Ace of Base
Encyclopedia
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg
, Sweden
. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg
, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren
, Malin "Linn" Berggren
and Jenny Berggren
. They released four studio albums between 1993 and 2002, which sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide.
Happy Nation / The Sign
is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, and was certified nine times platinum in the United States. It was the first debut album to produce three number 1 singles on the Billboard
Mainstream Top 40 chart: "All That She Wants
", "The Sign
" and "Don't Turn Around
".
Following the formal departure of singer Linn in 2007, the band performed a series of concerts as a trio in Europe and Asia from 2007 through 2009, before Jenny revealed in November 2009 that she would be taking indefinite leave from the band to focus on her own solo career. Jonas and Ulf have since recruited two new female vocalists, Clara Hagman
and Julia Williamson. The new line-up released their first album together The Golden Ratio
in September 2010.
and punk covers band called G Konrad, Jonas Berggren formed a band with two friends, Johnny Lindén and Niklas Tränk for a school project; his sisters Linn and Jenny joined as singers. The new band went through several names: Kalinin Prospect (after an avenue in Moscow); CAD (Computer-Aided Disco); and Tech-Noir (French for black technology, after a nightclub
in the film The Terminator
). They toured the clubs of Sweden with their new self-written material, techno inspired by the likes of The KLF
and Snap!
.
Johnny left the group in 1989. Niklas made his departure known by failing to appear at a gig at Bältesspännarparken on 6 August 1990; he preferred to attend a Rolling Stones concert on the other side of town. Jonas asked his friend Ulf Ekberg to stand in for Niklas. The new quartet sought a new name to make a fresh start; Linn was reported saying: "No one could pronounce the name of the group and nobody could remember it". They settled on Ace of Base, because they were the "masters of their studio", the basement of a car-repair shop.
However the band continued to struggle to gain any recognition, partly due to the preference of heavy metal
over techno
in their home town, according to singer Jenny. In 1991 they responded to a newspaper ad by producer John Ballard who was looking for new talent. He was somewhat unsure about their potential, but did pass them on to Klas Lunding at Telegram Records who helped them record an early demo for the song "Wheel of Fortune
" in their newly renovated studio. But it did not convince Telegram to sign the band, and other labels in Sweden still showed no sign of interest. In the end, the unfinished demo was sold for a small price to the independent Danish
label Mega Records in March 1992. "Wheel of Fortune" was re-recorded and released as a single in Denmark in May but failed to hit the charts. A small-budget music video was shot and directed in a small studio by Viking Nielsson and in September, after two failures, the single finally reached the charts.
, the band decided that was exactly the sound they wanted to create. They contacted the song's producer Denniz PoP
and sent him a demo of a song called "Mr Ace". Coincidentally, the tape got stuck in the cassette tape player in his car, so he was forced to listen to it over and over again, which helped him decide to produce the track. The song became "All That She Wants", a dark fusion of dub-reggae
with pop which became the band's trademark sound. On release in October 1992, it quickly climbed to #1 on the Danish chart while the previous single was still sitting at #2. Keen to rush out an LP
for the Christmas market, Mega Records
pressed the band for an album and it was hastily recorded, mixed, and released within a few weeks.
Preceded by a single of the same name, the album, titled Happy Nation was an instant hit in Denmark, and its success prompted interest elsewhere in Europe. A Pan-European license was signed with Metronome/PolyGram
(now Universal Music) but they were turned down by the American division. Within a few months, "All That She Wants" had reached number 3 in Sweden
and had spent eight weeks at number 1 in Germany.
In April 1993 the band performed alongside Inner Circle and Dr. Alban
in Tel Aviv, Israel at what would be their biggest audience ever, 55,000 people.
In May, "All That She Wants" continued to be a hit all around the world and topped the chart for three weeks in the United Kingdom. However, despite Mega Records
' hard efforts to secure a distribution deal in the United States the response was always the same: "this band will never work in the States". Eventually, however, Clive Davis
, founder of Arista Records
, thought otherwise, and by the end of 1993 "All That She Wants" had made its way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
In order to freshen up the album for US release, Davis insisted that some new tracks were recorded, including "The Sign" which became the new title for the album and the second American single. It was even more successful than the first, spending six weeks at #1 and becoming the best-selling single of 1994. It was also a major hit in Europe, peaking at #2 in the UK and Sweden and doing one better in Germany. PolyGram re-released the album under the name Happy Nation (US Version).
Two more singles were released: "Don't Turn Around
" and "Living in Danger
", by Diane Warren
. The former was originally recorded by Tina Turner
on the b-side of a single she released which went on to become a UK #1 hit for the reggae band Aswad. Davis suggested that the band record the song and it was yet another worldwide hit. By the end of 1994, they were an international commercial success. The Ace of Base version of "Don't Turn Around" is distinguished from other versions by its use of a minor key
" in the front of Berlin
's Brandenburg Gate
. They were also nominated for Best Cover with "Don't Turn Around
" this year.
s. However, they were not allowed to take time to reflect before starting work on a second album because their record companies all over the world were demanding a swift follow-up. To speed up the process, instead of Jonas and Ulf writing the bulk of the album, each member was encouraged to submit his or her own tracks for consideration.
In the end, 17 tracks made the cut of the second album titled The Bridge
. It marked a considerable change of direction in sound; out were the reggae and club sounds that made the group so popular in favour of a more experimental sound and several ballads. The lead single "Lucky Love
" however was a mainstream pop record and on release in October 1995 became the band's first number 1 single in Sweden, which came as a pleasant surprise as they had found that their fellow Swedes had been their harshest critics. It charted at a more modest number 13 in Germany and number 20 in the United Kingdom, but Arista Records decided that it wasn't appropriate for US release so they opted for the pulsating dance beat of "Beautiful Life
" which peaked at number 15 both in the US and UK. The album was still certified platinum but the phenomenal success of the band's first album proved difficult to follow. In February 1996, the band performed at the Viña del Mar Festival de la Cancion in Chile
, topping the bill alongside 2 Unlimited
.
of Sweden. They were given as much time as they wanted to produce their third album, much of it being recorded in Jonas' own studio "The Barn". When it was finally released in June 1998, the band declared it their best album yet. It was titled Flowers
because they believed that the songs, wildly different in style including Motown and gospel
influences, resembled a varied bouquet of flowers. Fans were surprised to see that blonde singer Linn had relinquished lead vocal duties to sister Jenny, and on many promotional photos Linn's face was blurred. They were reassured that Linn was happy with her new backing role in the group, and many reasons were given for her decision including her having damaged her voice, fear of flying putting her off from travelling round the world, and her dislike of fame.
