Ace of Base; New, revealing & shocking documentary on 90's chart stars. Filmmaker Jens von Reis

[@SentinelGeorgeBCN]

Very interesting insights, thank you so much for this interview! HOWEVER: claiming AoB "lost that magic" after the first album's success... NO. Things did become more complex, certainly, but their *MUSIC* never lost that magic.

[@petrimurto8571]

True. The Bridge was their best album.

[@PopUnlimited]

The documentary was good but there could've been a better balance between the drama and celebrating the music. The way they rushed through everything post first album was a little insulting actually. I don't blame Jonas at all for not wanting to take part for that reason.

[@TheRetroGuy2000]

Thanks for this interview, Steve! I appreciated the documentary, but felt like there was a lot left on the cutting room floor. Mr von Reis starts the documentary talking about each single in depth, but after the first eight singles, he suddenly stops doing that. The last 20 singles go unmentioned. It's such a weird way to cover the first album and not the rest of the band's catalogue. Jens also seems to think the band lost the magic after the first album, but the chart positions for the second album and the chart positions for the singles from the third album show that to be a weird assumption. I did enjoy the interviews with Jenny and Ulf and the folks working around them, as well as the interview with super-fan Mike. Mike was dead-on right when he stated it was crazy that no one involved could just be honest about the situation with Linn: "They didn't handle it well at all. Fans aren't stupid." As with all documentaries, it tells a version of the story, and it's a good version of the story, but not the complete tale. With so much missing (like any mention of the later singles, or even naming Julia and Clara (the replacement girls), it feels very incomplete halfway through, but I enjoyed Jens' take anyway. One thing I really liked was the footage Ulf took in Jakarta, after Linn suddenly flew home. It shows the panic the band was in. "I can't sing these songs," Jenny says, showing a list of songs that have been crossed out. Ulf gamely tries to tell her that they have done it once before, and they can do it again. Ulf, ever the salesman, is desperately trying to convince Jenny to push forward without Linn. But the girls were each other's support system. The Jakarta Moment is a fantastic insight into how things had slipped out of control, and we never heard the audio of this footage before. Anyway, thanks for the interview! It was fun hearing Mr von Reis' take on his own work!

[@popthehistorymakers]

Great comment. Don’t forget that the commissioner demands changes, Jens alluded to that so we don’t know what he originally showed them. I can imagine, and this is my opinion without the true facts, that the channel said we want only the early hits. That happens all the time. Also sometimes, and again I don’t know in this case, that people say I’ll do this but won’t be interviewed, or I’ll talk about that but not this. I don’t allow anyone to dictate what I can ask, if they do I don’t do an interview, but if you have a documentary commissioned your hands might be tied (again I don’t know for certain). Just wanted to make clear that so many factors come into play and for me Jens did a good job. S

[@IntuneVitaDoctrina]

Great interview! eager to see it

[@popthehistorymakers]

Thx

[@montydaniels1054]

Hi Steve, great interview. I'm here in the US, so I'm guessing I won't be able to see Jens documentary... Bummer because Ace of Base had a lot of great songs, and it sounds like Jens documentary is a good one as well... Thanks for sharing the interview Steve...

[@popthehistorymakers]

@@montydaniels1054 thx. No I think the states didn’t take it. Thanks for watching. Did you watch the interview with Ulf? ULF EKBERG - ACE OF BASE - All That She Wants, Stardom, a Crazed Fan, and a dark secret past! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioKumH1rhpaNotU

[@agebee]

Interesting! Thank you!

[@giannabarret9262]

Yes we do Love and miss them,even here in Johannesburg South Africa! Malin also I would over the moon as we would really enjoy them all together even if one last time! Id have em all over my place for free thats how much I Love and Respect them all ❤

[@marcelo_1984]

I know hindsight is everything, but I believe the way they handled the whole Linn situation was the nail in the coffin for the band commercial viability. They wasted all the good will from the fans maintaining the charade, never did a proper live tour, and then when she was really out most people didn't care either way. If they had let her go before The Bridge, and replaced her with a great singer that could do all her parts live and tour, I wonder if they would have made it to this day. Remaining as a trio was never going to work, since Jenny couldn't really pull off those songs live.

[@TuranFS]

Everything that was in this documentary has already been shown in another documentary in The Story. The only difference is that here the managers and producers are old and can barely sit, and they were brought in to make a film. Well, there will be something for the grandchildren to see, why not. I didn't like the ending. I couldn’t come to my senses for two weeks because of this ending, watching it over and over again and seeing how the certificate/gift for Linn was lying on the chair. Couldn't the director have guessed that her gift would be given to either Jenny or Jonas?

[@wmusicfan]

Aside from some unseen footage and the supposed Linn´s letter at the end, this documentary brings nothing new to the fans that already know the band´s history by heart. The content is not well-organized, since it´s presented in a random way. In the end, the fact that stands out to me is that, like they all admit, they were really not prepared for the success they achieved worldwide. Even after they hit #1 at US, they kept the same behaviour and didn´t bother at all to change that a bit. You can see that in the interviews from back then, in which they were awkwardly and naively spontaneous. They threw themselves into a lion´s cage, having to deal with heavy people from music industry without any kind of orientation. That was the recipe for exactly what happened. Still, at the same time, this spontaneity was what made them so special, in my opinion. They didn´t act like super stars, and i think people related to and identify with them because of that, specially here in Latin America. Anyway, thanks for the interview, buddy.

