Alcazar (band)
Encyclopedia
Alcazar is a Swedish
eurodance
group
which has established themselves as one of Sweden's most successful music groups with a string of hits since their debut single in 1999. Worldwide, Alcazar sold over 12 million records between 2001 and 2004. Alcazar have also had success around the world with their song "Crying at the Discoteque", having charted in countries such as USA, Brazil, Australia, Japan and most countries in Europe. Alcazar disbanded indefinitely in August 2011 after a concert at Stockholm Pride
.
, Tess Merkel
(born Therese Merkel, 18 April 1970, Nyköping
, Sweden), and Annika Kjærgaard
(born 18 May 1971, Bjarnum, Sweden). Their first single, "Shine On", was a hit in Sweden, but it was with their second release, "Crying at the Discoteque" (which heavily sampled Sheila and B. Devotion
1979 hit "Spacer") they achieved success across Europe. Both singles appeared on their debut album
, Casino, written and produced by Swedish record producers Alexander Bard
and Anders Hansson
. Later editions of Casino
contained a cover
of The Human League
's hit "Don't You Want Me" which also served as the third single off the album. In the United States, Alcazar gained moderate success. "Crying at the Discoteque" peaked at #44 and "Don't You Want Me" peaked at #30 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play.
In December 2002, Andreas Lundstedt's boyfriend at the time, Magnus Carlsson
, joined the group. The second album, Alcazarized, was released in Sweden in 2003 and became a big hit. Subsequently, it was released internationally in 2004, with new cover artwork and a slightly different track list.
In the autumn of 2004, Alcazar released "This Is the World We Live In
". The song samples Diana Ross
's 1980 hit single "Upside Down
" and re-uses lyrics from Genesis
' 1986 single "Land of Confusion
". Their follow-up single, "Physical", also sampled an older hit: Londonbeat
's "I've Been Thinking About You
". The singles were followed up by the album Dancefloor Deluxe which was released in Sweden in August 2004. In the winter of 2004/2005, they released the Christmas single "Here I Am". Alcazar enjoyed considerable success in 2004 in their home country Sweden. 2005 saw the release of the single "Start the Fire". During the making of its music video
, Kjærgaard had an accident in which she broke her foot.
In the autumn of 2005, the band decided to take a break. Andreas moved on to musicals and played the lead in Saturday Night Fever, while Tess became a poker pro.
In May 2007, the band did a one-off performance in London at the night club "G-A-Y", together with Swedish colleagues BWO and Army Of Lovers
, and invited their friend Lina Hedlund
(born 28 March 1978, Hanebo, Sweden) to join them on stage. It all turned out to be a very successful combination and a few months later the "New Alcazar" was formed.
In January 2008, their first and comeback single "We Keep on Rockin'
", witten and produced by Anders Hansson, was released. The single quickly turned into a hit and only a week after the release the single passed gold status in sales. In March 2009, the new album Disco Defenders
was released in Sweden. The album contains two discs. Cd one: 12 brand new tracks like, "We Keep on Rockin´", "Burning", "Harlem Nights", "Stay the Night" etc. Cd two: 11 best of songs, among them "Crying at the Discoteque", "This Is the World We Live In" and "Don't You Want Me". Disco Defenders has received great reviews from the Swedish critics.
The single "Stay the Night
" was Alcazar's entry in the Swedish pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest
.
In 2010, Alcazar recorded a duet with British pop group Same Difference
, entitled "Karma Karma". It was included on Same Difference's second album The Rest Is History Although not officially released as a single, the song charted on Swedish iTunes thanks to Alcazar's popularity in their homeland.
careers. Lundstedt had appeared in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
, as a member of six4one
, a multi-national band founded for the sole purpose of representing Switzerland at the contest, whilst Carlsson has twice taken part individually in the Swedish Melodifestivalen
.
Lina Hedlund
was announced as the replacement for Annikafiore. Lina Hedlund has previously entered Melodifestivalen on two occasions (2002, with her sister Hanna Hedlund
, with the song 'Big Time Party' and the 2003 solo effort 'Nothing Can Stop Me'). Andreas' 'Expressen' blog was recently updated, telling Alcazar fans that the group will now be back together permanently, they will take part in a concert in Sweden in December 2007 and will then head into the studio to produce the group's third studio album, with new member, Lina Hedlund. The band is now including Tess Merkel
and Lina Hedlund
as female vocalists, and Andreas Lundstedt
as male vocalist.
