Last March, AVROSTROS/NPO 3 broadcast a program entitled "Het beste van...Disco" in four parts to celebrate a music genre that revolutionized the 1970s pop culture: Disco. Click here to watch it. Dutch celebrities (including Gerard Joling, Anita Witzier, Erik de Zwart, Sanne and Wallis de Vries) appeared on this TV show to discuss their favourite disco classics and artists and the several aspects of this music style. Excerpts from TV appearances by disco artists were shown (including archives from AVRO's TopPop). Even though disco was passé in the early 1980s, its influence never really disappeared. Disco later changed into Hi-NRJ, House Music, Dance Music, Nu-Disco and EDM. In recent years, artists like Daft Punk, Cher, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Bruno Mars and Dua Lipa released material highly inspired by disco music. This beloved genre saw the emergence of DJs who, to this day, are still powerful.
Dutch TV guides Televizier, TROS Kompas and TV Krant, published articles to promote NPO3's Disco program. Even if Luv' didn't appear on "Het beste van...Disco", they were mentioned in these articles. Jeroen Keijzer from TROS Kompas and TV Krant wrote about the ladies: "The Netherlands contributed to disco thanks to Luv'. The girl group (featuring Patty Brard) had international hits with "You're the Greatest Lover" and "Trojan Horse".
Click on the images to enlarge them:
Disco music was meant to be played in discotheques and clubs. Disco tracks were meant to be released on twelve-inch vinyl records (or maxi-singles). Luv' didn't target the disco market, and the original trio never put out long disco versions of their songs on 12" records.
However, some of Luv' songs incorporated disco elements.
Early 1978 saw Luv's breakthrough in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium) with the success of U.O.Me (theme from the high-rated TV series Het is Weer Zo Laat!). This track was highly inspired by Raffaella Carra's signature song "A far l'amore comincia tu", a 1977 disco smash hit in Europe.
Luv' - U.O.Me (AVRO's TopPop - Netherlands - February 18th, 1978)
"SPECIAL DISCO" was written on the front cover of the French edition of U.O.Me:
On April 18th, 1978, TROS TV channel/Nederland 2 aired the special «In een groen, groen discoland». The music show featured artists from Hans van Hemert's roster (including Luv', Big Mouth & Little Eve, Trinity and Veronica Unlimited) performing Dutch children's songs on a disco beat.
Luv' sang a medley of four songs: We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis - Klein, Klein Kleutertje - Hop Marjanneke - 3 X 3 = 9
Before the broadcast of "In een groen, groen discoland", Philips Records released the soundtrack of the TV program on vinyl and entitled it "3 X 3 = Disco ( A Children's Opera)". One single of the same name and taken from the album came out simultaneously. The reference to disco music was obvious. Philips and TROS tried to attract kids and families, although they were not clubbers. These childish disco tracks were inoffensive and were not meant to be risqué such as Love To Love You Baby by Donna Summer, Love in C Minor by Cerrone, Love Hangover by Diana Ross or More More More by Andrea True Connection.
Front cover
3 X 3 = Disco (released as a single and taken from the LP)
In Late August 1978, Luv' released their debut album "With Luv'".
In addition to U.O.Me and their international breakthrough hit "You're the Greatest Lover", the album included songs that flirted with disco music: Everybody's shaking hands on Broadway and Life Is On My Side (including disco elements (such as violins, a rhythm and brass sections) as well as Don Juanito de Carnaval (the cover version of Raffaella Carra's hit "A far l'amore comincia tu" - Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer added some disco, flamenco, and other Latin rhythm and ornamentation elements to it).
Everybody's shaking hands on Broadway
Don Juanito de Carnaval
Life Is On My Side
In late 1978 and early 1979, due to the popularity of the million-selling chart-toppers "You're the Greatest Lover" and "Trojan Horse", the Luv' girls (Patty Brard, Marga Scheide and José Hoebee) were part of the disco and pop royalty next to other big names in the music scene in Europe. Some of these singers and bands were pure disco artists:
Luv's second album "Lots of Luv'" (released by Phonogram/Philips in May 1979) featured songs that were more or less disco-oriented.
DJ (this pop song included disco passages when a man with an American accent spoke like a radio DJ on an uptempo dance beat)
Shoes Off (Boots On) - this track was an invitation to dance and party. The orchestration, including the sound of trombones and the high synth notes, made it "so 1979".
