Sandra (singer)
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Sandra Ann Lauer (born 18 May 1962), commonly known under her
stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Sandra and Sandra Cretu (), is a Franco-German pop singer who enjoyed mainstream popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s with a string of European hit singles, produced by her then-husband and musical partner,
Michael Cretu Michael Cretu ( ro, Mihai Crețu, ; born 18 May 1957) is a Romanian-German musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained worldwide fame as the founder and musician behind the musical project Enigma, which he formed in 1990. Cret ...
, most notably " (I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" (1985), " In the Heat of the Night" (1985), " Everlasting Love" (1987), "
Secret Land "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 ...
" (1988), "
Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...
" (1990) and "
Don't Be Aggressive "Don't Be Aggressive" is a 1992 pop song by German singer Sandra. It was written by Michael Cretu and Klaus Hirschburger, and produced by Cretu. The song uses a sample of the 1990 track "Daydreaming" by Massive Attack, which in turn samples "Mamb ...
" (1992). Her albums ''
Into a Secret Land ''Into a Secret Land'' is the third studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 24 October 1988 by Virgin Records. The album was commercially successful and spawned the singles " Heaven Can Wait", "Secret Land", " We'll Be Together" and "A ...
'' (1988) and ''
Close to Seven ''Close to Seven'' is the fifth studio album by German singer Sandra (singer), Sandra, released on 17 February 1992 by Virgin Records. Background The album's title symbolised the upcoming seventh anniversary of Sandra's career. It was recorded ...
'' (1992) have won Sandra high critical acclaim. Prior to embarking on a solo career, Sandra was the lead singer of the all-female
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
trio
Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
, which had a massive following in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Also, between 1990 and 2001, she provided vocals on album releases of the very successful musical project
Enigma Enigma may refer to: *Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling Biology *ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain Computing and technology * Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup * Enigma machine, a family ...
, which had top 10 hits in
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and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. A cult star with a devoted fan base, Sandra remains one of the most popular singers of the 1980s in
Continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
. During the height of her popularity, she even managed to outsell
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
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.


Biography


1962–1984: Early life and Arabesque

Sandra Ann Lauer was born on 18 May 1962 in the German town of
Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...
, 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 Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its ...
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 Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...
, 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 Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
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 "Andy mein Freund" is a 1976 pop song performed by German singer Sandra. It was released as her debut single, under the moniker Sandra Ann, when the singer was only 14 years old. Background The song is performed in German and was written by Gerd ...
". The single, however, performed poorly. In 1979, now 17, Sandra joined
Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
, 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 Michael Cretu ( ro, Mihai Crețu, ; born 18 May 1957) is a Romanian-German musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained worldwide fame as the founder and musician behind the musical project Enigma, which he formed in 1990. Cret ...
. 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". 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.


