Ace Records

Ace Records Ace Records is one of the leading reissue record companies and strives to bring you great sounding, well-packaged releases. http://acerecords.co.uk

Bob Dylan, when asked why he played so much old music on his Theme Time Radio Hour show, said ‘Because there is more of it’. And indeed there is an awful lot of it, you have no idea how much and frankly even we have no idea how much more there is and we have been doing this since 1975. The Ace archivists just keep discovering new old recordings that might as well have been made yesterday. Like any

great art form, recorded music endures, retaining its strength and its quality over decades. Ace aims to bring you the very best of it in a succinctly annotated, attractively packaged way with absolutely top-notch sound and to this end has teams of hugely knowledgeable music historians, designers with a keen eye for the right period look and highly-skilled trained audio engineers joyously producing hand-crafted CDs and vinyl. We want to share this wonderful world of sound, wisdom, entertainment, hilarity, absurdity, turmoil, in fact the full panoply of human emotion and experience. The very fact that you have read this far encourages us to believe that you share an obsession with recorded music, its history, its context and all things bright and beautiful about it. So welcome to what will hopefully be a long, strange and rewarding trip.

"Incorporated! CTI Records And The Genius Of Creed Taylor" will be released: 30.10.2026 🔥Creed Taylor was one of the mos...
07/09/2026

"Incorporated! CTI Records And The Genius Of Creed Taylor" will be released: 30.10.2026 🔥

Creed Taylor was one of the most successful producers in jazz history. “Getz/Gilberto”, the album he produced for Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, sold over a million copies worldwide and singles by Jimmy Smith and Deodato were pop smashes.

Taylor started his career working for others, first as an in-house producer and then with his CTI imprint via A&M in 1967. In 1970 he went out on his own and CTI became successful, but controversial for its sweetening and commercialisation of jazz. This is the legend, but behind it was a diverse, soulful and innovative label, where, in its finest moments, CTI wrote itself into jazz history. “Incorporated!” looks afresh at the first five years of its existence to celebrate its sounds and the man behind it.

We have chosen 10 tracks that reflect those five years and the incredible range of styles that were recorded under the CTI banner. So we have small group sessions, jazz funk, and full orchestral works, arranged by the likes of Don Sebesky, Bob James and Eumir Deodato. We’ve selected key moments but also some surprises. Most of all we have beautiful music by some giants of jazz.

Their breakthrough star was trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who made CTI his home with a series of successful albums, none more so than “First Light”, which we feature. Stanley Turrentine’s ‘Gibraltar’ is a slinky, Brazilian-influenced slice of soul jazz totally bossed by the master saxophonist. Elsewhere we have deep spiritual sounds from Randy Weston and Joe Farrell, a beautiful take on Philadelphia soul from Milt Jackson, and folky jazz from Hubert Laws. For the dancefloor we have George Benson getting down and dirty with James Brown side-man P*e Wee Ellis, a Bob James sample classic and Deodato’s funk monument ‘Skyscrapers’.

“Incorporated!” is expertly put together by Dean Rudland, who has also written an extensive note explaining why CTI was so important at the time and is still today, and also why the comp is all about CTI, rather than its subsidiary Kudu.
Released on double vinyl and in CD formats, make sure you (re) acquaint yourself with Creed Taylor’s legacy.

1. Freddie Hubbard - First Light
2. Stanley Turrentine - Gibraltar
3. George Benson - Body Talk
4. Deodato - Skyscrapers
5. Bob James - Nautilus
6. Joe Farrell Quartet - Follow Your Heart
7. Randy Weston - Ganawa (Blue Moses)
8. Gabor Szabo - Summer Breeze
9. Milt Jackson - People Make The World Go Round
10. Hubert Laws - Cymbaline (From the motion picture 'More')

04/09/2026

Natasha Diggs remix of Millie Jackson’s ‘What Went Wrong Last Night’ is out now on all digital platforms.

Diggs blends the original’s funky bassline, punchy horns and Jackson’s unmistakable vocals with a sleek, dancefloor-ready groove - bringing fresh energy to a Spring Records classic.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/WWWLN-NatashaDiggs

Out on 12" vinyl on October 2 via Acid Jazz Records.

Wow thanks for all the entries folks! This month's winners were:Simon NorfolkSally Parker LomasJoe KirbyAs ever tag thei...
28/08/2026

Wow thanks for all the entries folks! This month's winners were:

Simon Norfolk
Sally Parker Lomas
Joe Kirby

As ever tag their names below so they don't miss this post. 🙏

It's Ace new release day folks! Like, share or comment to win one of three sets of new releases. The winners will be dra...
28/08/2026

It's Ace new release day folks! Like, share or comment to win one of three sets of new releases. The winners will be drawn out of the hat at 5pm today. 🙏

28/08/2026

Scott Lavene Music and Other Adventures new single ‘Be Happy’ is out now on all digital platforms.

