Per Magnusson
Encyclopedia
Per Magnusson is a Swedish
music producer and songwriter
. His musical career took off in 1994 as one of the original team members of the now-legendary Cheiron Productions, meeting great international success working with Boyzone
, Britney Spears
, Westlife
and the Backstreet Boys
.
Shortly after Cheiron decided to shut down its studios in 2000, Per together with David Kreuger
formed A Side Productions
, having continued to produce and write songs for major artists such as Il Divo
, Céline Dion
, Josh Groban
, Shayne Ward
and Paul Potts
.
To date the duo has co-written and / or produced six UK No 1 singles:
In April 2008 Leona Lewis
became the first British female ever to open at No 1 on the Billboard 200
. Her debut album Spirit
includes the song "Footprints in the Sand
", co-written by Per and David.
. His interest in music was developed already while attending primary school, picking up the cello as his main instrument playing it for the next ten years.
Over time his commitment in pop & rock music became more and more predominantly. As a teenager Per played both the guitar and keyboards in different local bands, but eventually decided to focus on producing, arranging and writing music.
His first significant record appearance came in 1994 on the Swedish artist Jennifer Brown
's album Giving You the Best. Besides taking part as a musician, Per produced the song "Take a Piece of My Heart" which also was released as a single.
About that time, Per coincidentally met with David Kreuger
whom worked on the DJ scene in Stockholm. They started collaborating and have continued producing and writing songs as a team ever since.
had by the early '90s become one of the most skillful and coveted DJs in the clubs of Stockholm. In 1993 he decided to start working with artists and founded Cheiron Productions together with Tom Talomaa. Its studios were located at Fridhemsplan in Stockholm, soon evolving into a great success.
After playing one of their songs for PoP, Per and David were invited aboard as songwriters and producers. Successfully working with a wide range of artists for the next couple of years, the tandem's greatest prosperity that far came in 1998, co-writing and producing the song "Will Be Yours" for Boyzone
's third consecutive UK No 1 album Where We Belong
.
By now Cheiron studios was one of the hottest in the world, each team member working with a different artist. But in August 1998 Cheiron shocked the music world sending out a press release that its leader Denniz PoP had died. He was only 35 years old.
' debut album. Per and David produced Spear's second single "Sometimes
" as well as her third, "(You Drive Me) Crazy
", which they co-wrote with Max Martin
and Jörgen Elofsson
. Both singles became huge worldwide hits. The album …Baby One More Time was released in the US in January 1999 and debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200 where it spent six weeks straight.
Together Per and David also worked with Britney on her second album Oops!…I Did It Again, co-writing and co-producing "What U See (Is What U Get)" and producing "Girl in the Mirror". The album came out in the US in May 2000 and equally as the first, it shoot to No 1.
soon followed. Westlife
had approached Cheiron for material to their upcoming self-titled debut album and the duo co-wrote three songs which they also produced. "If I Let You Go
" was released in August 1999 as Westlife's ever second single. It went straight to No 1
becoming Per and David's first top position in the UK. "Fool Again
", which came out in March 2000 as the fifth single taken from the same album, became the duo's second
in less than seven months.
By the end of that same year, Westlife issued their follow-up album Coast to Coast. Five songs co-written and / or produced by the tandem had found their way onto the record. "My Love
" hit the UK record stores in October as the album's first single. It entered the charts at No 1. The close collaboration between Westlife and Per and David has continued ever since.
The Backstreet Boys
had in 1999 broken nearly every record in the book with their album Millenium
. In 2000 the group turned to Per and David for help on their next, titled Black & Blue
, which was released in November. Including the tandem's productions of "It's True" and "The Answer to Our Life", the record became another huge international success selling more than 12 million copies.
These recordings turned out to be some of Cheiron's last before closing up. By the end of 2000, at the top of the industry, the studio's songwriters and producers decided to go separate ways.
, their own production company. Located in the center of Stockholm, the duo soon embarked on several major projects including working on Westlife's upcoming third record World of Our Own
. Together they co-wrote and produced four songs which all appear on the album. One of the songs was "Evergreen
", that soon was about to enter Guinness World Records
. Released in the UK in November 2001, the album instantly shot to No 1
.
