Weidungs Welt! 5.0?

This interview was given in Paris for TV2 Norway, the show called "Godkveld Norge" in 1998. The interviewer is Tina Solheim. Transcribed from video, and occasional translation from Norwegian into English by Sofia.

Tina - Tina Solheim, interviewer.
Thomas - Thomas Anders.
Dieter - Dieter Bohlen.
Both - Both Thomas and Dieter.
Frode - Frode Haugen, BMG Norway.

Tina: Do you remember these two gentlemen?

Both: [singing] ‘You’re my heeeaaart, you’re my sooouuul, I keep it shiiiining everywheeeere I gooo...’

Tina: Good Evening Norway meets Modern Talking in Paris.

Dieter: Waahaaaa! Wheeeeeee!

Tina: [voiceover] It’s been over 14 years ago since the song "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul" was no.1 in most of the charts around the world. In their prime-time they sold over 60 million album, but after just three years, the relationship came to a brutal end. But today, after eleven years, they’re back, and the comeback has made them bigger than ever. They’ve sold over 90 000 albums in Norway, and are reaching double platinum.

Tina: Modern Talking were extremely popular in the 80:es, so tell me a little about the history of Modern Talking.

Dieter: Well you know, that was really easy you know, I-I worked as a producer, and the record company called me one day and asked me if I wanted to have another artist, he was called Thomas Anders.

Dieter: And we did some records together, but first of all we started in German language, and I wasn’t so... quite satisfied with that, and ’84 I went on holidays to Mallorca, and you know, I came back and I was really in love, you know, with a girl, you know, and then yeah, I wrote... one night I wrote the song "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul", and Thomas was chosen that day in the studio, and I asked him, ’can you please try for me in English song’ you know. And he was singing then "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul", and I was really satisfied, and... yeah, and then everything else is history, you know.

Thomas: Nonono, you as well. [indicates Dieter] No, you know what-what-what is really funny because I had a lot of fans in the Scandinavian states, and when we came to Spain and the southern part of Europe, he had a lot of fans, female fans or whatever. [Dieter says something] Huh?

Thomas: Spain, and you had in Portugal, and-and... it’s because of his blonde hair, and... because you know, you’re looking always for the opposite.

Thomas: I mean, every day, it’s part of your life, you’re recognised nearly every minute... so er...

Dieter: You know, because of our status, and, eh, Germany is totally different, because I, you know, for example, can only talk for me, you know, I was in the last 15 years really successful, I did 87 hits in a row in Germany, so it means I’m the most successful composer since ever in Germany, and we’re really popular in Germany. But in a lot of countries, we are more popular. Like I think, in Russia, for example, everybody knows us.

Dieter: We were always working, and I was at that time I was 30, he was 20, that is a big difference you know. And then... I had always the goal and the aim to be you know successful in America, you know ‘Let’s work let’s work let’s work’. And he did you know, ‘let’s have holidays, let’s have holidays’ you know. And so you know, somebody you know you are only so strong as you both are, you know, and somebody tell you ‘I don’t do this, I didn’t do that’ you know and I was always a little bit disappointed, you know. My dream was always to have a number one you know, and then I had it, and Thomas said ‘Well, easy! Number one!’ you know and I was ‘Come on, let’s work let’s work’ and he said--

Thomas: Yeah, but... [to camera] You know, I can talk. I can speak. I am able to speak, not only him, so... I just wanted to check this out! [laughs] No, but you have to think about it, we did two albums in a year, that means...

Thomas: So, um, this was really a hard time for me, no doubt about this, so you know, when you’re 20, 21, 22 and you are just travelling around the world, and-and-and you know... if you have a feeling you’re missing something in your life, and everybody is telling you... from the record company or whatever, ‘You are the biggest, and you’re on top of the world’ whatever, so all of a sudden you have the feeling I... you know... I’ve really really reached the top of the world, I had it. So... I just wanted... I just wanted to feel, just wanted to live the success I had. I would say, also say, that this is a matter of age. But... we’re back and so we do it this time much better. And... you know... now with all my life experience that I have I know exactly never ever to take anything for granted. It isn’t granted to be successful.

