND KISS
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Take a walk through "Ace Frehley" from KISS' former Wilton, Connecticut estate and checkout the infamous "Ace In The Hole Studio"
29 TITO LANE
WILTON, CT 06897
Click here to learn more about the home www.kissfaq.co...
The home is currently for sale www.bhsusa.com...
I went to this house back in high school. It was owned by a couple and the studio was Horizons Studio. We recorded a tape there back in 1990 or so. The story we were told about the car mounted on the wall was that Ace would go out to party and find upon getting home that he locked himself out. So he destroyed the car backing into the doors to get in.
There was a huge bathroom off what I think was the master bedroom, the bathroom was all mirrors--the walls, the sink, toilet, everything.
The following year, we went back but the couple split and she got the house, I think. So he opened up Horizons West, in West Haven. Fun times...
Months later, I still am fascinated with this video, and return every once in awhile. You can’t help but place Ace on these rooms, and just imagine what it was like back then. Thanks again for posting this.
To think the iconic 1978 Ace Frehley solo album was recorded in that studio! So cool to see.
Actually, Ace's '78 album was recorded at the Colgate Mansion as well as Plaza Sound in Radio City. I know he recorded a lot of his parts for "The Elder" in this place though.
@@SteveOuimette Yeah and Bob Ezrin refused to use any of it. He was forced to rerecord his parts up at Bob's studio in Canada.
@@SteveOuimette credits on the back of his solo says recorded at “the mansion in Connecticut “. I always presumed it was his home studio.
The studio at this house was still being built in 1979. It was discussed in the famous Tom Snyder interview.
@@ZiddersRooFurry Lol, after all that work on the studio. Poor Ace....and to add insult to injury, it had to be for "The Elder:.
I lived in Darien CT at the time and remember hearing that he lived there. Ritchie Blackmore lived right up the road from us on Swifts Lane. Met Peter Criss on Halloween 1980 at his Darien home on Ridge Acres
Nice, were you a stuffy and snooty CT old money snob? haha The people from that part of CT epitomize obnoxious arrogance. Thanks for the info on Richie`s old street address. I knew he lived in CT. I'm pretty sure the clips from the video perfect strangers of the members pulling into the driveway was Richie`s house in CT. They also recorded that album in VT.
Grew up near Alpine, NJ. Had a friend whose divorced dad lived up in Darien. Gorgeous area. His dad had invented and held a patent on some kind of detonator on our early nuke bombs. Brilliant man.
I’ve now watched the whole thing…and pieces of it again and again. It’s just fascinating to me. With every room that is entered, I imagine what it must have been like back then. Thank you for this.
..and how much cocaine is embedded in those rugs and walls
I was having a bad day until I watched this video. Really nice to see Ace’s old stomping ground - thanks for posting!
Long live the REAL SPACEMAN!
That was cool, and ace can revisit his old place anytime now
Cool video. Great to see Ace's mansion. Besides the studio, that fireplace is one of the best things in that house. Looks like rocks from outer space. Ha! Love it.
The microphone inputs in the bathroom were there because he was probably also using the room as a vocal booth. Tile is good for reverb.
shows how much you know. terrible to have a room full of reverb to record vocals.
@@billwren5033 yeah, no one ever sings in the bathroom🙄
@@MarceloRomero360 your missing my point I am an engineer and music producer and the last thing you want in a vocal booth is reverb. why? because you cant remove it from the recording once its down. you want a vocal booth to be as dead sounding as possible so you can add the effects later not before.
@@billwren5033 You're still talking?
@@MarceloRomero360 I have too because your D*** A** isnt getting it
At this point, some of the decor had been changed from just earlier in that year. And this house was not in foreclosure from Ace at the time of this video. It was sold after Ace lost it in 1986. This video wqs taken several months after we recorded in the studio.
