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2000


Georg 1994eMail interview with Georg Kajanus

The following interview with Georg Kajanus was made by Karsten Wagner via eMail in November 2000. It was used in the second SAILOR radio special that was recorded for the "Free Radio Kassel":

Question: Is it true that you have built the original Nickelodeon by yourself?
Georg
: I conceived and designed it, then built it with a little help from Henry.
Question: Some people say that the official band history - the story of the Café "Le Matelot" is not true. Can you tell us something about it?
Georg: What really is true or not in life is usually a matter of perspective or expediency. With regard to 'The World of SAILOR' that we brought to the public, everything was utterly true.
Question: The first SAILOR songs were planned for a musical. Will it ever be possible to bring it on stage?
Georg: Who knows? I have spent a great deal of time on the stage play (the book of the musical) and written further songs for it. So the package - the blueprint - is ready, if and when an interested party comes along....
Question: At the moment no original SAILOR albums are available in the record stores. Do you see a chance for a re-release on CDs?
Georg: I don't know. It is up to Sony and BMG, I suppose, to decide whether SAILOR is still marketable.
Question: With the SAILOR image you can do very much. The band had a good restart at the beginning of the 90s, but unfortunately your great album "Street Lamp" did not get much promotion. The band only performed live on Oldie Nights. Then came the second break and the captain decided to leave the ship. What did you do having left SAILOR?
Georg: I composed music that was close to my heart. It is important to experiment and reach out to new places for inspiration. Some projects may be successful, some may not, but it is vital to "Follow your bliss". In other words, do whatever is necessary to feed your soul.
Question: What are your next plans?
Georg: I will continue to compose music that is close to my heart. I am presently still working on an opus that encompasses classically trained vocalists and a ten piece string orchestra plus timpani and orchestral bass drum. It is a sizeable work and I had no idea when I started it that it was going to take this long to compose. I have had to research the mechanics and emotional boundaries of everything from childbirth to the intricate workings of microbiology as well as the theories of earth as a living organism, just to mention a few themes. This all takes a great deal of time. Hopefully, in 2001 I will see an end to it!
Question: Are you still in contact with the other SAILOR guys?
Georg: Yes.
Question: Many lead singers leave famous bands and most of the time nothing works for both sides any more. What do you say about the sentence: "Never change a winning team"?
Georg: That may work for many bands, but inspiration was in short supply for keeping SAILOR going as an Oldie Nacht entity. Without new recordings and new visions, projects become stale and this certainly happened with SAILOR, from my point of view. I never saw SAILOR as a cabaret act, doing covers of other people's material. The original SAILOR was for me a tremendous passion. But that was many years ago.
Question: SAILOR had their 25th anniversary last year. Do you see a chance for a project with the SAILOR guys again?
Georg: Although, I would never rule anything out, at this moment, I would have to say no.
Question: Will you inform the fans about your future projects on our website?
Georg: Of course. I will always inform the fans about any up and coming projects.


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