SANDRA – will she manage an international launch?
SANDRA LAUER is a star in Sweden and in the home country West-Germany, but is still a rather unknown name in the rest of Europe. She’s often on stage and she releases record after record, everything produced and directed by Michael Cretu
OKEJ Magazin (Sweden) 1986
Article by Michael Master
English version by Nils ( Norway), october 2009
Sandra is very big in West-Germany and Sweden. But there is still much to conquer in the rest of Europe.
“Sandra Lauer is a honest and open girl. She’s aware of her limitations – and she admits willingly and gladly that it is thanks to her family and friends help she has become a star. - I would never have managed this on my own, she says. Then I would have given up directly - this business is absolutely too hard and tough. GREAT INFLUENCE
That’s why it’s nice to get support from other people, she continues. My mother and father have always encouraged me and believed in me – and Michael has meant more for my career than anyone else! That’s true – he has probably meant more than Sandra herself, if we should be perfectly honest. Twenty eight year old Michael Cretu from Bucharest in Romania is the man behind the, in Sweden and West-Germany, so successful hitmachine Sandra Lauer – he writes her tunes, he produces her records, he’s an absolute master in the studio and he has alone designed most of the stars image. On top of all, he’s her boyfriend – and it’s certainly practical to let the decisions stay within family!
- We have soon been together for four years, Sandra tells. We are happy together, we love each other and we work good together. Michael is my very best friend – it’s obvious that he has great influence over what I do. The exile Romanian Cretu has a solid music education behind him, he masters both classical and modern and he’s specialized in all technical gadgets in the studio.
HARD PROGRAM
- Though actually I’m a romantic, he says, where he shy and a little reserved is sitting beside Sandra. - I would very much like to express such personal traits in the music – it’s much more pleasant than anger and aggressions! Michael is still working as a teacher at the college of music in Frankfurt, but it’s in Munich that he and Sandra in most cases live, and that’s where he has his studio, a home-made studio with 24 channels which is visited by many well-known West-German artists – Cretu has quickly become one of the most wanted producers in the country! - But German music is often emphasized as hit songs and uninteresting, he says. I prefer English and American – The Alan Parson Project and The Buggles are bands which have influenced me a lot! Michael had last year an own career emerging with the hit “Samurai” and the album “The Invisible Man”, but nowadays he spends most of his time producing, launching and writing for Sandra. Now she needs extra much support – the program with records, TV-performances and tours is hard, and shall little Miss Sandra Lauer be a success in other parts of Europe, she must do everything she can! - I think I will succeed, she says with a smile. I have the experience since the time with Arabesque, I have very good songs and I know what I can – the shows will be better live the longer we are doing it! A pretty face, some easily hummed hit songs and a moody image – is that enough? Maybe. She has already conquered important parts of the market and she is obviously emerging in many other places too. However, the Englishmen have not been interested at all – German pop music has always had problems doing well in Great Britain, both Alphaville and Nena have experienced that and now the same hard fate is happening to Sandra. Though, maybe she will be satisfied with West-Germany and Scandinavia, and in that case is all very well. The LP “The Long Play”is selling, “(I’ll Never Be) Maria Magdalena” was one of the biggest hits this summer and autumn, and it has gone pretty well for “In The Heat Of The Night” too. - It’s fantastic, Sandra says. It’s wonderful and amazing! Now we will continue working. We come with more surprises – I promise!”
How will it be for Sandra this year? New hits, maybe?
Sandra with her former group, nowadays the career is rolling better without hangers-on.
 
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