Prior to embarking on a solo career, Sandra was the lead singer of the all-female disco trio Arabesque, which had a following in Japan and the Soviet Union. Also, between 1990 and 2001, she provided vocals on album releases of the very successful musical project Enigma, which had top 10 hits in North America and the United Kingdom. A cult star with a devoted fan base, Sandra remains one of the most popular singers of the 1980s in Continental Europe. During the height of her popularity, she even managed to outsell Madonna in a number of countries around the world. With sales in excess of 33 million records worldwide, Sandra has established her position as the most successful German female vocalist.[5][6]
Biography
1962–1984: Early life and Arabesque
Sandra Ann Lauer was born on 18 May 1962 in the German town of Saarbrücken, close to the French border. Her French-born father, Robert Lauer (1937-2021), owned a wine store in Saarbrücken, and German-born mother, Karin (née Eltern) (1939–2020), worked in a shoe store. Sandra had an older brother, Gaston, a paraplegic who died in 1995. She showed an early interest in music and dancing, taking classical ballet at the age of five and guitar lessons when she was 10. In 1975, at the age of 13, Sandra went with her mother to see Young Star Festival, a Saarbrücken talent competition. She was only a member of the audience, but when the participants had finished performing and the jury was discussing the results, Sandra walked onto the stage and persuaded the DJ to put on the German version of an Olivia Newton-John song. The impromptu performance gained considerable recognition and led to the release of her first single, a song about a pet dog, "Andy mein Freund". The single, however, performed poorly.
In 1979, now 17, Sandra joined Arabesque, a disco group consisting of Michaela Rose and Jasmine Vetter, and would become the band's lead singer. At that time, Sandra met keyboardist Michael Cretu. They found that they shared the same birthday, albeit five years apart, and became good friends. Arabesque became successful with their cheerful music and flamboyant costumes, winning a massive following in Japan and scoring a top 10 hit in Germany in 1981 with "Marigot Bay".[7] After nine albums, emerging differences in musical interests of group members and decreasing popularity of disco music signalled the group's break-up. Sandra and Michael Cretu, by then romantically involved, moved to Munich where Michael created his own studio, Data-Alpha, named after a song from his solo album Legionäre. Their first single together was 1984's "Japan ist weit", a German cover of the Alphaville song "Big in Japan". However, the song failed to chart with only 125 copies sold.[8]
1985–1992: Peak of international career
Sandra gained international success in 1985 with the song "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena", which topped the charts in 21 countries[9] and reached the top 10 in another five. Her first album, The Long Play (1985), reached number 12 in Germany and number 2 in Sweden.[10] The follow-up single, "In the Heat of the Night", reached number two in Germany[11] and the top 10 in many European countries.[12] The song also earned Sandra second place at the Tokyo Music Festival in 1986. "Little Girl", accompanied by a music video filmed in Venice, became the third single from the album in 1986, but was met with moderate success. Shortly after the release of The Long Play, Sandra moved to London for six months to work with singing teacher Helena Shelen and take drum lessons. She also enrolled at the London Berlitz School of Languages to improve her English, returning to Germany at weekends to record new songs.[citation needed]
Sandra's second studio album, Mirrors, was released in October 1986 with "Innocent Love" chosen as the first single, followed by "Hi! Hi! Hi!". Both of these up-tempo synth-pop offerings achieved success in continental Europe. Two further singles from the album, the ballad "Loreen" and "Midnight Man", were only moderate successes. In 1987, Sandra released a cover version of "Everlasting Love", her favourite song since childhood, to great international success. The single was a top 10 hit in German-speaking countries and charted within the top 20 internationally.[13] The song was included on Sandra's first greatest hits compilation, Ten on One (The Singles).
