Jukebox Helden - 25.12.2008, 9.40 p. m., WDR
Recording 17.12.2008

A few weeks ago somebody (Sandra) wrote in the CdeB-forum about a TV-appearance of Chris de Burgh in a new show named “Jukebox Helden”, which would be filmed in the WDR-studios in Cologne-Bocklemünd at the 17th of December. When I read about this for the first time I did not even think about driving there – so short before Christmas in the middle of winter – who would know how the weather conditions would be etc. – and only for one song of CdeB...!
At the 6th of December somebody wrote about this TV-show-recording again in the forum, which caught my attention – and I suddenly had absolutely no doubts anymore about that I’d have to buy a ticket and drive there that day! I booked the ticket and finally had something to look forward to. I went to the hairdresser, sunbed, car-wash etc. – which I maybe would have done also without my CdeB-plans – but this way it all was much easier – I really was looking forward to see CdeB!!! Unbelievable, what a change this made to everything I was doing. The prospects of going there made such a change to the daily routine!

I told everybody that I was looking forward to this TV-show-recording – and to watch TV at the 25th of Dec. 2008 at 9.40 p. m.!!!!
So also Eberhard got to know about my plans – and he is living in Cologne, 6 km away from the TV-studios Bocklemünd. He invited me to visit him before the show for lunch. That sounded like a great idea. The show would start at 4.00 p.m., but I had to be there at 2.30 p.m. Unfortunately Eberhard could not accompany me to the studio because he had something else to do that afternoon.

I listened to ‘my’ Magic breakfast show in the morning of Wednesday, the 17th of Dec. and left at 11.00 a. m. But in spite of –1°C and rain there were no traffic jams and I arrived quickly and safely after 1 hour and 85 km at Eberhard’s home in Cologne. It’s always nice to meet somebody personally who you e-mail with a lot! Even if I had met Eberhard already at a few occastions before.

The lunch which he had prepared was delicious – I had also prepared lunch for my family in advance, which I had left behind at home (family & food)! Time passed much too quickly. I already had to leave Eberhard again at 2.00 p.m., drove to the WDR studios, parked and got to the collecting place, where I immediately met Sandra and Tina M. as well as Jutta and friend/s. We waited in a room and wondered, why the other persons might be there. If they all were CdeB-fans or if they had other reasons to come. After about 10 min. somebody called the Jukebox Helden guests up and told us to follow him. So we walked through the light rain to ‘our’ studio, where we ‘checked in’, got our tickets and had to give away our jackets and bigger bags (incl. photo-camera) – and had to wait, wait, wait.... . We met Lore, Claudia, Andrea, Sibylle and some others and waited together for 1 hour untill they let us enter the studio, where we got our seats. I felt a bit like naked without my photo-camera, as you can imagine – but as there were such a lot of other cameras in there I could survive this!

The studio was not very big, estimated 150 – 200 people were in the audience, the tribunes were seperated in 3 blocks. I sat with Claudia, Sibylle and Andrea in the middle block in about row 5 with maybe 8 people at my left side and the others (Claudia etc.) at my right side. We were sitting there as narrow as sardines in a tin. Lore, Sandra and Tina ended up in the left block (our left side). Because of the small size of the studio we could see everybody. And the smaller the studio – the bigger the chance to be caught by a camera!
By the way, I went there without ANY expectations – I simply wanted to enjoy the day and to see how a TV-show would be produced. I never had been at a TV show before. Even if I’d see CdeB only from far away and him singing only 1 single song! I simply wanted to see something else than what I see every day at home! And CdeB was the reason for a nice change – like so often!
Talking to others I found out that I would have got my ticket for free if I would have got it only a few days before the show-recording! They even had asked people on the street if they would come and be in the audience! I had payed 15 Euros. But who cares? – I was glad to be there.

At 4.15 p. m. a young man started to ‘entertain’ us and to warm us up. He told us the rules of the show and how we would have to act, when we would have to clap and to sing along and that there would be 3 prominent persons which would choose each somebody out of the audience to play with them. It was rather funny and he tried to make us laugh and to set us in the mood to clap and sing along. He even let Tina shout loud and enthousiastically into his microphone like she had done spontaneous before when he had mentioned Chris de Burgh’s name! He also spoke to Andrea who wore a red top and of course he said, she would look like the Lady in red. She had to demonstrate how she would applaude when CdeB would appear!!!

