Army of Lovers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Army of Lovers | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | AoL |
| Origin |  Sweden |
| Genre(s) | Pop, Dance |
| Years active | 1987 – 2001 |
| Label(s) | Stockholm Records |
| Associated acts | Bodies Without Organs, Vacuum, Nouveau Riche, Alcazar |
| Members | |
| Alexander Bard Jean-Pierre Barda Dominika Peczynski Camilla Henemark Michaela Dornonville de la Cour |
|
Army Of Lovers was a Swedish dance music group founded in 1987. They were famous for their controversial appearance, their music videos (some of which were banned by MTV), directed by Fredrik Boklund and their costumes, created by Camilla Thulin. Their name alludes to a documentary (IMDb entry) about Rosa von Praunheim, which in turn alludes to the Theban Band.
While Alexander Bard was the "brain" behind the band, Jean-Pierre Barda was the lead vocalist on hits such as "Crucified" and "Israelism". Bard and Barda were with the group in all of its incarnations. Barda often wore the most outrageous or revealing outfits. There is also some controversy as to whether or not he played any instrument in the band.
Army Of Lovers had over 20 top 10 hits on the Eurochart, the biggest being "Crucified", which was one of the biggest selling European singles of 1991. It also stayed at #1 on the Eurochart for 8 weeks. Both "Obsession" and "Sexual Revolution", also reached the top spot of the Eurocharts. while their presence in the US and the UK was limited to repeated club chart successes. They released five studio albums, made over 20 high-camp music videos, and became very successful across Eastern Europe, before Bard disbanded the group to concentrate on his new group Vacuum in 1996. The band reformed shortly in 2000. They also joined forces again in July 2007 for a one-show at G-A-Y in London. La Camilla, the singer on the first number of hit singles, was replaced by an inflatable doll. Alexander, Dominika and Jean-Pierre were present. The latter, asked after the show about a possible reunion, stated that there's none in the foreseeable future and that their work is a "jewel in time" that won't be repeated.
Army Of Lovers have earned a widespread iconic status in the gay culture, often referred to as a perfect example of the postmodern take on the ideals of camp. They made a "one-day-reunion" for a big show, organized by Moscow's radio Retro FM in Russia.
Contents |
[edit] Members
- Alexander Bard
- Jean-Pierre Barda
- Michaela Dornonville de la Cour
- Dominika Peczynski
- Camilla Henemark
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart-Position | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | AT | CH | SE | UK | US Dance | |||
| 1988 | "When the Night is cold" | - | - | - | - | - | - | Non-Album-Track, later released on "Master Series" |
| 1988 | "Love Me Like A Loaded Gun" | - | - | - | - | - | 60 | Disco Extravaganza |
| 1989 | "Baby's got a Neutron bomb" | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1990 | "Supernatural (Re-recorded Version)" | - | - | - | - | - | - | Disco Extravaganza / Massive Luxury Overdose |
| 1990 | "My Army of Lovers" | - | - | - | - | - | 71 | |
| 1990 | "Ride the Bullet (Remix)" | - | - | - | 32 | - | - | |
| 1991 | "Crucified" | 5 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 6 | Massive Luxury Overdose |
| 1991 | "Obsession" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 67 | 7 | |
| 1991 | "Candyman Messiah (Remix)" | - | - | - | 22 | - | - | |
| 1992 | "Crucified" (re-issue) | - | - | - | - | 31 | - | |
| 1992 | "Ride The Bullet" | - | - | - | - | 67 | - | |
| 1992 | "Crucified / Ride The Bullet (Re-recorded Version)" | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1992 | "Ride the Bullet (Re-recorded Version) / Love Me Like a Loaded Gun (Re-recorded Version)" | 22 | 4 | 40 | 32 | - | 9 | |
| 1992 | "Judgment Day" | 82 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1993 | "Israelism" | 32 | - | 31 | 10 | - | - | The Gods of Earth and Heaven |
| 1993 | "La Plage De Saint Tropez" | 83 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1993 | "I am" | - | - | - | - | - | 41 | |
| 1994 | "Lit de Parade (Remix)" | 80 | - | - | 13 | - | 15 | Glory, Glamour and Gold |
| 1994 | "Sexual Revolution (Remix)" | - | - | - | - | - | 10 | |
| 1995 | "Life is Fantastic (Remix)" | - | - | - | - | - | 23 | |
| 1995 | "Give my Life" | - | - | - | 6 | 135 | 2 | Les Greatest Hits |
| 1996 | "Venus and Mars / Megamix" | - | - | - | 30 | - | 11 | |
| 1996 | "King Midas" | - | - | - | 31 | - | 5 | |
| 2001 | "Let The Sunshine In" | - | - | - | 24 | - | 56 | Le Grand Docu-Soap |
| 2001 | "Hands Up" | - | - | - | 44 | - | - | |
[edit] Albums
- Official Band releases
- 1990 - Disco Extravaganza (Issued in the U.S. as "Army of Lovers")
- 1991 - Massive Luxury Overdose
- 1992 - Massive Luxury Overdose (US Edition)
- 1993 - The Gods of Earth and Heaven
- 1994 - Glory, Glamour and Gold
- 1995 - Les Greatest Hits
- 1996 - Les Greatest Hits (UK Edition)
- 2001 - Le Grand Docu-Soap
- 2001 - Le Remixed Docu-Soap
- Other compilations
- 1997 - Master Series 88-96
- 2000 - HTV Music History: Army Of Lovers (Unauthorized compilation)
- 2004 - 14 Klassiker
[edit] VHS & DVD
- Videovaganza 1990-1993 (VHS, 1993)
- Hurrah Hurrah Apocalypse - The Definitive Video Collection (DVD, 2005)
[edit] Promotional videos
- 1988 - When The Night Is Cold
- 1990 - Ride the Bullet (with La Camilla)
- 1990 - My Army Of Lovers
- 1991 - Crucified (with La Camilla)
- 1991 - Obsession (with La Camilla)
- 1991 - Candyman Messiah
- 1991 - Crucified (with Michaela)
- 1992 - Ride The Bullet (with Michaela)
- 1992 - Obsession (with Michaela)
- 1992 - Judgment Day
- 1993 - Israelism
- 1993 - La Plage De Saint Tropez
- 1993 - Sons Of Lucy
- 1993 - I Am
- 1994 - Lit De Parade
- 1994 - Sexual Revolution
- 1995 - Give My Life
- 1996 - King Midas
- 2001 - Let The Sunshine In
- 2001 - Hands Up
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- army-of-lovers.org Fan site
- The Army of Lovers network
- Army of Lovers info at Answers.com
- Dominika Peczynski official website
- Jean-Pierre Barda Fan site
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
