The Odyssey of Ace of Base
The journey for Ace of Base began in 1991. After responding to an ad in the Newspaper Göteborgs-Posten, the new quartet (Jonas Berggren. Ulf Ekberg, Malin Berggren, Jenny Berggren) started working in the studio with record producer John Ballard and decided to come up with a new name to make a fresh start, as well as to avoid confusion with another band with the same name who were attracting bad reviews.
The name Ace Of Base
They settled on Ace of Base after Ulf was inspired by the Motörhead song "Ace of Spades".
In an interview in 2018, Ulf explained: "The name came out of a hangover I had on New Year's Day. So, I was hungover, watching MTV, and saw Motörhead's video for their song 'Ace of Spades'. I liked the name, and I thought I'd play around with those words.
We're four members in this band, so I thought, 'Good. Four aces. I'll keep the ace.' Then I thought of our studio and how it's our base. The group continued performing in the clubs of Gothenburg. They also sent out demo cassettes to numerous record companies, but "everybody refused" to sign them.
Mega Records
In May 1991, Jonas and Ulf travelled to various record companies in Stockholm, including Polar Music, who wanted them to record more songs first, and SweMix, who were interested but didn't have the time to do anything with them until autumn.
In July, Klas Lunding at Telegram Records arranged for them to record (for a budget of SEK 30,000) a new version of "Wheel of Fortune" in their newly renovated Decibel Studio, but didn't offer them a recording contract.
Mega Records in Denmark bought the master tape from Klas Lunding for 34,000 SEK, and their journey had begun.
30 years of ACE OF BASE history
1992
Wheel of Fortune demo sold to Mega Records in Denmark
February 1992
Wheel of Fortune single released
March, 1992
Wheel of Fortune single was released for a second time.
March 2, 1992
Wheel of Fortune's first TV performance at Swedish TV station ZTV
May 29, 1992
Wheel of Fortune new entry #16 at Danslistan in Gothenburg
June 29, 1992
Wheel of Fortune single released
July 10, 1992
Wheel of Fortune entry Danish chart at #6
- August 07, 1992
All That She Wants new entry #8 Danslistan in Gothenburg
- August 31, 1992
All That She Wants single released
- September, 1992
Recording All That She Wants music video in Copenhagen
- October 4, 1992
Wheel of Fortune charts at #2 and All That She Wants at #1 in Denmark
- October 5, 1992
Received first Golden Award in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- • November 2 1992
- 9 November 1992
All That She Wants new entry #22 in Sweden
- November 15, 1992
Wheel of Fortune debuts at #10 in Norway.
- December, 1992
Kick Off First promo tour in Denmark
- December 7, 1992
Happy Nation single released
- December 18, 1992
Wheel of Fortune #1 in Norway
- December 20, 1992
Happy Nation entered Danish chart #3
- December 23, 1992
All That She Wants entered Swedish charts #14
- January, 1993
Received platinum record for Happy Nation album in Denmark
- January 11, 1993
All That She Wants debut in Germany #88
- January 20, 1993
Dansk Grammy nominee
- January 23, 1993
Happy Nation album debut on European top 100 albums #88
- January 27, 1993
Recording Happy Nation music video
- January 30, 1993
Happy Nation album #1 in Denmark
Wheel of Fortune single released for the third time
- February 7, 1993
Swedish Dance Music Awards in Stockholm
- February 10, 1993
Happy Nation album new entry in Sweden #9
- February 22, 1993
Happy Nation album released in Germany
- March 4, 1993
Received an award for selling 50.000 copies of Happy Nation album in Norway
- March 12, 1993
All That She Wants #1 in Germany
- March 21, 1993
Happy Nation single new entry #3 in Sweden
- April 2, 1993
500.000 copies of the single All That She Wants sold in Germany.
- April 14, 1993
Kick-off Happy Nation Tour - first concert in Valand Club, Gothenburg
- April 25, 1993
Waiting For Magic single released
- April 24, 1993
- Israel - promotional trip
- April 25, 1993
First International Tour, performing in four different cities of Israel in 48 hours, including Tel Aviv, alongside Inner Circle and Dr Alban (in front of about 55,000 people).
- April 26, 1993
All That She Wants single was released in the UK.