In February 2002 Will Young
became the first winner of Pop Idol
, a new British reality talent show that was followed by spin offs all around the world, in the US named American Idol
. Will Young's debut single was the double A-side "Anything is Possible" / "Evergreen
", released in the UK on February 25. The single instantaneously made it into the history books by becoming the Fastest Selling Debut Single for the First Day
as well as First Week
. Co-written and co-produced by Per and David, "Evergreen" spent three consecutive weeks atop of the Top 40. More amazingly, in 2009 the single still holds the No 11th position on the UK Top 100 List of Best Selling Singles of all time
.
Pop Idol runner-up that season was Gareth Gates
and just like Will Young he recorded "Evergreen", which was included on his first single. Released in March, Gareth Gates now knocked down his rival from the No 1, subsequently holding his position for four weeks straight
.
Gareth Gates' second success on the charts came only four months later, on July 14, with his follow-up "Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)
"
. The song, also co-written and produced by Per and David, spent three weeks at No 1. This was the duo's 5th top position in the UK.
had come up with a new concept featuring four male singers interpreting romantic songs opera-style. Two years later, after numerous auditions across the globe, Il Divo
was formed. The quartet's self-titled debut album
was scheduled for release in the fall of 2004 and one of its first destinations was A Side Productions' studios for recordings. Including the productions of Ennio Morricone
's "Nella Fantasia
" and "Ti Amerò", which Per and David also had co-written exclusively for the group, the album Il Divo
was released in the UK on November 6. It instantly went to No 1
and remained in the Top 5 throughout the year. In the US the album was issued on April 19, 2005, rushing straight to No 4 on the Billboard 200
.
Only months later, Il Divo had reached No 1 in 12 countries, Top 5 in another 25
and sold more than 4 million copies
.
In 2005 Céline Dion
started working on a new album, her first French compilation titled On Ne Changes Pas
, including three new songs. Per and David co-wrote and produced "I Believe in You", a duet with Il Divo. Dion's album was released on October 3 and reached No 1 in Quebec, Belgium and France where it held the position for seven weeks straight subsequently spending an entire year on the chart.
Per and David's duet "I Believe in You" was also included on Il Divo's follow-up album Ancora
. Along with three more songs produced by the tandem, the quartet's record was released on November 7, 2005. It hit No 1 in the UK and Australia within one week. Released in the US on January 24, 2006,
Ancora entered the Billboard 200 at No 1 after selling more than 150,000 copies in its first week. Il Divo's third album, Siempre, also including four songs co-written and / or produced by Per and David, was released by the end of November 2006. Across their first three albums, Il Divo achieved 36 No 1's, selling more than 22 million records worldwide
.
was devised in 2004 as a replacement for the massively successful Pop Idol, which in the UK had been put on indefinite hold. In the second season's final, aired on December 17, 2005, Shayne Ward
was crowned winner after performing the newly written song "That's My Goal
". Produced by Per and David it was released as Ward's debut single only four days later, shooting straight to No 1. By selling an astonishing 310,000 copies in the first day
, "That's My Goal" entered the Top 4 list of the Fastest Selling UK Singles of all time
.
On March 4, 2007, Paul Potts
entered the stage in front of the skeptical looking jury of Britain's Got Talent
. Ninety seconds later he made YouTube
history with his rendition of Puccini's "Nessun Dorma
". Potts had wowed the jury as well as the 2,000-strong audience which gave him a standing ovation. Still working as a mobile phone salesman in Wales, the unexpected tenor on June 17 won the whole show
.
Going straight into the music studios recording songs for his debut album, now with a full symphony orchestra backing him up in the world famous AIR Studios in London, Potts recorded three songs produced by Per and David, "Nessun Dorma", "Con Te Partirò
" and "Nella Fantasia
". The album One Chance was released in the UK on July 16, 2007 and with first week sales exceeding 128,000 copies Potts shot straight to No 1
outselling the rest of his Top 10 rivals combined
. The newly discovered tenor held the position for three consecutive weeks
.
