"Luv' Gold" and "Megamix '93": 20th Anniversary

Recently, I posted the eighth chapter of Luv's biography which dealt with the reunion in the 1990s (click here to read it). One of the most important event of this era was the release of the "Luv' Gold" compilation. Thanks to its presence on the charts, Luv's revival was a fact. 20 years ago, on May 15th 1993, the anthology entered the charts as well as a track taken from it: "Megamix '93". Let's remember and celebrate these wonderful records. 

Luv' on the British Virgin Islands in 1993

History

Before Luv' Gold, a few compilations came out. The most significant were "Greatest Hits" (by Philips/Phonogram in 1979), "Goodbye Luv'" (by CNR/Carrere in 1981) and another "Greatest Hits" (by Mercury/Phonogram in 1989). But they were rush-released and the ladies were not involved in their conception. As a result, they were not really hits and it was too early for a resurgence of interest in Luv's music. Only the 1979's Greatest Hits spent nine weeks on the Nationale Hitparade LP Top 50 in Holland and peaked at #21. This performance is weak in comparison with Luv's triumph on the single charts. In the late 1970s, the majority of the group's fans were youngsters and they bought more 7-inch singles than LPs. 

Greatest Hits (1979 version)

Goodbye Luv' (1981)

Greatest Hits (1989 CD version)

But in early 1993, things were different. ABBA's and Boney M's "Gold" compilations were successful worldwide. It was the perfect timing for Luv' (as a super pop act from the 1970s) to release their own "Gold" CD.

Will Hoebee (José's husband) was mesmerized by the impact of the above-mentioned albums and had the idea to put out a singles collection. The fans were waiting impatiently for this miracle to happen and a new generation was ready to enjoy the music their parents or big sisters and brothers listened to when they were younger. Arcade Records was interested in this project and in March 1993, Luv' signed a deal with the label. 

The CD's booklet featured a short bio of Luv's impressive career and beautiful photos.

Scans of the "Gold" booklet (click on the pictures to enlarge them):

The release party of "Luv' Gold" took place in late April at the iconic "iT" club in Amsterdam. 

Patty, Marga & José drove the public wild at "De iT" in 1993

"Gold" was the first exhaustive compilation of the trio as it included songs from their Philips/Phonogram years (1977-1979) and their CNR/Carrere era (1979-1981). Hits like "Ooh, Yes I Do", "Ann-Maria" or "My Number One" were compiled on CD for the first time. A bonus song was added to the track listing and released as a single: "Megamix '93", a non-stop house mix of Luv's classics produced by Dancability (featuring Martin Boer of 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor). It was common practice for Disco and Dance acts to conceive a Megamix. It was also an easy way to turn old into new and to conquer the hit parades again:

Impact on the hit parade

One of the numerous articles covering Luv's renaissance in 1993

The essential ingredients for success were there: the 1970s nostalgia, the reunion of the original Luv' singers, a good promotion campaign (De iT, TV shows, radio interviews, photo shoots for the press....). On May 15th, both Luv' Gold and Megamix '93 entered the Dutch charts. Gold later peaked at #14 on the Album Top 50 and #9 on the Mega Album Top 100. It stayed 18 weeks on the charts and eventually sold 40.000 copies in the Netherlands. These are respectable sales for the original line-up who had not been active for 13 years. Nowadays the CD would reach the gold status according to the current certification criteria. 

The Megamix spent 5 weeks on the charts and reached Nr. 17 on the Mega Top 50 and the 23rd position on the Dutch Top 40.

From a commercial perspective, 1993 can be considered as the last year of Luv's impact on Holland's mainstream music market. Back in the day, the music industry was making profits and was not suffering a crisis. Other "Best Of" albums or ambitions projects (like the "25 Jaar Na Waldolala" double CD and the "Completely In Luv" box set) were planned later but did not reach the level of popularity of "Gold". 

Source: Dutchcharts.nl, Wikipedia, personal archives, Luv' Official Fan Club, De Krant van Toen...