Beautiful Life (Ace of Base song)
Encyclopedia
"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
".
The song was written on January 1, 1994 by band member Jonas Berggren
while he was in the Canary Islands
. His earlier song "The Sign
" had just hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
list. Berggren incorporated gospel elements into the song, and the single proved quite successful worldwide, reaching #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December, 1995 and on the UK Singles Chart
. It also hit #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
J.D. Considine of Spin
magazine said in a writeup about The Bridge that "the real genius of Ace of Base lies not with perky singing... but with the ability to make melancholy sound so damned appealing." The evaluation continues to narrow in scope as he continues to say "even the cheerfully titled 'Beautiful life' dampens its club-savvy stomp with a heartbreaking minor key chorus."
, who would go on to direct the band's later video for "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry
". The video included computer-generated
bubbles which whisked the band from place to place.
in the United States
, the band's record label, Arista Records
, insisted the bubbles be removed from the video, leading to a somewhat strange-looking U.S. video, with the band members looking at (and reacting to) bubbles that were no longer there. In Europe, both the versions (bubble video and bubble-free) were released.
version of the video.
recorded a cover of the song for Engine Room Recordings
' compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 2
, which was released in November 2008.
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....
band Ace of Base
Ace of Base
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...
, released in the Autumn of 1995. In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
it was the first single released from the band's 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"...
; in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
it followed "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...
".
The song was written on January 1, 1994 by band member Jonas 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....
while he was in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. His earlier song "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...
" had just hit #1 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...
list. Berggren incorporated gospel elements into the song, and the single proved quite successful worldwide, reaching #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December, 1995 and on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It also hit #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
J.D. Considine of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine said in a writeup about The Bridge that "the real genius of Ace of Base lies not with perky singing... but with the ability to make melancholy sound so damned appealing." The evaluation continues to narrow in scope as he continues to say "even the cheerfully titled 'Beautiful life' dampens its club-savvy stomp with a heartbreaking minor key chorus."
Bubbles Version
The video for the song was directed by Richard HeslopRichard Heslop
Richard Heslop is a British director of music videos and films. He has produced videos for artists including Queen, The Cure, and New Order, as well as programs on Channel 4 and the BBC...
, who would go on to direct the band's later video for "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry
Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry
"Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" is a song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released as a single in August 1996. It was the third single released from the band's album The Bridge....
". The video included computer-generated
Computer-generated
The term computer-generated most often refers to a sound or visual that has been created in whole or in part with the aid of computer software...
bubbles which whisked the band from place to place.
US Version
According to music channel VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the band's record label, 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...
, insisted the bubbles be removed from the video, leading to a somewhat strange-looking U.S. video, with the band members looking at (and reacting to) bubbles that were no longer there. In Europe, both the versions (bubble video and bubble-free) were released.
Other videos
In addition to the two alternate videos, remix videos were also created, and in 1998 VH1 released a Pop-up VideoPop-up Video
Pop Up Video is a VH1 television show that "pops up" bubbles — officially called "info nuggets" — containing trivia, witticisms and borderline sexual innuendos throughout music videos. The show was created by Woody Thompson and Tad Low and premiered October 27, 1996. For a time, it was the...
version of the video.
United Kingdom CD 1 / Australian CD
- Beautiful Life (Single Version)
- Beautiful Life (12" Extended Version)
- Beautiful Life (Junior's Circuit Bump Mix)
United Kingdom CD 2
- Beautiful Life (Single Version)
- Beautiful Life (Vission Lorimer Club Mix)
- Beautiful Life (Lenny B.'s House of Joy Club Mix)
- Beautiful Life (Uno Clio Mix)
US Maxi Single
- Beautiful Life (Single Version)
- Beautiful Life (12" Extended Version)
- Beautiful Life (Junior's Circuit Bump Mix)
- Beautiful Life (Vission Lorimer Club Mix)
- Beautiful Life (Lenny B's House Of Joy Club Mix)
- Beautiful Life (Uno Clio Mix)
Official Versions/Remixes
- Album/Single Version
- 12" Extended Version
- Digimix
- Digimix Long Version
- Direct Hit Mix
- Direct Hit Remix
- Junior Vasquez Mix
- Junior's Circuit Bump Mix
- Junior's Circuit Bump Edit
- Junior's Circuit Bumper Edit
- Junior's Circuit Bump Dub
- Lenny B's House Of Joy Club Mix
- Lenny B's Edit
- Lenny B's Euro Vogue Mix
- Lenny B's Euro Vogue Edit
- MTV Party To Go Mix
- Uno Clio Mix
- Uno Clio Dub
- Vission Lorimer Club Mix
- Vission Lorimer Radio Edit
- Vission Lorimer Anthem Mix
- Humpty Vission Lorimer Anthem Edit
Personnel
- Vocals by Linn Berggren, Jenny Berggren, Jonas Berggren
- Backing Vocals and cue choir by Jeanette Söderholm
- Music by Jonas Berggren
- Lyrics by Jonas Berggren and John Ballard
- Produced by Denniz Pop, Max Martin and Jonas Berggren
- Recorded and produced at Cheiron Studios
Peak positions
| Chart (1995–1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 18 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 94 |
Cover versions
Indie band Jukebox The GhostJukebox The Ghost
-Everything Under the Sun:Jukebox the Ghost's second album was released on September 7, 2010. 'Empire' the first single, was released on June 1, 2010.-External links:* * * * *...
recorded a cover of the song for Engine Room Recordings
Engine Room Recordings
Engine Room Recordings is an independent record label with a roster of Indie rock and Alternative rock musicians. Beyond marketing and distribution for its artists, the label does booking and artist management....
' compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 2
Guilt by Association Vol. 2
Guilt by Association Vol. 2 is a compilation album released November 18, 2008 by Engine Room Recordings. Like its predecessor, Guilt by Association Vol. 1, it features indie rock artists covering well-known pop and R&B songs.-Overview:...
, which was released in November 2008.
Appearances in other media
- This song was included on the Night at the Roxbury (1998) soundtrack and was featured in the advertising campaign for the movie.
- The song was the first to be played the night that the Florida Marlins1997 Florida Marlins seasonThe 1997 Florida Marlins season started off with the team trying to improve on their record from 1996. Their manager was Jim Leyland. They played home games at Pro Player Stadium...
won Game 7 of the 1997 World Series1997 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
. - The song was also heard in the Adam Sandler films, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and LarryI Now Pronounce You Chuck and LarryI Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is a 2007 comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Barry Fanaro, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters. The film was released on July 20, 2007, in the U.S., August 16, 2007, in Australia and on September 21, 2007, in the UK and...
from 2007 and You Don't Mess With The ZohanYou Don't Mess with the ZohanYou Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...
from 2008.