KissFAQ has launched Back In The Solo Album Groove: The KISS Albums. 35 Years Later..., an ambitious multi-week retrospective dedicated to arguably the biggest milestone in KISStory: the 1978 KISS solo albums. Today, the site has published an interview with vocalist Susan Collins, who sang background vocals on three tracks on Ace Frehley's 1978 solo album, including the hit 'New York Groove'.

The following are excerpts from Collins' interview with KissFAQ's Tim McPhate:

On her first impressions of Frehley:

KF: What were your first general impressions of Ace?

SC: "You know, I have to be honest and tell you he was the nicest and sweetest guy. He knew who I was by my reputation and he wanted, through Eddie Kramer, "my sound" on his record. That's why he hired me, for my sound. But he didn't know what he was going to be getting when I walked into the room. He was so respectful and so sweet. When I said Ace, 'What do you think about this?' He was like, 'Susan, just do whatever you want. I'll take whatever I like and I'll leave the rest.' He really respected and allowed actual creative freedom."

On the background credits for 'New York Groove':

KF: Regarding the album's credits, you are credited as singing background vocals on three tracks: 'Speedin' Back To My Baby', 'What's On Your Mind?' and 'New York Groove'. The credit actually reads "David Lasley and Susan Collins & Co." Can you shed some light?

SC: "Yes, I'll tell you why because this is what happened. Are you familiar with David's sound? David has one of the most gorgeous voices you've ever heard in your life. I happen to love the way he sings low, but he's a very high singer. He always sings higher parts. The reason Co. is listed is this - when we did 'New York Groove', I did 'New York Groove'. I tripled myself. My voice is tripled."

KF: Your voice is very prominent on the track.

SC: "Well, that's why. And what happened was, after that, they had called in Benny Diggs, they called in three guys, and they have all since passed away. And one of the guys that they called in at the end of the session I did, they called in to do a low voice. They put his voice on and then they took it off. They never used it. So I guess, in all due respect, they said "& Co." because they didn't end up using a lot of the vocals that they recorded. I know that for a fact. And two of the three guys, I was trying to remember the other black guy's name, who was fabulous. Benny Diggs also sang with LUTHER VANDROSS, who should rest in peace, and sang on both of my solo albums. Oh, Phillip Ballou was the other one. He also passed away."

On her contributions to 'Speedin' Back To My Baby':

KF: In terms of your vocal parts, Ace let you have free reign to try ideas?

SC: "I came up with a couple of things for 'New York Groove'. Where he gave me more free reign was 'Speedin' Back To My Baby'. He just let me go wild."

KF: Your voice is very prominent on that song as well.

SC: (Sings main chorus melody) "That's me. I don't think that David worked on any of those lines."

KF: And Susan, near the end of the song, you're cutting loose with some improvisational lines.

SC: "Yes, I go... (sings line) 'Oh, Speedin' back...'

KF: That's it! How did that part come to be?

SC: "They played the track and I just did my thing. As a matter of fact, I wanted to do something else and I came up with an idea as I was singing. I said, 'No, no, I have another idea', because I was so excited. Ace and Eddie were like, 'No, no this is perfect! Susan don't overkill it'."

On why 'New York Groove' has transcended generations:

KF: 'New York Groove' has been able to attain the rare status of being a song that has transcended generations. It's been used by the Yankees and it's been featured in television and commercials. Why do you think that song has made such an impression?

SC: "I love MOR [middle of the road] music. I love KAREN CARPENTER and schmaltzy, beautiful ballads. Every song about New York - from FRANK SINATRA and BILLY JOEL to everybody - was always MOR and poppy. 'New York Groove', to put it bluntly, had balls. It had New York balls. Even a doctor or a lawyer or a surgeon or would say, 'Boy, that song has balls'. That's why. 'New York Groove' put it exactly the way it should have been put. "I'm back in the New York groove." It's timeless, it's ageless. You could sing it and refer to it as back in the '30s or you could sing it right now in 2013."

Read the full interview at this location.