Tina: But the rumour was that it was your wife, Nora, was the reason for your split-up.

Thomas: Yeah, definitely, she was a really hard part of it, because on one... she had no clue about the business, you know, she didn’t know exactly, she didn’t know anything about it. For her it was... a character problem that you really would find out how far she could go, so she was always playing with the people. And because of the problem that the-the-the record people... you know, they were afraid to say no, because it was a big success, they didn’t want to just... split up the band for... any reason, so she always said ‘yeah, we do this and we do that’, and life, you know, sometimes... one point came to the other, so in the end it was for the best that we split up. And... it, you know... I had my lessons about this, and so... but... let’s face it was at that point not the right time. If we wouldn’t have split then, we wouldn’t have a comeback now, and you know, you never know... why some things happened.

Dieter: You know a strange thing is now happening, because I lost eleven years between us, you know, I’m,-I’m... I have now have the feeling we are now since seven months together, and I have now the feeling that we are no break. You know, it’s the-the-the... these...

Dieter: I now have the feeling we’ve been together for 15 years or something, it’s real strange, you know.

Dieter: Yeah, you know, that was really easy because four years ago... I was really curious to know what Thomas was doing... and once I called him and said, er... ‘Hello Thomas, how are you?’ and there was a nice feeling when we talked to each other, speak to each other.

Thomas: [cut to backstage area, not the interview] Let’s go to Dieter. He’s... with looking girls. [cut back to interview]

Dieter: Yeah, and then we had the offer, er, eight months ago from the biggest TV show in Europe, that’s called "Wetten daß...?" and they have more than 20 million viewers, and they asked us ‘Can you not do the old songs?’ you know and then we took this whole chance, you know, to do remixes... and, um, because the time has changed a little bit, and the sounds too, so we changed a little bit, and at the end we were really satisfied, you know. And they asked, you know, ‘Can you please do the old songs?’ because normally I would do new songs, and... but they said ‘Please, let us start with the old songs’, and I said ‘OK I will do remix, and put four new songs on the album, and um, let’s wait and see what happens’, you know. Nobody were convinced that we would make it again, but I was really, you know, I promise you, I don’t lie, I was convinced that we would have a comeback. But OK, we never expected it would be like this, you know. ‘Cause we are much much bigger now, we are three or four times bigger than we were the first time. So yeah, I really think we did the right choice to go out now, because... there is a big revival. And through Modern Talking, we would make the revival bigger, because now, er-er-er-, every big artist from the 80:es try to make a comeback.

Tina: [cut to outside. She and Thomas are walking, while Dieter and, I assume, Frode Haugen, are walking a bit behind] Looking back on the 80:es, how do you feel about the way you looked back then?

Thomas: Everybody changed. And everybody looked... you know, different in the 80:es, and if you haven’t changed... you will really have a problem! [they laugh]

Tina: [cut back to inside] You cut your hair... you’re not wearing lip-gloss, you’re not wearing eyeliner. Are you embarrassed or proud of the period as Modern Talking in the 80:es?

Thomas: It was trendy!... in the, in the 80:es. A lot of, you know, a lot of people did... [amused] no, not that much, but I remember first time "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul"... I did this with the long hair and with a bit lip-gloss and all in pinky, and stuff like this. And it looked... strange for the people, but this is what the people recognised. It was... you know, it was the song, it was the combination, it was... something new for the people. It was a nice melody. A lot of... the first time, a lot of people in Germany thought that... that the song... because it did, in the first place, from the beginning on, on the-on the cover, was only that-that tie shoe, and this-this sports shoe, and the people thought... this is an Italian production.

Dieter: And then, and after when they saw each other, you know, they always, er, thought that we both are gay, you know. But I definitely can... can, you know, I definitely can guarantee you, from my side, I’m not.
[Tina laughs]

Dieter: So every girl can, can have a choice... they all can get us, if they want.

Tina: Swedish newspapers say that you’re facing a law suit because your new song, "We Take The Chance", is very similar to Europe’s "The Final Countdown"...?