, the Welsh award-winning and best-selling classical crossover superstar. In 2004, at the age of 24, she became the fastest selling mezzo-soprano of all time with her debut album titled Première
. By the end of 2005, as the first singer in musical history, Jenkins simultaneously held the number 1, 2 and 3 positions in the UK's Classical Chart with her three albums
. Her fifth album, Rejoice
including four songs produced by Per and David, was released on November 19, 2007. It entered the UK's Pop Charts at No 3
.
In 2006 more than 100,000 hopeful "artists to be" applied to the auditions for The X Factor
season three, the previous season won by Shayne Ward. Leona Lewis
was crowned winner on December
16, soon breaking sales records with her first single
. Decided however not to push the young singer's debut album release, Lewis instead went to the US signing a lucrative record deal with
Clive Davis
, founder of Arista Records
. Set for domestically release in late 2007 the album's recordings were coordinated in music studios around the US as well as in London. One of the songs was "Footprints in the Sand
", written by Per and David together with Richard Page
.
The album, titled Spirit
, reached the UK record stores on November 12. With sales surpassing 375,000 copies in its first week of release, Spirit is the fastest selling British debut album of all time
. It spent seven weeks straight at No 1 on the Top 40
.
Released in the US almost five months later, on April 8, 2008, Spirit instantly shot to the top spot. This resulted in Leona Lewis becoming the first British female ever to debut at No 1 on the Billboard 200
.
Re-released in the UK almost exactly one year later, on November 17, 2008, Lewis' Spirit The Deluxe Edition bounced back to the top of the charts to give Per and David a second consecutive No 1, as the bestseller that previous week was Il Divo's The Promise
including the tandem's production of "L'Alba Del Mondo".
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....
music producer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. His musical career took off in 1994 as one of the original team members of the now-legendary Cheiron Productions, meeting great international success working with Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
and the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
.
Shortly after Cheiron decided to shut down its studios in 2000, Per together with David Kreuger
David Kreuger
David Kreuger is a Swedish songwriter.David Kreuger began at Cheiron Studios in the spring of 1993. During the period 1993-1997, he worked with Per Magnusson on several projects....
formed A Side Productions
A Side Productions
A Side Productions is a music production company established by Per Magnusson and David Kreuger in early 2001. Located in the center of Stockholm, A Side Productions writes and produces...
, having continued to produce and write songs for major artists such as Il Divo
Il Divo
Il Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music...
, Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
, Shayne Ward
Shayne Ward
Shayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh...
and Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which went to #1 in nine countries...
.
To date the duo has co-written and / or produced six UK No 1 singles:
- If I Let You GoIf I Let You Go"If I Let You Go" is a song by Westlife, released in the United Kingdom on 9 August 1999, as the band's second single. It became the second of the band's fourteen UK number 1 hit singles, spending eleven weeks on charts...
(WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
) - Fool AgainFool Again"Fool Again" was the last single to be released from Westlife's self-titled debut album. It became the band's fifth consecutive UK number one single and spent 12 weeks on charts. It sold over 215 000 copies in UK so far...
(WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
) - My LoveMy Love (Westlife song)"My Love" is the second single from Westlife's second studio album, Coast to Coast. The single became the band's seventh UK number #1. The song was the 35th best-selling single of 2000 in the UK...
(WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
)
- EvergreenEvergreen (Westlife song)"Evergreen" is a pop song, co-written by Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and originally recorded by Westlife. The song appears on their album World of Our Own, and was released as a single, only in the Philippines, where it reached number 3 due to the insistent demand of their fans...
(Will YoungWill YoungWilliam Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
)
- Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)"Anyone of Us " is the second single from English pop singer Gareth Gates' debut studio album What My Heart Wants to Say. The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and produced by Magnusson and Kreuger. The single was released in July 2002, entering the Top 40 at...
(Gareth GatesGareth GatesGareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
)
- That's My GoalThat's My Goal"That's My Goal" is a song, released in 2005 as the first single by Shayne Ward, the winner of the second series of X Factor. The song was first heard in the final of the aforementioned series, where it was performed by both Ward and X Factor runner up, Andy Abraham. The single was rush-released on...
(Shayne WardShayne WardShayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh...
