The Bridge (Ace of Base album)
| The Bridge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 October 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–1995 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 59:30 | |||
| Label | Mega, Arista | |||
| Producer |
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| Ace of Base chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Bridge | ||||
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The Bridge is the second album by Swedish pop music group Ace of Base. It was composed during 1994 and 1995, and released in Europe on 30 October 1995. It is the only Ace of Base album to feature sizable writing, production, vocal, and harmony contributions by all four band members.
The album was preceded by the singles "Beautiful Life" and "Lucky Love", which had varied levels of success. Both songs reached the top of the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and "Beautiful Life" peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, "Lucky Love" reaching number 30. Following the release of the album, "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" was released as the third and final single from the album but failed to become a hit due to a lack of promotion.
Background and composition[edit]
"I wanted some old friends who are producers on a very low level... I wanted to give them a chance to be on this record. But things didn’t turn out at all the way I wanted to and there was no time to redo it. It taught me a lot about how you’re supposed to act when you are in the position of commanding the ones you’re working with; that you have to command as well."
—Linn Berggren talks about working on the album.[3]
On January 1, 1994, The Sign album and single hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Inspired by the band's success, Jonas penned the first song of what would become The Bridge while returning from vacation in the Canary Islands. The song was "Beautiful Life". Jonas hoped to incorporate gospel elements into the song, which was composed retaining the band's original club-friendly beat.[4]
Because the band was still promoting their previous album, work on The Bridge was infrequent during much of 1994. In April 1994, an obsessed German fan broke into the Berggren family home and threatened both Jenny and her parents at knifepoint.[5] Jenny would later use this experience as a source of inspiration in writing and composing the track "Ravine" for The Bridge.
For the album, Jonas and Ulf each separately composed a half-dozen songs. Instead of working together, as they had done on their previous album, Jonas and Ulf produced separately with different producers. Jonas' songs were recorded mainly at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm, while Ulf's tracks were created at Tuff Studios in Gothenburg. Ulf continued to work with John Ballard and StoneStream (Björn Stenstrom). In Stockholm, Jonas worked with producer Max Martin and vocalist Jeanette Söderholm.[3] He also worked with Denniz Pop who had previously collaborated with the band on the hits "All That She Wants" and The Sign".
"I think production-wise it's far better than the first one. The sound is very crisp and poppy still, you can tell that they have grown up. It's more mature and complete. On the first album we had a lot of techno dance and the reggae pop tunes which were the big hits. On this album there are many directions because all four members of the band are writing. It's a nice combination of those four individual songwriters and I would say all four of them have come up with hits. (...) They are still pretty much the same four people from a little town in Sweden. They still like to be in their own city and hang around with their old friends and do whatever they did before, which I think is very nice."
—International product manager Mikkel Bagger talking to Music & Media about the album.[6]
For the first time, Jenny and Linn also composed and produced songs. Their tracks were recorded mainly at Tuff Studios. Jenny mainly wrote and composed her pieces and relinquished production duties. Linn, on the other hand, took an active role in both writing and production and received production credits on the album. Linn worked with producers Zal and Radiant as well as previous collaborators Tommy Ekman and Per Adebratt. Although Linn would continue to receive writing credits on the band's later release, Da Capo, The Bridge is the only Ace of Base album which features production from her. "Lapponia", a track produced by Linn which was submitted and rejected for inclusion on The Bridge, would later be re-submitted for the band's following album, where it was yet again rejected.
By the turn of the year, the band had recorded enough demos to present to their three major record companies. Ulf and Jenny appeared on VH1's Lift Ticket to Ride and mentioned the band's new recordings.
Despite having writing and production credits on three tracks on The Bridge, Linn expressed dissatisfaction with the album. Douglas Carr of StoneStream believed the album should have been more successful, stating "The album had some really potential hits on it [and] the singles should have been bigger than it was". Claes Cornelius of Mega Records thought the album was "a better record" and "more varied" than their first album but also noted that The Bridge had less commercial appeal.[3]
Singles[edit]
"Lucky Love" was released as the first single from the album in Europe on 2 October 1995. The song was a success, reaching the top twenty in thirteen countries and the number one spot in Sweden and Finland. The accompanying music video was directed by Rocky Schenck.
