Website tag: N

Now & Forever (album)

Released on 30 October 1995, ‘Now & Forever’ is Kim Wilde’s ninth studio album, the sixth one to be released by MCA Records. The album was the first after the immensely popular Singles Collection 1981-1993 and also the first in a long time to not make any chart impact.

Music

Kim wanted to explore R&B and soul influences, also adding some outright dance tracks into the mix. Ricky Wilde still produced, but joined forces with CJ Mackintosh for four of the album’s tracks and co-produced with the Serious Rope team for seven others.
Lyrically, the album was either very happy (‘Sweet inspiration’, ‘Heaven’, ‘High on you’) or bordering on depression (‘Hold on’).

Tracks

This album contains the tracks Breakin’ Away, High on You, This I Swear, C’mon Love Me, True to You, Hypnotise, Heaven, Sweet Inspiration, Where Do You Go From Here?, Hold On, You’re All I Wanna Do, Life & Soul, Now & Forever, Back to Heaven.
The Japanese CD also contains the track Staying With My Baby.

Artwork

The sleeve of ‘Now & Forever’ was designed by Area. The photographs were made by Marcus Tomlinson.

Formats

‘Now & forever’ was originally released on cd and tape. It was the first Kim Wilde album not released on the vinyl LP format.
See also this page in the discography.

Credits

Backing vocals: Chris Ballin, Lance Ellington, Hazel Fernandes, Clive Griffin, Georgia Lewis, Melanie Lewis, Sylvia Mason-James, Sara Nelson, Beverley Skeete, Miriam Stockley, Richard Wayler, Ricki Wilde
Additional programming: Howard Bargroff
Violin: Catherine Browning
Keyboards: Steve Burton
Guitar: Steve Byrd
Percussion: Pablo Cook
Viola: Amanda Drummond
Keyboards, programming, string arrangement: Aron Friedman
Viola: Frances Illman
Drum & keyboard programming: CJ Mackintosh
Violin: Prabjote Osahn
Cello: Rosie Wetters
Keyboards, guitar, programming, vocal programming: Ricki Wilde
Produced by Ricki Wilde, Serious Rope & CJ Mackintosh
Engineered by James Richards & Howard Bargroff
Recorded at Select Sound Studios, Knebworth

Kim about ‘Now & forever’

The writing for the album began in summer 1994. The first song to get the album started was Life & Soul, which I wrote with Tony Swain. I had a strong feeling that this project should predominantly capture my love of soul and dance music – I’d been a fan of Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and more recently SWV, Mary J Blige, Zhane, Pebbles and Ce Ce Peniston to name a few. Of course, dance music is nothing new to me and much of the material on previous albums has been ‘soul influenced’.
Some songwriting for this album was done in New York, which I thoroughly enjoyed. From New York I also brought back a selection of songs written by others, with You’re all I wanna do being my favourite. (1)

It’s sort of a soul/dance album. It will be perceived as a new direction for me. I suppose it is in a way but I’ve been into dance music for a long time. (2)

It is true that my other discs approached more various themes, but this one corresponds with this period of my life. I have devoted four months writing with the assistance of my brother, Ricki, then I stopped, because I had the feeling to have said all that I had to say. I returned later to write the other lyrics. This recording was for me a kind of personal journal, a therapy. Even if certain titles have a sad side, there’s always an optimistic note there. (3)

With the promotion and ‘The Greatest Hits Tour’ we have been in Australia, Japan and all over Europe. My brother Ricki went along and we performed in big clubs and small theatres. A fantastic time. Until I was so tired of my own past at the end. It was driving me nuts! I thought it was time for something completely different. Together with a few friends I wrote the first song, Life and Soul, off my new album and I played it to my producer. I said: “This is what I want and I hope that you think it’s interesting, because otherwise we need to have a serious talk…”
The executive producer, Steve Wolfe, was very interested in me and took me places. So we ended up in New York, where I was introduced to a lot of songwriters with whom I experimented until we had a song. After ten days we had some seven, of which a few are on the CD. And the others we left behind, we are searching for someone to cover them. I am ambitious, I would like to let someone like Toni Braxton sing them. I would love to write for other artists, that’d really give me a thrill. (4)

By the early 90s, I had had enough of being a pop star and I think the public had had enough of me. It was a two way thing. I could see and feel what was happening and remember thinking that I was fed up too. My album Now And Forever didn’t do very well and I wasn’t that happy about people not buying it. (5)

Chart performance

The album did not chart in any territory.

