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Ace of Base

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Pop band

Ace of Base launched into pop stardom at lightning speed. With their first album, they broke the world record for top-selling debut of all time. Hailing from Sweden, the group faced many comparisons to their 1970s counterpart quartet, ABBA, throughout their career. Keyboardist Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg described their sound to Glenn Kenny in Rolling Stone as "worldwide pop music with a Swedish taste." Armed with that style, Ace of Base conquered the airwaves across the globe with hits like "All That She Wants," "Don’t Turn Around," and "Beautiful Life."

The members of Ace of Base included three siblings—singer Jenny Berggren, singer Linn Berggren, and keyboardist Jonas "Joker" Berggren—along with their close friend Ulf Ekberg. The Berggrens were born and raised in Gothenberg, Sweden. Their father Goran is a doctor and their mother Birgitta is a schoolteacher. Throughout their youth, the Berggren children were encouraged to study classical music. Jenny and Linn both sang in their hometown church choir before formingAce of Base.

Ekberg’s interest in music also bloomed at an early age. He was born in Gothenburg, but often traveled around with his tennis coach father, Mats Ekberg and his mother Monica. Unlike many musicians who began playing piano, guitar, or some other instrument as a child, Ekberg took a more modern route. At the age of 12, he began composing music on his Commodore 20 computer—although, as he got older, he became involved in gangs and violence. Then, he met Jonas Berggren, and his life turned around completely.

Ekberg played with a group that rehearsed in the same place as the Berggrens’ group. One night in 1990, Ekberg’s band opened for the Berggrens’ group at a club in Gothenburg. One of the members of the Berggrens’ band got stage fright just before they went on, so Ekberg volunteered to step in. From there, they decided to form a band called Tech Noir. The newly formed group aimed for a dark, aggressive style influenced by groups like Front 242 and Ministry.

As Jenny and Linn became more involved in the group, the music took on a brighter, rhythmic sound. As it developed, they used reggae influences with a dance pop foundation. "All of us love to go out and dance and party," Ekberg explained to Jeff Johnson in DMA Magazine. "That’s why it’s very natural for us to do dance music."

Sprouted into Swedish Sensations
The group changed its name to Ace of Base and performed their first show in August of 1990. Jonas Berggren described to Melissa W. Rawlins in Entertainment Weekly how they came up with their name. "Our base is our studio, and an ace is like a master," said Jonas. "So we are the aces of our studio." As the group took their music to the streets of Gothenburg, they aimed to create a sound that would crossover from dance clubs to the airwaves. "Some things work on the dance floor and not on the radio and vice versa," Jenny Berggren told Kenny, "but this sound has appeal in both places."

The following year, Ace of Base recorded a demo, which included the songs "All That She Wants" and "Wheel of Fortune." They sent it to ABBA’s record label, Polar Records, in Stockholm, but received a rejection. Undaunted, the group sent the demo to Mega Record in Copenhagen, Denmark. The label signed them. Around the same time, producer Denniz PoP also became interested in Ace of Base. He received their demo tape and it got stuck in his car’s cassette player. After having to listen to it every time he got in his car, he contacted them. He later produced their international hit, "All That She Wants."

Soon, their first two singles, "Wheel of Fortune" and "All That She Wants," became number one hits in Denmark. The latter went on to take over the top spot on the charts in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The success got the attention of Metronome Music in Hamburg, Germany, which singed the band to a distribution deal for the rest of Europe and the Far East. Not long afterwards, "All That She Wants" reached number one in Germany.

Geared Up for World Domination
In 1993, the momentum of Ace of Base’s hit single kept going. London Records in the U.K. agreed to distribute the group, and the single hit number one there, too. In June of that year, Ace of Base released their European debut, Happy Nation, which quickly soared to the top of the charts throughout Europe and Scandinavia. By November, interest in Ace of Bases spread to the U.S. Arista Records signed the group, and "All That She Wants" reached platinum sales and number two on the Billboard charts. As the group’s notoriety spread throughout the world, Ace of Base had to compete with other bands covering their material. Rumors spread that groups like Age of Bass and Bass of Spades released singles in the U.S. before the real group had a chance to introduce themselves.