"Beautiful Life" was released as the album's first single in North America on 24 October 1995. It was released as the second single from the album in Europe on 20 November. The colorful music video for the song was directed by Richard Heslop. The video included computer-generated bubbles which whisked the band from place to place. Arista Records insisted that the bubbles be removed for the North American release. Both versions of the video were released in Europe. To support the release, the band appeared in Canada and Mexico and performed in several Latin America countries. "Beautiful Life" was a success in the United States, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100[7] and becoming their second single in a row to reach the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song went on to peak at number 3 in Canada[8] and at number 15 in the United Kingdom.
An acoustic version of "Lucky Love" was released as the album's second single in North America on 6 February 1996. This version was accompanied by a new music video shot in January in the Hampton Court House.[9] This release was not as successful as their previous efforts and only reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first release to miss the top twenty. It did, however, manage to become the band's third and final number one hit in a row on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. In Canada, the song peaked at number 6.
"Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" was released worldwide as the third and final single from the album. It was released in Europe on 11 March 1996 and in the United States on 30 July. The music video for the song was directed by Richard Heslop, who had previously directed the band's video for "Beautiful Life". Similar in composition to "Beautiful Life", the video includes computer-generated imagery and mirror effects designed to make the video feel like a funhouse. Arista Records was dissatisfied with the piece and decided not to release a video to accompany the single release in North America. The song received little promotion and failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Though no further singles from the album were released, promotional releases of "My Déjà Vu" appeared in France and Scandinavia in late 1996. In 1998, Polydor released a limited-release single-track promotional disc of "Angel Eyes". This was the very last Bridge release, and was packaged with the Southeast Asia version of Flowers.
Promotion[edit]
Ace of Base appeared at several concerts around the world during 1996, including their second-largest performance ever at Viña del Mar, Chile, where the band performed in front of 20,000 fans. They also appeared in South-East Asia, where by some fan accounts, they performed poorly. At one point, lead singer Linn flew home. The band appeared the following year in April at the World Music Awards, where they accepted the award for Best Selling Scandinavian Artists of 1996. There, Jenny performed a solo, lip-synced rendition of "Ravine".[3]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Baltimore Sun | (positive)[11] |
| Cash Box | (positive)[12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[14] |
| Los Angeles Times | [15] |
| Music & Media | (positive)[16] |
| Q | [17] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [18] |
| Spin | (7/10)[17] |
Upon its release, The Bridge received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Many critics noted the departure in sound from their first album, with Q calling it "altogether bigger, deeper, darker, more accomplished effort than its rather half-baked predecessor" and Spin noting that the songs on The Bridge were "far more sophisticated than their pop pedigree would suggest." Music & Media stated that "there's no denying Ace of Base knows how to write unassuming, catchy pop for the masses. Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly believed the album had "more textured production" than The Sign.
In contrast, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that the album "sounds like the same record on the surface", but also noted that the album featured "an improved sense of songwriting" and "tightly constructed pop songs that are better written than they appear". Despite giving The Sign a higher rating in his review of the album, he noted that The Bridge had songs that were "overall better than the ones on The Sign." Jean Rosenbluth of the Los Angeles Times was more critical in her review, noting that the "inscrutable liner notes are more entertaining" than the album itself.
