She doesn’t look well rested, that monday morning after the first Michael Jackson concert, but she’s still a remarkable appearance. She may hate her nickname, but that pout is totally Bardot in her best years.
She is down-to-earth about her European tour, realises that she is the support act of the biggest act of the world. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought. The audience was very nice to me. I do realise that no-one really came for me.”
Kim Wilde is making records for almost a decade now. Her first records sold like crazy and spawned a series of hits. Then it became silent, in ’86 the album ‘Another step’ was released, and the cover ‘You keep me hangin’ on’ soared into the charts and then it became silent again. Until now, because this interview was organised because of her new record ‘Close’. The problem is that ‘Close’ isn’t much better or worse than her earlier products. A lot of drum machines and synthesizers and high in that wall of sound the voice of Kim Wilde. Which brings us to the prejudices she always has to fight against.
Prejudice 1: Kim Wilde is subject to her father Marty and her brother Ricki.
“That’s what everyone thinks and says. But it’s nonsense. I usually work with my brother. He doesn’t like performing live. When I would go on stage with hm, you wouldn’t hear anyone about it. You could see our cooperation like the one of the Eurythmics. We just work well together.”
Prejudice 2: Kim Wilde is just a star because she exploits her looks.
“I used to be bothered by that a lot. With that sexy image. I have put another sultry photograph on the cover but that’s meant ironically. I try to loosen up about it. I look like this and I’m satisfied with that. I won’t over-accentuate it, like George Michael is doing.
Prejudice 3: Kim Wilde isn’t changing her music and lyrics.
“On ‘Close’ is a song called ‘European Soul’, it’s about the painter Chagall. I didn’t always make things like that. But it’s correct most of the time. Most of my lyrics are about loves starting and stopping. But I still haven’t gotten married and I still don’t have a man. So I can still make songs about that subject.”