Alcazar is a Swedish nu-disco group. Alcazar is one of Sweden's most successful music groups both nationally and internationally with a string of hits since their debut single in 1999. Worldwide, Alcazar sold over 12 million records between 2001 and 2004. Alcazar also had success globally in 2000 with their song "

Crying at the Discoteque "Crying at the Discoteque" is a song by Swedish band Alcazar from their debut studio album, ''Casino'' (2000). The track samples Sheila and B. Devotion's 1979 hit "Spacer". Alexander Bard produced the song and can be heard in the middle of thi ...

", having charted in USA, Brazil, Australia, Japan and most countries in Europe. Alcazar disbanded in August 2011 after a concert at

Stockholm Pride Stockholm Pride (styled as STHLM Pride) is an annual gay pride festival held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Since the start in 1998, Stockholm Pride has grown. In 2014, some 60,000 participated and 600,000 followed the parade at the streets ...

. They reunited again in 2013 ahead of

Melodifestivalen 2014 Melodifestivalen 2014 was the Swedish music competition which selected Sweden's 54th entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Sanna Nielsen won the competition with the song "Undo". This was one of the closest results in Melodifestivalen histo ...

Band career

The group formed in 1998, with three members:

Andreas Lundstedt Björn Helge Andreas Lundstedt (born 20 May 1972) is a Swedish singer, best known as a member of the pop-dance group Alcazar. Biography Born in Uppsala, Sweden, since childhood, Lundstedt had wanted to be a singer. At the age of five, he took ...

Tess Merkel Eva Therese Margaretha Merkel also known as "Tess Merkel" (born 18 April 1970) is a Swedish singer and songwriter who is one of the original members of the pop group Alcazar (band), Alcazar. Career Merkel was born in Nyköping, Sweden. She starte ...

, and Annika ‘Annikafiore’ Kjærgaard (née Johansson). Their first single, "Shine On", was a hit in Sweden, but it was with their second release, "

" (which heavily sampled Sheila and B. Devotion's 1979 hit "Spacer"), that they achieved success across Europe. Both singles appeared on their album, ''Casino'', written and produced by fellow Swedes

Alexander Bard Alexander Bengt Magnus Bard (born 17 March 1961) is a Swedish musician, author, lecturer, artist, songwriter, music producer, TV personality, religious and political activist, and one of the founders of the Syntheist religious movement alongside ...

and Anders Hansson. Later editions of ''

Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

'' contain a

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

Don't You Want Me "Don't You Want Me" is a song by British synthpop group the Human League (credited on the cover as The Human League 100). It was released on 27 November 1981 as the fourth single from their third studio album, '' Dare'' (1981). The band's best ...

", which also served as the third single off the album. In the United States, Alcazar gained moderate success. "Crying at the Discoteque" peaked at No. 44 and "Don't You Want Me" peaked at No. 30 on the

Hot Dance Music/Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

. In December 2002, Lundstedt's boyfriend at the time,

Magnus Carlsson Lars Magnus Carlsson (born 24 June 1974) is a Swedish singer and former member of the bands Alcazar and Barbados as well as a solo performer. Early life Magnus Carlsson was born in Borås and grew up in Fristad. He attended comprehensive up ...

, joined the group. Their second album, ''Alcazarized'', was released in Sweden in 2003 and became a big hit. It was released internationally in 2004 with new cover artwork and a slightly different track list. In September 2004, Alcazar released "

This Is the World We Live In "This Is the World We Live In" is a song by Swedish band Alcazar. The song is the fifth single from their second album, '' Alcazarized'' (2003). It was released in 2004 and became a hit, peaking at number three in Sweden, number one in Hungary, ...

". The song samples

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

's 1980 hit single " Upside Down" and re-uses the lyrics and melody from

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

' 1986 single "

Land of Confusion "Land of Confusion" is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their 1986 album ''Invisible Touch''. The song was the third track on the album and was the third track released as a single, reaching No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 14 in the UK in ...

". Their follow-up single, "Physical", also sampled an older hit:

Londonbeat Londonbeat is a British dance-pop band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s. Band members are American Jimmy Helms (who also had a successful solo career and sang radio jingles for Radio Hallam and Hereward Radio in the ...

's "

I've Been Thinking About You "I've Been Thinking About You" is a song by British-American band Londonbeat from their second studio album, '' In the Blood'' (1990), produced by record producer Martyn Phillips. It was written by band members Jimmy Chambers, George Chandler, ...

". The singles were followed up by the album ''Dancefloor Deluxe'', which was released in Sweden in August 2004. In the winter of 2004/2005 they released the Christmas single "Here I Am". Alcazar enjoyed considerable success in 2004 in their home country, Sweden. 2005 saw the release of the single " Start the Fire". During the making of its music video, Kjærgaard had an accident in which she broke her foot. In the autumn of 2005, the band decided to take a break. Lundstedt moved on to musicals and played the lead in ''Saturday Night Fever'', while Tess became a professional poker player. In May 2007, the band did a one-off performance in London at the night club

G-A-Y G-A-Y is a long-running gay nightclub, based at Heaven in Charing Cross, London. It started in 1976, and for many years was based at the London Astoria. History G-A-Y started in 1976 in the Sundown club in the basement of the London Astoria (l ...