The guy who bought the house before this video is Vic Steffens, founder of Horizon Studios. Our music teacher set it up and we spent each day of spring break there in 1990 recording music. Our school had a rock band. Went back the next year but he had moved to the West Haven location by then.
This was an AIRBNB at the beginning of this year. We were 2nd guests to stay - it was my husbands 50th, we got together with a bunch of his friends & hung out. Recently I contacted the hosts, the listing was gone - they have a tenant for a while. Super cool house.
Nice!
15k a month now. You got lucky!
@@isthatatesla Crazy right? But yes our timing was good on this one. Cool experience.
Interesting to know. I almost thought ace was to blame for the home's lack of maintenance. It wouldn't make complete sense since he was wealthy enough to hire contractual help in fixing it.
@@lastcall170 The town records show it having been sold 5x btwn 1991 & 2016. You could find old flooring in closets, etc.
Thanks for posting this! I’ve wanted to see inside this place for years now. 👍
Sounds good Ace !
Keep up the good work on the Sobriety ! 👍
Super cool. Thanks for sharing this! Take care
So growing up not too far from here , Ace was dating my friends mom . I never believed my friend, until his mom told us about him and showed us pictures. I was blown away as a 11-12 year old fan of kiss , now I’m not so much of a fan of kiss today but always a fan of Ace
That is too funny. I grew up in CT and heard rumors Ace bought a house in CT. As kids we drove around looking for what we thought would be Ace`s house. Total dorks. ha
I've always wanted to see the layout of Ace In The Hole Studios, very cool!! I read an interview with the studio architect/acoustician (John Storyk) in the excellent book 'Odyssey' by Tim McPhate & Julian Gill. The studio design is very ingenious! I couldn't quite picture how the studio connected to the main house, now I know!!
I think Ace was the FIFTH member of KISS...LOOOL
Ace’ solos from The Elder were recorded in that studio..
It sounds as if the only real commercial use he got out of this studio were guitar solos for one album. I remember reading John Storyk (recording studio designer) discuss this studio build and the expense faced in removing the boulders they found in the soil. As I recall, they had to resort to dynamite to fracture the rock into pieces small enough to remove. After that huge expense, the moisture issues soaked up (pun intended) the last bit of Ace’s resources. Storyk tried to get Ace to build above ground for a fraction of the cost, but Ace insisted on being able to walk to his studio in his bathrobe during New England winters. Recording studios have always been financial black holes. Proper acoustics and sound containment cost a fortune and consume most of a real studio’s build budget.
After reading comments I question how many here were actually alive in the 70's or 80's? Cause if you were you'd know what was considered high tech & design was much different back then. I think most of ya'll are wet behind the ears arguing like high school girls about recordings ect. cause you read their books or stuff online. Fact is you don't know anything other then what you read. One story turns into a 100 as it's passed on.
I really like the Fireplace. Very unique. Plus, it's part of KISSTORY!🤘🤪🤘
It's the dead corral look. Save the corral!😢
lol
@@djraven6864like… for horses?
If those walls could talk. Ack!
Joya ,,gracias,. el historico Ace in the Hole. Elder
Appreciate you sharing
Seeing this, it makes me realise no matter who you are, how much money you have, there is no guarantee of being tasteful. It’s also worth noting that we only lease our things whether rich or poor, it’s all left behind when we pass…
All of the appliances and built-in electronics would have been 'state-of-the-art' stuff in the late 70s/early 80s when this place was built. Ace Frehley most likely had little in-put as to the construction of the 'living spaces', more so his interest was focused on the actual 'Ace In The Hole Studio' itself. At around 3:45 you mention "...legend has it, Ace used to..." which means this property has since been renovated from its original design after Ace sold or walked away from it. The most significant aspect to the studio was it provided a lot of the 'Elder' demos and Ace guitar tracks for that album (much of which was never released) at this location. Thanks for the 1990 memories.
Actually in his book he was very into the renovations to the house itself and the design of the landscaping outside. Eddie Kamer`s wife helped Ace and his wife find the property.
