All About LUV' (past, present, future and more): Luv' biography

1980's: comeback?

Luv' & Hans van Hemert in 1988

After Luv's break-up in 1981, the ladies obviously concentrated on their solo careers.

* Ria confidential

Ria Thielsch, who replaced Patty Brard in 1980, went on modelling. The most discreet Luv' lady never recorded a solo album.

* José: Solo success, ABBA covers & Duets

José Hoebee had the most successful solo career. She chose a repertoire composed of a majority of cover versions. In 1982, she scored two smash hits in the Netherlands and Belgium: I Will Follow Him (originally performed by Little Peggy March in 1963) which hit the number one spot and Secret Love (originally performed by Doris Day in 1953) which peaked at #11 on the Dutch Top 30 and #3 on the Belgian BRT Top 30.

José in 1982 at the peak of her solo career

José performing "I Will Follow Him" on TopPop

José on WWF-Club (Germany 1982)

In 1984, José covered Leonard Cohen's So Long Marianne with Patty Brard's ex-husband Ron Brandsteder. It reached #11 on the Dutch Top 40 and #20 on the Belgian BRT Top 30.

Ron Brandsteder & José on Showbizquizz

Then she teamed up with Bonnie St. Claire to form an occasional duo known as "Bonnie & José" to perform Dutch versions of ABBA songs. Their duets "Cassandra" and "Zoals Vrienden Doen" (The Way Old Friends Do) became Top 40 hits in Holland.

Bonnie & José sing "Cassandra" on Op Volle Toeren (1984)

Bonnie & José: Zoals Vrienden Doen (1985)

Bonnie & José appeared with other Dutch artists (including Marga Scheide, Benny Neyman and Ron Brandsteder) on ABBAcadabra, a TV musical for children based on songs of the "Swedish Fab Four" which aired on TROS channel in March 1985.

The cast of ABBAcadabra

José performing "Spiegel" (cover version of ABBA's I Wonder) in 1985

"ABBAcadabra"

José was also happy in her private life. She was married to record producer Will Hoebee and gave birth to a son called Tim on October 14th 1985.

José & Tim in 1986

* Patty: Bananasplit, California, San Remo & Playboy

Patty Brard was the first Luv' girl to go solo. Her lover, Los Angeles-based producer Carlo Nasi, was in charge of her recordings. Her debut single "Hold on to love" was popular in Holland, Belgium and South Africa (see Chapter V of Luv's biography). The follow-up records flopped.

Patty found her salvation in television. In early 1983, she started to co-host the high-rated Candid Camera-like show "Bananasplit" with Ralf Inbar on TROS channel.

Patty Brard & Ralf Inbar

Thanks to her highly influential husband, she presented the 1985 edition of the San Remo Festival with Pippo Baudo in Italy on RAI Uno. During this music program which averaged 20 million viewers, Patty performed her song "Woman in Love" and interviewed the world-famous pop band Duran Duran.

Miss Brard achieved a tour de force when she was the cover girl of the Dutch edition of Playboy magazine in January 1988.

In addition to her success on television, Patty was satisfied as a wife and a mother. On January 23. 1983 Carlo and she got married and their daughter Priscilla was born on July 23 of that year in LA. Throughout the 1980s, the Dutch media often put La Brard in the spotlight by publishing articles about her "American dream". The larger than life entertainer often opened the doors of her Hollywood villa to journalists. The diva was rumoured to be involved in American projects that never saw the light of day (including a role in a sequel to "Charlie's angels" TV series and in "Falcon Crest"). Because of her "Californian image", Patty appeared in 1984 in a commercial shot in her house to promote "Coebergh Ice" liquor.

Patty and her daughter Priscilla

Patty in Coebergh commercial (1984)

* Marga: Deuce, Love Symphony, Dutchy souvenirs

After Luv's demise, Marga Scheide supervised the styling of bands and singers (including José). She was the partner of TV mogul John de Mol for four years. In 1982, she was the lead member of the short-lived girl group "Marga & Deuce" which recorded the unsuccessful single "One, two, three Bananas" (written and produced by Piet Souer).

Marga & Deuce

In 1983, Marga released "Love Symphony", a medley of The Supremes classic songs produced by Jacques Zwart with whom she became romantically involved. This track was not a hit but got airplay on Black American radio stations. Her next singles "Love Again" (1985) and "I'll Sing You A Song" (1986) failed to break into the charts.

Marga: Love Symphony (1983)

The blonde singer took part in the above-mentioned TV musical "ABBAcadabra" with José. She also did sporadic photo shoots for magazines. In the mid-1980's, in addition to her artistic activities, she ran a souvenir shop "Dutchy souvenirs" at the Holiday-Inn in Utrecht.

José as Snow White in ABBAcadabra

Marga as Carabosse

Marga Scheide and Ron Brandsteder in ABBAcadabra

* Reunion?

When the ladies were interviewed separately in the press, they often discussed their glorious past with Luv'. Patty was not on speaking terms with Marga and José. She communicated through lawyers with her former colleagues. InterLUV' (the group's limited company created in 1979) filed a lawsuit against Miss Brard due to her departure from Luv'. Her shares were purchased. She won the suit and got 400.000 Dutch guilders. A reconciliation was out of question. But in early 1985, Story (a Dutch celebrity gossip magazine) brought the trio together for a photo shoot and an interview. The three singers graced the cover of the February 1985 issue. It was the first reunion of the original Luv' members since 1980.

Luv' in 1985

On October 27th 1988, Patty, Marga and José took everybody by surprise when they appeared on a TV charity show hosted by Mies Bouwman on AVRO. They sang their signature song "You're the Greatest Lover". Their former producer Hans van Hemert greeted them backstage. This unique performance caused a profusion of positive reviews in the media. Suddenly the fans were hoping for a reunion. The following weeks, the press announced that Luv' was planning a comeback. British hit machine of the 1980's "Stock Aitken & Waterman" (whose artist roster featured Rick Astley, Mel & Kim, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Bananarama) were rumoured to produce an album with the girls.