The Ark (band)
Encyclopedia
The Ark was a Swedish
glam rock
band formed in 1991 by Jepsson Mikael (better known as "Jepson
"), and Lasse ("Leari") Ljungberg, when Ola Salo and Leari were only fourteen years old. Martin Axén officially joined the band in 1997, and Sylvester Schlegel in 1999. In late 2005, Jens Andersson joined The Ark as an official member. He had at that point played live with the band for several years.
Generally written in a collaborative effort by the band, the Ark's lyrics are sometimes controversial. For example, the 2002 single "Father of a Son" is about homosexuals’ right to adopt
. In October 2006, the band was criticized by members of the U.S. public for some controversial comments referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks
that were apparently part of the joking banter between songs as the band performed at the opening festivities for the new Swedish
embassy in Washington, D.C.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102301369.html
The Ark participated in a bunch of top festival all over the countries where its music has been spread, and was the only band ever who performed at Hultsfred
's festival - the most important summer festival of the entire northern Europe - each year of career. The Ark also performed in the Melodifestivalen 2007
with the song "The Worrying Kind
". The song won the contest after capturing both the popular vote and the jury's vote. The song was Sweden’s Eurovision Song Contest 2007
entry, and is also included in The Ark’s fourth album Prayer for the Weekend
, released in April 2007. Despite being a bookmaker favorite, it finished in 18th place (out of 24).
The Ark has collaborated with artists such as The Darkness, The Cardigans
and lately Kiss
and David Bowie
.
"One of Us Is Gonna Die Young" was used in the 2007 snowboarding video, "Picture This" from Mack Dawg Productions for Seth Huot and Andreas Wiig's video part, also was it used for the Sam Blenkinsop and Philip Polc Section of the FOX Racing Shox 2007 Sequel.
"Let Your Body Decide" was used in the 2010 film 'Super' starring Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page. Their all time hit remains, by the way, the 2000/2001's "It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane", one of the top singles in the entire music's history worldwide.
On December 8, 2010 the band announced that they would be breaking up after the release of their greatest hits compilation, Arkeology
, and the following tour. This concluding album contained a final hit, "Apocalypse is Over", which was one of the two original recordings featured. The Ark won numerous awards during their 20 years together and were lauded as the most successful Swedish band since ABBA
, even being recognized by MTV
as the most influential northern group of the last 10 years. Ola Salo
and Jepson
appeared once in Expressen
, a Swedish newspaper, where they were referred to as two of the 10 most important personalities in Scandinavia.
They made their last concert at the amusement park Gröna Lund in Stockholm 16th of September 2011. The crowd was counted up to around 5.000 people and doors had to be closed long before the concert started.
}
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|rowspan="5"| 2007
| "Absolutely No Decorum"
|rowspan="5"| Prayer for the Weekend
|align="center"| 26
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 4
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| "The Worrying Kind
"
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 34
|align="center"| 99
|align="center"| 121
|-
| "Gimme Love To Give"
|align="center"| 56
|align="center"| —
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|align="center"| —
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|-
| "Prayer for the Weekend"
|align="center"| 15
|align="center"| 3
|align="center"| 3
|align="center"| —
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|-
| "Little Dysfunk You"
|align="center"| 58
|align="center"| 2
|align="center"| 9
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2010
| "Superstar"
|rowspan="2"| In Full Regalia
|align="center"| 33
|align="center"| 2
|align="center"| 9
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| "Stay With Me"
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
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|-
|rowspan="2"| 2011
| "Breaking Up With God"
|rowspan="2"| Arkeology
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 3
|align="center"| —
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|-
| "The Apocalypse Is Over"
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|-
|align="center" colspan="21" style="font-size: 8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|-
|}
Notes
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....
glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band formed in 1991 by Jepsson Mikael (better known as "Jepson
Jepson
Jepson is an English language patronymic surname meaning "Geoffrey’s son". The prefix, Jep, is also the diminutive given name. The surname Jepson has alternate spellings, including the Scandinavian Jepsen. The given name Jepson is rare...
"), and Lasse ("Leari") Ljungberg, when Ola Salo and Leari were only fourteen years old. Martin Axén officially joined the band in 1997, and Sylvester Schlegel in 1999. In late 2005, Jens Andersson joined The Ark as an official member. He had at that point played live with the band for several years.
Generally written in a collaborative effort by the band, the Ark's lyrics are sometimes controversial. For example, the 2002 single "Father of a Son" is about homosexuals’ right to adopt
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
. In October 2006, the band was criticized by members of the U.S. public for some controversial comments referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
that were apparently part of the joking banter between songs as the band performed at the opening festivities for the new Swedish
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....
embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102301369.html
The Ark participated in a bunch of top festival all over the countries where its music has been spread, and was the only band ever who performed at Hultsfred
Hultsfred
Hultsfred is a locality and the seat of Hultsfred Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 5,305 inhabitants in 2005. It is best known for the Hultsfred Festival.- References :...