, the annual competition that selects Sweden's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest
, on numerous occasions. In 2003, "Not a Sinner, Nor a Saint" initially failed to qualify for the final, but got a wildcard in the second chance round, finishing 3rd overall. However, the song eventually became the biggest hit of all participating songs in Melodifestivalen 2003
. It was Alcazar's first number 1 single in Sweden and was certified Gold.
During early 2005 Alcazar was offered a spot in the United Kingdom national selection
for Eurovision Song Contest 2005
but refused the offer. Instead they tried their luck in Melodifestivalen 2005
with the disco tune "Alcastar". As in 2003, they originally failed to qualify for the final, but eventually made it through after the second chance semi-final. And once again, the group again had to settle for the 3rd place in the final, which was won by Martin Stenmarck
's song "Las Vegas". Still, the song was a hit and became Alcazar's second number 1 single in Sweden.
Alcazar are once again participating in Melodifestivalen 2009
, this time with the song "Stay the Night
". After performing the song during the first semifinal in Scandinavium
, Gothenburg
, they finished in the top 2 of a Melodifestivalen semifinal for the first time, thus qualifying directly for the final. If the final in Globen, having placed 3rd with the regional juries and 4th in the televote, the song finished 5th overall. The song managed to peak at number 2 on Swedish Singles Charts giving Alcazar another Top 10 single in Sweden. Alcazar also participated in Melodifestivalen 2010
with the song "Headlines
", written and produced by Tony Nilsson
and Peter Boström
, but failed to reach the final.
of Army of Lovers
fame. They performed at the G-A-Y
event on 21 July 2007 alongside BWO and a reformed-for-the-occasion cult band Army of Lovers
. They performed three songs, "This Is the World We Live In
", "Start the Fire
" and "Crying at the Discoteque". However when pressed at the end of their set by club proprietor Jeremy Joseph on whether the band would reform, Andreas avoided offering a commitment other than that they would do future one-off appearances at G-A-Y.
The band performed again on 5 July 2008 at G-A-Y Astoria
for Pride London
2008. They performed "This Is the World We Live In", "Sexual Guarantee/Don't You Want Me" and "Crying at the Discoteque" after BWO, and ended with a cover version of the Lipps Inc song "Funkytown" with BWO joining them on stage. They also performed on 28 June 2008 in Bologna
for the Italian national Gay Pride
parade. On 31 December 2008, Alcazar once again appeared at G-A-Y
at its new location, Heaven
. The trio performed "We Keep On Rockin'", "This Is The World We Live In", "Sexual Guarantee", "Don't You Want Me", "Burning", "Funkytown", "Crying at the Discoteque" and ended with a cover version of the ABBA
song "Happy New Year".
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....
eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
group
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
which has established themselves as one of Sweden's most successful music groups with a string of hits since their debut single in 1999. Worldwide, Alcazar sold over 12 million records between 2001 and 2004. Alcazar have also had success around the world with their song "Crying at the Discoteque", having charted in countries such as USA, Brazil, Australia, Japan and most countries in Europe. Alcazar disbanded indefinitely in August 2011 after a concert at Stockholm Pride
Stockholm Pride
Stockholm Pride is an annual gay pride festival held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Since the start in 1998, Stockholm Pride has grown....
.
Biography
The group formed in 1998 with three members: Andreas LundstedtAndreas Lundstedt
Andreas Lundstedt is a Swedish musician, who is best known as a member of the pop-disco group, Alcazar.-Biography:...
, Tess Merkel
Therese Merkel
Eva Therese Margaretha Merkel also known as "Tess Merkel" is a Swedish singer who is one of the original members of the pop group Alcazar. Tess started her career in a number of musicals, she soon landed the job as a showgirl on Wallmans salonger in 1991...
(born Therese Merkel, 18 April 1970, Nyköping
Nyköping
Nyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,427 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
, Sweden), and Annika Kjærgaard
Annika Kjærgaard
Annika Eva Ingegerd Kjærgaard is a Swedish singer and former member of the Swedish pop group, Alcazar. Kjærgaard mostly known as Annikafiore in Alcazar quit the group in 2007, leaving a spot open for Lina Hedlund. Magnus Carlsson also left during that time...
