Luv' тобы: Голландтың хиттері мен тарихы

Dutch girl group

Luv' were a Dutch girl group that scored a string of hit records in Continental Europe (Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Denmark, Norway and Finland) as well as Israel, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Argentina and Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original members were Patty Brard, José Hoebee and Marga Scheide. In 1979, Luv' was 'Holland's best export act' and thus received the Conamus Export Prize. The band sold more than seven million records worldwide (singles and albums). Among their greatest hits were: "U. O. Me (Welcome to Waldolala)", "You're the Greatest Lover", "Trojan Horse", "Casanova" and "Ooh, Yes I Do". The formation went through line up changes and the original singers reunited several times. They gave a farewell performance on 11 August 2012 in Spaarnwoude at the Dutch Valley Festival. Two members of the pop act have had a successful solo career in their homeland: Patty as a TV personality and José as a vocalist. In 2016, Marga, José and Ria Thielsch (who already replaced Patty in 1980) decided to relaunch Luv'. In July 2017, the ladies celebrated their 40th anniversary. On 4 January 2019, the group announced another line up change in De Telegraaf: media personality Chimène van Oosterhout replaced Ria Thielsch. The renewed trio released a Latin pop reggaeton single entitled With Him Tonight in July 2019, twenty five years after their last album All You Need Is Luv'. On 7 February 2020, the group's management stated that Luv' stopped all their activities due to José's ill health.

In 1976, record producers Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer, assisted by manager Han Meijer, twenty years before the Spice Girls phenomenon, decided to form a girl group, inspired by the German disco trio Silver Convention. They had already recorded the music of a self penned track ("My Man") and were looking for singers. They recruited three women:

José Hoebee, born on 29 March 1954 in Best. She started her career as a semi professional vocalist in the early 1970s as a member of a folk & country band, 'Young Tradition', with her two sisters. This formation took part in talent shows, changed its name into 'Elongi' and recorded a single produced by Piet Souer who suggested José to join Luv'. Marga Scheide, born on 15 February 1954 in Amsterdam. She was involved in many beauty pageants and appeared on the covers of various artist hit compilations. Patty Brard, from Sorong in New Guinea, born on 25 March 1955, who first worked as a secretary in the office of Hans van Hemert who offered her a career in the show business.

After the singles "My Man" (#12 in the Netherlands and a Flemish Top 10 hit) and Dream, Dream (which failed to enter the charts) in 1977, Van Hemert was commissioned by VPRO television to write the theme song for the Wim T. Schippers written TV series Het is weer zo laat! (also known as Waldolala), a spin off from Van Oekel's Discohoek (1974). With the help from Souer, he composed "U. O. Me (Welcome to Waldolala)" which was recorded by the girls. Moreover, Luv's appearance performing the song on this TV show during the opening credit was a great publicity stunt. It became an instant hit in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium) (a Top 5 hit in both countries).

The "You're the Greatest Lover" single was their international breakthrough in 1978 and sold one million copies. Apart from their homeland, Luv' entered the music charts in Belgium, France, Germany,Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Israel, South Africa, Rhodesia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Argentina and Mexico. The follow up singles ("Trojan Horse" (another million seller), "Casanova", "Ooh, Yes I Do" ) were also successful. Their albums were big selling records (especially With Luv' and Lots of Luv'). In 1978–1979, Luv' was 'Holland's best export act' and received for their entire oeuvre the Export award from Conamus, a foundation dedicated to the promotion and support of Dutch music abroad. In Germany, the trio was often invited on two popular TV programs: Disco and Musikladen. "You're the Greatest Lover" (which sold 500.000 copies in Goethe's country and earned a gold certification) was also used for the soundtrack of an episode of Derrick TV series. Two decades later, a dance music oriented cover version of this track by Loona renamed "Latino Lover" was a hit single in German speaking countries (#6 and gold single (250 000 units sold) in Germany, #9 in Austria and #6 in Switzerland in 2000). Some tracks were recorded in Spanish. "Eres Mi Mejor Amante" (a. k. a. "You're the Greatest Lover") was a hit in Spain and "Si, Que Si" (a. k. a. "Ooh, Yes I Do") reached the gold status in Mexico. Their songs were also popular behind the Iron Curtain, especially in East Germany, Poland and Hungary. However, records distribution was limited in the Eastern Bloc. Sales were indeed difficult to evaluate in this part of the world. In 1979, the three singers, their producers and their new manager (Han Meijer was replaced by Pim Ter Linde who ran Interlinde Management) changed their strategy for better opportunities. That's why, they founded a limited company, Interluv'/Luv' BV, to control every aspect of their career. They chose a new publisher and a new record company. After a deal with Philips Records, they signed a 750.000 Dutch guilder contract with CNR, a Dutch label affiliated to Carrere Records, a French company. Soon after the release of the "One More Little Kissie" single, Patty Brard left the band in August 1980. She was replaced by a model and limbo dancer from the Ricardo and The Flames revue, Ria Thielsch born on 25 August 1951 in Manokwari, New Guinea. Ria was officially introduced to the public when the "My Number One" single and the Forever Yours album were released in the fall of 1980. These records sold well in the Netherlands and Belgium. Luv' was supposed to take part in the World Popular Song Festival (also known as the "Yamaha Music Festival" and considered as the "Oriental Eurovision") in November 1980 with the song "Be My Lover Tonight". Instead of it, Luv' cancelled their participation to this competition and preferred to perform on the Musikladen TV show in Germany.

In March 1981, the girls and their team announced their break up at the time they had planned to promote their recordings in new territories (Japan, Soviet Union ). To the public's great surprise, the group made a farewell performance on 22 July 1981 on the Nederland Muziekland show on Veronica (TV channel) by singing "Tingalingaling" (which was released as a single). This final broadcast was filmed in Spakenburg. Luv' also appeared at the Efteling theme park during Hitkrant's Zomerspelen (a summer multi sport event with Dutch celebrities which was organized by teen magazine Hitkrant). They were expected to sing at a UNICEF gala in Greece but their participation in this show was called off. Then the compilation album Goodbye Luv' (1981) came out.

In 1988, the original line up was reunited for a Dutch TV charity show (Samen) hosted by Mies Bouwman. Luv' later planned to record a comeback album. The British producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman were said to produce this opus. However, nothing materialized.

Marga Scheide (only original member) and two other singers, Diana van Berlo and Michelle Gold recorded as Luv' a single ("Welcome to My Party") which reached the 22nd position on the Dutch charts and the 28th position on the Flemish charts in the autumn of 1989. Moreover, the trio was involved with other Dutch groups in the 'All Stars' project to help Third World children with the "Star Maker" single. In 1990, Michelle Gold was replaced by another vocalist, Carina Lemoine. During the Gulf War, Luv' performed in Dubai to support the Dutch troops. The formation disbanded in 1992.