In March of 1994, Ace of Base received the 1993 Echo Award for Most Successful International Band in Frankfurt, Germany. The following month, Arista released The Sign in the U.S. The album included all the songs on Happy Nation, along with a few additional tracks. The title track topped Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart almost immediately. The album grabbed the top spot and was certified platinum in the U.S. before the end of 1994. Eclipsing the sensation ABBA created two decades earlier, Ace of Base became the first Swedish group to reach number one in the U.S.

Record-Breaking Successes
The year continued to bring in more awards for Ace of Base, including the World’s Best-Selling Pop Newcomers of the Year and World’s Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year at the sixth annual World Music Awards in Monte Carlo, and Top New Artist and Top Pop Single at the Billboard Music Awards. Early in 1995, Ace of Base took home the American Music Awards for Best Band, Duo or Group/Pop Rock category and Best New Artist. The Guinness Book of World Records also named Ace of Base’s The Sign as the best-selling debut album of all time. "We were all very surprised at how fast and how far the group has come since this whole thing began," Lasse Karlsson, Ace of Base’s manager, told J.R. Reynolds in Billboard.

Despite all the awards, sales, and recognition, Ace of Base didn’t slow down to enjoy the accolades. They jumped right back into their studio and recorded another album. The Bridge was released in December of 1995, along with the single "Beautiful Life." Jim Farber described the album in his Entertainment Weekly review. "Ace of Base provides the musical equivalent of a Mentos commercial: They’re so deeply dorky, you have to love ’em…. But for sheer candied pop, this is one pleasurable way to rot your teeth." The following month, The Bridge was certified platinum for over a million copies sold. According to their record company biography, all of the members contributed to the songwriting process, instead of just Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg. "It’s nice to have different tempos, different moods," said Jonas.

After the release of The Bridge, Ace of Base set out once again on a worldwide tour, including South America and the Far East. Both albums were also released in China, adding another first to their list—the first Scandinavian artist to release recordings in China. The group also received their second award for World’s Best-Selling Scandinavian Artist/Group of the year at the 1996 World’s Music Awards.

By 1997, Happy Nation and The Sign had sold a cumulative 23 million copies worldwide, while The Bridge had sold five million. Finally, the group decided to take some time to enjoy their accomplishments. They began working on their next album with producer Charles Fisher late in 1997.

Despite their celebrity and accomplishments, Ace of Base still held fast to their roots. They maintained a studio in Gothenburg, and the Berggrens continued to live in their hometown. Jenny and Linn still sang in their hometown church choirwhen they were in town. Forafew weeks each summer, the group took a break so Jenny could work at her volunteer job, where she helped disabled children in aSwedish summer camp. Although Ekberg moved to Marbella, Spain, he returned to Gothenburg to work with his bandmates. While the rest of the world showered Ace of Base with multiplatinum sales and adoration, the group refused to dismiss their humble beginnings.

Selected discography
The Sign, Arista Records, 1994.
The Bridge, Arista Records, 1995.

Sources
Books
Rees, Dafydd and Luke Crampton, eds., Encyclopedia of Rock Stars, DK Publishing, New York, 1996.

Periodicals
Billboard, August 14, 1993; February 12, 1994; June 4, 1994;December 17, 1994; December 24, 1994,; January 14, 1995; October 28, 1995; December 16, 1995.
Bop Magazine, August 1996.
DMA Magazine, January 1996.
Entertainment Weekly, January 14, 1994; June 17, 1994; November 24, 1995.
Esquire, September 1994, p. 196.
The Financial Times, January 1996.
People, February 28, 1994; May 23, 1994; December 4, 1995, p. 24.

Rolling Stone, August 11, 1994.
Spin, February 1996.

Online
http://www.aceofbase.net/biog/index.htm
http://www.aristarec.com/view2
http://www.eden.com/~wgunter/art/
Additional information for this profile was obtained from Arista Records and Mega Records promotional material, 1995–97.
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Ace of Base

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  • Genres: Rock

Biography

Comprised of vocalists Jenny Berggren and Linn Berggren, and keyboardists Jonas "Joker" Berggren and Ulf "Buddah" Ekberg, the Swedish quartet Ace of Base became a phenomenally popular international act with their 1993 debut album, The Sign. Ace of Base's simple, melodic Euro-disco was equally popular on radio and in the clubs, earning the quartet three U.S. Top Ten singles -- "All That She Wants," "Don't Turn Around," and "The Sign," which spent six weeks at number one.

