Pics: Luv' @ Jan Vis agency

Earlier today, the Luv' ladies (accompanied by their friend/tour manager David Hay Gibson and their assistant Dominique Hogenbirk) went to the office of the Jan Vis talent agency which is in charge of their bookings. They were given an enthusiastic welcome. Ria Thielsch posted nice pictures of this great moment on her Facebook page:

Source: Facebook

Marga and José on "Onschuldig?!"

José Hoebee, Peter van der Vorst and Marga Scheide

RTL 4 will air "Onschuldig?!" (a program hosted by Peter van der Vorst and including an interview with Marga Scheide and José Hoebee) on October 31st at 9.30 pm. Last year, the Luv' ladies took part in the taping of this TV show (see news posted on May 28th, 2016). They discussed Bart van der Laar's case. 

On November 10th, 1981 Dutch record executive and producer Bart van der Laar was shot in his house in Hilversum, NL (see article posted on November 11th, 2016). Three days later, he died from his wounds. He was involved in Carrere/CNR records in the late 1970s.  Luv' signed a 750.000 Dutch guilder deal with him in October 1979. Then Van der Laar ran the short-lived TTR label with his partners Ruud Wijnands and German publisher Rolf Baierle. In addition to Luv', his artist roster included Francis Goya, Corry Konings, Babe, Benny Neyman and Lenny Kuhr. Gay prostitute Martien Hunnik was arrested and convicted on the basis of a confession he made but later retracted. He was released from jail in the early 1990s. Van der Laar's death remained a mystery.  Hunnik then tried to get hold of his file and when he was refused, his lawyer and the public prosecutor requested a new trial. It became apparent that Hunnik was probably innocent. Two people known to Van der Laar most likely killed him on the orders of a business partner. Medical experts said that Hunnik was ‘very susceptible to suggestions’ and inclined to exaggerate at the time of his confession. In June 2016, he was acquitted and eventually received damages and apologies from the State.

Website of "Onschuldig?!": https://www.rtl.nl/gemist/onschuldig/

Source: RTL 4

De Emoji Film (feat. Patty Brard): latest box office results

Here are the latest box office results of "De Emoji Film" (the Dutch version of the 3D computer-animated comedy film "The Emoji Movie" featuring Patty Brard as a voice actress):

• Position on the Box office Top 20 (Week  edition - from October 19th to October 25th): #18
• Weeks on the Top 20: 11
• Box office to date: € 3.009.730

Source: Boxofficenl.net, filmdistributeurs.nl

Patty's column about "Oh, Wat Een Jaar!"

Jeroen van Koningsbrugge, Linda de Mol and Ruben Nicolai on "Oh, Wat Een Jaar!"

Patty Brard's latest column for Weekend magazine deals with RTL 4's popular retrotainment game show "Oh, Wat Een Jaar!" (hosted by Linda de Mol with Ruben Nicolai and Jeroen van Koningsbrugge as team captains). Each episode features celebrities who test their knowledge about a special year. Recently, Patty and TV personality Henny Huisman took part in the taping of the program dealing with the year 1977. The former Luv' singer wore a Farrah Fawcett wig for the TV show (see news posted on October 8th, 2017).  She told that she enjoyed the show. She was surprised by the young audience in the studio who was born long after 1977 and who didn't know how Rob de Nijs looked like in the past and who Julien Clerc was. 

Click here to read the column.

Source: Weekend

Wunderbar!!! Viva Germania!!!!

March 2016 saw the reunion of Luv's 1980-1981 line-up (Marga Scheide, José Hoebee and Ria Thielsch). More than one year and a half after their comeback, the ladies haven't performed in Germany yet although they were incredibly popular in Goethe's country between late 1978 and early 1981. Isn't it the perfect time for the group to sing in the Federal Republic again?

Here's a recap of their short and intense heyday in Germany (Luv's biggest export market) but also their legacy nowadays.

Luv' became a household name in the autumn of 1978 in Germany thanks to the success of "You're the Greatest Lover". They were chauffeured in limousines to luxury hotels, graced magazines covers and often performed on TV shows such as "Plattenküche", "ZDF Drehscheibe", "Starparade", "Disco" and "Musikladen" next to super acts like ABBA, Blondie, Boney M. or Village People. 

All You Need Is Luv' (medley) on Musikladen (1979)

"You're the Greatest Lover" (which sold 600.000 units in Germany and went gold) was included in the soundtrack of the Derrick TV series. 

Derrick episode 54 including a scene in a discotheque where "You're the Greatest Lover" was played (1979)

The same song was also used over the opening credits of a Teutonic comedy film "Sunnyboy und Sugarbaby" (aka She's 19 and Ready). 

Another proof of Luv's glory in the Federal Republic was their cameo role in the movie "Cola, Candy, Chocolate" (a.k.a Drei Kesse Bienen auf den Philippinen) in which they performed "Trojan Horse". 

