Between 1976 and 1980, after years of collaboration, record producers and songwriters Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer teamed up under the pseudonym "Janschen & Janschens" to write songs for many artists including Luv', Trinity, Champagne, Veronica Unlimited, Teach-In, Ron Brandsteder, Conquistador, Liesbeth List, American Gypsy, Chips, and Doris D and The Pins. Click here to see the entire list of their productions. The two talented gentlemen were also involved in the short-lived Interluv' B.V (Luv's limited company between 1979 and 1981) with the group's singers and manager Pim ter Linde.
From left to right: Hans van Hemert, Pim ter Linde, Patty Brard, Marga Scheide, Piet Souer and José Hoebee celebrating "You're the Greatest Lover" as a #1 hit on the Dutch Top 40 - September 1978
In the winter of 1980/1981, Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer ended their collaboration.
Recently, the two Maestros were interviewed separately.
On November 30th, NTR/NPO 2 Extra broadcast "Blokhuis Extra" (hosted by Leo Blokhuis). Hans van Hemert was interviewed in his recording studio in Laren, the Netherlands. The iconic producer discussed his amazing career since 1965 and his work with many pop acts, including Q65, Group 1850, Zen, Mouth & MacNeal, American Gypsy, Kamahl, Vulcano and André Hazes. Click here to watch Blokhuis Extra. At 35:25, Hans talked about Luv'.
"I was watching a German TV show where Silver Convention performed Fly, Robin Fly. I said to my wife: "Look, honey, I'm going to do the same. I'm going to launch a trio with a blonde, a red-haired girl and a dark-skinned girl. I'm going to record the same kind of music with them but I'll make it more accessible," Hans said.
Here's what Hans hout the formation of Luv':
"Patty Brard applied for a job as a secretary in my office. I thought it was not a good idea. Instead, I asked her to join the group...Then came a model, a blonde. When I first saw her, I said to myself: "I know her from somewhere". Actually, she appeared on the cover of an LP I did with Marty. But I need a real singer for the trio. Piet Souer came with José. I said to her: "So girl, if you dye your hair red, you can join the group because you sing well". But she refused. So we kept on searching for another singer but we couldn't find the right member. So I asked Piet (Souer): "Can you call your friend back?" because she was the right one to be a Luv' singer. Then when I met José again, I asked her if she could have a red tint in her hair. The rest is history".
Hans also mentioned Luv's breakthrough hit "U.O.Me" used as the theme song for a successful TV series:
"VPRO, a non-commercial and leftist TV channel, asked me to write a song for the series "Het is weer zo laat! (aka Waldolala)". I played the instrumental to the TV producers, and they immediately liked it. I played it to Luv's manager Han Meijer who told me: "This song is dope! You should give it to these chicks!" That's how we talked about them at the time. It was such a good idea. Then I met the TV producers again and told them: "Three lovely ladies are going to sing the theme song". They refused. However, one of them, TV director Wim van der Linden liked the song and believed in its potential". It was the perfect crossover hit. People who were not the usual VPRO viewers watched the show because of the ladies".
When asked what the reason for Luv's success was, Hans answered: "It's due to the accessibility of the ladies and the music".
Hans also mentioned when Patty Brard left the group and Ria Thielsch replaced her: "Patty left unfairly. It led to lawsuits. In Mexico, she met someone who told her: "Girl, You are fantastic. I live in California. I have a lot of money. Please come to me". She was on a sick leave. So she went to California to join Carlo Nasi. At the time, our contract said "50% for Hans van Hemert and 50% for Luv' and their manager". We signed a deal with a record company for three albums. The label gave us a 750.000 Dutch guilder advance for each album. We received one payment. But then Luv' stopped. Luv' was composed of José Hoebee, Marga Scheide and Patty Brard. Because Patty left the trio, we lost a lot of money".
Hans also talked about the post-Patty period when he recorded "My Number One" with a new line-up featuring Ria Thielsch: "I remember when Frits Spits (a Dutch media personality) said: "It's unbelievable. Patty Brard is gone. There is a new single. It sounds like the previous songs. Nothing has changed".
When asked what Luv's legacy was, Hans replied: "A very little money. The tax authority took everything from me".
Piet Souer, who is very discreet in the media, was interviewed by Peter Douglas on NH Gooi's radio show "De Platenkast van...".
The interview was broadcast in two parts:
First part on October 17th. Click on the link to listen to it: https://spoti.fi/3xLvHTa
Second part on October 24th. Click on the link to listen to it: https://spoti.fi/3Ih2pAD
Piet played his favourite songs. He discussed his life, his influences and his career. In 1969, he was Lenny Kuhr's guitar player at the Eurovision Song Contest. Kuhr won the competition with her song "De Troubadour". In the early 1970s, he wrote songs for many acts (including Cardinal Point (I'm the grand pretender and Keep on dancing), American Gypsy (Angel eyes), Liesbeth List (Te veel te vaak) and Ramses Shaffy and Liesbeth List (Samen).
In 1976, he formed Luv' with Hans van Hemert and manager Han Meijer. He launched another girl group Doris D. & The Pins, whose debut single "Shine Up" hit the number-one spot in the Netherlands in early 1981.
He worked with international singers (including Vicky Leandros, Helen Shapiro, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sylvie Vartan and Kathy Kissoon).
Piet composed two songs for the Eurovision Song Contest: "Sing Me a Song" by Bernadette (in 1983) and "De eerste keer" by Maxine & Franklin Brown (in 1996). Both of them reached the seventh position in the competition.
In 1978, he wrote "Argentina", a song for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. In 1981, he was responsible for Anita Meyer's biggest hit "Why Tell Me, Why".
In the second part of "De Platenkast van...", Piet briefly mentioned Luv' at 5:16. When asked what the girl trio stood for, he answered: "Happiness. It was the force of this girl group. When they were interviewed on TV and on the radio, people liked them. They had a great sense of humour".
Here's what Piet said about Luv's formation: "One day Hans told me: "I'm going to launch a girl group". He asked me if I knew someone in my entourage who could join the group. I knew José Hoebee from my days in Eindhoven. I told her that if one day I had something special for her, I would contact her. I was lucky. We had big hits with Luv'".
DJ by Luv' (a song taken from the Lots of Luv' album in 1979) was part of the playlist of "De Platenkast van...".
Source: NTR/NPO 2 Extra, NH Gooi, Hans R. de Vries, Official Luv' (Facebook)
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