I.M.U.R, The Night Of Love, Money Honey, If You Love Me, Saint Tropez - These uptempo songs were close to disco. But actually, they were more 1970s Europop tracks.
Luv's third album, "True Luv''" (released by CNR/Carrere Records in December 1979), featured the track entitled "Flash".
Flash
When the True Luv' LP came out, the "Disco Sucks" movement (that started in the USA in the summer of 1979) was a fact and caused the decline of disco music.
As Disco music was disappearing from the dance floors progressively, Luv's first break-up happened in 1981. At the time, the group consisted of Marga Scheide, José Hoebee and Ria Thielsch (who replaced Patty Brard in August 1980).
Disco music evolved into dance music, Hi-NRG, House, Techno and EDM.
In 1989, Marga Scheide trademarked Luv's name and relaunched the group with two other singers: Diana van Berlo and the British vocalist Michelle Gold. High Fashion Music (the dance music division of Dutch Independent record company Dureco) released the mini-album "For You" produced by the English producer Nigel Wright. 4 singles (taken from this EP) came out singles: Welcome To My Party (October 1989), I Don't Wanna Be Lonely (a cover from a Joan Orleans' song from December 1989), Girl like Me (released in Japan in 1990) and Hit-Medley (1990). These tracks were highly inspired by the catchy sound of "Stock, Aitken & Waterman". They were released on 12" records and Maxi singles, like any other dance-pop acts at the time. Here's how Welcome To My Party (a Dutch and Flemish Top 30 hit) was described in the November 11th, 1989 issue of the Pan-European trade magazine "Music & Media": "Not a song that will ever be acclaimed as highly original but it has a great hook line. Very SAW. Simple fun music with both chart and club potential".
Welcome To My Party on Grote Club Show (TROS), Netherlands, September 29th, 1989
I Don't Wanna Be Lonely (1990)
Girl Like Me (1990)
Hit-Medley (released as a single in 1990 but broadcast earlier on TV: Service Salon (AVRO), the Netherlands on November 27th, 1989
Girl Like Me (which only came out in Japan in 1990) was licensed to Toco/Beaver Records/Alfa International. It was promoted as an anonymous Eurobeat song (this style of music was trendy back then on the Asian archipelago). It was included in Japanese compilations and played by local DJs. This post-disco strategy to adapt to the club circuit in the Land of the Rising Sun didn't succeed. Nowadays, this single is a rare collector item among Luv's fans.
As Luv' were busy promoting their records released by High Fashion Music/Dureco, Mercury/Phonogram Records (in charge of the back catalogue of the original trio at the time) put out in December 1989 a megamix entitled "Luv' Hitpack". It was conceived by Peter Slaghuis, and it was a medley of remixed Luv' songs: Casanova, Life Is On My Side, U.O.Me, You're The Greatest Lover, Trojan Horse, and Everybody's Shakin' Hands On Broadway. Slaghuis was known for the 1985 hit Woodpeckers from Space by Video Kids, the 1988 hit Jack To the Sound of the Underground by Hithouse and the numerous remixes he did for world-famous acts: Nu Shooz, Madonna, Petula Clark, Technotronic, Mel & Kim... Luv' Hitpack came out as a 12" single and a Maxi-Single. It was common practice for Disco and Dance acts to conceive a megamix. It was also an easy way to turn old into new. Boney M., Village People, Earth, Wind & Fire and Imagination were among the lucky disco groups that conquered the charts again with their megamixes. Unfortunately, Luv' Hitpack was not a success due to a lack of promotion of the ladies.
Luv' Hitpack (1989)
In the summer and autumn of 1990, Luv' went through a line-up change: 21-year-old Carina Lemoine replaced Michelle Gold. The announcement of Carina as a new Luv' singer coincided with the end of the trio's contract with Dureco Records and the signature of a deal with RCA Records/BMG.
The renewed Luv' group recorded a Latin pop single entitled "Hasta Mañana", written and produced by Marga Scheide and her partner, Jacques Zwart (aka E. Mergency). In addition to the single version, this track that incorporated a dance beat was remixed twice, especially for DJs and clubbers:
Hasta Mañana (Extended Version - 1990)
Hasta Mañana (Club Mix - 1990)
In April 1991, Luv's album "Sincerely Yours" included uptempo tracks specially made for dancefloors.
