Date: 1 January 1992
Originally published in: MORE (Netherlands)
Written by:
Kim Wilde is briefly in the Netherlands to promote her new single hit “Love is holy” and to tell something about her eighth and latest lbum “Love is”. Of course MORE is interested in the things miss Wilde has been occupied with during the past few months. More than interested, even! We meet eachother in the room of a wellknown Amsterdam hotel where a personal assistant asks us to have a few moments of patience. Five minutes later we meet miss Wilde and it should be said: in reality she looks even more beautiful than we imagined!
“I am very satisfied about my new album”, says Kim with a charming smile. “We recorded three songs in Los Angeles together with Belinda Carlisle’s producer, Rick Nowels. The other songs I recorded with my brother in our studio in England. Yes, ever since the beginning of my career my brother and I have been a solid team. That isn’t always easy. There have been times when I saw our working together as a very choking thing. But on the other hand it gave me the stimulus to write songs myself. Rick is an extraordinarily talented person. I don’t just work with him because he’s my brother, but also because he’s very good! My sister Roxanne also works on the album by the way. She’s only twelve and sings beautifully. She does the backing vocals in the song “The light of the moon belongs to me”. But she doesn’t want to become a popstar like me. She’s more interested in horses and computer games. I am the big sister with whom she has a load of fun.”
World hits
Following in the footsteps of her father Marty Wilde, who had five English Top 10 hits between 1958 and 1962, Kim Wilde makes a chance debut in 1981 with “Kids in America”, written by her father and her younger brother Ricky. It’s by chance because she was supposed to sing the backing vocals. But record boss Mickie Most decides differently: Kim will become a star! He is right because the single “Kids in America” becomes a worldwide hit. “Chequered Love”, “Cambodia” and “View From A Bridge” also end up high in the charts internationally and within one year Kim Wilde grows into a pop idol. “In 1983 I moved to London and that was actually a bad disappointment. I wanted to find out who I was and what I wanted. I didn’t have a hard time with myself but also with my career. My private life seemed like a minefield, my career had a lot of ups and downs. Two years ago I bought a house in Hertfordshire, the area where I grew up. Since I live there I feel differently. I have changed my life. Got more respect for myself. I don’t smoke and drink anymore, I eat more healthily, do a little fitness and feel happier than ever. It reflects on the album as well. It’s become a very postive record.”
Love
Love is the central theme on the album. What does Kim Wilde consider to be love? “Love is something very beautiful. It’s not just the love for another person, but also for love in general. ‘Love is holy’ is an ode to love. Love is not a game, love is real. Love has got something to do with selfrespect. When you don’t have that you can’t love anyone else. I have found that out now. I hope everyone will recognise themselves in the songs on my album.”
Talking about love: you are 31 years old, isn’t it time you got married? “No, not really. I have to find the right man first, I think!”
After which MORE falls into a silence, desperately hoping.
