Life Is a Flower

Last updated

"Life Is a Flower"
Ace of Base - Life Is a Flower.jpg
Single by Ace of Base
from the album Flowers
B-side "No Good Lover"
Released6 April 1998
Recorded1997
Length3:47
Label Mega
Songwriter(s) Jonas "Joker" Berggren
Producer(s)
  • Jonas "Joker" Berggren
  • Per Adebratt
  • Tommy Ekman
Ace of Base singles chronology
"Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry"
(1996)
"Life Is a Flower"
(1998)
"Cruel Summer"
(1998)
Music video
"Life Is a Flower" on YouTube

"Life Is a Flower" is a song by the Swedish group Ace of Base, released in Europe on 6 April 1998 by Mega Records as the first single from the group's third album, Flowers (1998). The song peaked at number-one in Hungary and was a top-ten hit in Denmark, Finland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. In the US, it was released with different lyrics, titled "Whenever You're Near Me", and in a different key. "Life Is a Flower" was certified silver in the UK by the BPI. Jonas Berggren, writer of the song, described it as is his greatest Ace of Base song in a 2015 interview. [1]

Contents

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Bryan Buss described the song as acoustic. [2] A reviewer from Irish Evening Herald called it a gem, adding that "more of the same can often be a good thing". [3] Sweden's Expressen viewed it as a "safe card", [4] while Göteborgsposten wrote that it is "almost religiously positive". [5] David Brinn from Jerusalem Post noted that the single is a staple on local radio, "with its optimistic melody and pop psychology message so full of the power of positive thinking that the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale should have received co-writing credit." [6] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Although the sound and style on the latest single remains unmistakably that of Ace of Base, the Swedish outfit have still been able to reinvent themselves enough to stay relevant and keep pace with dance scene developments."

Bernhard Hiller, head of music at AC/CHR outlet 104.6 RTL/Berlin said, "It is a great comeback for them. The good thing is that they have managed to change their sound while still sounding like Ace of Base." He added, "Of course, this record is an absolute blessing for radio; we added it as soon as it got in, and currently we are playing it 15–20 times a week. At first audience response was less than overwhelming-but then again it is still early days; and besides, how can an audience like records when you don't allow the listeners to get to know the tracks?" [7]

"My favorite track from Ace Of Base is Life is a Flower. I think that song shows the pure essence of what we are as a band; summer vibes, twisted happy lyrics, poppy melodies, nice beats and a choir in the end. Perfect!"

Jonas Berggren talking to Renowned for Sound about the song. [1]

Chart performance

"Life Is a Flower" was a major hit on the charts in Europe, peaking at number-one in Hungary. It entered the top 10 also in Denmark (3), Finland (3), Scotland (3), Spain (7), Sweden (5) and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the single went straight to number five in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on 19 July 1998. [8] It was also a top 20 hit in Austria (15), France (16), Germany (20), Ireland (19), Italy (18), Norway (20) and Switzerland (18), as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it hit number 19 in August 1998. In Iceland and the Netherlands, "Life Is a Flower" went into the top 30. Outside Europe, it was a hit in New Zealand, where it peaked at number 29.

It earned a gold record in the band's native Sweden, with a sale of 15,000 singles and a silver record in the UK, after 200,000 units were sold there.

Music video

Two music videos for "Life Is a Flower" were shot, but the first was unfinished and never released. The second video, which became the official release, was created by Jenny Berggren. The video includes members of Ace of Base against a green screen background with limited elements of scenography, including a washing machine and bathtub. The video was later made available on YouTube in 2015, and it has had more than 9.2 million views on the platform as of December 2023. [9]

Track listings

Charts

Sales and certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Sweden (GLF) [39] Gold15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] Silver200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
Europe23 March 1998Radio
[41]
Germany6 April 1998CD [14]
United Kingdom13 July 1998
  • CD
  • cassette
[42]
Japan21 August 1998CD [43]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruel Summer (Bananarama song)</span> 1983 single by Bananarama

"Cruel Summer" is a song by English girl group Bananarama. It was written by Bananarama and Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, and produced by Jolley and Swain. Released in 1983, it was initially a stand-alone single but was subsequently included on their self-titled second album a year later. The song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1983 and the group performed it live on the BBC's Top of the Pops that summer, and after its inclusion in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, it reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Jones</span> 1997 single by Aqua

"Doctor Jones" is a song by Danish dance-pop group Aqua, released as the fourth single from their debut album, Aquarium (1997). It was the follow-up to their most successful song, "Barbie Girl", and first released as a single in most of Europe in October 1997 by Universal Records. In December 1997, "Doctor Jones" was released in Australia and peaked at No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks. In January 1998, the song was released in the United Kingdom and became the group's second No. 1 single, topping the chart for three weeks. Throughout the rest of Europe, the song reached the top 10 in 11 countries, topping the charts of Croatia and Ireland. Its music video, directed by Peder Pedersen, continued the same cinematic style as in "Barbie Girl", this time using Indiana Jones characters from the film series of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sign (song)</span> 1993 single by Ace of Base

