Zoals Vrienden Doen by Bonnie & José: 35th anniversary!!!

The signature song of Bonnie & José

35 years ago exactly, on August 3rd, 1985, Zoals Vrienden Doen, a duet single by Bonnie St. Claire and José Hoebee entered the Dutch Top 40. The track also charted on the Nationale Hitparade. It is considered the signature song of the Bonnie & José duo. Let's celebrate the 35th anniversary of this iconic record...

History

After Luv's first break-up in 1981, José Hoebee was the former member of the girl group who enjoyed the most successful solo career. She scored two big hits in the Netherlands and Belgium, the #1 song I Will Follow Him and Secret Love in 1982 as well as a couple of lesser-known singles: The Good Times (1982), I Can Hear Music (1983) and Time Goes By (1984). She experienced a new phase of her career thanks to the popular duet single So Long, Marianne with Ron Brandsteder in early 1984 (see article posted on January 10th, 2019). 

Bonnie St. Claire had been a household name in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium) since the early 1970s. Among her greatest hit singles were: I Won't Stand Between Them (1970), Claps Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet (with Unit Gloria - 1972), the chart-topper Rocky (with Don Mercedes - 1976), Dokter Bernhard (with Ron Brandsteder - 1976), Pierrot (1980) and Sla Je Arm Om Me Heen (1983). 

José and Bonnie had known each other since 1978 because they were under the same management (Interlinde, a company owned by Pim ter Linde). They rapidly became friends.

In 1984, long before the revival of interest in ABBA's music (ABBAesque by Erasure, ABBA Gold, Mamma Mia! musical...), Bonnie and José decided to form a duo to record songs of the Swedish Fab Four in Dutch. Their first collaboration was "Cassandra" (originally the B-side of ABBA's hit "The Day Before You Came" in late 1982). This duet single peaked at #24 on the Top 40 and #19 on the Nationale Hitparade (see article posted on July 7th, 2019). 

After Cassandra's respectable success on the hit parade, Bonnie & José decided to continue their professional relationship. In late 1984 and early 1985, they were involved in the ABBAcadra project (see article posted on March 16th, 2020). 

Moreover, the ladies often appeared together in the press, on television and on stage.

Limburgsch Dagblad - February 9th, 1985 - Bonnie & José about losing weight

Click here to read the article online

De Telegraaf - April 13th, 1985: Bonnie St. Claire, Centerfold and other artists at a charity event for Africa

Click here to read an article online

The July 13th, 1985 edition of Dutch most-read newspaper De Telegraaf featured an article about Bonnie St. Claire's legal negotiations with ABBA to release a duet album with José including cover versions of songs originally performed by the legendary Swedish quartet. 

De Telegraaf - July 13th, 1985

Click here to read the article online

In the summer of 1985, RCA Records released "Zoals Vrienden Doen" (the cover of ABBA's The Way Old Friends Do) and performed by Bonnie & José. Will Hoebee (José's husband), then a sought-after producer, supervised the recording. Eurovision Song Contest conductor Harry van Hoof arranged it. Benny Neyman (a famous artist from Will's roster) wrote the text of this track in Dutch. The B-side of the single was "Vandaag of Morgen", the Dutch cover version of "The Sun Will Be There" by Full House. During the promotion of the record, José had to slow down as she was pregnant. However, her duet single with Bonnie became quite successful. 

Zoals Vrienden Doen charted in the Netherlands. Bonnie & José sang it on several occasions on TV and on stage. The song was included on the duet LP "Herinnering" which came out in late 1985. In Autumn, the album will be reissued on CD/DVD thanks to a crowdfunding campaign that started earlier this year (see news posted on January 27th, 2020). In addition to the 12 original album songs digitally remastered, the new edition of Herinnering will contain one bonus track (probably The Sun Will Be There) and a DVD of the TV special 'Bonnie & José in Sweden' (originally broadcast on May 27th, 1986 on NCRV). 

In 2006, as José visited Bonnie on Talpa's reality TV show Hotel Big Brother, the two singers sang their iconic duet. 

In 2013, when the ladies made a brief comeback, they performed their song on SBS6's  program "Nederland Muziekland".

Commercial performance

"Zoals vrienden doen" entered the Dutch charts 35 years ago. It later reached #36 on the Top 40 and #18 on the Nationale Hitparade. 

Tracklisting - Credits

Zoals Vrienden Doen - released in June 1985 by RCA Records

A side: Zoals Vrienden Doen (The Way Old Friends Do) - 3:16

Lyrics By B. Neyman - Music By – B. Andersson/B. Ulvaeus

 

B side: Vandaag Of Morgen (The Sun Will Be There Again) - 3:15

Written-By A. Hol, B. Neyman, R. Brandsteder

Recorded at Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, The Netherlands

Arranged by Harry van Hoof

Management: Double Entertainment

Producer: Will Hoebee

Technician: Pieter Boer

Styling: Tom Touch Hilversum

Photography: Govert de Roos

Back cover of Zoals Vrienden Doen

TV performances

* July 11th, 1985: Nederland Muziekland (Veronica, Netherlands)

 

* July 19th, 1985: Op Volle Toeren (TROS, Netherlands)

* August 16th, 1985: Op Volle Toeren (TROS, Netherlands)

* May 27th, 1986: Bonnie en José in Zweden (TV special taped in Sweden) on NCRV, Netherlands

* March 27th, 2002: rerun of Zoals Vrienden Doen on Voor Alle Fans (TROS, Netherlands)

* February 6th, 2006: Hotel Big Brother (Talpa, Netherlands)

* December 8th, 2008: rerun of Zoals Vrienden Doen on Voor Alle Fans (TROS, Netherlands)

* October 12th, 2013: Nederland Muziekland (SBS 6, Netherlands)

Sources:

• Top 40 Hitdossier 1956-2005 (9e editie) by Johan van Slooten, publ: Gottmer Bech 
• Dutch hit parade: www.dutchcharts.nl 
• www.discogs.com
• YouTube
• Luv' weblog archives