Holiday Gift Guide 2020
“Santa Baby, slip a CD under the tree, for me…”
Yes, folks, the Season To Be Jolly is with us once again. The time of year when thoughts turn to peace on Earth, goodwill to all men and an earnest hope that those Elmore James, B.B. King and Fame Records boxed sets you’ve been hoping to own for years will be hanging in a stocking by the fireplace.
How pleasant would it be this Christmas night to slip away to the record room while the other half is watching Kill The Midwife or Strictly Christmas Specials, crack open a cold beer and crank up a seasonal helping of ‘Dust My Broom’ or ‘Sweet Sixteen’?
Who needs mince pies, port and stilton or other sundry filling when you could be gorging yourself on Ace’s Zombies boxed set, or any of our award winning Southern Soul selections? Never mind all that Dasher, Prancer and Vixen caper – bring on Carter, Jackson and Staton with music that’ll do you right all year round.
For anyone who’s stuck for an idea for a Christmas pressie suggestion, for themselves or someone else of similarly exquisite taste, we’ve made a list (and checked it twice to help you decide where to spend your record token money, in the absence of actual record tokens these days. It may be an idea to leave this webpage open and in full view of the other half if there’s been moaning that you’re difficult to buy for. Better you get that Ace T-shirt (or any of the others from our extensive range) you’ve been craving than another lurid escapee from the Val Doonican Christmas cardigan collection.
Do You Hear What I Hear? Is it the Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour 6CD set in a natty slipcase, by any chance?
If it isn’t, I guarantee that those will be your chestnuts roasting on that open fire, Santa Baby…
So, although it’s been said – many times, many ways…
GIVE (OR GET) ACE RELEASES THIS CHRISTMAS!
Selected releases
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Cafe Exil - New Adventures In European Music 1972-1980
Eclectic
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
CD £11.50
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Cafe Exil - New Adventures In European Music 1972-1980
Eclectic
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
LP £29.01
Cafe Exil
When David Bowie and Iggy Pop escaped LA to go Interrailing in the mid-70s, they heard a new European music that was largely devoid of Anglo-American rock influence: the German motorik sound, flashes of jazz, experimentation and electronica. In West Berlin, one of their favourite haunts was Kreuzberg's Cafe Exil, a smoky hang-out for beats and intellectuals. This is its imaginary soundtrack.
Rough Trade Compilation of the Year 2020
"Perfect music for living in squalor on a diet of franfurters and cocaine!" Shindig ★★★★
"Surveying some of the most innovative acts of the decade.. Cafe Exil hints at a widespread movement and plays like the first disc of a much larger compilation. UNCUT ★★★★★★★
A Shindig Various Artists Compilation of the Year 2020
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Bob Stanley presents 76 In The Shade
Pop
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
CD £11.50
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Bob Stanley presents 76 In The Shade
Pop
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
LP £29.01
76 in the Shade
The summer of 1976 has remained a benchmark for long, hot summers – there may have been scorchers since, but none have seemed quite as relentless. This album evokes the feel of that summer.
“It’s an immaculately constructed anthology that pinpoints a very specific series of moods – sultry, erotic, hypnagogic – and then sustains them for well over an hour of sweltering pleasure.” Shindig ★★★★
A Rough Trade Compilation of the Year 2020
A Shindig Various Artists Compilation of the Year 2020
A Record Collector Reissue of the Year 2020
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John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker’s 1949-1952 recordings made in Detroit, Michigan by Bernard Besman with 19 previously unissued.
"both for lovers of the early post-war Detroit blues and for those who admire Hooker’s oeuvre, this is anessential buy. Grab it now!" Blues and Rhythm (CD of the Month)
MOJO ★★★★★
Record Collector ★★★★★
A Record Collector Reissue of the Year 2020
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The Sound of the R&B Hits
With The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Georgie Fame and many more mining Motown songs, the ‘sound’ of the R & B hits... was the first UK compilation of studio recordings from Berry Gordy’s hugely influential label. Now doubled in length, this collection traces the evolution of Motown in the UK to the moment it scored its first chartbuster in May 1964.
"a thrilling listen, its power undiminished by time or familiarity" Record Collector ★★★★★
"this is the raw early Motown sound that found fans in The Beatles and Dusty Springfield, early champions of Berry Gordy's fledgling label." Shindig
"The UKs early introduction to a sound that would permeate the '60s. Mojo ★★★★
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Mina
Great mid-60s recordings by Italy’s greatest-ever female pop star – spectacular singing, superb songs, stunning orchestrations.
"If there are comparisons to be made, then they are with Dusty Springfield. But Mina is really out there on her own." MOJO ★★★★
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Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters loom large over the modern gospel landscape, something that rests mainly on the legacy of their soul and jazz-influenced recordings for Detroit’s Sound Of Gospel label. Sample the highlights here.
