Army of Lovers is a Swedish
dance-
pop group which formed in 1987 and had a number of hits in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
throughout the 1990s. Some of their biggest successes include the song "
Crucified
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
", which was a big hit in Europe, charting 31 weeks in the
Eurochart and peaking at number 14 in 1992. It remains their best-known song internationally. Their second international hit, "Obsession", charted 32 weeks and peaked at number 29.
The name of the band alludes to the documentary film ''
Army of Lovers or Revolt of the Perverts
''Army of Lovers or Revolt of the Perverts'' (german: Armee der Liebenden oder Aufstand der Perversen) is a 1979 German documentary film directed by Rosa von Praunheim.Kuzniar, ''The Queer German Cinema'', p. 89
For example, the film was shown ...
'' by German gay rights activist
Rosa von Praunheim
Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, painter and one of the most famous gay rights activists in the German-speaking world. In ov ...
, the title of which in turn alludes to the
Sacred Band of Thebes
The Sacred Band of Thebes (Ancient Greek: , ''Hierós Lókhos'') was a troop of select soldiers, consisting of 150 pairs of male lovers which formed the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC, ending Spartan domination. Its pre ...
.
History
Overview
The founding members, who had all worked together in a band called Barbie, were
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 ...
,
Jean-Pierre Barda
Michel Jean-Pierre Barda (born 7 March 1965) is a Sweden, Swedish and Israeli singer, actor, make up artist and hair dresser of French/Algerian Jewish descent. He is one of the founding members of the pop group Army of Lovers.
Biography
Jean- ...
, and
Camilla Henemark
Camilla Henemark (born 23 October 1964), also known as La Camilla, is a Swedish singer, actress, political spokesperson and former fashion model.
Biography
Henemark was born in Stockholm, to a Nigerian father and a Swedish mother. She started he ...
(aka La Camilla).
Army of Lovers had many top 10 hits on the
Eurochart, the biggest being "
Crucified
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
", which was one of the biggest-selling European singles of 1991. Their total album sales were seven million copies worldwide.
The band became famous for their outlandish visual appearance (many of their costumes were created by
Camilla Thulin), and their high camp music videos directed by Fredrik Boklund.
While
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 ...
was the brain behind the band,
Jean-Pierre Barda
Michel Jean-Pierre Barda (born 7 March 1965) is a Sweden, Swedish and Israeli singer, actor, make up artist and hair dresser of French/Algerian Jewish descent. He is one of the founding members of the pop group Army of Lovers.
Biography
Jean- ...
was the lead vocalist on hits such as "
Crucified
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
" and "
Israelism
"Israelism" is a song recorded by Swedish group Army of Lovers, released in March 1993 by Polydor Records and Stockholm Records as the first single from the group's third album, '' The Gods of Earth and Heaven'' (1993). The song was a European h ...
". Bard and Barda were the only two band members who were present throughout all of the band's various line-ups. When La Camilla left in 1991, she was replaced by
Michaela de la Cour. In 1992,
Dominika Peczynski joined, making the band a four-piece. In 1995, De la Cour left and Henemark returned.
Early success and breakup: 1987–1996
Although both "
Obsession" and "
Ride the Bullet
"Ride the Bullet" is a song recorded by Swedish Eurodance group Army of Lovers. It is written by group members Alexander Bard, Jean-Pierre Barda and Camilla Henemark with Emil Hellman and Anders Wollbeck, and was originally released on their debu ...
" reached the top spot of the European charts, the group's presence in the US and the UK was limited to club chart successes (though "Crucified" reached the
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...
in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in February 1992).
While they focused on experimenting with various club sounds and samples on their first album, ''Disco Extravaganza'' (later re-issued as ''Army of Lovers'' in the US), the artists released a proper pop/dance album with ''
Massive Luxury Overdose
''Massive Luxury Overdose'' is the second studio album by the Swedish pop group Army of Lovers. The album was released in 1991, and the second version (called U.S. Edition) was released in 1992. The album contains the band's biggest hits, includin ...