The title track was a cover version of a US Top 20 hit originally performed by the American girl group Sweet Sensation in 1988. Luv's rendering was close to the original Latin freestyle song.
Sincerely Yours (1991)
The Sincerely Yours album featured Canta de la Luna, a Spanglish summer song highly inspired by "Ritmo de la Noche" (originally performed by German house group Chocolate in 1990, covered in the same year by Mystic, The Sacados and Lorca and whose opening piano riff was sampled from "I Go to Rio" by Australian artist Peter Allen). Latino music has always been part of Luv's DNA.
The other songs from Sincerely Yours that were danceable were 2am Saturday Night (incorporating New Jack Swing elements, Flamenco guitars and Rap) and I Wanna Make Love to You.
2am Saturday Night (1991)
I Wanna Make Love to You (1991)
Sincerely Yours was re-released on digital platforms in 2021.
In 1992, Luv' covered the Motown classic "This Old Heart Of Mine" (originally performed by The Isley Brothers in 1966). Their version was dance-pop.
This Old Heart Of Mine on Alternatieve Elfstedentocht op de Poolcirkel (special) on NCRV, March 16th, 1992, Netherlands
In 1993, as the original Luv' singers reunited, a Megamix '93 was released as a single by Arcade Records and was part of the CD compilation entitled Luv' Gold. The long version of this medley was included on a Maxi-Single and as a bonus track on the Completely In Luv' box set in 2006. This megamix was produced by Dancability (a project involving Martin Boer (of the famous Dutch Dance act 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor). It was a non-stop dance mix of Luv's greatest hits: U.O.Me, Trojan Horse, You're the Greatest Lover and Ooh, Yes I Do. Megamix '93 peaked at #23 on the Dutch Top 40 and #17 on the Single Top 100 in the Netherlands.
Megamix '93 on "Heino - die Show" (SAT 1), Germany, 1993
The Megamix '93 Maxi CD single included another remix of Luv's signature song, You're the Greatest Lover by Dancability.
While the original Luv' members were busy promoting the Gold compilation and the Megamix '93 single, German label, Ultrapop-Edel Music, released the Maxi-CD single LUV' Dance-Medley, a remixed version of a Hit-medley recorded by Luv's 1989 lineup (Marga, Diana & Michelle). German producers duo Prophecy (Arn Schlürmann and Tom Gee) supervised this remix. The Maxi-CD single also included a remix of No Cure No Pay produced by Jay Fortune. It was only available in German-speaking countries and as an import record in Benelux. It didn't enter the charts due to a lack of involvement by the original Luv' trio.
In 2012, Cloud 9 Music released the compilation entitled "The Best of LUV", only available on digital platforms. It included an extended mix of Trojan Horse 2006 that was previously unreleased.
In 2015, Luv' fan Peter Boonstra published the biography The Story Of Luv' (including exclusive pictures of the ladies). The highly acclaimed DJ/remixer/producer Matt Pop remixed two tracks: Trojan Horse and Life Is On My Side for the CD compilation included in the book. Matt previously remixed songs for many artists, including Lonnie Gordon, Same Difference, Andy Bell, Sonia Evans, Nicki French, RuPaul, Cilla Black, Hazell Dean, Peter Wilson, Mai Tai and Tight Fit. His non-official ABBA remixes were very appreciated by the fans. Patty Brard was opposed to the publication of The Story Of Luv'. Due to her manoeuvres, the book was eventually banned due to copyright issues.
Trojan Horse (2015 Matt Pop Remix)
Life Is On My Side (2015 Matt Pop Remix)
In February 2021, the Official LUV' fan page on Facebook (in association with Hans van Hemert productions and the YesterMix's YouTube channel) presented the 2021 Uptempo Remix of Luv's classic hit, Ooh, Yes I Do by DJ WR (Wouter Reinders) and DJ BarFeet (Maarten Bervoets).
One month later, the Spanish version of this remix entitled Si Que Si 2021 (Versión Uptempo) was posted on YouTube:
Music professional Casper Janssen revealed a project of new remixes of Luv' songs in a recent article published in Privé magazine. "Several Luv' allies (including Peter Boonstra, who wrote a Luv' biography years ago) are working on releasing new remixes of Luv' hits. Hans van Hemert already listened to the demos and was satisfied. We, the team working on the CD, support Peter Boonstra," Casper said. To be continued...
Source: Luv' weblog archives, YouTube
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