One More Little Kissy by Luv': 40th anniversary!!!

Patty, Marga & José in colourful costumes used for TV performances of "One More Little Kissy"

Special thanks to Co Rnz for his support and pictures!

Forty years ago, on May 31st, 1980, One More Little Kissy (also credited One More Little Kissie), Luv's 11th single released by CNR/Carrere, entered the Dutch Tipparade. One week later it reached the legendary Dutch Top 40. The record also charted in Belgium and Germany. It was the last single featuring Patty Brard before her sudden departure in July 1980. A real media circus surrounded the release of One More Little Kissy in the Netherlands. 

History

Luv's signature of a 750.000 Dutch Guilder contract with CNR/Carrere Records in late 1979 seemed advantageous. Their first release for Carrere, the pop single Ooh, Yes I Do became a hit in Benelux, Germany, Austria and Denmark (see article posted on November 10th, 2020). This catchy track also facilitated the conquest of two new territories: France (where Luv' reached the Top 10) and Mexico (where the Spanish version Si, Que Si turned gold). 

After the next single Ann-Maria came out (see article posted on February 23rd, 2020), Luv' experienced an intense Spring in 1980 (see article posted on May 10th, 2020). Patty Brard, Marga Scheide and José Hoebee took part in many TV tapings through Europe. In May 1980, the ladies went on a memorable promo tour in Mexico. The group even travelled by Concorde to Zapata's country to receive gold records for Si, Que Si and the True Luv' album (which sold 50.000 copies in the Netherlands).

Luv' also tried their luck in Russia and Japan. 

In an article published on April 26th, 1980, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf announced that the trio would sing in Moscow, Soviet Union in the summer. They were invited by the Russian authorities to perform on Soviet Central television. They were also expected to put out an album entitled From Russia with Luv'. This great news coincided with the political turmoil caused by the boycott of the Summer Olympics in Moscow by some Western countries. 

The three lovely singers wanted to follow in the footsteps of Boney M. who made a much-publicized promotional visit to the USSR in 1978.

 De Telegraaf (April 26th, 1980)

 Hitkrant, Spring 1980

Moreover, Luv' were supposed to take part in the World Popular Song Festival (also known as Yamaha Music Festival) in Tokyo, Japan. This contest could mean their breakthrough in Asia. The ladies confirmed this big project in interviews published in Algemeen Dagblad on May 30th, 1980 and in Limburgsch Dagblad on June 14th, 1980:

Algemeen Dagblad on May 30th, 1980

Limburgsch Dagblad on June 14th, 1980

Unfortunately, these above-mentioned plans fell through after Patty left Luv' in the summer of 1980. 

Luv's record company decided to put out a new single in late May 1980: One More Little Kissy, a childish - bubblegum pop/exotica track written by Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer (under the pseudonym Janschen & Janschens). The song appeared on the 1980 re-issue of the True Luv' LP and the fourth album Forever Yours. 

Just before the release of One More Little Kissy, the Dutch press was informed that Marga started to date media mogul John de Mol which caused a sensation in Holland. Meanwhile, Patty's marriage with quizmaster Ron Brandsteder came to an end. After her brief affair with TV director Henny Budie, she fell in love with Italian record executive Carlo Nasi during Luv's stay in Mexico. These love stories overshadowed Luv's activities in the Netherlands.

De Telegraaf - May 3rd, 1980

De Telegraaf - May 8th, 1980

            Hitkrant - May 14th, 1980 

           Hitkrant - late May/early June 1980

    

Despite the fanfare in the media, the Luv' singers tried to remain professional. They took part in TV tapings to promote One More Little Kissy. 

In Holland, One More Little Kissy premiered on the TV show We Gaan Naar Rome produced by John de Mol, hosted by André van Duin and broadcast on May 31st, 1980 on TROS. The program was taped during a party held in Zeist to support the Netherlands national football team at the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship in Italy.

De Telegraaf (sport section "Telesport") - May 31st, 1980: Luv' presenting the official poster of the Dutch football team at the party filmed in Zeist for TROS TV channel. 

Moreover, a  music video for their new single was filmed in late May and June 1980 at the DierenPark Amersfoort (a zoo in Amersfoort) and Safaripark Beekse Bergen. It was included in the rerun of the This True Luv' TV special which aired on July 4th, 1980 on NCRV.

Limburgsch Dagblad on May 30th, 1980: Luv' at DierenPark Amersfoort

Article published in Weekend in March 2016 illustrated with a photo taken by Chris van de Vooren during the filming of the music video for One More Litlle Kissy at the Safaripark Beekse Bergen

 

Hitkrant - June 5th, 1980: Lyrics of One More Little Kissy

In June 1980, as One More Little Kissy was climbing the record charts, the girls enjoyed a two-week holiday after a hectic schedule. 