The radio-friendly single "Life Is a Flower
" was certified the most-played track on European radio for 1998 and sold more than 250,000 copies in the UK, peaking at number 5; the colorful video of the same name was produced and directed by Andreas Neumann
. British label London Records
had requested the band record the 1983 hit "Cruel Summer
" by Bananarama
and it was selected as the second European single. Deciding that "Life Is a Flower" was "too European in nature", Clive Davis pushed "Cruel Summer" as the lead-off single for the United States and it took Ace of Base back into the US Top 10 for the first time in four years, being certified gold. The album was also re-named Cruel Summer
and featured a different tracklist to the European release. Davis persuaded a reluctant Linn to record a Billy Steinberg ballad "Everytime It Rains
" and "Life Is a Flower" was re-recorded as "Whenever You're Near Me
" and was the second single, but it could only peak at number 76. "Travel to Romantis
" and "Always Have, Always Will
" were further hits in Europe while "Everytime It Rains" was issued as a single in the UK along with a re-packaged edition of Flowers released only in the UK.
, a compilation of sixteen hit singles was released in November 1999. Its first single, "C'est La Vie (Always 21)
," went on to become a surprise number 1 hit in Spain. Attempting to capitalize on the success of the previous single, "Hallo Hallo
" was released with special remixes just for the Spanish market. The album's marketing push closed with the limited radio-only single release of "Love in December
". "Everytime It Rains
", previously included on the Cruel Summer
album was released as a radio single in the US the following year in remixed-form (pushed by Clive Davis) in order to promote a new Greatest Hits
album for the American market, which failed to chart, selling fewer than 5,000 copies in its first week. It completed the band's four-album contract with Arista Records and was not renewed. "Hallo Hallo" was planned initially to be the first single from this American compilation, but in the end it was not included on the album at all. "C'est La Vie (Always 21)" was the only new recording included on the U.S. release. Two old remixes of both "Lucky Love
" and "Beautiful Life
" were also included.
in September 2002 in Europe, and in Japan through Toshiba EMI with a different cover and three bonus tracks. The album contained twelve original tracks and had originally been planned for release in mid-2000, but was repeatedly postponed due to record company complications. The album is named after the musical term da capo, meaning "back to the beginning". It was intended to be a return to the band's earliest sound.
Although the album entered the album charts in many European countries, it was not as successful as previous releases. Only Jenny and Ulf went on a promotional tour of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, Poland and Austria; Jonas wanted to stay at home with his two children and Linn attended only one performance in Germany. The album was not released in America or Australia, and received only a 'soft release' in the United Kingdom, as their new British label Polydor thought that their sound was no longer relevant to the UK music scene.
The first single release from the Da Capo album was "Beautiful Morning
", which peaked at number 14 in Sweden and number 38 in Germany, where it was followed by "The Juvenile
", which was used for a Christmas campaign by German TV channel RTL
. "The Juvenile
" was a "lost track"; Ace of Base had previously written it for the Goldeneye
James Bond movie in 1995. However, Arista, the band's American record label at the time, shelved the idea. The band was no longer involved in the soundtrack for the movie, and Bono
's composition of the same name was substituted, sung instead by Tina Turner
.
In Scandinavia, Edel-Mega released the album's opening track, "Unspeakable
", as the second single. But its poor chart performance ended the promotion of the album prematurely.
The band returned at the end of 2005 (without Malin) for several live performances at the Night of the Proms
in Belgium alongside other artists such as Donna Summer
, performing some of their hits such as "All That She Wants" and "The Sign
".
, Russia
on November 15, 2007. Several other concerts followed mainly in eastern Europe and Denmark
. The set list included various songs from their past albums and notably, a brand new remix of their very first single "Wheel of Fortune".
Jenny confirmed Linn's departure in Danish press: "She hasn't been part of Ace of Base for several years," she stated in Se & Hør
magazine. The band was on world tour and performed at several summer music festivals in 2008 and 2009. The tour reached Scandinavia
, some eastern European Countries as well as Singapore
and the Dominican Republic
. At their show at Rock Under Broen (Middelfart, Denmark
) on June 14, 2008, the group performed a new song called "Sparks from a Fire".
Ace of Base released a new Greatest Hits CD/DVD, Greatest Hits, Classic Remixes and Music Videos
on November 12, 2008. The 3-disc set includes one CD with the hits, a second CD containing remixes, and a DVD containing all the music videos. Five re-recorded songs were released: "Lucky Love 2009", "Don't Turn Around 2009", "Happy Nation 2009", "The Sign - Freedom Bunch Mix", and "Wheel of Fortune 2009", which was released worldwide on October 24, 2008 as a digital single.
Breakup and Name Dispute
During the touring from 2007-2009, the band recorded new songs designated for a fifth studio album. The trio didn't get a record contract with the songs that were produced and Jenny announced she was working on her own solo material.
During this time, Ulf and Jonas secretly recruited two other female vocalists, Clara Hagman
and Julia Williamson. When this came to the fans' attention, Jonas and Jenny independently stated that the new band would not be called Ace of Base, but have another name.
This alternative line-up later presented a slightly changed name: "Ace.of.Base", but this was mainly a graphical adjustment used on the cover of their releases only. In an interview for Swedish TV Ulf stated: "We're still called Ace of Base. The dots are more for styling and the logo".
Jenny has stated several times that she has never left the band and on the contrary declared that all four original members are still band members and own the brand Ace of Base, by agreement with her brother Jonas and by legal documents.
This was later confirmed by Jonas in an interview stating: "She (Jenny) never officially said ‘’I quit’’. But to the record company, she was a leaving member. And they cancelled her contract. But she never said ‘’Oh, I don’t want to be in the band’’." Additionally Jonas said in this interview, asked about why Jenny refused to accept a new 4th member beside her: " At first Jenny said ‘’yes, I can do that’’. But then it was always no. And what she wanted to do was impossible, for all kinds of reasons. You say yes, but then you have so many terms, and it has to be this and this and this and this, that you actually really mean no. You can act like you’re very very positive about it all, but you really mean no. And then we found out from the record label that she had gone and recorded her solo album, and that caught us by surprise. She had told us that she was just going to record some church songs, but this was a proper album, so we were really caught by surprise. ". When asked about the record company demanding a new additional singer: "It wasn’t so much that it had to be younger girl, but yes, they wanted a new girl, a new lead vocalist."
