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Laban (band)

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Laban
Pedersen and Jønsson in 1986.
Pedersen and Jønsson in 1986.
Background information
OriginDenmark
Genres
Years active1982–1988
Labels
Past membersLecia Jønsson
Ivan Pedersen

Laban was a 1980s Eurodisco duo consisting of Lecia Jønsson and Ivan Pedersen. Both Pedersen and Jønsson were born in Denmark and originally sang in Danish, finding immediate success in their native country with their debut single "Hvor ska' vi sove i nat?" Laban quickly became one of Denmark's most popular music acts of the 1980s following the release of their subsequent Danish albums, which achieved platinum record status.

In 1986, the duo expanded into international releases with albums sung in English, allowing Laban to find limited international success. Their biggest hit, "Love in Siberia," broke into the American charts in the United States and found substantial popularity in Europe and Scandinavian territories. Laban's 1986 album, Caught by Surprise, also performed well and became the duo's most well-known album. The success of Caught by Surprise allowed Laban to release a second international album, Roulette, in 1987. Pedersen and Jønsson went their separate ways in 1988, ending Laban. The success they found allowed Laban's music to be released in over forty countries worldwide.[1]

History

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Formation and Success in Denmark

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In 1981, manager and producer Cai Leitner heard "Sarà perché ti amo" by Ricchi e Poveri, and thinking that it had the potential to be a hit single, he wanted a Danish version recorded.[2] Through his secretary, Leitner requested for Danish producer and singer-songwriter Ivan Pedersen to rewrite the song in Danish.[3] Leitner also suggested to Pedersen to record the song as a duet with Lecia Jønsson, a singer who was affiliated with EMI.[4] The song was called "Hvor ska' vi sove i nat?" ("Where Are We Going to Sleep Tonight?"). However, since both singers were involved in other projects, it was decided that the single would be released under a different name after consultation with the record company. Producer Tommy Seebach suggested the name Laban, inspired by Abba, which also included two A's. Seebach, an "in-house" producer at EMI, then had the song recorded in November 1981 with the identities of Pedersen and Jønsson remaining anonymous.[5]

"Hvor ska' vi sove i nat?" was released in March 1982,[6] and the record company used the anonymity for a PR campaign where music critics competed to guess who performed it.[7] In turn, the campaign garnered significant attention, promoting sales of the single and making Pedersen and Jønsson's identities quickly known among the public. "Hvor ska' vi sove i nat?" became an instant hit in Denmark, resulting in the duo touring across the country to promote the single, which has sold over a million copies to date.[8] Due to the song's success, a self-titled debut album, Laban, was swiftly recorded and released in October 1982,[9] becoming a gold record on the day it released.[10] The album featured a second song cover titled "Jeg ka' li' dig alligevel" (I Like You Anyway), originally released as "Angel from Paradise" by the Dutch Disco group Hot Shot.

The debut album was followed by Laban 2 in 1983 and Laban 3 in 1984, which were sung in Danish and reached platinum status in Denmark. During this time, Laban released their second hit single "Meget bedre nu" (Much Better Now), which reached #3 in autumn 1983.[11] In 1985, Laban left EMI after Leitner persuaded the duo to sign a contract with Mega Records.[12] Following this, Laban's sound was developed further, including the incorporation of more synthesizers into their music to appeal to the younger crowd.[13] After Laban left EMI, EMI then released a greatest hits compilation that year called "Laban's bedste",[14] which peaked at #26 in Denmark.[15] Laban's next Danish album, Laban 4, was released in October 1985, along with a single titled "Kold som is" (Cold as Ice), which went to #4 in Denmark.[16] Due to the success of "Kold som is", it was decided that Laban's music would be recorded in English for international releases.

Caught by Surprise, Love in Siberia, and International Success

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After Laban 4, Laban recorded their first English album, an LP called Caught by Surprise that consisted of English versions of songs from prior releases. One of the songs on the album was "Love in Siberia," an English version of "Kold som is." It was requested that a song be written for Laban that could achieve the same success as Laura Branigan's "Self Control," so Pedersen wrote the song in inspiration of Branigan's hit single.[17] "Love in Siberia" would become Laban's biggest global hit, with a music video being filmed in the Canary Islands in Spain and Laban's native Denmark in August 1986.