Interview sources

(1) Kim Wilde Fanclub Magazine, Christmas 1995
(2) GMTV, ITV (UK), 2 October 1995
(3) Kim calms herself, unknown publication (France), 30 December 1995
(4) Rich, beautiful, single and loves rollerblading!, Flair (Belgium), 1995
(5) Wilde about gardening, Irish News (Ireland), 30 April 2001


Now & Forever

Song written by Kim Wilde and George McFarlane. The thirteenth track of the album Now & Forever.

Kim about ‘Now & Forever’

Another collaboration with George McFarlane and a personal favourite. Something forever is something spiritual and that is where love should come from, truly from the soul. Forever should not be said lightly.

Credits

Keyboards & programming: CJ Mackintosh
Vocal programming: Ricky Wilde
Additional programming: Howard Bargroff
Keyboards: Steve Burton
Backing vocals: Lance Ellington, Miriam Stockley
Produced by Ricky Wilde & CJ Mackintosh
Engineered by James Richards & Howard Bargroff
Mix engineered by Howard Bargroff

Chart performance

Switzerland: 37 (5 weeks)

Interview source

Kim Wilde Fanclub Magazine Christmas 1995


Lyrics

I will always love you
Now and forever
I will always love you
Two words collide
Before we knew what was happening
Love crashed into our lives
So helplessly we fell so hard
Guess something had to break
We made our first mistake
We thought we’d found the answer over night
To all the problems that were in our lives
And now I feel the tears
And not a minute passes by
When I don’t wish
That you were near

Time will never mend (oh no)
This broken heart
Now and forever
I will always love you
Pain that never ends (oh oh)
You can be sure
Now and forever
I will always love you

When you hear my name
Tell me how do you fell
Is it just like me
My heart fills up with pain
Just the mention of you makes me fall apart
But where is there to start
You sais we missed our chance and it’s too late
But I believe there’s one more chance to take
I know we said goodbye
But I still can’t let go
Please give us one more try

Time will never mend (oh no)
This broken heart
Now and forever
I will always love you
Pain that never ends (oh oh)
You can be sure
Now and forever
I will always love you

Think again before you walk away
There’s so many reasons you should stay
It’s our destiny
It how it’s got to be
Just you and me
No matter where you go
No matter what you do
You know I’m gonna be right here for you

I will always love you
Giving you my heart
Giving you my soul
Never ever gonna let you go
I will always love you

Novak, Kim

Born 13 February 1933 as Marilyn Novak in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the actress Kim Novak was a cool, sensual blond movie star and sex symbol of the 1950’s and 60’s.

Her first role in a movie was in 1954 in ‘The French Line’ alongside Jayne Mansfield. She was then groomed for stardom by Columbia Pictures by chief Harry Cohn, who hoped that she would replace Rita Hayworth as the studio’s most attractive actress.

Although inexperienced, she soon became a popular star, and by 1956 she was America’s number one box office attraction; she may have been the last “sex goddess” manufactured by the old Hollywood studio system. Novak gained publicity for her supposed romances with celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant, but in 1965 she married actor Richard Johnson. The marriage lasted for only a year. Ten years later she married for the second time.
Meanwhile, her popularity decreased until she retired from the screen in the late 70’s. In the late 80’s she began appearing again in some films and TV productions.

Kim about Kim Novak

I was named after Kim Novak. My parents were into calling their kids after stars at the time and I think they considered calling me Doris after Doris Day. Doesn’t have that certain ring to it though, does it? Doris Wilde…

Interview source

Kim Wilde: Personal file In: Smash Hits (UK), 1988


Nothing Else Matters

Song written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Originally performed by Metallica. Kim Wilde performed this song on 19 June 2004 during a school concert. The school band played this song along with Kids in America and Enter Sandman during a concert organised by Hal Fowler.


