mardi 27 avril 2021

40th anniversary: Luv's successors in the spotlight on "We Love You (Ladies Night)"

Photo edited by Co Rnz

Top row (from left to right):

Anita Heilker (Dolly Dots), Deborah Jenner (Doris D & The Pins), Ria Brieffies (Dolly Dots), Karien de Vries (Maywood), Clari Horsmeier (Deuce), Margot van der Ven (Babe), Alice de Vries (Maywood), Rita van Rooy (Babe), Patty Zomer (Dolly Dots), Ingrid de Goede (Doris D & The Pins), Gemma van Eck (Babe), Angela Groothuizen (Dolly Dots)

Bottom row (from left to right): 

Yvonne Mehagnol (Doris D & The Pins), Angela Kramers (Dolly Dots), Irene Verhoeve (Doris D & The Pins), Anja Horsmeier (Deuce), Esther Oosterbeek (Dolly Dots), Donna Baron (Doris D & The Pins)


40 years ago exactly, on April 27th, 1981, Holland's most-read newspaper De Telegraaf published a short article about Doris D. & The Pins, Dolly Dots, Babe, Maywood and Deuce. At the time, these girl groups took part in the taping of a special TV show "We Love You" broadcast on TROS/Nederland 1. This item was illustrated with a beautiful group photograph of the girls. The major absentees were the Luv' singers who had broken up a few weeks earlier. The soundtrack of this TV program entitled "Ladies Night (We Love You)" was released on vinyl and cassette and even entered the Dutch Albums ChartLet's celebrate the 40th anniversary of this unique moment that proved that due to Luv's triumph, the Netherlands were at the time the Promised Land for female pop groups. 

Background

In early March 1981, Luv' broke up after four years of success (see article posted on March 4th, 2021). The trio had a brief and intense international success story: 12 singles, 4 albums, two compilations, 14 gold and platinum records, a string of hits that charted in seventeen countries, one Dutch export award (Conamus Export Prize), 7 million records sold, TV shows, songs played in heavy rotation on the radio, countless magazines covers...The Luv' singers didn't know that they would make several comebacks in the future. Hans van Hemert's brainchild was a trendsetter and inspired other record producers who launched their own girl groups: Girlie, Snoopy, Babe, Benelux & Nancy Dee, Dolly Dots, Maywood, Doris D. & The Pins and Deuce

Luv' 1980-1981 line-up: Ria Thielsch, Marga Scheide & José Hoebee

Patty Brard (who left suddenly Luv' in July 1980 and was replaced by Ria Thielsch) started a solo career just before the trio's dissolution. In March 1981, her debut solo single "Hold on to love" peaked at #19 on the Dutch Top 40 and #14 on the Nationale Hitparade (currently Single Top 100) in the Netherlands. It reached #4 on the BRT Top 30 and #7 on the Ultratop in Belgium as well as #12 on the South African charts (see article posted on February 6th, 2021). Her first album "All This Way" reached Nr. 35 on the Nationale Hitparade LP Top 50 in Holland.


Patty Brard

Due to their popularity on the international marketplace, Luv' set a high standard for other Dutch girl groups that came after them. None of their successors achieved their level of fame abroad. Only Dolly Dots scored more hits than them on the Dutch Top 40

To celebrate the emergence of "Meidengroepen" (girl groups) as a Dutch pop phenomenon, a unique project was set up: the broadcast of a special TV show featuring five female formations combined with the release of a compilation of their hits.

In April 1981, four well-established acts Doris D. & The Pins, Dolly Dots, Babe, and Maywood as well as newcomers, the duo called Deuce took part in the taping of the special entitled "We Love You" for TROS/Nederland 1 at the Theater De Vest in Alkmaar. The show was hosted by Ron Brandsteder (Patty Brard's ex-husband). Between the performances, the program included short sketches involving the girls and the TV host. 

We Love You was the TV debut of Deuce (formed by twin sisters Clari and Anja Horsmeier) unlike the other groups that had been used to appear on the small screen. In 1982, Deuce teamed up with Marga Scheide to form the short-lived trio "Marga & Deuce" to put out the single "One, Two, Three...Bananas" that flopped (see article on September 24th, 2017). 

The April 27th, 1981 edition of De Telegraaf mentioned the broadcast of We Love You in its Privé (entertainment news) section. 



De Telegraaf - April 27th, 1981

Click here to read the article online

Other articles about this TV special followed in the press.


Algemeen Dagblad - May 29th, 1981

Click here to read the article online 

Het Parool - May 30th, 1981

Click here to read the article online

On May 30th, 1981, "We Love You" aired on TROS/Nederland 1 to the delight of the viewers. The fans of Dutch female pop music missed Luv' that were the ones who started this phenomenon. Click here to watch the show. 

Following this TV special, WEA (that put out Dolly Dots records) released the soundtrack of the program entitled "Ladies Night (We Love You)" on vinyl and cassette in the Netherlands and Belgium. Although Luv' didn't appear on the show, two of their hits (My Number One and Ooh, Yes I Do) were included in this compilation. 

This LP came out by courtesy of Phonogram, Utopia (Doris D & The Pins), Carrere (Luv'), TTR (Babe) and EMI Holland (Maywood). Its title bore a similarity to a Dolly Dots album entitled "P.S. We Love You".  

Tracklisting

A side:

A1 Doris D. & The Pins – Shine Up 3:08
A2 Luv '– My Number One 3:11
A3 Dolly Dots – Radio 3:14
A4 Babe – My Malaysia 3:45
A5 Doris D. & The Pins – Just Me And You 2:35
A6 Babe – The Kiss (Viva Los Hombres) 3:55

B side:

B1 Dolly Dots - Leila (The Queen Of Sheba) 3:10
B2 Maywood - Late At Night 3:26
B3 Babe  - Mister Blitzer 3:38
B4 Luv' - Ooh, Yes I Do 2:57
B5 Maywood - Mother How Are You Today 2:40
B6 Dolly Dots - Writer Please Write Me A Song 3:20


LP front cover


LP Back cover


Cassette

Credits

Design – Meter
Photography by Florian Lem and Theo Hogenboom
Courtesy of Phonogram, Utopia, Carrere, TTR, EMI Holland
Manufactured and Distributed by WEA Records BV - Hilversum/Holland
and by WEA Records NV/SA - Brussels/Belgium

Made in Holland
℗ 1981

Chart performance 

Ladies Night (We Love You) entered the Nationale Hitparade LP Top 50 (currently Dutch Album Top 100at #38 on July 4th, 1981 and peaked at #17 on August 22nd, 1981. It stayed 8 weeks on the hit parade. Click here for details.

Source: Delpher.nl, Discogs, 45worlds.com, Dutchcharts.nl

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