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If you would like to be able to listen to The Five Aces in the comfort of your own stereo, you can do no better than to mosey on over to our web site and buy our new CD. Please note that there is no vinyl pressing at present, or imminently planned, although we will keep you posted if we manage to sort something out.

Biographical Infomercial

By their own admission The Five Aces are "a rhythm & blues group based in Glasgow". They also claim to have an exciting live set designed for dancers. It is best to assume for now that they are referring to a troupe of Go-Go Dancers in skimpy costumes (or perhaps nipple tassles) rather than a dance floor of gyrating drunkards.

Armed with a hammond organ, a drum set and a singer (who brandishes other instruments), as well as the obligatory bass guitarist and guitar player, the band, in the words of top record producer Bosco Mann (Daptone Records) "successfully reclaim R&B" from it's "modern bastardization by major label pop".

Loosely speaking, their brand of music spans the period between the late 1950s and 1960s where rhythm & blues had almost started to develop into soul music and hammond organs played instrumentals that girls danced to. Rock n' roll was all about the twist, the monkey and 1001 other dance crazes and beat was not yet beaten into submission by the rock.

Within that description you will find them playing a generally uptempo selection of their own songs and interpretations of chart toppers previously performed by the likes of Eddie Bo, Lowell Fulson, Ray Charles, The Gardenias and of course the British Groups of yesteryear. The vocal side of their performances are augmented by instrumental toe tappers by the likes of Booker T & The MG's, Jimmy McGriff and The John Barry 7.

Although I find them and their silly little jokes rather annoying in person The Five Aces do seem to produce a thoroughly splendid musical and rhythmic presentation every time they perform. For the life of me I can't see why this type of dance beat music is even acceptable fare in today's curmudgeonly times. But something that sounds like "a perfect marriage of Stax and Chess Records" (Blues In Britain Magazine) can only ever be considered a good thing. - R. Auld, Beat Bash Magazine

The Five Aces on Youtube

You can see some footage of us playing Movin' On (as featured on our CD Shout & Shimmy!), on a Saturday afternoon in June, just after the full moon, in Dundonia (note: there are a number of clips from the same gig, uploaded by the same user here).

There's also some footage of us playing at the Crossroads Cafe in Antwerp (more footage from the same user here:

Bookings

For Bookings in Europe (excluding Holland and Spain), The States and indeed the rest of the world contact: duncan@thefiveaces.co.uk

In Holland the band is represented by Mojo Concerts and for booking enquiries you should contact: k.krosschell@mojo.nl

In Spain the band is represented by iwanna management and trouble & tea and all booking enquiries should be directed to: euroyeye@telecable.es

Pre-History of The Five Aces

Previously, the group was known as The Boogaloo Investigators, formed in 2001 and their sound was based around late-sixties/early-seventies funk, mid-sixties R&B, soul and hammond jazz.

By the end of 2004, the out and out funk material had disappeared entirely from the live repertoire, although this was still a genre that the group was largely associated with. A change of name became an increasingly attractive proposition, and just a year later the group had managed to think of one.

Buy The Boogaloo Investigators Dynamighty! CD

The Boogaloo Investigators' Dynamighty! CD is still available, and can be ordered online for £10 + P&P by clicking here.

Buy The Boogaloo Investigators Dynamighty! LP

If you are interested in a copy on vinyl instead of CD, contact Vinyl Revival, 5 Hilton Street, Manchester, M4 1LP. Tel. 0161 661 6393 E-mail vinylrevival@btinternet.com. Cost for vinyl is £12.50 including P&P for UK (enquire with them if you require European and Worldwide postage rates).