''. The record spawned their biggest hits ("
Crucified
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
", "
Ride the Bullet
"Ride the Bullet" is a song recorded by Swedish Eurodance group Army of Lovers. It is written by group members Alexander Bard, Jean-Pierre Barda and Camilla Henemark with Emil Hellman and Anders Wollbeck, and was originally released on their debu ...
", and "
Obsession") and managed to sell 250,000 copies in Germany alone. ''
Massive Luxury Overdose
''Massive Luxury Overdose'' is the second studio album by the Swedish pop group Army of Lovers. The album was released in 1991, and the second version (called U.S. Edition) was released in 1992. The album contains the band's biggest hits, includin ...
'' was later re-issued for the US market, featuring a new cover and four brand new tracks. Their fourth album, ''The Gods of Earth and Heaven'', was never released in the US. The first single from the album, "
Israelism
"Israelism" is a song recorded by Swedish group Army of Lovers, released in March 1993 by Polydor Records and Stockholm Records as the first single from the group's third album, '' The Gods of Earth and Heaven'' (1993). The song was a European h ...
", received radio airplay in several European countries and topped the charts in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
despite being subject to criticism. Their fifth album, ''Glory, Glamour and Gold'' (1994), was supported by a club tour across Germany, where the band promoted same-sex marriage. In 1995, Army of Lovers released their first best-of compilation entitled ''Les Greatest Hits'', which included three new songs. One year later, it was re-released with one additional new song called "
King Midas
Midas (; grc-gre, Μίδας) was the name of a king in Phrygia with whom several myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house.
The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ...
", which replaced "Stand up for Myself". It was written by
Jonas Berggren
Jonas Petter Berggren (born 21 March 1967) is a Swedish musician and singer-songwriter and record producer, also known as Joker. He started writing songs when he was seven, and continues to write for the Swedish band Ace of Base, which he is a ...
from
Ace of Base.
By this point, they had released five studio albums, made over twenty music videos, and become successful across Eastern Europe before Bard disbanded the group to concentrate on his new group
Vacuum
A vacuum is a space devoid of matter. The word is derived from the Latin adjective ''vacuus'' for "vacant" or " void". An approximation to such vacuum is a region with a gaseous pressure much less than atmospheric pressure. Physicists often di ...
in 1996.
Reunion: 2001–2009
Army of Lovers reformed briefly in 2001 to celebrate the 10th anniversary since their breakthrough with the release of another best-of compilation called ''Le Grand Docu-Soap''. The compilation contained three covers, including "Let the Sunshine In" and "Hands Up".
Further reunions, releases, and shows: 2011–present
Two members of Army of Lovers (La Camilla and Dominika) reunited in June 2011 and appeared as guest vocalists on "Don't Try to Steal My Limelight", a single by Swedish drag artist and blogger Miss Inga. The three later formed the band Happy Hoes and released "We Rule the World",
followed by a Christmas song entitled "Happy Ho Ho Ho". Happy Hoes performed at Pride 2012.
Army of Lovers reformed with
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 ...
,
Camilla Henemark
Camilla Henemark (born 23 October 1964), also known as La Camilla, is a Swedish singer, actress, political spokesperson and former fashion model.
Biography
Henemark was born in Stockholm, to a Nigerian father and a Swedish mother. She started he ...
, and
Jean-Pierre Barda
Michel Jean-Pierre Barda (born 7 March 1965) is a Sweden, Swedish and Israeli singer, actor, make up artist and hair dresser of French/Algerian Jewish descent. He is one of the founding members of the pop group Army of Lovers.
Biography
Jean- ...
in late 2012 to enter 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 ...
with the song "Rockin' the Ride", in hopes of representing Sweden in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2013
The Eurovision Song Contest 2013 was the 58th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Malmö, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Euphoria" by Loreen. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EB ...
in
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 pop ...
. Their entry did not reach the finals of the Melodifestivalen. Just a few days after their performance, Bard explained to the press that
Camilla Henemark
Camilla Henemark (born 23 October 1964), also known as La Camilla, is a Swedish singer, actress, political spokesperson and former fashion model.