- May 3, 1993
"Top of The Pops" TV show (BBC) - All That She Wants performance
- June 4, 1993
Waiting for Magic's new entry, #9 Danstoppen, in Sweden
Happy Nation album released in the UK
- June 19, 1993
Happy Nation album's new entry at Official Album Chart #21 in the UK
- July 7, 1993
Gold and Platinum party event in Germany - accepting awards for All That She Wants, Wheel of Fortune and Happy Nation album
- July, 1993
contract with American label Arista Records signed
- August 16, 1993
Wheel of Fortune single released in the UK
- August 24, 1993
All That She Wants single released in the USA
- August 26, 1993
"Top of The Pops" TV show (BBC) - Wheel of Fortune performance
- September 16, 1993
All That She Wants entered the Billboard Charts in the USA at #92
- November 5-7, 1993
The Sign video shoot at Studio 1 Filmhuset in Stockholm
- November 6, 1993
All That She Wants peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold 1 million copies
- November 8, 1993
Happy Nation album platinum certification in Sweden
- November 22, 1993
Happy Nation U S Version album was released in Europe
- November 23, 1993
The Sign album was released in the USA
- November 25, 1993
The Sign single was released in Europe
- December 12, 1993
Don't Turn Around video shoot in Key Biscayne (Florida
- December 23, 1993
Golden Award in Sweden for the album Happy Nation US version
- January 17, 1994
The Sign single was released in the UK
- January 27, 1994
Accepting platinum record in USA for The Sign album
- February 8, 1994
Happy Nation single #1 in France
- February 24, 1994
"Top Of The Pops" TV show (BBC) - The Sign performance
- March 8, 1994
ECHO Awards in Germany - "Best International Rock/Pop Group" award
- March 14, 1994
Don't Turn Around single released in Europe
- March 12, 1994
The Sign single reached #1 on American Billboard's Hot 100 chart
- March 14, 1994
Happy Nation (US Version) album was released in the UK
- March 26, 1994
Happy Nation album re-entered in UK #3
- April 2, 1994
The Sign single and The Sign album are #1 on the official charts, Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200
- April 19, 1994
Don't Turn Around single released in the UK
- May 4, 1994
World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. TV performance The Sign and accepting two awards: World's Best Selling Pop-Newcomer Of The Year and World's Best Selling Scandinavian Artist Of The Year
- May 30, 1994
Don't Turn Around single released in the UK
- June 18, 1994
Don't Turn Around single peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
- July 2, 1994
Happy Nation album #1 in the UK
- September 14-15, 1994
Recording Living in Danger music video in Kungsträdgården Metro station, Stockholm
- October 3, 1994
Happy Nation single re-released in the UK - October 4, 1994
Living in Danger single released in the USA
- October 31, 1994
Living in Danger single released in Europe
- November 24, 1994
MTV European Music Awards at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Performing Living in Danger
- December 7, 1994
Billboard Music Awards - Three awards accepted: Top New Artist, Song of the Year - The Sign, Artist of the Year
- December 26, 1994
Happy Nation Home Video released in Europe
- January 2, 1995
Living in Danger single released in the UK
- January 30, 1995
American Music Awards - Two awards accepted: Favourite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group, Favourite Pop/Rock New Artist
- March 1, 1995
Grammy Awards gala - Three times nominee: Best Pop Album for The Sign, New Artist, Best Vocal Performance By a Group or Duo for The Sign
- May, 1995
World Music Awards in Monte Carlo - accepting World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year Award
- August 4, 1995
Lucky Love performance at the World Championships of Athletic opening ceremony in Gothenburg
- August 23-24, 1995
Recording of Lucky Love music video
- October 2, 1995
Lucky Love single released
- October 10, 1995
Beautiful Life music video recording in YFO Studios
- October 23, 1995
Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry music video recording - October 24, 1995
Beautiful Life single released in the USA
- October 29, 1995
The Bridge release party - Accepting Platinum Award for The Bridge
- November 9, 1995
"Top Of The Pops" TV show (BBC) - Lucky Love performance
- November 14, 1995
The Bridge album was released in the USA
- November 20, 1995
The Bridge album was released in the UK
- November 20, 1995
Beautiful Life single released in Europe
- December 2, 1995
- The Guinness Book of World Records announced that The Sign was the top-selling debut album of all time, with 19 million copies sold worldwide
- December 16, 1995
Beautiful Life peaks at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- January 15, 1996
Beautiful Life single released in the UK
- January 20, 1996
-Dance D'or MIDEM in Cannes - Lucky Love and Beautiful Life performance, accepting Dance D'or European Awards For Dance Music
- January 20, 1996
The Bridge peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 chart
- January 29-30, 1996
Recording of Lucky Love US Version music video in London
- February 6, 1996
Lucky Love was released in the UK
- February 19, 1996
Festival Vina Del Mar
- February 24, 1996
Lucky Love's new entry, Billboard Hot 100 #66
- March 11, 1996
Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry, released in Europe
- May 8, 1996
World Music Awards in Monte Carlo - Beautiful Life performance, accepting World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year award
- July 11, 1996
IFPI Platinum Europe Awards in Brussels - Jenny and Ulf accepting the IFPI award for The Bridge
- July 30, 1996
Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry single released in the USA
- April 17, 1997
World Music Awards in Monte Carlo - Ravine performance, accepting World's Best-Selling Scandinavian Recording Artists of the Year.
