...started in the early 90�s
when the three Berggren siblings formed the techno band Tech Noir.
Next to their rehearsal room, Ulf Ekberg played in another band. Soon,
Jonas and Ulf hit it off, started to write and produce together and
Ace Of Base as we know them were formed. After having recorded a demo
of original songs, including �All That She Wants�, the band went to
Stockholm where they visited all major record companies. No one showed
any interest. (Jonas later remembered somebody explaining that the
songs were �too obvious, too simple�). Next step was Copenhagen, where
Mega Records immediately saw the band�s potential and loved their
positive, uncomplicated and slightly reggae-tinged pop music.
During the production of their first album the band got to know Denniz
Pop, an ex-DJ who had enjoyed international chart success as a writer
and producer for Dr Alban. Denniz had listened to the
demo of �All
That She Wants� (Mr. Ace) in his car stereo every day going to work at Cheiron
studios. Denniz got involved in Ace Of Base�s album that was the start
for the international recognition of Cheiron and followed by successes
like Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, N�sync and Five.
Ace Of Base�s very first single was �Wheel Of Fortune�, followed by
the major worldwide hit �All That She Wants�. �The Sign� and �Don�t
Turn Around� also became international hits. The band first made it in
Denmark, then the rest of Scandinavia, Germany, the rest of Europe and
Asia before conquering The US and Canada.
In all, the debut album �Happy Nation/The Sign� sold 23 million copies
and remains in the Guinness book of records as the best-selling debut
album ever. Achieving numerous of awards such as 6 World Music Awards,
3 Billboard Awards, 3 America Music Awards, several different European
Grammy Awards and two American Grammy nominations! To mention a few!
On April 2 1994 both album and single �The Sign� topped the Billboard
Top 100 Charts simultaneously. �The Sign� remains number 3 at the
Billboard�s Greatest Hits chart (Top 100 Billboard 100th Anniversary
August 4th 1958 - June 25 1994), only beaten by Whitney Houston�s �I
Will Always Love You� and Boyz�2'Men�s �End Of The Road�. When
Billboard summed up the most sold albums of the 20th century, �Happy
Nation�/�The Sign� ended up top ten, being the most popular
non-American album of all time� �One thing that was unique is that it
was the same versions that were played at clubs/discotheques and by
radio. No remixes or tailor-made versions�, Ulf remembers.
When beginning to write and record for the second album �The Bridge�,
the pressure was on and everybody wanted to have their say. Everyone
realized that the phenomenal success of the debut would be impossible
to repeat. With the help of hit singles like �Lucky Love�, �Beautiful
Life� and �Never Gonna Say I�m Sorry� and promotional trips around the
world the album �The Bridge� sold 5 million copies, a number most
musicians only dream of. Ace Of Base had proved that they had come to
stay. �We reached a level that we�re comfortable with. We�re a pop
band and not an industry�, Jenny states. �After the extreme initial
success we now have the time to enjoy what�s happened�.
Back in Sweden the band returned to the studio to write for the band�s
third album �Flowers�/�Cruel Summer�. The first single was �Life Is A
Flower�, which was an immediate success. It got an award for the most
played song on European radio in 1998. The lyric was changed in
America, where the song was called �Whenever You�re Near Me�. The
Bananarama cover �Cruel Summer� became the title track of the American
album, the single reaching the American top ten. Other hits included
�Travel To Romantis� and �Always Have, Always Will�. Notable is the
fact that three of the singles from �Flowers� reached top ten in
England, where the band have performed on the famous show Top Of the
Pops an astonishing 18 times!
In the autumn of 1999 the greatest hits album �Singles Of The 90�s was
released, including all the band�s worldwide hits and some new songs.
�Everytime It Rains� had only been included on the �Cruel Summer�
album and was previously unreleased in Europe.
In the early autumn of 2002, the band returned with the album, �Da
Capo� � They�re first with all-new material since �Flowers/Cruel
Summer� (1998). The new album combined the group�s classic pop sound
with new, more thoughtful dimensions.
The band is at the moment in the studio working with new material for
their upcoming album�
