Saturday, November 4th, 2006

Don't faint - but there's finally a little snippet of news on some new material.  Benoît at Ace Of Base France met with the band's manager Lasse Karlsson in Stockholm t'other day and was played a new track called "Sunset In Southern California", described as a "typical AoB style song with Linn and Jenny both singing". United State Management have a meeting with the band next week and we should expect some sort of news through their official website s**n.   In any case, it does appear that despite the band's silence in the year since they performed at that Proms thing in Belgium, they may well have been working on an album after all.  But let's not hold our breath eh?

P.S. I've nicked a load of YouTube videos and plonked them on the Multimedia page.  I particularly like the mock-up of what the "Goldeneye" movie intro would have looked like if The Base had done the theme instead of Tina Turner and the rather odd fan video of "Summer Days". 
 

Saturday, October 21st, 2006

Rumours are going around at the moment that Ace Of Base are interested in entering the Eurovision Song Contest next year, although the rumours have already seemed to have been quashed by the management.

From Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet (thanks to Swan for translation)

Ace Of Base might become one of the jokers
"We're not competing to be number 2"

This was planned last year already. Now Ace Of Base opens the door to Melodifestivalen again.

"It's an exciting project. If we get an invitation, we will think about it," says Ulf Ekberg.
In 2006, among other things, Carola's work added their interest.
"We're not going to compete to be number 2. With Carola in the contest, her victory seems justified."

Four joker invitations are going to be sent before this winter's contest - and Ace Of Base are ready.


From esctoday.com:

Popular Swedish band Ace of Base will NOT be performing at Melodifestivalen 2007. This news has been confirmed to esctoday.com by the band's management. The band are focussed on an international path, and Melodifestivalen is focussed only on the Swedish market, so it would not make sense for them to participate. They are however keen to enter the Eurovision Song Contest, and the United Kingdom IS a possibility.

Lasse Carlsson confirmed to esctoday.com that "We were offered the opportunity this year, and last year as well. We were sent some songs to review, and they were good, but not fantastic. It would be sad for the fans [of the band] and for the Group's history if we had accepted one".

He went on to explain that "So many things need to be organised if Ace of Base were to enter Melodifestivalen. The strategy from Universal Music is for Ace of Base to release their music internationally and not to target the group solely at the Swedish market. We can't release something only in Sweden, and Melodifestivalen is solely about the Swedish market. If it was to be of interest to us, it would need to have a wider perspective. Remember that Ace of Bace were signed in Denmark, not Sweden".

Asked about participating in another country, perhaps the United Kingdom, esctoday.com was told: "We would be very interested in entering from another country. We have not spoken to the BBC but having released so many singles in the United Kingdom with success. The United Kingdom would certainly be in our thinking".
 

And from British gossip site Popbitch:

This week the people rumoured to be talking to BBC about UK's Eurovision entry: Ace of Base and Peter Andre.
 

But AoB's rubbish manager Lasse Carlsson says on the official site:

To make some information clear,
In Swedish news papers there have been rumours the last two days about Ace of Base being a possible candidate for participating in the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest.

This is not correct!  There’s never been any official request from SVT (Swedish Television) if the band is interested to participate for Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest.  So to valuate if or what the band feel about a question they never received seems kind of stupid.

Same thing about question about the UK!   UK or I should say BBC has never requested the band to participate for them in the Eurovision Song Contest.

And a follow-up from esctoday.com:

Sunday, July 2nd, 2006

BBC Two's Top Of The Pops showed Ace Of Base's first UK performance of "All That She Wants" on tonight's show.  It had previously been shown on TOTP2 but since that was axed over a year ago the main show has featured two archive clips as well as the latest chart hits.  The band performed on the world-famous show nine times but sadly after 42 years on the air, it has just been cancelled!  :( 

Anyway, by happy coincidence I happened to be recording the show and here is the clip in perfect stereo quality.  It's a Megaupload link as I no longer have paid for webspace - hence why all the other videos in my Multimedia section are down.

Also, if you haven't already, check out this special 10 minute MP3 I've made which includes little snippets from AoB mentions on the radio, mainly of Bruno Brookes and Mark Goodier on the UK top 40.  It's a bit of fun.

And finally, Ulf made the press in Croatia the other week as he has been deejaying there.  Acer Rade caught up with him to give us an update on the non-goings on in Ace Land.  He didn't seem particularly interested in talking about Ace Of Base and reckons that although they have hundreds of songs written none of them are considered good enough to be put on the album (?!!!??!) and it probably won't be out for "at least a year".  Linn has started studying Hebrew (!) at university, Jenny's solo album probably either won't happen at all or it'll be a "local release" and Jonas is just lazing about eating cake.  Probably.  Also Ulf is now not only an alcoholic but is also cheating on his girlfriend who is expecting his second child in September.  Oh well!  But they're still "together" anyway and they are all "keen" to get another album out there at some point before the 2012 Olympics.    You can find out more informationat Rade's website.


Thursday, May 4th, 2006

It's all gone a little quiet in AoB land... well, there is a new best of album called "Collections" being released this week in the USA, which quite frankly beggars belief when you consider this must be about the 7th or 8th official compilation now.  If you do want it, you can get it on Amazon.