Before the quartet formed in 1990, sisters Jenny and Linn Berggren sang in local church choirs in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their brother, Jonas, played synthesizers and wrote songs with Ulf Ekberg. Eventually, Jonas and Ulf recruited Jenny and Linn to sing with them, and the quartet began playing dance music at local clubs in the late summer of 1990. Within a year, the group signed with Mega Records and released their debut single, "Wheel of Fortune," in 1992. By that time, the quartet had joined forces with John Ballard, who produced their recordings and wrote the majority of their songs; occasionally, Ballard co-wrote with Jonas Berggren. "Wheel of Fortune" became a hit across Scandinavia, and soon the German-based record label Metronome signed a European distribution deal with the group. "All That She Wants" was Ace of Base's first single in Europe and, thanks to heavy exposure on MTV, the song became a number one hit in ten different countries. In the spring of 1993, Ace of Base released their European debut album, Happy Nation.

"All That She Wants" was released in America in the fall of 1993 and quickly went platinum, beginning a string of platinum Top Ten singles in the U.S.. Released in the fall of 1993, Ace of Base's American debut album The Sign -- a reconfigured version of Happy Nation, featuring four new songs -- quickly sold nearly two million copies in the U.S.. Throughout 1994, Ace of Base dominated radio in America and Europe as "All That She Wants," "Don't Turn Around," and "The Sign" received heavy airplay on a number of radio formats, including Top 40, adult contemporary, urban, and, bizarrely, modern rock. By the end of the year, The Sign had sold over eight million copies in the U.S. alone. Ace of Base was nominated for three Grammys that year, including Best New Artist.

Ace of Base released their second album, The Bridge, in the fall of 1995. Although it went platinum in its first six months of release, the record failed to duplicate the remarkable multi-platinum success of The Sign. After a three-year-hiatus, the duo returned with Cruel Summer, which suffered a similar fate. 2000 saw the release of Greatest Hits, a blend of original singles and remixes. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Ace of Base

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Ace of Base

Ace of Base, 2010. L-R: Ulf Ekberg, Jonas Berggren, Julia Williamson, Clara Hagman
Background information
Origin Gothenburg, Sweden
Genres Pop, dance, eurodance, europop, reggae-pop
Years active 1987–present
Labels
Website www.aceofbase.com
Members
Jonas Berggren
Ulf Ekberg
Clara Hagman
Julia Williamson
Past members
Malin Berggren
Jenny Berggren

Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren. They released four studio albums between 1993 and 2002, which sold in excess of 37 million copies worldwide.

Happy Nation / The Sign is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, and was certified nine times platinum in the United States.[1] It was the first debut album to produce three number 1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart: "All That She Wants", "The Sign" and "Don't Turn Around".[2]

Following the formal departure of singer Linn in 2007, the band performed a series of concerts as a trio in Europe and Asia from 2007 through 2009, before Jenny revealed in November 2009 that she would be taking indefinite leave from the band to focus on her own solo career.[3] Jonas and Ulf have since recruited two new female vocalists, Clara Hagman and Julia Williamson. The new line-up released their first album together The Golden Ratio in September 2010.

Contents

Career

Formation

In 1987, following a number of years as part of a new romantic and punk covers band called G Konrad, Jonas Berggren formed a band with two friends, Johnny Lindén and Niklas Tränk for a school project; his sisters Linn and Jenny joined as singers. The new band went through several names: Kalinin Prospect (after an avenue in Moscow); CAD (Computer-Aided Disco); and Tech-Noir (French for black technology, after a nightclub in the film The Terminator).[4] They toured the clubs of Sweden with their new self-written material, techno inspired by the likes of The KLF and Snap!.

Johnny left the group in 1989. Niklas made his departure known by failing to appear at a gig at Bältesspännarparken on 6 August 1990; he preferred to attend a Rolling Stones concert on the other side of town.[5] Jonas asked his friend Ulf Ekberg to stand in for Niklas. The new quartet sought a new name to make a fresh start; Linn was reported saying: "No one could pronounce the name of the group and nobody could remember it". They settled on Ace of Base, because they were the "masters of their studio", the basement of a car-repair shop.[6]

However the band continued to struggle to gain any recognition, partly due to the preference of heavy metal over techno in their home town, according to singer Jenny.[7] In 1991 they responded to a newspaper ad by producer John Ballard who was looking for new talent. He was somewhat unsure about their potential, but did pass them on to Klas Lunding at Telegram Records who helped them record an early demo for the song "Wheel of Fortune" in their newly renovated studio. But it did not convince Telegram to sign the band, and other labels in Sweden still showed no sign of interest. In the end, the unfinished demo was sold for a small price to the independent Danish label Mega Records in March 1992.[8] "Wheel of Fortune" was re-recorded and released as a single in Denmark in May but failed to hit the charts. A small-budget music video was shot and directed in a small studio by Viking Nielsson[9] and in September, after two failures, the single finally reached the charts.