)
In April 2008 Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
became the first British female ever to open at No 1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Her debut album Spirit
Spirit (Leona Lewis album)
Spirit is the debut album by British singer Leona Lewis, released by Syco Music in November 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by a worldwide release during early 2008...
includes the song "Footprints in the Sand
Footprints in the Sand (song)
"Footprints in the Sand" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album Spirit . It was written by Simon Cowell, David Kreuger, Per Magnusson, Richard Page, and produced by Steve Mac. It was released on 9 March 2008 in the United Kingdom as Lewis's third...
", co-written by Per and David.
The early years
Per Magnusson was born and raised in Tyresö on the outskirts of StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. His interest in music was developed already while attending primary school, picking up the cello as his main instrument playing it for the next ten years.
Over time his commitment in pop & rock music became more and more predominantly. As a teenager Per played both the guitar and keyboards in different local bands, but eventually decided to focus on producing, arranging and writing music.
His first significant record appearance came in 1994 on the Swedish artist Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown is a Swedish singer. She was born in Hjällbo, northeast of Gothenburg.When she moved to Stockholm in the 1990s, she started working as a phone receptionist for influential Swedish record label Telegram records and this eventually led to a record deal...
's album Giving You the Best. Besides taking part as a musician, Per produced the song "Take a Piece of My Heart" which also was released as a single.
About that time, Per coincidentally met with David Kreuger
David Kreuger
David Kreuger is a Swedish songwriter.David Kreuger began at Cheiron Studios in the spring of 1993. During the period 1993-1997, he worked with Per Magnusson on several projects....
whom worked on the DJ scene in Stockholm. They started collaborating and have continued producing and writing songs as a team ever since.
Denniz PoP & Cheiron Studios
Denniz PoPDenniz Pop
Dag Krister Volle , better known under the artistic name Denniz Pop , was a Swedish DJ, music producer and songwriter....
had by the early '90s become one of the most skillful and coveted DJs in the clubs of Stockholm. In 1993 he decided to start working with artists and founded Cheiron Productions together with Tom Talomaa. Its studios were located at Fridhemsplan in Stockholm, soon evolving into a great success.
After playing one of their songs for PoP, Per and David were invited aboard as songwriters and producers. Successfully working with a wide range of artists for the next couple of years, the tandem's greatest prosperity that far came in 1998, co-writing and producing the song "Will Be Yours" for Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
's third consecutive UK No 1 album Where We Belong
Where We Belong
"Where We Belong" is the second single from the album The Betrayed, the fourth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets. It was released on 4 January 2010...
.
By now Cheiron studios was one of the hottest in the world, each team member working with a different artist. But in August 1998 Cheiron shocked the music world sending out a press release that its leader Denniz PoP had died. He was only 35 years old.
On top of the US charts with Britney
Just a couple of months earlier, Cheiron had started working on songs for the 16-year old Britney SpearsBritney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' debut album. Per and David produced Spear's second single "Sometimes
Sometimes (Britney Spears song)
"Sometimes" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time . Written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Per Magnusson and David Krueger, the song was released as Spears' second single on April 30, 1999 by Jive Records...
" as well as her third, "(You Drive Me) Crazy
(You Drive Me) Crazy
" Crazy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin, Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger for Spears' debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . It was released on August 23, 1999 by Jive Records, as the third single from the...
", which they co-wrote with Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
and Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Kjell Elofsson is a Swedish songwriter who has written or co-written hits for stars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Guy Sebastian, Ana Johnsson, Marie Serneholt, Shayne Ward and Super Junior. He has also written hit singles for groups such as Il Divo and Westlife...
. Both singles became huge worldwide hits. The album …Baby One More Time was released in the US in January 1999 and debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200 where it spent six weeks straight.
Together Per and David also worked with Britney on her second album Oops!…I Did It Again, co-writing and co-producing "What U See (Is What U Get)" and producing "Girl in the Mirror". The album came out in the US in May 2000 and equally as the first, it shoot to No 1.
First UK No 1s
Per and David's success on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
soon followed. Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
had approached Cheiron for material to their upcoming self-titled debut album and the duo co-wrote three songs which they also produced. "If I Let You Go
If I Let You Go
"If I Let You Go" is a song by Westlife, released in the United Kingdom on 9 August 1999, as the band's second single. It became the second of the band's fourteen UK number 1 hit singles, spending eleven weeks on charts...
