How Long? By Ace - Songfacts

Toggle navigation

• Home
• Categories
• Places
• Blog
  • Blogs Home
  • Songwriter Interviews
  • Song Writing
  • Fact or Fiction
  • They're Playing My Song
  • Music Quiz
  • Songfacts Pages
  • Songwriting Legends
  • Songfacts Podcast
  • All Titles
  • Authors
    • Amanda Flinner
    • April Fox
    • Bruce Pollock
    • Carl Wiser
    • Corey O'Flanagan
    • Dan MacIntosh
    • Developer
    • Ed Pearce
    • Greg Prato
    • Jeff Suwak
    • Jess Grant
    • Laura Antonelli
    • Leslie Michele Derrough
    • Maggie Grimason
    • Nicole Roberge
    • Roger Catlin
    • Shawna Ortega
    • Stephanie Myers
    • Trevor Morelli
• Browse
  • Songs
  • Artists
  • Places
  • Years
  • Categories

Search

How Long?by Ace

Album: Five-A-Side (1974)Charted: 20 3 License This Song  lyrics

Songfacts®:

• "How long has this been going on" sure sounds like something a guy would say to his cheating lover, but this song has a very different meaning. Ace bass player Terry Comer was working with other bands - he played briefly with The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver - and he didn't tell his bandmates, who felt cheated when they found out.Ace lead singer Paul Carrack wrote the song; when he appeared on the BBC Breakfast news programme on June 29, 2009 he was asked about the inspiration. Rather than being about a two-timing lover it was, he said, about another band who were "trying to nick our bass player.""How Long?" was one of the first songs he ever wrote and remains one of his biggest hits. It was released on the Anchor label in 1974, backed by "Sniffin' About" and produced by John Anthony for Neptune Productions. It has been recorded many times since. Terry Comer, the bass player a rival band were trying to "nick," returned in time to play on the original recording.
• Paul Carrack was the lead singer of Ace. He went on to sing for Squeeze and Mike And The Mechanics and had a solo hit with "Don't Shed a Tear."
• This was Ace's only hit. They broke up in 1977.
• The bass introduction is borrowed from "Traveling Song" by the British folk rock group Pentangle.
• The song had a resurgence after being used in an Amazon Prime Advert titled "Binge Cheat." The commercial features the song's opening line, "How long has this been going on?"

• More songs from Ace
• More songs from one-hit wonders
• More songs that are commonly misinterpreted
• More songs about band dynamics
• More songs from 1974
• Lyrics to How Long?

Your name as you would like it displayed Your Locaton Your Comment send your comment

