Ace of Base facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ace of Base
|
|
|---|---|
The founding members of Ace of Base
(from left) Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Jenny Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren, and Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
Ace of Base is a Swedish pop music group that started in 1987. The original members were siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, along with Ulf Ekberg.
The group became famous around the world after their first album, Happy Nation, came out in 1992. This album was later re-released as The Sign. It sold so many copies in the United States that it was certified nine times platinum. It was also the best-selling album of 1994. The Sign was one of the most successful first albums ever. It was the first debut album to have three songs reach number one on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart: "All That She Wants", "The Sign", and "Don't Turn Around".
Ace of Base continued to have hit songs throughout the 1990s. Some of these hits include "Beautiful Life", "Lucky Love", "Cruel Summer", and "Life Is a Flower". They have sold 30 million copies of their first four studio albums. This makes them the third most successful Swedish group of all time, after ABBA and Roxette.
Even though the group has not been very active since 2012, they have never officially broken up. In the last ten years, they released several demo songs. These were first shared on their Facebook page. Later, in 2015, they were included on a collection album called Hidden Gems. A second part, Hidden Gems, Vol. 2, was part of a special box set in 2020 called All That She Wants: The Classic Collection. Jenny Berggren still performs the group's hit songs in her solo concerts around the world.
Contents
The Group's Beginning
How Ace of Base Formed
In 1987, Jonas Berggren started a band with two friends, Johnny Lindén and Niklas Tränk. This was for a school project. His sisters, Linn and Jenny, later joined as singers. Before this, Jonas had been in a new wave and punk cover band called G Konrad.
The new band tried out several names. They were called New Arbat Avenue, CAD (Computer-Aided Disco), and Tech-Noir. They played their own songs in clubs across Sweden. Their music was techno style, inspired by 1980s Italo disco and house music.
Johnny left the group in 1989. Niklas also left in 1990. Jonas then asked his friend Ulf Ekberg to join. The band started mixing reggae and pop music. Their Jamaican friends called this "China reggae." This mix became the band's special sound.
The new group of four decided to change their name for a fresh start. They chose Ace of Base in early 1991. Ulf was inspired by the Motörhead song "Ace of Spades". He explained that he liked the name and thought of their studio as their "base."
Early Struggles and First Success
The group kept playing in clubs in Gothenburg but found it hard to get noticed. Local music fans preferred heavy metal music over techno. They sent demo tapes to many record companies, but all of them said no.
In May 1991, Jonas and Ulf went to record companies in Stockholm. Polar Music asked them to record more songs. SweMix was interested but could not work with them until later that year.
In July, a record company called Telegram Records helped the group record a new version of "Wheel of Fortune". But they did not offer a recording contract. Then, Martin Dodd from a Danish record label called Mega Records heard about them. He quickly offered them a deal. Mega bought the master tape for 34,000 Swedish Kronor.
"Wheel of Fortune" was sent to radio stations in Sweden in early 1992. It became popular in Gothenburg in March. This led to an invitation to perform on the music TV channel ZTV. However, the song did not become a big hit in Sweden. So, Mega Records focused on Denmark. The song was released there in June 1992. It quickly reached number 6 on the Danish singles chart and then rose to number 2.
Becoming Famous Worldwide
Happy Nation and The Sign Albums
After "Wheel of Fortune" became a hit in Denmark, the group kept making new music. In early 1992, they sent a demo tape to producer Denniz PoP. It included a song called "Mr. Ace." At first, he was not impressed. But the tape got stuck in his car's cassette player. He had to listen to it many times and slowly realized the song was great. He invited them to his studio to re-record the song in July 1992.
The song was renamed "All That She Wants". When it was released in late August, it quickly went to number 1 on the Danish chart. Mega Records wanted an album ready for Christmas. So, the band recorded and mixed their first album, Happy Nation, in just a few weeks.
Happy Nation was released on November 2, 1992, in Denmark. Its success spread across Europe. "All That She Wants" reached number 3 in Sweden and stayed at number 1 in Germany for eight weeks. Other songs like "Happy Nation" and "Waiting for Magic" were also released as singles in Europe.