" was released in August 1999 as Westlife's ever second single. It went straight to No 1
becoming Per and David's first top position in the UK. "Fool Again
Fool Again
"Fool Again" was the last single to be released from Westlife's self-titled debut album. It became the band's fifth consecutive UK number one single and spent 12 weeks on charts. It sold over 215 000 copies in UK so far...
", which came out in March 2000 as the fifth single taken from the same album, became the duo's second
in less than seven months.
By the end of that same year, Westlife issued their follow-up album Coast to Coast. Five songs co-written and / or produced by the tandem had found their way onto the record. "My Love
My Love (Westlife song)
"My Love" is the second single from Westlife's second studio album, Coast to Coast. The single became the band's seventh UK number #1. The song was the 35th best-selling single of 2000 in the UK...
" hit the UK record stores in October as the album's first single. It entered the charts at No 1. The close collaboration between Westlife and Per and David has continued ever since.
The Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
had in 1999 broken nearly every record in the book with their album Millenium
Millennium (Backstreet Boys album)
Millennium is the third album by American boyband Backstreet Boys. It was a highly anticipated follow-up to both their United States debut album, and their second internationally released album. It was their first album to be released in both the U.S...
. In 2000 the group turned to Per and David for help on their next, titled Black & Blue
Black & Blue
Black & Blue is the follow-up album to the Backstreet Boys' 1999 studio release Millennium. It is their fourth album and their third American release. In the United States, Black & Blue sold 1.6 million discs in its first week of release, making them the first group in Soundscan history to have...
, which was released in November. Including the tandem's productions of "It's True" and "The Answer to Our Life", the record became another huge international success selling more than 12 million copies.
These recordings turned out to be some of Cheiron's last before closing up. By the end of 2000, at the top of the industry, the studio's songwriters and producers decided to go separate ways.
A Side Productions is formed
Shortly after the shutdown of Cheiron Studios, Per and David formed A Side ProductionsA Side Productions
A Side Productions is a music production company established by Per Magnusson and David Kreuger in early 2001. Located in the center of Stockholm, A Side Productions writes and produces...
, their own production company. Located in the center of Stockholm, the duo soon embarked on several major projects including working on Westlife's upcoming third record World of Our Own
World of Our Own
World of Our Own is the third studio album by the Irish boyband Westlife, released on 12 November 2001. It reached number one in the United Kingdom and includes the singles "Queen of My Heart" , "World of Our Own" , "Bop Bop Baby", and the final single from the group's last album,...
. Together they co-wrote and produced four songs which all appear on the album. One of the songs was "Evergreen
Evergreen (Westlife song)
"Evergreen" is a pop song, co-written by Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and originally recorded by Westlife. The song appears on their album World of Our Own, and was released as a single, only in the Philippines, where it reached number 3 due to the insistent demand of their fans...
", that soon was about to enter Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
. Released in the UK in November 2001, the album instantly shot to No 1
.
In February 2002 Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
became the first winner of Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
, a new British reality talent show that was followed by spin offs all around the world, in the US named American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Will Young's debut single was the double A-side "Anything is Possible" / "Evergreen
Evergreen (Westlife song)
"Evergreen" is a pop song, co-written by Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and originally recorded by Westlife. The song appears on their album World of Our Own, and was released as a single, only in the Philippines, where it reached number 3 due to the insistent demand of their fans...
", released in the UK on February 25. The single instantaneously made it into the history books by becoming the Fastest Selling Debut Single for the First Day
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
as well as First Week
. Co-written and co-produced by Per and David, "Evergreen" spent three consecutive weeks atop of the Top 40. More amazingly, in 2009 the single still holds the No 11th position on the UK Top 100 List of Best Selling Singles of all time
.
Pop Idol runner-up that season was Gareth Gates
Gareth Gates
Gareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
and just like Will Young he recorded "Evergreen", which was included on his first single. Released in March, Gareth Gates now knocked down his rival from the No 1, subsequently holding his position for four weeks straight
.
Gareth Gates' second success on the charts came only four months later, on July 14, with his follow-up "Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)
Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)
"Anyone of Us " is the second single from English pop singer Gareth Gates' debut studio album What My Heart Wants to Say. The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and produced by Magnusson and Kreuger. The single was released in July 2002, entering the Top 40 at...