Biography
Henemark was born in Stockholm, to a Nigerian father and a Swedish mother. She started he ...
had been kicked out once again and that
Dominika Peczynski had returned. This was followed by a public fight between Bard and Peczynski against Henemark.
A new best-of compilation, with four new songs, called ''Big Battle of Egos'', was announced for release on 27 March 2013, to be followed by a single and video called "Signed on My Tattoo", a duet between Army of Lovers and Alexander Bard with his other pop group
Gravitonas.
In June 2013, an EP called ''Scandinavian Crime'' was released, which included re-recorded versions of "Rockin' The Ride" and "Tragedy", originally from their CD ''Big Battle of Egos''. These new versions featured new vocals by
Dominika Peczynski and
Jean-Pierre Barda
Michel Jean-Pierre Barda (born 7 March 1965) is a Sweden, Swedish and Israeli singer, actor, make up artist and hair dresser of French/Algerian Jewish descent. He is one of the founding members of the pop group Army of Lovers.
Biography
Jean- ...
, replacing the parts originally sung by Camilla Henemark. On 1 July 2013, the video for "Crucified 2013" premiered on Expressen TV. The song was a revamped version of the band's breakthrough hit from 1991 and was chosen as the official anthem for
Copenhagen Pride
Copenhagen Pride is Denmark's largest annual Human Rights festival, focused on LGBT issues. It involves the entire capital Copenhagen and is held in August. A colourful and festive occasion, it combines political issues with concerts, films and a ...
2013. Versions with bridge vocals by both Peczynski and Henemark exist.
The band still does live performances on special occasions; Alexander Bard officially retired from the music business in 2015.
A new documentary, ''Army of Lovers in the Holy Land'', premiered in September 2018 at Haifa International Film Festival in Israel.
Members
*
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 ...
*
Jean-Pierre Barda
Michel Jean-Pierre Barda (born 7 March 1965) is a Sweden, Swedish and Israeli singer, actor, make up artist and hair dresser of French/Algerian Jewish descent. He is one of the founding members of the pop group Army of Lovers.
Biography
Jean- ...
*
Camilla Henemark
Camilla Henemark (born 23 October 1964), also known as La Camilla, is a Swedish singer, actress, political spokesperson and former fashion model.
Biography
Henemark was born in Stockholm, to a Nigerian father and a Swedish mother. She started he ...
* Michaela de la Cour
*
Dominika Peczynski
Timeline
Discography
* ''
Disco Extravaganza
''Disco Extravaganza'' is the debut studio album by Swedish pop group Army of Lovers, released in 1990. In the US, the album was simply titled ''Army of Lovers'' and was released there the following year. A remastered version of the album was re ...
'' (1990)
* ''
Massive Luxury Overdose
''Massive Luxury Overdose'' is the second studio album by the Swedish pop group Army of Lovers. The album was released in 1991, and the second version (called U.S. Edition) was released in 1992. The album contains the band's biggest hits, includin ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Massive Luxury Overdose (U.S. Edition)'' (1992)
* ''
The Gods of Earth and Heaven'' (1993)
* ''
Glory, Glamour and Gold'' (1994)
See also
*
List of Swedes in music
This is a list of Swedish composers, musical groups, musicians and singers:
Composers
A–M
* Johan Agrell (1701–1765), full name: Johan Joachim Agrell
* Hugo Alfvén (1872–1960), full name: Hugo Emil Alfvén
* Kurt Atterberg ...
References
External links
*
A review of Army of Lovers' music videosSvd.se12points.tv
{{DEFAULTSORT:Army Of Lovers
Swedish pop music groups
Swedish house music groups
Swedish Eurodance groups
Giant Records (Warner) artists
LGBT-themed musical groups
Musical groups established in 1987
Musical groups from Stockholm
Melodifestivalen contestants
English-language singers from Sweden
Sonet Records artists
1987 establishments in Sweden