, together with Swedish colleagues BWO and

Army of Lovers Army of Lovers is a Swedish dance- pop group which formed in 1987 and had a number of hits in Europe throughout the 1990s. Some of their biggest successes include the song "Crucified", which was a big hit in Europe, charting 31 weeks in the E ...

, and invited their friend

Lina Hedlund Lina Maria Hedlund (born 28 March 1978) is a Swedish singer and member of the pop group Alcazar (band), Alcazar. She also has a solo career. Career Hedlund was born in Bollnäs. She has participated in Melodifestivalen a number of times, in M ...

to join them on stage. It all turned out to be a very successful combination and a few months later the "New Alcazar" was formed. In January 2008, their first and comeback single " We Keep on Rockin'", written and produced by Anders Hansson, was released. The single quickly turned into a hit and only a week after the release the single passed gold status in sales. In March 2009, the new album ''

Disco Defenders ''Disco Defenders'' is Alcazar's third and final studio album. It was released on 11 March 2009 in Sweden, and internationally in May 2009. The album features two discs: "Now" (new Alcazar songs) and "Then" (featuring some of their older hits). ...

'' was released in Sweden. The album contains two discs. CD one: 12 brand new tracks including "We Keep on Rockin´", "Burning", "Harlem Nights", and "Stay the Night". CD two: 11 best of songs, among them "Crying at the Discoteque", "This Is the World We Live In" and "Don't You Want Me". ''Disco Defenders'' received great reviews from the Swedish critics. In 2010, Alcazar recorded a duet with British pop group

Same Difference Same Difference were an English bubblegum pop duo from Portsmouth, England, made up of siblings Sean Smith and Sarah Smith. They came to prominence in 2007 when they finished third in the fourth series of the ITV talent show, ''The X Factor'' ...

, the song was entitled "Karma Karma". It was included on Same Difference's second album ''

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''. Although not officially released as a single, the song charted on Swedish iTunes thanks to Alcazar's popularity in their homeland. Alcazar is also working on a their fourth studio album. The follow-up to 2009's ''Disco Defenders'' will include songwriting by German newcomer Victor Finke. The new single "Good Lovin" was released in August 2014.

Melodifestivalen

Alcazar have taken part in

Melodifestivalen Melodifestivalen (; literally "the Melody Festival") is an annual song competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television (SVT) and Sveriges Radio (SR). It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song ...

, the annual competition that selects Sweden's entries for the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

, on 5 occasions. In 2003, " Not a Sinner, Nor a Saint" initially failed to qualify for the final, but got a wildcard in the second chance round, finishing 3rd overall. However, the song eventually became the biggest hit of all participating songs in

Melodifestivalen 2003 Melodifestivalen 2003 was the selection for the 43rd song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the 42nd time that this system of picking a song had been used. Five heats had taken place to select the ten songs for the final ...

. It was Alcazar's first number 1 single in Sweden and was certified Gold. During early 2005 Alcazar was offered a spot in the United Kingdom national selection for

Eurovision Song Contest 2005 The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song "Wild Dances" by Ruslana. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (E ...

but refused the offer. Instead they tried their luck in

Melodifestivalen 2005 Melodifestivalen 2005 was the selection for the 45th song to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the 44th time that this system of picking a song had been used. Five heats had taken place to select the ten songs for the final, ...

with the disco tune "Alcastar". As in 2003, they originally failed to qualify for the final, but eventually made it through after the second chance semi-final. Once again, the group again had to settle for the 3rd place in the final, which was won by

Martin Stenmarck Martin Olof Jon Stenmarck (born 3 October 1972) is a Swedish singer. He represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Las Vegas", finishing 19th with 30 points. Career In 2006, Stenmarck released his first single in Swe ...

's song "Las Vegas". Still, the song was a hit and became Alcazar's second number 1 single in Sweden. Alcazar participated in

Melodifestivalen 2009 Melodifestivalen 2009 was a Sweden, Swedish song contest held between February and March 2009. It was the selection for the 49th song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 48th edition of Melodifestivalen. Five heats were ...

, this time with the song " Stay the Night". After performing the song during the first semifinal in

Scandinavium Scandinavium () is an indoor arena located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Construction on Scandinavium began in 1969 after decades of setbacks, and was inaugurated on 18 May 1971. Scandinavium has been selected as a championship arena at least fifty t ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, they finished in the top 2 of a Melodifestivalen semifinal for the first time, thus qualifying directly for the final. In the final in

Globen Avicii Arena, originally known as Stockholm Globe Arena and previously as Ericsson Globe, but commonly referred to in Swedish simply as Globen (; "the Globe"), is an indoor arena located in Stockholm Globe City, Johanneshov district of Stockh ...

