Photo courtesy of © Official Luv' Fan Page, José Hoebee Fan Page and Marga Scheide Fan Page (Facebook)
Marga Scheide & José Hoebee with Peter Boonstra and Jos Theuns in Best (July 27th)
Jos Theuns, José Hoebee's biggest fan and her close friend and Peter Boonstra, author of "The Story of Luv'", a 2015 biography banned from sale due to copyright issues over photos, met José Hoebee and Marga Scheide at the Ambacht café-restaurant in Best, the Netherlands.
Photo courtesy of Marga Scheide and Jos Theuns:
Peter, José & Marga
Photo edited by Marco Rens
José, Jos & Marga
Patty Brard in Zomer (De Telegraaf) about Luv's success and their summer hit of 1978 "You're the Greatest Lover" (August 17th)
The August 17th edition of De Telegraaf featured an article in its "Zomer" (Summer) supplement, where Patty Brard reflected on Luv's remarkable past and the group's iconic hit, "You're the Greatest Lover". Click here to read the article's online version.
Patty looked back on her time with Luv', describing it as an overwhelming but incredible journey. It all started when producer Hans van Hemert discovered her while she was working as a receptionist, telling her, “You’re a star. You should be in my new girl group.” Joining Luv' had been like a childhood dream come true for La Brard, who suddenly found herself performing in front of real audiences with her bandmates Marga Scheide and José Hoebee.
Despite Luv's success with hits like U.O.Me and You're the Greatest Lover, Patty revealed that the group had no creative input, as the producers decided everything. She recalled how the iconic "shanananana" part of "The Greatest Lover" had been a last-minute improvisation that stuck.
Luv's rapid rise to fame had taken them from performing in local party tents to travelling the world, being greeted by limousines at airports, staying in luxury suites, and being showered with gifts and attention from fans. Despite all the success, Patty admitted there had been struggles behind the scenes, including jealousy and occasional bullying within the group.
As she reflected on those times, Patty expressed regret for not enjoying the experience more and for the fact that Luv' hadn’t had a proper closure. She still loved singing and planned to perform again at her upcoming 70th birthday party, hoping her former Luv' colleagues, Marga and José, might join her for the celebration.
Story Magazine: Marga Scheide attends the premiere of Hans Klok’s 'Face the Future'"(August 21st)
The August 21st issue of Story magazine featured an article about the star-studded premiere of Dutch illusionist Hans Klok's latest show, "Face the Future". The red-carpet event, held on August 9th at the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam, attracted numerous Dutch celebrities, including Marga Scheide.
Marga Scheide with Ger Valkenburg and Dyon Hagenaars at the announcement of the host city for "Roze Zaterdagen" (Gay Pride) - August 28th
Marga Scheide, along with her DC Models friends Ger Valkenburg and Dyon Hagenaars, attended an event at Blend-XL Amsterdam to celebrate the announcement of the host city for "Roze Zaterdagen" (Gay Pride) in 2026. Ger hosted the event during which it was revealed that Pink Saturday 2026 would take place in Noordwijk on Saturday, June 27th, 2026.
Photos by Ger Valkenburg, Dyon Hagenaars and Robert Paul van der Vliet:
Marga with Ger and Dyon at Domaine de Boulouch, France - August 31st
On August 31st, the Official Luv' Facebook Fan Page posted beautiful pictures of Marga with Ger, Dyon and friends at Domaine de Boulouch in Lectoure, France, celebrating Klaus Schmidt's birthday.
Photos by Ger Valkenburg and Dyon Hagenaars:
Hans van Hemert's final radio interview - September 6th, 2024
Jan Paparazzi & Hans van Hemert
On September 6th, just one month before his passing, Luv's creator and pop genius, Hans van Hemert, gave his final radio interview. The Music Maestro was the special guest of "De Weekendborrel", a show hosted by Jan Paparazzi on AVROTROS/NPO Radio 5. Click here to listen to the broadcast.
Jan started his interview by mentioning that Hans was a survivor, not knowing that the talented record producer would soon pass away. Despite his severe cancer, the iconic songwriter was in good shape to discuss his remarkable life and career.
