Laban (band)

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.{{cite web |title=Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=032ifOjCTSY&t=38s&ab_channel=RetroTalkingMix |website=YouTube.com |publisher=Retro Talking Mix |access-date=April 7, 2025}} Through his secretary, Leitner requested for Danish producer and singer-songwriter Ivan Pedersen to rewrite the song in Danish.{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Med Hjertet Udenpå |date=2017 |publisher=Dreamlitt Publishing |location=Denmark |isbn=978-87-7171-487-6 |page=129}} Leitner also suggested to Pedersen to record the song as a duet with Lecia Jønsson, a singer who was affiliated with EMI.{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Med Hjertet Udenpå |date=2017 |publisher=Dreamlitt Publishing |location=Denmark |isbn=978-87-7171-487-6 |page=130}} The song was called "Hvor ska' vi sove i nat?" ("Where Are We Going to Sleep Tonight?"). However, since Pedersen and Jønsson 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.{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Med Hjertet Udenpå |date=2017 |publisher=Dreamlitt Publishing |location=Denmark |isbn=978-87-7171-487-6 |page=131}} "Hvor ska' vi sove i nat?" was released in March 1982,{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=History - 1982 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/1982 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen}} and the record company used the anonymity for a PR campaign where music critics competed to guess who performed it.{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Med Hjertet Udenpå |date=2017 |publisher=Dreamlitt Publishing |location=Denmark |isbn=978-87-7171-487-6 |page=138}} 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 and has sold over a million copies to date.{{cite web |title=Laban tørret i bagdelen |url=https://www.avisen.dk/laban-toerret-i-bagdelen_124799.aspx |website=Avisen.dk |publisher=Jens Norre |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=2}} Pedersen and Jønsson subsequently began extensive touring throughout Denmark to promote the song. Following the success of their debut single, a self-titled debut album, Laban, was swiftly recorded and released in October 1982.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Laban 1 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/laban-1-1982 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=13}} Laban became a gold record on the day it released{{cite web |title=Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=032ifOjCTSY&t=38s&ab_channel=RetroTalkingMix |website=YouTube.com |publisher=Retro Talking Mix |access-date=April 16, 2025}} and included 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 the hit singles "Meget bedre nu" (Much Better Now), which reached #3 in Denmark,{{cite web |title=Danish Chart Archive Singles |url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/121831-danish-chart-archive-singles-1979-____-b-t-ifpi-dk?q=Laban |website=ukmis.org |access-date=May 3, 2025 |ref=16}} and "Came-camera." In 1985, Laban left EMI after Leitner persuaded Pedersen and Jønsson to sign a contract with the smaller and more pop-oriented label, Mega Records.{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Med Hjertet Udenpå |date=2017 |publisher=Dreamlitt Publishing |location=Denmark |isbn=978-87-7171-487-6 |page=176}} During their time at Mega Records, Laban's sound was developed further, including the incorporation of more synthesizers into their music to appeal to the younger crowd.{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Med Hjertet Udenpå |date=2017 |publisher=Dreamlitt Publishing |location=Denmark |isbn=978-87-7171-487-6 |page=176}} After leaving EMI, a greatest hits compilation called "Laban's bedste" was released by EMI the same year.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=History - 1985 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/1985 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=May 3, 2025}} 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.{{cite web |title=Danish Chart Archive Singles |url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/121831-danish-chart-archive-singles-1979-____-b-t-ifpi-dk?q=Laban |website=ukmis.org |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=16}} After this, Laban's music began to be recorded in English for international releases.

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.{{cite web |title=Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=032ifOjCTSY&t=38s&ab_channel=RetroTalkingMix |website=YouTube.com |publisher=Retro Talking Mix |access-date=April 7, 2025}} "Love in Siberia" would become Laban's biggest hit that year, 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 in the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at Number 88 in November 1986.{{cite web |title=Hot 100 Singles |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1986/1986-soul-Billboard-Page-0100.pdf#search=%22laban%20love%20in%20siberia%22 |website=WorldRadioHistory.com |publisher=Billboard |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=3}} It also reached Number 38 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart{{cite web |title=Hot Dance/Disco |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1986/1986-12-20-Billboard-Page-0028.pdf#search=%22laban%20love%20in%20siberia%22 |website=WorldRadioHistory.com |publisher=Billboard |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=4}} and #47 on the Cash Box chart.{{cite web |title=Cash Box Top 12" Dance Singles |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/80s/1987/CB-1987-01-17-OCR-Page-0044.pdf#search=%22laban%20love%20in%20siberia%22 |website=WorldRadioHistory.com |publisher=Billboard |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=5}} The success of "Love in Siberia" made Laban only the fifth Danish act to break into the Billboard Hot 100 at the time.{{cite web |last1=Grein |first1=Paul |title=Chart Beat |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1986/1986-11-29-Billboard-Page-0006.pdf#search=%22laban%20love%20in%20siberia%22 |website=WorldRadioHistory.com |publisher=Paul Grein |access-date=April 16, 2025}} The success of "Love in Siberia" launched the pair to even bigger international success, especially in Europe and Latin America.