Regarding the name dispute, Ulf stated that he had "No problems using the name even though all the original members are not included" Jenny commented further on this topic in a 2010 newspaper interview. She said she wasn't allowed by Jonas and Ulf to participate in the songwriting for the band's album. "From now on, I want things in writing. I agreed to work under certain conditions, and they just vanished." "They didn't want me in". When asked, "Do you want to go back to Ace of Base again?" she responded "Not right now. It would take some apologies".
Jenny Berggren
released her first autobiography "Vinna hela världen" ("To Win The World") in late September 2009. It is currently only available in Swedish, but will be translated. It was reported in December 2009 that she was being considered as the final wildcard "joker" in Melodifestivalen 2010
, Sweden's national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest
. Ultimately, she was not selected.
On November 13, 2009, Ulf, acting as head judge on Idol 2009
, announced, "We're in the studio right now, planning to release a new album in the beginning of next year. It's practically finished and we're negotiating with different labels. That's all I can say."
, who made it to the semi-finals round of Idol 2009
, on which Ulf appeared as a judge. The first single from The Golden Ratio
, "All For You
", was serviced to European radio stations in mid-July 2010 and was released as a single on September 10, 2010. The Golden Ratio was released on September 24, 2010. The album entered the German album charts at #20. "All For You
" reached #38 in the official German singles chart.
has claimed that her album The Fame Monster
, with songs such as "Alejandro
", was influenced by "super pop melodies of the 90s" by acts such as Ace of Base. The song "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
" from The Fame
has also been likened to the band.
Katy Perry
has claimed that she would like her follow-up album to One of the Boys
to sound like "The Sign". "It's what I said I wanted earlier," she told MTV. "We nailed it: It's roller-skating! It's '90s! It's Ace Of Base! It's Cyndi Lauper! It's like all these colors and more". The British pop group Steps' third album Buzz was also reportedly influenced by their early material.
.
For a complete list of all the songs, see List of Ace of Base songs
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg
Ulf Ekberg
Ulf Gunnar Ekberg , a.k.a. "Buddha", along with the three siblings of Jonas Berggren , Linn Berggren, and Jenny Berggren, is a founding member of the Swedish pop group Ace of Base.-Life and career:...
, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren
Jonas Berggren
Jonas Berggren, a.k.a. Joker , is a Swedish musician. He started writing songs when he was seven, and continues to write for the Swedish band Ace of Base, as well as other bands....
, Malin "Linn" Berggren
Linn Berggren
Malin Sofia Katarina Berggren is a former member of the band Ace of Base. Having been interested and involved in music since her childhood, she formed the band in 1987, along with her sister Jenny, her brother Jonas and their friend Ulf Ekberg. Before forming Ace of Base, Malin sang in her...
and Jenny Berggren
Jenny Berggren
Jenny Cecilia Berggren is a Swedish singer and former lead singer in the Swedish pop band Ace of Base. Since 1995, she has also been writing songs and performing solo. In 2010 she released her debut album My Story.-Early life:...
. They released four studio albums between 1993 and 2002, which sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide.
Happy Nation / The Sign
Happy Nation
Happy Nation is the debut album of Ace of Base, a pop music group based in Sweden. It was released in early 1993 in Europe, Africa and Latin America on Festival Records. The album is the third highest-selling debut album by a group after Guns N' Roses and Linkin Park...
is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, and was certified nine times platinum in the United States. It was the first debut album to produce three number 1 singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Mainstream Top 40 chart: "All That She Wants
All That She Wants
"All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it...
", "The Sign
The Sign (song)
"The Sign" is a 1993 dance-pop song by the Swedish band Ace of Base. The song was an international hit, reaching Number two in the United Kingdom and spending six non-consecutive weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States...
" and "Don't Turn Around
Don't Turn Around
"Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on...
".
Following the formal departure of singer Linn in 2007, the band performed a series of concerts as a trio in Europe and Asia from 2007 through 2009, before Jenny revealed in November 2009 that she would be taking indefinite leave from the band to focus on her own solo career. Jonas and Ulf have since recruited two new female vocalists, Clara Hagman
Clara Hagman
Clara Hagman is a Swedish singer and member of the pop band, Ace of Base.-Next Star 2008 and Idol 2009:In 2008, Clara competed in the inaugural Next Star singing competition...
and Julia Williamson. The new line-up released their first album together The Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio (album)
The Golden Ratio is the fifth album by Swedish pop music group, Ace of Base. It was recorded in late 2009, through mid-2010. It is the first album to feature two new vocalists: Clara Hagman and Julia Williamson. Production on a fifth album initially began with former band member, and lead...
in September 2010.
Formation
In 1987, following a number of years as part of a new romanticNew Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
and punk covers band called G Konrad, Jonas Berggren formed a band with two friends, Johnny Lindén and Niklas Tränk for a school project; his sisters Linn and Jenny joined as singers. The new band went through several names: Kalinin Prospect (after an avenue in Moscow); CAD (Computer-Aided Disco); and Tech-Noir (French for black technology, after a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in the film The Terminator
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
). They toured the clubs of Sweden with their new self-written material, techno inspired by the likes of The KLF
The KLF
The KLF were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
and Snap!
Snap!
Snap! is a German Eurodance project formed in 1989 by Frankfurt-based producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has been through a number of line-up changes over the years, but was most successful when fronted by rapper Turbo B, who performed on the UK number 1 singles "The Power" and...
.
Johnny left the group in 1989. Niklas made his departure known by failing to appear at a gig at Bältesspännarparken on 6 August 1990; he preferred to attend a Rolling Stones concert on the other side of town. Jonas asked his friend Ulf Ekberg to stand in for Niklas. The new quartet sought a new name to make a fresh start; Linn was reported saying: "No one could pronounce the name of the group and nobody could remember it". They settled on Ace of Base, because they were the "masters of their studio", the basement of a car-repair shop.