"
. The song, also co-written and produced by Per and David, spent three weeks at No 1. This was the duo's 5th top position in the UK.
Il Divo brings opera to the pop charts
Already in 2001 Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
had come up with a new concept featuring four male singers interpreting romantic songs opera-style. Two years later, after numerous auditions across the globe, Il Divo
Il Divo
Il Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music...
was formed. The quartet's self-titled debut album
Il Divo (album)
Il Divo is the debut album of the operatic pop vocal group Il Divo. It was released on November 1, 2004 in the United Kingdom on Syco Music and on April 19, 2005 in the United States on Columbia Records....
was scheduled for release in the fall of 2004 and one of its first destinations was A Side Productions' studios for recordings. Including the productions of Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
's "Nella Fantasia
Nella Fantasia
"Nella Fantasia" is an Italian song based on the theme "Gabriel's Oboe" from the film The Mission . With music by famed composer Ennio Morricone and lyrics by Chiara Ferraù, "Nella Fantasia" is popular among classical crossover singers, and was originally sung by Sarah Brightman...
" and "Ti Amerò", which Per and David also had co-written exclusively for the group, the album Il Divo
Il Divo (album)
Il Divo is the debut album of the operatic pop vocal group Il Divo. It was released on November 1, 2004 in the United Kingdom on Syco Music and on April 19, 2005 in the United States on Columbia Records....
was released in the UK on November 6. It instantly went to No 1
and remained in the Top 5 throughout the year. In the US the album was issued on April 19, 2005, rushing straight to No 4 on the Billboard 200
.
Only months later, Il Divo had reached No 1 in 12 countries, Top 5 in another 25
and sold more than 4 million copies
.
In 2005 Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
started working on a new album, her first French compilation titled On Ne Changes Pas
On ne change pas
On ne change pas is a greatest hits album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, which sums up twenty five years of her French career. It's her first official French language 'best of' album in almost twenty years. On ne change pas is Dion's 22nd French album and 34th if counting all longplays...
, including three new songs. Per and David co-wrote and produced "I Believe in You", a duet with Il Divo. Dion's album was released on October 3 and reached No 1 in Quebec, Belgium and France where it held the position for seven weeks straight subsequently spending an entire year on the chart.
Per and David's duet "I Believe in You" was also included on Il Divo's follow-up album Ancora
Ancora
Ancora is the second album of the operatic pop vocal group Il Divo. It was released in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world on November 7, 2005, excluding the United States and Latin America. It was later released in the United States and Latin America on January 24, 2006. It debuted at...
. Along with three more songs produced by the tandem, the quartet's record was released on November 7, 2005. It hit No 1 in the UK and Australia within one week. Released in the US on January 24, 2006,
Ancora entered the Billboard 200 at No 1 after selling more than 150,000 copies in its first week. Il Divo's third album, Siempre, also including four songs co-written and / or produced by Per and David, was released by the end of November 2006. Across their first three albums, Il Divo achieved 36 No 1's, selling more than 22 million records worldwide
.
The X Factor & Britain's Got Talent
The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
was devised in 2004 as a replacement for the massively successful Pop Idol, which in the UK had been put on indefinite hold. In the second season's final, aired on December 17, 2005, Shayne Ward
Shayne Ward
Shayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh...
was crowned winner after performing the newly written song "That's My Goal
That's My Goal
"That's My Goal" is a song, released in 2005 as the first single by Shayne Ward, the winner of the second series of X Factor. The song was first heard in the final of the aforementioned series, where it was performed by both Ward and X Factor runner up, Andy Abraham. The single was rush-released on...
". Produced by Per and David it was released as Ward's debut single only four days later, shooting straight to No 1. By selling an astonishing 310,000 copies in the first day
, "That's My Goal" entered the Top 4 list of the Fastest Selling UK Singles of all time
.
On March 4, 2007, Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which went to #1 in nine countries...
entered the stage in front of the skeptical looking jury of Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
. Ninety seconds later he made YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
history with his rendition of Puccini's "Nessun Dorma
Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto , who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot...