"Love in Siberia" spent 4 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #88 in November 1986,[18] and subsequently reaching #38 on the U.S. Dance Chart[19] and #47 on the Cash Box chart in early 1987.[20] The success of "Love in Siberia" made Laban only the fifth Danish act to break into the Billboard Hot 100 at the time.[21] The success of "Love in Siberia" gave the duo further international success in Europe, Latin America, and Scandinavian territories like Sweden.

Caught by Surprise and the title track single also saw a global release in 1986.[22] The title track, "Caught by Surprise," was a cover of "Senza Tregua" (Without Rest), originally released in 1984 by the Italian group Élite. Laban's English cover reached #9 in Sweden,[23] where the album subsequently reached #28.[24] The third international single from Caught by Surprise was "Donna Donna," a cover version of the late John Hatting's "Donna Donna" that Pedersen helped co-write.[25] However, at the time of the album's release, Pedersen and Jønsson began feeling worn out,[26] with Jønsson expressing interest by October 1986 to end the partnership, but they continued working together due to the success of "Love in Siberia."

Roulette and Fading Popularity

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Following the success of Caught by Surprise and the previous singles, Laban released a second and final international album titled Roulette in August 1987,[27] composed of English versions of songs on the yet-to-be released Laban 5 and some from Laban 4. The songs on Roulette fell more into the genres of new wave and rock music rather than the Eurodisco and Synthpop genres of Caught by Surprise. Four singles were released, including "Prisoner of the Night," a cover of "Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz" by Heinz Rudolf Kunze,[28] but Roulette and its singles failed to achieve the same level of international success as prior releases. The album managed to peak at #25 for two weeks in Sweden,[29] but record sales of the album were lackluster elsewhere. "Prisoner of the Night" briefly managed to peak at #16 in the Danish charts,[30] but Laban's popularity was fading by the latter part of 1987, and record sales in their native Denmark had stagnated.[31]

Laban's final studio album, as well as their last Danish album, was Laban 5, released in October 1987.[32] Laban's last Danish single was written by Pedersen and titled "De vilde er de værste" (The Wild Ones Are the Worst). The B side was written by Jønsson and titled "Hvor ka' vi mødes" (Where Can We Meet). Neither song had an English version recorded.

Dissolution

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Internal disagreements and extensive touring eventually took their toll on Pedersen and Jønsson. Additionally, without another single achieving the same success as "Love in Siberia", the future seemed bleak for Laban by 1988.[33] Laban's last single was a cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten," released in 1988 and featured on the Laban: Greatest Hits compilation; a compilation that was released in part due to the lackluster sales of Roulette.[34] Additionally, Cai Leitner left Mega Records in 1988, leaving Pedersen and Jønsson without a producer.[35] In combination with their popularity fading, disagreements over Laban's future, and feeling like the record company was throttling down on them, Laban split up in the summer of 1988 following a short tour for Laban 5 in Sweden.[36][37]

Since the dissolution, Pedersen has remained active in the music industry with various projects, releasing solo material and forming bands such as Backseat. While Jønsson has stepped away from the public eye, she continues to sing and has released solo material. There are currently no plans for Laban to reunite.[38]

In 2009, a two-disc compilation album titled "De 36 Bedste Narrestreger" was released, consisting mostly of Laban's most popular Danish songs (with two English exceptions: "Donna Donna" and "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten"). In 2010, a Box Set titled "Komplet & Rariteter" was released, containing Laban's entire back catalog of music, including new remasters of every Laban album, unreleased tracks, and songs that only appeared on various singles and in certain territories.[39] In 2017, Pedersen published his memoir titled "Med Hjerte Udenpå" (With a Heart on the Outside), reflecting on his experience in the music industry and time in Laban.[40] In 2023, Jønsson published a book called "Det' en hem’lighed" (It's a Secret) that reflected on her time in Laban and behind-the-scenes conflicts,[41] garnering criticism from Pedersen.[42]

