Schweriner Volkszeitung - July 22, 2003


The "Lady In Red" dances through the world


The Chris de Burgh Story / Part 2


"Midsummer Dreams" on August 30, 2003

Ludwigslust. On August 30 one of the very big ones of rock and pop can be 
experienced in front of the fantastic backdrop of the Ludwigslust castle: 
Chris de Burgh presents "midsummer dreams" live with his band during the 
big summer festival of SVZ and Antenne Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Today we 
look back on the first successful years of the king of rock ballads.

When in 1975 SPANISH TRAIN AND OTHER STORIES (A&M) was published as Chris 
de Burgh's second long play record, the bard of the new generation was 
already a star in Brazil because of his number 1 hit FLYING. However in 
Europe, the USA and in his home country Great Britain hardly anyone wanted 
to buy his records.

But out of all countries the far away Canada surprisingly noticed the 
catchiness and melancholy of SPANISH TRAIN and it became gold and platinum. 
His immersed lyrics about knights, death and devil and the melancholy 
romantic singing slowly sparked off the hearts of a small, but true circle 
of European fans.

Still the following productions AT THE END OF A PERFECT DAY (1977) and 
CRUSADER (1979) didn't fulfill the hopes, they hardly found any buyers. 
Only the fifth record which was published in 1980 brought the change for 
Chris de Burgh in Europe.

Huge Fan Community in Germany

For the first time he let moderate rock rhythms flow into his ballads, went 
on tour with his own band and had a record of 125,000 sold albums in Norway 
which was only exceedd by The Beatles.

When Chris de Burgh's Best Of-collection BEST MOVES (A&M) went on number 4 
of the German charts in 1981, he had already performed over 1000 times on 
stage. Finally the time seemed to ripe for the melancholy ballads of the 
troubadous who lives in Ireland. Indeed one year later the final 
breakthrough happened with the album THE GETAWAY which was produced by 
multi talent Rupert Hine and its first single DON'T PAY THE FERRYMAN.

Especially in Germany in the following years a huge, true fan community 
was formed, but there were also the most vicious critics.

"Filled by humanly possible fervour"

The STERN bitched about the "Irish softener" and DIE WELT scolded: 
"Stereotypical synthesizer sounds and lyrics which are supposedly rich in 
content mix up to a thick paste of emotions that plugs the auditory canals." 
There were other critics opinions too.

So the FAZ praised: "The love and the love for life, life as a game, as a 
way, as a fight, fights between heroes and villains, good and evil are the 
motives... The position of storyteller Chris de Burgh is always moral and 
strictly oriented at values. Correspondingly he loves his vehicle, the 
music, of catchy, easily remembered melodies with a hint of mystical 
Irishness and filled by humanly possible fervour."

In 1986 Chris de Burgh could finally book the hoped for success in his 
home country with the album INTO THE LIGHT (A&M) and the single THE LADY 
IN RED. There is practically no country in the world in which THE LADY IN 
RED hasn't been played on the radio. Also the USA now recognized the 
qualities of the ballad writer and singer. Until today INTO THE LIGHT is 
still his best album in America.