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Biography 1999- © Area53
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ZTV-Nytt (31 March 1999)This interview was given in Stockholm for ZTV (Sweden), the show called "ZTV-Nytt", broadcast on Wednesday, March 31st 1999. The interviewer is Kajsa Nyström. Transcribed from video, and occasional translation from Swedish into English by Sofia.
Kajsa - Kajsa Nyström, interviewer. Presenter: The 80:es band Modern Talking continues their walk of triumph in the charts. This week, the record "Alone - The 8th Album" goes up from 11th to fifth place. The band themselves have lost count of how many gold- and platinum records they’ve received so far. Dieter: The only thing we-we exactly know is that... we got in the last TV-show in Germany, it’s called "Wetten daß...?", we get four hundred gold records for the last six months, you know. And, umm... we’ve sold more than 80 million records now, and umm, that is fine, you know, and the-the-- [Thomas and Kajsa start laughing] Kajsa: That’s fine. Dieter: Yeah, the last album was really bigger than we... our success was bigger than we ever had before. The first time in the 80:es, when we were big, we weren’t so big like we are now. Kajsa: [voiceover] Yes, the decision to make a comeback proved to be totally right. The German cult group Modern Talking had a massive breakthrough again with thunder and lightning when they last year released the album "Back For Good", with new versions of their old songs. Dieter Bohlen and Thomas Anders’ first round in the charts was in 1984 with the song "You’re My Heart You’re My Soul", and for a couple of years, Modern Talking were among the biggest. But in 1987 the fairy tale ended, because the German band broke up. Now they’re playing together again, and the new record "Alone" contains almost only new material. Kajsa: Wherein lies the universality of Modern Talking, then? Thomas: Where do what? Kajsa: Wherein lies the universality, that it... works in every country. Thomas: This is, you know, we can discuss about this for an all evening, but umm... I think... his way of song-writing... and... the combination with my voice, probably, makes it very special, you know, very unique. On the other hand... he has the talent to... write very... simple, beautiful mel-- Dieter: Heh! [playfully tries to choke Thomas] Thomas: Aaaaarghh! Dieter: Simple?! [Kajsa laughs] Thomas: Yeah, but, simple...! Simple...! Simple doesn’t mean... mean awful or-or stupid, you know. That is something different. It is very important if you wanna catch the taste of… millions of people, you know, with different cultures, from different continents, that you, er, you know... the art lies in the... simplithicity. [note the wrong pronunciation! It’s supposed to be "Simplicity"!] ~THE END~ |