However the band continued to struggle to gain any recognition, partly due to the preference of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
over techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
in their home town, according to singer Jenny. In 1991 they responded to a newspaper ad by producer John Ballard who was looking for new talent. He was somewhat unsure about their potential, but did pass them on to Klas Lunding at Telegram Records who helped them record an early demo for the song "Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (Ace of Base song)
"Wheel of Fortune" was the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of Base, from the album Happy Nation. It was first released in Denmark in April 1992 through small independent label Mega Records....
" in their newly renovated studio. But it did not convince Telegram to sign the band, and other labels in Sweden still showed no sign of interest. In the end, the unfinished demo was sold for a small price to the independent Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
label Mega Records in March 1992. "Wheel of Fortune" was re-recorded and released as a single in Denmark in May but failed to hit the charts. A small-budget music video was shot and directed in a small studio by Viking Nielsson and in September, after two failures, the single finally reached the charts.
International success and Happy Nation (1993–1994)
It was another song that was to help Ace of Base's career take off internationally. After hearing Swedish top 20 hit "Another Mother" by KayoKayo Shekoni
Kayode Maria Söderberg Shekoni , better known as Kayo Shekoni, or just Kayo, is a Swedish pop/dance singer, TV personality and actress of Nigerian descent.-Career:...
, the band decided that was exactly the sound they wanted to create. They contacted the song's producer Denniz PoP
Denniz Pop
Dag Krister Volle , better known under the artistic name Denniz Pop , was a Swedish DJ, music producer and songwriter....
and sent him a demo of a song called "Mr Ace". Coincidentally, the tape got stuck in the cassette tape player in his car, so he was forced to listen to it over and over again, which helped him decide to produce the track. The song became "All That She Wants", a dark fusion of dub-reggae
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
with pop which became the band's trademark sound. On release in October 1992, it quickly climbed to #1 on the Danish chart while the previous single was still sitting at #2. Keen to rush out an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
for the Christmas market, Mega Records
Mega Records
Mega Records was a Nashville, Tennessee-based music label that released albums by bands such as Apollo 100 and country and western singer Sammi Smith, as early as the early 1970s...
pressed the band for an album and it was hastily recorded, mixed, and released within a few weeks.
Preceded by a single of the same name, the album, titled Happy Nation was an instant hit in Denmark, and its success prompted interest elsewhere in Europe. A Pan-European license was signed with Metronome/PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
(now Universal Music) but they were turned down by the American division. Within a few months, "All That She Wants" had reached number 3 in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and had spent eight weeks at number 1 in Germany.
In April 1993 the band performed alongside Inner Circle and Dr. Alban
Dr. Alban
Alban Uzoma Nwapa , known by his stage name Dr. Alban, is a Nigerian, Sweden-based musician and producer with his own record label dr-records. His music can best be described as a Eurodance/hip-hop reggae with a dancehall style. He is most famous for his worldwide 1992 hit "It's My...
in Tel Aviv, Israel at what would be their biggest audience ever, 55,000 people.
In May, "All That She Wants" continued to be a hit all around the world and topped the chart for three weeks in the United Kingdom. However, despite Mega Records
Mega Records
Mega Records was a Nashville, Tennessee-based music label that released albums by bands such as Apollo 100 and country and western singer Sammi Smith, as early as the early 1970s...
' hard efforts to secure a distribution deal in the United States the response was always the same: "this band will never work in the States". Eventually, however, Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
, founder of Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, thought otherwise, and by the end of 1993 "All That She Wants" had made its way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
In order to freshen up the album for US release, Davis insisted that some new tracks were recorded, including "The Sign" which became the new title for the album and the second American single. It was even more successful than the first, spending six weeks at #1 and becoming the best-selling single of 1994. It was also a major hit in Europe, peaking at #2 in the UK and Sweden and doing one better in Germany. PolyGram re-released the album under the name Happy Nation (US Version).
Two more singles were released: "Don't Turn Around
Don't Turn Around
"Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on...
" and "Living in Danger
Living in Danger
"Living In Danger" is a song taken from the album, Happy Nation by the band Ace of Base. It was released as a single and reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart, and it peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. in 1994...
", by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
. The former was originally recorded by Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
on the b-side of a single she released which went on to become a UK #1 hit for the reggae band Aswad. Davis suggested that the band record the song and it was yet another worldwide hit. By the end of 1994, they were an international commercial success. The Ace of Base version of "Don't Turn Around" is distinguished from other versions by its use of a minor key
Ace of Base on 1994 European Music Awards
In 1994 Ace of Base performed on the first ever MTV Europe Music Awards held in Germany. Ace of Base performed "Living in DangerLiving in Danger
"Living In Danger" is a song taken from the album, Happy Nation by the band Ace of Base. It was released as a single and reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart, and it peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. in 1994...
" in the front of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
's Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
. They were also nominated for Best Cover with "Don't Turn Around
Don't Turn Around
"Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on...
" this year.
The Bridge (1995–1996)
Even though the band was exhausted from two long years of international promotion, they could hardly believe how successful they had become. In April 1994, a crazed German fan broke into the Berggren family's home brandishing a knife. After managing to restrain her, the band decided that from then on they needed bodyguardBodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
s. However, they were not allowed to take time to reflect before starting work on a second album because their record companies all over the world were demanding a swift follow-up. To speed up the process, instead of Jonas and Ulf writing the bulk of the album, each member was encouraged to submit his or her own tracks for consideration.
In the end, 17 tracks made the cut of the second album titled The Bridge
The Bridge (Ace of Base album)
-Japan:# "Beautiful Life"# "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry"# "Lucky Love "# "Edge of Heaven"# "Strange Ways"# "Ravine"# "Perfect World"# "Angel Eyes"# "My Déjà Vu"# "You and I"# "Wave Wet Sand"# "Que Sera"# "Just 'N' Image"...
. It marked a considerable change of direction in sound; out were the reggae and club sounds that made the group so popular in favour of a more experimental sound and several ballads. The lead single "Lucky Love
Lucky Love
"Lucky Love" is a song by Ace of Base, which became their fifth worldwide single. It was the first single from their album The Bridge to be released in Europe, and the acoustic version of the song was the second single in the United States and Canada...
