Y viva España: Luv's brief success in Spain (1979 - 1980)

During Luv's heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Spain like France was a difficult market to conquer for the female pop trio unlike Benelux, German-speaking countries and Denmark. 

The ladies recorded two of their biggest hits You're the Greatest Lover (1978) and Casanova (1979) in Spanish, inspired by ABBA that did the same with some of their successful singles. Their plan was to have Spain and later Latin America at their feet.

As the Luv' singers released Casanova in the Netherlands and Germany in the Spring of 1979, Tu Eres Mi Mejor Amante (the Spanish version of Greatest Lover) started to chart in Cervantes country. 

Front cover of Tu Eres Mi Mejor Amante

On March 4th, 1979, Luv' performed Tu Eres Mi Mejor Amante and Trojan Horse on Fantástico, a music show on the Spanish channel TVE. 

TV schedule on March 4th, 1979 as published in ABC

 

 Eres Mi Mejor Amante on Fantástico (TVE)

  

Trojan Horse on Fantástico (TVE)

ABC newspaper published an article about Luv' in its April 29th, 1979 edition to present the girl group to the Spanish public:

Click on the images to enlarge them

Click here to read the article online.

This strategy to appear on TV and in the press paid off: Tu Eres Mi Mejor Amante entered the Top 10 of the Clasificación Nacional del Disco, a weekly Spanish record chart published in ABC on March 18th, 1979. The single spent 14 weeks on this hit parade and peaked at #1 on June 5th, 1979:

As the trio was about to promote Eeny Meeny Miny Moe in Dutch and German-speaking countries, ABC announced the release of the Spanish version of Casanova in its August, 19th 1979 edition:

Front cover of Casanova (Spanish version)

On September 15th, 1979, the girls sang an intro of Eres Mi Mejor Amante and Casanova on the popular show Aplauso on TVE-1: 

Casanova entered the Single Top 50 (published in the section entitled "Los Domingos de ABC - Musica Joven" of ABC) at #39 on October 7th, 1979. It reached #18 on October 21st, 2019:

Casanova spent 6 weeks on ABC's Single Top 50. 

On May 24th and September 20th, 1980, Luv' performed Ooh, Yes I Do on Aplauso on TVE. 

 

Ooh, Yes I Do and Boys Goodnight on Aplauso (TVE-1) on May 24th, 1980

In the meantime, Luv' had become popular in Mexico where Si, Que Si (the Spanish version of Ooh, Yes I Do) turned gold (see article posted on May 10th, 2020). The trio later released a Spanish version of Ann-Maria. 

Renowned songwriter and producer Alfredo Garrido (who worked for Philips Records) wrote the Spanish lyrics of Tu Eres Mi Mejor Amante, Casanova, Si, Que Si and Ann-Maria. Click here to read his biography in Spanish.

Alfredo Garrido

Unfortunately, due to Patty Brard's departure, Luv' had to interrupt all their activities in the Summer of 1980. It took weeks to find a replacement. This bad situation put an end to many international projects. The conquest of Spain and Mexico became a distant memory.

Source: Abc.es (archives), Luv' weblog archives