Songoftheday 3/12/19 - I got a new life you would hardly recognize me, I'm so glad how can a person like me care for you?
from the album The Sign (1993)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (six weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 33
Today's song of the day comes from the Swedish pop group Ace Of Base, who after having success internationally, finally broke through in America in the fall of 1993 with the lite-reggae hit "All That She Wants". Revamping their debut album Happy Nation, sisters Jenny and Linn Berggren, brother Jonas, and friend Ulf Ekberg re-emerged with the title track from the new album version, "The Sign". Written by Jonas, who produced the song with Deniz Pop and Douglas Carr, the song also carried a lite reggae-style that floated Jenny and Linn's vocals into a sing-a-long chorus about leaving a toxic love behind. And with that they landed the biggest hit of their career, as the comparisons to fellow countrymen ABBA were undeniable...
"The Sign" became Ace Of Base's first and only #1 pop hit in the U.S. on March 12 of 1994 (25 years ago today). The song also crossed over to the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart in Billboard, spending a week at #2. Internationally, the single was at #1 in Canada for five weeks, topping the list in Australia for four weeks, and also reaching #1 in Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Denmark, and Finland. The song also made the top ten in the UK (#2), Sweden (#2), Ireland (#2), the Netherlands (#3), Austria (#3), Italy (#4), Switzerland (#4), France (#5), Belgium (#5), and Norway (#5). The Sign was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 1995 Grammys, the return of the award only given once to the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but lost out to Bonnie Raitt's Loning In Their Hearts.
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Here's the group appearing on French TV in 1993 to promote the single (man, you have to appreciate that opening music)...
Next up is the group in concert in South America in 1996...
And fast forward to 2015 live in concert (with just Jenny there)...
Up tomorrow: R&B/pop harmonizers need you to make a decision.
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