Forty-five years ago precisely, on March 28th, 1980, the Dutch channel NCRV aired a 25-minute special titled "This is True Luv'", named after the group's third album. José Hoebee, Marga Scheide, and Patty Brard captivated audiences with their charisma, further cementing their popularity. With only two TV networks in the Netherlands then, Luv' enjoyed massive exposure. Today, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of this iconic television moment.
TROS TV channel had previously dedicated two special programs to Holland's biggest girl group: "All You Need Is Luv'" in November 1978, followed by "Lots of Luv'" in July 1979. By the time their third TV special aired, Luv' had been a household name since 1978, reaching the height of their success in 1979 when they won the prestigious Conamus Export Prize for selling over two million records abroad, making them the best-selling Dutch act internationally.
At the time, their ABBA-esque single "Ann-Maria" was climbing the Dutch and Flemish charts and was on the verge of breaking into the German hit parade. Meanwhile, "Ooh, Yes I Do" had entered the French singles chart—an impressive feat considering France’s notoriously difficult market for the group. The song defied the odds in the land of haute couture, fine cuisine, and chanson, soaring into the French Top 10 and selling over 200,000 copies there. It also gained traction in Mexico, eventually earning gold status. With their international presence, Luv' was in a strong position, further cementing their success.
Luv' in their Ann-Maria's outfit poster in the German teen publication Rocky magazin (1980)
The ladies performed eight songs on the True Luv' show: Wine, Women and Song, Boys Goodnight, Ooh, Yes I Do; Rhythm 'n Shoes, Ann-Maria, My Guy, Getaway, and Let There Be Love).
The music special was filmed in January 1980 in Benalmádena, Spain, under the direction of Henny Budie and produced by John de Mol, who would later become the founder of Endemol and Talpa—companies behind global TV phenomena like Big Brother and The Voice. At the time, De Mol was married to the legendary Dutch singer Willeke Alberti, with whom he had a one-year-old son, Johnny.
Behind the scenes, personal drama unfolded among the group members. During the taping, Patty Brard—still married to TV star Ron Brandsteder—became involved in an affair with Budie, while Marga Scheide fell for De Mol. Shortly after, Patty and Ron divorced, and Marga ended her engagement with kitchen designer Peter Smithuis to pursue a relationship with John. This situation made headlines in De Telegraaf, the Netherlands’ most widely read newspaper.
Years later, in 2004, José Hoebee reflected on these events in a column for the now-defunct Muziekmaken.nl website, calling True Luv' "their best TV special".
Patty also revisited this period in her 2020 best-selling biography, "Patty: De negen levens van Patty Brard", written by Michel van Egmond and Antoinnette Scheulderman. In the book, Patty recalled: "We travelled with Luv' to Spain to tape a TV special —I think it was in 1980. Marga and I returned from Spain with John de Mol and Henny Budie. I was still officially married to Ron Brandsteder, and Marga's partner was a kitchen designer. Since all our belongings were still at our men’s homes, we stole the cutlery from the Concorde we had used to travel around the world. We practically owned nothing. Marga and I rented a house at Dalweg 10 in Hilversum, but it wasn’t the wisest choice—Henny lived just around the corner, and Willeke Alberti (who was still married to John) was also nearby. When Willeke found out what was happening, she was furious. She showed up at our house with little Johnny and a dirty diaper and said, ‘Well, if you want my man, you also have to change my son's diapers."
The True Luv' TV special and the events surrounding Marga Scheide's romance with John de Mol were highlighted in Mark Koster's biography, "De Mol: De Machtigste Mediafamilie van Nederland," published in late 2020. The story is covered in a chapter titled "Luv at First Sight." Sparks flew between John and Marga while filming the special, which was produced on a budget of 5,000 guilders. The TV producer confided in the blonde Luv' singer that he wanted to end his relationship with Willeke Alberti. Marga reminded him, "But you just had a child." Although deeply attracted to each other, the couple did not consummate their love on the Spanish coast; Marga insisted that John first finalize his divorce. The Luv' lady also took a decisive step by ending her relationship with a kitchen salesman. "After that trip, I broke up with him and stayed with my mother for a night because I had feelings for John! After that, I moved in with Patty Brard, who had just split from Ron Brandsteder, the presenter of Showbizzquiz, and was now in a relationship with Henny Budie," Marga recalled. Determined to test John's commitment, Marga issued him an ultimatum: if he was serious about her, he needed to confess his feelings to Willeke. John did exactly that, staying true to his word and leaving Willeke in shock.
Patty Brard, José Hoebee, John de Mol and manager Pim ter Linde during the filming of "This Is True Luv'"
The Dutch press announced the broadcast of the TV special.
Limburgsch dagblad - March 28th, 1980
Click here to read the article online
Nieuwe Winterswijksche courant - March 28th, 1980
Click here to read the article online
This is True Luv' special
On July 4th, 1980, NCRV reran the TV special with "One More Little Kissy" as a bonus,
filmed at the Amersfoort Zoo.
One More Little Kissy
Credits:
Special thanks to Pim ter Linde and Frank Wentink
Styling: John Rettich and Benno Hess
Camera and edit: Theo Kasteel
Video production techniques: Jan Uriot
Production: John de Mol
In 2006, This is True Luv' was included in the "Back In Luv" DVD.
Bibliography
"Patty: De negen levens van Patty Brard", written by Michel van Egmond and Antoinnette Scheulderman. Inside, 2020
"De Mol: De machtigste mediafamilie van Nederland", written by Mark Koster, Balans, 2020
Source: Luv' weblog archives, Delpher, YouTube, Michel van Egmond, Antoinnette Scheulderman. Mark Koster
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