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Modern Talking

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Modern Talking
Background information
Years active1984–1987 1998–2003
MembersThomas Anders
Dieter Bohlen

Modern Talking was a German pop music duo consisting of composer/producer/background singer Dieter Bohlen and singer Thomas Anders. It was the single most successful pop group in Germany (by sales).

History

First formed at the end of 1984 (Anders was 21), they unexpectedly became immensely popular with their standalone disco hit "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", which was then followed by "You Can Win If You Want" and "Cheri, Cheri Lady". They released two albums a year from 1985 to 1987 while also promoting their singles on television all over Europe. After splitting up in 1987, the duo reunited in 1998, at first only testing the waters with new versions of hit singles and again reaching the top of the charts unexpectedly. Bohlen and Anders split again in 2003 due to irreconcilable disagreements (they had never been friends in the first place). Thomas Anders started another solo career immediately, while Bohlen had by now begun devoting most of his time to new talents, especially those he discovered on the German edition of the TV show Pop Idol/American Idol.

Modern Talking was successful in Europe, Asia, South America and some African countries. In the United Kingdom they reached the top ten only once with the song "Brother Louie" (in 1986, #4 UK). They did not feel very good about promoting their singles there due to being marketed in England as a gay group like Erasure and Culture Club. They were almost unknown in North America by mainstream standards, never appearing in the charts there, and due to lack of backing from a record company and lack of time did not go there to promote their music. Composer Dieter Bohlen employed very simple, mood-evoking lyrics and intellectually-designed, synthesizer-based music which was out of vogue in the U.S. before Modern Talking even formed.

The songs before the first split were produced in a style that can be vaguely described as Euro Disco, it was influenced by German-language "Schlager" music as well as romantic English-language songs of Italian and French origin, like Gazebo's "I Like Chopin". After the 1998 reunion Bohlen produced Eurodance, as well as American-style ballads.

Global sales of Modern Talking records were 120 million units, according to BMG in June 2003, and they have become the biggest-selling German music act in history, so far outselling even Frank Farian's projects Boney M and Milli Vanilli, Michael Cretu's Enigma, Sandra, the Scorpions, Snap! and Rammstein.

Dieter Bohlen also worked with other artists even while Modern Talking existed, among them Chris Norman of Smokie fame whose song "Midnight Lady" (1986) remains Bohlen's most popular composition. (It was followed by the similar-sounding "Broken Heroes".) He also wrote a large number of simple disco tracks for C.C.Catch ("House of Mystic Lights") using an accelerated, less romantic sound. Some English Bohlen songs like "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" were also recorded with German lyrics by Mary Roos using the same music tracks. When Modern Talking split up in 1987, a number of tracks written for the last album were instead moved onto Dieter Bohlen's first solo album which appeared almost at the same time, among them his delightful first solo single "Sorry Little Sarah". Bohlen's solo project was called Blue System, although it was basically him and Modern Talking co-producer Luis Rodriguez. At the time, a lot of listeners couldn't get used to the voice "changing" while the music stayed similar. The success of Blue System in Germany declined after the third album which had the wrong song chosen as the second single, and Bohlen later admitted that he lost touch with developments in the music scene.

Thomas Anders has kept the Modern Talking songs in his repertoire and is going in a similar direction in his solo career ("Independent Girl"). Bohlen has written two autobiographical books, one of which sold a million copies, the sequel was heavily criticised for his unfairness towards the people he worked with. He writes music but does not publish it at the moment due to having overdosed the audience in recent years. Anders recently had his first and Bohlen his fourth child.

There is a big Modern Talking following in the expatriate Vietnamese community of Little Saigon (Westminster, California, U.S.).

Other facts

  • Their hit Cheri Cheri Lady got to Number 1 in 11 countries including: Israel, Germany, Austria, Greece.
  • Their hit Brother Louie stayed on the UK chart for 8 weeks
  • In 1988 Modern Talking records sold reached 65 million copies
  • In 1998 when back the 7th Album Back for good sold 700,000 copies in the first week in Germany
  • In 1998 The first concert abroad Germany after comeback in Budapest they played to 214,000 people and were shown on MTV Europe
  • In 1999 The Third Version of "Brother Loui" got to top 5 on the UK Dance chart
  • The single Sexy Sexy Lover reached the top 20 on the MTV Europe chart
  • In 2001 they were awarded the Top of The Pops Award as best German band, in Manchester
  • In 2003 they played their last hit TV makes The Superstar in the Eurovision Song Contest

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • 1984 You're my heart, you're my soul (#1 Germany, #56 UK)(#2 South Africa)(#15 Japan) (8 mil. sales)
  • 1985 You can win if you want (#1 Germany)(#70 UK)(#10 South Africa)
  • 1985 Cheri Cheri Lady (#1 Germany)(#7 Italy)(#1 Hong Kong)
  • 1986 Brother Louie (#1 Germany, #4 UK)(#34 Canada)
  • 1986 Atlantis is calling (SOS for love) (#1 Germany)(#1 Spain)(#4 Italy)(#55 UK)
  • 1986 Geronimo's Cadillac (#3 Germany)(#1 Spain)(#23 Italy)
  • 1986 Give me peace on earth (#29 Germany)(#7 Belgium)
  • 1986 Lonely tears in chinatown(#9 only for Spain)
  • 1987 Jet Airliner (#7 Germany)(#16 South Africa)(#3 Spain)
  • 1987 In 100 years (#30 Germany)(#18 South Africa)
  • 1998 You're my heart, you're my soul'98 (#2 Germany)(#8 Ireland)
  • 1998 Brother Louie'98 (#16 Germany)(#1 Argentina)(#2 France)
  • 1998 Cheri Cheri Lady'98(#1 Argentina\Air Play chart)(#20 Hong Kong\Air Play Chart)
  • 1999 You are not alone (#7 Germany)(#5 Spain)(#13 France)(#10 Japan /Airplay top 100)(#15 Sweden)(#36 Brazil)
  • 1999 Sexy Sexy Lover (#16 Germany)(#20 Argentina)(#25 Sweden)
  • 2000 China in her eyes (#8 Germany)(#6 Spain)(#26 Sweden)
  • 2000 Don't take away my heart (#41 Germany)(#8 Hungary)
  • 2001 Win the Race (#5 Germany)(#1 Romania)(#16 Argentina)(#36 Sweden)
  • 2001 Last Exit to Brooklyn (#37 Germany)(#7 Russia)
  • 2002 Ready for the Victory (#7 Germany)(#9 Russia)(#11 Spain)(#13 South Korea)
  • 2002 Juliet (#25 Germany)(#4 Paraguay)(#10 Russia)
  • 2003 TV makes the Superstar (#2 Germany)(#4 Russia)(#11 Europe single chart)

Compilations

  • 1986 The Singles Collection
  • 1987 The Modern Talking Story(Scandinavian Edition)
  • 1988 Best Of Modern Talking
  • 1988 You're My Heart, You're My Soul
  • 1988 Romantic Dreams
  • 1988 Greatest Hits Mix
  • 1989 Hey You
  • 1989 The Greatest Hits Of Modern Talking
  • 1991 The Collection
  • 1991 You Can Win If You Want
  • 1994 You Can Win If You Want (re-release)
  • 2000 You're my heart, you're my soul
  • 2001 Selected Singles '85-'98
  • 2001 The Very Best Of Modern Talking
  • 2002 Best Of Modern Talking (re-release)
  • 2002 The Golden Years (3xCD)
  • 2002 We Still Have Dreams – The Greatest Love Ballads of Modern Talking
  • 2003 Romantic Dreams (re-release)
  • 2003 Let's talking! … Best of Modern Talking
  • 2002 The Final Album (2CDs South African Edition)
  • 2003 Greatest Hits 1984-2002 (Korean Edition)

See also

External links

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