International success and Happy Nation (1993–1994)

It was another song that was to help Ace of Base's career take off internationally. After hearing Swedish top 20 hit "Another Mother" by Kayo, the band decided that was exactly the sound they wanted to create.[10] They contacted the song's producer Denniz PoP and sent him a demo of a song called "Mr Ace". Coincidentally, the tape got stuck in the cassette tape player in his car, so he was forced to listen to it over and over again, which helped him decide to produce the track. The song became All That She Wants, a dark fusion of dub-reggae with pop which became the band's trademark sound. On release in October 1992, it quickly climbed to #1 on the Danish chart while the previous single was still sitting at #2. Keen to rush out an LP for the Christmas market, Mega Records pressed the band for an album and it was hastily recorded, mixed, and released within a few weeks.

Preceded by a single of the same name, the album, titled Happy Nation was an instant hit in Denmark, and its success prompted interest elsewhere in Europe. A Pan-European license was signed with Metronome/PolyGram (now Universal Music) but they were turned down by the American division. Within a few months, "All That She Wants" had reached number 3 in Sweden and had spent eight weeks at number 1 in Germany.

In April 1993 the band performed alongside Inner Circle and Dr. Alban in Tel Aviv, Israel at what would be their biggest audience ever, 55,000 people.

In May, "All That She Wants" continued to be a hit all around the world and topped the chart for three weeks in the United Kingdom. However, despite Mega Records' hard efforts to secure a distribution deal in the United States the response was always the same: "this band will never work in the States". Eventually, however, Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, thought otherwise, and by the end of 1993 "All That She Wants" had made its way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In order to freshen up the album for US release, Davis insisted that some new tracks were recorded, including "The Sign" which became the new title for the album and the second American single. It was even more successful than the first, spending six weeks at #1 and becoming the best-selling single of 1994. It was also a major hit in Europe, peaking at #2 in the UK and Sweden and doing one better in Germany. PolyGram re-released the album under the name Happy Nation (US Version).

Two more singles were released: "Don't Turn Around" and "Living in Danger", by Diane Warren. The former was originally recorded by Tina Turner on the b-side of a single she released which went on to become a UK #1 hit for the reggae band Aswad. Davis suggested that the band record the song and it was yet another worldwide hit. By the end of 1994, they were an international commercial success. The Ace of Base version of "Don't Turn Around" is distinguished from other versions by its use of a minor key

Ace of Base on 1994 European Music Awards

In 1994 Ace of Base performed on the first ever MTV Europe Music Awards held in Germany. Ace of Base performed "Living in Danger" in the front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. They were also nominated for Best Cover with "Don't Turn Around" this year.

The Bridge (1995–1996)

Even though the band was exhausted from two long years of international promotion, they could hardly believe how successful they had become. In April 1994, a crazed German fan broke into the Berggren family's home brandishing a knife.[citation needed] After managing to restrain her, the band decided that from then on they needed bodyguards. However, they were not allowed to take time to reflect before starting work on a second album because their record companies all over the world were demanding a swift follow-up. To speed up the process, instead of Jonas and Ulf writing the bulk of the album, each member was encouraged to submit his or her own tracks for consideration.[citation needed]

In the end, 17 tracks made the cut of the second album titled The Bridge. It marked a considerable change of direction in sound; out were the reggae and club sounds that made the group so popular in favour of a more experimental sound and several ballads. The lead single "Lucky Love" however was a mainstream pop record and on release in October 1995 became the band's first number 1 single in Sweden, which came as a pleasant surprise as they had found that their fellow Swedes had been their harshest critics. It charted at a more modest number 13 in Germany and number 20 in the United Kingdom, but Arista Records decided that it wasn't appropriate for US release so they opted for the pulsating dance beat of "Beautiful Life" which peaked at number 15 both in the US and UK. The album was still certified platinum but the phenomenal success of the band's first album proved difficult to follow. In February 1996, the band performed at the Viña del Mar Festival de la Cancion in Chile, topping the bill alongside 2 Unlimited.