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 and reached the top 10 in another five. Her first album, ''
The Long Play ''The Long Play'' is the debut studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 11 November 1985 by Virgin Records. The album was a great commercial success and spawned Sandra's signature number-one single "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" as wel ...
'' (1985), reached number 12 in Germany and number 2 in Sweden. The follow-up single, " In the Heat of the Night," reached number two in Germany and the top 10 in many European countries. The song also earned Sandra second place at the
Tokyo Music Festival The Tokyo Music Festival was an international music contest that ran from 1972 to 1992. It was organized by the Tokyo Music Festival Association. The first edition of the Tokyo Music Festival took place on 13 May 1972 with 12 participating countri ...
in 1986. " Little Girl," accompanied by a music video filmed in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
, 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 Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * H ...
and take drum lessons. She also enrolled at the
London Berlitz School of Languages London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
to improve her English, returning to Germany at weekends to record new songs. Sandra's second studio album, ''
Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...
'', was released in October 1986 with "
Innocent Love "Innocent Love" is a 1986 synthpop song performed by German singer Sandra. It was written by Hubert Kemmler, Ulrich Herter, Susanne Müller, and Klaus Hirschburger, and produced by Michael Cretu and Armand Volker. The song was released as the fi ...
" chosen as the first single, followed by "
Hi! Hi! Hi! "Hi! Hi! Hi!" is a 1986 song performed by German pop singer Sandra. It was written by Michael Cretu, Hubert Kemmler and Klaus Hirschburger, and produced by Cretu and Armand Volker. The song was released as the second single from Sandra's second ...
". Both of these up-tempo
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
offerings achieved success in continental Europe. Two further singles from the album, the ballad "
Loreen Loreen may refer to: *Loreen (singer), Swedish singer *Loreen Rice Lucas (1914–2011), a Canadian author * "Loreen" (song), 1986 song by German singer Sandra See also *Loren (disambiguation) *Lorene Lorene is a given name. Notable people with the n ...
" 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. The song was included on Sandra's first greatest hits compilation, ''
Ten on One (The Singles) ''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 Lov ...
.'' Sandra and
Michael Cretu Michael Cretu ( ro, Mihai Crețu, ; born 18 May 1957) is a Romanian-German musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained worldwide fame as the founder and musician behind the musical project Enigma, which he formed in 1990. Cret ...
married in January 1988 and moved to the Spanish island of
Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
to work on what would be Sandra's third studio album. ''
Into a Secret Land ''Into a Secret Land'' is the third studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 24 October 1988 by Virgin Records. The album was commercially successful and spawned the singles " Heaven Can Wait", "Secret Land", " We'll Be Together" and "A ...
'' moved from electro-pop to more sophisticated areas of pop, showcased by the first single, " Heaven Can Wait". The second single, "
Secret Land "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 ...
", met with even greater success, is considered one of her biggest solo hits 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 Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest languag ...
, 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. 1989 saw the release of the final single from ''Into a Secret Land'', "
Around My Heart "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 ...
", which became another chart hit. With
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...
and
nature conservation Nature conservation is the moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values unde ...
high on her personal agenda, Sandra took part in recording "Yes We Can" with 15 other performers for Artists United for Nature. Sandra's fourth album, ''
Paintings in Yellow ''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". Background and release The album was recorded at A.R.T. ...
'', was released in March 1990 and became her highest-charting album in her home country. "
Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...
" 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 The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world' ...
in
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
. Also in 1990, the singer contributed vocals to four songs for her husband's musical project
Enigma Enigma may refer to: *Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling Biology *ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain Computing and technology * Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup * Enigma machine, a family ...
, including the worldwide number 1 hit " Sadness (Part I)". In early 1992, Sandra's fifth album was released, ''
Close to Seven ''Close to Seven'' is the fifth studio album by German singer Sandra (singer), Sandra, released on 17 February 1992 by Virgin Records. Background The album's title symbolised the upcoming seventh anniversary of Sandra's career. It was recorded ...
'', 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 "Don't Be Aggressive" is a 1992 pop song by German singer Sandra. It was written by Michael Cretu and Klaus Hirschburger, and produced by Cretu. The song uses a sample of the 1990 track "Daydreaming" by Massive Attack, which in turn samples "Mamb ...
". 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 "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 ...
", 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

