For many people, the Swedish reggae-pop four-piece Ace of Base played a formative part of their youth. Whether it was their first experience of dance music in a club, cheesy pop that was pleasant to listen to in the car or maybe even a first kiss at a school disco. In the 1990s, they exploded onto the charts in a way that was almost unheard of. In fact, their debut album remains in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling debut album of all time.
Viaplay’s new three part documentary series uses a mix of archival footage, talking heads and home videos to delve into the meteoric rise of the band. Siblings Jonas, Jenny and Linn Berggren were joined by their childhood friend Ulf Ekberg when they started out, in small venues, as Tech Noir. They were influenced by the likes of Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode, but there was no place for them on the Swedish music scene. Their success was found elsewhere.
It is only Ulf and Jenny who give interviews to director Jens von Reis, who used to be a music journalist back when Ace of Base were hitting the peak of their fame. The band, as it once was, no longer exists and these fractures are explored within the documentary. But it begins in a much rosier tone. Ulf notes how he finally found “warmth and love” with the Berggren family and that their fallouts were negligible. Both he and Jonas seem to be the driving force behind the band – both Linn and Jenny were never very interested in becoming famous.
The talking heads include the likes of Wyclef Jean, Clive Davis, Chris Molanphy, Lasse Karlsson and John Ballard. A clip montage shows the likes of Oasis, Greenday and the Fugees singing lines from Ace of Base songs. Each episode opens with a title card noting that the band have sold close to 50 million records since their formation. They are the biggest Swedish musical export behind ABBA and Roxette. The first episode, in particular, emphasises the speed at which their career took off and how popular the band were. The touring never stopped. The demand for interviews never stopped. The pressure to release new music never stopped. It’s an exhausting and emotional hamster wheel to suddenly find yourself on – even if you are surrounded by your siblings and a close friend.
Episodes two and three look at the darker side of fame. Ulf addresses his past connections to an extremely violent far-right group: “I was probably looking for trouble … We did horrific things.” And, whilst there are cheery shots of the girls singing in the studio – heavily reminiscent of ABBA’s Gimme, Gimme, Gimme video – the talking heads reveal something else. Jenny was held up at knifepoint in her parents’ home by a crazed German fan. Linn could no longer cope with the pressures of being in the band and did not show up for TV and PR appearances. Jonas and Ulf – as songwriters – were earning significantly more than Linn and Jenny and were flaunting their wealth in a way that feels cruel, if unintentional. Suddenly, this “family band” from Gothenburg were having their entire lives dictated to them – where they could go, what they dressed like, who they should be networking with. They had lost control of their lives at a time when the world around them was expanding and constantly asking for more. “Small things started to change and it wasn’t always fun,” notes Jenny.
By the time we get to the launch party of their album The Bridge, you can see just how much the smiles are starting to fade. With Linn now entirely absent from performances, even the album cover stresses how far apart the band had drifted. Their answers to music journalists feel more clipped and rehearsed. “There was no joy whatsoever,” Ulf acknowledges. From there, the band went on hiatus, only to return in 2007 at a gig in Russia. However, Jenny soon found herself replaced by two very young-looking lead singers. You can see the shock and hurt flash across her face in the talking heads. It is no longer the close-knit experience that it once was. Even their reunion in the closing minutes of the last episode – minus Linn, who sends a letter in her place – seems stilted and awkward. It’s actually quite sad to see.
Ace of Base achieved remarkable record sales and popularity in an era where only radio play and magazine reviews could guarantee success. There was no social media to do the work; no TikTok hook to promote your latest track. Despite this, they are not acknowledged in the Swedish Museum of Music History, which seems to be a glaring omission.
And the best part about this documentary? You’ll be bopping away to The Sign, Life is a Flower and All That She Wants for days to come.
All That She Wants: Ace of Base streams on Viaplay USA from December 6 and is available now on Viaplay UK