In May 1993, "All That She Wants" became a number 1 hit in the United Kingdom for three weeks. Record companies in the United States did not think the band would be popular there. But Clive Davis, who started Arista Records, heard the song on vacation. He quickly signed a deal to release their music in North and South America. In October and November 1993, "All That She Wants" reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and in Australia.
The group had already started working on a second album, called The Sign. Clive Davis decided to change the original Happy Nation album for the US release. He added three new songs and renamed it The Sign. This album was released in the US on November 23, 1993. It stayed in the top three of the Billboard Top 200 for 26 weeks. It was also nominated for Best Pop Album at the 1995 Grammy Awards. The updated album was released in Europe as Happy Nation (US Version). All versions of the album combined reached number 1 in at least 14 countries. They sold over 21 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling first albums ever. It was also one of the best-selling albums of 1994.
The second US single was the album's title track, "The Sign", released on December 14. It was even more successful than the first single. It stayed at number 1 for six weeks and became the best-selling single of 1994. The song was also a big hit internationally. It reached number 2 in the UK and Sweden, and number 1 in Germany and Australia.
Clive Davis asked the group to release "Don't Turn Around" next. This song had been a B-side for Tina Turner and a number 1 hit in the UK for Aswad. Ace of Base's version reached the top 5 in the US, UK, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. The album's promotion ended with the last single, "Living in Danger". This song also became a top 40 hit around the world. They performed it at the first-ever MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin in November 1994.
Challenges and Safety
In April 1994, a fan from Germany broke into the Berggren family home. The band decided they needed bodyguards after this event. Jenny shared in a 2016 interview that the experience was very scary. She said it showed the difficult side of being famous.
New Music and Changes
The Bridge Album
After the huge success of their first album, the band was very busy. They were offered chances to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York and work with brands like Pepsi and Reebok. But after two years of traveling to promote their first album, the band was too tired to accept these offers. Their record companies around the world wanted a second album quickly. To make it faster, each band member was asked to write their own songs for the album.
Seventeen songs were chosen for the second album, called The Bridge. This album had a different sound. Besides the reggae and dance styles they were known for, it included more experimental songs and several slow songs (ballads). The first song released from the album, "Lucky Love", was a pop song. It was first played in August 1995 at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg. It went straight to number 1 in Sweden when it was released in October. It was also a top 20 hit across Europe.
In the US, Arista Records chose a faster song, "Beautiful Life", as the first single. It reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also the first US and UK hit for its co-producer, Max Martin. "Beautiful Life" was released as the second single in most other countries. It also reached number 15 in the UK and charted in at least 17 countries. An acoustic (unplugged) version of "Lucky Love" was the second US single, reaching number 30. "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" was the third single. It did well in Europe but did not chart in the US.
The Bridge was certified platinum in 14 countries, meaning it sold over a million copies in each. However, it did not sell as much as their first album. In February 1996, the band performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile.
After touring Asia and Australia in April 1996, the group took a break. They did not release any more singles from The Bridge. They reappeared in 1997 for a performance at the World Music Awards and a concert for Princess Victoria of Sweden's 20th birthday.
Flowers and Cruel Summer Albums
The group felt rushed to make their second album. So, for their third album, they were given as much time as they needed. Much of it was recorded in Jonas's own studio. The group called it Flowers. They thought the songs, which had many different styles like Motown and gospel, were like a varied bouquet of flowers.
During live shows for this album, Linn let her sister Jenny sing most of the lead parts. In many photos, Linn's face was blurred. Fans were told that Linn was happy with her new role in the background. Her singing parts on the album were also fewer, but she was still on most songs.
The first single from the album, "Life Is a Flower", came out in Europe in April 1998. It became the most-played song on European radio that year. It reached the top 5 in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, and the UK. The album followed in June and reached the top 20 in many countries.