Sandra and Michael Cretu married in January 1988 and moved to the Spanish island of Ibiza to work on what would be Sandra's third studio album. Into a Secret Land moved from electro-pop to more sophisticated areas of pop, showcased by the first single, "Heaven Can Wait". The second single, "Secret Land", met with even greater success, is considered one of her biggest solo hits[14] while "We'll Be Together", released as the third single, was the first song she co-wrote. In order to promote her music in the English-speaking world, another compilation was released at the end of 1988, Everlasting Love. The album failed to enter the charts in the USA or the UK but a PWL remix of the title track included on the album charted at number 45 in the UK.[15] 1989 saw the release of the final single from Into a Secret Land, "Around My Heart", which became another chart hit. With animal rights and nature conservation high on her personal agenda, Sandra took part in recording "Yes We Can" with 15 other performers for Artists United for Nature.[16]
Sandra's fourth album, Paintings in Yellow, was released in March 1990 and became her highest-charting album in her home country.[17] "Hiroshima" was released as the lead single and was a hit. Danceable "(Life May Be) A Big Insanity" and ballad "One More Night" were released as the second and third singles off the album, respectively, but were only modest successes. Sandra accepted an award for the best-selling German artist at the 1990 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. Also in 1990, the singer contributed vocals to four songs for her husband's musical project Enigma, including the worldwide number 1 hit "Sadeness (Part I)".
In early 1992, Sandra's fifth album was released, Close to Seven, which continued a more mature, less dance-orientated musical style. The album was a remarkable international success as was its lead single, "Don't Be Aggressive". However, the second single, "I Need Love", was her first since 1984 to fail to chart. Later in 1992, a new compilation was released, 18 Greatest Hits. It included most of her previous single songs and a re-recording of "Johnny Wanna Live", originally from Paintings in Yellow, which was released as a single and became a minor hit in Germany and the Netherlands.
1993–2006: Comeback attempts
Sandra in 2007
In 1993, Sandra released a new version of "Maria Magdalena" with a techno arrangement and futuristic music video. The re-recording turned out to be a flop. Nonetheless, she sang on three songs on Enigma's next album, The Cross of Changes, including the hit single "Return to Innocence".
While pregnant with twins, Sandra recorded and released Fading Shades in 1995. The album saw new writer-producer Jens Gad working alongside Michael Cretu and comprised mostly pop-orientated material. A cover version of "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues was released as the first single, becoming one of Sandra's lowest-charting singles in Germany, although it was a hit in Israel.[18] The album met a lukewarm commercial and critical reception, and the second single, "Won't Run Away", failed to chart. After giving birth to sons Nikita and Sebastian in a Munich hospital through Caesarean section in July 1995, Sandra decided to put her career on hold. However, the following year she participated in recording two songs for Enigma's third album.
1999 saw the release of My Favourites, a double disc album featuring remixes of Sandra's older songs and some of her favourite ballads. It was a success, charting within the top 20 in some European countries. A new version of "Secret Land" was released as a single, accompanied by a music video in which Sandra sported a shorter hairstyle. Her vocals again appeared in two songs on Enigma's 2000 album The Screen Behind the Mirror as well as the project's 2001 single "Turn Around". She released ballad "Forever" in 2001, which was a minor chart success in Germany. It foreshadowed her next studio album, The Wheel of Time, eventually released in spring 2002, after several delays. The album was a chart success and met a positive critical response, producing two more singles, "Such a Shame", originally performed by Talk Talk, and another ballad "I Close My Eyes". In 2003, the DVD The Complete History was released, featuring all of her music videos. The same year, Sandra contributed vocals for Enigma's Voyageur album, which would mark the last time she worked with the project.
After several years' break, in 2006 Sandra teamed up with Swiss singer DJ BoBo for a duet "Secrets of Love" on his Greatest Hits album. The single was a big hit, reaching top 5 in Switzerland and top 20 in Germany. Sandra subsequently took up performing live again and began working on her next album. In late 2006, Reflections was released, an album consisting of remixes of Sandra's biggest hits. A new ballad version of "Everlasting Love" was released as a promotional single in Germany while the remix of "Around My Heart" proved to be a big radio hit in Poland.