Hair by Zen (the cover version of the title song to the 1967 musical "Hair", released in late 1968 and a #1 hit in the Netherlands in early 1969):
"The song "Hair" was the title track of the musical. Zen's manager, Ton van Dijk, asked me to record this song with the band. It was a complex song to produce, with many vocal lines and arrangements. However, with the help of the talented arranger and musician Paul Natte playing the piano, I managed to succeed. I recorded the piano at Soundpush Studio in Blaricum, and Duco De Rijk played the guitar. Even if the group didn't perform well in some parts of the song, we were able to compensate by emphasizing the piano during the recording," Hans said. When asked why this version of Hair was so successful, Hans answered: "It was the Zeitgeist, and I could assemble the right people for this project."
Hair by Zen
The Van Hemert's creative family
"My brother Ruud directed beautiful films. My little brother Eric is a gifted painter who also composes music, although it's not commercially focused. My sister Ellen was an actress who starred in the first Dutch colour film, "Jenny," directed by my father, Willy. She was married to my hero, Coen Flink. Creativity surrounded us. However, we never discussed art or culture during family meetings because we were so busy. Due to my father, we were a dysfunctional family, and my mother was gone. Later, I wanted to be the best in my field," Hans explained.
His joy for life
"It's crazy what happened to me. It's like I was born again. I was supposed to be dead. It's like the Twilight Zone. It's an emotional roller coaster, but I will carry on. My zest for life is so big, even though I was often at death's door. What keeps me alive is my daughters and grandchildren. I always see the light at the end of the tunnel, like in my second home in France, surrounded by nature," Hans explained.
AI in music
"I have a lot of ideas about it. On the other hand, AI could mean the end of my business. I've written many jingles for TV commercials, including "Yogho! Yogho!" and tunes for TV channels like AVRO and TROS. Imagine if I ask AI to create a song that sounds like "Yesterday" by the Beatles for a commercial. It means I would have nothing to do anymore. AI is both an opportunity and a threat. It's an interesting topic. What matters the most? The possibilities or the impossible things AI permits to do," Hans questioned.
Hans's relationship with Maggie MacNeal (Sjoukje Smit's artist name)
"I'm still in contact with Sjoukje. We are still on good terms. She still looks as good as she did twenty years ago. She still sings very well," he asserted.
Maggie McNeal
Argentina by Conquistador (1978)
"I find it exhilarating to come up with new ideas and create a band that matches the perfect image in my mind. Piet Souer's guitar playing reminded me of a Spaniard, evoking images of "Matador", "Toreador", and other Spanish words ending in "-or". This inspired me to develop the concept of "Conquistador". I wrote a song for the World Football Cup in Argentina, incorporating pan flute and guitars. It became an instant hit," Hans said.
Vulcano and Gerard Joling auditioning for the group
"I don't remember Gerard auditioning, but it could be possible. The original male lead singer, René van der Wel, unexpectedly left the group. After Luv', I wanted to create a similar pop group but a calmer version without Patty Brard. Vulcano was meant to be the follow-up to Luv'. So, we started in English to conquer foreign music charts. However, I was asked to write a Dutch song, "Een beetje van dit, een beetje van dat", for the National Song Festival (the Netherlands' preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest) in 1983. I wrote the song easily because I was under pressure, and that's when I could perform the best. Each act at the Song Festival had to perform two songs. My mistake was composing two catchy tracks instead of one excellent and one bad. As a result, the two songs scored good points, and we lost to "Sing Me a Song " by Bernadette by just one point. If Vulcano had won and participated in the ESC, they could have had an international career. But the problem is that when you write a song in Dutch with typical Dutch expressions and translate it into English, it loses its hit potential," Hans observed.
Een Beetje Van Dit by Vulcano
"Mama, Papa" by Cardinal Point
"An Italian band based in the Netherlands, I Punti Cardinali, approached me one day and asked if I could produce a record with them. I suggested they change their name to "Cardinal Point," which I felt had a more international appeal. We collaborated on a single called "Mama, Papa," which turned out to be a success. As a result of this hit, their live performances commanded ten times more pay. I was even invited to the wedding of one of the band members in a remote location in Sicily, where the groom's family and friends treated me with great respect, almost like the Godfather," Hans commented.