, having placed third with the regional juries and fourth in the televote, the song finished fifth overall. The song managed to peak at number 2 on Swedish Singles Charts giving Alcazar another Top 10 single in Sweden. Alcazar also participated in

Melodifestivalen 2010 Melodifestivalen 2010 was a Swedish song contest held between February and March 2010. It was the selection for the 50th song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 49th edition of Melodifestivalen. Five heats were held i ...

with the song "

Headlines The headline or heading is the text indicating the content or nature of the article below it, typically by providing a form of brief summary of its contents. The large type ''front page headline'' did not come into use until the late 19th centur ...

", written and produced by

Tony Nilsson Tony Nilsson is a Swedish singer-songwriter (born in Boden, Norrbotten County, Sweden in 1977). He is signed to Peermusic. A prolific composer of songs, he has contributed to a string of hits by well-known Swedish artists. Many of his songs have ...

and Peter Boström, they made it to the second chance round but failed to reach the final. On 23 February 2013 they were reunited when they came out with a "best of hits" in the

Melodifestivalen 2013 Melodifestivalen 2013 was the Swedish music competition that selected the 53rd Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013. Robin Stjernberg's song " You" won the final, and became the first Second Chance song to win the Melodifestivalen f ...

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...

, Swedish singer

Danny Saucedo Daniel Gabriel Alessandro Saucedo Grzechowski (born 25 February 1986), known professionally as Danny Saucedo or simply Danny, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. He rose to fame as one of the finalists in ''Idol 2006'', the Swedish version of '' ...

also joined the band. On 28 November 2013, it was announced that the band would compete for a fifth time in

with the song "

Blame It on the Disco "Blame It on the Disco" is a song by Swedish pop group Alcazar. The song was an entry in the Melodifestivalen 2014 for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, where it reached the finale, subsequently placing in third place. The single was success in ...

". The band competed in the fourth semi-final and made it to the final in Friends Arena on 8 March. They once again finished in 3rd place. On 1 May it was revealed that Alcazar would be spokespersons, presenting the voting result for Sweden in the Eurovision 2014 final on 10 May.

Break and line-up changes

The band announced that they needed a break during March 2005. Lundstedt stated that the band would be back in the summer of 2007. In the meantime the male members launched solo careers. Lundstedt had appeared in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2006 The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Athens, Greece, following the country's victory at the with the song "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou. Organised by the European Broadcasti ...

, as a member of

six4one six4one was a six-piece supergroup formed in November 2005 for the sole purpose of representing Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The group was made up of six people who were chosen at a casting session that took place November ...

, a multinational band founded for the sole purpose of representing Switzerland at the contest, whilst Carlsson has twice taken part individually in the Swedish Melodifestivalen. Lina Hedlund was announced as the replacement for Annikafiore. The band now includes

and Hedlund as female vocalists, and Lundstedt as male vocalist.

Performances

Alcazar reformed in July 2007 to perform at the London Astoria as part of a celebration of Swedish music masterminded by producer

fame. They performed at the G-A-Y event on 21 July 2007 alongside BWO and a reformed-for-the-occasion cult band

. They performed three songs, "

", " Start the Fire" and "

". However, when pressed at the end of their set by club proprietor Jeremy Joseph on whether the band would reform, Andreas avoided offering a commitment other than that they would do future one-off appearances at G-A-Y. The band performed again on 5 July 2008, at G-A-Y Astoria for

Pride London Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride festival and parade held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride. Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ ...

2008. They sang "This Is the World We Live In", "Sexual Guarantee/Don't You Want Me" and "Crying at the Discoteque" after BWO, and ended with a cover version of the

Lipps Inc. Lipps Inc. ( , a pun on the phrase "lip sync") was an American disco and funk group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is best known for the chart-topping 1980 worldwide hit single "Funkytown", which hit No. 1 in 28 countries and was cert ...

song "

Funkytown "Funkytown" is a song by the American disco/funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music gen ...

" with BWO joining them on stage. They also performed on 28 June 2008 in

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

for the Italian national

Gay Pride LGBT pride (also known as gay pride or simply pride) is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to sham ...

parade. On 31 December 2008, Alcazar once again appeared at G-A-Y at its new location,

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

. All five members of the band reunited at EuroPride 2018. In 2020, the band briefly reformed to perform at the Melodifestivalen 2020 Hall of Fame which Lina was hosting.

Discography

* ''

'' (2000) * ''

Alcazarized ''Alcazarized'' is the second studio album by Swedish dance group Alcazar. It was released on 6 May 2003 in Sweden, in Europe on 2 August 2004 and in Japan on 20 October 2004, in separate editions, each with a slightly different track listing. ...

'' (2003) * ''

'' (2009)

References

External links

2002 Interview with Alcazar by Jake McGeeAlcazar Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alcazar (Band) Swedish musical trios Musical groups established in 1998 Swedish dance music groups Swedish pop music groups Swedish Eurodance groups Swedish electronic music groups Melodifestivalen contestants Musical groups disestablished in 2011 Sony Music Publishing artists Schlager groups Europop groups Nu-disco musicians 1998 establishments in Sweden English-language singers from Sweden