2007–present: A new musical direction
Sandra performing in 2017
The Art of Love, a studio album, was released in February 2007. It reached the top 20 in Germany and enjoyed minor success internationally. For the first time, Michael Cretu did not participate in recording one of her albums as he was reportedly busy with Enigma; Jens Gad produced the entire work. Sandra participated in composing and writing the album, making it a reflection of the struggles in her personal life. (In November 2007, Sandra and Michael divorced and she spent the following year touring Europe.) "The Way I Am" was the album's lead single, peaking at number 50 in Germany, while the second single, "What Is It About Me", failed to chart.[19] However, her version of The Hooters' "All You Zombies" became a big radio hit in Poland.[citation needed]
Her next album, Back to Life, was released in March 2009, showcasing up-tempo material influenced by Latin pop, dance, and R&B. "In a Heartbeat" and "The Night Is Still Young", the latter featuring Thomas Anders of Modern Talking, were released as singles and had modest success in Germany. Later in 2009, a three-disc compilation titled The Platinum Collection was released, featuring all of Sandra's hit singles as well as some album tracks and extended versions.
2012 saw the release of Stay in Touch, Sandra's tenth studio album.[20] Produced by German DJ duo Blank & Jones, the album incorporated 1980s sounds reminiscent of her early albums. "Maybe Tonight" was released as the first single and peaked at 77 in Germany while the second single, "Infinite Kiss" failed to chart. However, the album was a modest success internationally and received warm response.[6][21]
Sandra and Michael Cretu, who share the same birthday, were married on 7 January 1988,[citation needed] and in July 1995 became parents of twin sons. They separated in November 2007, citing "personal and professional differences."[citation needed]
While Cretu has been living in Germany since May 2009, Sandra remained in Ibiza and married music producer Olaf Menges in 2010;[22] they separated in 2014.[23]
Enigma is a German musical project founded in 1990 by Romanian-German musician and producer Michael Cretu. Cretu had released several solo records, collaborated with various artists, and produced albums for his then-wife, German pop singer Sandra, before he conceived the idea of a new-age, worldbeat project. He recorded the first Enigma studio album, MCMXC a.D. (1990), with contributions from David Fairstein and Frank Peterson. The album remains Enigma's most successful, helped by the international hit single "Sadeness ", which sold twelve million units alone. According to Cretu, the inspiration for the creation of the project came from his desire to make a kind of music that did not obey "the old rules and habits" and presented a new form of artistic expression with mystic and experimental components.
Michael Cretu is a Romanian-born German musician, composer and record producer. He gained worldwide fame as the founder and musician behind the musical project Enigma, which he formed in 1990.
MCMXC a.D. is the debut studio album by the German musical project Enigma, led by Romanian-German musician Michael Cretu. It was released in Europe by Virgin Records on 3 December 1990, and in the United States by Charisma Records on 12 February 1991. Cretu became fascinated with mixing archaic sounds with modern music after producing German pop singer Sandra's song "Everlasting Love", for which he experimented with Gregorian chant. Following Michael Cretu and Sandra's marriage in 1988, Michael developed the idea of the musical project Enigma and recorded the album over the course of eight months in 1990 at A.R.T. Studios.
Voyageur is the fifth studio album by the German musical project Enigma, released on 8 September 2003 by Virgin Records.
"Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since covered numerous times. The most successful version in the UK was performed by Love Affair and the highest-charting version in the U.S. was performed by Carl Carlton. Other cover versions were done by Town Criers, Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet, Sandra Cretu, U2 and Gloria Estefan.
Andru Donalds is a Jamaican musician and vocalist, who also worked in collaboration with the Enigma project. Donalds had a hit single in America in 1995 with "Mishale", which reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Art of Love is the eighth studio album by German singer Sandra released in 2007 by Virgin Records.
"Heaven Can Wait" is a 1988 song performed by German singer Sandra and written by Michael Cretu, Hubert Kemmler, Markus Löhr and Klaus Hirschburger. It was arranged by Michael Cretu and Markus Löhr, and produced by Cretu. The song was released as the lead single from Sandra's third studio album Into a Secret Land in mid-1988. The single reached the top 10 in Austria and France, the top 20 in Germany and Switzerland and was one of Sandra's few singles to break into the UK Top 100. In Austria, it was also a top 10 airplay hit. It was Sandra's fourth and last silver-certified single in France.
