"Kids in America"
Artwork for European release
Single by Kim Wilde
from the album Kim Wilde
B-side
  • "Tuning In, Tuning On" (UK)
  • "You'll Never Be So Wrong" (North America)
Released26 January 1981 (1981-01-26)
Recorded1980
Genre
Length3:27
LabelRAK (UK) EMI (US)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ricky Wilde
Kim Wilde singles chronology
"Kids in America"
(1981)		 "Chequered Love"
(1981)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
"Kids in America 1994"
Single by Kim Wilde
Released2 May 1994 (1994-05-02)
Length3:53 (Cappella Mix)
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ricky Wilde
Kim Wilde singles chronology
"In My Life"
(1993)		 "Kids in America 1994"
(1994)		 "Breakin' Away"
(1995)

"Kids in America" is a song recorded by English pop singer Kim Wilde. It was released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the United States in spring 1982,[5] later appearing on her self-titled debut studio album. Largely inspired by the synth-pop style of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and Gary Numan, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks and number one in Finland and South Africa, and charted in the top 10 of many European charts as well as Australia and New Zealand. In North America, the song reached the top 40 in Canada and the United States. It was certified gold in the United Kingdom,[6] South Africa, Australia and Sweden;[7] and has sold over three million copies worldwide.[8] The song has been covered by many artists from different genres.

Background, composition and production

1980 version

RAK Records boss Mickie Most heard Wilde singing on a backing track to another song recorded by her brother Ricky Wilde, an aspiring young songwriter and producer who had some fame as a child singer in the style of Donny Osmond in the early 1970s.[9]

Most liked Kim's voice and looks and expressed an interest in working with her. Eager to grab the opportunity, Ricky went home and wrote "Kids in America" that same day with his father Marty. Marty Wilde, also a former singer, had been a teen idol and actor in the UK in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[9]

They wrote the song using a WASP synthesizer owned by Ricky. He has said that its main synth line was influenced by that of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Messages".[10] Kim has stated that her brother "kind of nicked" the line.[11] The eighth note synth bassline, which forms the intro, was inspired by Gary Numan (as was the vocal melody in the opening lines).[9]

They went into the studio with everything except the words to the chorus, which Marty Wilde, who was responsible for writing the lyrics to the song, came up with at the last minute.[9] Marty had recently seen a television programme featuring American teenagers and took inspiration from their single-minded and hard attitudes, leading him to the song's story of a tough girl looking out of the window and thinking, "What the damn hell am I doing sitting here."[12]

The line "Whoah-oh!", which is sung after the song's title lyrics, was originally meant to be a guitar lick or a brass stab, but sounded much better sung by the male backing vocals, according to Marty.[9]

After hearing the track for the first time, Most declared it would be a smash hit; but it needed remixing, which he did together with Marty at RAK Studios. The song was shelved for a year[13] before being released as Kim Wilde's first single in January 1981.[9]

1994 version

"Kids in America 1994" was released in May 1994 in order to help promote Wilde's compilation album The Remix Collection (1993). Although it was intended to be released in the UK, for unknown reasons these plans were cancelled at the last minute. However, the track was released in other countries in several remixed forms using Wilde's original vocals from 1981.

2006 version

Among some of her other classic hits, Wilde recorded a new version of the song for her 2006 comeback album Never Say Never, featuring English singer Charlotte Hatherley. This version, like the rest of the album, was produced by German producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, with whom she had previously worked in 2002 for German singer Nena's 20th-anniversary album Nena feat. Nena on the track "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime", a new version of her 1984 hit single.

Reception

"Kids in America" signalled the start of Wilde's career. It sold so well in its first week, foul play was suspected and it was not included in that week's chart.[9] In its first eight weeks of release, the single sold more than half a million copies in the UK alone.[9] The song peaked at number two in the UK in 1981 and became the 23rd-best-selling single that year.[14] The following year in 1982, it reached No. 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for over a month and ranked as the 91st-most-successful song of 1982 on the Hot 100 year-end chart. Though it only hit No. 25, it received heavy airplay on radio stations and MTV. Elsewhere, the record peaked atop the charts of Finland and South Africa. In Europe and Australia, the song was also a major top-10 hit. After "Kids in America", Wilde's father and brother continued to write songs for her (with the latter also given production credits). In later years, she chiefly co-wrote with her brother.

