A very short interview with Kim and Junior as part of a chart show, just after the clip of ‘Another step (closer to you)’ is shown.
What was it like to shoot the video?
Well, I shot a lot of it in Paris and Junior wasn’t actually there. And it was pouring down with rain. It was a very difficult time. A difficult day. You know, keep my hair, my make-up… You can’t imagine the girlie problems that I had. And strutting down on stilettos. There’s a shot of me having to run up and down many, many stairs, steps in fact. I had to do that shot about six times. And there was about a hundred steps. It was kindof getting on my nerves. I wish I hadn’t called it ‘Another step’ after that.
Saturday Superstore
Date
4 April 1987 Channel
BBC (UK)
Kim and Junior do a lipsynch performance of ‘Another step (closer to you)’. After this, they are interviewed by the presenter and the audience. There’s a competition in which viewers can win the cd, the single and a mirror which was given to Kim by Mel Bush, who promoted her first tour, featuring an image from her first tour. Kim reappears later on in the show to answer questions from fans by phone. Finally, Kim and Junior participate in a video voting panel, discussing videos from various acts.
Good morning Britain
Date
1 April 1987 Channel
ITV (UK)
Kim is interviewed about her live performance, tonight, at the Action for AIDS concert in Wembley and her new single ‘Another step (closer to you)’.
[…]
It wasn’t like I’m going to carry on the family name or it wasn’t for any other weird reason other than the fact that I just love pop music and I love singing. I was determined to be involved in it somehow.
Dad’s rubbing his eyes out now, isn’t he? You’ve made it. I don’t think he at one time did he think you’re gonna make it, did he?
Well he’s a bit of a pessimist about most things but I think inside he kindof, maybe, he was a bit more optimistic than he led on.
What about yourself? I mean you’ve got ‘Another step’ coming out, which we’ll hear shortly, and an album, all sorts of things happening for you, working with Prince, it’s all happening so quickly…
(Surprised:) Prince?
Junior!
Well, yes, that’s right, Junior actually. I have a record out now called ‘Another step’, which I’m here to plug away, as well as the concert tonight…
Well you didn’t actually meet him, did you?
Actually, I’ve met Junior just very briefly over my six year career and not actually got to know him very well, but called him up anyway to do this duet with me because I love his singing and I thought it was about time he was listened to again basically. Actually I heard on the radio they played ‘Mama used to say’ this morning, so everyone wants to hear Junior sing again which is just as well because he’s making a new album. (Smiles) He’s gonna love me.
It’s not an easy decision is it, to work with someone like Junior with whom you’ve had no rapport before. I would have thought the natural thing would have been to go on on your own because you are a big name on your own Kim.
Well the thing is, when I wrote this song, what happened was I couldn’t sing the low bits when I was writing it with my guitarist.
[‘Another step (closer to you)’ is played while photographs of Kim are shown on screen.]
My daughter thinks that’s smashing. A sure number 1, she says.
Well that’s great, how old is she?
She’s about 29… No she’s eleven years old.
(…)
Have you ever done the dirty on anyone [on April Fools day]?
I used to do it. I used to be a fiend on April 1st with my mate Clare. We used to get up to all sorts of dreadful things, most of which are highly unmentionable, but we did fix her parent’s milk bill once which was highly hilarious, because they’re very organised by these things. We put on until it kindof got into nearly a 100 pounds. We came back to find them puzzling over it phoning up the milk board and having a complete nervous breakdown about it, but I really enjoyed doing those. In fact I’m really disappointed I didn’t do any this year.
(…)
You’ve got a big concert tonight, Kim. Do you get nervous still when you get on stage?
Well I will be tonight, I think. Because I’m gonna sing a song with my dad and my brother just gonna be playing piano and it’s just gonna be the three of us and… I don’t know… I will be very nervous.
Just remembering Paul McCartney at Wembley is the big fear that suddenly all the microphones fail to work and all the amplifiers fail to work and just sitting there like a dodo. Does it happen?
I guess, yes of course it happens, Paul can tell you about that. Yeah, it does happen. But it won’t happen tonight. Tonight’s gonna be a very successful night, I can feel that.
It must be amazing when you’re playing alongside such big names. Won’t you sometimes think ‘I can’t quite believe this, you know, it’s just little Kim Wilde, what am I doing here?’ or is that quite normal now? Have you gotten used to all that?
Well I still get pretty starstruck about some people. I think for me in fact tonight is going to be quite strenuous to sing because we’re singing an Elton John song and Elton John’s gonna be there.
At what time does it start? 7.25 or something?
