Ace

Ace - At The BBC - 2011 - Cherry Red

A good '70's British pub rock band probably best known for their mammoth hit, the Paul Carrack penned "How Long Has This Been Going On". Paul went on to gain great acclaim with Squeeze in the early 80s and Mike & The Mechanics in the early 90's, as well as a successful solo career. In the mid 1970's Pub Rock was a legitimate genre and many bands made solid careers from it. In 2011, the Cherry Red label issued a 3 CD set including Ace's 1975 "Time For Another", and their 1977 "No Strings" albums with a bonus CD of Ace's performances on BBC Radio between 1975 and 1976. The programmes included the famed BBC In Concert and John Peel's Sessions. The third CD on this set has been released in numerous formats and with various track listings. The edition here contains two versions (Tracks 2 & 3) of "I Ain't Gonna Stand For This No More". Can anybody define which are the Peel sessions and which are the In Concert sessions? Listen to Ace's "No Strings" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 136 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS / RADIO DATES

1. Sail On My Brother - P.Carrack (BBC in Concert – 31/3/75)
2. I Ain't Gonna Stand For This No More - P.Carrack, A.King, T.Comer, P.Harris, F.Byrne (John Peel Session – 31/1/75)
3. I Ain't Gonna Stand For This No More - P.Carrack, A.King, T.Comer, P.Harris, F.Byrne(BBC in Concert – 14/1/75)
4. The Real Feeling - P.Carrack (BBC in Concert – 14/1/75)
5. 24 Hours - P.Carrack (BBC in Concert – 14/1/75)
6. I Know How It Feels - P.Carrack (BBC in Concert – 14/1/75)
7. How Long - P.Carrack (BBC in Concert – 14/1/75)
8. Ain't That Peculiar - Warren "Pete" Moore, Smokey Robinson, Robert Rogers, Marvin Tarplin - (BBC in Concert – 14/1/75)
9. Sniffin' About - P.Carrack, A.King (BBC in Concert – 8/1/76)
10. I Think It's Gonna Last - P.Carrack (BBC in Concert – 8/1/76)
11. Sail On My Brother - P.Carrack (BBC in Concert – 8/1/76)
12. This Is What You Find - A.King (BBC in Concert – 8/1/76)
13. I'm A Man - P.Carrack, A.King, T.Comer, P.Harris, F.Byrne (BBC in Concert – 8/1/76)

BAND

Alan 'Bam' King, Phil Harris - Guitar
Terry 'tex' Comer - Bass
Paul Carrack - Keyboards, Vocals
Fran Byrne - Drums

BIO

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 © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ace-p15275/biography