Drei Kesse Bienen auf den Philippinen (featuring Luv' - 1979)

Luv' were not only popular in West Germany but also behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany. In 1977, they went on a promo tour in the German Democratic Republic which was at the time a communist dictatorship linked with the Soviet Union. On June 13th, 1977 they sang their debut single "My Man" and its B-side "Don't Let Me Down" on the East German TV show "Rund". Their classic hits "You're the Greatest Lover" and "Trojan Horse" were widely known in the socialist country. 

My Man on Rund (1977)

Here's what José told American author James Arena for his book "Stars of 80s Dance Pop - The European Edition" published in 2015:

"Germany was a very huge market for us...We appeared on the top television programs there and stayed at the best hotels. I remember we arrived at a hotel and it was crowded with people in the lobby. We all wondered what big celebrity was staying there. Then we saw all the banners for Luv' and realized they were our fans; they were there for us."

In 1993, when Luv's original trio (featuring Patty Brard) reunited to promote their compilation "Luv' Gold" and their "Megamix '93", they performed a couple of times on German TV.

"Heino - die Show" on SAT 1 (1993)

Two years ago, five months before the group's latest reunion, a German talent agency "Wild Heart Management" (whose artist roster includes Maggie Reilly (famous for her 1983 classic pop hit "Moonlight Shadows") announced on its website that Marga Scheide and José Hoebee could be booked as Luv' (without Patty) for performances. To this day, nothing concrete has been decided in Germany for the ladies.

Luv' on the German charts + record sales


According to data compiled by Musikmarkt/Mediacontrol, Luv' scored 8 singles and 2 albums on the German charts.

Singles - peak positions:

• „You're The Greatest Lover“ (1978): #1
• „Trojan Horse“ (1978): #3
• „Casanova“ (1979): #6
• „Eeny Meeny Miny Moe“ (1979): #36 
• „Ooh, Yes I Do“ (1979): #27
• „Ann Maria“ (1980): #37
• „One More Little Kissy“ (1980): #75
• „My Number One“ (1980): #60

Albums - peak positions:

„With Luv'“ (1978): #50

„Lots of Luv'“ (1979): #39

The December 8th, 1979 issue of Billboard magazine (the Bible of the music industry) featured an interesting article which mentioned Luv's record sales in "Deutschland". 

Roba Music was in charge of the publishing of their songs and communicated the record sales of three Luv' singles to the trade magazine:

Casanova (released in April 1979): 300.000 copies

Trojan Horse (released in November 1978): 480.000 copies

You're the Greatest Lover (released in July 1978): 650.000 copies

In a list of the "most popular bands between 1970 and 2000 in FRG", the ladies were ranked #65. In another list of "the greatest acts of the 1970s in FRG", they were ranked #52 (Source: Die Ultimative Charts Show on RTL, Musikmarkt/Mediacontrol).


In late 2016, German broadcaster RBB set up a list of the "30 greatest disco stars from the 1970s". Luv' reached the 21st position. Click here to see the complete list. 

Luv' in the media

The youth, music and tabloid press (including Bravo magazine and Rocky) often put the Luv' in the spotlight.

Press clippings:

Discography

In Germany, an alternate logo of the group (different from the iconic heart-shaped one) appeared on the first singles of the trio. During a brief time (1978-1979), Philips-Phonogram licensed Luv' records to Carrere in the Federal Republic. The German subsidiaries of Phonogram and Carrere put out singles with alternate sleeves. 

Back cover of "With Luv" (the German pressing included "Trojan Horse" which replaced "Don Juanito de Carnaval")

Since 1980, compilations have been specially released for the German market:

With Love From Luv' (Carrere, 1980)

Original Top-Hits (Europa, 1981)

Motive (Philips, 1981)

You're the Greatest LUVer (Mercury/PolyGram, 1998)

Best of LUV (Flex Media, 2007)

Best of LUV (2010 edition) (Weltbild, 2010)

The Best of Luv' (Polydor/Universal Strategic Marketing, 2014)

A collector's item in Luv's discography is the album "My Number One" (a re-issue of "Forever Yours" in 1981):

Cover versions

The ultimate sign of the impact of Luv's music on German pop culture is the impressive number of cover versions of their songs by local singers:

U.O.Me:

• Peter Petrel: Wer hat hier denn wohl wen verführt (1978)

You're the Greatest Lover:

• Ulla Norden: "Wir Sind Verrückt (Wir Beide)" (1978)
• Disco Light Orchestra (1979)
• James Last Orchestra (1979)
• Die Molly Sisters: He, hallo, du bist ein Mann geworden (1979)
• Karl Dall: Hey hallo, ich bin die größte Nummer (1979)
• Kristina Bach: Hey, ich such' hier nicht den größten Lover (1999)
• Loona: Latino Lover (2000)
• Massiv in Mensch (2004)
• Jack Gelee "Ich will mit Dir ein Selfie" (2016)
• Feierwut: "Hey Hallo wir sind heut auf Mallorca" (2016)