I believe so.
Plenty of seats still available to join Aids day at Wembley. Good luck to you Kim.
Action for AIDS concert
Date
1 April 1987 Channel
Super Channel (UK)
Kim and Marty sing ‘Sorry seems to be the hardest word’, accompanied by Ricky on piano. A short interview with Kim is edited in before the performance and near the end of it.
Roadshow
Date
30 March 1987 Channel
UK
Kim Wilde lipsynchs ‘You keep me hangin’ on’ on stage in a large theatre, before a live audience. Possibly the performance was actually live, but the sound overdubbed with the studio version of the track. Some time later on in the programme, Kim is joined by Junior as they perform ‘Another step (closer to you)’ together. This performance has the sound of the single version of that track.
Jim’ll fix it
Date
28 March 1987 Channel
BBC (UK)
Alison Watson and Pauline Bridge get the chance to perform ‘Another step (closer to you)’ in the programme together with Kim and Junior. The sound is pre-recorded – although the chorus is sung by Alison and Pauline instead of Kim and Jiunior – and the performance is lipsynched. After the performance, the two children get a ‘Jim fixed it for me’ medal.
Toppop
Date
24 March 1987 Channel
AVRO (Netherlands)
Kim and Junior are interviewed briefly by presenter Bas Westerweel, after which they perform ‘Another step (closer to you)’ in the Toppop studio surrounded by an enthousiastic crowd. Kim is wearing a Beastie Boys t-shirt.
Let it be (Ferry Aid) (Music video)
Date
23 March 1987 Channel
Kim lent her vocals to this charity single, and appeared briefly in the accompanying video. She sings ‘When the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me’ together with Nik Kershaw, and later on she sings the chorus ‘Let it be’.
Another step (closer to you) (music video)
Date
16 March 1987 Channel
Directed by Greg Masuak.
This video was filmed in Paris, France. It features both Kim and Junior, as they are literally moving closer to one another. It starts with a plane arriving at the airport, with Kim walking from there through the streets of Paris, getting some attention from passers by as she is doing this. Meanwhile, Junior is singing his part of the song in a room which looks like an abandoned dance-room or studio.
Near the end of the song they finally get together in this room and they sing the last refrain together.
Wogan
Date
16 March 1987 Channel
BBC (UK)
Kim and Junior do a lipsynch performance of ‘Another step (closer to you)’. They are backed by a band consisting of a drummer, two guitarists, a keyboard player and three sax players.
The new music
Date
16 March 1987 Channel
Sky Channel (UK)
Canadian music programme with a segment about Kim Wilde, in which her comeback is detailed.
(Music video for ‘The second time’ is shown.)
I’ve had a lot of people angle a lot of things at me during the last six years of my career, you know, that I’m only in it because I’m blonde and I’ve got a face and an image and that kind of thing, or because of my father, because he was in the pop business, because he’s a famous star in the UK, or that I’m some kind of puppet being manipulated, I mean I’ve had the whole lot, that I’m just a sex symbol and I can’t do it, and I’ve proven them all wrong. I’ve got a great live act, I’ve been making records, I’m still around now after six years. And I’ve become a songwriter and I’ve just written a top 10 record in the UK. So I’m not too concerned with what people say about what I do. I just proved to them that I’m much more… there’s much more substance to me and you can’t tell that to people, they have to find that out for themselves.
(Music video for ‘You keep me hangin’ on’ is shown.)
The video of ‘You keep me hangin’ on’ really reminds me of the book by John Fowels called ‘The collector’ where he keeps this woman tied up in his basement to try and hold on to her. Have you read that book?
I haven’t, but in many ways that’s what the song’s about. It’s about a guy that you can’t get out of your head and in that way you’re imprisoned by him, emotionally. And that is what we wanted to get across in the video. Definitely. But I think the video makes quite clear that she’s getting him out of her hair. Or doing her damnedest to. It’s a different attitude to the one that Diana Ross had which I believe she would have taken him back at the drop of a hat. My one is more sort of aggressive and rough, tough fighting talk.
Have you had any response back from Diana Ross and what she thinks of your cover version?
No, I’ve had a response from one of the writers which is slightly more interesting for me. Lamont Dozier, indirectly he sent a message to us and said it was great and said it was really fresh and he really liked it. I don’t know what Diana thinks of it. I’m sure she’d love it, you know. She’s a groovy chick.
Ambitions
Date
28 February 1987 Channel
France
Kim lipsynchs ‘You keep me hangin’ on’. She is backed by a band consisting of a keyboard player, guitarist and a drummer.