's festival - the most important summer festival of the entire northern Europe - each year of career. The Ark also performed in the Melodifestivalen 2007
Melodifestivalen 2007
Melodifestivalen 2007 was the selection for the 47th song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the 46th time that this system of picking a song has been used. Five semifinals took place to select the ten songs for the final, in Jönköping, Gothenburg, Örnsköldsvik, Gävle and a...
with the song "The Worrying Kind
The Worrying Kind
"The Worrying Kind" is a rock song performed by The Ark, written and composed by Ola Salo. It was released as the second single of their fourth album, Prayer for the Weekend. On March 10, 2007 the song won Melodifestivalen 2007 and therefore became Sweden's Eurovision Song Contest 2007 entry...
". The song won the contest after capturing both the popular vote and the jury's vote. The song was Sweden’s Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
entry, and is also included in The Ark’s fourth album Prayer for the Weekend
Prayer for the Weekend
Prayer for the Weekend was released on April 11, 2007 and is the fourth album of the Swedish rock band The Ark. It is their first album with the sixth member, keyboard player Jens Andersson....
, released in April 2007. Despite being a bookmaker favorite, it finished in 18th place (out of 24).
The Ark has collaborated with artists such as The Darkness, The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
and lately Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
.
"One of Us Is Gonna Die Young" was used in the 2007 snowboarding video, "Picture This" from Mack Dawg Productions for Seth Huot and Andreas Wiig's video part, also was it used for the Sam Blenkinsop and Philip Polc Section of the FOX Racing Shox 2007 Sequel.
"Let Your Body Decide" was used in the 2010 film 'Super' starring Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page. Their all time hit remains, by the way, the 2000/2001's "It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane", one of the top singles in the entire music's history worldwide.
On December 8, 2010 the band announced that they would be breaking up after the release of their greatest hits compilation, Arkeology
Arkeology
Arkeology will be the final release by Swedish band The Ark and was announced on December 8, 2010 alongside news of the breakup and "Arkeology MMXI" Tour...
, and the following tour. This concluding album contained a final hit, "Apocalypse is Over", which was one of the two original recordings featured. The Ark won numerous awards during their 20 years together and were lauded as the most successful Swedish band since 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...
, even being recognized by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
as the most influential northern group of the last 10 years. Ola Salo
Ola Salo
Ola Salo, born Rolf Ola Anders Svensson on 19 February 1977 in Avesta, Sweden, is the Swedish rock vocalist of the Swedish glam rock band The Ark. Salo lived in Rottne, Växjö Municipality, in Sweden when he was a child. It was while living in Rottne, in 1991, that he and his friends Jepson and...
and Jepson
Jepson
Jepson is an English language patronymic surname meaning "Geoffrey’s son". The prefix, Jep, is also the diminutive given name. The surname Jepson has alternate spellings, including the Scandinavian Jepsen. The given name Jepson is rare...
appeared once in Expressen
Expressen
Expressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the reader's side....
, a Swedish newspaper, where they were referred to as two of the 10 most important personalities in Scandinavia.
They made their last concert at the amusement park Gröna Lund in Stockholm 16th of September 2011. The crowd was counted up to around 5.000 people and doors had to be closed long before the concert started.
Members
- Ola SaloOla SaloOla Salo, born Rolf Ola Anders Svensson on 19 February 1977 in Avesta, Sweden, is the Swedish rock vocalist of the Swedish glam rock band The Ark. Salo lived in Rottne, Växjö Municipality, in Sweden when he was a child. It was while living in Rottne, in 1991, that he and his friends Jepson and...
: vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, percussion and songwriting - JepsonJepsonJepson is an English language patronymic surname meaning "Geoffrey’s son". The prefix, Jep, is also the diminutive given name. The surname Jepson has alternate spellings, including the Scandinavian Jepsen. The given name Jepson is rare...
: lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and vocals - Martin Axén: rhythm bass, backing vocals and instrumental orchestra
- Lars Ljungberg: bass, backing vocals and instrumental orchestra
- Sylvester Schlegel: drums and backing vocals
- Jens Andersson: keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and sound engineering
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
NOR Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
FIN Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
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| 2000 | We Are the Ark We Are The Ark We Are the Ark was released on 25 September 2000 and is the debut album from Swedish glam rock group The Ark. The album was both a critical and commercial success spawning four singles...
|
1 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | In Lust We Trust In Lust We Trust (album) In Lust We Trust was released on 26 August 2002 and was the second album from Swedish glam rock band The Ark. The album was well-received by both fans and critics, and proved a worthy follow-up to their 2000 debut We Are The Ark...
|
1 | 18 | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | State of The Ark State of The Ark State of The Ark was released on 27 December 2004 and is the third studio album from the Swedish rock band The Ark, and their final as a quintet. In it, the band's sound became more synthesizer-flavoured and keyboard-oriented, a departure from the more organic glam rock sound of the first two albums...
|
1 | — | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Prayer for the Weekend Prayer for the Weekend Prayer for the Weekend was released on April 11, 2007 and is the fourth album of the Swedish rock band The Ark. It is their first album with the sixth member, keyboard player Jens Andersson....
|
1 | — | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | In Full Regalia In Full Regalia In Full Regalia is the fifth and final studio album by Swedish band The Ark. It has been released in a new unique format: it has been released as a magazine with 100 pages containing a history of the band's 20 year career as well as the actual album...
|
2 | — | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Arkeology: The Complete Singles Collection Arkeology Arkeology will be the final release by Swedish band The Ark and was announced on December 8, 2010 alongside news of the breakup and "Arkeology MMXI" Tour...
|
3 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Extended plays
- The Ark (The debut EP is sometimes referred to as Racing with the Rabbits) - 1996
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWE Tracks Trackslistan Tracks, or Trackslistan, is a top 20 song list and a program of the Swedish Radio channel SR P3. The program premiered on September 8, 1984, and is broadcast on Saturday afternoons. The Tracks are played all eight p.m.. The listeners vote for the songs they think is the best. Track list is one of... |
SWE Svensk toppen Svensktoppen Svensktoppen is a record chart at Sveriges Radio. Until January 2003, the songs had to be in the Swedish language. Svensktoppen has aired since 1962, except for the years 1982-1985. Svensktoppen airs once a week... |
ITA |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
UK 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 ... |
|||
| 2000 | "Let Your Body Decide" | We Are The Ark | — | 9 | — | — | — | — |
| "It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane "It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane" is a song performed by The Ark on their 2000 album We Are The Ark. It was a hit in Sweden and Italy spending over four months in the Italian top 10. "It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane" was also awarded a Grammis for "song of the year".... " |
7 | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | ||
| "Echo Chamber" | 42 | 7 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | "Joy Surrender" | 23 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | "Let Your Body Decide" (International Version) | 59 | — | — | 20 | — | — | |
| 2002 | "Calleth You, Cometh I" | In Lust We Trust | 2 | 1 | — | 10 | — | — |
| "Father of a Son" | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Tell Me This Night Is Over" | 28 | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | ||
| 2003 | "Disease" | — | 5 | 12 | — | — | — | |
| 2004 | "One of Us Is Gonna Die Young" | State of The Ark | 4 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — |
| 2005 | "Clamour for Glamour" | 10 | 3 | 13 | — | — | — | |
| "Trust Is Shareware" | — | 11 | 11 | — | — | — | ||
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|-
|rowspan="5"| 2007
| "Absolutely No Decorum"
|rowspan="5"| Prayer for the Weekend
|align="center"| 26
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 4
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| "The Worrying Kind
The Worrying Kind
"The Worrying Kind" is a rock song performed by The Ark, written and composed by Ola Salo. It was released as the second single of their fourth album, Prayer for the Weekend. On March 10, 2007 the song won Melodifestivalen 2007 and therefore became Sweden's Eurovision Song Contest 2007 entry...
"
|align="center"| 1
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|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 34
|align="center"| 99
|align="center"| 121
|-
| "Gimme Love To Give"
|align="center"| 56
|align="center"| —
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| "Prayer for the Weekend"
|align="center"| 15
|align="center"| 3
|align="center"| 3
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| "Little Dysfunk You"
|align="center"| 58
|align="center"| 2
|align="center"| 9
|align="center"| —
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|-
|rowspan="2"| 2010
| "Superstar"
|rowspan="2"| In Full Regalia
|align="center"| 33
|align="center"| 2
|align="center"| 9
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| "Stay With Me"
|align="center"| —
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|-
|rowspan="2"| 2011
| "Breaking Up With God"
|rowspan="2"| Arkeology
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 3
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
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|-
| "The Apocalypse Is Over"
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
|align="center" colspan="21" style="font-size: 8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|-
|}
Notes
- P "Deliver Us from Free Will" was only released as a promo single for International use.
- D "Gimme Love To Give" wasn't released as a single as such but charted on the Swedish Singles ChartSverigetopplistanSverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
due to the large amount of digital sales of the album track.
External links
- Official site
- [ The Ark] on Allmusic