". Potts had wowed the jury as well as the 2,000-strong audience which gave him a standing ovation. Still working as a mobile phone salesman in Wales, the unexpected tenor on June 17 won the whole show
.
Going straight into the music studios recording songs for his debut album, now with a full symphony orchestra backing him up in the world famous AIR Studios in London, Potts recorded three songs produced by Per and David, "Nessun Dorma", "Con Te Partirò
Con te Partiró
- History :The song's original single release by Polydor Records was not commercially successful in Italy, and received little radio airplay there. Elsewhere, however, it was a massive hit. In France and Switzerland, the single topped the charts for 6 weeks, earning a triple Gold sales award. In...
" and "Nella Fantasia
Nella Fantasia
"Nella Fantasia" is an Italian song based on the theme "Gabriel's Oboe" from the film The Mission . With music by famed composer Ennio Morricone and lyrics by Chiara Ferraù, "Nella Fantasia" is popular among classical crossover singers, and was originally sung by Sarah Brightman...
". The album One Chance was released in the UK on July 16, 2007 and with first week sales exceeding 128,000 copies Potts shot straight to No 1
outselling the rest of his Top 10 rivals combined
. The newly discovered tenor held the position for three consecutive weeks
.
Working with Katherine Jenkins and Leona Lewis
Per and David were in 2007 involved in several other projects including working with Katherine JenkinsKatherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
, the Welsh award-winning and best-selling classical crossover superstar. In 2004, at the age of 24, she became the fastest selling mezzo-soprano of all time with her debut album titled Première
Premiere (Katherine Jenkins album)
Premiere is the debut album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 5 April 2004, in the UK. It charted at number 31 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.- Track listing :# "Questo E Per Te" 3:39...
. By the end of 2005, as the first singer in musical history, Jenkins simultaneously held the number 1, 2 and 3 positions in the UK's Classical Chart with her three albums
. Her fifth album, Rejoice
Rejoice (Katherine Jenkins album)
Rejoice is the fifth album by Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, released on 19 November 2007, in the UK. It charted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.- Track listing :# "Rejoice" written by Steve Mac/Wayne Hector# "I "...
including four songs produced by Per and David, was released on November 19, 2007. It entered the UK's Pop Charts at No 3
.
In 2006 more than 100,000 hopeful "artists to be" applied to the auditions for The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
season three, the previous season won by Shayne Ward. Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
was crowned winner on December
16, soon breaking sales records with her first single
. Decided however not to push the young singer's debut album release, Lewis instead went to the US signing a lucrative record deal with
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...
. Set for domestically release in late 2007 the album's recordings were coordinated in music studios around the US as well as in London. One of the songs was "Footprints in the Sand
Footprints in the Sand (song)
"Footprints in the Sand" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album Spirit . It was written by Simon Cowell, David Kreuger, Per Magnusson, Richard Page, and produced by Steve Mac. It was released on 9 March 2008 in the United Kingdom as Lewis's third...
", written by Per and David together with Richard Page
Richard Page (musician)
Richard Page , is an American musician who is the lead singer and bassist of 1980's US band Mr. Mister and is now a songwriter and solo artist.-Early life:...
.
The album, titled Spirit
Spirit (Leona Lewis album)
Spirit is the debut album by British singer Leona Lewis, released by Syco Music in November 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by a worldwide release during early 2008...
, reached the UK record stores on November 12. With sales surpassing 375,000 copies in its first week of release, Spirit is the fastest selling British debut album of all time
. It spent seven weeks straight at No 1 on the Top 40
.
Released in the US almost five months later, on April 8, 2008, Spirit instantly shot to the top spot. This resulted in Leona Lewis becoming the first British female ever to debut at No 1 on the Billboard 200
.
Re-released in the UK almost exactly one year later, on November 17, 2008, Lewis' Spirit The Deluxe Edition bounced back to the top of the charts to give Per and David a second consecutive No 1, as the bestseller that previous week was Il Divo's The Promise
The Promise (Il Divo album)
The Promise is the fifth studio album by the operatic pop group, Il Divo. The Promise was released globally on November 10, except in the US and Canada, where it was released November 18, Ireland where it was released on November 7, and Japan, on 26 November. The album reached the No.1 spot in the...
including the tandem's production of "L'Alba Del Mondo".