After about 20 min. the presenter – entertainer and comedian Ralf Schmitz entered the studio, welcame us, introduced us to the 3 prominent guests: Ingo Naukojs, Sarah Wiener and Frank Zander. I must admit, that Frank Zander was the only one I knew (not personally of course). And he was the one who always turned around and looked at the audience which made him most likable of the 3 – in my opinion!

Ralf Schmitz left, and when he entered the studio again – dressed like an angel for a moment – the filming started. The 3 candidates had to walk through the audience in order to choose a partner-candidate – somebody who could sing very good. In the meantime we were singing ‘We are family’ by Sister Sledge – the text appeared in Karaoke-style in front of us on a big screen. Soon the 3 had choosen their partners – but no doubt these 3 people out of the audience were not choosen randomly! Because how we noticed later – they really could sing! Eeerm – at least they obviously had some singing-experiences. None of us ‘normal’ show visitors would have been able to sing like they did!

The 3 teams had to reckon which songs Ralf Schmitz was explaining in different ways (e.g. describing engl. song-titles with german words) and the team who found the title out first had to go a step into the front, ascend a star-shaped little stage and chose a song-category (rock-classics, ballads, platin-songs etc.). Then they could again choose between 2 songs of that category which they (and we – the audience) sang along in karaoke-style. After a while the music suddenly stopped – and the team had to continue one line of the text with the right words. You see, it was a rather simple game.
When it was the category “Ballads”’ turn there was the choice between “My heart will go on” (Celine Dion) and “Lady in red” (of course Chris de Burgh). And they decided to sing the Celine Dion-song. I found it a bit strange, that “Lady in red” was offered at all – as we would hear it later anyway! – The blond haired lady and Frank Zander made an entertaining ceremony out of her singing “My heart will go on” – and that showed that she must have done something like this (singing in front of an audience) before!
Before Frank Zander dropped of out of the game he borrowed a guitar from the studio-orchestra and sang a little song.

There were made 2 little breaks, when Ralf Schmitz went behind the stage to let renew his make-up or what ever… . During one of those breaks Frank Zander had the funny idea that we all should get up, turn right and massage our seat-neighbour… - after a while we turned into the other direction and did so with the seat-neighbour at the other side… - how mad lol!

But we got compensated adequately in the finale, when the waiting for our Chris had an end!
Already when Ralf Schmitz still was talking (not sure about what) I saw Chris standing somewhere behind the silver Xmas-trees – behind the stage. He was standing there – waiting for his appearance. He was just opposite to me – of course I thought: If I can see him – he certainly also can see me or us!!! He disappeard for a moment, and then he finally came into the studio! He wore black trousers and a beautiful black shirt covered with very little white spots! It really looked rather lovely!

I was very excited when he came – so I did not even notice from the beginning, that he didn’t sing “Sealed with a kiss” live. Only when I saw, that there was no cable at his guitar and that he moved it in a funny way without playing I realized that everything was playback! But It was so nice! “Sealed with a kiss” is one of my favourite songs of his “Footsteps”-album, and it also always reminds me of the wonderful soundcheck in Dortmund in Nov. 2004, when he sang a small part of this song! My other Footsteps-favourites are “Where have all the flowers gone” and “The last thing on my mind” and also the new one: “Footsteps”.
But back to the tv-show. After the song Ralf Schmitz spoke a bit to Chris – in a comedic way. He said he’d only be a small comedian and he’d be a bit excited to speak to the great Chris de Burgh – but seeing them both next to each other they had the same size. He asked if the guitar was Chris’ own one and Chris agreed.They talked about the new album and Chris explained again like already so often before that he had recorded his all time favourites which were milestones of his life. He even sang short parts of a few of those songs, which was very nice.
Then it was time for the winner to get his prize – to sing “Lady in red” with Chris de Burgh! We had got red and yellow light-sticks when we had entered the studio. Now it was time to bend them and make them shine! I must admit, I often skip “Lady in red” on a CD – but it was great to hear it live again – with all the lights – and it was fun watching the 2 men singing together and acting like lovers! I didn’t mind that it was a man, who Chris had to sing with! After the 1st verse or so the most exciting part began…….!!!!! Chris left the stage and went slowly to the audience, like he often does in TV shows and also at his concerts. First he approached a lady in the front row and hugged her. Then he went upstairs on the tribune in the aisle at my left side – where he found a Lady in red which was his next hugging-victim! But suddenly he looked into our row – and I could not believe what I saw: He squeezed himself into our row – along the about 8 people at my left side – and then he stopped right in front of me!! I did not even know what was happening and what I should do. He hugged me – and I guess I first looked into the wrong direction – but then I turned around and looked with him into the camera which was right in front of us! It all went so quick – I hope I didn’t look too surprised – otherwise I might end on the ground of the cutting room! Then he hugged Claudia, Sibylle and Andrea. He again had managed to make our day!!! It had been a bit like him wanting to say “thank you” to me/us! He is so unique! He is wonderful! And he always knows how to make us happy! Even if I would have been already perfectly happy to just be there and see him. When he was back down at the stage we all shouted 'Zugabe' and he and the winner sang a bit of 'Lady in Red' again - in a very rocky way.