Funny, poignant and uplifting with a dash of melancholy, ‘Be Happy’ is a welcome antidote to contemporary cynicism and uncertain times.

‘Be Happy’ is available to stream now, with a limited-edition 7” following on September 25.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/ScottLavene-BeHappy

"Jon Savage's 1976 Something Was Going To Happen" will be released: 30.10.2026 🔥A vinyl-only two-album set featuring the...
26/08/2026

"Jon Savage's 1976 Something Was Going To Happen" will be released: 30.10.2026 🔥

A vinyl-only two-album set featuring the revered pop culture pundit’s choice of singles from a year that culminated in the release of the first punk 45s. Here’s Jon himself with the background.

OK, here’s the situation. The Top 10 best-selling singles of 1976 included just one banger – Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’ – and a variety of horrors topped by the Brotherhood Of Man (‘Save Your Kisses For Me’) and Elton John and Kiki Dee (‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’). At #7, after a couple of smooth US rockers, was another horror: ‘Fernando’ by Abba. Down a bit at #16 was perhaps the most egregious example of a bad year: the Wurzels’ ‘The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)’.

I was 22/23 at the time. Old enough to have grown up with a fabulous, vibrant pop arena in the 60s, right through to the mid-70s when glam began to lose power, but young enough to still want an energetic, exciting teenage culture which I singularly was not getting from ‘Jeans On’ by David Dundas. I was living in Chester, in a bedsit far from home, and those serial chart-toppers haunted my existence. It was as though everything pop had promised had turned to dust, was just a rotten lie presided over by simpering Radio 1 DJs.

Then, in April, imported from the USA, came the Ramones – a jump cut into the present, future, now. For me the year was broken into two halves: before and after. Before, I was listening to Dr Feelgood, David Bowie and outsider funk, looking for anything that was not bland. After April, it was just the Ramones, and records that fitted the accelerant template, or that just sounded rough and aggressive – singles and cut-outs you could buy at Rock On in Camden or Rocks Off in Soho Market.

The other soundtrack was dub reggae, the records I heard on the streets in Ladbroke Grove or booming out over sound systems at that year’s carnival. ‘Police And Thieves’ was the sound of that summer but I was gripped by the kinetic deconstruction of Augustus Pablo’s “King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown” and the playful, sharply observed moods of Keith Hudson’s “Pick A Dub” – both of which were released in 1974/75 so are not represented here. Another obsession was Burning Spear’s “Garvey’s Ghost” dub album.

Some mainstream hits got through – such as Candi Staton’s survivalist epic ‘Young Hearts Run Free’, Blue Öyster Cult’s Byrds-noir ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ and 10cc’s pop symphony ‘I’m Mandy Fly Me’ – plus some weird disco records. But I was fast streaming into something else. I was a pop obsessive, so I knew something was going to happen that would take me over. I could read it in the music press and feel it in my bones. In October 1976, I found it.

For this compilation, same rules as usual: singles only, roughly chronological by UK release dates. Slight liberties have been taken with Roxy Music and Buzzcocks, but both existed in some real form during 1976. As usual, around two-thirds are records I listened to at the time and that meant something to me, while the remainder I found more recently, filling in my understanding of the year. ‘Shack Up’ is a good example: I heard it through A Certain Ratio and found the Banbarra original in the bins shortly afterwards.

There is a slight reduplication with Ace’s “1972-1976” CD of a few years ago, but in reworking the period for vinyl I’ve added many new songs and also tried to wrest the track listing away from total pre-punk. That’s not what I was listening to exclusively that year, and the energy of those pre-punk records works well with the Europop of Hot Blood – demented disco – or the irresistible guitar funk of Miami’s ‘Kill That Roach’. Hovering over everything are the Jamaican sermons from Junior Murvin, Burning Spear and Max Romeo. So are we ready? Let’s go!

Fold-out cover artwork by PHILIP DIGGLE.

