KIM WILDE

 

Kim Wilde, born on November 18, 1960 in Chiswick, London, United Kingdom, signed in 1980 a contract with RAK ​​Records. Kim debuted in 1981 with the song "Kids in America", a top 10 hit in the Netherlands and number 2 in England. It is still seen worldwide as her most famous song. Later that year the debut album ‘Kim Wilde’ was released. Kim's second CD, ‘Select’, followed in 1982. She won in 1983 the Best Female Vocalist Award during the annual presentation of the British Phonographic Industry Awards. Kim's third album, ‘Catch as cath can’, was also released that year. After this CD she left RAK Records and signed a contract with MCA Records in the summer of 1984. Here her fourth CD, ‘Teases and dares’ was released. Kim released in 1986 her fifth album, ‘Another Step’. This album also contained her greatest success with a cover of the Supremes classic "You Keep Me Hangin’ On”. After reaching the highest spot in Australia and Canada and number 2 in England, it became a number 1 hit in America in the summer of 1987. With that she became the fifth English female singer who became number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100. Only in March 2008, Leona Lewis would succeed Kim with her single "Bleeding Love". In 1988, Kim released her best-selling album, ‘Close’. The release of the album coincided with Michael Jackson's Bad Tour, where she acted as support act throughout Europe.

 

Kim released in 1990 her seventh CD ‘Love moves’. This time she toured as David Bowie's support act during his Sound & Vision tour. In 1992 her eighth CD, ‘Love is’ was released. Kim released in 1995 her ninth CD, ‘Now and forever’. From February 1996 she played the role of Mrs. Walker in the London West End musical production from Tommy. Kim attended classes at the prestigious Capel Manor to study horticulture. After this she was recruited by Channel 4 as a designer for the program "Better Gardens”. A year later she switched to the BBC, where she recorded two seasons of "Garden Invaders".

 

But in the meantime the music was still in her blood. On January 13. 2001, Kim performed again for the first time in four years, as a guest in a local charity concert provided by the ABBA tribute band Fabba. As a result, she performed in the Here & Now Tour at the end of 2001. This was such a success that she repeated this for the next three years. In July 2001, Kim and David Fountain made the garden 'All about Alice' for the Tatton Flower Show. The garden received the 'Best Show Garden' prize. In 2003 Kim and the German female singer Nena released the song "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anywhere". The duet was a success in Europe. In the Netherlands and Austria the duet has been number 1 in the charts. This number was her first number 1 hit in the Netherlands. Kim designed and made ‘The Cumbrian Fellside Garden' with Richard Lucas in 2005 for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London. The garden won a gold medal and the 'Best in show' prize in the Courtyard Gardens category, plus the BBC RHS People's Award for small gardens. In that year Kim also participated for the first time in the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show and won a gold medal and the title 'best in show' in the Courtyard Gardens category. In the same year she published a book about gardening, Gardening with children. Kim released in 2006 her tenth album, ‘Never say never’. She published her second book about gardening, The First-time Gardener. In 2007 Kim went on tour again for the first time since 1994. After this, four more studio albums were released, ‘Come out and play’ from 2010, ‘Snapshots’ from 2011, ‘Wild Winter Songbook’ from 2013 and her most recent studio album ‘Here Come the Aliens’ from 2018. Perry van Moov.nl was given the opportunity to speak the busy but very friendly Kim Wilde because of an interview for the internet site.

 

001.How important has your brother Ricky been for your career and do you recognize yourself in your niece Scarlett?

       Ricky is only one year younger than me, but it was Ricky who started singing. On the age of eleven he released in 1972 his first single, called "I Am

       an Astronaut". Subsequent singles were "Do It Again, a Little Bit Slower", "I Wanna Go to a Disco" and "Teen Wave". Ricky then had some hits in

       Scandinavia and Spain. Recordings of new material from him in 1980 led to my 'discovery'. The new role of Ricky became a producer and co-writer, a

       role he still has until now fulfilled. By his own choice he was happy to be more in the background from that moment to be. But he still has a great

       voice. He shows that during, among other things this tour when I sing a few duets with him. Ricky now enjoys performing more then when he used to

       be in the foreground. In that respect, his daughter Scarlett so my niece, seems more on him than on me. Scarlett is 30 years old and has been sitting

       for ten years now in my band as a background singer. But what I chose to be in the foreground Scarlett dear remains in the background. In addition,

       she is also a yoga instructor.

002.Your father Marty, mother Joyce, sister Roxanne, son Harry and daughter Rose are sitting just like your brother Ricky and niece Scarlett

       also in the music industry. Is it not an nice idea to record a song with the seven of you?

       That certainly seems like a great idea to me. In this regard, I say for sure, never say that it is not will happen. But plans are not there yet. If we are all

       enthusiastic about this, we should not wait too long for it. My dad Marty who both is a male singer, copywriter and producer, is now 80 years. My

       mother Joyce made in the 1950s part of the music ensemble of female singers, The Vernon Girls. My sister Roxanne of 40 years is also a female

       singer. My 21 year old son Harry is singer of the band Yellow Tomorrow and my 19-year-old daughter Rose is both female singer, pianist and guitarist.

       But again, it seems like a very nice idea to me.

003.At what time and number are you most proud and / or are do you keep the best memories?

       I am proud of the fact that my audience is growing with me. They give me the chance to continue me as a female singer to develop and challenge

       myself. I also like to work with my brother. I have had so many wonderful moments with him. My most favorite number is the song "You Came" from

       1988 of the CD ‘Close’.

004.In 1996 you played the role of Mrs. Walker in the musical Tommy, but what did you have yourself with the music of the band the Who?       

       As a child I had CDs myself from the band The Who. I love their music. The advantage of the role in the musical was that I could sing nicely, but that

       the hectic life I had normal as a pop star had not been among them. We played the musical in a regular theater. It was so very nice not to have to

       travel all the time. A musical with Kim Wilde numbers as you have with We Will Rock You from Queen, Mamma Mia! from Abba and Lazarus from

       David Bowie or a musical hat I wrote myself I don’t like. I am not such a music lover either.

005.Between 1998 and 2005 you stopped singing. Among other things because you were tired of to be ‘the artist’ Kim Wilde. To what extent

       does the artist Kim Wilde differ from the person in daily life?

       The artist Kim Wilde is very close to how I am in daily life. Aldo the artist Kim Wilde is more powerful than I am. I am a bit quieter myself. I am some

       more in myself. The pleasure of making music came back in 2003 when I was together with the German singer Nena and we released the song

       "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anywhere". I noticed that the public still wanted me.

006.You made a program and wrote two books about gardening. How do you look back on that program and those two books?

       I keep very nice memories of that. But it was also very hard work. Because I went to attend classes at the prestigious Capel Manor to study

       horticulture I went back to school and became a student again. Then I have made two seasons of the program "Garden Invaders" written the books

       Gardening with children and The first-time Gardener. The interest in gardening has just arisen from the moment I attended my classes at Capel

       Manor. After that is the love for gardening only grew. I don't have plans for a second program or a third book about gardening yet.

007.What can we expect from you in the area of showbiz in the future?

       On Friday 31 January 2020 my first three CDs ‘Kim Wilde’, ‘Select’ and ‘Catch as catch can’ will be released as Deluxe Editions. I am going on tour

       through Europe from Saturday, April 18 to Friday, November 6, 2020. I will also release a new album and one greatest hits tour this year.

 

For more information about Kim Wilde, visit https://www.kimwilde.com/.

 

Interview: Perry Krootjes