Ace of Base
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ace of Base | ||
|---|---|---|
 From left to right: Linn, Ulf, Jenny and Jonas.
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Gothenburg, Sweden | |
| Genre(s) | House Eurodance Pop Europop Ballad Adult Contemporary Techno |
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| Years active | 1990–present | |
| Label(s) | Mega Records(1992-1999) Edel-Mega Records(1999-2003) Arista Records - US only (1993-2000) |
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| Website | Official website | |
| Members | ||
| Jenny Berggren Jonas Berggren Linn Berggren Ulf Ekberg |
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Ace Of Base is a Dance-pop band from Gothenburg, Sweden that consists of Ulf Ekberg (Buddha), and siblings Jonas Berggren (Joker), Linn Berggren and Jenny Berggren. They released their debut album in 1992, and went on to major chart success throughout the 1990s.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1987, Jonas Berggren, together with his two friends Johnny Lindén and Nicklas Tränk, formed a house/techno group [1]. Jonas' sisters, Jenny and Malin, joined as singers. Their band went through several names; 'Kalinin Prospect' (a street in Moscow), 'CAD' (Computer Aided Disco), and 'Tech-Noir' (French for 'black technology'; named after a nightclub in The Terminator).
In 1990, Johnny & Nicklas left the group, and Ulf Ekberg and Jonas' "hobby" project became the main band. Jenny and Malin joined and 'Tech-Noir' soon became Ace of Base. "No one could pronounce the name of the group and nobody could remember it", Malin explained once. "The guys chose the name Ace of Base because we're the aces and we see the studio as a base to work in, like a military base". [2].
The Berggren siblings come from a musical family with childhood influences ranging from jazz to classical to reggae. But their biggest inspiration comes from the hip-hop and sampling boom of the 1980's, which they've incorporated into their Euro pop sound.
After having been rejected by all the major record labels in Sweden, in March 1992 they were eventually signed by Mega Records in Denmark. The single Wheel Of Fortune was released twice without success, but on the third attempt it climbed all the way to number 2 on the Danish singles chart. By the end of the year it had been joined at number 1 by All That She Wants, produced by Denniz PoP.
[3] At the beginning of 1993, thanks to a pan-European distribution deal with Metronome/PolyGram the song hit the charts in Germany and became one of the biggest hits of the year all around the world, hitting number 1 in the UK and number 2 in the USA. [4]
The band signed with Arista Records in North America and Japan. As the group started to climb the charts, many people compared them with ABBA, Sweden's all-time supergroup, from there being a blonde, a brunette, and two males, to song titles and other similarities. The comparisons irked Ace of Base, who claimed it was cooked up by the group's European record label. However, Ace of Base accomplished something that neither ABBA nor any other Swedish group has ever done: score a Number One album in America.
The band's image was tarnished in April 1993, when Ulf revealed that he used to be a member of a racist gang in Sweden. He has since relinquished and rejected these ties.
The months that followed saw the band propel themselves to worldwide fame. More hits followed such as The Sign, which went on to spend six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy[5][6]. The group was also nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, but lost to Sheryl Crow.
In 1995, their second album The Bridge sold a respectable six million copies but it seemed clear that with music tastes rapidly changing, the hype about the band died down, much to the relief of blonde singer Linn who decided to hand over power to her sister Jenny[7][8] for their third album Flowers which was released in 1998. This decision made Ace of Base mostly a trio during the promotion of the later albums, and the fans grew concerned.
Their U.S. comeback with Cruel Summer (the American version of Flowers proved short-lived, but in Europe, Life Is A Flower was one of the most played records on radio that year. A greatest hits compilation was released at the end of the 90s before the band started work on their next album[9].
Ace of Base has released over twenty singles worldwide. In the United States, they have had seven Billboard Top 40 hits and two platinum albums[10][11].
Da Capo was released in 2002 by Universal after Mega Records ceased to exist in 2001 after a brief existence as a merged Edel-Mega. It was more of a return to the thicker and reggae-inspired base lines of their earlier albums than the Phil Spector/Motown sound of Flowers and Singles of the Nineties. Whilst well received by fans, Da Capo received little publicity from the new record company, particularly in the UK where no singles were released, and only briefly made the charts in a handful of European countries.
In October and November 2005, the band performed several concerts at the "Night of the Proms" (2005) show in Belgium, their first orchestrated work[12].