SIDE ONE
1. BOTH ENDS BURNING - ROXY MUSIC
2. OLD MARCUS GARVEY - BURNING SPEAR
3. WAR IN A BABYLON - MAX ROMEO & THE UPSETTERS
4. MY GENERATION - PATTI SMITH GROUP
5. I'M MANDY FLY ME – 10CC

SIDE TWO
1. YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE - CANDI STATON
2. SHACK UP - BANBARRA
3. TEENAGE REVOLUTION - HELLO
4. HAVANA AFFAIR - RAMONES
5. CHERRY BOMB - THE RUNAWAYS
6. IN THE SUN - BLONDIE
7. KEYS TO YOUR HEART - THE 101'ERS

SIDE THREE
1. HORSEPLAY (WEARY OF THE SCHMALTZ) - EDDIE & THE HOT RODS
2. POLICE AND THIEVES - JUNIOR MURVIN
3. SHAKE SOME ACTION - THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES
4. SOUL DRACULA - HOT BLOOD
5. (DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER - BLUE ÖYSTER CULT
6. HEART OF THE CITY - NICK LOWE

SIDE FOUR
1. TOP TEN SEXES - LEWIS FUREY
2. KILL THAT ROACH - MIAMI
3. (I'M) STRANDED - THE SAINTS
4. NEW ROSE - THE DAMNED
5. STREET WAVES - PERE UBU
6. TIME'S UP – BUZZCOCKS

Jon Savage: In Conversation + Signing
Rough Trade Denmark Street
Sat, Oct 31, 7:15 PM
Rough Trade Denmark Street is very excited to present an in conversation and signing from Jon Savage. This unique event celebrates the release of his new compilation 'Jon Savage's 1976 Something Was Going To Happen' released via Ace Records.
Tickets include a physical copy of the fantastic new compilation to be collected from Rough Trade Denmark Street on the day of the event.

Deptford Northern Soul will be released: 31.10.2026 ✊2026 marks 10 years of London-based club night Deptford Northern So...
25/08/2026

Deptford Northern Soul will be released: 31.10.2026 ✊

2026 marks 10 years of London-based club night Deptford Northern Soul Club. Childhood friends Will Foot and Lewis Henderson, whose early love of soul developed after discovering Lewis’ Dad’s record collection, started DNSC a decade ago at Deptford’s Bunker Club in South East London. Since then, they have taken the hugely popular club-night all over the UK, performing at festivals such as Glastonbury, Green Man and End of the Road, and in iconic public arts institutions like Tate Modern, Southbank Centre and Manchester International Festival.

Whether behind the decks, dancing out front, or in discussion, their sheer love and passion for soul is infectious, as is the spark of friendship and mutual musical appreciation between the two of them. Thirty-two years old but with old heads on their sharply dressed young shoulders, they have emerged as the new face of Northern Soul, bringing the movement back into the conversation of modern dance music.

Over the past 6 years, DNSC has held residencies at London’s infamous Moth Club and at The Pink Room at YES in Manchester. They have also built up followings outside of London and Manchester, taking their party to some of the UK’s most well-known clubs and venues, such as, Sneaky Pete’s (Edinburgh), Concord 2 (Brighton), The Menagerie (Belfast), Belgrave Music Hall (Leeds), Zerox (Newcastle), Hare & Hounds (Birmingham), Lost Horizon (Bristol) and Faith in Strangers (Margate), to name a few.

Will and Lewis pride themselves on having cultivated a community and culture to their club-nights, where people forge their own experience with the genre and fall in love with some of the best music ever cut to wax, over a sound system that leaves noting to be desired – so, it might not be quite what you’d expect from a typical Northern Soul night, it isn’t like stepping back into the past, it’s like the music stepping forward into 21st century, with all the benefits of modern audio fidelity, bringing it back to where it deserves to be heard, in a very moving and dance-oriented way.

“We are incredibly honoured to be working with Ace Records to bring out this compilation to celebrate our first 10 years. Right from the start, Ace and its subsidiary label Kent were a huge inspiration for us. We finished our first set in The Bunker with a Kent record, ‘You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me)’ by Alice Clark, one of the finest pieces of music ever produced. Listening to it now, it brings back all of the memories of the past 10 years. Long live northern soul. Long live DNSC. Long live Ace Records. KTF.” – Deptford Northern Soul Club