AWK! Nice one Coily!
Looks like a nice place to stagger around in.
There are actual pictures of Ace beat red and totally smashed during the day time throwing one of his many house parties and he has fallen down and into some of his shrubs in shorts with his paper plate of potato salad all over his chest. haha
Hilarious comment!
❤ very unique house id take it ❤❤🛸
The "horrendous" foil wallpaper was my favorite part.
This is an awesome video. It feels a little creepy/haunted. It was obviously empty for a long time before this video was shot. I'm surprised there was no vandalism or evidence of squatters. I'd love to see what it looks like now.
It's been remodeled.
Click the link above. It's very nice now and currently for rent. Very very expensive
I agree Mr. Marcelo Romero. The old VHS footage helps with that effect and it certainly does give a creepy vibe.
Very cool video and I enjoyed seeing Ace's mansion and the legendary Ace in the hole studios.
@ 0:21 listen closely. What is that being said? Don't think it's the video camera guy. I was playing it. My son walked by & overheard it. Said, "what was that"?
@@sweetsally13 It's the video guy or the girl with him.
that estate must’ve been pretty cool in its day
Ace sold this in 86. From approx 87 to 90 this was owned by someone else and run as a recording studio. Lita Ford recorded an album here and then Sly Stone was living here for months for some sessions until he was arrested on the premises by FBI while strung out on crack (supposedly). It looks like this video was shot sometimes soon after the house was foreclosed on in 90. The decrepit vibe could be from what Sly was doing there while there.
In regard to that fireplace - Ace had a bunch of special crystal from Arizona flown in that was built in to that fireplace. I think you can see the remnants in parts of the video but obviously Ace gutted it/took it with him when he moved out. I’m kinda shocked he didn’t take the Jaguar
Ace was foreclosed on....
great info I imagine Ace had some pretty kick ass Neve Boards and tube pre Amps packed in there ?
Because he was bankrupt and the house went into foreclosure.
@@johnmcminn9455 There is a picture of him from like 78 or 79 in his studio with like 50 plus guitars that would be worth a couple million today. No doubt he had hocked them all by 85.
@@johnsmith-ug5tp one of the dudes I landscaped with said he was a regular at the "Library" in Emerson NJ.
which was a little heavy drinker bar, Q:" What are you doing?
A: " going to the Library to read some books"
There’s a limo in the drive with a skeleton in it where the guy is still waiting to pick up Ace for the 81 San Remo festival.
Actually 1982
@@marcocappa3738 skeleton n limo still there tho.
@@drunk247 😁😁🤟
@@K1SSArmyNationOfficial. dear Kiss army alive ....I have been a Kiss fan since 1980....i was 8 y o.....trash talking about kiss is not foul play.....at least it is not an incorrect behavior more than lip syncing ,fake live albums (Alive 2....),1300 Euros required for a photo with the band,fake original line up albums (Psycho circus )and more ,more else
By a Kiss long time fan ....notwithstanding what I have written ....
@@K1SSArmyNationOfficial. I m a fan not a dumbass
I wonder if Ace scrolls UA-cam and watched/will watch this. Would love to know what he feels about it.
Great comment. If Ace were to do a new voiceover…with his personal recollection of the house…wow, that would be very cool.
@@KISStributeNYC97it would be a big, blank page. His memory is shot. Anything beyond "Here's the kitchen. I ate food in here" and "Here's the master bedroom. I slept in there" would be wishful thinking.
@@toddmorrissey8372 I like wishful thinking….it keeps things positive.
ACE FOREVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!
The 1/4” jacks in the toilet are line-ins for guitar because vocals would be balanced XLRs. Definitely Ace’s sense of humour to rip a solo in the bathroom.
The house’s value would have been in the amazing decking, marble bathtub and building the studio in the bomb shelter with connecting rooms to the house.