Hitkrant, June 12th 1980: Patty in love with an Italian record executive and the ladies on holidays.

Meanwhile, Luv's producer Hans van Hemert and his rival, Peter Koelewijn buried the hatchet. The tensions between the two Maestri started when Koelewijn launched his own girl group Babe in 1979 inspired by Luv's success. De Telegraaf in its June 16th and June 25th, 1980 editions published articles about their reconciliation and their desire to collaborate on future projects. 

Luv's One More Little Kissy shared the Dutch Top 40 with Babe's The Drunken Sailor.

De Telegraaf, June 16th, 1980

De Telegraaf - June 25th, 1980

After Luv's holidays, the trio was still in the spotlight. The ladies planned to star in their own TV series. But this project didn't materialize after Patty let Luv' down. The Dolly Dots, Luv's biggest rivals, took over this idea. TROS broadcast six episodes of the Dolly Dots series between August 30th and October 10th, 1983. 

Hitkrant - June 26th, 1980

One of Patty's latest public events with Luv' took place during a party hosted by Henny Huisman at the Maribel discotheque in Katwijk in late June 1980. Luv' were voted "the best-dressed group" by the readers of Dutch teen magazine Hitkrant. 

Hitkrant - July 3rd, 1980: Party organized by Hitkrant in honour of Luv' as "the best-dressed group". Henny Huisman gave each singer an Issey Miyake book (East Meets West)

Luv' on the cover of Flemish magazine "Joepie" (June 29th, 1980) with a premonitory headline: "Will love cause Luv' any trouble?"

Luv' on the cover of Pop Biz

In July 1980, Luv' stopped their activities and were looking for a replacement for Patty. Photo model Ria Thielsch became the new member of Luv'. The TV viewers discovered her when she performed One More Little Kissy with her new colleagues on Boemerang, a Flemish TV program on BRT channel on September 27th, 1980. The ladies wore the same outfits as the line-up featuring Patty. Ria was fully accepted by the Luv' fans with the success of the follow-up single My Number One. But that's another story...

Luv' on Boemerang

Chart performance

One More Little Kissy was chosen as Alarmschijf (record of the week or hit tip) by Dutch station Radio Veronica. It was played in heavy rotation on Veronica to make it a hit record. On May 31st, 1980, it entered the Tipparade at #1.

Though One More Little Kissy did not have the potential of million-sellers like You're the Greatest Lover or Trojan Horse, it became a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands: #9 on the Dutch Top 40 and #4 on the Nationale Hitparade. 

Dutch Top 40 on June 28th, 1980

Nationale Hitparade - June 28th, 1980

In Belgium, One More Little Kissy peaked at #15 on the BRT Top 30 and #23 on the Ultratop. Due to a lack of promotion, the single was a minor hit in Germany as it only reached the 75th position on Musikmarkt/Media Control Charts.

TV performances

* May 31st, 1980: We Gaan Naar Rome (TROS), Netherlands

* July 4th, 1980: rerun of This Is True Luv' (TV special) on NCRV, Netherlands - bonus track: One More Little Kissy

* July 9th, 1980: Vakantie in Nederland (Nederland 2), Netherlands

* September 27th, 1980: Boemerang (BRT), Belgium - Ria Thielsch's first TV appearance with Luv'

Tracklisting & release

One More Little Kissy

7" vinyl single (45 rpm) - original release by CNR/Carrere Records in May 1980               

A side: One More Little Kissy (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:49

B side: I win It (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:05

Click here to see different versions of the single. 

Dutch cover

 German cover

The German edition included an information sheet

Roba Baierle Music Publishing represented One More Little Kissy in Germany

Flexi disc from Poland 

Cover versions

* Charlie Hit Parade (German and Danish compilation released in 1980 including the cover version of One More Little Kissy -  Picture disc with (apparently) mock cosmetics from the brand Charlie. Mostly German writing on the disc, but also some Danish text.

* Draaiorgel "De Cementmolen" ‎– Draaiorgel Hits, Dureco Benelux, Netherlands, 1980

Bibliography: 

• Top 40 Hitdossier 1956-2005 (9e editie) by Johan van Slooten, publ: Gottmer Bech
• The Story of Luv' by Peter Boonstra

Source: Luv' weblog archives, Wikipedia, Discogs.com, Delpher.nl YouTube, Facebook (Co Rnz, Casper Janssen)...