Tag Archives: Ace Records

COLOUR MY WORLD-THE SONGS OF TONY HATCH.

COLOUR MY WORLD-THE SONGS OF TONY HATCH. Prolific. That’s the best way to describe songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer Tony Hatch. During a career that’s lasted over fifty years, Tony has arranged, composed, conducted and produced over one-thousand tracks. Twenty-five of these tracks feature on Ace Records’ recent compilation Colour My World-The Songs Of Tony …

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THE SUPERBS-THE BEST OF THE SUPERBS.

THE SUPERBS-THE BEST OF THE SUPERBS. Just over fifty years ago, in March 1964, The Superbs released their debut single, The Story Book Of Love. Things were happening quickly for The Superbs. They’d just signed to Lew Bedell’s Dore Records a month earlier, in February 1964. Lew thought that The Superbs had potential. So, he …

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LOUIS ARMSTRONG-LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS FRIENDS.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG-LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS FRIENDS. 1970 is remembered as a landmark year for Louis Armstrong. It was the year Louis and an all-star band, headed into the studio to record an album to celebrated his seventieth birthday. The album was Louis Armstrong and His Friends, which was recently rereleased on Boplicity, an imprint of …

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HAROLD LAND-CHOMA (BURN).

HAROLD LAND-CHOMA (BURN). Musically, Harold Land was a late developer. Growing up in Houston, Harold never showed any interest in learning to play an instrument. Then in 1944, when he was sixteen, Harold heard Coleman Hawkins recording of Body and Soul. This was a life-changing experience. After this, Harold decided to learn how to play …

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MOD JAZZ, AND THEN SOME!

MOD JAZZ, AND THEN SOME! It doesn’t seem like eighteen years since Kent Soul released the first instalment in the Mod Jazz series. However, that’s the case. 30th September 1996 was when Mod Jazz first hit the shops. Released to critical acclaim, Mod Jazz was a commercial success. Mod Jazz was music for attendees of …

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ARTHUR PRYSOCK-TOO LATE BABY-THE OLD TOWN SINGLES 1958-66.

ARTHUR PRYSOCK-TOO LATE BABY-THE OLD TOWN SINGLES 1958-66. Although Arthur Prysock’s career lasted six decades, the most successful period of his career was the eight years he spent at Old Town Records. Between 1958 and 1966, Arthur Prysock released twenty-four singles. There’s also the small matter of nine albums. From Arthur’s debut album was I …

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MILLIE JACKSON-ON THE COUNTRY SOUL SIDE.

MILLIE JACKSON-ON THE COUNTRY SOUL SIDE. Trying to describe Millie Jackson in just one word, is almost impossible. If I was asked to do so, the word I’d use would be versatile. She could breath life, meaning and drama into a variety of songs. Whether it was heartbreaking, soulful ballads or country soul, Millie could …

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WARDELL GRAY-WAY OUT WARDELL.

WARDELL GRAY-WAY OUT WARDELL. During Wardell Gray’s tragically short career, he proved to be one of jazz’s innovators. His career lasted just fifteen years. It began in the swing era and encompassed the bebop era. Then, just when Wardell Grey looked like fulfilling his undoubted potential, tragedy struck on May 25th 1955.  Towards the end …

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THE DEADBEATS-ON TAR BEACH.

THE DEADBEATS-ON TAR BEACH. There aren’t many teenagers who dream of leaving the Florida sunshine to head to London, and form a band. That’s what Suzie May did in 1979. She left her home in the Florida suburbs, and arrived in Camden Town, London. Suzie was halfway towards fulfilling her dream. Her dream was to …

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WAYNE COCHRAN-GOIN’ BACK TO MIAMI-THE SOUL SIDES 1965-1970.