Flowers (1997–1999)

After this, Ace of Base disappeared from the limelight for a while, only emerging in July 1997 to perform at a concert to celebrate the 20th birthday of Princess Victoria of Sweden. They were given as much time as they wanted to produce their third album, much of it being recorded in Jonas' own studio "The Barn". When it was finally released in June 1998, the band declared it their best album yet. It was titled Flowers because they believed that the songs, wildly different in style including Motown and gospel influences, resembled a varied bouquet of flowers. Fans were surprised to see that blonde singer Linn had relinquished lead vocal duties to sister Jenny, and on many promotional photos Linn's face was blurred. They were reassured that Linn was happy with her new backing role in the group, and many reasons were given for her decision including her having damaged her voice, fear of flying putting her off from travelling round the world, and her dislike of fame.

The radio-friendly single "Life Is a Flower" was certified the most-played track on European radio for 1998 and sold more than 250,000 copies in the UK, peaking at number 5; the colorful video of the same name was produced and directed by Andreas Neumann. British label London Records had requested the band record the 1983 hit "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama and it was selected as the second European single. Deciding that "Life Is a Flower" was "too European in nature", Clive Davis pushed "Cruel Summer" as the lead-off single for the United States and it took Ace of Base back into the US Top 10 for the first time in four years, being certified gold. The album was also renamed Cruel Summer and featured a different tracklist to the European release. Davis persuaded a reluctant Linn to record a Billy Steinberg ballad "Everytime It Rains" and "Life Is a Flower" was re-recorded as "Whenever You're Near Me" and was the second single, but it could only peak at number 76. "Travel to Romantis" and "Always Have, Always Will" were further hits in Europe while "Everytime It Rains" was issued as a single in the UK along with a re-packaged edition of Flowers released only in the UK.

Singles of the 90s and Greatest Hits (1999–2000)

Singles of the 90s, a compilation of sixteen hit singles was released in November 1999. Its first single, "C'est La Vie (Always 21)," went on to become a surprise number 1 hit in Spain. Attempting to capitalize on the success of the previous single, "Hallo Hallo" was released with special remixes just for the Spanish market. The album's marketing push closed with the limited radio-only single release of "Love in December". "Everytime It Rains", previously included on the Cruel Summer album was released as a radio single in the US the following year in remixed-form (pushed by Clive Davis) in order to promote a new Greatest Hits album for the American market, which failed to chart, selling fewer than 5,000 copies in its first week. It completed the band's four-album contract with Arista Records and was not renewed. "Hallo Hallo" was planned initially to be the first single from this American compilation, but in the end it was not included on the album at all. "C'est La Vie (Always 21)" was the only new recording included on the U.S. release. Two old remixes of both "Lucky Love" and "Beautiful Life" were also included.

Da Capo (2002–2003)

Ace of Base released their fourth studio album Da Capo in September 2002 in Europe, and in Japan through Toshiba EMI with a different cover and three bonus tracks. The album contained twelve original tracks and had originally been planned for release in mid-2000, but was repeatedly postponed due to record company complications. The album is named after the musical term da capo, meaning "back to the beginning". It was intended to be a return to the band's earliest sound.

Although the album entered the album charts in many European countries, it was not as successful as previous releases. Only Jenny and Ulf went on a promotional tour of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, Poland and Austria; Jonas wanted to stay at home with his two children and Linn attended only one performance in Germany. The album was not released in America or Australia, and received only a 'soft release' in the United Kingdom, as their new British label Polydor thought that their sound was no longer relevant to the UK music scene.

The first single release from the Da Capo album was "Beautiful Morning", which peaked at number 14 in Sweden and number 38 in Germany, where it was followed by "The Juvenile", which was used for a Christmas campaign by German TV channel RTL. "The Juvenile" was a "lost track"; Ace of Base had previously written it for the GoldenEye James Bond movie in 1995. However, Arista, the band's American record label at the time, shelved the idea. The band was no longer involved in the soundtrack for the movie, and Bono's composition of the same name was substituted, sung instead by Tina Turner.

In Scandinavia, Edel-Mega released the album's opening track, "Unspeakable", as the second single. But its poor chart performance ended the promotion of the album prematurely.