He left us ‘high on emotion’ on the tribune and that was the end of the show. Everybody left slwoly while Chris was still on the stage with the candidates and the presenter. They took official press-photos. We simply let first (friendly as we are ;-)) the others pass before we were the very last persons who left the studio – not without having been told that it now would be time to leave, because the next show recording would take place there soon. Chris was still posing for photos – and also Chris Andrews appeared in the background. – But we had to leave.

We had to wait in the corridor because there was a ‘traffic-jam’ as everybody had to collect their coats! Never mind – I had time. Mike Krüger passed us and Claudia immediately took the chance to make some small talk with him. He really stopped and talked to her for 2 minutes. He looked very skinny!

After a free drink which we got on our tickets we all walked back to the car park and I drove back home through the rain – singing along to the “Footsteps”-album. Chris-songs always sound different to me right after I have met or seen him personally – then I still can see him in front of me while I listen to his voice on CD!
Of course my phone already rang on my way out of the studio with questions like: What did he sing? What did he wear? Did he look good? The same at home. Everybody e-mailed me to ask how it all went. Next time I’ll simply ignore even my dearest friends who ask me about the event and immediately start writing a review for everybody to avoid telling everything a hundred times! (No - I won't manage to ignore you, don't worry! :-))

Now I’m curiously looking forward to the TV-show – something exciting to look forward to on Christmas! But at the moment we are very spoilt because Chris was also in German TV the next day and the day after! – I think he now has earned his Christmas-holidays! X

Eberhard's comment, which I received via e-mail:

blogspot und die Philosophie der Welt

Hi Doris,

weißt Du, früher, vor vielen Jahren, hab ich mir mal gedacht, es wäre doch
spannend, wenn man sozusagen immer mit einer "Kamera im Kopf" rumlaufen
würde und alles, was man sieht, würde festgehalten, in Bild und Text, damit
das alle anderen auch sehen und erleben können. Die Kamera müßte sozusagen
auf dem Kopf festgebunden werden, oder in der Augenhöhle implantiert.

Ich hielt das für einen ziemlichen Science-Fiction-Gedanken, aber ich habe
viele Jahre lang gedacht, das wäre cool. Es war eine seltsame
philosophische oder psychologische Vorstellung, und es war mir völlig klar,
daß so etwas einfach nicht geht.

Bis ich Doris Neerfries und Facebook und Blogspot kennenlernte. Heute ist
das nicht mehr Science-Fiction, sondern Realität. Täglich. Bei Dir.

Grüße

Eberhard

25.12.2008 – 11.00 p.m.:
I just watched the show on TV. I saw Lore, Sandra, Tina and Doris H. often, as the camera only showed the right block (from camera perspective), where they had their seats and a small part of the middle-block. We others were sitting a bit too far to the left in the middle block.
I saw myself only once or twice from the back.
Chris looked wonderful on TV – and even as “Sealed with a kiss” was playback he sang it live – on TV we could hear his voice and not his previously recorded voice of the album-version.
Then the winning-song “Lady in red” began – it was really nice to see how much fun both men had while singing – and I waited eagerly for Chris leaving the stage and starting his walkabout into the audience – BUT – they edited the song and only showed him on stage! What a pity!
Neither did they show the song, which Frank Zander had sung spontaneously during the show-recording.
In spite of being a bit disappointed about the skipped part at the end during "Lady in red" I enjoyed seeing the result of the show and to compare it with what I had experienced live!

Merry Christmas!