Forever Yours’ 45th Anniversary: 1980’s Cherished Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) Gift from Luv’

In loving memory of Hans van Hemert (1945 - 2024)

Photo courtesy of © Official Luv' Fan Page (Facebook)

Photo by Claude Vanheye - edited by Marco Rens

Forty-five years ago, CNR/Carrere Records released Luv’s fourth album, "Forever Yours". Coming out just before the Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) festivities in the Netherlands, it was the perfect gift for fans. Considered the final album of Luv’s classic era, it included the hit singles "One More Little Kissy," "My Number One," and "Tingalingaling." The LP featured Ria Thielsch, who had joined the group earlier, taking over from Patty Brard. Let's celebrate the 45th anniversary of "Forever Yours".

History

In July 1980, Patty Brard unexpectedly left Luv' while the ladies were promoting their single "One More Little Kissy." This departure had significant consequences since new material had already been written for their upcoming album. A replacement was quickly found: Ria Thielsch, a photo model and a singer/limbo dancer from "Ricardo & The Flames", who was officially introduced to the public in September 1980. She was quickly embraced by fans, especially after the success of "My Number One," which reached the top 5 in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Luv' during their "My Number One" era (1980) - photo edited by Marco Rens

Patty was not on speaking terms with her former colleagues and communicated only through her lawyer. The issue stemmed from the fact that she was still a shareholder in Luv's limited company (InterLuv' BV) at that time, which meant she was still earning money from the group's record sales. The dispute was eventually resolved years later when her shares were purchased for 400,000 Dutch guilders.

De Telegraaf - November 4, 1980

Click here to read the article online

In late November 1980, CNR/Carrere Records put out the album "Forever Yours," featuring an eclectic mix of pop, Latin American music, Schlager, and exotica sounds. The LP was produced by Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer, who had been responsible for the trio's recordings since 1977.

Luv’ godfathers, Piet Souer and Hans van Hemert, aka "Janschen & Janschens", during the recording of the "Après Ski" project in 1980.

One of the earliest mentions of Forever Yours by Luv’, shown in an advertisement published in the Nieuwe Winterswijksche Courant on November 28, 1980.

Click here to view it online.

The songs "One More Little Kissy" and "I Win It," which were included in the 1980 reissue of their previous album, "True Luv'," also appeared on "Forever Yours." Typically, Luv's lyrics did not focus on personal issues; however, there were two exceptions on this album. "The Show Must Go On" addressed Patty's departure from the group, while "Mother of the Hearts," featuring an emotional solo by José Hoebee, reflected on a painful moment from Hans van Hemert's childhood.

In 2023, José discussed "Mother of the Hearts" on "History Repeating", a Canadian radio show on SpiritLive hosted by Ryan Gray, who regarded "Forever Yours" as Luv's best album for its variety of genres. The singer said, "There's one song I don't know if you know; it's called 'Mother of the Hearts.' It's a solo track on a Luv' album. Hans van Hemert came to my house one morning and brought a demo tape with a song he wrote about his youth. He told me, 'I want YOU to sing it.' I had half a day to learn the song, and I remember I was very nervous in the studio. It was a difficult song. Hans didn't tell me he had recorded it. After I finished what I thought was a tryout, he had tears in his eyes and hugged me. I thought I had to sing it again, but he said, 'No, no, no! This is wonderful!' It was one of the best moments of my career in Luv'".

Review of "Forever Yours" in the December 4, 1980 edition of Hitkrant

Luv's record company organized a special event to launch "Forever Yours". During the "Nacht van CNR" (Night of CNR), approximately between late November and early December 1980, 21.000 copies of the LP were packed for distribution in shops all over the Netherlands. Shareholder Willem van Kooten, better known to the public as the radio DJ Joost den Draaijer, was there, packing records together with Hans van Hemert, and even the Luv' girls lent a hand! Within a few days, 33.000 copies of Luv's album were shipped to Dutch record shops.

