"Whenever You're Near Me" is the second single from Swedish group Ace of Base's third American record, '' Cruel Summer''. The original version of the song, "

Life Is a Flower "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 ...

", was a huge hit in Europe and Japan. The lyrics were rewritten by song composer

Mike Chapman Michael Donald Chapman (born 13 April 1947) is an Australian-American record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including The Sweet, Suzi ...

, and the song was released to radio stations in North and South America on October 6, 1998. This version peaked at number 76 in the United States and number 51 in Canada; it was the band's last charting hit in both countries.

Critical reception

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote that the song "shows Ace Of Base revisiting the more familiar pop/reggae sound that made the group a top 40 favorite." He noted that the track "builds upon a bankable sound rather than mimicking it. The song has a decidedly more complex arrangement, which is rife with sunny Caribbean percussion and a sweet smattering of acoustic guitar/synth interplay." He also added that Jenny's and Linn's vocals are "notably more restrained here than on past singles, which allows the melody and chorus to work their contagious magic without vocal overkill. Downright irresistible, this cute single should saturate airwaves within seconds." Gary Shipes from ''

The Stuart News TCPalm is the digital news site for Treasure Coast Newspapers, the largest daily news operation on the Treasure Coast of southeastern Florida. The region encompasses three coastal counties: Martin County, St. Lucie County and Indian River Coun ...

'' noted in his review, that "Whenever You're Near Me" and "Adventures in Paradise" are pristine pop productions worthy of

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

and

Trevor Horn Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...

's '80s confections for Buggles,

Dollar Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...

and

Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English synth-pop band formed in Liverpool in 1980. The group's best-known line-up comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Peter Gill (drums, percussion), Mark O'Toole (bass guit ...

."Shipes, Gary (7 August 1998). "MAKING A CASE FOR ACE OF BASE; UN-APEELING 'AVENGERS'". ''

''. Retrieved 24 March 2020.

Track listing

CD singles #Whenever You're Near Me #He Decides (Fisher Version aka American Album Version) CD Maxi #Whenever You're Near Me (Album Version) #Whenever You're Near Me (Strobe's Radio Mix) #Whenever You're Near Me (Strobe's Lollipop Mix) #Whenever You're Near Me (Nikolas & Sibley Dance Radio Edit) #Whenever You're Near Me (Nikolas & Sibley Dance Mix) #Whenever You're Near Me (Strobe's Subway Mix)

Official versions/remixes

*Album Version *Giuseppe D.'s Radio Remix *Giuseppe D.'s Radio Remix Instrumental *Giuseppe D.'s Extended Remix *Giuseppe D.'s Extended Remix Instrumental *Nikolas & Sibley Dance Mix *Nikolas & Sibley Dance Radio Edit *Strobe's Radio Remix *Strobe's Subway Mix *Strobe's Lollipop Mix *Strobe's Lollipop Mix Instrumental

Charts

References

{{Authority control Ace of Base songs 1998 singles Songs written by Mike Chapman 1998 songs Arista Records singles Songs written by Jonas Berggren