Photo edited by Marco Rens
Yesterday, the local Dutch radio station Omroep Brabant aired an interview with José Hoebee on the "Weekend!" show about the 1970s between 10:00 and 11:00 AM. You can listen to it here—the interview begins at 11:56.
During the conversation, Luv's former lead singer reflected on her time with one of Holland’s most iconic girl groups. "It represented forty wonderful years of my life," José shared.
José's musical journey began in the folk and country band Young Tradition, which she formed with her sisters, Marijke and Yvonne van de Wijdeven, and their best friend, Ad van Genechten. "We performed together and took part in talent shows. At one of these events, arranger Piet Souer from Eindhoven was in the audience. He and Hans van Hemert were searching for three female singers to form a girl group, and Piet thought I was the perfect fit. So, I was invited to an audition with Hans van Hemert," she recalled.
Young Tradition (from left to right: Yvonne, José, Marijke and Ad)
However, there was one condition. "Hans told me, ‘You sing well, but you’ll have to dye your hair blonde.’ They had already chosen Patty and another red-haired girl, so I was expected to be blonde. I refused. Today, changing your hair colour is no big deal—you can go purple or pink—but back then, it was a serious decision."
Hans continued his search but later called José back with an update. "He had to let go of the other red-haired girl. Then, at Wisseloord Studios, he spotted a poster of a stunning blonde—Marga Scheide—and decided to recruit her. In the end, he brought me into Luv' as well. So, the final lineup consisted of a dark-skinned girl, a blonde, and me with my red-tinted hair. And that’s how Luv' was born."
José, Marga & Patty, better known as Luv'
José remembered her early days with Luv': "I was the only real singer among the three of us, but according to Hans, I was the least appealing to the general public. When recording a song, Hans first asked Marga, the blonde vamp, to sing. Then he turned to Patty. But he wasn't satisfied. Finally, he said, 'Okay, José. Then, do it!' It wasn't a great feeling at the time. But things improved later. Marga and I have always gotten along well—she's my best friend."
When asked how it felt to be in a group alongside two photo models, Patty and Marga, José replied: "Strangely enough, I was the one people felt closest to—that’s what they always told me. It was nice and actually an advantage because many saw me as their favourite. I was the girl next door."
José discussed Luv’s unique sound: "Marga had a playful, almost childlike singing voice, which was essential to our recordings. My voice was deeper and more trained. Marga’s vocals added a ‘feel-good, happy’ energy to our songs, which became a key part of our sound."
Luv' became a household name in the Netherlands thanks to U.O.Me, the theme song they performed in early 1978 for the hit TV series "Het Is Weer Zo Laat!" (also known as "Waldolala"). "We shot to fame after Waldolala became a success on TV. We had agreed to sing the show's intro and outro, and from that moment on, we reached fame and fortune," José said.
Luv' on Waldolala - photo edited by Marco Rens
José always knew she was meant for a life in music. "Before I found fame with Luv', I did a lot of odd jobs that I didn’t enjoy. My father used to say, ‘Our Sé can only be an artist—that’s the only thing she’s meant to do!’ And he was right because singing was the only thing I ever wanted to do," she explained. As a teenager, she dreamed of being discovered. "I would stand on the balcony of my parents' house in Best, singing "Think" by Aretha Franklin, hoping Willem Duys would somehow hear me," she recalled with a smile.
However, fame comes with its downsides, including a lack of privacy. "Whenever you go out, you always have to make sure you look presentable. Years ago, I stepped out of my apartment to throw away some garbage, and a paparazzo snapped a photo of me in the act. The next thing I knew, there I was—in a tabloid magazine, caught in the moment of tossing my trash," she remarked.
Luv' were not only a sensation in the Netherlands but also found success abroad. "We were big across much of Europe and beyond. We earned 15 gold and platinum records and sold over 500,000 copies of "You're the Greatest Lover" in Germany alone. We even travelled to Mexico to receive a gold record there," José asserted.
Luv' received the Conamus Export Prize for "the best-selling Dutch recording act abroad" on December 31st, 1979
Despite their international success, there was little time for leisure or sightseeing. "People always say, 'You travelled the world!' But in reality, we only saw planes, taxis, hotel rooms, and TV studios for performances. I remember one morning when Marga woke up in a hotel and suddenly asked, 'Where are we now?'—she didn’t even know what country we were in. Life was hectic, but it was an incredible experience," José added.
Luv' paved the way for other girl groups, including Snoopy, Babe, Dolly Dots, and Doris D. & The Pins, all of whom emerged after them. "Many of these groups came after us. It may sound arrogant, but none of them reached our level of commercial success," José said.
Surprisingly, José and her Luv' bandmates were not fond of "You're the Greatest Lover", the song that would later become their signature hit. "After recording songs for our first album, Marga and I were disappointed when we found out that "Greatest Lover" would be the lead single. We hated it. But Hans was right to release it—it became a huge success. However, when it came to the follow-up single, "Trojan Horse", we loved it instantly," she admitted.
When asked about her memories of performing live with Luv', José answered: "We had security, and we genuinely loved performing live. We weren’t just a group known for showing cleavage—we were known for our great legs! And that’s a big difference. We were never vulgar."
José explained the circumstances behind Luv's first break-up in the early 1980s: "Patty left the group to go to America, thinking she could have a successful career there with her then-partner Carlo Nasi. But we had legal commitments and had to keep performing. So, we needed a replacement. We found Ria Thielsch after seeing her perform; she looked a lot like Patty. And then, we had a huge Top 10 hit."
After Luv's first disbandment in 1981, José went solo. "I had a number-one hit with "I Will Follow Him," she said proudly.
José during her "I Will Follow Him" era (1982)
When asked if she still kept in touch with Patty, José set the record straight: "Actually, I don’t like to talk about this. Marga and I ended our friendship with Patty because too many unpleasant things had happened. Marga and I have fond memories of our time with Luv'. We still laugh about certain things that happened to us. If things had turned out differently with Patty, the outcome would have been different. It’s a shame, but it’s not our problem. Sometimes, I meet loyal fans in a café in Best. Marga is there sometimes too, and we have fun."
José confirmed that her singing career was behind her: "I’m 70. Next March, I’ll be 71. Occasionally, I’m asked to sing. I’ve had a wonderful career, but now it’s over. Once, I was invited to appear on the TV show "Secret Duets", but I declined the offer. There are some exceptions to the rule, like this interview on Omroep Brabant, but generally, I rarely give interviews."
Despite this, José looked back on her artistic past with a smile: "Sometimes, I sit on a café terrace, and people recognise me and say, 'Hey! Hello, José!' It’s so lovely to be recognised after forty years. It’s unique. I’ll never be blasé about signing an autograph."
Source: Omroep Brabant
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