Ace of Base

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Image:2 37.jpg Ace of Base is a Swedish dance/pop band that consists of Jonas Berggren (Joker), Ulf Ekberg (Buddha), Linn Berggren and Jenny Berggren; the three Berggrens are siblings[1]. They are often compared to fellow Scandinavian acts ABBA and Aqua [2][3], although their music is quite different.

1 History
2 Achievements
3 The Music
4 Discography
5 DVD & Video
6 See also
7 External links

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History

In 1987, Jonas Berggren, together with his two friends Johnny Lindén and Nicklas Tränk, formed a house/techno group[4][5]. 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 for a nightclub in The Terminator). In 1990, Johnny & Nicklas left the group, and Ulf Ekberg joined and they changed their name to Ace of Base. Jenny explained once that the reason was "no one could pronounce the name of the group and nobody could remember it"[6].

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 no.2 on the Danish singles chart[7]. By the end of the year it had been joined at no.1 by All That She Wants, produced by the legendary Denniz Pop [8][9]. 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 no.1 in the UK and no.2 in the USA[10].

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 [11][12].

The band's image was tarnished by revelations that Ulf used to be a member of a neo-Nazi group in Sweden. He has long relinquished and rejected these ties.

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[13][14] for their third album Flowers which was released in 1998[15]. 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 proved short-lived, but in Europe, Life Is A Flower was one of the most played records on radio that year[16]. A greatest hits compilation was released at the end of the 90s before the band started work on their next album[17].

Ace of Base has released dozens of singles worldwide. In the United States, they have had seven Billboard Top 40 hits and two platinum albums[18][19].

The band members remain together today but have chosen to step out of the limelight[20]. Da Capo was released in 2002 and whilst well received by fans, the album 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 orchestated work[21]. Jenny, Jonas, and Ulf performed four of their biggest hits to the audience:

The Sign
All That She Wants
Beautiful Life
Life Is A Flower

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"[22].

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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[23].

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 [24]
- Platinum RIAA certification (over 1,000,000 copies sold) awarded November 12, 1993.[25]

The Sign
- Gold RIAA certification awarded February 23, 1994.[26]
- Platinum RIAA certification, awarded April 6, 1994.[27]

Don't Turn Around
- Gold RIAA certification, awarded June 29, 1994.[28]

Cruel Summer
- Gold RIAA certification, awarded September 1, 1998.[29]

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 [30]
The Bridge (2 RIAA platinum certifications) awarded May 21, 2002 [31]

In addition, "The Sign Home Video Collection" was also certified gold.[32] The band also received three Grammy nominations, two American Music Awards, and two Billboard Music Awards for "Best-Selling Album" and "Best-Selling Single"[33][34].

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[35].

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.

Platinum and Gold Awards for 'Happy Nation/The Sign'<h4>
Argentina: 4 times platinum (160,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[36]
Australia: 1 platinum (70,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[37]
Austria: 1 platinum (30,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[38]
Belgium: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[39]
Brazil: 1 gold (for 'The Sign')[40]
Canada: 1 diamond (1,000,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[41]
Chile: 1 platinum (for 'The Sign')[42]
China: 1 platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[43]
Czech Republic: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[44]
Denmark: 4 times platinum (160,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[45]
Finland: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[46]
France: 1 diamond (1,000,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[47]
Germany: 3 times platinum (900,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[48]
India: 1 platinum (200,000(?)+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[49]
Indonesia: 4 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[50]
Ireland: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[51]
Italy: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[52]
Greece: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[53]
Hong Kong: 1 platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[54]
Japan: 4 times platinum (for 'The Sign')[55]
Korea: 7 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[56]
Mexico: 3 times platinum (450,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[57]
Netherlands: 2 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[58]
New Zealand: 3 times platinum (45,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[59]
Norway: 2 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[60]
Portugal: 1 platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[61]
Singapore: 3 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[62]
Spain: 1 platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[63]
Sweden: 2 times platinum (for 'Happy Nation')[64]
Switzerland: 2 times platinum (80,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[65]
South Africa: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[66]
Thailand: 1 gold (for 'Happy Nation')[67]
United Kingdom: 2 times platinum (600,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')[68]
United States: 1 diamond (10,000,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')[69]
<h4>Platinum and Gold Awards for 'The Bridge'<h4>
Canada: 2 times platinum (200,000+ units sold)[70]
Denmark 1 Platinum [71]
Finland: 1 platinum[72]
France: 1 platinum (300,000+ units sold)[73]
Germany: 1 gold (300,000+ units sold)[74]
India: 1 gold (100,000(?)+ units sold)[75]
Indonesia: 1 platinum[76]
Hong Kong: 2 times platinum[77]
Japan: 1 platinum[78]
Korea: 3 times platinum
Malaysia: 1 gold [79]
Mexico: 1 platinum (150,000+ units sold)[80]
New Zealand: 1 platinum (15,000+ units sold)[81]
Philippines: 2 times platinum[82]
Poland: 1 gold[83]
Spain: 1 gold[84][85]
Sweden: 1 platinum[86]
Switzerland: 1 platinum (40,000+ units sold)[87]
Taiwan: 2 times platinum[88][89]
United States: 2 times platinum (2,000,000+ units sold)[90]
<h4>Platinum and Gold Awards for 'Flowers' / 'Cruel Summer'<h4>
Canada: 1 gold (50,000+ units sold) (for 'Cruel Summer')[91]
Denmark: 1 gold (20,000+ units sold) (for 'Flowers')[92]
Japan: 2 times platinum (for 'Flowers')[93]
Korea: 1 platinum (for 'Flowers')[94]
Sweden: 1 gold (for 'Flowers')[95]
Switzerland: 1 platinum (40,000+ units sold) (for 'Flowers')[96]
<h4>Platinum and Gold Awards for 'Singles of the Nineties'<h4>
Denmark: 1 gold (20,000+ units sold)[97]
Japan: 1 Platinum[98]

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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)[99][100].

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, also were 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[101].

Later, more thoughtful studio recordings gradually replaced the "Euro-techno" sound. "Lucky Love" was the band's attempt at an acoustic sound. "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"[102].

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", "No Good Lover", 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) (1999) 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.

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