To read Ace Records is to explore the history of modern music and to
discover the stories of the people that made it. Visually stunning and
hugely entertaining, the book chronicles this fascinating label and
profiles a diverse range of artists including BB King, John Fahey, Lee
Hazlewood and Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.
From humble beginnings at a London market stall, Ace Records has gone on
to change the face of popular music. Now the world's foremost blues,
rockabilly, soul and rock 'n' roll reissue label, Ace Records has been
responsible for unearthing lost classics and neglected pioneers for over
three decades, and provided some of the finest and most influential
records of the post-war era. The first comprehensive history of this
fascinating label, Ace Records takes in some of the finest and most
enduring modern music, rock 'n' roll, soul, funk, blues, jazz, R&B,
garage rock and punk.
Based on the core values of reclamation, restoration and research, Ace
Records has travelled far and wide--resurrecting the forgotten giants of
the American music scene. From the earliest pre-war blues and Cajun
recordings made in the Deep South, to the explosion of rock 'n' roll, to
the soaring soul sounds of the 1960s and 70s, the label has rescued a
rich cultural legacy and preserved this music for generations to come.
Signing some of the most exciting young rock 'n' roll bands to come out
of the UK, Ace Records christened the burgeoning psychobilly genre as it
championed bands like The Meteors and The Cramps.
Illustrated with many unseen archive photographs dating back to the
1920s, rare artwork and newspaper clippings, and written by established
music journalist and author David Stubbs, Ace Records is a highly
entertaining and visually stunning guide to a pioneering alternative to
the mainstream UK music scene.