"Secret Land" is a 1988 pop song by German singer Sandra. It was written by Uwe Gronau, Hubert Kemmler, Michael Cretu, Mats Björklund, Susanne Müller-Pi, Klaus Hirschburger and Michael Höing, and produced by Cretu. It is an adaptation of the 1987 Kemmler-produced song "Trenchcoat Man" recorded by the short-lived German band Fabrique, the members of which were Gronau and Höing.
The discography of German singer Sandra consists of 10 studio albums, eight compilation albums and 47 singles, including 10 promotional-only singles. Her videography comprises three long-form video releases and 26 music videos.
"Little Girl" is a 1985 pop song performed by German singer Sandra. It was composed by Michael Cretu, Hubert Kemmler, and Markus Löhr to lyrics written by Klaus Hirschburger. Cretu also produced the track. The song was released as the third and final single from Sandra's debut album The Long Play in early 1986. It did not repeat the commercial success of the two previous singles, but still managed to reach the top 3 in Greece, the top 10 in Italy and the top 20 in Germany and Switzerland. It also reached no. 12 and no. 13 on the German and Austrian airplay charts, respectively.
Mirrors is the second studio album by German pop singer Sandra, released on 13 October 1986 by Virgin Records. The album spawned the European Top 10 singles "Innocent Love" and "Hi! Hi! Hi!".
"Midnight Man" is a 1986 pop song by German singer Sandra. It was written by Hubert Kemmler, Michael Cretu and Klaus Hirschburger, and produced by Cretu and Armand Volker. The song was released as the fourth and final single with added synthesizers from Sandra's second album Mirrors in early 1987, and was a moderate chart success in Germany and Belgium.
Ten on One (The Singles) is the first greatest hits album by German singer Sandra, released on 15 October 1987 by Virgin Records. It was a commercial success and spawned one of Sandra's most successful singles, the cover of "Everlasting Love", originally recorded by Robert Knight.
"We'll Be Together" is a 1988 pop song performed by German singer Sandra from her third studio album Into a Secret Land. It was written by Hubert Kemmler, Markus Löhr, Klaus Hirschburger and Sandra Cretu, and produced by Michael Cretu. This is the only song along with "When the Rain Doesn't Come" that was written or co-written by Sandra herself, prior to the 2007 album The Art of Love. It was released as the third single from Into a Secret Land in January 1989. For the single release, the song was remixed and labelled as the "'89 Remix". In 1999, a remix of the song was released on Sandra's compilation My Favourites. The track was remixed again for her 2006 compilation Reflections.
Everlasting Love is a compilation album by German singer Sandra, released in 1988 by Virgin Records.
Paintings in Yellow is the fourth studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 26 March 1990 by Virgin Records. It was commercially successful and spawned the single "Hiroshima".
"Around My Heart" is a 1988 pop song performed by German singer Sandra. It was written by Hubert Kemmler, Markus Löhr, Sör Otto's, Frank Peterson and Klaus Hirschburger, and produced by Michael Cretu. The song was released as the fourth single from Sandra's third studio album Into a Secret Land in spring 1989 and was a top 20 hit in Germany and Switzerland. It also reached no. 12 on the German airplay chart.
"Johnny Wanna Live" is a pop song by German singer Sandra, written by Michael Cretu, Klaus Hirschburger and Frank Peterson, and produced by Cretu. The song was originally released on Sandra's fourth studio album Paintings in Yellow in 1990 and was subsequently remixed for her 1992 compilation 18 Greatest Hits. The new version was released as a single to promote the album, backed with "Mirrored in Your Eyes" from Sandra's most recent album at that time, Close to Seven, and only met with minor chart success.
My Favourites is the third greatest hits album by German singer Sandra, released on 4 June 1999 by Virgin Records.
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