Cardinal Point
"You're the Greatest Lover" by Luv', number-one on the Dutch Top 40 (1978)
"While I was at the railroad station in Narbonne, France, I bought a Dutch newspaper and read that "You're the Greatest Lover" by Luv' was the week's best entry on the Dutch Top 40. At that time, we didn't have the same means of communication we have now. I was overjoyed when I found out about the song's success. I remember feeling the urge to use the restroom while recording the song in the studio. José asked me what the girls should sing instead of "Shananananananana." I told her I would write proper lyrics when returning from the toilet, but I never did. Ultimately, I decided to keep the song as it was originally intended. When people unfamiliar with Luv' are asked if they've heard of the group, they usually say no. However, as soon as I start singing "Shananananananana," they immediately recognize the track." Hans noted.
"PATTY" series
"I wasn't involved in the trio's activities outside of music. When I watched Patty's series, it wasn't accurate. Whenever she said "yes", it actually meant "no". So, you'd better turn the TV screen upside down to see the reality," Hans remarked.
Chris Peters as Ron Brandsteder, Holly Mae Brood as Patty Brard, Teunie de Brouwer as Marga Scheide and Julia Lammerts as José Hoebee on the Videoland series "PATTY"
U.O.Me by Luv'
"The VPRO channel commissioned me to write the theme song for the "Waldolala" series in late 1977. A triumvirate, including Wim van der Linden, Wim T. Schippers, and Gied Jaspars, was responsible for this TV program. At the time, I was busy giving Luv' a big break. I played the demo of "U.O.Me" to the group's manager, Han Meijer, who immediately told me, "It's a perfect track. It's commercial. You should give it to Luv'." I replied, "No, it's impossible. I promised this song to VPRO for their series." Later, I asked the TV program makers if it was possible for Luv' to perform this theme song, but as leftish broadcasters, they didn't appreciate the idea. Finally, Wim van der Linden accepted it, and Luv' became a household name in the Netherlands with this single," Hans stated.
Luv' during their "U.O.Me (Waldolala) era
Sandra & Andres
"I began by releasing a cover version of Billy Vera & Judy Clay's "Storybook Children," which we recorded at the former movie theatre "Lumière" in Laren. Like what I did later with Mouth & MacNeal, I paired Sandra & Andres together after I released their unpopular solo singles separately," Hans told Jan Paparazzi.
Andres & Sandra
The new generation of Dutch singers (including Mart Hoogkamer, Robert van Hemert (not related to Hans), and Yves Berendse)
"Yves Berendse is number one. That's fantastic. These new performers are talented and know how to create catchy songs. It reminds me of my debut when I could foresee the hit potential of singles." Hans reacted.
Yves Berendse
The Elephant Song by Kamahl
"Ger Lugtenburg, the director of AVRO, asked me to write a song for Frank Sinatra, the main guest at the "World Wide Fund for Nature" gala in 1975. Members of the Royal Family and the government were expected to attend. I accepted the challenge and quickly wrote the song. Two weeks before the gala, Ger called me to inform me that Frank had cancelled his participation and asked if I could find a replacement. I contacted PolyGram's senior vice president for help, and he suggested Kamahl from Australia. "The Elephant Song" became a chart-topper," Hans declared.
Kamahl
José Hoebee and Hans van Hemert wish "CultuurBoulevard" good luck - September 17th
José Hoebee and Hans van Hemert, just a few days before he passed away, were among the Dutch celebrities who wished Martin Reitsma and Martijn Mastenbroek good luck with their radio show "CultuurBoulevard," which premiered on Den Haag FM on September 18th.
Video posted on September 17th on YouTube
New Luv' Dolls
On September 26th, Cw Miniaturen Dolls posted pictures of Luv' dolls wearing their iconic "Trojan Horse" Scottish costumes on its Facebook page.
Story Magazine: Patty Brard Still Hopes for Marga and José at Her Birthday Party (October 2nd)
The October 2nd issue of Story Magazine highlighted Patty Brard’s wish to reunite with Marga Scheide and José Hoebee for her "Panther Party," celebrating her 70th birthday at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome on March 14th, 2025. The diva recently announced that she had teamed up with seven other members from legendary Dutch girl groups to form a "Mega Meiden Groep" (Mega Girl Group) for the occasion. However, Marga and José were notably absent from this prestigious line-up. On SBS6's Shownieuws, Patty had extended an open invitation, saying, "If the girls want to join us, they are welcome."
Source: Facebook (Official Luv', José Hoebee Fan Page, Marga Scheide, CW Miniaturen), Instagram (Ger Valkenburg, Dyon Hagenaars), Marco Rens, Story, De Telegraaf, NPO Radio 5...
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