Discography

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Albums

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Singles

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Compilations

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  • Laban's bedste (1985)
  • Laban: Greatest Hits (1988)
  • De største narrestreger (1997)
  • The Collection (2000)
  • De 36 bedste narrestreger (2009)
  • Komplet & rariteter (2010)
  • Love in Siberia - The Best Of Laban (2010)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Jønsson, Lecia. "Songwriter". Lecia.dk. Lecia Jønsson. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  2. ^ "Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020". YouTube.com. Retro Talking Mix. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  3. ^ Pedersen, Ivan (2017). Med Hjertet Udenpå. Denmark: Dreamlitt Publishing. p. 129. ISBN 978-87-7171-487-6.
  4. ^ Pedersen, Ivan (2017). Med Hjertet Udenpå. Denmark: Dreamlitt Publishing. p. 130. ISBN 978-87-7171-487-6.
  5. ^ Pedersen, Ivan (2017). Med Hjertet Udenpå. Denmark: Dreamlitt Publishing. p. 131. ISBN 978-87-7171-487-6.
  6. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "History - 1982". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen.
  7. ^ Pedersen, Ivan (2017). Med Hjertet Udenpå. Denmark: Dreamlitt Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-87-7171-487-6.
  8. ^ "Laban tørret i bagdelen". Avisen.dk. Jens Norre. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  9. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "Laban 1". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  10. ^ "Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020". YouTube.com. Retro Talking Mix. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  11. ^ "Danish Chart Archive Singles". ukmis.org. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  12. ^ Pedersen, Ivan (2017). Med Hjertet Udenpå. Denmark: Dreamlitt Publishing. p. 176. ISBN 978-87-7171-487-6.
  13. ^ Pedersen, Ivan (2017). Med Hjertet Udenpå. Denmark: Dreamlitt Publishing. p. 176. ISBN 978-87-7171-487-6.
  14. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "History - 1985". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  15. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "Laban's bedste". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  16. ^ "Danish Chart Archive Singles". ukmis.org. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  17. ^ "Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020". YouTube.com. Retro Talking Mix. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  18. ^ "Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). WorldRadioHistory.com. Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  19. ^ "Hot Dance/Disco" (PDF). WorldRadioHistory.com. Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  20. ^ "Cash Box Top 12" Dance Singles" (PDF). WorldRadioHistory.com. Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  21. ^ Grein, Paul. "Chart Beat" (PDF). WorldRadioHistory.com. Paul Grein. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  22. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "Caught by Surprise". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  23. ^ "Laban – Caught By Surprise". hitparade.ch. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  24. ^ "Laban – Caught by Surprise (Album)". hitparade.ch. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  25. ^ "Laban - Donna Donna - Discogs". Discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  26. ^ "Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020". YouTube.com. Retro Talking Mix. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  27. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "Roulette". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  28. ^ "Laban – Prisoner Of The Night". Discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  29. ^ "Laban – Roulette". hitparade.ch. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  30. ^ "Danish Chart Archive Singles". ukmis.org. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  31. ^ Pedersen, Ivan (2017). Med Hjertet Udenpå. Denmark: Dreamlitt Publishing. p. 183. ISBN 978-87-7171-487-6.
  32. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "Laban 5". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  33. ^ "Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020". YouTube.com. Retro Talking Mix. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  34. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "1988". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  35. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "1988". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  36. ^ Jønsson, Lecia. "About: LABAN". lecia.dk. Lecia Jønsson. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  37. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "1988". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  38. ^ "Lecia Jønsson er klar til Laban-genforening: Her er Ivan Pedersens klare svar". dk.newsner.com. Mikkel Pasztor. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  39. ^ "Laban – Komplet & Rariteter". Discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  40. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "2017". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  41. ^ Vraa, Nikolaj. "Lecia vil begrave stridsøksen: Klar til Laban-genforening". alt.dk. alt.dk. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  42. ^ Pedersen, Ivan. "IVANS KOMMENATAR TIL LECIAS BOG". ivanpedersen.com. Ivan Pedersen. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
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