Also in 1986, the album Caught by Surprise saw a global release,{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Caught by Surprise |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/laban-caught-by-surprise-1986 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=April 7, 2025}} along with a single release of the title track. Caught by Surprise also included their third international single titled "Donna Donna," a cover of the original version by the late John Hatting that Pedersen helped write.{{cite web |title=Laban - Donna Donna - Discogs |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/5290632-Laban-Donna-Donna |website=Discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=May 3, 2025}} Laban's mainstream popularity included Scandinavian territories included Sweden, where the title track single "Caught by Surprise" reached #9{{cite web |title=Laban – Caught By Surprise |url=https://hitparade.ch/song/Laban/Caught-By-Surprise-71629 |website=hitparade.ch |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=6}} and the album reached #28.{{cite web |title=Laban -- Caught by Surprise (Album) |url=https://hitparade.ch/album/Laban/Caught-By-Surprise-21674 |website=hitparade.ch |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=7}} By the release of Caught by Surprise, Pedersen and Jønsson began feeling worn out, but due to the success of "Love in Siberia," the duo continued working together.{{cite web |title=Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=032ifOjCTSY&t=38s&ab_channel=RetroTalkingMix |website=YouTube.com |publisher=Retro Talking Mix |access-date=April 7, 2025}}

Following the success of Caught by Surprise and the previous singles, Laban released a second and final international album titled Roulette in August 1987,{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Roulette |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/laban-roulette-1987 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=15}} 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 songs were released as singles, including "Prisoner of the Night," a cover of "Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz" by Heinz Rudolf Kunze.{{cite web |title=Laban – Prisoner Of The Night |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1725297-Laban-Prisoner-Of-The-Night |website=Discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=May 3, 2025}} However, Roulette and its singles failed to achieve the same level of international success and record sales as previous releases.

By the latter part of 1987, Laban's popularity was fading, and record sales in their native Denmark had stagnated.{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Med Hjertet Udenpå |date=2017 |publisher=Dreamlitt Publishing |location=Denmark |isbn=978-87-7171-487-6 |page=183}} The last Danish album and final studio album Laban released was Laban 5 in October 1987.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=Laban 5 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/laban-5 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=14}} 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.

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.{{cite web |title=Laban: Ivan Pedersen Interview Entrevista 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=032ifOjCTSY&t=38s&ab_channel=RetroTalkingMix |website=YouTube.com |publisher=Retro Talking Mix |access-date=April 7, 2025}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=1988 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/1988 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=May 3, 2025}} Additionally, Cai Leitner left Mega Records in 1988, leaving Pedersen and Jønsson without a producer.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=1988 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/1988 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=May 3, 2025}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Jønsson |first1=Lecia |title=About: LABAN |url=https://www.lecia.dk/home/l_l_laban |website=lecia.dk |publisher=Lecia Jønsson |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=11}}{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=1988 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/1988 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=12}}

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.{{cite web |title=Lecia Jønsson er klar til Laban-genforening: Her er Ivan Pedersens klare svar |url=https://dk.newsner.com/kendte/lecia-joensson-er-klar-til-laban-genforening-her-er-ivan-pedersens-klare-svar/ |website=dk.newsner.com |publisher=Mikkel Pasztor |access-date=April 22, 2025}}

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.{{cite web |title=Laban – Komplet & Rariteter |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2333859-Laban-Komplet-Rariteter |website=Discogs.com |publisher=Discogs |access-date=May 3, 2025}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=2017 |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/2017 |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=8}} 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,{{cite web |last1=Vraa |first1=Nikolaj |title=Lecia vil begrave stridsøksen: Klar til Laban-genforening |url=https://www.alt.dk/kendte/lecia-vil-begrave-stridsoksen-klar-til-laban-genforening/1086981 |website=alt.dk |publisher=alt.dk |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=9}} garnering criticism from Pedersen.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Ivan |title=IVANS KOMMENATAR TIL LECIAS BOG |url=https://www.ivanpedersen.com/iivanskommentartil-leciasbog |website=ivanpedersen.com |publisher=Ivan Pedersen |access-date=April 7, 2025 |ref=10}}

• Laban (1982)
• Laban 2 (1983)
• Laban 3 (1984)
• Laban 4 (1985)
• Caught by Surprise (1986)
• Roulette (1987)
• Laban 5 (1987)

• "Hvor ska' vi sove i nat?" (Where Are We Going to Sleep Tonight?)
• "Meget bedre nu" (Much Better Now)
• "Came-camera"
• "Kun et sekund" (Danish version of "Caught by Surprise")
• "Kold som is" (Danish version of "Love in Siberia")
• "Caught by Surprise"
• "Love in Siberia"
• "Donna Donna"
• "Russian Roulette"
• "Prisoner of the Night"
• "Down on Your Knees"
• "Don't Stop"
• "De vilde er de værste" (The Wild Ones Are the Worst)
• "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten"

• 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)

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laban}}

Category:Danish musical groups

Category:Danish new wave musical groups

Category:English-language singers from Denmark

Category:Musical groups established in 1982

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1988