Commercial performance[edit]
The Bridge is certified platinum in the United States, where the album peaked at 29 and spent 29 weeks on the chart. 5 million copies of the album were sold worldwide.[19]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful Life" | Joker |
| 3:40 | |
| 2. | "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" | Joker | Joker |
| 3:16 |
| 3. | "Lucky Love" |
| Joker |
| 2:51 |
| 4. | "Edge of Heaven" |
|
|
| 3:49 |
| 5. | "Strange Ways" | Linn Berggren | L. Berggren |
| 4:16 |
| 6. | "Ravine" | Jenny Berggren | Jenny Berggren |
| 4:40 |
| 7. | "Perfect World" |
|
|
| 3:57 |
| 8. | "Angel Eyes" |
| Joker |
| 3:13 |
| 9. | "Whispers in Blindness" | L. Berggren | L. Berggren |
| 4:11 |
| 10. | "My Déjà Vu" | Joker | Joker |
| 3:22 |
| 11. | "You and I" |
| Joker | Joker | 4:05 |
| 12. | "Wave Wet Sand" | Jenny Berggren | Jenny Berggren | Joker | 3:18 |
| 13. | "Que Sera" |
|
|
| 3:47 |
| 14. | "Just 'n' Image" | L. Berggren | L. Berggren |
| 3:07 |
| 15. | "Lucky Love" (acoustic version) |
| Joker |
| 2:52 |
| 16. | "Experience Pearls" | Jenny Berggren | Jenny Berggren |
| 3:57 |
| 17. | "Blooming 18" |
| Joker |
| 3:38 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 18. | "Love for Sale" | 3:05 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Experience Pearls" | Jenny Berggren |
| 3:57 |
| 16. | "Blooming 18" |
|
| 3:38 |
| 17. | "Beautiful Life" (Vission Lorimer club mix) |
|
| 7:02 |
| 18. | "Lucky Love" (Armand Van Helden house mix) |
|
| 11:22 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful Life" |
|
| 3:39 |
| 2. | "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" | Joker |
| 3:14 |
| 3. | "Lucky Love" (acoustic version) |
|
| 2:52 |
| 4. | "Edge of Heaven" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 5. | "Strange Ways" | L. Berggren |
| 4:16 |
| 6. | "Ravine" | Jenny Berggren |
| 4:39 |
| 7. | "Perfect World" |
|
| 3:55 |
| 8. | "Angel Eyes" |
|
| 3:13 |
| 9. | "Whispers in Blindness" | L. Berggren |
| 4:10 |
| 10. | "My Déjà Vu" | Joker |
| 3:22 |
| 11. | "Wave Wet Sand" | Jenny Berggren | Joker | 3:18 |
| 12. | "Que Sera" |
|
| 3:47 |
| 13. | "Just 'n' Image" | L. Berggren |
| 3:07 |
| 14. | "Experience Pearls" | Jenny Berggren |
| 3:57 |
| 15. | "Blooming 18" |
|
| 3:38 |
| 16. | "Lucky Love" (original version) |
|
| 2:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful Life" |
|
| 3:39 |
| 2. | "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" | Joker |
| 3:14 |
| 3. | "Lucky Love" (acoustic version) |
|
| 2:52 |
| 4. | "Edge of Heaven" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 5. | "Strange Ways" | L. Berggren |
| 4:16 |
| 6. | "Ravine" | Jenny Berggren |
| 4:39 |
| 7. | "Perfect World" |
|
| 3:55 |
| 8. | "Angel Eyes" |
|
| 3:13 |
| 9. | "My Déjà Vu" | Joker |
| 3:40 |
| 10. | "Wave Wet Sand" | Jenny Berggren | Joker | 3:18 |
| 11. | "Que Sera" |
|
| 3:47 |
| 12. | "Just 'n' Image" | L. Berggren |
| 3:07 |
| 13. | "Experience Pearls" | Jenny Berggren |
| 3:57 |
| 14. | "Whispers in Blindness" | L. Berggren |
| 4:10 |
| 15. | "Blooming 18" |
|
| 3:38 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful Life" |
|
| 3:39 |
| 2. | "Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" | Joker |
| 3:14 |
| 3. | "Lucky Love" (original version) |
|
| 2:51 |
| 4. | "Edge of Heaven" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 5. | "Strange Ways" | L. Berggren |
| 4:16 |
| 6. | "Ravine" | Jenny Berggren |
| 4:39 |
| 7. | "Perfect World" |
|
| 3:55 |
| 8. | "Angel Eyes" |
|
| 3:13 |
| 9. | "Whispers in Blindness" | L. Berggren |
| 4:10 |
| 10. | "My Déjà Vu" | Joker |
| 3:22 |
| 11. | "Wave Wet Sand" | Jenny Berggren | Joker | 3:18 |
| 12. | "Que Sera" |
|
| 3:47 |
| 13. | "Just 'n' Image" | L. Berggren |
| 3:07 |
| 14. | "Experience Pearls" | Jenny Berggren |
| 3:57 |
| 15. | "Blooming 18" |
|
| 3:38 |
Release history[edit]
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 30 October 1995 | Mega / PolyGram |
| United States | 14 November 1995 | Arista |
| United Kingdom | 20 November 1995 | London Records 90 |
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications and sales[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[41] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[42] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[43] | Platinum | 59,097[43] |
| France (SNEP)[44] | Platinum | 300,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[45] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[47] | 2× Platinum | 500,000[46] |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[48] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Poland (ZPAV)[49] | Gold | 50,000* |
