Hans van Hemert
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| Hans van Hemert | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 7, 1945 |
| Origin | Netherlands |
| Genre(s) | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Associated acts | Luv', Mouth & McNeal, American Gypsy |
| Website | www.hansvanhemert.nl |
Hans van Hemert (born April 7, 1945 in Voorburg, Netherlands) is a Dutch ASCAP award winning music producer and songwriter who was very successful from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Mouth & MacNeal and Luv' are among the greatest pop acts he produced. Moreover, he composed three songs for the Eurovision Song Contest.
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[edit] His debut
He started his career in 1965 when he worked at Phonogram Records (a record label founded by the Philips group, inventor of the Compact Disc; then, this record company was part of PolyGram which became Universal Music in 1998). His relationship with Phonogram lasted until 1979.
He produced and/or (co-)wrote records for pop acts such as Q65, The Motions, Ro-d-ys, Zen, Group 1850, Big Wheel, Somerset, Ramses Shaffy & Liesbeth List, Sandra & Andres, American Gypsy, Vulcano.
[edit] Mouth & Mcneal
Among the bands Van Hemert worked with: Mouth & Mc Neal. This duo scored big hits not only in their homeland but also abroad between 1971 and 1974:
- Hey You Love (a Dutch Top 5[1] single in 1971)
- How Do You Do (this single was a Dutch #1 hit in 1971 but also a German Top 5[2] hit and US Top 10 Hit in 1972 when it reached the 8th position of the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.)
- Hello-a (a #1 Hit in Holland and Germany in 1972)
- Ik Zie Een Ster/I See A Star (a Dutch and English Top 10 hit, this song was chosen to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 (the year ABBA won it) and become third).
[edit] Luv'
Then came Luv' (1977–1981), a female pop trio he formed with the help from Piet Souer and a manager, Han Meijer (later replaced by Pim Ter Linde). This girl group had popular chart toppers in Benelux, in the German-speaking countries, in Denmark, in Poland, in France, in South Africa and in Spain. Until 1981, this formation sold seven million records (singles and albums).
[edit] The eight #1 hit in the Dutch Top 40
Eight of his productions/compositions were #1 hits in the Netherlands (some of them world hits too):
- Hair by Zen (1968)
- Mijn Gebed by DC Lewis (1970)
- How Do You Do and Hello-a by Mouth & MacNeal (1972)
- The Elephant Song by Kamahl (1975)
- You're The Greatest Lover and Trojan Horse by Luv' (1978)
- Shine Up by Doris D & The Pins (1980)
[edit] Eurovision Song Contest
In addition to Mouth & Mac Neal, he wrote two others Eurovision songs: Als het om liefde gaat by Sandra & Andres (#4 in 1972) and The Party's Over by Sandra Reemer (#9 in 1976).
[edit] Awards
Among his most prestigious awards, he received:
- two Conamus Export Prizes (for his collaboration with the best Dutch Export music acts): in 1972 (with Mouth & MacNeal) and in 1979 (with Luv').
- a Gouden Harp (Golden Harp) in 1974 for his talents as a producer.
- an ASCAP award in the United States for the song How Do You Do by Mouth & Mac Neal.
- 40 gold and platina records thanks to his music productions.
[edit] the 2000s
In the beginning of the 2000s, he created an independent music production company (Hans van Hemert Productions). In April 2005, Luv' made a surprise showcase at his 40 year business anniversary and 60th birthday. Then, he formed another girl group: Blinq Inc. In the spring of 2006, his production team remixed Trojan Horse by Luv' (which was included in a 4 CD Box entitled Completely In Luv' (released by Universal Music Netherlands).