" however was a mainstream pop record and on release in October 1995 became the band's first number 1 single in Sweden, which came as a pleasant surprise as they had found that their fellow Swedes had been their harshest critics. It charted at a more modest number 13 in Germany and number 20 in the United Kingdom, but Arista Records decided that it wasn't appropriate for US release so they opted for the pulsating dance beat of "Beautiful Life
Beautiful Life (Ace of Base song)
"Beautiful Life" is a hit song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released in the Autumn of 1995. In North America it was the first single released from the band's The Bridge; in Europe it followed "Lucky Love"....
" which peaked at number 15 both in the US and UK. The album was still certified platinum but the phenomenal success of the band's first album proved difficult to follow. In February 1996, the band performed at the Viña del Mar Festival de la Cancion in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, topping the bill alongside 2 Unlimited
2 Unlimited
2 Unlimited is a Dutch Eurodance/Hi-NRG act formed in 1991. The project was the brainchild of Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde, and was fronted by a Dutch duo, rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth. During five years of enormous worldwide popularity, the act scored 16 chart...
.
Flowers (1997–1999)
After this, Ace of Base disappeared from the limelight for a while, only emerging in July 1997 to perform at a concert to celebrate the 20th birthday of Princess VictoriaVictoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heiress-apparent to the Swedish throne. If she ascends to the throne as expected, she will be Sweden's fourth queen regnant .-Early life:...
of Sweden. They were given as much time as they wanted to produce their third album, much of it being recorded in Jonas' own studio "The Barn". When it was finally released in June 1998, the band declared it their best album yet. It was titled Flowers
Flowers (Ace of Base album)
A re-release of the record in UK saw "Cecilia" replaced with "Cecilia " and "Cruel Summer " replaced with "Everytime It Rains"-Australian release:#"Cruel Summer "#"Donnie "...
because they believed that the songs, wildly different in style including Motown and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
influences, resembled a varied bouquet of flowers. Fans were surprised to see that blonde singer Linn had relinquished lead vocal duties to sister Jenny, and on many promotional photos Linn's face was blurred. They were reassured that Linn was happy with her new backing role in the group, and many reasons were given for her decision including her having damaged her voice, fear of flying putting her off from travelling round the world, and her dislike of fame.
The radio-friendly single "Life Is a Flower
Life is a Flower
"Life Is a Flower" is a song by Ace of Base, released as their first single from their 1998 album Flowers. The song was released in the US with different lyrics, titled "Whenever You're Near Me" and in a different key. The single sold 264,000 copies in the UK.-Music Video:A music video was...
" was certified the most-played track on European radio for 1998 and sold more than 250,000 copies in the UK, peaking at number 5; the colorful video of the same name was produced and directed by Andreas Neumann
Andreas Neumann
Andreas Neumann is an entrepreneur, film producer, record producer and photographer. He is commonly referred to by the nickname, Dre....
. British label London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
had requested the band record the 1983 hit "Cruel Summer
Cruel Summer
"Cruel Summer" is a pop song originally written and performed by Bananarama that was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983. Singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side : it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by...
" by Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
and it was selected as the second European single. Deciding that "Life Is a Flower" was "too European in nature", Clive Davis pushed "Cruel Summer" as the lead-off single for the United States and it took Ace of Base back into the US Top 10 for the first time in four years, being certified gold. The album was also re-named Cruel Summer
Cruel Summer (Ace of Base album)
-Japan release:#"Cruel Summer "#"Donnie "#"Life Is a Flower"#"Everytime It Rains"#"Adventures in Paradise"#"Don't Go Away"#"Cecilia"#"He Decides " #"Always Have, Always Will "...
and featured a different tracklist to the European release. Davis persuaded a reluctant Linn to record a Billy Steinberg ballad "Everytime It Rains
Everytime It Rains
Originally written for Annie Lennox, "Everytime It Rains" was the fourth single released from Ace of Base's Re-Release of Flowers in the UK. This song was written by Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg and Maria Vidal....
" and "Life Is a Flower" was re-recorded as "Whenever You're Near Me
Whenever You're Near Me
"Whenever You're Near Me" was the second single from Ace of Base's third American record, Cruel Summer. The original version of the song was called Life Is a Flower and was a huge hit in Europe and Japan...
" and was the second single, but it could only peak at number 76. "Travel to Romantis
Travel to Romantis
"Travel to Romantis" was the third single from Flowers, an album by Swedish pop band Ace of Base. The song was released on November 16, 1998 in Germany and Scandinavia and followed the singles "Life Is a Flower" and "Cruel Summer".-Music Video:...
" and "Always Have, Always Will
Always Have Always Will
"Always Have Always Will" was a popular hit by Swedish pop band Ace of Base. Heavily inspired by the Motown sound of the mid 1960s, the intro samples the intros from the Supremes track "Where Did Our Love Go" and the Four Tops track "I Can't Help Myself ". It was co-written by Jonas Berggren with...
" were further hits in Europe while "Everytime It Rains" was issued as a single in the UK along with a re-packaged edition of Flowers released only in the UK.
Singles of the 90s and Greatest Hits (1999–2000)
Singles of the 90sSingles of the 90s
Singles of the 90s is a compilation album by Swedish pop music group, Ace of Base. It was released on November 15, 1999 in Europe, Asia, and Africa. An American version, titled Greatest Hits, was released on April 18, 2000, but is generally considered highly inferior as it contained fewer songs and...
, a compilation of sixteen hit singles was released in November 1999. Its first single, "C'est La Vie (Always 21)
C'est La Vie (Always 21)
"C'est la Vie " was the first single from Ace of Base's greatest hits album, entitled Singles of the 90s. It was produced by Jimmy James Ekgren, Sonny Peterson and Sigurd Rosnes of JPR Productions.-Music Video:...
," went on to become a surprise number 1 hit in Spain. Attempting to capitalize on the success of the previous single, "Hallo Hallo
Hallo Hallo (Ace of Base song)
"Hallo Hallo" was the third single from Ace of Base's greatest hits record Singles of the 90s. The song was released April 10, 2000 in Germany, Spain, and Scandinavia....
" was released with special remixes just for the Spanish market. The album's marketing push closed with the limited radio-only single release of "Love in December
Love In December
"Love in December" was the second single from Ace of Base's European greatest hits record Singles of the 90s. The song was released promotionally to Germany and Chile in December 1999. Vocals were recorded by Linn Berggren and Jenny Berggren. Although the song proved popular on both fan sites and...
