Date: 3 November 1984
Originally published in: Hitkrant (Netherlands)
Written by:
Kim Wilde has come from dark times. Against all expectations her album “Catch As Can” flopped. Things with her boyfriend Gary Barnacle weren’t as they used to be either. Problems that confused the blonde singer and that compromised her future in the showbusiness. “Still I’m determined to strike back”, a selfassured Kim Wilde insists. A comeback.
Confidence lost
“Until recently I didn’t know what to do next”, Kim unveils for the first time after a silence of many months. “Since my first steps in this business I had success after success, I got more popular every day. No-one expected that “Dancing in the dark” would do so bad. Every monday I woke up in fear and informed with my record company if the record had made the charts yet. They reacted coldly. Kim Wilde had disappointed her entourage. And I lost my confidence.”
“No, it wasn’t really a good song”, Kim says a few moments later. “My brother and father went through a less creative period. They own up to that now. And it can’t be a success everytime of course. I still thought I’d failed though.”
How did you deal with the problem in the mean time?
“When it all started for me, I never dared to write a song or something. I used the silence after that flop as well as I could. Kim Wilde started to write for herself, lyrics and music. I no longer have to lean on the shoulders of my family. On the new album two songs will be written by myself. Ricky and dad were very happy about that. Now they can share the responsibility with their singing daughter.”
It seems like Kim Wilde will never fly away from under her father’s wings?
“Not true”, Kim insists. “It’s not like I still live at home or see him every day. I can live on my own.”
Daily quarrels
Kim also stopped living with sax player Gary Barnacle, the man who was also in her band. “I didn’t think it was such an ideal combination after all”, says La Wilde. “Gary was in my band and that created problems on a daily basis. Because whenever you share the same job, you end up talking about nothing else. I couldn’t make any decision or we would have endless arguments. Gary is still a friend but I don’t think I’m ready for a longlasting relationship. I like to organise my life the way I want to. Which is why I went to live alone. A nice flat full of stuff, a few instruments and freedom, especially a lot of freedom. I can’t miss out on that.”
In your new video you make a very selfconscious, almost aggressive impression.
“Because I finally want to get off that dull image I had. I am not a nice doll in someone else’s setting. The images are inspired on Batwoman and Catwoman comics from my youth. Or Barbarella, that was my absolute heroine when I was a teenager.”
Strong and powerful women?
“Hey, I am one, am I not?”
