Lustans Lakejer -

Lustans Lakejer was a Swedish new wave band that released five albums between 1981 and 1985 on Stranded.

Members: Johan Kinde (vocals, guitar), Peter Bergstrandh (bass, 1979-82), Urban Sundbaum (drums), Adrian Valerie [Torsten Ysander] (guitar), Jan Kyhle (keyboards, vocals), Tom Wolgers (keyboards), Christer Hellman (drums, vocals), Janis Bokalders (keyboards, guitar), Anders Ericsson (guitar, 1982-86)

Background

Lustans Lakejer (Lust’s Lackeys) originated in 1978 in Åkersberga, Sweden, when bassist Peter Bergstrandh and guitarist Leif Thuresson formed a duo, soon joined by singer Johan Kinde and drummer Urban Sundbaum. Bergstrandh also played with the local punk group Travolta Kids, whose tracks on the 1979 MNW compilation Bakverk 80 featured backing vocals by Kinde.

Lustans rehearsed in a basement in Åkerstorp, where their repertoire took on a punk orientation after Kinde joined. Lustans appeared at the August 1979 Ekbacksfestivalen in Åkersberga, where their set included “Out of Time,” a Rolling Stones cover, alongside early songs “Döda ljud” and “Miss World.”

Lustans gigged at Musikverket in Stockholm and met Stranded Rekords founder Klas Lunding through mutual friends. They cut “Diamanter är en flickas bästa vän” on a four-track recorder owned by Thuresson. Stranded issued 500 copies of the twelve-inch single in May 1980, backed with “Tidens melodi.”

Thuresson left after the maxi-single. The trio of Kinde, Bergstrandh, and Sundbaum cut “Härifrån till evigheten” and “Se men inte röra” at Soundtrack Studio in Stockholm for the Stranded compilation Pop-job. They followed with the November single “Kärlekens nöjen” (b/w “Man med paraply”).

As album sessions loomed, Lustans became a quintet with guitarist Adrian Valerie and keyboardist Jan Kyhle. They entered Gomorrah with producer Ola “Cox” Andersson, formerly of TV3, and engineer Billy G for the February 1981 Stranded debut Lustans Lakejer.

Discography:

“Diamanter är en flickas bästa vän” / “Tidens melodi” (1980)
Lustans Lakejer (1981)
Uppdrag i Genève (1981)
En plats i solen (1982)
Lustavision (1984)
Sinnenas rike (1985)

References and notes

Now & Then, No. 7 — 1992. Formation, founding members, first maxi-single, trio recordings, personnel changes, and debut chronology. (Now & Then)
Fröken Äsping, No. 3 — 1984. Johan Kinde interview covering early rehearsals, Ekbacksfestivalen, the four-track demo, and contact with Klas Lunding. (Fröken Äsping)
Schlager, No. 84 — 1984. Early punk repertoire, sixties-pop covers, and subsequent musical influences. (Schlager)
Release — March 1993. Musikverket engagements, Stranded contact, and early personnel history. (Release)
Svenskt Rockarkiv — Johan Kinde discography. Early recordings and backing-vocal credit on the 1979 compilation Bakverk 80. (Rockarkiv)
The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk — Personnel Index. Peter Bergstrandh connection with Travolta Kids. (Swedish Punk)
Svenskt Rockarkiv — Pop-job (1980). Stranded compilation, two Lustans Lakejer tracks, and Soundtrack Studio credits. (Rockarkiv)
Svenskt Rockarkiv — Lustans Lakejer (1981). Debut personnel, label, studio, producer, and engineer. (Rockarkiv)
Showtime — February 1984. Confirms Ola “Cox” Andersson as producer of the debut album. (Showtime)