At the moment, they are recording a new studio album, but when it will appear on the shelves is not yet known. They state on their official website: "we are now back in the studio again, with more inspiration than ever". [13]
According to a recent fan interview with Ulf, the new album probably won't be out until at least next year. They have some 200 demos, but only a few finished songs. He also states that everyone in the band is excited about a new album, but they're waiting until everything feels right to release it. Also, as always, record label delays are also to blame. Jonas Berggren, on the other hand, declared that a new album might not be released during the next year.
Discussions of a 2007 World Tour are currently in the works. Also, on November 2, during a meeting between a French fan and their manager Lasse Karlsson a new track recorded for the new album called "Sunset In Southern California" (a typical Ace of Base pop song, on which Malin and Jenny sing) was revealed.[14]
[edit] The Music
From early on, Ace of Base drew inspiration from the growing European club scene. Their earliest performances were in small clubs in Gothenburg and their first recordings were simple reproductions of their live performances. Their first recording sessions took place in a basement converted into a studio (hence the name). [15][16]
Later recordings, including those of Happy Nation and The Bridge, took advantage of professional facilities in both Gothenburg and Stockholm.
The last track prepared during The Bridge era, "You and I", was recorded at Jonas' newly-completed studio, The Barn. Many later recordings, including those for Flowers and the six tracks recorded in 1999, were also prepared and mixed at The Barn.
The band's fifth released album, Da Capo, was recorded at studios in Stockholm.
The band members were strongly influenced by club music. Most of their early songs, including "All That She Wants" and "Happy Nation" were club-friendly tracks inspired by the growth of the house and techno scenes across Europe. [17]
Later, more thoughtful studio recordings gradually replaced the "Euro-techno" sound. "Lucky Love" was the band's attempt at an acoustic sound. On non-US album releases of The Bridge, the acoustic version is an extra track. "Angel Eyes" and "Edge of Heaven" became sophisticated pop ballads. "Beautiful Life" was a blend of American Gospel music and the band's earlier club sound. Jonas admitted a strong influence of Whigfield in "You and I". [18]
Ace of Base continually experimented with new sounds. For example, their Flowers album was the first to introduce a Motown flavour into Scandinavian music. Tracks with retro themes from this album include "Always Have, Always Will", "Cecilia" and "Donnie". A blend of salsa and reggae can be heard on European releases such as "Cruel Summer" and "Doctor Sun".
Individually, the four Aces drew further inspiration from different sources. This effect is most noticeable in The Bridge, with each band member contributing to one quarter of the album.
In Ace of Base's later music, the pace of the songs tends to be moderate, with more of the interest sometimes coming from the melody and the orchestration rather than the rhythm. "C'est la Vie (Always 21)" is a good example of this style.
Ace of Base's earlier songs were often a bit faster paced, but this change was not entirely unusual — the band has abruptly changed styles of music on several occasions. There had already been a clear trend towards progressively greater complexity both in technique and style, and for the most part an abandonment of the group's early club sound.
[edit] Discography
- For detailed Ace of Base discography, including B-sides, see: Ace of Base discography.
[edit] Albums
- Happy Nation (1992)
- Happy Nation (U.S. Version) (1993)
- The Sign (1993) US #1 (9x Platinum)
- The Bridge (1995) US #29, (2x Platinum)
- Flowers (1998)
- Cruel Summer (1998) US #101, (Uncert. 100,000+ sold)
- Singles of the 90s (1999)
- Greatest Hits (2000)
- Da Capo (2002)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Album | US | UK | Canada | Sweden | Germany | Australia | France | Spain | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Wheel of Fortune" | Happy Nation / The Sign | — | #20 | — | #39 | #4 | — | #21 | — | #2 |