Without any communication from the band for several months we've no idea how work is going on the next album, but there's a couple of little updates I've done today. 

There are a few scans added to the reviews in the scrapbook, thanks to Gemma and David, plus those old TOTP questionnaires that the band filled in a few years back... eight in fact, doesn't time fly?  Oh, and I recently discovered that "Wheel Of Fortune" DID in fact make the Swedish chart after all, so don't delay, check out the amended Swedish discography to find out where it peaked!  Can you contain your indifference?  No?  I didn't think so.   Do you like the new background by the way?  Slightly less amateurish I hope... slightly. 

You can also find a new transcript from Capital FM London.  Where?  On the transcripts page funnily enough!  Credit goes to the lovely new archive page set up by Mary and Swan, Story Meant To Last.

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I've uploaded a higher quality version of the "Lucky Love" TOTP performance and added it to the multimedia section.  My webspace is due for renewal shortly but I probably won't be coughing up the $120 so the videos will have to come down shortly.  It's your last chance to leech them off me!  

P.S. Congratulations to Ulf and his fiancée Johanna Aybar who is pregnant with their second baby :)


Monday, February 20th, 2006

Sadly that rumour about the band going for Melodifestivalen was a load of rubbish - but there's always next year !  Which, realistically, is when the new album is likely to hit shelves.  The Base have kept quiet the last few months with regards to what exactly they are doing but they are notoriously slow so don't expect anything too soon...

Come back soon for I shall eventually be getting round to uploading a couple more "VHS quality" versions of the TOTP performances.  If anyone's got it, I'm looking for the BBC Radio 1 interview of Jonas and Ulf from 1998.. the "Reality Check" one that was on Perfect World a few years back.  And if anyone has anything interesting I could put on this site please drop me a line at ben.cookatsofthomedotnet because I'm fresh out of ideas !  Amusingly, we're still the third highest result when you type Ace Of Base into Google.  I don't know how that works really.  

So... news news news... Jenny's frankly rubbish new band Arose (take out the middle letter and what have you got) have just released their debut album - check them out at www.aroseonline.com (where funk meets pop, meets rock, meets jazz, for a mindblowing experience. Apparantely.)

There is an international Acer Meeting *sort of* being arranged in the first week of August in Göteborg, but you'll have to find your own bed unfortunately and it'll probably end up in rows and whatnot anyhoo.  

UK News... "The Sign" 'voted' no.94 in "Rubbish But We Love It" chart on Magic TV and "All That She Wants" played by Scott Mills at UEA 90s Revival Disco Night Thing.  Good grief.  Is that it?  Yes.  Or is it?  Yes it is.  

Check out www.ace-news.de for the latest news on the non-events and updates from other, less abandoned websites.

Thursday, October 20th, 2005

Things are finally starting to happen again in Ace Of Base Land !  Jenny, Jonas and Ulf are currently in the middle of a month of gigs at Night Of The Proms in Belgium with Donna Summer and Safri Duo.  For more info, pics and video clips check out www.aceofbase.nl and www.mister-ace.com 

In the last couple of days there have been reports in the Swedish press that the band are very interested in participating in the Melodifestivalen 2006, Sweden's Eurovision pre-selection contest.  That might sound a bit rubbish, but it's a huge television event in Sweden and almost all of the entries go on to be big hits in Sweden so it might not be a bad idea.  And finally AoB's manager Lasse say they're planning to release a single in the Spring - but don't hold your breath...


Saturday, July 23rd, 2005

No real news to report except according to Amazon.co.uk, "The Ultimate Collection" will be getting a UK release on August 15th.  Website news: check out the multimedia section for now even higher quality videos of "All That She Wants", "The Sign" and "Wheel Of Fortune" on Top Of The Pops.   


Saturday, July 2nd, 2005


Welcome to the newly re-launched www.aceofbase.co.uk! Take a look round the new site and if you like it I'd appreciate your comments in the guestbook!  If you need to contact me for any reason, leave me a private message there.  Hope you enjoy the exclusive videos !

Ace Of Base are currently in the process of writing and recording their fifth album. It's been said that five songs have already been recorded with the help of "Flowers" co-producer Tommy Ekman but no new single is expected before summer 2006 at the earliest now.

Jenny, who married her long-term partner Jakob last summer, is due to give birth to her first child any day now. She has been a busy lady over the last year having joined a new band Arose who debuted on Swedish television in May, and she is planning her own solo album too. Jenny and Jakob also gave special concerts at Gislaved in January with an orchestra in aid of the tsunami appeal. 

Ulf's girlfriend Johnna recently had a child Viggo. The family currently have homes in London and Stockholm. Jonas is happy enjoying an easy family life with his wife Birthe and his two children Julia and Göran. Who knows what Linn is doing, but it's been rumoured yet again that she is ready to step into the limelight again.

Universal have released yet another "best of" compilation, which was probably needed like a hole in the head, plus a DVD which doesn't even have all the band's videos on like the one released in 2002. And that's basically it.