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.

Wow, thanks for all the entries folks! This month's winners were: Ian LythabyShaun Michael ForanTrevor WalkerAs ever, ta...
28/11/2025

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

Ian Lythaby
Shaun Michael Foran
Trevor Walker

As ever, tag them below if you know them, 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...
28/11/2025

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. 🙏

"Highway Of Diamonds - Black America Sings Bob Dylan" will be released: 30.01.2026 🔥Ace’s small but ever-evolving “Black...
27/11/2025

"Highway Of Diamonds - Black America Sings Bob Dylan" will be released: 30.01.2026 🔥

Ace’s small but ever-evolving “Black America Sings…” series has been quiet of late, but it springs back into action this month with the 2-LP and CD releases of “Highway Of Diamonds” – a second dip onto the catalogue of Bob Dylan, as reimagined by some of the foremost African-American artists of the 20th century.

From almost the start of his songwriting career, Dylan’s words and music have impacted on black American music, with ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’, speaking to an America that was still mostly segregated and becoming an anthem for all colours and creeds. As Dylan’s own career progressed, so did the number of covers he received, with a significant amount coming from what might be termed ‘non-traditional’ sources such as those heard here.

The 20 songs on “Highway Of Diamonds” continue the story that was told in part on the earlier “How Many Roads” compilation, with an almost entirely different selection of artists lending their voices to some of the best songwriting of the 20th century, and an almost entirely different selection of songs (with the exception of ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ itself, which provides a common thread linking the story told across the two sets).

Big names from the worlds of soul, gospel and jazz, timeless songs and, for many, new ways of appreciating ever-durable material make “Highway Of Diamonds” as essential a purchase as its predecessor.

As ever, the great audio is complemented by a handsomely illustrated package on both CD and double vinyl, with a plethora of illustrations and in depth song-by-song-and-track-by-track annotation by Ace legend Tony Rounce.

1. A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL - THE STAPLE SINGERS
2. EVERYTHING IS BROKEN - BETTYE LAVETTE
3. JUST LIKE TOM THUMB'S BLUES - NINA SIMONE
4. GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY - NATALIE COLE
5. IT AIN'T ME BABE - MAXINE WELDON
6. IT'S ALRIGHT MA (I'M ONLY BLEEDING) - BILLY PRESTON
7. THE MIGHTY QUINN - SOLOMON BURKE
8. RAINY DAY WOMEN #12 & 35 - MERRY CLAYTON
9. SHELTER FROM THE STORM - CASSANDRA WILSON
10. THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN' - THE BROTHERS & SISTERS OF LOS ANGELE
11. TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME - HARRY BELAFONTE
12. BABY I'M IN THE MOOD FOR YOU - ODETTA
13. DON'T FALL APART ON ME TONIGHT - AARON NEVILLE
14. IF NOT FOR YOU - SARAH VAUGHAN
15. GEORGE JACKSON - JP ROBINSON
16. WHEN HE RETURNS - JIMMY SCOTT
17. I THREW IT ALL AWAY - THE BO-KEYS
18. DOWN ALONG THE COVE - JOHNNY JENKINS
19. EVERY GRAIN OF SAND - LIZZ WRIGHT
20. BLOWIN' IN THE WIND - THE CARAVANS

Ace Records 50th Anniversary Auction Ends Tomorrow!A reminder that the Wax Poetics x Ace Records 50th Anniversary Collec...
19/11/2025

Ace Records 50th Anniversary Auction Ends Tomorrow!

A reminder that the Wax Poetics x Ace Records 50th Anniversary Collection closes tomorrow.
This auction brings together original artefacts pulled directly from Ace’s Letchworth warehouse - a space shaped by five decades of obsessive curatorship.
The Collection reflects the label’s deep history, spanning rock ’n’ roll, R&B, soul, funk, and the many genres Ace has championed over the years.
The selection includes artist photographs, rare artwork, album proofs, tour posters, print blocks, handpicked records and ephemera, all preserved within the Ace archive.

More details here: https://waxpoetics.com/collections/the-ace-records-collection

Many thanks to our friends at Rough Trade for picking so many of our releases in their Compilations & Reissues of the Ye...
18/11/2025

Many thanks to our friends at Rough Trade for picking so many of our releases in their Compilations & Reissues of the Year 2025 list. The Paul Weller was an absolute highlight for us, worth the many years it took to carefully bring it to life. 🔥✊

Full story here: https://blog.roughtrade.com/gb/compilations-and-reissues-of-2025/

18/11/2025

To mark 50 years of Ace Records, Wax Poetics took a trip down to the Ace warehouse in Letchworth - a space that feels less like storage and more like a living museum.

Every corner holds five decades of obsessive curatorship: out-of-print books used for liner notes, test pressings, artist headshots, live photos, bill posters and promo artwork documenting entire eras of music history.

We dug through it all! Uncovering stories, rarities, and the people who keep Ace’s spirit alive.

This Collection is stacked with gems: buy-it-now photographs and prints, rare books, test pressings, and even Funakdelic bricks up for auction.

Check out the Ace Collection here: https://waxpoetics.com/collections/the-ace-records-collection

The final two Ace 50 Ltd Edition Coloured Vinyl Releases (due: 28.11.2025). 🔥* Ace Records close the curtains on their...
17/11/2025

The final two Ace 50 Ltd Edition Coloured Vinyl Releases (due: 28.11.2025). 🔥

* Ace Records close the curtains on their 50th anniversary celebrations with a royal flush of classic releases that define the label. Five of them are limited editions on coloured vinyl whereas one is a stone cold classic reissued in it’s original form.