| 1992 | "All That She Wants" | Happy Nation / The Sign | #2 | #1 | #2 | #3 | #1 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #4 |
| 1993 | "Happy Nation" | Happy Nation / The Sign | — | #40 | — | #4 | #7 | #80 | #1 | — | #5 |
| 1993 | "Waiting For Magic" | Happy Nation / The Sign | — | — | — | #2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993 | "The Sign" | Happy Nation / The Sign | #1 | #2 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #1 | #5 | #1 | #3 |
| 1994 | "Don't Turn Around" | Happy Nation / The Sign | #4 | #5 | #1 | #2 | #6 | #14 | #17 | — | #7 |
| 1994 | "Living In Danger" | Happy Nation / The Sign | #20 | #18 | — | #15 | — | — | #36 | — | #27 |
| 1995 | "Lucky Love" | The Bridge | #30 | #20 | #2 | #1 | #13 | #30 | #9 | — | #16 |
| 1995 | "Beautiful Life" | The Bridge | #15 | #15 | #1 | #22 | #20 | #11 | #10 | — | #27 |
| 1996 | "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" | The Bridge | #106 | — | #53 | #4 | #44 | #76 | #41 | — | — |
| 1998 | "Life is a Flower" | Flowers / Cruel Summer | — | #5 | — | #5 | #20 | — | #16 | — | #40 |
| 1998 | "Cruel Summer" | Flowers / Cruel Summer | #10 | #8 | #5 | #13 | #25 | #59 | #24 | — | — |
| 1998 | "Whenever You're Near Me" | Flowers / Cruel Summer | #76 | — | #71 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | "Travel To Romantis" | Flowers / Cruel Summer | — | — | — | — | #61 | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | "Always Have Always Will" | Flowers / Cruel Summer | — | #12 | — | — | #47 | #61 | — | — | — |
| 1999 | "Everytime It Rains" | Flowers / Cruel Summer | — | #22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999 | "C'est La Vie (Always 21)" | Singles of the 90s | — | — | — | #38 | #64 | — | — | #1 | — |
| 2000 | "Hallo Hallo" | Singles of the 90s | — | — | — | — | #99 | — | — | #21 | — |
| 2002 | "Beautiful Morning" | Da Capo | — | — | — | #14 | #38 | — | — | — | — |
| 2002 | "The Juvenile" | Da Capo | — | — | — | — | #78 | — | — | — | — |
| 2003 | "Unspeakable" | Da Capo | — | — | — | #45 | #97 | — | — | — | — |
[edit] DVD and VHS
- 1994: The Sign (VHS, Region 1)
- 1994: Happy Nation (U.S. Version) (Pal VHS)
- 2002: Da Capo (DVD, Region 2)
- 2003: Ace of Base: Exclusive Fan Edition (DVD)
- 2005: Universal Masters Collection (DVD, All Regions)
[edit] Achievements
Throughout their relatively short time recording and performing together, Ace of Base set a number of world records and other achievements. The following is a partial list.
Ace of Base released the world's highest selling debut album of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, 1995, 1997 editions. Their 1993 release The Sign/Happy Nation sold an estimated 23 million copies.
Four of the group's singles have received gold or platinum certification by the RIAA in the United States. These are:
- "All That She Wants"
- Gold RIAA certification (over 500,000 units sold) awarded October 26, 1993[19]
- Platinum RIAA certification (over 1,000,000 copies sold) awarded November 12, 1993.[20]
- "The Sign"
- "Cruel Summer"
- Gold RIAA certification, awarded September 1, 1998.[24]
Two of the band's albums received multi-platinum certication in the United States:
- The Sign (10 RIAA platinum certifications = diamond) awarded May 21, 2002[25]
- The Bridge (2 RIAA platinum certifications) awarded May 21, 2002[26]
In addition, "The Sign Home Video Collection" was also certified gold.[27] The band also received three Grammy nominations, two American Music Awards, and two Billboard Music Awards for "Best-Selling Album" and "Best-Selling Single"[28].
In Europe, Ace of Base won awards for Best Selling Scandinavian Artist at the 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 World Music Awards in Monaco. They performed at each of these events.
In 1998, the band's single "Life is a Flower" was the most heavily played radio single of the year worldwide, despite the fact it was never released in the U.S..
In 2002, The Sign was certified diamond by the RIAA. Although Arista Records in the United States no longer releases new Ace of Base albums, both The Sign and The Bridge albums continue to be hot properties for the Arista/BMG label.