In 1993, Sandra released a new version of " Maria Magdalena" with a
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
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 ''The Cross of Changes'' is the second studio album by the German musical project Enigma, headed by Romanian-German musician and producer Michael Cretu, released on 6 December 1993 by Virgin Records internationally and by Charisma Records in the ...
'', including the hit single "
Return to Innocence "Return to Innocence" is a song by German musical group Enigma. It was released on 4 January 1994 as the lead single from their second album, ''The Cross of Changes'' (1993). It became the project's most successful international single after "S ...
". While pregnant with twins, Sandra recorded and released ''
Fading Shades ''Fading Shades'' is the sixth studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 12 June 1995 by Virgin Records. Background Sandra recorded ''Fading Shades'' while pregnant with twins and was having to sit during the recording sessions. The al ...
'' in 1995. The album saw new writer-producer
Jens Gad Jens Gad is a German producer, songwriter and guitarist of Danish parents. He started making music at young age. Gad produces music for many artists (Sandra Cretu / Sandra Gambino) and was previously co-producer for the musical project, Enigma. ...
working alongside Michael Cretu and comprised mostly pop-orientated material. A cover version of " Nights in White Satin" by
The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The g ...
was released as the first single, becoming one of Sandra's lowest-charting singles in Germany, although it was a hit in Israel. 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 Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mo ...
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 ''My Favourites'' is the third greatest hits album by German singer Sandra, released on 4 June 1999 by Virgin Records. Background ''My Favourites'' is a double album consisting of some of Sandra's hits and non-single tracks newly remixed by lon ...
'', 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 "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 ...
" 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 ''The Screen Behind the Mirror'' is the fourth studio album by the German musical project Enigma, released on 14 January 2000 by Virgin Records. It was recorded at the A.R.T. Studios in Ibiza, Spain. Composition "The Gate" begins the album wit ...
'' as well as the project's 2001 single " Turn Around". She released ballad "
Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...
" in 2001, which was a minor chart success in Germany. It foreshadowed her next studio album, ''
The Wheel of Time ''The Wheel of Time'' is a series of high fantasy novels by American author Robert Jordan, with Brandon Sanderson as a co-author for the final three novels. Originally planned as a six-book series, ''The Wheel of Time'' spans 14 volumes, in a ...
'', 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 "Such a Shame" is a song written by Mark Hollis for the English band Talk Talk's second album '' It's My Life'' (1984). It was released as the album's second single and went on to become a top 10 hit across Europe. Overview "Such a Shame" was ...
", originally performed by
Talk Talk Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drummer), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles "Talk Talk (Talk Talk s ...
, 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 The voyageurs (; ) were 18th and 19th century French Canadians who engaged in the transporting of furs via canoe during the peak of the North American fur trade. The emblematic meaning of the term applies to places (New France, including the ...
'' 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 Peter René Baumann (born 5 January 1968), better known under his stage name DJ BoBo, is a Swiss singer-songwriter, rapper, dancer, and music producer. He has sold 14 million records worldwide and has released 12 studio albums as well as several ...
for a duet "
Secrets of Love "Secrets of Love" is a 2006 in music, 2006 Pop music, pop song performed as a duet by Switzerland, Swiss singer DJ BoBo and Germany, German singer Sandra (singer), Sandra. The song was written and produced by DJ BoBo and Axel Breitung. It was rele ...
" 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 "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 ...
" proved to be a big radio hit in Poland.


