Ace
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- Genres: Rock
Biography
Ace were one of the few pub rock groups to enjoy success on the pop charts, largely due to the warm, soulful vocals of Paul Carrack. While Carrack's voice certainly had crossover appeal -- as he would later prove with his own records, as well as his work with Squeeze and Roxy Music -- the band was also less devoted to the three-chord boogie and country-rock that marked most pub rock bands, favoring soulful R&B. And while they did have hits, their time in the spotlight was brief, and they fell apart shortly after Carrack left for a solo career.Phil Harris (guitar) and Alan "Bam" King (guitar, vocal) formed Ace in 1972, recruiting Paul Carrack (keyboards, vocals), Terry "Tex" Comer (bass), and Steve Witherington (drums) over the course of the next year. Before the group began recording, they went through several drummers -- Witherington was replaced by Chico Greenwood, who was later replaced by Fran Byrne in 1974. After developing a small but dedicated following on the pub rock circuit, Ace signed with Anchor Records and recorded Five-a-Side. "How Long" -- a song about Comer leaving the band briefly to play with the Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, and his subsequent return -- was released as the first single. Most listeners interpreted the song as an ode to a crumbling love affair, and it became a fluke hit in both the U.K. and the U.S. Ace released Time for Another in 1975, but it was generally ignored, especially since the popularity of pub rock was declining rapidly.
Harris left the band in early 1976 and was replaced by John Woodhead. Later that year, Ace opened unsuccessfully for Yes, and then moved to Los Angeles, hoping that the U.S. would prove more receptive to their music. It wasn't. Ace released a final album, No Strings, in 1977 and then disbanded. Comer, Carrack, and Byrne all joined Frankie Miller, but by 1979, Carrack had left to sing with Roxy Music. Following his time with Roxy, he launched a solo career, which he balanced with playing with artists like Squeeze, Nick Lowe, and Mike + the Mechanics. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Ace (band)
| Ace | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Ace Flash and the Dynamos |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Pub rock, pop rock, soft rock |
| Years active | 1972–1977 |
| Labels | Anchor ABC Varèse Sarabande |
| Associated acts | Warm Dust |
| Past members | |
| Paul Carrack Terry "Tex" C omer Phil Harris Alan "Bam" King Fran Byrne Steve Witherington Steve Kirby Jon Woodhead |
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Ace were a British rock band, who enjoyed moderate success in the 1970s. Their membership included Paul Carrack, who later became famous as a solo artist and as a member of several other groups. Ace are best known for their hit single "How Long?", which was a UK top-20 single in 1974 and a US top-5 in 1975.
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Contents
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Band members
- Paul Carrack (born 22 April 1951, Sheffield, Yorkshire) - keyboards, vocals (1972-1977)
- Terry "Tex" Comer (born 23 February 1949, Burnley, Lancashire) - bass (1972-1977)
- Phil Harris (born Philip Harris, 18 July 1948, Muswell Hill, London) - guitar, vocals (1972-1976)
- Alan "Bam" King (born 18 September 1945, Kentish Town, London) - lead guitar, vocals (1972-1975)
- Steve Witherington (born 26 December 1953, Enfield, Middlesex) - drums (1972-1974)
- Fran Byrne (born 17 March 1948, Dublin, Ireland) - drums (1974-1977)
- Steve Kirby (born 6 February 1953, Shepherds Bush, London) - lead guitars (1975-1977)
- Jon Woodhead - guitars (1976-1977)
Career
The band was formed in December 1972 in Sheffield as 'Ace Flash and the Dynamos', but this name was quickly abbreviated to just Ace.[1] The members were assembled from various other professional bands. Carrack and Comer had previously played with Warm Dust, and King with Mighty Baby, whose antecedents were the 1960s band The Action.[1] Ace were popular on the pub rock circuit. Their music was pop with a funk influence.
Before the recording of their debut album, Five-A-Side,[2] ex-Bees Make Honey drummer Fran Byrne replaced Witherington.[1] The single "How Long?" (a song about one of the members leaving for another group) was taken from this record, and was a significant chart success, achieving a Top 20 place in the UK Singles Chart,[3] and reaching number three in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The band eventually moved to the United States, and replaced Phil Harris with Jon Woodhead in June 1976,[4] releasing their final album No Strings in January 1977. They disbanded in July 1977, when Carrack, Comer and Byrne joined Frankie Miller's band.[4]
Carrack has since played in Eric Clapton's band, Roger Waters's The Bleeding Heart Band, Roxy Music for the Manifesto album and tour, Squeeze in the early 1980s, and Mike + The Mechanics. His solo re-recording of "How Long" became a UK Top 40 hit again in 1996.[5]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | US | CAN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Five-A-Side | 11 | 16 |
| 1975 | Time For Another | 153 | — |
| 1977 | No Strings | 170 | — |
Compilation albums
- Six-A-Side - 1982
- How Long: The Best Of Ace - 1987
- The Very Best Of Ace - 1993
- The Best Of Ace (Varèse) - 2003
Singles
| Year | Name | US | CAN | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | "How Long?" | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| 1975 | "I Ain't Gonna Stand For This" | — | — | — |
| "Rock & Roll Runaway" | 71 | — | — | |
| "No Future In Your Eyes" | — | — | — | |
| 1977 | "You're All That I Need" | — | — | — |
| "Found Out The Hard Way" | — | — | — |
References
- ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh, Scotland: Mojo Books. pp. 95. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
- ^ Five-A-Side (an Ace album)
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 13. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Biography of Ace". AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ace-p15275/biography. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 95. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists
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