The group's British record label asked them to record the 1983 hit "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama. This song was chosen as the second European single. Clive Davis thought "Life Is a Flower" was "too European." So, he pushed "Cruel Summer" as the main single for the United States. It brought Ace of Base back into the US Top 10 for the first time in four years. The album was also renamed Cruel Summer for the US and had a different list of songs. For this album, Davis convinced Linn to record a song called "Everytime It Rains". "Life Is a Flower" was re-recorded as "Whenever You're Near Me" and was the second single from Cruel Summer. Other singles in Europe included "Travel to Romantis" and "Always Have, Always Will".
The group went back to the studio in 1999. They wrote several songs together as a quartet for the first time. They recorded enough demo songs for a possible fourth studio album. Ulf later said they hoped to release a song called "Pole Position" as the main single. Some of the songs recorded for this album were later released as demos by Jonas on Facebook in 2011.
In November 1999, Mega Records released a "best of" album called Singles of the 90s. It had 13 singles and 3 new songs. A new single from it, "C'est La Vie (Always 21)", was a small hit in Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland. It reached number 1 in Spain. "Hallo Hallo" was the second single in parts of Europe but did not do as well. Arista Records released Greatest Hits in March 2000 in North and South America. A new dance mix of "Everytime It Rains" was released to promote the album. Both the single and album did not chart in the USA.
Later Years
Da Capo Album
After being away from the pop music scene for a while, a new single called "Beautiful Morning" was released to radio in Europe in July 2002. Polydor Records said it was their fastest-added song to radio playlists that year. It reached number 38 in Germany and number 14 in Sweden when it was released in September.
After some delays, Ace of Base released their fourth studio album, Da Capo, on September 30, 2002, in Europe. It was also released in Japan with a different cover and three bonus songs. The album was not widely released in the United Kingdom or North and South America. The title Da Capo means "back to the beginning" in music. The album's sound was meant to be a return to the group's early mix of reggae and europop. Although the album charted in much of Europe, it was not as successful as their earlier releases. Only Jenny and Ulf went on a promotional tour. Jonas chose not to join because it led to "less questions" about Linn's absence. Linn attended only one performance in Germany, which was her last public appearance.
"The Juvenile" was chosen as the album's second single in Germany. It was used in a Christmas campaign by the TV channel RTL Television. This song was a new version of a track originally considered for the James Bond film GoldenEye in 1995. In Scandinavia, Edel-Mega released "Unspeakable" as the second single. However, it did not do well on the charts, which ended the album's promotion early.
Break and Reunion
The group stayed out of the public eye in 2003 and 2004. During this time, Jenny performed solo at Christian shows with her husband, Jakob Petrén. She also released an album as a singer with the Swedish group Arose.
In 2005, Jenny and Linn recorded several songs with producer Tommy Ekman. Jonas and Ulf later said the group did not have the energy to finish the project. However, the recorded songs eventually became available. In late 2005, the group reunited without Linn for some live shows. They performed at the Night of the Proms in Belgium with other artists like Donna Summer.
Ace of Base reunited as a trio for their first full concert since 1996 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on November 15, 2007. They started a world tour called Ace of Base - Redefined!, which continued through 2008 and 2009. The shows included new versions of their greatest hits. Jenny confirmed that Linn had permanently left the group. Ulf later explained that Linn had finished with the entertainment industry. He said she loved her fans, but being famous was not for her. While touring, the group performed a new song called "Sparks From A Fire."
The group worked with Jenny's husband, Jakob, to record songs for a new album. It was planned to have seven new songs and seven remakes of old hits. But this album was not released. Instead, a new collection, Greatest Hits, came out on November 12, 2008. Five re-recorded songs were released from the album. A remake of "All That She Wants" was also recorded with guest vocals by Britney Spears. This remake was never officially released but appeared online in 2016. Three of the new songs recorded during this time were posted on YouTube in 2017.
New Singers and The Golden Ratio
In August 2009, Ulf mentioned adding another singer to the group. He said they were thinking about having two female singers again. Ulf and Jonas began recording songs with singer Julia Williamson.
Jenny published her autobiography in Sweden in September. She also announced she was recording a solo album, which came out in October 2010. In November 2009, Jenny confirmed she would not be part of the upcoming Ace of Base album. She later clarified that she had not left the band. Jonas and Ulf said that Jenny was not happy about adding a new member. They felt they had to continue without her.