2007–present: A new musical direction

'' 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 Michael Cretu ( ro, Mihai Crețu, ; born 18 May 1957) is a Romanian-German musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained worldwide fame as the founder and musician behind the musical project Enigma, which he formed in 1990. Cret ...
did not participate in recording one of her albums as he was reportedly busy with Enigma;
Jens Gad Jens Gad is a German producer, songwriter and guitarist of Danish parents. He started making music at young age. Gad produces music for many artists (Sandra Cretu / Sandra Gambino) and was previously co-producer for the musical project, Enigma. ...
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. However, her version of
The Hooters The Hooters are an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band combines elements of rock, reggae, ska, and folk music to create its sound. The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid-198 ...
' "
All You Zombies "'—All You Zombies—'" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. It was written in one day, July 11, 1958, and first published in the March 1959 issue of ''Fantasy and Science Fiction'' magazine after being reje ...
" became a big radio hit in Poland. 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 Bernd Weidung (born 1 March 1963), known by his stage name Thomas Anders, is a German singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the pop duo Modern Talking. Starting his singing career while still in school ...
of
Modern Talking Modern Talking was a German pop music duo consisting of arranger, songwriter and producer Dieter Bohlen and singer Thomas Anders. They have been referred to as Germany's most successful pop duo, and have had a number of hit singles, reaching ...
, 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. Produced by German DJ duo
Blank & Jones Blank & Jones are a German electronic music duo, consisting of the members Jan Pieter Blank (born June 15, 1971), known as Piet Blank; René Runge (born June 27, 1968), better known as DJ Jaspa Jones; and the producer Andy Kaufhold (N*D*K) (born ...
, the album incorporated 1980s sounds reminiscent of her early albums. "
Maybe Tonight "Maybe Tonight" is a pop song written by Dave Bassett, Jess Cates and Lindy Robbins, produced by Bryon Jones and Adam Reily for Kate DeAraugo's first album '' A Place I've Never Been'' (2005). It was released as the album's first single on 28 ...
" 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. In August 2014, her management was transitioned to
Alexei Perschukewitsch Alexey, Alexei, Alexie, Aleksei, or Aleksey (russian: Алексе́й ; bg, Алексей ) is a Russian and Bulgarian male first name deriving from the Greek ''Aléxios'' (), meaning "Defender", and thus of the same origin as the Latin ...
.


Personal life

Sandra and
Michael Cretu Michael Cretu ( ro, Mihai Crețu, ; born 18 May 1957) is a Romanian-German musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained worldwide fame as the founder and musician behind the musical project Enigma, which he formed in 1990. Cret ...
, who share the same birthday, were married on 7 January 1988, and in July 1995 became parents of twin sons. They separated in November 2007, citing "personal and professional differences." While Cretu has been living in Germany since May 2009, Sandra remained in Ibiza and married music producer
Olaf Menges Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...
in 2010. They separated in 2014.


Discography

* ''
The Long Play ''The Long Play'' is the debut studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 11 November 1985 by Virgin Records. The album was a great commercial success and spawned Sandra's signature number-one single "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" as wel ...
'' (1985) * ''
Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...
'' (1986) * ''
Into a Secret Land ''Into a Secret Land'' is the third studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 24 October 1988 by Virgin Records. The album was commercially successful and spawned the singles " Heaven Can Wait", "Secret Land", " We'll Be Together" and "A ...
'' (1988) * ''
Paintings in Yellow ''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". Background and release The album was recorded at A.R.T. ...
'' (1990) * ''
Close to Seven ''Close to Seven'' is the fifth studio album by German singer Sandra (singer), Sandra, released on 17 February 1992 by Virgin Records. Background The album's title symbolised the upcoming seventh anniversary of Sandra's career. It was recorded ...
'' (1992) * ''
Fading Shades ''Fading Shades'' is the sixth studio album by German singer Sandra, released on 12 June 1995 by Virgin Records. Background Sandra recorded ''Fading Shades'' while pregnant with twins and was having to sit during the recording sessions. The al ...
'' (1995) * ''
The Wheel of Time ''The Wheel of Time'' is a series of high fantasy novels by American author Robert Jordan, with Brandon Sanderson as a co-author for the final three novels. Originally planned as a six-book series, ''The Wheel of Time'' spans 14 volumes, in a ...
'' (2002) * '' The Art of Love'' (2007) * '' Back to Life'' (2009) * '' Stay in Touch'' (2012)


See also

* Enigma (musical project) *
Arabesque (group) Arabesque was an all-girl trio formed at the height of the European disco era in 1977 in Frankfurt, West Germany. The group's changing lineup worked with the German composer Jean Frankfurter (Erich Ließmann) and became especially popular in Jap ...


References


External links


Official website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sandra 1962 births 20th-century German women singers 21st-century German women singers Echo (music award) winners English-language singers from Germany Enigma (German band) members German dance musicians German expatriates in Spain German women pop singers German people of French descent Living people New-age musicians People from Saarbrücken Virgin Records artists Synth-pop singers Women in electronic music