Modern Talking

Modern Talking's logo since they released their second single, "You Can Win If You Want"

First formed in West Berlin in early 1983, they unexpectedly became popular at the beginning of 1985 with "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", with which they occupied top ten positions in 35 countries, including their homeland, where the single perched at the top of the charts for six consecutive weeks.[3][8][9] The single would go on to sell eight million copies worldwide.[5] It was followed by another chart-topping hit, "You Can Win If You Want", which was released in the middle of 1985 off the debut album The 1st Album. The album was certified platinum in Germany for selling over 500,000 units.[5][10]

Soon after their second hit, Modern Talking released the single "Cheri, Cheri Lady" which also quickly climbed to number one in West Germany, Finland, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and Norway, and made it into the top ten in Denmark, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands.[11][12] As the sole track released from Let's Talk About Love, it procured that second album's platinum status in West Germany (for sales over 500,000).[5][10] Success continued with two further number-one singles, "Brother Louie" and "Atlantis Is Calling (S.O.S. for Love)", from the third album, Ready for Romance. The duo also charted high with their sixth single, "Geronimo's Cadillac", from the fourth album, In the Middle of Nowhere, and "Jet Airliner" from their fifth album, Romantic Warriors.

Due to the lacklustre reception accorded the sixth album, Bohlen announced the project's termination in a German interview given while Anders was away in Los Angeles.[13] The two had had a relationship that was quarrelsome, if not tumultuous, and this only worsened the animosity. Bohlen cited as the main reason for breaking up Anders' then wife Nora: she'd forbidden her husband from being interviewed by female reporters and repeatedly demanded major changes to shows, videos and recordings,[14] a fact that Anders would admit to in his biography.[13] After a last phone call, heavily laden with reciprocal invective, they broke off all contact for over ten years.[13][14]

During their early era, Modern Talking knew success in Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Iran. In Britain, however, they entered the top five only once, with "Brother Louie".[15] In 1985, RCA signed Modern Talking for a US deal and released their first album there, but they remained virtually unknown there, and certainly didn't make the US charts.[16]

They released two albums each year from 1985 to 1987, while also promoting their singles on television across Europe, eventually selling 65 million records in three years.[17]

Notably, Modern Talking were one of the first Western bloc bands sale of whose records was allowed in the Soviet Union. After four decades of Cold War censorship and import restrictions, Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost reforms in the USSR in 1986 opened up the Soviet sphere to western bands, including Modern Talking at the height of their popularity. As a result, they nurtured a large, enduring fanbase in Eastern Europe.[18]

Immediately after the duo split in mid-1987, Bohlen formed his own project called Blue System and enjoyed several high chart positions, with tracks like "Sorry Little Sarah", "My Bed Is Too Big", "Under My Skin", "Love Suite", "Laila" and "Déjà vu". Meanwhile, Anders went solo, touring under the name Modern Talking on several continents until the beginning of 1989, when he started to record some of his new pop-like material in Los Angeles and London, as well as Germany.[19] Anders recorded five solo albums in English (Different, Whispers, Down on Sunset, When Will I See You Again and Souled) and one in Spanish - Barcos de Cristal.[20] He was more successful elsewhere than at home, even if he did achieve several hits in Germany. Overcoming past differences, Bohlen and Anders embarked on more amenable relations when Anders moved back to Koblenz, Germany, in 1994.[20]

At the beginning of 1998, the duo got back together, performing in the March on the German TV show Wetten, dass..?. They released a remixed version of their 1984 single "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", featuring Eric Singleton on rap vocals. Their first comeback album Back for Good, which included four new tracks, as well as all of the previous hits remixed with up-to-date techniques, took the number-one spot in 15 countries, occupying Germany's for five consecutive weeks.[17] It would sell three million copies in Europe alone.[21] The duo won Best Selling German Band at the World Music Awards that year. The follow-up album, Alone, also went straight to number one in Germany, and was very successful elsewhere: over one million sales in Europe alone.[21]

Bohlen and Anders followed their 1980s practice of choosing to release two singles from an album. A series of singles and four further albums followed: Year of the Dragon, America, Victory and Universe. In 2003, after chalking up over 400 gold and platinum awards worldwide,[17] Bohlen and Anders disbanded again, just before releasing another best-of compilation.[22] This second break-up was reportedly sparked by Bohlen's negative portrayal of Anders in his autobiography, published 4 October 2003.[22] The period of division between them was one in which Bohlen was involved with Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS), the German edition of the UK's TV talent show Pop Idol. 2003's compilation, entitled The Final Album, contained all of the duo's singles. Thomas Anders relaunched his solo career immediately after the end of Modern Talking, while Bohlen was devoting most of his time to new talent, especially those discovered on DSDS.

• The 1st Album (1985)
• Let's Talk About Love (1985)
• Ready for Romance (1986)
• In the Middle of Nowhere (1986)
• Romantic Warriors (1987)
• In the Garden of Venus (1987)
• Back for Good (1998)
• Alone (1999)
• Year of the Dragon (2000)
• America (2001)
• Victory (2002)
• Universe (2003)