Two new singers joined in February 2010: Clara Hagman and Julia Williamson. The new group kept the original band name, but it was written as "Ace.of.Base" on album covers. In July 2010, a song called "Mr. Replay" was released. It was the first song from the new lineup. The first official single, "All for You", was released on September 10. It debuted at number 38 in Germany. The album The Golden Ratio followed on September 24. It entered the German album charts at number 20. The album did not chart in Sweden. No more singles were released from this album.
In March 2011, Jonas started releasing old, unreleased songs to fans. He did this through the band's Facebook page and a website called ReverbNation. They called these events "Ace Thursdays." The group also wrote new music that year. But after touring Canada and Brazil in 2011, new music was put on hold.
Recent Years and Anniversaries
"Ace Thursdays" continued through 2012 but stopped in May 2013. In November 2012, Jenny said, "The rest of the band are doing other things. ... We're just wishing each other luck at this stage." She started touring as "Jenny from Ace of Base."
In January 2014, Julia announced she had left the group in 2012. She later confirmed that Clara had also left. Clara has since released solo songs and worked with other music producers.
A remix album was released in July 2014. It had new remixes of "All That She Wants." In December 2014 and January 2015, updated versions of their first four studio albums were released digitally. This was followed in March by Hidden Gems. This album was a collection of demo songs and B-sides. "Would You Believe", one of the last songs recorded by the original four members in 2005, was released as a promotional single. The band filmed a documentary called "The Story" at Google Headquarters. It was posted on YouTube in March 2015 and also shown on Swedish television.
In a 2015 interview, Ulf said a future reunion was possible. However, in July 2016, Jenny said, "We won't re-form. ... We're finished working together but we're not finished being family together." In 2018, Jonas said a reunion had been discussed. He noted that people always ask, "where is Malin?" (Linn). He added that he still writes music and has songs ready if a reunion happens.
In 2019, Demon Music Group started releasing new collections of the band's music in the United Kingdom. The first was Ace Of Base – Gold. It charted at number 59 in the UK. This was the group's first time back on the UK charts in 20 years. To celebrate the group's 30th anniversary, a 12-disc box set called All That She Wants: The Classic Collection was released in July 2020. The set includes expanded versions of their first four studio albums and Hidden Gems. It also has Hidden Gems, Vol. 2, an album of new remixes, and a DVD with all their music videos. Among the 195 songs are unreleased demos from the original group's last recording sessions in 2008. There are also live recordings from the group's first show in 1990. A vinyl version of the box set was also released. Hidden Gems, Vol. 2 was released digitally in August 2020.
In 2020, Playground Records began releasing new digital singles with remixes of the group's songs. In November 2021, a remix album was released for the song "Dancer in a Daydream." This song first appeared on Happy Nation in 1992. The album features remixes by producer Trace Adam. A new video with never-before-seen footage was released with it.
On April 28, 2023, the group released a 26-CD singles box set, Beautiful Life: The Singles. A three-part documentary series, All That She Wants, was announced on November 21, 2023. The series premiered in April 2024.
The group was added to the Swedish Music Hall of Fame in September 2024.
Ace of Base's Influence
.jpg)
Many musicians and singers have said that Ace of Base influenced their music. Lady Gaga said her album The Fame Monster was influenced by the "super pop melodies of the 90s" from groups like Ace of Base. Her song "Alejandro" has been compared to Ace of Base's "Don't Turn Around." Paul Lester from BBC said "[Alejandro] moves at an Ace of Base pace." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine called the song a tribute to them. The song "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" from The Fame has also been linked to the band.
Katy Perry said she wanted her third album, Teenage Dream, to sound like "The Sign." In 2010, Perry said, "It's roller-skating! It's '90s! It's Ace of Base! It's Cyndi Lauper!" Robyn said she was inspired by Ace of Base for her song "Dancehall Queen."
Some of Clean Bandit's songs have been compared to Ace of Base, especially their 2016 UK number 1 hit "Rockabye." Band members have named Ace of Base as an influence. Tegan and Sara's song "Closer" was inspired by the band's music. Robert Alfons of the Canadian synthpop group Trust said he was influenced by the synthesizers Ace of Base used. Yeasayer and Twin Shadow have also said Ace of Base influenced them.