"they redefined the genre over six albums in five years, recording songs that embraced, jazz, blues but mainly the then contemporary sounds of disco.... their ecstatic vocals framed in choppy guitars, poppin' bass and glossy slick production." MOJO ★★★★
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This Is Fame 1964-1968
Southern Soul
Various Artists (Fame)
CD £11.50
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This Is Fame 1964-1968
Southern Soul
Various Artists (Fame)
LP £18.43
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This Is Fame 1964-1968 (MP3)
Southern Soul
Various Artists (Fame)
MP3 £7.99
This is Fame
From the dawn of Southern Soul Fame Records was the home of some of the most important recordings ever made.
"Inspiring" MOJO ★★★★★
A Shindig Various Artists Compilation of the Year 2020
Everything is great here, from Jimmy Hughes’ self-penned Steal Away and Hall’s studio house band, The Del-Rays’ cover of Benny Spellman’s Fortune Teller to June Conquest’s sole issue on the label; the ace Almost Persuaded, co-written by Dan Penn ★★★★
Record Collector
24 southern soul scorchers ★★★★
Shindig
Well packaged and thoroughly annotated, this is a splendid tribute to Rick Hall and his musician's creativity ★★★★1/2
Echoes
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Tea & Symphony - The English Baroque Sound 1968-1974
Pop
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
CD £11.50
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Tea & Symphony - The English Baroque Sound 1968-1974
Pop
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
LP £29.01
Tea & Symphony
The English Baroque sound shunned guitar solos for string quartets and woodwind, drenched in summer-into-autumn melancholy. Never far away from the charts of the late 60s and early 70s, it was informed by Paul McCartney’s ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘For No One’, the Zombies’ “Odessey And Oracle”, and the chamber pop of the Bee Gees and Scott Walker. Just add a harpsichord, a pot of tea and a ginger cat on the windowsill.
"the wistful autumnal run-off from '60s psych, Macca harmonies wedded to Wally Stott strings...singing of lost youth, faded dreams and crumbling country houses." MOJO ★★★★
A Shindig Various Artists Compilation of the Year 2020
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Kenny Carter
Kenny was a venerated New York soul ballad singer whose lavishly produced, never released, RCA album and singles are presented here for the first time.
"...the apotheosis of deep soul. In spectacular voice throughout, Carter deserves a lasting legacy." MOJO ★★★★
"think Roy Hamilton, Garnett Mimms, and an orchestra united in a show of controlled passion and power, threaded with a genuine beauty peaking with simply three of the greatest recordings ever committed to wax." Record Collector ★★★★★
"Top billing goes to the extraordinary 'Showdown', an epic deep soul ballad that ebbs and flows with dramtic crescendos." Shindig
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Thom Bell
Thom Bell, along with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, was part of the holy trinity of Philly soul. This is the first-ever compilation of his productions and arrangements. (Compiled by Bob Stanley)
“All tracks are marked by the lustrous, lighter-than-air delicacy and a refusal to be weighed down by pop music convention that is a Thom Bell trademark.” The Philadelphia Inquirer
"sumptuous" Shindig ★★★★
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Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present Occasional Rain
70s Rock
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
CD £11.50
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Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present Occasional Rain
70s Rock
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
LP £29.01
Occasional Rain
This is England, the day after the 60s. It’s a time of flux. On the cusp of progressive rock but without a rule book. The result is some wonderful, atmospheric, rain-flecked music.
"...this is the sound of a rock scene in serious realignment and it is heartrendingly wonderful to behold." MOJO ★★★★★
"this is music made without any preconceptions, and it’s all the better for it." Shindig ★★★★★
Shindig Various Artists Compilation of the Year 2020
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Brigitte Bardot
The first Bardot anthology expressly compiled for an English-speaking audience highlights the screen icon’s equally striking disc catalogue. The booklet includes a rare interview granted especially for this release.
"With great mastering, an insightful track-by-track commentary and that Bardot-featuring essay, this is a winner." MOJO ★★★★
"The best of BB on record. What more could you want?" Record Collector ★★★★★
A Shindig Single Artist Compilation of the Year 2020
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Totalement Chic!
All three volumes in our French girl singers series housed in this elegant rigid card slipcase.
A glorious compilation. Record Collector ★★★★★
Had Mike Meyer's Austin Powers films been set in sinful Paris as opposed to swinging London, these 24 tracks would have provided the perfect soundtrack. allmusic.com ★★★★ 1/2
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'The Fame Studios Story'
The story of the studio that put the Muscle Shoals sound on the map.
