She sang a previous hit – You Came, a new song – Midnight Train, and a classic cover – Weather With You by Crowded House, performing with her niece Scarlett on backing vocals, and her brother Ricky on guitar. She chatted with Vernon about performing at Radio 2 in the Park in Preston last September, working with her family, Kids in America, her new album and tour, gardening and how boredom brought her back to music.
Vernon asked Kim about the success of Kids in America:
Kim Wilde: Initially it was the first record I’d ever put out, back in 1981, I was just 20 years old. Ricky had written it with my father, Marti, and we had no expectations. All of a sudden it just started jumping up the charts. And I think at the time there was this concern that it might have been rigged because it was jumping so fast, so quickly, that they pulled it! They pulled it out of the chart! […] It was mortifying. […] We’d only just been on school coaches, hadn’t we? You know we were used to listening to Gary Davies in the morning and Steve Wright. We were sort of used to being in the coach listening to all the great pop tunes and then all of a sudden it was our pop tune on the biggest radio station at that time, which was amazing.
Discussing returning to music and performing now:
Kim: I’m having the best time of my career right now, Vernon, if the truth be told.
Vernon asks if, when she took a break from music, did she have anything that told her she was ‘Kim Wilde the pop star’ in the house – a poster, or awards for example?
Kim: No, no I didn’t actually. […] There are things to be proud of in life and I understand that now and I really appreciate it now. But at the time I wanted to find out who I was without being ‘Kim Wilde’. That’s exactly what I did, I discovered who I was as a mother and a gardener. And then, once I did that I thought, ‘Oh that’s a bit boring! [laughs] Get me on tour for God’s sake!’ No, no, I’m joking, I’m joking!