in case you were wondering.....

Sad news to report today, Ace of Base is no one. Yep. I am pretty torn up about it too. Apparently lead singer Linn Berggren has left the group and the rest of the group confirms that she has not been with the group in the last few years on tours of Sweden and India and a few other countries. While one of the band's managers claims that he has an American producer ready to make an album with the three remaining members: Ulf Ekberg, Jenny Berggren and Jonas "Joker" Berggren, but without Malin, it won't be the same.
Don't you remember 1993 when All that she wants came out? The song was originally called Another mother, but it was changed for American radio. Good call. The Song trailed only Meatloaf's Anything for Love and UB40's Can't Help Fallin' In Love in terms of records sold/played. Wow.
Then came The Sign which was 1994's song of the year according to Casey Casum. Wow, what a song that was at the time. Do you remember the music video? That chick sitting there in black while the other members of the band walked around behind her. Simple, but so complex.
Then Don't Turn Around ROCKED OUR WORLDS. ah ah ah ahah AH! That was the song that really made them known world-wide. For some reason, once you release that third song, all of the albums sell a little more and you have officially made it. For Kelly Clarkson's recent album, it was Behind these Hazel Eyes, for Ace of Base, it was Don't Turn around.

But then by 1995, the band was looking to release its second album, but comparisons to ABBA made the band step away from what they did. STICK WITH WHAT GOT YOU THERE! UGA, after riding the running game all the way to the Sugar Bowl, didn't turn away from it to throw it 60 times did they? NO! But Ace of Base turned away from its reggae/club-techno roots and went with a ballad heavy CD called The Bridge. Big mistake. Beautiful Life was the big hit off this one, but by big hit I mean #15 on the charts, not #1, #2, or #3 like The Sign, All That She Wants, Don't Turn Around, respectively.

Then disaster struck. The band was slated to have a song on the James Bond: Goldeneye soundtrack, but it was cut at the last minute for a Tina Turner Song. That was NOT GOOD for the band.
A cover of Cruel Summer in 1997 gave the band one last top 10 hit in the US, but come on...it was a cover. The band has been an afterthought in the US ever since.

And now Linn has left the band to focus on her studies and her family. A trio remains of what was once the hottest thing to leave Sweden since ABBA. That is a shame really. Their poppy/technoy/white reggae sound was catchy. If you tell me whenever Don't Turn Around comes on and you don't sing along, I will call you a LIAR!

I can only hope that in 10 years this group starts touring the US again on cruise ships or theme parks, because I'd love to take my kid to Six Flags and say "Listen Bruce Rick Proctor, they used to be famous! Now they are playing next to a funnel cake cart!"