| Russia | — | 5,000[50] |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[51] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF)[52] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[53] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[54] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 5,000,000[19] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes[edit]
- ^ Paul Verna, ed. (2 December 1995). Reviews & Previews - Albums. Billboard. p. 81. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ Larry Flick, ed. (17 February 1996). Reviews & Previews - Singles. Vol. 108. Billboard. p. 88. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d Our Story (Documentary). SVT. 1998. Archived from the original on 2015-05-22. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ Partridge, Kenneth (March 16, 2015). "Ace of Base Founder Discusses 'New' Album, Shares the Stories Behind the Band's 5 Biggest Hits". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
- ^ Luttu, Linnea (18 March 2015). "Ace of Base-stjärnan om glamourens baksida". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ Stratton, Sally. "Radio Plays Key Role In New Ace Of Base Album" (PDF). Retrieved 11 April 2018.
- ^ Allmusic. Ace of Base | Billboard Singles.
- ^ "Canada top singles peak".
- ^ "ace of base". www.saguaro.se.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ "'Bridge' puts Ace of Base on the path to new respect Music review: With "The Bridge," the Swedish band shows it goes far deeper than the catchy lyrics that made its reputation". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Baltin, Steve (23 December 1995). "Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 9. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
- ^ "The Bridge". EW.com.
- ^ Rosenbluth, Jean (26 November 1995). "Holiday Gift Guide : Calendar's little helpers offer suggestions in pop, jazz, holiday, family and classical music, plus videos, computer games and books. (Good news: They're easy to wrap.) : POP MUSIC" – via LA Times.
- ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 4 November 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Ace Of Base - Bridge CD Album". www.cduniverse.com.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 4. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone ace of base album guide.
- ^ a b Ferro, Charles (30 May 1998). "Ace Of Base Sprouts 'Flowers'". Billboard. p. 70. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ "The Bridge (Remastered) av Ace of Base". 27 October 1995 – via itunes.apple.com.
- ^ "Hits of The World" (PDF). Billboard. 23 December 1995. p. 65. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Ace of Base – The Bridge" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Ace of Base – The Bridge" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Ace of Base – The Bridge" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2871". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ace of Base – The Bridge" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Ace of Base: The Bridge" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ace of Base – The Bridge" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "ザ・ブリッジ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Ace of Base Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1996". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Kulturen Rundt". Berlingske (in Danish). Copenhagen. 1996-01-19.
- ^ a b "Ace of Base" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "French album certifications – Ace of Base – The Bridge" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Ace Of Base; 'The Bridge')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Steve McClure (7 September 1996). "Japan Embraces Swedish Acts". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 36. p. 67. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Japanese album certifications – Ace of Base – The Bridge" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1997年2月 on the drop-down menu
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1996 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Touzmohamed, Erkin (11 November 1995). "Polygram Russia Turns to TV Spot To Push Pop Acts". Billboard. p. 49. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 941. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('The Bridge')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "American album certifications – Ace of Base – The Bridge". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
References[edit]
- Archived January 15, 1998, at the Wayback Machine
- www.riaa.com