MOJO ★★★★★
It's an essential purchase! Record Collector ★★★★★
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Back to the River
A follow up to the award-winning “Take Me To The River”, this set brings you 75 more slices of exquisite Southern Soul.
Exhilarating stuff. MOJO ★★★★
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B.B. King 'The Vintage Years'
B.B. King is an international icon, the founding father of the blues and rock guitar styles. His landmark recordings of the 1950s and early 1960s for RPM, Kent and Crown were so influential at the time, and still are. We proudly present 106 tracks from that extraordinary body of work.
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Theme Time Radio Hour Complete Series
150 songs and 75 years of musical dreams, schemes and themes drawn from the first three series of Bob Dylan's highly acclaimed Theme Time Radio Hour radio show. This is a limited edition bundle set, housed in the now hard-to-find Theme Time Radio Hour slipcase.
This collection is something else...it could hardly be a better primer for the shows themselves. MOJO ★★★★★
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The Fugs 'Don't Stop! Don't Stop!'
Compiled and annotated by Ed Sanders, founder Fug, with over two hours of previously unreleased Fugs mayhem.
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The Zombies 'Zombie Heaven'
4CDs. 119 tracks all mastered from original tapes. 42 previously unissued. 68 page book. Many previously unpublished photographs. Memorabilia from the band's archive.
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'Fame Singles Box'
The limited edition “Fame Singles Box” is something very special indeed. Within its packaging can be found faithful facsimiles of four of the rarest Fame singles from the 1960s, including the company’s first ever 45, by the Del Rays, Northern Soul classics by James Barnett and Art Freeman, and Jimmy Hughes’ Island Soul rarity ‘You Might As Well Forget Him’, plus a bonus, a previously unissued test pressing. Packaged in homage of Fame’s own original mailout envelopes.
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'A Southern Soul Story'
Take Me To The River is a selection of 75 songs that tell the story of the golden era of Southern Soul 1961-77 with full notes and lavish illustrations in a 72 page booklet.
A belter...a collection that will haul in new listeners with its mixture of the accessible and predictable and satisfy established fans with a running order that contextualises, tracks and maps the music's growth. MOJO ★★★★
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Gil Scott-Heron 'The Revolution Begins'
One of the most important voices of black America, Gil Scott-Heron emerged from the edges of the Black Arts Movement. This 3CD set features his first three albums and a rare track cut with Pretty Purdie’s band, plus a bonus disc containing an alternate version of the “Free Will” album – every surviving piece of music Gil recorded for the Flying Dutchman label.
Intelligent, engaging, brimming with righteous anger and humour. MOJO ★★★★
Masterpiece Record Collector ★★★★★ (Reissue of the Month)
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'Make it Your Sound, Make it Your Scene'
Between the late 50s and early 70s, Vanguard Records led the field in folk, blues and old timey music. Artists as diverse as Skip James, Bob Dylan, John Fahey and Country Joe & the Fish, chronicled the emerging folk scene and the point at which these transmuted into psychedelic rock. The Newport Folk Festival recordings brought a host of artists to an international audience.
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'Rhythm & Blues Christmas'
Christmas comes but once a year, but an Ace Christmas record comes but once in a lifetime. Rich, varied and full of ho ho ho with a side of misery, so get it while stocks last. Not just for Christmas, but forever.
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Darlene Love 'So Much Love'
24 gems from the remarkable recording career of queen bee session singer turned Broadway star Darlene Love, featuring solo sides, tracks fronting the Blossoms in their various guises, movie soundtrack songs and three great previously unissued performances.
MOJO ★★★★
A wonderful showcase. Record Collector ★★★★
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Phil Spector 'The Early Productions'
The early work of a genius in the making. Where it all began for Phil Spector. Our 24 page booklet plots his early years in a fully illustrated 6,500 word essay.
Record Collector ★★★★
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Joan Baez 'Noel'
Doyenne of the 60s folk scene with a superb selection of Christmas songs from the French, English, Catalan, German and Welsh traditions - a world festivity.
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The New Possibility: Guitar Soli Christmas Album/Christmas With John Fahey
Folk
John Fahey
CD £11.50
John Fahey 'Christmas with John Fahey'
A complete collection of the original recordings of Fahey's Christmas songs - taken from his two best selling LPs.
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Ace Records Cotton Bag
Launched, just in time for Christmas, the Ace Records Cotton Bag! For many more designs see our merchandise pages here: acerecords.co.uk/browse/merchandise/bags
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Ace Records T Shirt
A new Ace t-shirt for 2014 designed by one of our favourite graphic designers Niall McCormack. For (many) more tees, see our merchandise page here: acerecords.co.uk/browse/t-shirts