The fledgling Ace records risked it all in financing this album back in 1977 that is now hailed as an all-time metal classic. Motörhead has literally never been out of print and producer Speedy Keen caught lightning in a bottle on classic tracks such as ‘Motorhead’, ‘White Line Fever’ and ‘Keep Us On The Road’. This limited edition of 500 is pressed on silver vinyl in an act of homage to the original first pressing that had Joe Petangno’s famed band logo printed in silver on the front cover.

* Our classic Link Wray compilation album “The Early Years” was originally released by Ace in 1978.

Backed by his Raymen this album excavated tracks from his years with the Swan label and contains classic Link Wray instrumental tracks such as his prowl through the ‘Batman Theme’, ‘Rumble’. ‘Jack The Ripper’, ‘Ace of Spades’ and many more.

“Early Recordings” is released here on sunflower yellow vinyl and limited to 500 copies.

13/11/2025

Keb Darge has perfect taste…

To mark 50 years of Ace Records, Wax Poetics have curated a very special collection of everything from rock ’n’ roll and R&B to soul, funk and deep cuts, this collection captures Ace’s unmatched commitment to preservation and storytelling with a mix of auction and buy-it-now items.

Check out the Ace Records Collection at Wax Poetics website here: https://waxpoetics.com/collections/the-ace-records-collection

Collection includes a very special selection of 45s hand picked by Keb.
_____________

A distinctive piece of Ace Records history, this vintage leather-bound record chest was found nestled in a corner of the Ace HQ - a timeworn item housing a selection of handpicked soul & funk 45s curated by legendary Scottish dj and producer Keb Darge, credited with coining the term deep funk. Darge’s influence across Northern soul, deep funk, garage punk, and rockabilly has been considerable, with his curatorial work helping to shape the sound and identity of the Ace and Kent Records catalogues. This collection reflects that same ethos – discerning, soulful, and made for gittin’ up, up to the dancefloor. The chest itself carries the charm of age: leather-bound with a weathered clasp and latch, lightly rusted over time, it recalls an era when every record held its own story.

Words by Dan Dodds

The first three Ltd Edition Coloured Vinyl Releases due: 28.11.2025) 🔥* Produced by Ace legend Roger Armstrong, “Machi...
12/11/2025

The first three Ltd Edition Coloured Vinyl Releases due: 28.11.2025) 🔥

* Produced by Ace legend Roger Armstrong, “Machine Gun Etiquette” was originally released in 1979.

This third Damned album is a stone cold classic and spawned hit singles such as ‘Love Song’, ‘Smash It Up’ and ‘I Just Can’t Be Happy Today’.

Every track is solid gold and not only took the band to a different level but laid down the foundations of a career that sees The Damned celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2026.

This limited edition of 500 copies is pressed on fuschia coloured vinyl.

* As they developed musically The Damned were not afraid to add more elements to their music including a mild case of psychedelia and potent goth darkness. ‘History Of The World Part 1’ and ‘Wait For The Blackout’ were just two fantastic singles lifted from “The Black Album”.

Other tracks such as ‘13th Floor Vendetta’ and ‘Drinking About My Baby’ remain potent. The third side was given over to the ambitious 17-minute long ‘Curtain Call’ and the fourth contained live versions of classic tracks. This Anniversary Edition is limited to 500 copies pressed on white vinyl.

* The Damned took great delight in putting up this fictional umbrella under which they covered all manner of 60s classics such as The Human Beinz ‘Nobody But Me’, The Seeds ‘The Wind Blows Your Hair’ and The Litter’s ‘Action Woman’.

The front cover artwork purported the fiction that it was the soundtrack to a lost 1967 film. The original version of “Give Daddy The Knife Cindy” released in 1984 was waxed on purple vinyl although since then we have pressed it on black.

This limited edition of 500 is pressed on purple vinyl. With the Damned remaining red hot and approaching their 50th anniversary year in 2026, this one is sure to sell out before you can sing ‘I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)’.

"..this is all California all the way, even when its geography doesn't agree. It's choral, it's orchestral, and it bring...
05/11/2025

"..this is all California all the way, even when its geography doesn't agree. It's choral, it's orchestral, and it brings the US West Coast's version of summertime into your ears more than any Beach Boys song could do, if you can imagine such a thing." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Shindig! Magazine... the latest! 🙏

If you missed it yesterday, here's the BBC iPlayer link for Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong's guest spot on Cerys Matthe...
03/11/2025

If you missed it yesterday, here's the BBC iPlayer link for Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong's guest spot on Cerys Matthews' BBC Radio 6 Music show. Great stories and superb music as always.👌

"Cerys presents your Sunday sonic and cultural/social adventure. She chats to Roger Armstrong & Ted Carroll, founder members of Ace Records as they turn 50. Founded as Chiswick Records and later Ace Records, the label has been pivotal in shaping UK independent music from the 1970s onward. They're celebrating 50 years of the label, known for its genre-spanning catalogue, from Northern Soul to Rockabilly, Acid Jazz to World Music. Their legacy includes launching careers (Joe Strummer, Kirsty MacColl), reviving forgotten gems, and curating iconic compilations."
Starts 57.55mins in:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ldr2

Wow, thanks for all the entries folks! This months winners were: John SweeneyIan BurseGraeme JohnstonAs ever, if you kno...
31/10/2025

Wow, thanks for all the entries folks! This months winners were:

John Sweeney
Ian Burse
Graeme Johnston

As ever, if you know them tag them below, so they don't miss this post. 🤩

Address

Such Close
Letchworth
SG61JF

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ace Records posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Ace Records:

Shortcuts

Share

Category