". "Everytime It Rains
Everytime It Rains
Originally written for Annie Lennox, "Everytime It Rains" was the fourth single released from Ace of Base's Re-Release of Flowers in the UK. This song was written by Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg and Maria Vidal....
", previously included on the Cruel Summer
Cruel Summer
"Cruel Summer" is a pop song originally written and performed by Bananarama that was a top ten hit in Britain in 1983. Singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side : it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by...
album was released as a radio single in the US the following year in remixed-form (pushed by Clive Davis) in order to promote a new Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Ace of Base album)
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the Swedish group Ace of Base. It was the North American counterpart to the international album, Singles of the 90s. Greatest Hits was released by Arista Records in April 2000, fulfilling their contractual obligations with the group and ending their...
album for the American market, which failed to chart, selling fewer than 5,000 copies in its first week. It completed the band's four-album contract with Arista Records and was not renewed. "Hallo Hallo" was planned initially to be the first single from this American compilation, but in the end it was not included on the album at all. "C'est La Vie (Always 21)" was the only new recording included on the U.S. release. Two old remixes of both "Lucky Love
Lucky Love
"Lucky Love" is a song by Ace of Base, which became their fifth worldwide single. It was the first single from their album The Bridge to be released in Europe, and the acoustic version of the song was the second single in the United States and Canada...
" and "Beautiful Life
Beautiful Life (Ace of Base song)
"Beautiful Life" is a hit song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released in the Autumn of 1995. In North America it was the first single released from the band's The Bridge; in Europe it followed "Lucky Love"....
" were also included.
Da Capo (2002–2003)
Ace of Base released their fourth studio album Da CapoDa Capo (Ace of Base album)
Da Capo is the fourth studio album by Ace of Base, a pop music group based in Sweden. It was released in 2002 in Europe and Japan...
in September 2002 in Europe, and in Japan through Toshiba EMI with a different cover and three bonus tracks. The album contained twelve original tracks and had originally been planned for release in mid-2000, but was repeatedly postponed due to record company complications. The album is named after the musical term da capo, meaning "back to the beginning". It was intended to be a return to the band's earliest sound.
Although the album entered the album charts in many European countries, it was not as successful as previous releases. Only Jenny and Ulf went on a promotional tour of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, Poland and Austria; Jonas wanted to stay at home with his two children and Linn attended only one performance in Germany. The album was not released in America or Australia, and received only a 'soft release' in the United Kingdom, as their new British label Polydor thought that their sound was no longer relevant to the UK music scene.
The first single release from the Da Capo album was "Beautiful Morning
Beautiful Morning
"Beautiful Morning" was the lead single for Ace of Base's 2002 record Da Capo. "Beautiful Morning" was released on 9 September 2002 in Scandinavia and a week later in Germany. It did very well on European radio especially in Germany where the song was the fastest climbing song on the radio during...
", which peaked at number 14 in Sweden and number 38 in Germany, where it was followed by "The Juvenile
The Juvenile
"The Juvenile" is a song by Jonas "Joker" Berggren of Ace of Base.It was recorded as the second single from their album Da Capo in Germany released December 9, 2002. It was originally written in 1995, as the proposed theme song to the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, but Arista Records pulled the...
", which was used for a Christmas campaign by German TV channel RTL
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
. "The Juvenile
The Juvenile
"The Juvenile" is a song by Jonas "Joker" Berggren of Ace of Base.It was recorded as the second single from their album Da Capo in Germany released December 9, 2002. It was originally written in 1995, as the proposed theme song to the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, but Arista Records pulled the...
" was a "lost track"; Ace of Base had previously written it for the Goldeneye
GoldenEye
GoldenEye is the seventeenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Martin Campbell and is the first film in the series not to take story elements from the works of novelist Ian Fleming...
James Bond movie in 1995. However, Arista, the band's American record label at the time, shelved the idea. The band was no longer involved in the soundtrack for the movie, and Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
's composition of the same name was substituted, sung instead by Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
.
In Scandinavia, Edel-Mega released the album's opening track, "Unspeakable
Unspeakable (song)
"Unspeakable" is a single from Ace of Base's 2002 album Da Capo.-Music Video:A music video was produced to promote the single. The video was directed by Daniel Borjesson...
", as the second single. But its poor chart performance ended the promotion of the album prematurely.
Hiatus (2003–2006)
The band remained out of the spotlight throughout 2003 and 2004, although Jenny kept busy by performing solo live performances in several Christian shows with her husband Jakob Pétren, and joined the Swedish group Arose.The band returned at the end of 2005 (without Malin) for several live performances at the Night of the Proms
Night of the Proms
Night of the Proms is a series of concerts held yearly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Poland. Regularly there are also shows in France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg...
in Belgium alongside other artists such as Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, performing some of their hits such as "All That She Wants" and "The Sign
The Sign (song)
"The Sign" is a 1993 dance-pop song by the Swedish band Ace of Base. The song was an international hit, reaching Number two in the United Kingdom and spending six non-consecutive weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States...
".
Reunion and breakup (2007–2009)
Ace of Base reunited to perform their first full-length concert since 1996 in YekaterinburgYekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
on November 15, 2007. Several other concerts followed mainly in eastern Europe and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The set list included various songs from their past albums and notably, a brand new remix of their very first single "Wheel of Fortune".
Jenny confirmed Linn's departure in Danish press: "She hasn't been part of Ace of Base for several years," she stated in Se & Hør
Se og Hør (Denmark)
Se og Hør is a Danish tabloid-magazine weekly published by Aller Press A/S.-External links:*...
magazine. The band was on world tour and performed at several summer music festivals in 2008 and 2009. The tour reached Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, some eastern European Countries as well as Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. At their show at Rock Under Broen (Middelfart, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) on June 14, 2008, the group performed a new song called "Sparks from a Fire".
Ace of Base released a new Greatest Hits CD/DVD, Greatest Hits, Classic Remixes and Music Videos
Greatest Hits, Classic Remixes and Music Videos
Greatest Hits, Classic Remixes and Music Videos is a greatest hits album by the Swedish group Ace of Base. It was released under Playground Music on November 14, 2008, and is the last album to be released under the original contract of 5 original albums. The 2CD+DVD compilation includes 16 of their...
on November 12, 2008. The 3-disc set includes one CD with the hits, a second CD containing remixes, and a DVD containing all the music videos. Five re-recorded songs were released: "Lucky Love 2009", "Don't Turn Around 2009", "Happy Nation 2009", "The Sign - Freedom Bunch Mix", and "Wheel of Fortune 2009", which was released worldwide on October 24, 2008 as a digital single.