Track listing

UK / Europe / Australia / Japan 7" single [1981]

  1. "Kids In America" – 3:26
  2. "Tuning In, Tuning On" [Single Version] – 4:30


Germany 12" single [1981]

  1. "Kids In America" – 3:26
  2. "Tuning In, Tuning On" [Single Version] – 4:30


US/Canada 7" single [1982]

  1. "Kids In America" – 3:26
  2. "You'll Never Be So Wrong" – 4:11


Europe CD single / Australia cassette single [1994]

  1. "Kids In America 94" [Cappella Mix] - 3:54
  2. "Kids In America 94" [Extension Mix] - 6:52


Europe CD single / Australia CD single [1994]

  1. "Kids In America 94" [Cappella Mix] - 3:54
  2. "Kids In America 94" [Extension Mix] - 6:56
  3. "Kids In America" [Album Version] - 3:24


Europe 12" single [1994]

  1. "Kids In America 94" [Extension Mix] - 6:49
  2. "Kids In America 94" [House Mix] - 6:49
  3. "Kids In America 94" [Plus Staples] - 5:10


Japan CD single [1994]

  1. "Kids In America 94" [Cappella Mix] - 3:51
  2. "Kids In America 94" [Extension Mix] - 6:52
  3. "Kids In America 94" [House Mix] - 6:52
  4. "Kids In America 94" [Plus Staples] - 5:09


UK promo 12" single [1994]

  1. "Kids In America 94" [Extension Mix] - 6:49
  2. "Kids In America 94" [X Club Dub] - 6:00
  3. "Kids In America 94" [Instrumental] - 6:49
  4. "Kids In America 94" [House Mix] - 6:49
  5. "Kids In America 94" [Plus Staples] 5:09
  6. "Kids In America 94" [X Cut Cut] - 5:35

Charts

Notable cover versions

References

  1. ↑ Sendra, Tim. "Kim Wilde – Kim Wilde". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  2. ↑ Williams, Jonathan (April 2003). "Terminus City/No Holds Barred". Prick. Archived from the original on 18 November 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Breihan, Tom (19 February 2021). "The Number Ones: Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On". Stereogum. Retrieved 6 October 2023. ... she'd helped introduce the world to new wave. In fact, she may have helped popularize the term. On her 1981 debut single "Kids In America," Wilde made an announcement...
  4. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (27 September 2022). "100 Best Songs of 1982". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  5. ↑ Mansour, David (2005). From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 264. ISBN 978-0740751189.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ Jones, Peter (19 September 1981). "Wild Route to Success Is Different" (PDF). Billboard. p. 42. Retrieved 1 August 2020 – via World radio History.
  8. ↑ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 19 September 1981 – via Google Books.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Kids in America". Hitlåtens historia. Season 2. Episode 5. 24 January 2012. SVT.
  10. ↑ @Wildericky (19 August 2018). "Ahh.. just had a lovely chat with @OfficialOMD Andy McCluskey..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ "Kim Wilde in WAVES". WAVES Radioshow. 12 March 2019. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022 – via Facebook.
  12. ↑ Slater, Aaron (26 January 2023). "How I Wrote Kids In America". Songwriting Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Kim Wilde: How we made Kids in America". TheGuardian.com. 30 January 2017.
  14. ↑ "The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1981". Official Charts. 5 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 26. 4 July 1981. p. 77. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  16. ↑ "Kim Wilde – Kids in America" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Kim Wilde – Kids in America" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6547." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  19. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  20. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Kids in America". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  21. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kim Wilde" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Kim Wilde – Kids in America" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Kim Wilde – Kids in America". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  24. ↑ "Kim Wilde – Kids in America". VG-lista. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  25. ↑ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts W". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  26. ↑ "Kim Wilde – Kids in America". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  27. ↑ "Kim Wilde – Kids in America". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  28. ↑ "Kim Wilde: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  29. ↑ "Kim Wilde Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  30. ↑ "Cashbox Top 100 Singles: August 28, 1982". Cashbox. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  31. ↑ "Kim Wilde Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  32. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kim Wilde – Kids in America" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  33. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report (393). 4 January 1982 – via Imgur.
  34. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1981 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  35. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  36. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  37. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 1981". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  38. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1981". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  39. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1981". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  40. ↑ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1982). "The Top 200 Singles: January–December 1981". BPI Year Book 1982 (5th ed.). London: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 46–49. ISBN 0-906154-03-0.
  41. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1981" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  42. ↑ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1982". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  43. ↑ Smith, Ethan (18 August 1995). "Music Review: Clueless". Entertainment Weekly.
  44. ↑ "Len Takes on "Kids in America" for "Digimon"". MTV News. 26 July 2000. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  45. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (20 April 2015). "Hear Foo Fighters Cover Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America'". Spin.
  46. ↑ "FooFightersLive.com". 7 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  47. ↑ "Kim Wilde would love to team up with Dave Grohl on new version of 'Kids In America'". Retro Pop. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  48. ↑ "Billie Joe Armstrong Covers Kim Wilde's "Kids in America"". Pitchfork. 4 May 2020.
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