Article about "De Nacht van CNR" published in the teen magazine "Hitkrant" on December 4, 1980

On December 10, 1980, the Dutch department store chain V&D launched the Christmas campaign "Een Muzikale Kerst," which was published simultaneously in local and national newspapers, including Algemeen Dagblad, Limburgsch Dagblad, Het Parool, Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, Leeuwarder Courant, and Het Vrije Volk. This advertising effort promoted Christmas albums, with one of the featured records being "Forever Yours".

Ad published in Algemeen Dagblad - December 10, 1980

Click here to see it online

V&D's Christmas campaign "Een Muzikale Kerst" published in Algemeen Dagbald, Limburgsch dagblad, Het Parool, Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, Leeuwarder courant and Het Vrije volk on December 10, 1980

One fun fact: on November 30, 2021, during an episode of "Blokhuis Extra" on NTR/NPO 2, Hans van Hemert shared some interesting insights about "My Number One," the lead single from "Forever Yours" featuring Luv's line-up with Ria Thielsch. He recalled a comment from Dutch media personality Frits Spits, who remarked, "It's unbelievable. Patty Brard is gone. There is a new single. It sounds like the previous songs. Nothing has changed."

Hitkrant poster (1980)

Forever Yours was Luv's last album to receive a proper international release.

For example, in early 1981, reviews of "Forever Yours" were written in the Norwegian press. ABBA's music was cited as an influence on their sound.

Drammens Tidende og Buskeruds Blad - Februar 20, 1981

Click the link to read the article online: Drammens Tidende og Buskeruds Blad (nb.no)

Nordlandsposten - February 21, 1981

Click the link to read the article online:  Nordlandsposten (nb.no)

Bergens Arbeiderblad - March 2, 1981

Click the link to read the article online:  Bergens Arbeiderblad (nb.no)

Moreover, the Japanese magazine "Music Life" featured an ad for the LP.

"Forever Yours" promoted in "Music Life" (1981)

Photo edited by Marco Rens

While his Luv' protégées were promoting "Forever Yours", their Pygmalion, Hans van Hemert, was definitively ending his partnership with RCA. Just a year earlier, in the summer of 1979, the Pop Maestro had similarly concluded a nearly 15-year collaboration with Phonogram/Philips. Luv' did not follow Hans to RCA, as they were firmly under contract with CNR/Carrere. In an article published on December 4, 1980, in De Telegraaf, the legendary record producer made it clear: "The record I produced for Chips flopped, and it had nothing to do with my creative abilities. It was played only once on the radio. I was dissatisfied with RCA's promotion because these people declared, 'If this record isn't a hit, we won't invest further.' It's worth noting that the records I made with other labels were successful. Just look at 'My Number One' by Luv', which has seen tremendous sales through CNR. I even produced another successful record with my dentist 'De Aal'."

De Telegraaf - December 4, 1980: Hans van Hemert parts ways with RCA

Click here to read the complete article online

On December 8, 1980, De Telegraaf published an article about the launch party of the Dutch label TTR. The event featured Hans and other artists, including Lenny Kuhr, Benny Neyman, Sommerset, Babe, Peter Koelewijn, Linda Williams, and Chips. TTR was founded by the record executives, Ruud Wijnants and Bart van der Laar, who had previously worked at CNR/Carrere and played a significant role in Luv's success with the single "Ooh, Yes I Do" and the album "True Luv'." Tragically, Van der Laar passed away in late 1981, leading to a case referred to as the "showbiz murder" in the Netherlands.

De Telegraaf - December 8, 1980: TTR's launch party with Dutch stars

Click here to read the article online

Photography & Outfits

Claude Vanheye captured stunning photographs of the girls for the album cover. He photographed the who's who of pop-rock artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Blondie, Kate Bush, Grace Jones, and Michael Jackson.

In addition to Luv's catchy music, an important aspect was the ladies' leather yellow outfits, designed by Carla van der Vorst (also known as Carla V). She was a highly sought-after fashion designer who worked with numerous national and international stars, including Luv', Jerney Kaagman of Earth & Fire, Ellen Folley, Boney M., Marianne Faithfull, and Amii Stewart.

