Harman Patil (Editor)

The Sign (song)

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Format
  
CD MCD 7"

Genre
  
Euro reggae dance-pop

Label
  
Eleni Mega

Recorded
  
1993

Length
  
3:12

Released
  
29 October 1993 (Europe) 21 December 1993 (US) 17 January 1994 (UK)

"The Sign" is a song by the Swedish band Ace of Base, which was released on 29 October 1993 in Europe. It was an international hit, reaching number two in the United Kingdom and spending six non-consecutive weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. It appeared on the band's album Happy Nation (titled The Sign in North America).

Contents

The song was the No. 1 song of 1994 according to Billboard magazine's year-end charts. The song was ranked at number 60 on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs for the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart and received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Group or Duo at the 1995 Grammy Awards.

The song was heavily featured in the fifth season finale of American Dad!, "Great Space Roaster". The song has also been covered in the TV series Full House, in which fictional band "Girl Talk", led by character Stephanie Tanner, mess up the song during the performance. Girl Talk performed the song again in Fuller House. The song is also played in the South Park episode "Prehistoric Ice Man," the 2012 comedy Pitch Perfect and in the pilot of Hindsight. In 2016, it was covered in a commercial for Uncle Ben's rice.

Music video

The music video of the song features the pop group singing amidst romantic and joyful images; "The Sign" was depicted as a computer generated ankh (also known as key of life) and a djed (ancient Egyptian symbol representing stability). The music video is directed by Mathias Julien.

Amid the images is a little story of a man and woman sitting side by side until the man leaves, seemingly abandoning the woman. However, he comes back with a rose and offers it to the woman. The woman graciously accepts and takes his hand. However, a bright light shines in the woman's face, drawing her away, abandoning the man and dropping the rose on the chair.

The video was released in five different edits throughout various territories. In the US, the original edit of the video was later re-edited, changing some of the shots with Jenny in the foreground from black and white to color. Other versions show more shots of the group singing with their backs in a circle, as well as more shots of Linn singing her parts in her solo black and white take.

Track listings

CD single – Australia
  1. "The Sign" – 3:11
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43
CD single – Germany
  1. "The Sign" (The Remix) – 5:40
  2. "The Sign" (Ultimix) – 6:49
  3. "The Sign" (Dub Version) – 5:10
CD single – Japan
  1. "The Sign" – 3:11
  2. "Young And Proud" – 3:56
CD single – UK
  1. "The Sign" – 3:11
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43
  3. "The Sign" (Dub Version) – 5:10
CD single – U.S.
  1. "The Sign" (Ultimix) – 6:49
  2. "The Sign" – 3:11
  3. "Young And Proud" – 3:56
  4. "Happy Nation" (12" Version) – 6:40
CD maxi – France
  1. "The Sign" (Radio Edit) – 3:09
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43
  3. "The Sign" (Dub Version) – 5:10
7" single – France
  1. "The Sign" (Radio Edit) – 3:09
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43

Official versions

  • Album Version
  • Ultimix
  • Dub Version
  • Long Version
  • The Remix
  • Ultimix Remix
  • Freedom Bunch Mix (2009)
  • On several of the band's compilation albums, an error occurred with "The Sign", cutting one second from the beginning.

    Personnel

  • Vocals by Linn Berggren, Jenny Berggren and Jonas Berggren
  • Backing vocals by Jenny Berggren, Linn Berggren, Jonas Berggren and Douglas Carr
  • Written by Jonas Berggren
  • Produced by Denniz Pop, Douglas Carr and Jonas Berggren
  • Recorded at Cheiron Studios
  • References

    The Sign (song) Wikipedia