Complete Duke Recordings: Memorial Album

Johnny Ace | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 13, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hip-O Select
• ASIN: B000BQOVZ8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,623 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

50 years ago, Johnny Ace entered pop history for all the wrong reasons. Playing a game of Russian roulette backstage in Houston on Christmas Day of 1954, Ace was felled by a single shot. Ace had a great number of reasons to want to live, foremost among them being his career, which couldn't have been much hotter. He'd had a chart-topper with the song "The Clock," and had scored several Top Ten R&B chart hits as well. Among his musical cohorts were such notables as B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and Johnny Otis. One can only wonder what Ace might have become, had he lived to be older than 25. Poised as he was at the junction of R&B and rock and roll, he might have joined Little Richard and Chuck Berry as one of the founders of rock. Instead, we are left with a few great sides, some dimming memories, and a lot of questions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THIS WILL PROBLEY BE THIS CLOSEST YOU'LL GET TO JOHNNY ACE'S COMPLETE DUKE RECORDINGS, BUT THIS IS MISSING A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS, December 22, 2007

By 

Mr. Nightshift (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Complete Duke Recordings: Memorial Album (Audio CD)

The sound quality is great! The digi packaging is real nice! A very short, but To-The-Point informative booklet is also included, and ALL Johnny's UNBROKEN STRING of Billboard Charted Hit Singles: "My Song" (#1), "Cross My Heart" (#4), "The Clock" (#1) "Saving My Love For You" (#3), "Please Forgive Me" (#6), "Never Let Me Go" (#9) And a Cleaned-Up perfect version of: "Pledging My Love" (#1). This song has ALWAYS been heard in a poorly spliced version, but has been 'Doctored' or Corrected here. Now on the down side...This collection has the version of "Anymore"

with the Chorus Singers (Maybe the Merry Melody Singers or The Anita Kerr Singers) a failed attempt on Duke Records trying to gain 'Crossover' sales. The 'Original' version was on the original "Memorial Album" (And released on a Single). It is nowhere to found here? I believe there was even a version (With Chorus Singers) of "Pledging My Love" and maybe even others???. The BIG let down is a Edited Version of "Never Let Me Go" I only know of a 2:48 version, NOT this Edited Version found here on this CD? Even if BOTH versions were included even that wouldn't have been too painful. This is not the first time reissue producer Andy McKae has messed up. It wouldn't hurt if Mr. McKae did his homework just a little bit better, especially if you're gonna call this 'The Complete', and we're paying over $20.00 we should get our money's worth. Overall this is still a nice collection...Even when you get over the goof-ups.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars johnny ace still rules, April 15, 2008

By 

John P. Janssen "mr.j" (l.i,N.Y.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Complete Duke Recordings: Memorial Album (Audio CD)

if you never heard johnny ace? please do so now! so sad he killed himself, he was one of the best! real old'old school!

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CD!, May 26, 2010

By 

M. Fowlkes "Travel Junkie" (WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Duke Recordings: Memorial Album (Audio CD)

I bought this for my dad. It was in new condition (unopened). He loves it. It shipped in about 9 days.