- July 14, 1997
Victoriadagen, Borgholm - concert for Princess Victoria (20th birthday
- February 16 1998
Linn and Jenny presenting award @ Grammys Awards
- March 1998
Recording video clip for Life Is A Flower
- April 6, 1998
Life Is A Flower single released in Europe
- April 20, 1998
Life Is A Flower single released in Sweden
- May 29, 1998
Receiving Gold Award in Denmark for Life Is A Flower
- May 30, 1998
Our Story documentary premiered on Swedish TV station STV1
- May, 1998
Ulf presenting the award at World Music Awards in Monte Carlo
- June, 1998
Recording video clip with French boyband Alliage for Cruel Summer
- June 11, 1998
Flowers release party in Stockholm, gold awards for Denmark and Sweden presented
- June 15, 1998
Flowers' album was released
- June 16, 1998
Cruel Summer single was released in the USA
- June 26, 1998
Recording video for Cruel Summer in Rome, Italy
- June 30, 1998
Cruel Summer featuring Alliage was released in France
- July 7, 1998
Cruel Summer single was released
- July 13, 1998
Life Is A Flower single released in the UK
- July 14, 1998
Cruel Summer album was released in the USA
- August 10, 1998
Flowers album was released in the UK
- August 22, 1998
Cruel Summer single peaked at #10 on Billboard Hot 100 and got the Gold status
- October 8, 1998
Whenever You're Near Me, single was released in the USA
- November 6, 1998
Travel To Romantis TV performance at Top Of The Pops in Germany
- November 16, 1998
Travel To Romantis single was released
- December 3, 1998
"Top Of The Pops" TV show (BBC) - Always Have Always Will performance
- December 7, 1998
Always Have, Always Will single was released
1999
- April 5, 1999
Everytime it Rains single was released in the UK
- April 19, 1999
Flowers re-edition album was released in UK
- October 25, 1999
C'est La Vie (Always 21) single released in Europe
- November 15, 1999
Singles of the 90s album released
2000
- January 2000
C'est La Vie (Always 21) single is #1 in Spain
- January 24, 2000
Hallo Hallo's single was released
- April 18, 2000
Greatest Hits album was released in the USA
2002
- August, 2002
Recording of Beautiful Morning music video in Gothenburg
- September 9, 2002
Beautiful Morning single was released
- September 30, 2002
Da Capo album was released
- November 17, 2002
Jonas and Ulf attended the Swedish Hit Music Awards
- December 2, 2002
Unspeakable single released in Scandinavia
- December 9, 2002
The Juvenile single was released
- December, 2002
Recording of Unspeakable music video in Stockholm
2003
- March 5, 2003
Da Capo album was released in Japan
- April 14, 2003
Unspeakable single was released in Europe
2005
- October 14 - November 12, 2005
They played 16 shows at Night of the Proms in Antwerp, Belgium.
- November 15, 2007
Ace of Base trio reunited for their first full-length concert since 1997 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
- October 24, 2008
Wheel of Fortune 2009 was released as a digital single.
- November 9, 2008
Koblo Remix project is launched: Wheel of Fortune 2009
- November 14, 2008
Greatest Hits (2008) box set released.
January 16, 2009
Second Koblo Remix project is launched: Happy Nation 2009
- February 24, 2009
Third Koblo Remix project is launched: Lucky Love 2009
- April 7, 2009
Fourth Koblo Remix project is launched: Don't Turn Around 2009
- August 1, 2009
Ace of Base performed their final concert in Moscow, Russia
- November 14, 2010
Platinum & Gold album was released
- March 3, 2011
Ace Thursdays started. Every Thursday, Jonas and Ray shared a collection of demos, instrumentals, and alternate versions on the group's official Facebook page.
- July 22, 2014
The EP All That She Wants Remix was released
- March 6, 2015
Hidden Gems album was released
- October 11, 2019
The gold album was released
- July 3, 2020
All That She Wants Classic collection box released
- April 28, 2023
Beautiful Life The Singles 26 CD Box released