In 1995, a cover of "The Sign" was in the American TV show Full House. In the episode, Jodie Sweetin's character, Stephanie Tanner, performs the song with her band Girl Talk. The indie rock band The Mountain Goats included a cover of "The Sign" on their 1995 album Songs For Peter Hughes. They still play versions of it at live shows. Beck had plans to cover an Ace of Base album in 2009, but it did not happen. "The Sign" was covered by the singing group the Barden Bellas in the 2012 movie Pitch Perfect. The 2019 song "Liar" by Cuban pop singer Camila Cabello uses the melody of "All That She Wants."
Band Members
Current Members
- Jonas Berggren – keyboards, guitars, vocals, programming, production (1987–present)
- Ulf Ekberg – keyboards, vocals, programming, production (1987–present)
Former Members
- Linn Berggren – vocals (1987–2007)
- Jenny Berggren – vocals (1987–2007)
- Clara Hagman – vocals (2009–2012)
- Julia Williamson – vocals (2009–2012)
Jenny Berggren has said in many interviews that she never officially left the band. She has also stated that all four original members are still part of the Ace of Base brand through agreements and legal documents.
Awards and Nominations
- 1992 Music Television Award - Best Pop Act (Nominee)
- 1992 Music Television Award - Best New Act (Nominee)
- 1993 Popcorn Music Awards - Best Album - Happy Nation
- 1993 Popcorn Music Awards - Best Song & Video - All That She Wants
- 1993 Swedish Grammis – Best Pop Group
- 1993 Swedish Grammis – TV audience price
- 1993 Bronze BRAVO Otto (Germany) – Best rock/pop Group
- 1993 Swedish Dance Music Awards - Best Breakthrough Artist
- 1994 MTV Europe Music Awards – Best Cover (Nominee)
- 1994 American Music Award – Favorite Band, Duo or Group – Pop / Rock
- 1994 American Music Award – Favorite New Artist – Pop / Rock
- 1994 Billboard Music Award – Number One Single
- 1994 Billboard Music Award – Top New Artist
- 1994 Billboard Music Award – Artist of the Year
- 1994 Peleg Music Award of Excellence – Best New Artist
- 1994 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 1994 Echo (Germany) – Group of the Year
- 1994 Swedish Dance Music Awards - Best Swedish Dance Artist
- 1994 Swedish Dance Music Awards - Best Swedish Dance Album (nominee)
- 1994 OKEJ Magazine Award
- 1994 Visionary Award
- 1995 Grammy Awards – Best Pop Album for The Sign (nominee)
- 1995 Grammy Awards – Best New Artist (nominee)
- 1995 Grammy Awards – Best Vocal Performance By a Group or Duo for The Sign (nominee)
- 1995 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 1995 Juno Awards – International Album of the Year for The Sign (nominee)
- 1995 Swedish Dance Music Awards - Best Swedish Dance Artist (nominee)
- 1996 European Award For Dance Music
- 1996 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 1997 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
- 1998 Midem Fono Award – Most Played Song of the Year – Life Is a Flower
- 1999 RSH Gold
- 2007 BMI Award for over 3 million performances of The Sign on US TV and radio
- 2011 Scandipop Award – Best group album
- 2016 BMI Award for over 4 million performances of The Sign on US TV and radio
- 2021 BMI Award for over 5 million performances of The Sign on US TV and radio
- 2024 Swedish Music Hall of Fame – inducted
Discography
Studio albums
- Happy Nation / The Sign (1992/1993)
- The Bridge (1995)
- Flowers / Cruel Summer (1998)
- Da Capo (2002)
- The Golden Ratio (2010)
Images for kids
-
Linn's image was blurred on the cover art of Flowers.
-
Linn's image was blurred on the cover art of Cruel Summer.
-
Linn after a performance in 2002.
-
Lady Gaga.
-
Katy Perry.
.png)
See also
In Spanish: Ace of Base para niños