Lyrics

So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don’t just say
and nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don’t just say

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us, something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
and I know

So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters

North, Chris

Chris North was born on 18 January 1954 in Billericay, England (UK). He played with the 60’s pop band Love Affair. He joined The Enid in 1980 to replace their drummer Robbie Dobson. Two years after that, he left the band again but continued to function in the band as an occasional session musician until 1993.
Meanwhile, in 1981 he played on Kim’s debut album Kim Wilde and also played drums on most of the tracks on the album Teases & Dares.


Nobody Does It Better

Song written by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer-Sager. Theme song for the 1977 James Bond movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. Originally performed by Carly Simon, it reached number 2 in the US charts and number 7 in the UK. Hamlisch explained: ‘It was time that Bond be pretentious enough and vain enough to have a song written about him’.

Kim Wilde performed the song in December 2002 as a contestant in Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, dressed as the original performer, Carly Simon.


Lyrics

Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you’re the best

I wasn’t lookin’ but somehow you found me
It tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me
The spy who loved me
Is keepin’ all my secrets safe tonight

And nobody does it better
Though sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why’d you have to be so good?

The way that you hold me
Whenever you hold me
There’s some kind of magic inside you
That keeps me from runnin’
But just keep it comin’
How’d you learn to do the things you do?

Oh, and nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, baby, darlin’, you’re the best

Baby you’re the best
Darlin’, you’re the best
Baby you’re the best

No Way Back

‘No Way Back’ is a song written by the Foo Fighters and is a single from their fifth album ‘In Your Honor’ (2005).
Kim Wilde performed it a few times live during the first concert in the second leg of the Perfect Girl Tour, on 31 October 2007.


Lyrics

Lately, I’ve been
Livin’ in my head
The rest of me is dead,
I dying for truth.

Make me, believe,
No more left and right,
Come on take my side,
I’m fightin’ for you,
Fightin’ for you.

Pleased to meet you take my hand,
There is no way back from here,
Pleased to meet you say your prayers,
There is no way back from here,
But I don’t care,
No way back from here.

Wake me, I’m ready,
Somethin’ don’t seem right,
I was dreamin’,
I was talkin’ to you,

Memory, mend me,
Know I’ve seen my share,
Things I can’t repair,
I’m breakin’ to you,
I’m breakin’ to you.

Pleased to meet you take my hand,
There is no way back from here,
Pleased to meet you say your prayers,
There is no way back from here,
But I don’t care,
No way back from, here.

Pleased to meet you say your prayers,
There is no way back from here,
Pleased to meet you say your prayers,
There is no way back from here,
But I don’t care,
No way back from, here

No Secrets

All-girl group consisting of Angel Marie Faith (Born 8 January 1988 in Los Angeles, USA), Carly Sarah Lewis (Born 26 July 1985 in London, UK), Erin Tanner, Jade Alexis Kapololu Ryusaki-Gaspar (Born 5 January 1988 in Hollywood, USA) and Jessica Allison Megan Fried (Born 25 July 1986 in Los Angeles, USA).

Their first claim to fame was a guest appearance on an album by another young star, Aaron Carter. In 2001, they recorded a cover of Kim Wilde’s Kids in America for the soundtrack of the movie Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2002. In 2003, they released a cover version of Atomic Kitten’s ‘Whole Again’. Angel Marie Faith left the band to pursue a solo career, just as they were putting finishing touches on the band’s second album ‘Friends Forever’. Disagreements between the remaining four members of the group led to the eventual break-up of No Secrets in March 2005.

Jessica Fried took on a solo career, signing with Reprise Records under the name Jessi Malay. Erin Tanner adopted the stage name Nicki Foxx and began working on solo material. Jade Ryusaki now resides in Hawaii as a model.


