Ace (UK)

Ace were a British rock band formed in Sheffield, England, in December 1972, best remembered for their smooth, laid-back hit single «How Long», a track that blended rock, soul, and soft-pop sensibilities and became a transatlantic hit. The band was fronted by Paul Carrack on vocals and keyboards, alongside Terry «Tex» Comer on bass, Phil Harris and Alan «Bam» King on guitars, and Fran Byrne on drums — several members, including Carrack and Comer, had previously played together in the progressive rock band Warm Dust.

Ace's sound favored polished musicianship and soulful vocal delivery over the harder edges of contemporaneous rock, placing them closer to the yacht-rock and blue-eyed soul currents of the mid-1970s. Despite the success of «How Long», the band never replicated that commercial breakthrough with subsequent singles, and they are generally regarded as one-hit wonders in the broader rock canon.

The group released three studio albums before disbanding in 1977 with No Strings. Their most lasting legacy came afterward through Paul Carrack's career, as he became a respected vocalist and keyboardist known for his work with Squeeze and Mike + The Mechanics, as well as a successful solo career, keeping Ace's musical DNA present in the wider story of British rock.