In 1976, record producers Hans van Hemert and Piet Souer, assisted by manager Han Meijer, twenty years before the Spice Girls phenomenon, decided to form a girl group, inspired by the German disco trio Silver Convention. They had already recorded the music of a self-penned track ("My Man") and were looking for singers. They eventually recruited José Hoebee, Patty Brard and Marga Scheide.
“My Man” was released as Luv’ their debut single. It became a minor success on the Dutch official Top 40, peaking at #12. The lyrics of this ABBA-esque track dealt with the death of a railroad man. It was a coincidence that around the time of its release, a taking of hostages happened in a train in De Punt in late May and early June 1977.
Van Hemert was then commissioned by VPRO television to write the theme song for the Wim T. Schippers-written TV series Het is weer zo laat! (also known as Waldolala). Luv’ eventually recorded the opening theme “U.O.Me (Welcome to Waldolala)”. It became the first hit single for the girl group, becoming a Top 5-smash in both the Netherlands and Belgium.
In 1978, Luv’ released “You're the Greatest Lover”, which became a major hit throughout Europe, selling over 1 million on the continent. It peaked at Number 1 on the Dutch official Top 40. It also topped the charts in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and other European countries. The follow-up “Trojan Horse” became another hit throughout Europe and the girls’ second Number 1-smash in the Netherlands. Their debut album With Luv’ also became a best-seller across Europe.
In 1979, Luv’ released “Casanova” as the lead single from their sophomore album Lots Of Luv’. It was another worldwide success and their fourth consecutive Top 3-hit in Holland. Some tracks were covered in Spanish. "Eres Mi Mejor Amante" (a.k.a. "You're the Greatest Lover") was a hit in Spain and "Si, Que Si" (a.k.a. "Ooh, Yes I Do") reached gold status in Mexico. Near the end of the year, the girls released their third album True Luv’, which featured the pre-mentioned singles.
In 1978–1979, Luv' was 'Holland's best export act' and received for their entire oeuvre the Export award from Conamus, a foundation dedicated to the promotion and support of Dutch music abroad.
Soon after the release of the "One More Little Kissie" single, Patty Brard left the band in August 1980. She was replaced by a model and limbo dancer from the Ricardo and The Flames revue, Ria Thielsch. Later that year, they released their fourth studio album Forever Yours, which featured the Top 10-hit “My Number One”.
In March 1981, the girls and their team announced their break-up at the time they had planned to promote their recordings in new territories. Near the end of the year, they released their compilation album Goodbye Luv’. José scored a solo Number 1-hit with “I Will Follow” in the following years.
In 1988, the original line-up was reunited for a Dutch TV charity show (Samen) hosted by Mies Bouwman. Luv' later planned to record a comeback album. The British producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman were said to produce this opus. However, nothing materialized. Marga Scheide (only original member) and two other singers, Diana van Berlo and Michelle Gold then formed a new formation in 1989. They scored a minor Top 40-hit with “Welcome to My Party”.
Due to the success of ABBA and Boney M. compilations, the original Luv' girls got together. An anthology CD (Luv' Gold) and a medley single ("Megamix '93") were released in 1993.
In 2005, Luv' made a surprise performance at the 60th birthday of Hans van Hemert. One year later, a reality TV show about their comeback (Back in Luv) was broadcast on RTL 5 (a Dutch TV channel) and on VTM (a Flemish channel). In the later years, concerts were sporadic mainly due to the fact that Patty Brard was a busy TV personality. They gave their final performance on 11 August 2012 in Spaarnwoude at the Dutch Valley Festival.
You're The Greatest Lover
Luv' Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sing me, sing me a sweet love song
Sing me, sing me a chanson
That is the only thing I want
Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me please
(Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me please)
Kiss me like it's for the first time
(Kiss me like it's for the first time)
Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me please
(Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me please)
Honey you're wonderful to me
Sha la la la la la la (4x)
Refrain:
Hey hallo, so you're the greatest lover,
Hey hallo you're such a sexy thing
Come let's sing and let us dance all night
You make me feel, yeah, feel alright
Hey hallo, so you're the greatest lover,
Hey hallo you're such a sexy thing
Come let's sing and let us dance all night
You make me feel alright...
Sing me, sing me a chanson
(Sing me, sing me a chanson)
Sing me, sing me a sweet love song
(Sing me, sing me a sweet love song)
Sing me, sing me a chanson
(Sing me, sing me a chanson)
That is the only thing I want
Sha la la la la la la (4x)
Refrain
Sha la la la la la la (8x)
Refrain
The lyrics to Luv's song "You're the Greatest Lover" reflect a desire for simple things in a love relationship - a sweet love song or chanson and sweet kisses. The singer expresses a deep affection for the lover, requesting kisses like it's the first time and calling them wonderful. The repetitive use of "sha la la la la" creates a lighthearted and catchy tune that celebrates the lover's greatness and sexiness. The refrain emphasizes the lover's greatness as the singer invites them to dance and assures them that they make her feel alright.
Overall, the song appears to capture a moment of pure joy and love, with the singer caught up in the emotions of affection and happy with the company of the greatest lover. There is a sense of gratitude and celebration for this person, and the song invites the listener to join in.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing me, sing me a chanson
Please sing me a French-style love song
Sing me, sing me a sweet love song
A soft, romantic melody is what I desire
That is the only thing I want
Nothing else can satisfy my heart's desire
Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me please
Plant your lips on mine, urgently
(Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me please)
(Again and again, until I ache with longing)
Kiss me like it's for the first time
Make me feel young and innocent again
Honey you're wonderful to me
You are the most amazing person in the world
Sha la la la la la la (4x)
Nonverbal expression of love
Hey hallo, so you're the greatest lover,
I believe you are the most skilled and passionate lover
Hey hallo you're such a sexy thing
Your appearance and mannerisms entice me greatly
Come let's sing and let us dance all night
Let's celebrate our passion and love into the wee hours
You make me feel, yeah, feel alright
My heart is filled with joy and contentment when I'm with you
Sha la la la la la la (8x)
Nonverbal expression of love
Contributed by John L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.