This edition of Countdown features Christmas message from various pop stars, and Kim Wilde is one of them.

Brief interview with Kim in English, with Finnish subtitles, about her live concerts.

Kim lipsynchs ‘Dancing in the dark’. She is backed by a three-piece band.

 

Interview on stage in English, translated on the spot by presenter Jonas Hallberg into Swedish for the audience. They talk about videos, touring, and being a sex symbol.

How are you, Kim Wilde?
I feel great, actually.

Yeah? You feel great?
Yeah.

I understand the whole of your family is engaged in the business of your career. Is that right?
Yeah, they’re engaged in my career and I’m very much engaged in their career as well.

I see. So it’s not… I mean everybody’s supporting you but everybody’s supporting each other?
Yeah, yeah.

You have become famous, in a way, through videos. You have not been touring so much or appearing on stage?
No, I haven’t done very much, but I’m just about to embark on a three week European tour on the 25th of November and I shall be in Stockholm on the 9th of December.

When you do videos, what’s the difference between doing a video and doing a stage show?
Well… When you’re doing a video you’re miming and when you’re doing a stage show you’re not miming.

That’s the only difference?
(Laughs) It’s the only one I can think of.

There are more cameras on the video version as well, perhaps. But I was wondering about this sex bit. You know, you have been famous as something of a sex symbol. How does that strike you, miss Wilde? Is that something that you, sort of, or, you feel, yes?
Well I don’t know, but I hear you’re something of a sex symbol too, so maybe –

Me? (They laugh.) That’s interesting. But I thought it’s more apparent in your case, perhaps.
Do you think so?

Yeah. No?
(Laughs) I don’t know.

Well, how can I use this situation? Kim, I think we will show what I mean by showing a video. And could you say the name of the video, please?
The name of the video is ‘Dancing in the dark’.

(Video starts.)

Kim lipsynchs to ‘Dancing in the dark’. She is backed by two keyboard players and a drummer. They are performing in front of a live studio audience. Kim is wearing a black jacket and dark trousers. After the performance, Kim is briefly interviewed and asked to comment on two young girls, one of which is dressed up like Boy George.

Kim and her band perform ‘Dancing in the dark’. Kim sings live to a specially recorded backing track. After the performance, she is briefly interviewed while she’s sitting on a motorbike. A few embarrassing moments when the technical gadget doesn’t work and a translator has to get up on stage to help the presenter ask questions to Kim. After that, the interview can start for real. The presenter asks how the success of Kim Wilde is created.

Kim answers: ‘We all write together. That’s how we’ve always worked. We work together in the studio. In fact, we’ve just built a new recording studio.’