(born 18 May 1971, Bjarnum, Sweden). Their first single, "Shine On", was a hit in Sweden, but it was with their second release, "Crying at the Discoteque" (which heavily sampled Sheila and B. Devotion
Sheila (and) B. Devotion
Sheila & B. Devotion was a disco group fronted by French singer Sheila between 1977 and 1980. This formation briefly reached popularity in Europe and to a lesser extent in the US club circuit during the disco era...
1979 hit "Spacer") they achieved success across Europe. Both singles appeared on their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Casino, written and produced by Swedish record producers Alexander Bard
Alexander Bard
Alexander Bengt Magnus Bard is a Swedish artist, music producer and writer.-Background and education:Bard was born Alexander Bengt Magnus Bard in Medevi, Motala Municipality, Sweden. After he had completed his upper secondary education, Bard studied in the United States and in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
and Anders Hansson
Anders Hansson
Anders Hansson, born in 1976, is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. He has been a member of the Riksdag since 2006.- External links :*...
. Later editions of Casino
Casino (Alcazar album)
- External links :* * * - Chart performance :...
contained a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
's hit "Don't You Want Me" which also served as the third single off the album. In the United States, Alcazar gained moderate success. "Crying at the Discoteque" peaked at #44 and "Don't You Want Me" peaked at #30 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play.
In December 2002, Andreas Lundstedt's boyfriend at the time, Magnus Carlsson
Magnus Carlsson
Lars Magnus Carlsson is a Swedish singer and former member of the bands Alcazar and Barbados.- Early life :Magnus Carlsson grew up in Fristad, outside Borås...
, joined the group. The second album, Alcazarized, was released in Sweden in 2003 and became a big hit. Subsequently, it was released internationally in 2004, with new cover artwork and a slightly different track list.
In the autumn of 2004, Alcazar released "This Is the World We Live In
This Is the World We Live In
"This Is the World We Live In" is a eurodance song performed by Swedish band Alcazar. The song is the fifth single from their second album, Alcazarized. It was released in the summer of 2004, and became a huge hit, not only in Sweden, but across Europe, and even as far away as China and South Africa...
". The song samples Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
's 1980 hit single "Upside Down
Upside Down
"Upside Down" is a hit song by Diana Ross released on the Motown label. It was the first single taken from her 1980 album diana and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1980. It also hit number one on the Billboard Disco/Dance and R&B charts...
" and re-uses lyrics from Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
' 1986 single "Land of Confusion
Land of Confusion
"Land of Confusion" is a rock song written by the band Genesis for their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The song was the third track on the album and was the fourth track from the album to become a single, which reached #4 in the US and #14 in the UK in early 1987. It made #8 in the Netherlands...
". Their follow-up single, "Physical", also sampled an older hit: Londonbeat
Londonbeat
Londonbeat was originally a UK and American R&B and Dance band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s.-History:Londonbeat's career started in the Netherlands where "There's a Beat Going On" reached the Top 10, and then "9 A.M " which subsequently became a modest success in the...
's "I've Been Thinking About You
I've Been Thinking About You
"I've Been Thinking About You" is a song recorded by Londonbeat. It was released as a single in the last months of 1990 in many countries.It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 13, 1991, having hit number two in the United Kingdom the previous year...
". The singles were followed up by the album Dancefloor Deluxe which was released in Sweden in August 2004. In the winter of 2004/2005, they released the Christmas single "Here I Am". Alcazar enjoyed considerable success in 2004 in their home country Sweden. 2005 saw the release of the single "Start the Fire". During the making of its music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, Kjærgaard had an accident in which she broke her foot.
In the autumn of 2005, the band decided to take a break. Andreas moved on to musicals and played the lead in Saturday Night Fever, while Tess became a poker pro.
In May 2007, the band did a one-off performance in London at the night club "G-A-Y", together with Swedish colleagues BWO and Army Of Lovers
Army Of Lovers
Army of Lovers are a Swedish dance music group formed in 1987.The name of the band alludes to a documentary Armee der Liebenden oder Revolte der Perversen about the German gay rights activist Rosa von Praunheim, the title of which in turn alludes to the Theban Band.-History:The founding members,...