Breakup and Name Dispute
During the touring from 2007-2009, the band recorded new songs designated for a fifth studio album. The trio didn't get a record contract with the songs that were produced and Jenny announced she was working on her own solo material.
During this time, Ulf and Jonas secretly recruited two other female vocalists, Clara Hagman
Clara Hagman
Clara Hagman is a Swedish singer and member of the pop band, Ace of Base.-Next Star 2008 and Idol 2009:In 2008, Clara competed in the inaugural Next Star singing competition...
and Julia Williamson. When this came to the fans' attention, Jonas and Jenny independently stated that the new band would not be called Ace of Base, but have another name.
This alternative line-up later presented a slightly changed name: "Ace.of.Base", but this was mainly a graphical adjustment used on the cover of their releases only. In an interview for Swedish TV Ulf stated: "We're still called Ace of Base. The dots are more for styling and the logo".
Jenny has stated several times that she has never left the band and on the contrary declared that all four original members are still band members and own the brand Ace of Base, by agreement with her brother Jonas and by legal documents.
This was later confirmed by Jonas in an interview stating: "She (Jenny) never officially said ‘’I quit’’. But to the record company, she was a leaving member. And they cancelled her contract. But she never said ‘’Oh, I don’t want to be in the band’’." Additionally Jonas said in this interview, asked about why Jenny refused to accept a new 4th member beside her: " At first Jenny said ‘’yes, I can do that’’. But then it was always no. And what she wanted to do was impossible, for all kinds of reasons. You say yes, but then you have so many terms, and it has to be this and this and this and this, that you actually really mean no. You can act like you’re very very positive about it all, but you really mean no. And then we found out from the record label that she had gone and recorded her solo album, and that caught us by surprise. She had told us that she was just going to record some church songs, but this was a proper album, so we were really caught by surprise. ". When asked about the record company demanding a new additional singer: "It wasn’t so much that it had to be younger girl, but yes, they wanted a new girl, a new lead vocalist."
Regarding the name dispute, Ulf stated that he had "No problems using the name even though all the original members are not included" Jenny commented further on this topic in a 2010 newspaper interview. She said she wasn't allowed by Jonas and Ulf to participate in the songwriting for the band's album. "From now on, I want things in writing. I agreed to work under certain conditions, and they just vanished." "They didn't want me in". When asked, "Do you want to go back to Ace of Base again?" she responded "Not right now. It would take some apologies".
Jenny Berggren
Jenny Berggren
Jenny Cecilia Berggren is a Swedish singer and former lead singer in the Swedish pop band Ace of Base. Since 1995, she has also been writing songs and performing solo. In 2010 she released her debut album My Story.-Early life:...
released her first autobiography "Vinna hela världen" ("To Win The World") in late September 2009. It is currently only available in Swedish, but will be translated. It was reported in December 2009 that she was being considered as the final wildcard "joker" in Melodifestivalen 2010
Melodifestivalen 2010
Melodifestivalen 2010 was a Swedish song contest held between February and March 2010. It was the selection for the 50th song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 49th edition of Melodifestivalen...
, Sweden's national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. Ultimately, she was not selected.
On November 13, 2009, Ulf, acting as head judge on Idol 2009
Idol 2009
Idol 2009 was the sixth season of the Swedish idol series and was broadcast by TV 4. The jury, identical to the previous year, consisted of Anders Bagge, Laila Bagge and Andreas Carlsson. Peter Jihde, the show's host, was also a continuation of the previous year's cast. The audition cities visited...
, announced, "We're in the studio right now, planning to release a new album in the beginning of next year. It's practically finished and we're negotiating with different labels. That's all I can say."
New members and relaunch (2010 – present)
In late June, 2010, Facebook and Twitter accounts for an Ulf and Jonas project without Jenny were launched under the name Ace of Base. Pictures have been released via these accounts featuring two new vocalists, whose names have been given as Clara and Julia. One of them is Clara HagmanClara Hagman
Clara Hagman is a Swedish singer and member of the pop band, Ace of Base.-Next Star 2008 and Idol 2009:In 2008, Clara competed in the inaugural Next Star singing competition...
, who made it to the semi-finals round of Idol 2009
Idol 2009
Idol 2009 was the sixth season of the Swedish idol series and was broadcast by TV 4. The jury, identical to the previous year, consisted of Anders Bagge, Laila Bagge and Andreas Carlsson. Peter Jihde, the show's host, was also a continuation of the previous year's cast. The audition cities visited...
, on which Ulf appeared as a judge. The first single from The Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio (album)
The Golden Ratio is the fifth album by Swedish pop music group, Ace of Base. It was recorded in late 2009, through mid-2010. It is the first album to feature two new vocalists: Clara Hagman and Julia Williamson. Production on a fifth album initially began with former band member, and lead...
, "All For You
All for You (Ace of Base song)
"All for You" is the first single from the Ace of Base album The Golden Ratio. The single was serviced to radio stations in Germany in mid-August 2010 and was released as a single on September 10, 2010....
", was serviced to European radio stations in mid-July 2010 and was released as a single on September 10, 2010. The Golden Ratio was released on September 24, 2010. The album entered the German album charts at #20. "All For You
All for You (Ace of Base song)
"All for You" is the first single from the Ace of Base album The Golden Ratio. The single was serviced to radio stations in Germany in mid-August 2010 and was released as a single on September 10, 2010....
" reached #38 in the official German singles chart.
Singers and musicians influenced by Ace of Base
Many musicians and singers have cited Ace of Base as a musical influence: Lady GagaLady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
has claimed that her album The Fame Monster
The Fame Monster
The Fame Monster is the third EP by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released on November 18, 2009 through Interscope Records. Initially planned to be included on a re-release of Gaga's debut studio album, The Fame, she announced that the eight tracks would be included on a standalone...
, with songs such as "Alejandro
Alejandro (song)
"Alejandro" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the third single from her third extended play and second major release The Fame Monster...