Hiatus (2003–2006)

The band remained out of the spotlight throughout 2003 and 2004, although Jenny kept busy by performing solo live performances in several Christian shows with her husband Jakob Pétren, and joined the Swedish group Arose.

The band returned at the end of 2005 (without Malin) for several live performances at the Night of the Proms in Belgium alongside other artists such as Donna Summer, performing some of their hits such as "All That She Wants" and "The Sign".

Reunion and breakup (2007–2009)

Ulf, Jenny and Jonas after a concert in Finland, 2008.
Ulf, Jenny and Jonas after a concert in Finland, 2008.

Ace of Base reunited to perform their first full-length concert since 1996 in Yekaterinburg, Russia on November 15, 2007. Several other concerts followed mainly in eastern Europe and Denmark. The set list included various songs from their past albums and notably, a brand new remix of their very first single "Wheel of Fortune".

Jenny confirmed Linn's departure in Danish press: "She hasn't been part of Ace of Base for several years," she stated in Se & Hør magazine.[11] The band was on world tour and performed at several summer music festivals in 2008 and 2009. The tour reached Scandinavia, some eastern European Countries as well as Singapore and the Dominican Republic. At their show at Rock Under Broen (Middelfart, Denmark) on June 14, 2008, the group performed a new song called "Sparks from a Fire".[12][13]

Ace of Base released a new Greatest Hits CD/DVD, Greatest Hits, Classic Remixes and Music Videos on November 12, 2008. The 3-disc set includes one CD with the hits, a second CD containing remixes, and a DVD containing all the music videos. Five re-recorded songs were released: "Lucky Love 2009", "Don't Turn Around 2009", "Happy Nation 2009", "The Sign - Freedom Bunch Mix", and "Wheel of Fortune 2009", which was released worldwide on October 24, 2008 as a digital single.[14]

Breakup and Name Dispute

During the touring from 2007–2009, the band recorded new songs designated for a fifth studio album.[15] The trio didn't get a record contract with the songs that were produced and Jenny announced she was working on her own solo material.[16][17]

During this time, Ulf and Jonas secretly recruited two other female vocalists, Clara Hagman and Julia Williamson.[18][19][20] When this came to the fans' attention, Jonas and Jenny independently stated that the new band would not be called Ace of Base, but have another name.[19][21]

This alternative line-up later presented a slightly changed name: "Ace.of.Base", but this was mainly a graphical adjustment used on the cover of their releases only. In an interview for Swedish TV Ulf stated: "We're still called Ace of Base. The dots are more for styling and the logo".[22][23][24]

Jenny has stated several times that she has never left the band and on the contrary declared that all four original members are still band members and own the brand Ace of Base, by agreement with her brother Jonas and by legal documents.[16][21][25][26]

This was later confirmed by Jonas in an interview stating: "She (Jenny) never officially said ‘’I quit’’. But to the record company, she was a leaving member. And they cancelled her contract. But she never said ‘’Oh, I don’t want to be in the band’’." Additionally Jonas said in this interview, asked about why Jenny refused to accept a new 4th member beside her: " At first Jenny said ‘’yes, I can do that’’. But then it was always no. And what she wanted to do was impossible, for all kinds of reasons. You say yes, but then you have so many terms, and it has to be this and this and this and this, that you actually really mean no. You can act like you’re very very positive about it all, but you really mean no. And then we found out from the record label that she had gone and recorded her solo album, and that caught us by surprise. She had told us that she was just going to record some church songs, but this was a proper album, so we were really caught by surprise. ". When asked about the record company demanding a new additional singer: "It wasn’t so much that it had to be younger girl, but yes, they wanted a new girl, a new lead vocalist."[27]

Regarding the name dispute, Ulf stated that he had "No problems using the name even though all the original members are not included" [28] Jenny commented further on this topic in a 2010 newspaper interview. She said she wasn't allowed by Jonas and Ulf to participate in the songwriting for the band's album. "From now on, I want things in writing. I agreed to work under certain conditions, and they just vanished." "They didn't want me in". When asked, "Do you want to go back to Ace of Base again?" she responded "Not right now. It would take some apologies".[29]

Jenny Berggren released her first autobiography "Vinna hela världen" ("To Win The World") in late September 2009. It is currently only available in Swedish, but will be translated.[30] It was reported in December 2009 that she was being considered as the final wildcard "joker" in Melodifestivalen 2010, Sweden's national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest.[31] Ultimately, she was not selected.