, and invited their friend Lina Hedlund
Lina Hedlund
Lina Maria Hedlund is a Swedish singer and current member of the popgroup Alcazar. Lina has participated in Melodifestivalen a number of times, in Melodifestivalen 2002 along with her sister, singer Hanna Hedlund, in Melodifestivalen 2003 as a solo singer, and in Melodifestivalen 2009 and 2010 as...
(born 28 March 1978, Hanebo, Sweden) to join them on stage. It all turned out to be a very successful combination and a few months later the "New Alcazar" was formed.
In January 2008, their first and comeback single "We Keep on Rockin'
We Keep on Rockin'
"We Keep on Rockin" is a eurodance song written by Anders Hansson and performed by Swedish band Alcazar. The song is the first single from their third album, Disco Defenders and it was released in the beginning of 2008...
", witten and produced by Anders Hansson, was released. The single quickly turned into a hit and only a week after the release the single passed gold status in sales. In March 2009, the new album Disco Defenders
Disco Defenders
-Special Edition:This version is a re-release published the 18th November 2009 and includes two new tracks, One Two Three Four and Last Christmas instead of Jump Straight into the Fire and Put the Top Down...
was released in Sweden. The album contains two discs. Cd one: 12 brand new tracks like, "We Keep on Rockin´", "Burning", "Harlem Nights", "Stay the Night" etc. Cd two: 11 best of songs, among them "Crying at the Discoteque", "This Is the World We Live In" and "Don't You Want Me". Disco Defenders has received great reviews from the Swedish critics.
The single "Stay the Night
Stay the Night (Alcazar song)
"Stay the Night" is a song by Swedish pop group Alcazar. The song was an entry in Melodifestivalen 2009 for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, where it reached the March 14 final in Globen Arena after a public televote. Having placed 3rd with the regional juries and 4th in the televote, the song...
" was Alcazar's entry in the Swedish pre-selection 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...
.
In 2010, Alcazar recorded a duet with British pop group Same Difference
Same Difference
Same Difference can refer to:* Same Difference, a British singing duo* Same Difference , an album by Swedish death metal band Entombed* Same Difference , a show which aired on Channel 4...
, entitled "Karma Karma". It was included on Same Difference's second album The Rest Is History Although not officially released as a single, the song charted on Swedish iTunes thanks to Alcazar's popularity in their homeland.
Break and line-up changes
The band claimed that they needed a break during the autumn of 2005. Male lead singer, Andreas Lundstedt claimed that the band would be back in the summer of 2007. In the meantime the male members launched soloSolo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
careers. Lundstedt had appeared in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
, as a member of six4one
Six4one
six4one is a six-piece musical group formed in November 2005 for the sole purpose of representing Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The group is made up of six individuals who were chosen at a casting session, which took place from November 25-27 2005...
, a multi-national band founded for the sole purpose of representing Switzerland at the contest, whilst Carlsson has twice taken part individually in the Swedish Melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen is an annual music competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio . It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1959...
.
Lina Hedlund
Lina Hedlund
Lina Maria Hedlund is a Swedish singer and current member of the popgroup Alcazar. Lina has participated in Melodifestivalen a number of times, in Melodifestivalen 2002 along with her sister, singer Hanna Hedlund, in Melodifestivalen 2003 as a solo singer, and in Melodifestivalen 2009 and 2010 as...
was announced as the replacement for Annikafiore. Lina Hedlund has previously entered Melodifestivalen on two occasions (2002, with her sister Hanna Hedlund
Hanna Hedlund
Hanna Hedlund is a Swedish singer. Her sister, Lina Hedlund, is also a singer. She lives with Martin Stenmarck who sang the Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005. They have two children together, Ida and Love.Hanna competed in Melodifestivalen 2000 with the song "Anropar försvunnen"...