Looks dated now but I would still live there, the cedar wood interior is nice.
Rob Freeman - producer/engineer in pre-"Elder" sessions at Ace in the Hole Studio in early 1981 " In addition, there was a tile and mirror bathroom that was wired for recording or for use as a live reverb chamber. For the latter, sounds could be selectively fed from the control room into the bathroom, played out through a speaker (adding natural bathroom reverberation to the sound) then mic'd and returned to the control room.At one point I put a guitar amp in there to capture one of Ace's solos in that lively acoustic environment."
@@upalony69 thanks, that is really interesting. A cool trick to achieve real reverb without using outboard gear or later, plug-ins
Mics & amps have been put in bathrooms for eons. Perfect rooms for reverb / isolation.
Heaps of bands have used bathrooms to get great vocals or Acoustic guitar sounds.
Plus it's a free iso booth .
@@andysalter7192 yeah but definitely not the case here because they are not microphone inputs, they are 1/4” jack inputs.
If ace wanted your suggestions he would have ordered it grey !
If you look online a Realestate listing is available with pictures of this house totally renovated! It says the house was sold in 2018 for a million. Really looks nice!
I might buy this house
@@armand01972 but you're broke and it isn't for sale.
This whole house has since been redone and is available for rent right now.
SO SHWEEEETTT...much love Tee with LIONS NAMED LEO.[the music worldwide}
AND SOOOOO COOL.!!!!!!
In about 1983/84 I saw a brochure for "The Frehley Estate" in a fanzine called The OATH. I believe it was a sales brochure. Wonder if it sold then or was vacant up until the time this video was made
Too cool!
In the late 70's this house was the shit
Yup. I can’t get enough of this video. It’s fascinating to me. The 70’s….the parties that happened there…the music made in that studio. Wow.
I bet that porous rock on the fireplace puts out some heat.
Notice the 💀💀💀 set in the top of the fireplace?
That car front could bring sum good money.🤔🤘🤪🤘
Lava rock? Nice man
If those walls could talk
For as much drug-taking that people did there while staring at the wallpaper, those walls DID talk.
Amazing the assets one can accumulate when you don't pay any of your debts.
On Wilton Connecticut wiki page it says Ace Frehley lived there from 1979 to 1986
After ALIVE sold 5 mil they all bought mansions. 1975 ish. 15 yrs later, this is what it looked like.
No even close to a mansion 😂
Bathroom is good for recoding vocals .. that’s why those jacks are there
I suspect Ace wasn't too big on responsible home maintenance. That place is a nightmare.
Cool video.
I don't know what people expect to see? This is what happens when a property is vacant. Elements take over. Banks never want this to happen when trying to sell property. They threaten eviction but they really just want payments vs a vacant property they have to pay for. They're always willing to negotiate for another payment. Mansions or Houses.
ACE THE 5TH MEMBER OF KISS???? SHOWS HOW MUCH HE NEW
Ace was very creative and talented, his demons got in his way
Nonsense, the guy's been clean for 15 years and very well off financially with a young girlfriend.
@@xaviergough9359 I think what he meant was that his demons got in his way in the past regarding Kiss. Ace was a druggie and alcoholic. As a result, he was very irresponsible and unreliable. I'm glad he's clean now, but back in the day, he had serious demons.
Now living with a young girlfriend in her home in the New Jersey area.
@@lesliejaye9539 Yet still married to his wife apparently, bizarre...
In a strange way reminded me of Liberace's vacant house tour. Curious amount of misinformation going on here, but hey thats clever to do
Ace was the 5th member of Kith. Right after Beanie St. Vince.
I think this is awesome. To be there at his/there peak would have been amazing. Wonder when he first moved there...?
I have seen pics of Ace in a house from the Love Gun era. The decor was really cool. I was wondering if this was that house...not sure.
he lived there 1979-1983...
Some of the elder was done there too.
