It's 1974. You best friend just picked you up in his new (used) car that cost him $500.00. Problem was it only had an AM radio (he was saving his money for an cassette player). So, let the channel flipping begin.
And one of the only songs I remember trying to find was "How Long" by Ace.
Even with vocals from the talented Paul Carrack, who would later join groups such as Squeeze, Mike and The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, Ace could never match their success of "How Long" (#3 in the U.S.)
and disbanded as a one-hit wonder.
The guilt? Wanting to turn off the song as soon as that wonderfully under-stated, over-effected guitar solo was done.
There was a transitional period in the early 70s when bands were trying to write rock tunes that could get played on both AM (3-minute songs) and FM (less format and content restrictive) stations, thus creating the "soft rock" genre in the process - Ambrosia's "How Much I Feel" and Player's "Baby Come Back" are some examples - but "How Long" by Ace feels like the first (and last) song of the genre that had any spine to it. Not singing about new love, or lost love, but pissed-off love.
That's my kind of love song.
-KO
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