, with the song 'Big Time Party' and the 2003 solo effort 'Nothing Can Stop Me'). Andreas' 'Expressen' blog was recently updated, telling Alcazar fans that the group will now be back together permanently, they will take part in a concert in Sweden in December 2007 and will then head into the studio to produce the group's third studio album, with new member, Lina Hedlund. The band is now including Tess Merkel
Therese Merkel
Eva Therese Margaretha Merkel also known as "Tess Merkel" is a Swedish singer who is one of the original members of the pop group Alcazar. Tess started her career in a number of musicals, she soon landed the job as a showgirl on Wallmans salonger in 1991...
and Lina Hedlund
Lina Hedlund
Lina Maria Hedlund is a Swedish singer and current member of the popgroup Alcazar. Lina has participated in Melodifestivalen a number of times, in Melodifestivalen 2002 along with her sister, singer Hanna Hedlund, in Melodifestivalen 2003 as a solo singer, and in Melodifestivalen 2009 and 2010 as...
as female vocalists, and Andreas Lundstedt
Andreas Lundstedt
Andreas Lundstedt is a Swedish musician, who is best known as a member of the pop-disco group, Alcazar.-Biography:...
as male vocalist.
Melodifestivalen
Alcazar have taken part in MelodifestivalenMelodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen is an annual music competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio . It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1959...
, the annual competition that selects Sweden's entries 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...
, on numerous occasions. In 2003, "Not a Sinner, Nor a Saint" initially failed to qualify for the final, but got a wildcard in the second chance round, finishing 3rd overall. However, the song eventually became the biggest hit of all participating songs in Melodifestivalen 2003
Melodifestivalen 2003
Melodifestivalen 2003 was the selection for the 43rd song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the 42nd time that this system of picking a song had been used. Five semifinals had taken place to select the ten songs for the final, in Jönköping, Gothenburg, Luleå, Sundsvall and...
. It was Alcazar's first number 1 single in Sweden and was certified Gold.
During early 2005 Alcazar was offered a spot in the United Kingdom national selection
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The United Kingdom was represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 by "Touch My Fire" performed by Javine.Javine Hylton was born on 27 December 1981 and as a yougster enjoyed listening to her mother’s collection of soul and reggae albums. At the age of 10, she was offered an arts scholarship...
for Eurovision Song Contest 2005
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
but refused the offer. Instead they tried their luck in Melodifestivalen 2005
Melodifestivalen 2005
Melodifestivalen 2005 was the selection for the 45th song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the 44th time that this system of picking a song had been used. Five semifinals had taken place to select the ten songs for the final, in Gothenburg, Linköping, Skellefteå, Växjö and...
with the disco tune "Alcastar". As in 2003, they originally failed to qualify for the final, but eventually made it through after the second chance semi-final. And once again, the group again had to settle for the 3rd place in the final, which was won by Martin Stenmarck
Martin Stenmarck
Martin Olof Jon Stenmarck is a Swedish singer and voice actor. He represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with Las Vegas, finishing 19th with 30 points....
's song "Las Vegas". Still, the song was a hit and became Alcazar's second number 1 single in Sweden.
Alcazar are once again participating in Melodifestivalen 2009
Melodifestivalen 2009
Melodifestivalen 2009 was a Swedish song contest held between February and March 2009. It was the selection for the 49th song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 48th edition of Melodifestivalen...
, this time with the song "Stay the Night
Stay the Night (Alcazar song)
"Stay the Night" is a song by Swedish pop group Alcazar. The song was an entry in Melodifestivalen 2009 for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, where it reached the March 14 final in Globen Arena after a public televote. Having placed 3rd with the regional juries and 4th in the televote, the song...
". After performing the song during the first semifinal in Scandinavium
Scandinavium
Scandinavium is the primary indoor sports and event arena in Gothenburg, Sweden. Construction on Scandinavium began in 1969 after decades of setbacks, the arena was built in time for the 350th year anniversary celebration of the City of Gothenburg and was inaugurated on May 18, 1971.Scandinavium...
, Gothenburg
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...
, they finished in the top 2 of a Melodifestivalen semifinal for the first time, thus qualifying directly for the final. If the final in Globen, having placed 3rd with the regional juries and 4th in the televote, the song finished 5th overall. The song managed to peak at number 2 on Swedish Singles Charts giving Alcazar another Top 10 single in Sweden. Alcazar also participated 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...
with the song "Headlines
Headlines (song)
For the Spice Girls song, see Headlines .For the Drake song, see Headlines ."Headlines" is a song by Swedish pop group Alcazar. The song was an entry in Melodifestivalen 2010 for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, where it reached the "Second Chance" whis was held on March 6, 2010 at Conventum Arena...
