Date: 9 June 1988
Originally published in: Bravo (Germany)
Written by: Markus Ott
With “Hey Mr. Heartache” you finally have a hit again after a long time. Were you nervous when the success didn’t come for some time?
Not at all. In England I had a beautiful success last winter with “Rockin’ around the Christmas tree”. It was obvious to all involved that it wouldn’t be successful in Germany because it was taylormade for British humour. In the summer of 87 I have started working on my new album “Close”. I wanted to record a great album and I didn’t concentrate on any more singles because of that. I believe the work has paid off.
“Hey Mr. Heartache” is a song full of melancholy. Is it based on your own experiences?
Basically all songs are based on my own experiences, and turned into something musical. I mean, one can only write songs honestly when the feeling is there. We have all once experienced a love gone sour. One of such experiences is described in “Hey Mr. Heartache”.
Has it got something to do with your relationship with Julian Lennon?
No, Julian and I were just good friends. It wasn’t more than that.
There are a lot of people who maintained the opposite…
That is the only bad thing about the history between Julian and me. No-one thinks twice when they see a boy and a girl in a restaurant at a table together. When the two are famous, a story is invented.
So you weren’t in love with one another?
I like Julian a lot. But love? No, I was never in love with him. And to get the whole story straight: we also didn’t sleep together.
How did you meet him?
That was at the Montreux festival a year ago. Julian lived in Montreux, and through common friends we met at a party. We went out a couple of times together, but because of our jobs we were separated again very fast.
Are you still in contact with him?
Rarely, and when we are in contact it’s through the telephone.
Will you ever see him again?
I hope so, because we have a lot in common. But my work will leave me little time off.
What does your calender look like, then?
I will first promote the single and the album worldwide. In autumn I will go on tour, and before there’s a lot of preparation to be done. I have to find a band and rehearse with them. The time is short.
Do you have time for some hobby’s?
The only thing I do next to music is reading and going to art exhibitions or galleries. That is compatible with my job.
What do you read about?
I have a lot of books about art history in my luggage, because I would like to know more about my favourite painters.
Who are your favourite painters?
Chagall, Toulouse-Lautrec and the classic painters.
How did you become interested in painting?
I am a real France-fanatic, I usually spend my holidays there. This country has brought forth many painters, that you nearly inevitably stumble into the art, if you’re there longer.
What do you like about France next to painting?
The people are so open, the food is great and the country is beautiful. In the south it’s almost always beautiful weather.
Could you imagine living in South France permanently?
That’s difficult, because I can never stay anywhere for a long time. England is a dreadful country, the weather is usually bad and the food is miserable. But my roots are there, my family and my friends live there. You can’t really close that off. I always get homesick for England really fast. It would have been best for me if I were born in the South of France and raised there. Then I would have everything I love there. But I will buy a house in the South of France now as soon as possible.
In the vicinity of Cannes and Monte Carlo there are lots of ‘Schickimickis’. Do you like that?
No, I don’t like those types. I wouldn’t want to live in such mundane places anyway. I’d prefer a quiet place, close to the sea. I have to seach, but I’m sure I’ll find it.
You seem very at ease, selfassured. Where does this selfconfidence come from?
Well, I believe that there is a fate that gives us all a predestination. Everything has its sense. There’s no coincidence in my life. And my fate seems to look very positive, it’s good for me. I don’t have any fear for things that come towards me.
How did you come to this way of looking at life?
I’m busy with dream explanations a lot, and I read a lot about that. It would take me too far to explain the whole complex here. But it’s true that you can learn a lot from your dreams about your life. Dreams are always encoded somehow. If you dream about a certain animal it can mean a certain life situation. One has to analyse this thoroughly.
Do you believe in horoscopes?
Yes, somehow. But I haven’t been busy with that a lot. I would like to read more about that too.
Are you superstitious?
A little, yes. I mean, I always have a talisman with me and I do more such things, like always putting on my left socks on first. On a Friday the 13th I always have a bad feeling in my gut.
You always wear black clothes. Is there a reason for that too?
No, not for that. I feel good in black and I think the colour suits me. It has a little to do with the English weather as well. In England a lot of people wear dark colours. In the summer I prefer to wear white or brightly coloured clothes, but only when it’s really hot. If I lived in California I would only wear bright clothes.
You are a very beautiful, successful girl, but still not married…
I simply haven’t found mr. Right yet.
What should he look like?
Oh, it isn’t important what he looks like. I value the inside of persons more.
And what characteristics appeal to you most?
Honesty, faithfulness, intelligence. Humour – I believe my dream type has to be simply perfect. Maybe too perfect.
And the exterior doesn’t matter?
When I was a teenager I was much more interested in looks. It has faded in time. Now it’s not just the pretty boys I like. There is an actor in England, Tom Conti. He doesn’t look great, but I like him. On the other hand, when I see a type like Christopher Lambert, the way he looked like as Tarzan, I get weak in the knees. Blonde guys with long hair and an athletic figure appeal to me more than dark haired men with small shoulders. But they need to have a brain.
Could you imagine giving up your career for marriage?
That is hard. I grew up in a musical family and I can’t imagine a life without music. I am in this job for ten years now, and it’s a lot of fun for me. With a baby I couldn’t travel the world, so I would have to make changes. In principle I believe that nothing is a sacrifice once I find the right man and I am head over heels in love with him.
What would your life look like as a housewife?
I don’t have to worry much about money fortunately, because I have a little of it now. But I wouldn’t sit still as a housewife. I could imagine finding a totally different pastime once the children grow up. Maybe just writing songs or writing a book. But I would probably paint a lot, because that was a lot of fun in school as well.