[@popthehistorymakers]

Good points, though I think the fact that there is unseen footage and Linn‘s letter is what makes this stand out. Most bands actually have a short lifespan, especially those that appeal to a younger target audience, and I think they didn’t change quick enough, my opinion only!

[@shanethomasdonovan6033]

What was the reason Ulf and Jonas stopped talking as much before they made this documentary??

[@Beneaththeglitterball]

Brilliant Steve X

[@bestpostmaster]

Good morning. And thank you for the quality of your videos. Can you add the download link to Sendeyo each time, like you did last time. THANKS

[@jadedjc6981]

But Denniz Pop confirmed that the tape did get stuck in his car and it kept on playing ATSW.

[@popthehistorymakers]

@@jadedjc6981 yes and Rob ‘n Raz said their tape also got stuck in Dennis Pop’s tape machine. It’s just a common story, doesn’t mean it’s not true.

[@TuranFS]

+ It is vitally important for me to somehow find out whether Linn really wrote the letter or whether it was the director’s idea. But who will tell me the truth about this. I have had no peace since March 27. creativity should bring positivity, teach the good and the noble, and not make a person anxious.

[@TuranFS]

Dear Linn, I’m Turan from Baku, a lifelong fan of Ace of Base. Your music, especially “Wheel of Fortune”, has been my refuge during tough times. It even inspired my university thesis. After a difficult surgery in 2011, your voice in “Hidden Gems” motivated me to embrace a healthier lifestyle. I recently watched the new Ace of Base documentary and wished to hear more from you. Your divine voice is deeply missed. Thank you for your music. Yours sincerely, Turan

[@BASSER81]

I do agree that there is a strangeness about them. They always appeared to have delays, issues and stumbling blocks. You can tell the director to this day found them difficult to navigate. Ulf was the only true driver. Jenny to some degree. But the fact that Jonas wouldn’t take part is simply odd. Malin being the biggest culprit. I mean it is 30 years on, relax, reflect, rejoice on it. This attitude is making it seem quite dark and depressing. It was a pop group you were part of not a murder trial. I just don’t get the consistent hesitance to engage. But my favourite group and producers. Pity it still seems to be broken between the 4.

[@popthehistorymakers]

@@BASSER81 I think you make some good points.

[@BASSER81]

I think me and you should fly to Gothenburg and act as mediators and tell them it really isn’t so bad 😂😂 and it’s ok to speak! Plus the weather can’t be any worse there than it has been here hahahaha

[@popthehistorymakers]

@@BASSER81 as im in Athens I disagree on half of what you say! But yes …

[@Right_Direction_]

I enjoyed watching this interview a lot. Shame I can't find the actual documentary anywhere to view in the UK. Hopefully it will turn up, but doesn't look like it. 😢

[@popthehistorymakers]

Might do. They are in the process of trying to sell it in many different territories but it takes time

[@Right_Direction_]

@popthehistorymakers it does. Shame Linn wouldn't be interviewed, but I think us fans are used to her wanting her privacy and she has a family of her own a very different life. I forgot to say that I remember you on MTV many moons ago, as soon as you started speaking I thought I know that voice! Good to see you have a channel here. Will check out your other videos.

[@petrimurto8571]

How were they disliked in Sweden? Happy Nation album peaked #3 in Albums chart and charted 69 weeks total going 2x Platinum. The Bridge peaked #1 and charted 26 weeks selling over 100.000 copies going Platinum... Flowers peaked #5....

[@marcelo_1984]

By the press...

[@WestCoastCultured]

Ace of Base is not anywhere close to “middle of the road”, and this is coming from the documentary director that rushed through their story and kept it surface level with a lot of shit we already knew. And Beautiful Life and Cruel Summer from their 2nd album were big hits in the US, what is wrong with this dude?

[@vm4473]

@@WestCoastCultured Cruel Summer was from the third album, not the 2nd album "The Bridge."

[@jakejuston292]

You're kinda right. Their videos weren't that good. "The Sign" is probably their best video. Its the only one that I feel they actually look like a GROUP.

[@popthehistorymakers]

@@jakejuston292 check out an interview with ULF! www.popthehistorymakers.com/

[@marcelo_1984]

Actually, from a cinematography point of view, Living in Danger is the best one. Very well shot and edited.

[@MyMpc1]

I knew everything in this documentary already, and I'm not even a fan. There was no new information here - Steve, you over sold it.

[@popthehistorymakers]

@@MyMpc1 I didn’t. But hey can’t win em all!

[@Sedu-e9c]

After this interview, I don't even want to see that so-called documentary anymore. It seems to be the product of a good salesman (Ulf) without any new facts or interesting details. Even the interview is full of mere assumptions and guessing 😕

[@hakanliljeberg790]

In the beginning Ace of Base had problems to strike in Sweden. This is probably because journalists are generally leftist in Sweden. Everything in music should be based on criticism against something or a protest about something. ABBA and Roxette became so big in just a couple of months so that nobody listened to irrelevant swedish journalist. The music critics had time in Sweden to affect people´s minds, how uncool it would be to like Ace of Base, that it took some time to get passed this...But this swedish naivity, happy-go lucky was in tune what most of the world population imagined of Sweden. They thought it was true, that it was genuine, and they LOVED IT....

[@ajwpowertothepeople3766]

It’s not ”wrong” to be right-wing. It’s right.

[@kallekula84]

this wasn't the right wing you're probably thinking of, and probably not something i would assume youd want to identify with, the lyrics of those songs were insane