Comments: 25

• Bill Ross from Atlanta, GaaA true classic of the 70’s. Ranks in top 5 favorites ever.
• La Zalewski from PaHow Long must have a billion radio plays by now. That song has been played and played on radio for close to 50 years now. Still going strong.
• Darryl Walker from QueenslandLove the song should be more like them love rods version too
• Bennie From Texas from TexasPaul Carrack also stated it was not about a boy girl relationship but a member of the band writing lyrics for another band.
• Ruth from CaliforniaI have always liked that song by Ace. It is one of my favorites! I did not know the lead singer's name until reading through the other comments.What I can't get is the commercial?? Is the guy cheating on her or using Amazon Prime to buy things against her wishes?? Or, for someone else & she doesn't like that? I don't get the commercial other than it's for Amazon Prime & Ace's song is great!! Then...in walks...is that Al Pacino? Oh well. Maybe, it's not suppose to make sense.
• Ted Nygard from Bonney Lake, Washington 98391Just a really goog song.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 27th 1975, Ace performed "How Long?" on the NBC-TV program 'The Midnight Special'...The week before this appearance on the show was their 16th and final week on the Top 100; the position was #49...Twenty-one years later in 1996 the band's frontman, Paul Carrack, released a solo version of the song, his version peaked at #32 in the United Kingdom... (See next post below for additional chart info).
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 2nd 1975, "How Long?" by Ace entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #89; and on May 25th it peaked at #3 (for 2 weeks) and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...It also reached #3 in Canada and #20 in the United Kingdom...The group one other record to make the Top 100, "Rock and Roll Runaway", it stayed on the chart for 4 weeks, peaking at #71.
• David from Hazlet, NjSomeone commented the song peaked in April of that year. Scott from Harrisburg, PA was correct. It did peak at number 3 for two weeks. Why it didn't hit number one is beyond me-it is one of the best songs of the decade. Paul Carrack is an amazing singer and musician! I downloaded this and can't stop listening to it.
• Jim from Pleasant Hill, CaWithout the Net, I never would have guessed this was anything but a song about a woman cheating. Kind of disappointed somehow, but now I can infer why it starts with those bass (player) notes. The lyric, "break up our scene" makes a lot more sense now, too.
• Paul from Pittsburgh, PaThe first song I was aware of that Paul Carick sang on was "Tempted" when he was with Squeeze. I never put two and two together that it was his distinctive voice on "How Long", which was a favorite song of mine from years before. He also did great later on with "The Living Years". Thanks for your wonderful talent, Paul!
• Brian from Boston, MaPaul Carrack was Amazing. I seemed whenever he sang with a band they had a hit. Only recently did realize he sang this song.
• Bazzaman from Johnson, VtI've heard this tune a zillion times on classic rock radio stations over the years, and tonight I finally decided to figure out who the heck recorded it! It's certainly one of the better "one hit wonders" of the 70's.
• Mark from Springfield, MaWithout question, one of the best song's of the 70's!
• Patricia from Santa Barbara, CaI first head this song on KNX FM in Anaheim, CA when I was a mere Freshman in High school. Fell in love with Paul, his voice and the song. To this day I enjoy it! I also enjoyed Paul performing with Mike and the Mechanics. Fantastic voice. :-)
• Mike from Verona, VaOne of my favorite songs from 1975. I was 21 when this song came out. What memories this song brings back. Priceless!
• Becky from Box Springs, GaI love this song....it has one of the best bass lines ever....
• Scott from Harrisburg, PaIn America, this song peaked at #3 on May 31, 1975. That week the top two songs were both country crossovers: John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" at #2, and Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" at #1.
• Mark from Des Moines, IaIt's truly sad they didn't have any other hits. This song is great!!!
• Scott from Columbus, OhMy initial perception of the song was that of a man singing to his lover as he discovers her infidelity.I'm quite glad it lends it's self to much more than that as it turns out, although there is nothing profound to say or feel about this song (unless maybe your a victim of a recent break-up) In most cases. it boils down to some catchy lyrics and fluid vocals... mostly akin to what I expect to hear from groups like Ambrosia.This and other songs will top the charts but most likely not make their way to the hearts of critical listeners.Though, on a personal scale, I loved it =)
• Derek from Cambridge, New ZealandI met Paul Carrack while working for a radio station in UK, and he is the most wonderful man I have ever met. He is a perfect gent, and a credit to the profession.
• Gina from Oakland, CaRod Stewart covered this song on the Tonight I'm Yours album in 1981.
• Silverado from Green Bay, WiThis song actually peaked in April 1975
• Ross from Independence, MoToo bad didn't do more stuff like this
• Pete from Nowra, Australiacovered by an Australian band in the late 70's i think they were called Scandal

see more comments

More Songfacts:

This LoveMaroon 5

Adam Levine of Maroon 5 made it obvious who their song "This Love" was about when he named the album "Songs About Jane."

The G.O.A.T.LL Cool J

With his song "The G.O.A.T.," as in Greatest Of All Time, LL Cool J popularized that saying in hip-hop. He credits the boxer Muhammad Ali, who called himself "The Greatest," as inspiration.

Time In A BottleJim Croce

Jim Croce was killed in a plane crash on September 30, 1973. A few weeks later, his song "Time In A Bottle" hit #1.

Hound DogElvis Presley

The songwriting team Leiber and Stoller wrote "Hound Dog" for a blues singer named Big Mama Thronton, who first recorded the song in 1953. Elvis covered it in 1956, and it became his biggest hit.

GrenadeBruno Mars

"Grenade" was a term used on the show Jersey Shore to mean an ugly girl. Bruno Mars says his hit song with that title was written before the show started.

Opposites AttractPaula Abdul

MC Skat Kat was created for the remix of "Opposites Attract," which was released as the last single from Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl album. The team that created the Kat also did a-ha's "Take On Me" video.

Editor's Picks

Jello BiafraSongwriter Interviews

The former Dead Kennedys frontman on the past, present and future of the band, what music makes us "pliant and stupid," and what he learned from Alice Cooper.

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

Songfacts® Newsletter

A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs

What's your email? SUBSCRIBE

Information

• About Us
• Terms of Service
• Our Privacy Policy
• Google Privacy Policy
• Songfacts API
• Music History Calendar
• Song Licensing
• Affiliate Disclosure
• Contact Us
• Privacy Manager

Follow Us

• Facebook
• X (Twitter)
• YouTube

Contribution

• Message Boards
• Songfacts Writers

©2025 Songfacts, LLC