WAYNE COCHRAN-GOIN’ BACK TO MIAMI-THE SOUL SIDES 1965-1970. Unmistakable. That describes the outlandish outfits Wayne Cochran wore on-stage. Then there was his glistening peroxide bouffant. Wayne certainly grabbed your attention. Especially his music. It ranged from the raunchiest R&B to country soul and even biker funk. Eclectic described Wayne Cochran’s music. That’s obvious when you …

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DORE L.A. SOUL SIDES.

DORE L.A. SOUL SIDES. It was in 1955 that cousins  Lew Bedell and Herb Newman decided to found their first record label, Era Records. The two cousins came from very different backgrounds. Lew Bedell had been a comedian, but his career was at a crossroads. So he was on the lookout for a new career. …

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LEON THOMAS-BLUES AND SOULFUL TRUTH.

LEON THOMAS-BLUES AND SOULFUL TRUTH. Some labels are a perfect fit for an artist. This was the case with Leon Thomas and Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions. They proved to be the musical equivalent of ying and yang. By the late sixties, Leon Thomas had embraced free jazz fully. He turned his back on the …

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LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-COSMIC FUNK.

LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-COSMIC FUNK. Innovative, influential and way ahead of the musical curve, describes Lonnie Liston Smith. That is the perfect description of Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes 1973 debut album Astral Travelling. The music on Astral Travelling was groundbreaking.  So much so, that it’s hard to believe Astral …

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BOWIE HEARD THEM HERE FIRST.

BOWIE HEARD THEM HERE FIRST. David Bowie is, without doubt, one of the most influential and innovative artists of the last fifty years. So it’s fitting that Ace Records have recently released a compilation of music that influenced David Bowie. Bowie Heard Them Here First features twenty-four tracks and is a snapshot into the music …

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THE COMPLETE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 1-1964-1967.

 THE COMPLETE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 1-1964-1967. Mention Southern Soul, and certain labels spring to mind. Among them are Stax, Hi Records and Fame Records. These three labels are synonymous with Southern Soul. Together, they released some of the greatest music in the history of Southern Soul. Indeed, the artists who walked through the doors of …

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THE REBEL KIND: GIRLS WITH GUITARS.

THE REBEL KIND: GIRLS WITH GUITARS. It was back in 2004  that Ace Records released Girls With Guitars. Featuring twenty-four tracks, Girls With Guitars it brought back memories of the golden age of the girl group. Record buyers were reminded of the sound of The Angels, The Beattle-Ettes, The Tomboys, The Daughters Of Eve and …

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ROBBIE BASHO-THE VOICE OF AN EAGLE.

ROBBIE BASHO-THE VOICE OF AN EAGLE. There are some artists who follow trends, while others are trendsetters. Trendsetter describes Robbie Basho perfectly. His love and appreciation of various cultures, especially Indian culture, resulted in a series of albums of genre-defying music. Robbie’s raison d’être seemed to be broaden the minds of music lovers. He wanted …

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JOE TURNER-THE REAL BOSS OF THE BLUES.

JOE TURNER-THE REAL BOSS OF THE BLUES. After enjoying a renaissance in its popularity during the early sixties, blues music was in doldrums. Soul had replaced the blues in popularity. However, many of the new breed of rock bands had been inspired by the blues. This included Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Yardbirds, The Animals and …

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LET THE MUSIC PLAY: BLACK AMERICA DOES BACHARACH AND DAVID.

LET THE MUSIC PLAY: BLACK AMERICA DOES BACHARACH AND DAVID. It was in the Brill Building in 1957, that Burt Bacharach and Hal David first met. They were both aspiring songwriters. Burt was a twenty-nine year old music graduate from Kansas. Hal was the older of the two. He was a thirty-six year old New …

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T-BONE WALKER-EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES.

T-BONE WALKER-EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES. T-Bone Walker was, without doubt, one of the most innovative and influential blues guitarists ever. He was a pioneer of both the jump blues and electric blues. That may seem like a bold statement, but it’s not. It’s the truth. After all, T-Bone was one of the first …

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