SANDRA - KPYZO3OP magazine 1/90 (USSR)

Translation of the article about Sandra in the Russian magazine "KPYZO3OP" of January 1990.
In the whimsical world of pop music it´s not so rare when members of a popular group disband to start solo careers, but not always succesfully. But the decision of Sandra Lauer in 1983 to leave the hugely popular trio "Arabesque" and go her own way was without risk - she had a long and succesful collaboration together with composer and producer Michael Cretu. Though he was overshadowed by his more succesful colleagues - G. Moruder (Giorgio Moroder); Gloria Gaynor, Frank Fariana (Frank Farian); Boney M., Raupa Sigel (Ralph Siegel); Dschinghis Kahn - it was for him a good schooling, but Sandra´s ambition and professional approach must have played their part.
Sandra´s first recorded song "Maria Magdalena" reached the top of Germany´s hitparade. It was a credit to both her and Cretu, plus the second author and performer Hubert KaH. Sandra made the image of a young city-girl with no complexes, looking for true love and happiness. And she found lot´s of fans...
Her popularity was on top in 1985, when she made one by one after "Maria Magdalena" - "In The Heat Of The Night " and "Little Girl" and then her first LP "The Long Play". In 1986 appeared a new LP "Mirrors" and again victories in various hitparades. Sandra sings "Hi! Hi! Hi!" and "Midnight Man ", these songs put her on a par with "Modern Talking", and Michael Cretu earned the name of one of the most succesful producers in West Germany.
Today all these Electo-Pop-Rock advantages are on a background of Elloy (E.L.O.), Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. An image of the music style of the country is Sandra´s style and songs.

You can hear on her gigs eurodisco with 120 drum beats per minute, her English with a "PENGUIN"-accent, which is desired by thousands of her fans around the world. And her next LP and 45´s are typical of her style. But the fourth LP "Into A Secret Land" was a sudden surprise, recorded last year. You can see traces of a serious and big work - Sandra recorded it after a six month term of vocal classes and she recorded it in three months. The most deep is a song performed with deep human feeling "Children Of England" and a ballad " Just Like Diamonds" which shows us the full depth of her vocal abilities.

And as the hit "Secret Land" took it´s aim - fans started to buy the new LP as quick as all before. Her new hit is called "Heaven Can Wait". This LP evidently betrays her todays psychological state - along collaboration and friendship with Michael Cretu ended with their marriage. Her collection of prices and gold discs is a serious base for her future work, and it´s clear that sometimes you want to change your way and to do something more significant, say to take part in a charity concert for Aids victims or to go on tour to the USSR.
Certainly her many fans saw her "live". But as for me (author) - what´s best in a small concert hall becomes ordinary and out of interest on a huge stage like Moscows Olympic Stadium. We hope to see her many future albums as succesful as all before.

Author: Victor Glazov
Photo: A. Lidov (on Moscow Olympic Stadium stage)

7"-flexi-record nr. 12: "Maria Magdalena", "Secret Land"

Text source:

Translation of the article about Sandra in the Russian magazine "KPYZO3OP" of January 1990. In the whimsical world of pop music it´s not so rare when members of a popular group disband to start solo careers, but not always succesfully. But the decision of Sandra Lauer in 1983 to leave the hugely popular trio "Arabesque" and go her own way was without risk - she had a long and succesful collaboration together with composer and producer Michael Cretu. Though he was overshadowed by his more succesful colleagues - G. Moruder (Giorgio Moroder); Gloria Gaynor, Frank Fariana (Frank Farian); Boney M., Raupa Sigel (Ralph Siegel); Dschinghis Kahn - it was for him a good schooling, but Sandra´s ambition and professional approach must have played their part. Sandra´s first recorded song "Maria Magdalena" reached the top of Germany´s hitparade. It was a credit to both her and Cretu, plus the second author and performer Hubert KaH. Sandra made the image of a young city-girl with no complexes, looking for true love and happiness. And she found lot´s of fans... Her popularity was on top in 1985, when she made one by one after "Maria Magdalena" - "In The Heat Of The Night " and "Little Girl" and then her first LP "The Long Play". In 1986 appeared a new LP "Mirrors" and again victories in various hitparades. Sandra sings "Hi! Hi! Hi!" and "Midnight Man ", these songs put her on a par with "Modern Talking", and Michael Cretu earned the name of one of the most succesful producers in West Germany. Today all these Electo-Pop-Rock advantages are on a background of Elloy (E.L.O.), Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. An image of the music style of the country is Sandra´s style and songs.
You can hear on her gigs eurodisco with 120 drum beats per minute, her English with a "PENGUIN"-accent, which is desired by thousands of her fans around the world. And her next LP and 45´s are typical of her style. But the fourth LP "Into A Secret Land" was a sudden surprise, recorded last year. You can see traces of a serious and big work - Sandra recorded it after a six month term of vocal classes and she recorded it in three months. The most deep is a song performed with deep human feeling "Children Of England" and a ballad " Just Like Diamonds" which shows us the full depth of her vocal abilities.
And as the hit "Secret Land" took it´s aim - fans started to buy the new LP as quick as all before. Her new hit is called "Heaven Can Wait". This LP evidently betrays her todays psychological state - along collaboration and friendship with Michael Cretu ended with their marriage. Her collection of prices and gold discs is a serious base for her future work, and it´s clear that sometimes you want to change your way and to do something more significant, say to take part in a charity concert for Aids victims or to go on tour to the USSR. Certainly her many fans saw her "live". But as for me (author) - what´s best in a small concert hall becomes ordinary and out of interest on a huge stage like Moscows Olympic Stadium. We hope to see her many future albums as succesful as all before.