Dieter: [singing] "We taaake the chaaance, we’ll win agaiiin"... Where, where is the--?

Dieter: [singing] "We taaake a chaaance... dididididi..." That is more "The Winner Takes It All" than "The Final Countdown"! [They both start laughing really hard, suggesting that this is a private joke] And ABBA are also great! I like ABBA!

[Here, we get to hear the famous intro of "We Take The Chance" to some slowmotion footage from "Brother Louie '98" video]

Dieter: They have a lot of money, but I have more, and we can make... we can go to court... 500 years, and I’m absolutely sure that I will win, because it’s only the ‘da-da-da’--And when I don’t have to... that is nothing. The melody and the intro is totally different. It has a feeling that it sounds a little bit like, eh-eh-eh-eh... "Final Countdown" because I take the same sound, you know, this [in German] fanfare in the beginning, the ‘duhduhduh’ [fanfare sound]. But you can use always use the same sound, that is not forbidden, you know, and the melody is different. It sounds a little bit the same, and I have no... If that is really stolen, then there, I think, is not one melody which is not stolen, you know. Whether the writer if this song...? Joey. [to camera] If you need a little bit of money, no problem. [Thomas laughs] You know, call me, and we go for dinner, I invite you. You can have some of my girls, you know. [Thomas laughs again, and Dieter laughs as well] No problem. I-i-if he wants some money or something like that, it’s not a problem.

Tina: Is it true that some of the lyrics were made in no more than five minutes?

Dieter: Noo, definitely not, because some... I have a good remember when I was writing the lyrics for "Brother Louie". And that is really, everybody say [somewhat sarcastic] "Brother LouieLouieLouie", you know, but you know, I work on this lyrics three weeks, you know, without a rest. It was... I had this melody, "da-da-di-da-di-da-di-da" and no words was fitting this, you know, and if I would do different lyrics on this "Louie Louie Louie", if I would sing "Brother, can I hear your heartbeat", you know, when I think "Brother can you hear my heartbeat" - that is a flop. And it only works with "Brother Louie Louie Louie". And sometimes, you know, I get crazy, I get totally... when I have a feeling this is not the right lyrics of my melody, I get blrrrr [stupid sound]. OK, some lyrics, like "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul", I wrote that in 10 minutes, that is-that is true, you know, but other lyrics sometimes are so... sounds... oh, like "Cheri Cheri Lady". That sounds sooo absolutely simple, but was sooo difficult, you know. And Ace of Base always try to look for good lyrics, and they never find anything.

Dieter: [interrupts her] "All that she wants is another baby"... first: no correct English, second: Blrrr! [same stupid sound] And third: I don’t know.

Dieter: Before "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul", you know, we both were stupid and poor, now we are only stupid.
[Big laugh from both of them]

Tina: The title of your album is "Back For Good", but are you back for good?

Dieter: That is also stolen. But Gary Barlow didn’t call me. [both laughs] And it was not our er-er... when we heard the-the-the...

Dieter: ...The record company said that would be a nice, er, name for the album, because it tell exactly what we want. "Back For Good". To be back for good. And I said, ‘Oh Mensch! That... that is a title of-of-of Take That, you know. We can’t use it!’, you know, but the record company said ‘Why not?’ you know, and so, you know, I hope Gary will take the next album and call "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul", then it’s fair, you know. ...And I invite also Gary! For the nice title.

Frode: So on behalf of BMG Norway, I’m proud to present you with these... platinum awards... for outstanding sales in Norway.
[they laugh, delighted]

Dieter: [to camera] And thanks for all the fans in Norway, that they made it possible. I’m really proud of it, and I swear to you we will do the best for the next album. And it will have a special place in my studio ...and, umm, that I can see it every time when I make a composition, a new one, and I said ‘I have to think about my fans in Norway’. I swear to you, it will be having a really nice place in my studio.

Thomas: [to camera] And-and I hope we will pretty soon be in your country, live, and do some shows... So... Thank you for this, and hope to see you soon, b’bye!

Transcripts: Godkveld Norge (1998)

~THE END~