Exactly forty years ago, the February 8–15, 1985 issue of Story magazine caused a sensation in the Netherlands. Readers could witness what was supposed to be a miracle: the reunion of the original members of Luv (Patty Brard, Marga Scheide, José Hoebee) four years after their separation.
Here's a recap of the events leading up to this incredible reunion.
In July 1980, Patty Brard surprised everyone by leaving Luv', the Dutch girl group that had made her a household name. Luv' had enjoyed a string of hits, including "You're the Greatest Lover" (1978), "Trojan Horse" (1978), "Casanova" (1979), and "Ooh, Yes I Do" (1979), achieving success in eighteen countries. From 1978 to 1980, they collected 14 gold and platinum records.
Luv' on the TROS TV special "All You Need Is Luv" in 1978
Following Patty's departure, photo model Ria Thielsch stepped in to replace her. In the autumn of 1980, the new trio experienced success with the single "My Number One" and the album "Forever Yours". However, the group had to halt their activities before Christmas 1980 due to Marga's burnout.
Luv' in 1980: José, Ria & Marga
Luv' officially disbanded in early March 1981. To the public's surprise, the ladies reunited at the Efteling theme park during a summer multi-sport event featuring Dutch celebrities on June 18th, 1981. They held their farewell performance on July 22nd, 1981, on the TV show "Nederland Muziekland" (broadcast on the Veronica channel), where they sang their so-called final single "Tingalingaling".
As Luv' was coming to an end, Patty released her debut solo single, the soft pop-rock song "Hold On To Love". The track peaked at #19 on the Dutch Top 40 and #14 on the National Hitparade (now known as the 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 Springbok Radio chart in 1981. Unfortunately, Patty's solo success in the music industry was short-lived and couldn't match the international prestige of Luv'.
Her subsequent records following "Hold On To Love" all failed to make an impact despite the crucial support from Carlo Nasi, her then highly influential second husband. As a result, the enfant terrible of Dutch showbiz needed to reinvent herself, turning to television for salvation.
On January 25th, 1983, Patty made her debut as a TV host on the TROS hidden camera show "De Bananasplit Show", co-hosting alongside Ralph Inbar. The program became an overnight success, attracting an impressive average of 7 million viewers per episode across the Netherlands and Flanders. Patty remained involved with "Bananasplit" until 1985.
Patty Brard & Ralph Inbar on De Bananasplit Show
From a musical perspective, José Hoebee was the most popular former member of Luv' as both a solo artist and a duet performer. She launched a solo career that highlighted a more mature musical style. José gained recognition by covering well-known American and British classics from the 1950s and 1960s. Among her major hits were "I Will Follow Him", which became a #1 hit in the Netherlands and Flanders in 1982, and "Secret Love," which reached #11 on the Dutch Top 40 and #3 on the Flemish BRT Top 30 in the same year. She also achieved a certain success with lesser-known tracks such as "The Good Times", which peaked at #37 on the National Hitparade in the Netherlands and #28 on the BRT Top 30 in Belgium in 1982, "I Can Hear Music," which reached #48 on the National Hitparade and #13 on the BRT Top 30 in 1983, and "Time Goes By," which peaked at #16 on the National Hitparade in 1984.
José performing "Time Goes By" on "Nederland Muziekland" (1984)
By 1984, José's talent had led her to further significant success, including two notable duets. The first was "So Long, Marianne," a cover of a Leonard Cohen song performed with Ron Brandsteder, which peaked at #11 on the Dutch Top 40 and #20 on the Flemish BRT Top 30 in early 1984. The second duet was "Cassandra", a Dutch rendition of an ABBA track performed with Bonnie St. Claire, which reached #24 on the Dutch Top 40 in the summer of 1984.
José Hoebee & Bonnie St. Claire
After Luv's first disbandment, Marga enjoyed life with her boyfriend, media mogul John de Mol, while also supervising the styling of recording artists, including Babe and José.
After Patty and José, Marga was the last member of Luv' to pursue a solo music career. In September 1982, she released the pop single "One, Two, Three...Bananas," collaborating with twin sisters Clari and Anja Horsmeier, known as "Deuce". The song was written and produced by Piet Souer, who had previously co-written hits for Luv' with Hans van Hemert. Unfortunately, the record was a commercial failure, and Marga’s partnership with Deuce was short-lived. The Horsmeier sisters participated in the Nationaal Songfestival (the Dutch preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest) on February 23rd, 1983, which signified the end of their collaboration with Marga.
Marga & Deuce (1982)
Marga wanted to pay tribute to America's most successful girl group, The Supremes, led by Diana Ross. In late 1983, she teamed up with Jacques Zwart, a former member of rock bands Het and Amsterdam, who was also a sought-after producer for artists like Albert West, Gerard de Vries, Mariska Veres, Dennis Christian, Teach-In, Dee Dee, and Debbie. Together, they created a medley of The Supremes' hits sung by Marga, including "Love Child," "My World Is Empty Without You," "Where Did Our Love Go," "I Hear A Symphony," and "Baby Love." This potpourri, titled "Love Symphony," was released by Carrere Records in the Netherlands in November 1983.
Marga in 1983
Though Marga's single did not succeed commercially in the Low Countries, it was licensed to Starborn Records in the USA in 1984 and received airplay on Black American radio stations. By incorporating R&B-infused beats and not including her image on the cover, the marketing presented Marga as a Black artist to American audiences. However, this perception was short-lived. When Marga was asked to promote her song in a music video, it was clear she was "as blond as the Dutch dunes," which was unsuitable for the R&B stations that targeted a Black audience at the time, leading to the immediate end of the project in America. After promoting this track, Marga broke up with John de Mol. Jacques Zwart and she became romantically involved and later partners.
Patty, Marga, and José could not forget their strong bond. The first meeting between the ladies took place at José's house in Hilversum in late 1984. Story magazine reported on this gathering in its January 1st, 1985 issue. However, no photographs were taken during the reunion, as the ladies wanted to focus on reconciling first.
Story - January 1st, 1985: Luv' is back! Finally, a reconciliation between Patty, José and Marga
Following the success of their initial meeting, Story brought the ladies together for an interview and photo session at the Amsterdam Marriott Hotel. This event was published in the magazine's February 8–15, 1985 issue. During the session, the ladies reminisced about their past with Luv' and shared laughter. The publication of photos showcasing the ladies four years after their separation gave fans hope for a comeback.
At the time, no one knew that Luv' would reunite multiple times over the years. Their reunions included a one-off performance for a Dutch TV charity show in 1988 and the promotion of a successful compilation album, "Luv' Gold," released in 1993. They also released a final studio album titled "All You Need Is Luv'" in 1994, which will soon be reissued in a deluxe edition on CD and vinyl. Other notable events included a surprise performance for Hans van Hemert's 60th birthday in 2005, a popular comeback in 2006 that featured a reality show, as well as box set and DVD releases, and high-profile live appearances, continuing until 2012.
Since the controversy surrounding the publication of Peter Boonstra's book "The Story of Luv'", which was banned from sale due to Patty's manoeuvres ten years ago, Marga and José have not been on good terms with La Brard again. The diva would like her former Luv' colleagues to perform at her Panther Party next month at the Ziggo Dome, but they declined her offer. At this moment, a reconciliation seems unlikely.
Source: Luv' weblog archives, Luvgirlgroup archives...
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