Ace were one of the few pub rock groups to enjoy success on the pop charts, 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, favouring 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.

Best known for their hit single “How Long”, which was a top 20 single in the United Kingdom in 1974 and reached no. 3 in the United States and Canada in 1975.