| Bentley Rhythm Ace | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | BRA |
| Origin |  Birmingham, England |
| Genre(s) | Big beat, House, Electronica |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Label(s) | Skint, Parlophone |
| Website | bentleyrhythmace.com archives |
| Members | |
| Mike Stokes Richard March |
|
Bentley Rhythm Ace (BRA) is a duo formed in Birmingham, England in the late 1990s consisting of Mike Stokes and Richard March.
Contents |
Career
The band was formed in Birmingham, in 1995 by Rich, former members of the group Pop Will Eat Itself (with guest appearances by James Atkin, a member of indie band EMF) and Mike. "Both more or less penniless, they drank in the same pub and were forced to buy their records at the cheapest place possible - car bootsales"[1]. Their live drummer was Fuzz Townshend, with whom March previously played in Pop Will Eat Itself. BRA signed on the Brighton based record label Skint and released their eponymous debut album, Bentley Rhythm Ace in 1997 , that spawned the popular single "Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out". A second album, For Your Ears Only, was released in 2000 on Parlophone but was less popular. A further single "Madam, Your Carriage Awaits" was released. The group also compiled a two CD FSUK compilation album. In 2004, the Bentleys put out a 4 songs record with Sophia Lolley called Angel Face. The name likely refers to the Rhythm Ace line of analogue drum machines manufactured by Ace Tone, some of which were rebranded and distributed by Bentley Pianos in the UK[2]. The group epitomises the Big Beat era. Signed to Skint Records, they have enjoyed much commercial success with their music being used on television advertisements and with an enormous underground following. The group have all but split, playing the occasional low-key DJ set, but have released no further material since 2000. March and Townshend also both teach at Halesowen College in the Music department.
Band members
Trivia
- The album track "T-Spot" was used in a commercial for Nik Naks.
- The song "Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out!" was used in a commercial for L'Oreal Shampoo along and an advert for Lynx deodorant in the UK. It was also used as the soundtrack for several of the "100 Greatest..." shows on the UK TV channel, Channel 4.
- The song "Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out!" is used by CBC Radio as the opening theme for the Saturday afternoon show Definitely Not The Opera.
References
- ^ Bentley Rhythm Ace biography
- ^ ACE-TONE ARCHIVE PAGE retrieved April 2, 2006.
External links
- Smashing Press (record label) BRA page with news, bulletin board and links.
- Midlander fan site.
- Coda BRA's booking agents.
- Bentley Rhythm Ace's MySpace page