[edit] Platinum and Gold Awards for Happy Nation/The Sign
- Argentina: 4 times platinum (160,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[29]
- Australia: 1 platinum (70,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[30]
- Austria: 1 platinum (30,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[31]
- Belgium: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[32]
- Brazil: 1 gold (for 'The Sign')[33]
- Canada: 1 diamond (1,000,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[34]
- Chile: 1 platinum (for 'The Sign')[35]
- China: 1 platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[36]
- Czech Republic: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[37]
- Denmark: 4 times platinum (160,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[38]
- Finland: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[39]
- France: 1 diamond (1,000,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[40]
- Germany: 3 times platinum (900,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[41]
- India: 1 platinum (200,000(?)+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[42]
- Indonesia: 4 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[43]
- Ireland: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[44]
- Italy: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[45]
- Greece: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[46]
- Japan: 4 times platinum (for 'The Sign')[47]
- Korea: 7 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[48]
- Mexico: 3 times platinum (450,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[49]
- Netherlands: 2 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[50]
- New Zealand: 3 times platinum (45,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[51]
- Norway: 2 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[52]
- Portugal: 1 platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[53]
- Singapore: 3 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[54]
- Spain: 1 platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[55]
- Sweden: 2 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[56]
- Switzerland: 2 times platinum (80,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[57]
- South Africa: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[58]
- Thailand: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[59]
- United Kingdom: 2 times platinum (600,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[60]
- United States: 9 times platinum (9,000,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[61]
[edit] Platinum and Gold Awards for The Bridge
- Canada: 2 times platinum (200,000+ units sold)[62]
- China: 2 times platinum[63][64]
- Denmark 1 Platinum [65]
- Finland: 1 platinum[66]
- France: 1 platinum (300,000+ units sold)[67]
- Germany: 1 gold (300,000+ units sold)[68]
- India: 1 gold (100,000(?)+ units sold)[69]
- Indonesia: 1 platinum[70]
- Japan: 1 platinum[71]
- Korea: 3 times platinum
- Malaysia: 1 gold [72]
- Mexico: 1 platinum (150,000+ units sold)[73]
- New Zealand: 1 platinum (15,000+ units sold)[74]
- Philippines: 2 times platinum[75]
- Poland: 1 gold[76]
- Spain: 1 gold[77][78]
- Sweden: 1 platinum[79]
- Switzerland: 1 platinum (40,000+ units sold)[80]
- United States: 2 times platinum (2,000,000+ units sold)[81]
[edit] Platinum and Gold Awards for Flowers/Cruel Summer
- Canada: 1 gold (50,000+ units sold) (for 'Cruel Summer')[82]
- Denmark: 1 gold (20,000+ units sold) (for 'Flowers')[83]
- Japan: 2 times platinum (for 'Flowers')[84]
- Korea: 1 platinum (for 'Flowers')[85]
- Sweden: 1 gold (for 'Flowers')[86]
- Switzerland: 1 platinum (40,000+ units sold) (for 'Flowers')[87]
[edit] Platinum and Gold Awards for Singles of the 90s
[edit] Platinum and Gold Awards for Da Capo
- Japan: 1 Gold
[edit] See also
- Best selling music artists
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
- List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart
[edit] External links
- AceOfBase.com Ace of Base Official Website
- AceIsland.de Biggest Ace of Base fansite nowadays including the Jenny Berggren Source
- The Hallo Boards Popular forum for Ace of Base discussion.
- AceBoards.com The largest fan message board on the web.
- AceDays.com One of the two biggest fansites.
- Mister-Ace.com Mister Ace (fansite)
- SmiLinn The Ultimate Malin Berggren Resource (fansite)
- AceOfBase.co.uk Totally Addicted To Base (fansite)
- Acer Base The Comprehensive Ace of Base Song Listing (fansite)
- Acers United Acers United :: We Are United (fansite)
- Ace of Base at Last.fm
- Ace of Base - Da Capo
| Ace of Base |
| Jonas Berggren | Jenny Berggren | Linn Berggren | Ulf Ekberg |
| Discography: |
| Singles: Wheel of Fortune | All That She Wants | Happy Nation | Waiting For Magic | The Sign | Don't Turn Around | Living in Danger | Beautiful Life | Lucky Love | Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry | My Deja Vu | Angel Eyes | Life is a Flower | Cruel Summer | Whenever You're Near Me | Travel to Romantis | Tokyo Girl | Donnie | Cecilia | Always Have Always Will | Everytime it Rains | C'est la Vie | Love In December | Hallo Hallo | Beautiful Morning | The Juvenile | Unspeakable Albums: Happy Nation | The Sign | The Bridge | Flowers | Cruel Summer | Singles of the 90s | Greatest Hits | Da Capo |
Categories: Electronic music groups | House music groups | Techno music groups | Synthpop | Eurodance groups | Rhythmic Top 40 acts | Swedish musical groups | Swedish dance musicians | 1990s music groups | 2000s music groups | Ace of Base | Arista Records artists | People from Gothenburg | Musical groups with siblings
