Photo courtesy of © Official Luv' Fan Page (Facebook)
Photo edited by Marco Rens
Forty years ago, Marga Scheide released the single entitled "Love Symphony", a medley of The Supremes classic hits. Though this record was not a success, it achieved a cult status among the fans. Here's the story of this underestimated potpourri.
History
After Luv's first break-up in 1981, Marga kept a low profile for several months. José Hoebee and she secretly provided vocals on "Tick-a-thumps my heart", a single by Babe (one of Luv's rivals), which reached the Top 20 in Belgium and the Netherlands in the summer of 1981.
"Tick-a-thumps my heart" by Babe (1981)
Marga enjoyed life with her boyfriend, media mogul John de Mol. She also supervised the styling of recording artists (including Babe and José).
Babe & Marga (1981)
After Patty Brard and José Hoebee, Marga was the last to try her luck musically outside Luv'. In September 1982, she put out the pop single "One, Two, Three...Bananas" with twin sisters Clari and Anja Horsmeier known as "Deuce". Piet Souer (who co-wrote Luv' hits with Hans van Hemert) penned and produced the song. The record was a flop. Marga's partnership with Deuce was short-lived. On February 23rd, 1983, the Horsmeier sisters participated in the Nationaal Songfestival (Dutch preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest), which meant the end of their collaboration with Marga.
Marga & Deuce (1982)
On May 16th, 1983, a TV special, "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever", was broadcast on NBC to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Motown Records (home to successful artists in the 1960s and 1970s: The Supremes, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5...). The impact of this TV show was huge: everybody remembers Michael Jackson performing the "Moonwalk" for the first time and the Soul classics sung by the most significant acts of the legendary label. It caused a revival of interest in Motown's music worldwide.
Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Berry Gordy, Smokie Robinson, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and many other artists on "Motown 25"
A string of popular singers (Phil Collins, David Bowie & Mick Jagger, Kim Wilde...) covered early Motown hits in the 1980s. Marga wanted to do the same and paid tribute to America's most successful girl group, "The Supremes" fronted by Diana Ross. In late 1983, she teamed up with Jacques Zwart (former member of the rock bands Het and Amsterdam as well as a sought-after producer (Albert West, Gerard de Vries, Mariska Veres, Dennis Christian, Teach-In, Dee Dee, Debbie...). Jacques produced a potpourri of The Supremes hits sung by Marga (Love Child, My World Is Empty Without You, Where Did Our Love Go, I Hear A Symphony and Baby Love). The medley entitled "Love Symphony" was released by Carrere Records in the Netherlands in November 1983.
Marga sang "Love Symphony" live on the NCRV radio show "Los Vast" on November 19th, 1983.
Photo courtesy of Marco Rens:
Marga on Los Vast
Marga performed her single twice on television:
On the iconic Veronica show "Nederland Muziekland" on November 20th, 1983:
On VARA's TV program "Vijf Tegen Vijf" on December 2nd, 1983:
Despite this promotion on the small screen, Dutch radio stations seemed to boycott "Love Symphony".
On December 10th, 1983, the newspaper "Het Vrije Volk" published an article entitled "DJs don't play Marga". The same article was republished in the December 15th, 1983 edition.
"Het Vrije Volk" - December 10th and December 15th, 1983
Though Marga's single was a commercial failure in her homeland, it was licensed to Starborn Records in the USA in 1984. "Love Symphony" got airplay on Black American radio stations. By incorporating R&B-infused beats in the music and not including her image on the cover artwork, marketing for the song gave the impression of Marga as a black artist in Uncle Sam's country. That impression did not last long, as the singer was asked to promote her song in a music video. It caused the immediate end of the project in America because the performing artist was "as blond as the Dutch dunes", which was unsuitable for the R&B stations that targeted a black audience at the time.
American presentation of "Love Symphony" by Marga - Starborn Records International
Het Vrije Volk - September 8th, 1984
Click here to read the article online
After promoting this track, Marga broke up with John de Mol. Jacques Zwart and she became romantically involved.
"Love Symphony" resurfaced in October 2003, almost twenty years after its initial release, when it appeared on Luv's double CD compilation "25 Jaar Na Waldolala" as a bonus track.
"25 Jaar Na Waldolala", including "Love Symphony" (Universal Music - 2003)
Release & tracklisting
* 7" Single: Love Symphony - released by CNR/Carrere Records in November 1983 (Netherlands)
Front cover
A side: Love Symphony (3:27)
Love Child (Sawjer, Taylor, Wilson, Richards) / Interlude (E. Mergency) / My World Is Empty Without You (Holland, Dosier, Holland) / Interlude (E.Mergency) / I Hear a Symphony (Holland, Dosier, Holland)/Interlude (E.Mergency) / Baby Love (Holland, Dosier, Holland)
B side: Love Symphony (Instrumental) (3:27)
Credits:
Vocals: Marga Scheide
Produced by Jacques Zwart
Recorded at Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, the Netherlands
Engineered by Ronald Prent
Photography by Hendrik Jan van Brandwijk
Back cover
* 12" single released by CNR/Carrere - Netherlands, 1983:
A side: Love Symphony
A1 Love Child 1:03
A2 Interlude 0:20
A3 My World Is Empty Without You 1:02
A4 Interlude 0:06
A5 Where Did Our Love Go 0:45
A6 I Hear A Symphony 1:10
A7 Interlude 0:22
A8 Baby Love 1:27
B side: Love Symphony (Instrumental)
B1 Love Child 0:45
B2 Interlude 0:10
B3 My World Is Empty Without You 0:35
B4 Interlude 0:06
B5 Where Did Our Love Go 0:23
B6 I Hear A Symphony 0:35
B7 Interlude 0:03
B8 Baby Love 0:50
Remixed by Ben Liebrand
* 12" single released by Starborn Records & Tapes, USA, 1984:
A side: Love Symphony (Sawjer, Taylor, Wilson, Richards, Holland, Dosier, Holland, E.Mergency) - 6:15
B side: In The Night (E.Mergency, T. Rigger, B. Sit) 3:28
Credits:
Engineered by Ronald Prent (A side) and Albert Boekjolt (B side)
Producer – Jacques Zwart
Remix – Ben Liebrand
Recorded at Wisseloord Studios/Hilversum
* 12" single (Love Symphony/Sinfonia De Amor) released by Discos Musart, Mexico, 1984:
Source: Marco Rens, Facebook (Marga Scheide, Official Luv'), Discogs, 45cat, Beeld en Geluid, Delpher.nl, YouTube...