1. First of all congratulations to the 20th Birthday of "Big In Japan"... M: ...Thank you. B: Thank you very much! ...although I ´m not sure if it makes me really happy that 20 years have already past... 2. Well, you wrote "Big In Japan" some time before it had been released, didn't you? M: ...yeah, that´s true. An unusual exception. Normally we release the song before we write it. B: "Big In Japan" was originally written in 1980 I think and it wasn´t on the first demotape that we presented to the record company in 1983...we did a new version...quiet different from the first demo ... and the record company freaked when they heard it. 3. So how did the tape found its way to a record company? M: ...it was a quite intelligent tape. B: see above... 4. What were you doing when you heard "Big In Japan" for the first time in the radio? M: ...I was peeling potatoes in a restaurant kitchen in Muenster. B:  I was doing my community service at that time...and one morning when I arrived at work, I heard something very familiar in the radio...which hit me like a real surprise ...I simply couldn´t believe it. 5. Who told you that "Big In Japan" was # 1 in Germany? Where have you been that time? M:  ...the cook. B: that was in the beginning of April 1984...and I was still doing my community  service...if I remember right, it was Frank who called me to tell me that "Big In Japan" went up to No. 1. It got stuck on No. 2 for 3 weeks in the German Charts (after "Relax" from Frankie goes to Hollywood) and nobody really believed that it would happen. I didn´t care that much but I had to realise that in the musicbiz it´s very different if you are No.1 instead of No. 2.... 6. How did you feel? What came to your mind? M: ...great. No more kitchenwork. B: For me the most overwhelming thing was to find the single in a record store...that was like a dream come true and it continued that way but turned into nightmare sometimes ;-) 7. What happened next? M: ...the cook threw me out. B: airplanes, cabs, radiostations, tv-studios, pressmeetings, restaurants, airplanes, cabs... 8. When did you shoot the video of "Big In Japan"? M: ...several weeks after the release of the single. It was almost too late because the song was already at number one everywhere in Europe. It went simply too fast for those record company guys. The video was directed by one of our biggest idols, genius Dieter Meier from Yello. B: I think that was some time in spring (April?) in Berlin at the CCC-Filmstudios. 9. Did you promote "Big In Japan" in any other countries? Where was your first visit? M: ...Italy, I believe (not sure). I love Italy very much. My family visits the country regularily during summer holidays since I was five years old. It was great to return there not just as a bloody tourist but as a bloody popstar. B: yeah all over Europe...the first trip was Italy, I think....but other countries followed immediately 10. Did you ever wanted to perform in Japan? ;o) M: ...oh yeah, very much. But the song wasn't really successful in Japan. Maybe, the Japanese press and radio people considered the title of the song somehow arrogant? B: we would have liked it ...but it never happened 11. What was most asked question of fans and press regarding "Big In Japan"? M: ...must have been great in Japan, eh? B: what does "big in Japan" mean?