On November 13, 2009, Ulf, acting as head judge on Idol 2009, announced, "We're in the studio right now, planning to release a new album in the beginning of next year. It's practically finished and we're negotiating with different labels. That's all I can say."

New members and relaunch (2010 – present)

In late June, 2010, Facebook and Twitter accounts for an Ulf and Jonas project without Jenny were launched under the name Ace of Base. Pictures have been released via these accounts featuring two new vocalists, whose names have been given as Clara and Julia. One of them is Clara Hagman, who made it to the semi-finals round of Idol 2009, on which Ulf appeared as a judge. The first single from The Golden Ratio, "All For You", was serviced to European radio stations in mid-July 2010 and was released as a single on September 10, 2010. The Golden Ratio was released on September 24, 2010. The album entered the German album charts at #20. "All For You" reached #38 in the official German singles chart.

Singers and musicians influenced by Ace of Base

Many musicians and singers have cited Ace of Base as a musical influence: Lady Gaga has claimed that her album The Fame Monster, with songs such as "Alejandro", was influenced by "super pop melodies of the 90s" by acts such as Ace of Base.[32] The song "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" from The Fame has also been linked to the band.

Katy Perry has claimed that she would like her follow-up album to One of the Boys to sound like "The Sign".[33] "It's what I said I wanted earlier," she told MTV. "We nailed it: It's roller-skating! It's '90s! It's Ace Of Base! It's Cyndi Lauper! It's like all these colors and more".[34] The British pop group Steps' third album Buzz was also reportedly influenced by their early material.

Awards

  • 1993 Swedish Grammi – Best Pop Group [35]
  • 1993 Swedish Grammi – TV audience price [35]
  • 1993 Bronze BRAVO Otto (Germany) – Best rock/pop Group[36]
  • 1994 American Music Award – Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Pop / Rock
  • 1994 American Music Award – Favorite New Artist - Pop / Rock
  • 1994 Billboard Music Award – No.1 Single
  • 1994 Billboard Music Award – Top New Artist
  • 1994 Billboard Music Award – Artist of The Year
  • 1994 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
  • 1994 Echo (Germany) – Group of the Year [37]
  • 1995 Grammy Awards – Pop Vocal Group(Nominee)
  • 1995 Grammy Awards – New Artist(Nominee)
  • 1995 World Music Award – World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year
  • 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
  • 2007 BMI Award for over 3 million performances of 'The Sign' on US TV and radio [38]
  • 2011 The scandipop award – Best Group Album [39]

Discography

For more on all single and album releases including extended chart information, see Ace of Base discography.

