A1's story (so far)

1999
Those
ambitions start coming true this year.
Everything kicks off with a serious songwriting and recording session in
January, with Ben, Mark, Christian and Paul in and out of the studio all year.
Spring sees a Steps support tour, a schools tour and an under-18s club tour!
21st June - "Be The First To Believe" is released, hitting Number 6 in
the UK charts, all the while the guys continue to record, promote and perform at
summer roadshows.
In August, they start to take the a1 experience to the rest of Europe, kicking
off in Scandinavia.
30th August - "Summertime Of Our Lives" is released, hitting number 5
in the UK charts. The guys continue to promote throughout the UK.
8th November - The double A-side "Everytime"/ "Ready Or Not"
is released, scoring them their highest chart entry yet at number 3.
The album, Here We Come follows three weeks later to great acclaim and goes
platinum.
24th November - a1 embark on the Smash Hits Tour, all the while promoting and
switching on Christmas lights throughout the UK!
5th December - They steal the show at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party and a
week later perform at the Nobel Peace Prize concert.
Finally on 23rd December, they take a well-earned rest. Ben says: "This
year's been amazing for us, it's like we live out a dream every day."
2000
The
a1 action gets even crazier.
6th January - the guys return to work, getting down to it in the studio with
mega-producers, Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling. Says Paul: "Our producers
also work with Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Cher and Tina Turner and they've all
heard the music we've written and either want to work with us at some point or
have us do backing vocals for them!" The guys then head off to Japan for
the first of the year's promotional visits.
21st February - "Like A Rose" is released, hitting number 6 in the UK
charts.
3rd March - a1 fly to Singapore before hitting Japan for their ground-breaking
whirlwind tour of all of its hot spots. They're away almost a month.
6th April - a1 record Beatles songs for a Stars Sing The Beatles spectacular and
continue to work in the studio on new material.
23rd April - They begin promotion in Australia.
6th May - Australia segues into Asia: Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
They return to the UK to continue recording.
7th June - Mega three day shoot to film FX-laden video for "Take On
Me".
19th June - They record with uber-producer Eric Foster White, then manage to
take a sneaky holiday.
28th August - "Take On Me" gives a1 their first UK Number One, while
the guys are actually in Los Angeles recording. Ben says, "It's a fantastic
song. Basically we all loved the original and we just wanted to try it out and
see what we'd sound like on it."
24th September - a1 record for Motown Mania, then start rehearsals for a1 UK 2K
tour.
20th October - a1 UK 2K tour kicks off.
6th November - "Same Old Brand New You" gives the guys their second
Number One, which is followed by the release of their second album, The A List,
which goes double platinum.
29th November - Back on the Smash Hits Tour
2001
January
- The year kicks off with some serious promotion throughout Europe.
19th February - "No More" is released, hitting number 6 in the UK
charts.
26th February - a1 win a BRIT for Best Newcomers. They then head back to Asia,
but on their return take some well-earned time off.
21st April - MTV 5 Night Stand with the UK's premier pop acts, instantly
followed by some long-term songwriting with occasional promotional duties in the
UK and across Europe.
10th June - Summer PAs kick off in Southampton, followed by recording with Chris
Porter.
1st July - They record Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes as the Beatles - Paul even
learns drums just for the occasion, saying "I'm taking to it like a duck to
water."
20th July - They scoop best Foreign Act at MTV Awards in Beijing. August -
Summer roadshow PAs continue, as does recording.
10th September - Asia tour rehearsals begin.
18th September - The guys record "Caught In The Middle" with Mike
Hedges, who says: "Apart from being very good songwriters, the four guys
are amazing musicians." Says Mark, "It's got to the point where we're
influencing each other. We're constantly trying to step our writing up to the
next level."
27th September - Asia tour kicks off in Bahrain
November - Even more recording! Says Ben, "We have a great fanbase and they
do a lot for us, like vote for us in the BRITS and turn up to our signings and
things, and we really respect them. We're not going to do wrong by them. We've
been so careful not to alienate them because it's those fans who've brought us
this far. All we're doing is just broadening our music a bit, so that you don't
have to be an a1 fan to like our new album."
Promotion has started for the release of "Caught In The Middle" - are
you ready?
Source : a1-online