Fridae

Germany's latest pop sensation, Marilyn's Boys, recently released their first single, I Give You The Stars, an upbeat number which their record label, Edel Records, hopes will be a hit and the start of the conquest of the American and European pop music charts.

The five handsome, fashionable and muscle-toned men were chosen by a jury at the end of a nationwide casting session which began with 1000 would-be stars at the Betty Ford Clinic, a nightclub in Hamburg's red light district.

Like most other any boy or girl group, the boys have been carefully selected to fit to certain stereotypes. Manager and producer Swen Gutknecht says the band was consciously put together with five different types, which are also very international.

Marilyn's Boys are: Jeremy Golledge, 25, was born and raised in London; sporty-type Ruan Ratnatunga, 24 has a Sri Lankan background; acting talent Andrim Emini, 20 has Macedonian heritage; one-time Eurovision Song Contest hopeful for Luxembourg Yves Steinhauer, 25, is Canadian but grew up in Luxembourg and Rico Hoffman, 22, ex-hairdresser and confessed "fashion victim."

The band's name was chosen after the 40th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death came up in conversation one day and the executives who wanted something different decided on it after a contest to find the name for the group didn't fulfill their expectations.

While all the boys are openly gay, sexual orientation is not supposed to be in the spotlight, says band member Jeremy.

"As far as our music goes, the fact that we're gay has nothing to do with it," he told Germany's public broadcaster <>DW-WORLD in an interview. "We are not just addressing a gay community. This is mainstream music and we're trying to reach everybody."

The band says it isn't worried that being gay could limit its fan community and believes that "gay" could sell - to both male and female fans.

"Girls like sweet boys like us - that's what we are, aren't we?" says Ruan.

Constantin von der Muehle, in charge of the band's management, believes the boys will have no trouble attracting the girls, saying: "It is their unavailability which could make them so attractive."