Trojan Horse:

• Siw Inger: "Komm und spiel mit mir" (1979)
• Orchester Tony Anderson (1979)
• Disco Light Orchestra (1979)
• The Golden Akkordeon Harmonists (1979)
• Die Molly Sisters: "Im grünen Wald" (East Germany, 1979)
• Luv' Connection: "Trojan Horse" (2003).
• Sheffield Jumpers: "Jump With Me" (2008). 
• Engel & Engel: "So ist die Liebe, mi Amor" (2011)

Casanova:

Kirstin Lill: "Du bist ein Casanova" (1979)

Source: Luv' blog archives, YouTube, Discogs.com

Patty Brard's column about Roxeanne Hazes

Patty Brard's latest column for Weekend magazine deals with Roxeanne Hazes (daughter of the late and iconic Dutch singer André Hazes). Earlier this month, the young woman was criticized on Instagram after she posted a picture of herself in a bikini. She reacted to negative messages by telling that she was happy with her body and that girls should think the same, no matter if they were skinny or big. In September, Roxeanne put out her solo debut album "In Mijn Bloed". Recently, she has joined the house band of BNNVARA/NPO 1's talk show "De Wereld Draait Door". 

Patty praises her talent and personality. 

Click here to read the column.

Source: Weekend

Patty's house withdrawn from rent

In early August, Patty Brard's house in Amstelveen, NL was up for rent for € 11.950 per month (see news posted on August 10th, 2017). Previously the villa was withdrawn from sale (see news posted on July 19th, 2017).  The selling price was 2.145.000 € (see news posted on March 24th, 2017). 

But recently, the ex-Luv' singer and her husband Antoine van de Vijver have changed their mind again and have decided to withdraw their love nest from rent. Earlier this year, the couple decided to settle down in Ibiza. Since her departure from SBS 6, Patty has lived permanently on the Balearic island where Antoine is busy as an architect. The diva often goes back to Holland for one-off TV projects and private reasons. 

Source: BekendeBuren.nl

RisQué: Bingo against Cancer and 20th anniversary

Two days ago, drag act "RisQué" (formerly known as "Luv' Unlimited" (Luv's lookalike act) gave a flamboyant show for the charity event "Bingo against Cancer" (in aid of breast cancer awareness) at ’t Prikkewater Packhuys Partycentrum in Vlaardingen, NL. The ladies performed a repertoire including classic hits from the past 40 years (Spice Girls, Luv', K3...). 

The glamorous trio will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on November 26th at ’t Prikkewater Packhuys Partycentrum in Vlaardingen, NL between 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm. 

Tickets: 6€

If you want to join the party, please send an email to risqueshow@gmail.com or send a message through Whatsapp: +31 6 40758572

Source: Facebook 

Radio 2's Top 70: vote for Luv'!!!

Flemish station "Radio 2" has asked its listeners to vote for the 70 greatest pop songs from the 1970s. Four Luv' tracks have been preselected: "U.O.Me" (1978), "You're the Greatest Lover" (1978), "Trojan Horse" (1978) and "Casanova" (1979). Click here to vote until November 1st at 4.00 pm. The results of the Top 70 will be announced on Radio 2 on November 3rd between 10.00 am and 4 pm. 

Source: Radio 2

José @ Dutch Diana Ross Show

Earlier today, José Hoebee and Luv' tour manager and friend David Hay Gibson attended the Dutch Diana Ross Show at the WZH Nieuw Berkendael health center in The Hague, NL. Other Dutch celebrities were present. Among them: actor Paul van Gorcum and media personality Vivian Boelen with whom José posed for pictures. 

 José & Paul van Gorcum (photo courtesy of David Hay Gibson)

José and Vivian Boelen

Marco Knijnenburg (Holland's most famous Diana Ross impersonator) gave a heartfelt and stunning performance. In addition to his artistic activities, Marco works as a healthcare professional. This event was a good opportunity to mix two different worlds: show business and health care. 

José expressed satisfaction about Marco's performance on her Facebook page. 

José & David's invitation to the Dutch Diana Ross Show

Facebook

Interview with Patty on Linda TV

Recently, Patty Brard was interviewed about her dogs Bibi and Lulu by Kimberley Klaver for LINDA.tv (Linda de Mol's video app). The diva told that she planned to publish children's books about her dogs in aid of a Dutch children's cancer charity.

Source: Linda TV, Linda Nieuws

De Emoji Film (feat. Patty Brard): latest box office results

Here are the latest box office results of "De Emoji Film" (the Dutch version of the 3D computer-animated comedy film "The Emoji Movie" featuring Patty Brard as a voice actress):

• Position on the Box office Top 20 (Week  edition - from October 5th to October 11th): #13
• Weeks on the Top 20: 9 
• Box office to date: € 2.832.272

Source: Boxofficenl.net, filmdistributeurs.nl