For a complete list of all the songs, see List of Ace of Base songs

Studio albums

See also

References

  1. ^ "Top 100 Albums". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTop100&action. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  2. ^ Trust, Gary (2009-07-13). "Lady GaGa Makes Mainstream Top 40 History". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/news/lady-gaga-makes-mainstream-top-40-history-1003992987.story#/news/lady-gaga-makes-mainstream-top-40-history-1003992987.story. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  3. ^ Berggren, Jenny (11-30). "@Jenny Berggren". Twitter. http://twitter.com/jennyberggren/status/6206340746. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  4. ^ "Totally Addicted to Base!". AceofBase.co.uk. http://www.aceofbase.co.uk/biography.html. Retrieved 2010-10-18. [dead link]
  5. ^ "Ace of Base GBG". HappyNation.net. http://www.happynation.net/aobgbg.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-18. [dead link]
  6. ^ "Origins of Band Names[A-E]". HeaThen WoRLD.com. 1996. http://www.heathenworld.com/bandname/nav1.aspx. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  7. ^ Happy Nation Home Video, VHS, 1997
  8. ^ Our Story, SVT documentary, 1997
  9. ^ "Ace of Base". MvdBase.com. http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Ace%20of%20Base. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  10. ^ Beatlab, SVT documentary, 2001
  11. ^ Olausen, Tonny (November 2007). "Vi Elsker Danmark [We Love Denmark]". Se & Hør: 20–21 
  12. ^ "New song performed at Rock Under Broen". The Ace Boards. 2008-06-15. http://www.aceboards.com/index.php?showtopic=6706. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  13. ^ "Ace of Base - Sparks From A Fire (Live in Vantaa)". YouTube. 2008-10-06. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOyvBHCXZU. Retrieved 2010-10=18. 
  14. ^ "Wheel of Fortune 2009". Playground Music Scandinavia. http://www.playgroundmusic.com/Global/Articles.aspx?ProductId=PGMCDX%2055. Retrieved 2010-10-18. [dead link]
  15. ^ aceofbase (2007-11-16). "Ace of Base in the Studio Oct 2008". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GndnwUOJUVE. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  16. ^ a b Marko. "Marko: Jenny Berggren slingrar sig". Marko-saavala.blogspot.com. http://marko-saavala.blogspot.com/2010/05/jenny-berggren-slingrar-sig.html. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  17. ^ [1][dead link]
  18. ^ Stefan Westrin 026-15 93 46 stefan.westrin@arbetarbladet.se. "Clara Hagmans spellista - Spellistan" (in (Swedish)). www.arbetarbladet.se. http://arbetarbladet.se/noje/spellistan/1.2200616-clara-hagmans-spellista. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  19. ^ a b "> Official message by JONAS !!". The AceBoards. http://www.aceboards.com/index.php?showtopic=8385&st=0. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  20. ^ "> 2nd Official Message by JONAS!! (26 february 2010)". The AceBoards. http://www.aceboards.com/index.php?showtopic=8401&st=0. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  21. ^ a b "Blandat: Jenny Berggren om Ace of Base framtid - TV4 Play". Tv4play.se. http://www.tv4play.se/noje_och_humor/forkvall?videoId=1.1643333. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  22. ^ [2][dead link]
  23. ^ "QUESTIONS, #15...". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/aceofbase/posts/117459284973810. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  24. ^ "Biography » Ace of Base" (in (German)). Aceofbase-music.de. http://www.aceofbase-music.de/biography. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  25. ^ "The original...". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=110543982317036&id=349147288370. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  26. ^ "Oao. You are wrong...". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=116101985084450&id=349147288370. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  27. ^ "The Ace of Base Interview". www.scandipop.co.uk. http://www.scandipop.co.uk/?p=3615. Retrieved 2010-11-01. 
  28. ^ "Syskonen Berggren slåss om Ace of Base | Rockbjörnen | Musik | Nöjesbladet | Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet.se. http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/rockbjornen2010/article7429969.ab. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  29. ^ "Jenny Berggren om Ace of Base-kollegornas svek: "De ville inte ha med mig" | Musik | Nöjesbladet | Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet.se. 2010-10-18. http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/article7971852.ab. Retrieved 2012-04-09. 
  30. ^ Berggren, Jenny (2010-03-27). "@Jenny Berggren". Twitter. http://twitter.com/#!/jennyberggren/status/11138713993. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  31. ^ Johansson, Lars (2009-12-07). "De tävlar om sista platsen". Expressen.se. http://www.expressen.se/noje/1.1805611/de-tavlar-om-sista-platsen. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  32. ^ "Lady Gaga Talks "Fame Monster," Freakishness". Billboard.com. 2009-11-25. http://www.billboard.com/?bcpid=40911305001&bctid=52584416001#/news/lady-gaga-talks-fame-monster-freakishness-1004048479.story. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  33. ^ Elias, Matt (2009-09-23). "Katy Perry Wants To Make New Music Her Fans Can 'Roller-Skate To'". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1622080/20090922/katy_perry.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  34. ^ "Katy Perry Excited For Her New Summer Record". FMQB. 2010-03-29. http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1750575. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  35. ^ a b "Grammy Sweden 1990". ifpi. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/100428-lc-vinnare-genom-%C3%A5ren.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  36. ^ "Bravo magazine archive–Otto awards 1993". BRAVO. http://www.bravo-archiv.de/auswahl.php?link=ottosieger1993.php. Retrieved 2010-02-01. 
  37. ^ "Echo Preisträger". Echo. http://www.echopop.de/der_echo/die_preistraeger?eid=12. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  38. ^ "BMI Awards". BMI. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/535579. Retrieved 2010-02-01. 
  39. ^ List of Scandy Pop awards 2011 winners

External links

Ace of Base
Studio albums
Compilations
Singles
Related articles
Billboard Year-End number one singles (1980–1999)
Billboard Year-End number one albums (1990–2009)

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