De Telegraaf – November 22, 1980: Carla V's collaboration with pop royalty, including Luv', Boney M, and Jerney Kaagman of Earth & Fire.

Click here to read the article online

Commercial Response and Chart Performance

As a manufactured pop group aimed at young audiences, Luv' achieved greater success on the singles charts compared to the albums charts. In fact, 7-inch singles were particularly popular among teenagers in the early 1970s and early 1980s. "Forever Yours" entered the Dutch hit parades on December 13, 1980, reaching a peak position of #13 on the LP Top 50 and #5 on the Nationale Hitparade Top 50.

Chart positions:

🇳🇱 #13 on the LP Top 50 (Netherlands)

First chart date: December 13, 1980 - Weeks on chart: 6

🇳🇱 #5 on the Nationale Hitparade LP Top 50 (Netherlands)

First chart date: December 13, 1980 - Weeks on chart: 5

​Estimated sales:

🇳🇱 25.000 copies in the Netherlands (as of February 1981)

🇧🇪 14.000 copies in Belgium (1981)

Release

Forever Yours - 12-inch LP vinyl record and cassette - released in late November 1980 by CNR/Carrere Records.

Forever Yours - front cover

Forever Yours came out in various editions.

To learn details about the release of this album, click here.

Track listing

A side:

1. "My Number One" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:11

2. "Billy the Kid" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:16

3. "Never Wanted to Be..." (Janschen & Janschens) - 4:34

4. "Mother of the Hearts" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:04

5. "Tingalingaling" (Janschen & Janschens) - 2:30

6. "The Show Must Go On" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:21

B side:

1. "Ooh, I Like It Too" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:06

2. "I Win It" (Janschen & Janschens)- 3:05

3. "Song of Love and Understanding" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:59

4. "Some Call It Happiness" (Janschen & Janschens)- 3:09

5. "Be My Lover Tonight" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:27

6. "One More Little Kissie" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:50

Credits:

José Hoebee, Marga Scheide, Ria Thielsch & Patty Brard - vocals

All songs written and composed by Janschen & Janschens

Ernö Olah & Metropole Orkest - strings

Producer: Hans van Hemert

Arranger/conductor: Piet Souer

Management: Interlinde Management

Photography: Claude Vanheye

Design: Myosotis

Art Direction: Clouds Studio

Costumes: Carla V. Voorburg

Make-up: Frans Sam

Thanks to Papillon and De Lange Shoes, Amsterdam

Turkish edition - released by KIM

Japanese edition - released by WEA

French cassette

German cassette

Scandinavian pressing

Saudi Arabian cassette - 1981

In 1981, the German label Karussell reissued the album on cassette as part of its "Stars & Schlager" series, renaming it "My Number One".

CD re-issue (Completely In Luv' box set) and availability on digital platforms

Forever Yours was remastered and reissued in 2006 as part of the "Completely In Luv'" box set with the duplicate track listing and four bonus tracks:

• "You're the Greatest Lover '93" (Janschen & Janschens) – 3:18

• "Megamix '93 (Long Version)" (Janschen & Janschens) – 4:04 (Medley of U.O.Me (Waldolala)/Trojan Horse/You're The Greatest Lover/Ooh, Yes I Do/Casanova)

• "Trojan Horse (2006 remix)" (Janschen & Janschens) - 3:05

• "All You Need Is Luv' Jingle" (Janschen & Janschens) – 0:12

Additional credits for the "Completely In Luv'" box set:

Mastering: www.pat-sound.nl

You're the Greatest Lover '93 and Megamix '93 remixed by Danceability

Trojan Horse 2006 remixed by J.R. Beltman and F.M Endenburg

In 2019, Forever Yours became available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. CNR Music BV (under exclusive licence from Hans van Hemert Productions BV) owns the copyright on this album.

Bibliography:

• Albumdossier 1969-1972 by Johan van Slooten, publ: Becht's Uitgevers

• The Story of Luv' by Peter Boonstra, 2015

Source: Marco Rens, Casper Janssen, Luv' weblog archives, Delpher.nl, Wikipedia, Discogs.com, Dutchcharts.nl