With Kim Wilde at Antenne Thüringen

Gentlemen!!! I have met with Kim Wilde. Yes, I must have been around 14 years old, when my friend Vincent, who had blue eyes, entered the dressing room of a tennis hall one Saturday and declared to us fools that Sabrina was out, despite her two assets: Kim Wilde, spoke pop demagogue Böcking in his TV programme ‘Formel 1’, was now the best – and he was right. Next Saturday already, when everyone knew to hold a full-extent short lecture, while one pulled oneself the tennis sock over the pale little legs. And now, around 18 years later, I sit at Antenna Thuringia and chat with a good humoured, relaxed and still damned good looking Kim Wilde to chart about her new album, shopping and the market garden (one hardly believes it, but Kim wrote two books about gardening!). If Vincent knew… First we wait a little for the lady, but what does it matter… Suddenly she sits there, we talk. English. Thus I ask:

What moved you to record this album, named ‘Never say never’ – does it remind Sean Connery’s film, or has it got nothing to do with that?
No, absolutely not. But it was a fitting title, because until recently even I didn’t know that I would record this album. I went out of the music business 10 years ago and I was sure that was it. I got married and thought that music was over for me. The endless writing, touring, promoting – I found out that I would never have a life of my own. If I were to do this all the time, then I would be a permanently rolling stone. During the time I considered this I met my husband – the man I’d searched for my whole life. It was somehow liberating and very positive, this record is a big surprise for me – “Never say never”.

Is it a classic comeback for you, or a brand new start?
OK, it is a comeback, but in many ways it is also a new start. I carry a lot of the past around with me – most of all ‘Kids in America’. Every time I released a new album people would come up to me and say how much they liked ‘Kids in America’. Somewhere I thought I would have to sing this damn song for the rest of my life. The song, this time and myself, we become ever more strangers. It took a lot of time and distance to discover something new in it.

When you look in the rear view mirror – how were the eighties for you?
I was 20 years old, I travelled around the world, it was a lot of fun. A whole new generation grew up, a new energy. There were so many amazing bands. The Punk period had ended, exploded and pop became more adult. It was a damned good time for musicians and the whole period influenced music history. And I was there – it’s great!

When I heard the new single ‘You came’ in the new version, I was surprised about the guitars and the heavy bass line, somehow not very pop. Were there special influences or was it all part of the production process?
I always loved the real guitar bands. I wanted to go back to my beginnings, raw and direct and clear. I mean, why would a 45 year old Kim Wilde do the same pop version again? I prefer the rock sound. Live there is nothing better: rock, guitars, I love it!

How was working with Nena? Here in Germany we were slightly surprised about it…
(laughs) She is the reason I’m sitting here. I could never have imagined recording a new album. The collaboration with Nena was great, I loved the song and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss doing promo together. The whole thing started from there… and since then I never say never! That’s it!