", written and produced by Tony Nilsson
Tony Nilsson
Tonny Nilsson is a Swedish singer-songwriter . He is signed to Peermusic label. Tony is living with artist and fellow songwriter Mirja Breitholtz....
and Peter Boström
Peter Boström
Peter Boström is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. He is also known as Bassflow.Boström wrote his first song at the age of seven. In 1992, at the age of 21, he started Bassflow Productions, a production company near Stockholm, Sweden...
, but failed to reach the final.
Performances
Alcazar reformed in July 2007 to perform at the London Astoria as part of a celebration of Swedish music masterminded by producer Alexander BardAlexander Bard
Alexander Bengt Magnus Bard is a Swedish artist, music producer and writer.-Background and education:Bard was born Alexander Bengt Magnus Bard in Medevi, Motala Municipality, Sweden. After he had completed his upper secondary education, Bard studied in the United States and in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
of Army of Lovers
Army Of Lovers
Army of Lovers are a Swedish dance music group formed in 1987.The name of the band alludes to a documentary Armee der Liebenden oder Revolte der Perversen about the German gay rights activist Rosa von Praunheim, the title of which in turn alludes to the Theban Band.-History:The founding members,...
fame. They performed at the G-A-Y
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
event on 21 July 2007 alongside BWO and a reformed-for-the-occasion cult band Army of Lovers
Army Of Lovers
Army of Lovers are a Swedish dance music group formed in 1987.The name of the band alludes to a documentary Armee der Liebenden oder Revolte der Perversen about the German gay rights activist Rosa von Praunheim, the title of which in turn alludes to the Theban Band.-History:The founding members,...
. They performed three songs, "This Is the World We Live In
This Is the World We Live In
"This Is the World We Live In" is a eurodance song performed by Swedish band Alcazar. The song is the fifth single from their second album, Alcazarized. It was released in the summer of 2004, and became a huge hit, not only in Sweden, but across Europe, and even as far away as China and South Africa...
", "Start the Fire
Start the Fire
"Start the Fire" was the final Alcazar single, released in 2005 as a second single from their compilation album Dancefloor Deluxe, before their three year hiatus. The chorus is borrowed from Billy Joel's classic hit "We Didn't Start the Fire", though the verses are completely new. It also features...
" and "Crying at the Discoteque". However when pressed at the end of their set by club proprietor Jeremy Joseph on whether the band would reform, Andreas avoided offering a commitment other than that they would do future one-off appearances at G-A-Y.
The band performed again on 5 July 2008 at G-A-Y Astoria
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
for Pride London
Pride London
Pride London is the name of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender registered charity which arranges LGBT events in London, most notably the annual gay pride parade which is held in June/July. The most recent Pride London was on 2 July 2011. The 2010 event was attended by 1 million people,...
2008. They performed "This Is the World We Live In", "Sexual Guarantee/Don't You Want Me" and "Crying at the Discoteque" after BWO, and ended with a cover version of the Lipps Inc song "Funkytown" with BWO joining them on stage. They also performed on 28 June 2008 in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
for the Italian national Gay Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
parade. On 31 December 2008, Alcazar once again appeared at G-A-Y
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
at its new location, Heaven
Heaven (nightclub)
Heaven is a Superclub in London, England which appeals predominantly to the gay market. It is located underneath Charing Cross railway station in Central London, just off Trafalgar Square.-Early history:...
. The trio performed "We Keep On Rockin'", "This Is The World We Live In", "Sexual Guarantee", "Don't You Want Me", "Burning", "Funkytown", "Crying at the Discoteque" and ended with a cover version of the ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
song "Happy New Year".
Discography
- 2000: CasinoCasino (Alcazar album)- External links :* * * - Chart performance :...
- 2003: AlcazarizedAlcazarized-Chart performance:-External links:*...
- 2004: Dancefloor DeluxeDancefloor DeluxeDancefloor Deluxe is the third album and the first compilation album by Swedish eurodance group Alcazar. It was released in Sweden on August 25, 2004.-Standard Edition 2004:-Single Disc Edition 2005:-Chart performance:-External links:**...
- 2005: A Tribute to ABBA
- 2009: Disco DefendersDisco Defenders-Special Edition:This version is a re-release published the 18th November 2009 and includes two new tracks, One Two Three Four and Last Christmas instead of Jump Straight into the Fire and Put the Top Down...