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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