Trance Dance
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Sweden |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Sweden |
| Products | Pop music albums and singles |
Trance Dance was a Swedish pop band active from 1985 until 1991, known for merging pop with rock elements highlighted by guitar and other instruments rarely featured in late 1980s pop music. Contrary to what their name might imply, their musical style was not associated with trance.
History
Established in Sweden in 1985 as a septet, Trance Dance consisted of Ben Marlene (vocals), Pelle Hökengren (guitar) (1962–2023), P.J. Widestrand (keyboards), John Stark (bass), Sören Johansson (drums), along with vocalists Susanne and Yvonne Holmström, who are sisters. Prior to joining the group, Marlene had been a member of the Finnish band French Kiss from 1982 to 1984. Both Marlene and the Holmström sisters are Swedish-speaking Finns.
Their first album, A-Ho-Ho, was launched in Sweden towards the end of 1986 and later introduced to the U.S. market in early 1987. It peaked at number 19 on the Swedish Albums Chart. This album featured singles such as "Do the Dance" and "Hoodoo Wanna Voodoo," which gained club rotation but did not chart domestically; nonetheless, "Hoodoo Wanna Voodoo" achieved significant success in Poland.
The band’s major breakthrough came with the single "Don't Say Go," which climbed to number 2 on the Swedish singles chart in October 1987. This was followed by "You're Gonna Get It," also reaching number 2 in early 1988, marking their highest-charting song. Their sophomore album, Dancing in the Shadows (released March 1988), attained the number 4 spot. The third single from this album, "Joy Toy," reached number 13, whereas their remix compilation Off the Record (November 1988) only managed a peak position of number 27. The last single to chart was "Push," which reached number 15 in May 1989.
As their prominence declined, Trance Dance issued a compilation titled Greatest Hits Vol. 1 in February 1990, which peaked at number 50 on the charts. They wrapped up their career as a trio with the album Twang, released under CBS Records International and produced by Nick Tesco alongside Mark Smith.
Albums
- A Ho Ho (LP/CD, 1986)
- A Ho Ho (U.S. edition with altered cover art, LP, 1987)
- Dancing in the Shadows (LP/CD, 1988)
- Off the Record - The Remix Album (LP/CD, 1988)
- Greatest Hits Volume 1 (LP/CD, 1990)
- Twang (LP/CD, 1990)
Singles
- "Come Play With Me" (7"/12", 1985)
- "Don't Walk Away" (7"/12", 1986)
- "Do the Dance" (7"/12", 1986)
- "Hoodoo Wanna Voodoo" (7"/12", 1986)
- "River of Love" (7"/12", 1987)
- "Don't Say Go" (7"/12", 1987)
- "You're Gonna Get It" (7"/12", 1988)
- "Joy Toy" (7"/12", 1988)
- "Dancing in the Shadows" (7"/12", 1988)
- "Push" (7"/12"/CD5, 1989)
- "High Tide of Love" (7"/12"/CD3, 1989)
- "Wildlife" (7"/12"/CD3, 1990)
- "Is It Love" (7"/12"/CD5, 1990)
- "Another Perfect Day" (7"/12"/CD5, 1990)
- "A Glass of Champagne" (7"/12"/CD5, 1990)
- "Do You Close Your Eyes" (7"/12"/CD5, 1991)
- "Do the Trance" (CD5)