"The Sign" is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base from their first North American studio album, The Sign (1993), and their re-released debut studio album, Happy Nation (1992), titled Happy Nation . The song was released by Arista and Mega as a single in Europe on 1 November 1993 and the US on 14 December 1993. It was written by band member Jonas Berggren, who also produced the song with Denniz Pop and Douglas Carr. "The Sign" is a techno-reggae, Europop, and pop ballad with lyrics describing a couple contemplating the state of their relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Ever (All Saints song)</span> 1997 single by All Saints

"Never Ever" is a song by English girl group All Saints. Written by All Saints member Shaznay Lewis along with co-writers Robert Jazayeri and Sean Mather and produced by Cameron McVey and Magnus Fiennes, it was released on 10 November 1997 as the second single from their debut album, All Saints (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Always Have, Always Will (Ace of Base song)</span> 1998 single by Ace of Base

"Always Have Always Will" is a 1998 song by Swedish pop band Ace of Base. Heavily inspired by the Motown sound of the mid-1960s, the intro samples the intros from the Supremes track "Where Did Our Love Go" and the Four Tops track "I Can't Help Myself ". It was co-written by Jonas Berggren with Mike Chapman. The song was originally titled "Killer on the Rampage" and contained different lyrics. When the song was pitched as a potential song for the upcoming Flowers/Cruel Summer album, Arista records liked the melody; however, requested that the lyrics be rewritten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everytime It Rains</span> 1999 single by Ace of Base

Originally written for Annie Lennox, "Everytime It Rains" is the fourth single released from Swedish band Ace of Base's album Flowers in the UK, featured on a re-release of the album. The song was written by Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg and Maria Vidal. The single peaked at number 22 in the UK in April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If Ya Gettin' Down</span> 1999 single by Five

"If Ya Gettin' Down" is a single by English boy band Five. It was released on 19 July 1999 as the lead single from their second studio album, Invincible (1999). It was co-written by Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, and band members J Brown, Sean Conlon and Abs Breen, while Stannard and Gallagher produced it. Michael Cleveland is also credited as a writer since the track samples Indeep's 1982 song "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life". "If Ya Gettin' Down" charted at number two in the United Kingdom and Australia and reached number one in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Love</span> 1995 single by Ace of Base

"Lucky Love" is a 1995 song recorded by Swedish group Ace of Base. It is taken from their second album, The Bridge (1995). The song became their fifth worldwide single, and was the first single from the album to be released in Europe; the acoustic version of the song was the second single in the United States and Canada. "Lucky Love" also became the group's first number-one hit in Sweden and it also peaked at number-one in Finland. The single peaked within the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Hungary, Israel, Spain, and Zimbabwe. The song's lyrics describe the feeling of being a teenager in love and never forgetting that feeling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful Life (Ace of Base song)</span> 1995 single by Ace of Base

"Beautiful Life" is a song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released on October 20, 1995 from their second album, The Bridge (1995). In North America, it was the first single released from the album; in Europe, it followed "Lucky Love" as the second single. Co-written by band member Jonas Berggren and produced by him with Denniz Pop and Max Martin, the single reached number 15 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart in December 1995. It reached number one on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart and Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. In 2017, BuzzFeed ranked "Beautiful Life" number 51 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry</span> 1996 single by Ace of Base

"Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry" is a song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released as a single on 11 March 1996. It was the third single taken from the band's second album, The Bridge (1995). In Europe, the song peaked at number six in Hungary, number 12 in Denmark and number 17 in Finland. In the US, it reached number six on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. And in Canada, it peaked at number 53 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All That She Wants</span> 1992 single by Ace of Base

"All That She Wants" is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base. It was released in Scandinavia in August 1992 by Mega Records as the second single from the group's first studio album, Happy Nation (1992), and in the following year, it was released as the first single from the 1993 album The Sign in North America. Produced by Denniz Pop with group members Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg, the drum beat was inspired by the Kayo song "Another Mother". Berggren and Ekberg also wrote the lyrics.

"Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren. It was originally recorded by American singer Tina Turner and released as the B-side to her 1986 hit single "Typical Male". It has since been included on Turner's compilation album The Collected Recordings: Sixties to Nineties (1994), as well as featuring in the Tina musical since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mysterious Times</span> 1998 single by Sash!

"Mysterious Times" is a song by German production group Sash! featuring British singer Tina Cousins. It was released on 1 August 1998 as the second single from their second album, Life Goes On (1998). The song peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, giving Sash! their fourth number-two single. In the United States, it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheel of Fortune (Ace of Base song)</span> 1992 single by Ace of Base

"Wheel of Fortune" is a song by Swedish pop group Ace of Base, released as their first single from the debut album, Happy Nation (1992). The song was first serviced to Danish radio in early 1992, through Mega Records, but failed to pick up much support. When re-promoted for a third time and released in stores on 29 June 1992, it entered the official Danish singles chart at number six, before later peaking at number two. It wasn't released elsewhere in Europe until 1993, following the success of their second single, "All That She Wants".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Nation (song)</span> 1992 single by Ace of Base