This appears to be a video made for the bank that owns the home. The person filming is just documenting the property for the bank prior to listing the property. This does not appear to be a “fan”
He don't know jack about Kiss
Right that’s what I said. He is not a fan just a real estate agent advising the bank on the physical condition
ace recorded music there wow. nice house as is.
Cool video
I like to imagine Ace dropping bombs in that 'half bath' just off the kitchen, pranking and disgusting his dinner guests over and over again. *insert Ace cackle*
He says the house has Hollywood accents. Look who owned it. The wildest, craziest, most flamboyant member of KISS. What did he expect?
Paul most flamboyant.
The jacks in the studio bathroom were for headphones. I don't think they recorded a whole lot in there.
Honestly looks like a dream house designed by a kid with too much money. Which is probably an apt description. Would have liked to spend some time there it its heyday, but don't think I'd would have liked to actually live there.
From memory, on the Kiss'n Tell book which I read a long time ago, Ace was presented with a sensible plan for a home studio when he requested one. But as it was being built, he felt it wasn't up to, well, Ace Frehley from Kiss, so he kept asking for more and more. Things were built and rebuilt to a ridiculous extent. Ace would justify it by saying that a single hit song recorded there would pay for it, something that never happened.
16.50 is were ACE did the picture of him w all his guitars in the 70s KISS mags. So this is where his 70s Kiss money went. This was the mansion. Alot of Stoned days in this place, Kinda sad.
Sean Delaney was the fifth member of kiss
So was Bill Aucoin.
Probably looked great in the 1980’s. This video was from 90 according to the camera.
Ace was the best muso in Kiss ! Period
I'll take it, as is, no questions asked for $1.37
It's worth a ot more than that.....
@@jamesjustice8711 yes it is. The property alone is probably close to 1M. 4 acres in Wilton.
Great to see Aces ex-home! I would have a question, how can I contact you?
Ace wasthe 5th Beatle and the the 4th member of KISS.
This house was built in 1980 ? Ace recorded some demos for the Elder here, right ? Most people say the Elder sucks, but I think people who say the Elder sucks suck though so many people so many minds.
Anyway it was good for Ace to spend more money on this house than snow blind.
OK, He Spent more Money on Coke and Champagne than this house costs
the house was foreclosed on because Ace was a piss poor money manager, still is to this day! Now he just freeloads!
The music on the Elder was ok. Fans were expecting a KISS record. Maybe if the band prepared the market for it then it would have done better.
Imagine the amount cocaine that was done in that joint
First thing I thought of. This had to be the house talked a lot about in his book.
Ace then tweaking stallone ? Theres Cocaine and hooker juice all over that dump
Get a black light and get a bio discount 😂
@@ralphtom3431 Yeah, it's not like it's been remodeled.... Ace hasn't owned the place for 35+ years. I would love to see the hovel you live in.
Mountains and the main reason he lost the house.
@@johnsmith-ug5tp He sold the house.
This guy thinks Ace was the 5th member of KISS...!?!? What planet has he been living on?
Lol right
Where did he park his spaceship?
Wonder what wall Ace smashed the tape recording of The Elder against?
I think in one interview ace said he smashed the cd against the wall 😂
nothing in there is high tech anymore lol,i love the fire place!
I'm guessing the house was built in the 70's and the date on the video appears to be 1990 so that makes it 10 plus years old. Its in a bit of a state as is pretty obvious .....but wow ...if those walls could talk. I remember seeing an aerial picture of the house back when Ace owned it in the 70's. Its a bit sad to see it so run down now and I cant help wondering if it still stands today and what it looks like.