Night of the Proms ’08

Album containing live recordings of the 2008 edition of Night of the Proms, taking place in November/December 2008 in Germany. The tracks were actually recorded in the first week of November in Antwerp, and released on the first day of the Night of the Proms, on 28 November 2008. The CD contains two tracks by Kim Wilde: Cambodia and Kids in America, performed with the Il Novecento Orchestra.


Night of the Proms

Night of the Proms is a series of concerts held annually in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. There are also regular shows in other European countries. The concerts consist of a combination of pop music and popular classical music (often combined) and various well-known musicians and groups usually participate.

The concept was created by two Belgian students, Jan Vereecke and Jan Van Esbroeck in 1985. The first NotP took place at the Antwerp Sportpaleis in Belgium, 19 October 1985. Nowadays the event is organized by PSE Belgium (Promotion for Special Events), still managed by Jan Vereecke and Jan Van Esbroeck. For the concerts outside the Benelux countries, PSE co-operates with local promoters, such as GPE Producciones in Spain and Dirk Hohmeyer in Germany.

Kim Wilde participated in the 2008 edition in Germany and performed over twenty dates all over the country, starting on 28 November 2008 in Cologne and finishing on 21 December 2008 in Hamburg. A recording of her performance is included on the album Night of the proms ’08. She reprised her performance one more time in 2010 during a Night of the Proms concert in Charleroi, Belgium.


New Women in Rock

The lives and careers of more than seventy women rock stars. Fully illustrated, with discographies. Includes bios of stars like Joan Armatrading, Pat Benatar, Marianne Faithfull, The Go-Go’s, Debbie Harry, Grace Jones, Pointer Sisters, Patti Smith and Kim Wilde.

Release date: 1 February 1983
Written by: Liz Thomson, Giovanni Dadomo et al.
Publisher: Delilah-Putnam Publishing, Omnibus Press
Number of pages: 96


New Life

Song written by Kim and Ricky Wilde. Sixth track of the album Wilde Winter Songbook.

Live performances

‘New Life’ was performed live during Christmas gigs in December 2013, 2014 and 2015 and the Wilde Wild Xmas Show in December 2017.

Kim about ‘New Life’

Ricky sent this beautiful melody to me late one night as I lay in bed. As my husband Hal was sleeping, I put my earphones on and felt inspired to write the lyrics immediately. ‘New Life’ as a title came immediately, as over the previous Christmas we had a huge family get together on Boxing Day, and both my sister Roxanne and her husband Richie, and Ricky’s son Marty and his fiancé Lissy were both pregnant and expecting a baby the following summer! This song is a lullaby to the unborn babies who have yet to make their mark on the world, bringing so much love and joy, and is a wonderful memory of a family Christmas spent together. (1)

Credits

Bass, keys, acoustic guitar & backing vocals: Ricky Wilde
Drums & percussion: Jonathan Atkinson
Guitars: Neil Jones
Backing vocals: Scarlett Wilde
Produced by Ricky Wilde
Recorded at RAK Studios, London
Mixed by Ricky Wilde & Sean Vincent at RAK Studios, London
Engineered by Sean Vincent, assisted by Robbie Nelson & Helen Atkinson

Interview source

(1) Track by track, Kimwilde.com website (UK), 11 November 2013


Lyrics

It’s a beautiful mystery,
Who knows who are what you’ll turn out to be,
We’ll all wait patiently,
but you know we just can’t wait to see… you

Now we’re gathered together,
All friends and family,
Let’s make a toast to us, and most of all,
To the new life to be.

But you don’t know,
Sweet little thing,
Safely inside,
You don’t know of the joy you’ll bring into our lives
Or of the love that surrounds you on this winter’s night.
You are new, New life.

So take your time little one,
Life goes so fast once it’s begun.
As soon as you come outside,
You’re in for one rock ‘n’ roll, crazy ride.
There’s a universe to travel,
Its wonders to reveal,
Your adventure in this beautiful world
will soon become real.

And you must know, sweet little thing,
To never be afraid,
We’ll be there to protect you
When it don’t go your way,
And to share in the joy of a beautiful day and your
New… New life.