", was influenced by "super pop melodies of the 90s" by acts such as Ace of Base. The song "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
"Eh, Eh " is a song by American pop recording artist Lady Gaga, from her debut album, The Fame. It was released as the third single in Australia, New Zealand and selected European countries, and the fourth single in France. The song is a calypso-styled, mid-tempo ballad, and is about breaking up...
" from The Fame
The Fame
The Fame is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released on August 19, 2008 through Interscope Records. After joining Kon Live Distribution and Cherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with different producers, primarily RedOne, Martin...
has also been likened to the band.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
has claimed that she would like her follow-up album to One of the Boys
One of the Boys (Katy Perry album)
One of the Boys is the second studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry and her major-label debut. Her change in record label and adoption of a pseudonymous surname accompanies a notable shift from the Christian gospel rock of her self-titled debut album. The album was released on June...
to sound like "The Sign". "It's what I said I wanted earlier," she told MTV. "We nailed it: It's roller-skating! It's '90s! It's Ace Of Base! It's Cyndi Lauper! It's like all these colors and more". The British pop group Steps' third album Buzz was also reportedly influenced by their early material.
Awards
- 1993 Swedish GrammiGrammisThe Grammis Awards are the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony is generally held each year in February in Stockholm.The awards were established in 1969 and awarded until 1972 when they were cancelled....
– Best Pop Group - 1993 Swedish GrammiGrammisThe Grammis Awards are the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony is generally held each year in February in Stockholm.The awards were established in 1969 and awarded until 1972 when they were cancelled....
– TV audience price - 1993 Bronze BRAVOBravo (magazine)Bravo is the largest teen magazine within the German-language sphere. The first issue was published in 1956, subtitled as "the magazine for film and television" . Marilyn Monroe's portrait graced the first published issue, the never-published dummy issue cover displayed Elvis Presley.-History:The...
Otto (Germany) – Best rock/pop Group - 1994 American Music Award – Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Pop / Rock
- 1994 American Music Award – Favorite New Artist - Pop / Rock
- 1994 Billboard Music Award – No.1 Single
- 1994 Billboard Music Award – Top New Artist
- 1994 Billboard Music Award – Artist of The Year
- 1994 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 1994 Echo (Germany) – Group of the Year
- 1995 Grammy Awards – Pop Vocal Group(Nominee)
- 1995 Grammy Awards – New Artist(Nominee)
- 1995 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 1996 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 1997 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 2007 BMI Award for over 3 million performances of 'The Sign' on US TV and radio
- 2011 The scandipop award – Best Group Album
Discography
For more on all single and album releases including extended chart information, see Ace of Base discographyAce of Base discography
This is the discography of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The group is the third best-selling group from Sweden after ABBA and Roxette with an estimated 30 million album sales and 24 million singles worldwide....
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For a complete list of all the songs, see List of Ace of Base songs
Studio albums
- Happy NationHappy NationHappy Nation is the debut album of Ace of Base, a pop music group based in Sweden. It was released in early 1993 in Europe, Africa and Latin America on Festival Records. The album is the third highest-selling debut album by a group after Guns N' Roses and Linkin Park...
/ The Sign (1993) - The BridgeThe Bridge (Ace of Base album)-Japan:# "Beautiful Life"# "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry"# "Lucky Love "# "Edge of Heaven"# "Strange Ways"# "Ravine"# "Perfect World"# "Angel Eyes"# "My Déjà Vu"# "You and I"# "Wave Wet Sand"# "Que Sera"# "Just 'N' Image"...
(1995) - FlowersFlowers (Ace of Base album)A re-release of the record in UK saw "Cecilia" replaced with "Cecilia " and "Cruel Summer " replaced with "Everytime It Rains"-Australian release:#"Cruel Summer "#"Donnie "...
/ Cruel SummerCruel Summer (Ace of Base album)-Japan release:#"Cruel Summer "#"Donnie "#"Life Is a Flower"#"Everytime It Rains"#"Adventures in Paradise"#"Don't Go Away"#"Cecilia"#"He Decides " #"Always Have, Always Will "...
(1998) - Da CapoDa Capo (Ace of Base album)Da Capo is the fourth studio album by Ace of Base, a pop music group based in Sweden. It was released in 2002 in Europe and Japan...
(2002) - The Golden RatioThe Golden Ratio (album)The Golden Ratio is the fifth album by Swedish pop music group, Ace of Base. It was recorded in late 2009, through mid-2010. It is the first album to feature two new vocalists: Clara Hagman and Julia Williamson. Production on a fifth album initially began with former band member, and lead...
(2010)
Number one singles
| Year | Single | Chart position | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 |
U.S. Mainstream |
U.S. Dance |
UK | CAN | GER | SWE | ESP | RUS | ||
| 1993 | "All That She Wants All That She Wants "All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it... " |
2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1994 | "The Sign The Sign (song) "The Sign" is a 1993 dance-pop song by the Swedish band Ace of Base. The song was an international hit, reaching Number two in the United Kingdom and spending six non-consecutive weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States... " |
1 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| "Don't Turn Around Don't Turn Around "Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on... " |
4 | 1 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1 | |
| "Living in Danger Living in Danger "Living In Danger" is a song taken from the album, Happy Nation by the band Ace of Base. It was released as a single and reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart, and it peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. in 1994... " |
20 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 23 | 15 | - | 11 | |
| 1995 | "Lucky Love Lucky Love "Lucky Love" is a song by Ace of Base, which became their fifth worldwide single. It was the first single from their album The Bridge to be released in Europe, and the acoustic version of the song was the second single in the United States and Canada... " |
30 | - | 1 | 20 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
| "Beautiful Life Beautiful Life (Ace of Base song) "Beautiful Life" is a hit song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released in the Autumn of 1995. In North America it was the first single released from the band's The Bridge; in Europe it followed "Lucky Love".... " |
15 | - | 1 | 15 | 1 | 20 | 22 | 10 | 1 | |
| 1999 | "C'est la Vie (Always 21) C'est La Vie (Always 21) "C'est la Vie " was the first single from Ace of Base's greatest hits album, entitled Singles of the 90s. It was produced by Jimmy James Ekgren, Sonny Peterson and Sigurd Rosnes of JPR Productions.-Music Video:... " |
- | - | - | - | - | 64 | 38 | 1 | - |
| Total number one hits | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |