He and Dieter Bohlen were once the “Perfect Match”. But today Thomas Anders “no longer has any points of contact” with his ex-modern-talking colleague. However, he also gets along quite well on his own. Even now that he’s 60.
Tanned, dark hair, gray jacket: Thomas Anders talks about projects and early world fame in his own office near Koblenz. 130 million records sold and a generous 54-year career “because I performed for the first time when I was six”: On March 1, the singer celebrated his 60th birthday.
Fan Sylke doesn’t want to believe that on Facebook, in his own words, “but you’ll rock it”. Fan Maria José adds: “Wonderful, you’re like wine, it only gets better.” Thomas Anders is “still handsome, romantic, sensitive”.
The father of the family laughs. He once formed the Modern Talking duo with Dieter Bohlen. Her song “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul” shot up to number one in the sales charts in many countries almost four decades ago. A meteoric rise, Thomas Anders becomes known worldwide. Especially in Russia and Ukraine.
Today, in his own words, he has “no points of contact” with his “ex-colleague” Bohlen. But at the time it was “The Perfect Match”: “It just worked.” Dark-haired and blond and very different, both would have complemented each other according to the yin and yang principle.
Modern Talking has divided music fans between love and hate with its English-language songs with catchy melodies and rhythms. “Anything extremely successful polarizes,” says Anders. “We’ve had our times, we’ve had our careers and everyone has made the best of it.” The duo last performed together on stage two decades ago.
Today Anders is happy about the retro wave: It also washes up music from the 80s and 90s – including modern talking. He believes that decades ago, the composition of songs “was made much more loving and emotional”. The Swedish pop group ABBA, for example, worked on a melody for weeks in the 70s with the technology of the time – “that doesn’t exist anymore. I have my computers today.” And artificial intelligence could also be added.
The Koblenz artist’s career continued after the break with Bohlen, with his own band: “The nice thing is, I’ve known some of them for 28 years.” In the middle of the first Corona year 2020, Anders presented new feel-good music in a duet for Schlager fans with “Traumschiff” captain Florian Silbereisen: 17 songs that are simply called “The Album” and shot to number one in the charts. There are also a few singles as a duo. The two pop champions are currently working on their second album together. “We’re having a lot of fun,” Anders assures in his light-flooded office on a sunny spring day. It is a “heart project”. At the same time, both artists remained “self-sufficient”.
Silbereisen and Anders “Mallorca-König” Jürgen Drews recently said goodbye to musical retirement in a show. And Dieter Bohlen today? Among other things, he sits on the jury for the final season of the RTL show “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (DSDS).
Thomas Anders’ 60th birthday with his wife Claudia, who, among other things, uses social media for her musician husband, and with their 20-year-old son Alexander, who wants to study real estate management – how does that feel? Thomas Anders smiles next to a small black grand piano, his keyboard instrument in the office: He feels “fresh”, but is aware “that time will get shorter in the future”. He is relaxed and has life experience: “The young run faster – but the old know the way.”
Anders, whose real name is Bernd Weidung, has numerous other projects in addition to the catchy music liaison with Florian Silbereisen. This year he wants to be on stage with his band in Bulgaria, Canada and Spain: “My playground is the whole world.” In summer there are a number of festivals on the programme. A new cookbook by Anders is due to come out in the fall: “There’s no standing still for me.” The pop singer also wants to present wines in cooperation with a winemaker.
A year ago, the Russian invasion of Ukraine caught Anders off guard. Just one day after the outbreak of war on February 24, 2022, he canceled a tour of Ukraine and Russia: “It’s just not possible.” If a country “turns the world order upside down”, he cannot “make peace, joy and pancakes there,” emphasizes the singer. The Russian concert organizers didn’t understand that at first and thought he just wanted to postpone his performances because of the alleged “special military operation”.
After a peace agreement, a “friendly rapprochement” with Russia will probably take a long time, Anders suspects: “I’m not going to knock directly on the door and say I’m going on a tour starting next week.” Ultimately, however, music with its joy can serve international understanding, says the singer, who was made honorary professor at the Kiev National University for Art and Culture in 2006, in his office full of awards on the walls: “Basically, I’m almost in the diplomatic service.
(This article was first published on Wednesday, March 01, 2023.)