1. I'M NOT YOUR REGULAR WOMAN - LUCILLE MATHIS
2. DON'T PRETEND - THE BELLES
3. I CAN FEEL YOUR LOVE - FELICE TAYLOR
4. LOVE IS ALL RIGHT - CLIFF NOBLES
5. I'M GONE - EDDIE PARKER
6. GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE - THE UNIQUES
7. GONE WITH THE WIND IS MY LOVE - RITA & THE TIARAS
8. INDICATION - ERNIE & ED
9. YOUR LOVE HAS GOT ME CHAINED AND BOUND - ALFREDA BROCKINGTON
10. I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY - THE QUOTATIONS
11. NOW YOU'VE GOT THE UPPER HAND - CANDI STATON
12. (IT'S AGAINST) THE LAWS OF LOVE - THE VOLCANOS
13. MY YOUNG MISERY - DARROW FLETCHER
14. YOU HIT ME (RIGHT WHERE IT HURT ME) - ALICE CLARK
15. WHAT CAN I DO NOW - JIMMY LEWIS
16. LOVE IS NOT A GAME - SAM E SOLO
17. SOUL SUPERMAN - THE HESITATIONS
18. LAY THIS BURDEN DOWN - MARY LOVE
19. WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL - LITTLE ANN
20. MAD AT THE WORLD - THE EPSILONS
21. THE SAME OLD THING - THE OLYMPICS
22. THIS HEART IS LONELY - ROSE BATISTE
23. WITHOUT YOU BABY - IRMA AND THE LARKS
24. LOST LOVE - LEE WILLIAMS & THE CYMBALS
25. LOVE ADDICT - HONEY & THE BEES
26. LIGHTEN UP BABY - TY KARIM
27. WHAT CAN I DO - LORRAINE CHANDLER
28. WE GO TOGETHER - THE CAVALIERS

A new chapter begins at Chiswick Records with the release of the brand-new single from Scott Lavene. The first in a seri...
21/08/2026

A new chapter begins at Chiswick Records with the release of the brand-new single from Scott Lavene. The first in a series of exclusive releases, it is available as a strictly limited edition of just 500 copies.

Scott is one of the UK's most distinctive contemporary songwriters, blending sharp observational storytelling, dark humour and working-class realism. Often compared to Ian Dury, Jarvis Cocker and John Cooper Clarke, his songs are populated by dreamers, outsiders and everyday characters.

"Full of great poignant, funny and sad songs that display the man’s great writing talents.” Louder Than War
“Think Baxter Dury’s warped kid brother.” The Times
"A master storyteller." Tom Robinson
"Sounds like an updated version of something that Stiff Records would have released in the 70s" Steve Lamacq
"The very finest example of an up & coming singer-songwriter making music today." Dangerous Minds

From Scott:
"I'm so thrilled to have my new single released on Chiswick Records. To be part of a label full of music I've always adored is very special to me. Count Bishops, Joe Strummer, Motorhead, The Damned and Johnny Moped to name but a few. These two new songs, Decisions and Be Happy are the first songs recorded in my new home studio, straight to tape, full of charm and loose living. See you out there."

His acclaimed fourth album, Cars, Buses, Bedsits and Shops, earned praise for its vivid Essex and East End narratives and sold-out tour dates throughout the UK. Following a return to the South East and the launch of his analogue Milk City Studios, Scott returns with Acoustic Songs & Stories, an intimate tour featuring highlights from his catalogue, new material and the wit and warmth that have built him a devoted cult following:

14.08 • Leamington Spa • Temperance • SOLD OUT
15.08 • Barnoldswick • BMAAC
16.08 • Strines • John Bramwell's March Hare Vol. I
16.09 • London • The Water Rats
17.09 • Portsmouth • Edge of the Wedge
18.09 • St Leonards-on-Sea • The Piper
19.09 • Tunbridge Wells • Forum Basement
20.09 • Brighton • The Folklore Rooms
26.09 • Westcliff-on-Sea • Fickle Pickle Club
27.09 • Northampton • The Black Prince
03.10 • Ramsgate • Ramsgate Music Hall
24.10 • Trowbridge • The Pump
30.10 • Budapest, HU • House of Music
03.11 • Paris, FR • Supersonic
18.11 • Norwich • The Holloway
19.11 • Leicester • Duffy's Bar
20.11 • Stoke-on-Trent • The Artisan Tap
21.11 • Malvern • West Malvern Social Club
22.11 • Cardiff • Paradise Garden
27.11 • Oxford • Jericho Tavern
28.11 • Bedford • Esquires

"Continental dancefloor bliss." ⭐⭐⭐⭐
18/08/2026

"Continental dancefloor bliss." ⭐⭐⭐⭐

14/08/2026

Joaquin ”Joe” Claussell's new remix of Fatback Band's 'Spanish Hustle' is out now on all digital platforms! Known for its infectious groove, Latin-infused percussion, and driving bassline, it remains a staple in funk and soul.

Listen here: https://lnk.to/JoeClaussell-SpanishHustle

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