It still stands! It’s in my town. It’s an air bnb now you can look up the listing and see the inside. 29 Tito lane Wilton Ct
thanks for letting me know. @@platinum_amortentia
I wonder how much coke went through the place ? 😂
I thought the dining room with the beautiful white marble was nice but I think the fireplace should of had cut geode so you could see the sparkle
That's the same property where Ace hot blown up and took some shrapnel. Place has history.🤘
the mounds of coke that passed through those doors lol
There are Kilos Left hidden!
the "tech" in this house is pretty common today, and the white black and Grey, theme is popular as well. Ace must have seen the future, he has the same taste as a millennial
It's very contemporary and was still stylish into the 80s.
Intercoms not so much as people use their Star Trek Communicators now.
That fireplace looks like the catacombs in Paris.
I had a similar impression of something macabre
That's not geodes making up the fireplace...that's igneous rock (volcanic)
ALOT OF HOME STUDIOS HAVE PLACES TO PLUG MICS AND GUITARS INTO IN THE BATHROOM BECAUSE OF THE ACOUSTICS .... JUST LIKE IN MY COUSINS UNCLES HOME STUDIO !!!!!!
The 5th member of the band Kiss? LOL This guy is a clown and thinks he's important but is completely clueless, lol.
Maid, well what do you know he really did have Room service...
In 1980 seems like a great place to go Snowblind
Lots of white stuff.
Ace was the 1rst, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th member as there never was a fifth at any time.
The actuality is that he was the 4th member. I don't know where the guy got the idea that he was the 5th member of a 4 member band.
Eric Carr was the 5th member.
@@toby7291 no. When Peter left and Eric joined he became the fourth.
@@timmyjams well yea there were only 4 in the band at a time but Eric was the 5th person to be in the band. Unless you count Anton Fig. He was officially in the band for about 24 hours and played on two albums. But the guy doing the video didn’t know what he was talking about on several occasions.
@@toby7291 the realtor not knowing what he was talking about is something we can all agree on. LOL!
From 1990? Wow, 15 grand a month RENT!!! WOW!!
Great info. This video was a Hoot 😂
Thanks for the video. Good luck with the new purchase. Ive been an ACE fan since 1974. Just curious. When did ACE live there and what State is that please? My Guess New Jersey.
Wilton Connecticut
CT. Wilton. He bought the property in 1978.
@@johnsmith-ug5tp Thanks
Cool video,anything about the space ace gets my attention.first time I heard kiss was on a 8-track lol.yup yup calling dr love dam I was hooked,and didn't know anything about the band except they freaking rocked,then I saw the band,make up,big badass stage,ace with the smoking guitar,gene an the fire,blood,HELL YEA kiss set the bar for big super badass rock n roll.people like to hate on em,rag on em,but hey it's there right.me I fucking love the original kiss,always followed ace even after kiss.seen them with ace,without ace,I hate not getting to see eric carr,but I've seen ace in jackson ms.he was great.cool video here,piss on the goober talking though.
Cool, Gene brings this up on the Snyder interview.
Reminds me of Burnt Offerings.
The scariest film I've ever seen😨
I love that flick!
@@DaveK548 and The Changeling!
Lol! "He choked on a chicken bone"
@@Jan-rm7vt The Chauffer, I mean come on. That guy was freak!
ace was 4th member
I Read about this house in his book I thought it would be a lot more bigger and a fancier mansion..it's really just a regular upscale house with a lot of land that's dated and kinda crappy the layout is really weird and the rooms seem smaller then you would think a rich Rockstar would have . If I had his money at that time I wouldn't want to live there.
I wonder if he sold it or if he just foreclosed on it cuz he couldn't afford it anymore
You should see it now. Just google the address. Now available for rent....15k per month. Apparently they restored the recording studio. So, If I was a band looking for a studio to live in while we recorded an album, might look at this place as a choice.
Compare this to the gawdy mansion gene lives in and it really tells you something about the difference in their ego and personalities.
The layout is unlike any house I have ever seen. I am assuming it was done for a reason but it appears to be done haphazardly.
Restore this Historical home . Its awesome
Oh if those walls could talk !
To be fair they would probably just say " Cocaine " over and over......
Betty White