"Happy Nation" is a song recorded by Swedish group Ace of Base from their debut album with the same name (1992). It was first released in Scandinavia in December 1992 by Mega Records and later released twice in the UK. The first appearance was in October 1993, when it peaked at number 42, it re-entered the chart twelve months later at number 40. "Happy Nation" reached number-one on the singles charts of Denmark, Finland, France in 1993 and 1994. Its music video was directed by Matt Broadley. In 2008, the song was remade by Ace of Base for a remix kit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living in Danger</span> 1994 single by Ace of Base

"Living in Danger" is a song recorded by Swedish group Ace of Base. It was released in October 1994 by Arista and Mega as the seventh and final single from the group's debut album, Happy Nation and fourth single from their American debut release, The Sign (1993). Written by bandmembers Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg, the single peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in December 1994. On the US Cash Box Top 100, it peaked at number ten. The single later reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1995. Its music video was directed by Matt Broadley and filmed in Stockholm, Sweden. Ace of Base performed the song on the first ever MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin, Germany in 1994. Q Magazine included "Living in Danger" in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save Tonight</span> 1997 single by Eagle-Eye Cherry

"Save Tonight" is a song written and performed by Swedish rock musician Eagle-Eye Cherry, released on 7 October 1997 as the lead single from his debut album, Desireless (1997). It is the album's opening track and gained substantial radio success, reaching number three in Ireland, number five in the United States, number six in the United Kingdom, and number two in Cherry's native Sweden. "Save Tonight" was awarded the Rockbjörnen award in the "Swedish song of the year 1997" category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life (Des'ree song)</span> 1998 single by Desree

"Life" is a song by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. It was the third single from her third album, Supernatural (1998), and was released on 2 June 1998. This song remains Des'ree's biggest hit, peaking at number one in Austria, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as on the UK R&B Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got the Feelin'</span> 1998 single by Five

"Got the Feelin'" is a song by English boy band Five. It was released in June 1998 as the third single from their debut studio album, Five (1998). It was written by Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Jason "J" Brown, Sean Conlon, and Abs Breen and produced by Denniz Pop and Jake Schulze. The song became a hit, peaking at No. 3 in the United Kingdom, No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 4 in Ireland, and No. 6 in Australia. It was also successful in several mainland European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Big World (song)</span> 1998 single by Emilia Rydberg

"Big Big World" is a song by Swedish singer Emilia. It was released on 17 September 1998 as the lead single from the album of the same name and was written by Emilia and Lasse Anderson. The song is about love, with references to the autumn season. The melody opening is based on the Swedish springtime song "Nu grönskar det", which in turn is based on the Peasant Cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach.

References

  1. 1 2 "Interview: Ace of Base". Renowned for Sound. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  2. "Ace of Base - Greatest Hits [Arista]". AllMusic . Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  3. Evening Herald . 19 August 1998. p. 32.
  4. Expressen . 28 March 1998.
  5. Göteborgsposten . 12 June 1998.
  6. Brinn, David (14 July 1998). "Summer sounds target pre-teens". Jerusalem Post .
  7. "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 15. 11 April 1998. p. 14. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  9. "Ace of Base - Life Is a Flower (Official Music Video)". YouTube . Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  10. Life Is a Flower (Scandinavian maxi-CD single liner notes). Ace of Base. Mega Records. 1998. MRCXCD 2900.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. Life Is a Flower (European CD single liner notes). Ace of Base. Mega Records, Polydor Records. 1998. 569 856-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. Life Is a Flower (UK CD1 liner notes). Ace of Base. Mega Records, Polydor Records, London Records. 1998. ACE CD7, 567 343-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. Life Is a Flower (UK CD2 liner notes). Ace of Base. Mega Records, Polydor Records, London Records. 1998. ACCDP 7, 567 389-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. 1 2 "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  15. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  16. "HR Top 20 Lista". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on 24 May 1998. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  17. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 24. 13 June 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  18. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 33. 15 August 1998. p. 19. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  19. "Ace of Base: Life Is a Flower" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  20. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  21. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  22. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 27. 4 July 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  23. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (11.06.1998 – 18.06.1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 12 June 1998. p. 22. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  24. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Life Is a Flower". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  25. "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 110, no. 27. 4 July 1998. p. 52. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  26. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  27. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  28. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  29. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower". VG-lista. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  30. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  31. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 28. 11 July 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  32. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  33. "Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  34. "Best Sellers of 1998 : Singles" (PDF). Scans.chartarchive.org. Retrieved 12 March 2022.[ permanent dead link ]
  35. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 8. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  36. "Årslista Singlar, 1998" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  37. "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week . 16 January 1999. p. 7.
  38. "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1998 wg sprzedaży" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  39. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  40. "British single certifications – Ace of Base – Life Is a Flower". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  41. Ferro, Charles; Lofthus, Kai R. (30 May 1998). "Ace of Base Sprouts 'Flowers'". Billboard . Vol. 110, no. 22. p. 70.
  42. "Singles – Releases for 13 July–19 July, 1998: 159" (PDF). Music Week . 11 July 1998. p. 23. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  43. "ライフ・イズ・ア・フラワー | エイス・オブ・ベイス" [Life Is a Flower | Ace of Base] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 19 September 2023.