Kids in America

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For other uses, see Kids in America (disambiguation).
"Kids in America"
Single by Kim Wilde
from the album Kim Wilde
B-side "Tuning In, Tuning On"
Released 26 January 1981
Format 7" single, 12" single
Recorded 1980
Genre New wave,[1] synthpop
Length 3:27
Label RAK
Writer(s) Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde
Producer(s) Ricky Wilde
Kim Wilde singles chronology
"Kids in America"
(1981)		 "Chequered Love"
(1981)
"Kids in America 1994"
Single by Kim Wilde
Released 2 May 1994
Format 12", CD single
Length 3:53 (Cappella Mix)
Label MCA
Writer(s) Ricky Wilde, Marty Wilde
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 British 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.[2] It has been covered by many artists from different genres.

Background

The song was recorded in 1980 after RAK Records boss Mickie Most heard Wilde singing on a backing track for her brother Ricky Wilde. He liked her voice and image and expressed an interest to work with her.[citation needed] Ricky Wilde, together with his father Marty Wilde, a pre-Beatles British rock and roll star, wrote the song "Kids in America" for Wilde to record. Once the demo was sent, Most remixed the track himself and released it on RAK as Wilde's first single in January 1981.[citation needed] The synthesizer featured at the start of the recording is the WASP synthesizer, which was owned by Ricky Wilde at the time and inspired the writing of the song.[citation needed]

1994 version

"Kids in America 1994" was released in May 1994 in order to help promote Wilde's compilation album The Remix Collection. Although it was intended to be released in the UK, for reasons unknown 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. The "radio version" of the track was remixed by Cappella, with James Stevenson on guitar.[citation needed]

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, whom she had previously worked with 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. Wilde contributed English verses to the song, which was slightly remixed and released as a single in 2003.[citation needed]

In 1995, The Muffs' cover of "Kids In America" was featured on the soundtrack for the 1995 film Clueless, which eventually won an RIAA award for Platinum level sales. It was later reissued on the Muffs' 2000 album Hamburger. The song is also used in Rock Band 2.

A version of the song by Alexa Brevig was used in a 2010 commercial for Totino's pizza and pizza rolls.

Reaction

The song peaked at number 2 in the United Kingdom. The following year it reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 hit in the United States and ranked as the 91st most successful song of 1982 on the Hot 100 year-end chart. In the summer of 1981, the track appeared on Wilde's self-titled debut album.

"Kids in America" was the song that signalled the start of Wilde's career. Her father and brother continued to write songs for her (with the latter also given production credits), although in later years Wilde herself and her brother would usually be credited with the songwriting.

Track listing (1981/1982)

7" (UK) RAK 327 (track listing same as most international 7" formats)

A. Kids in America (3:26)

B. Tuning In Tuning On (4:30)

7" (US/Canada) EMI America PB-8110

A. Kids In America (3:26)

B. You'll Never Be So Wrong (4:11)

12" (Germany) RAK 052-64249

A. Kids in America (3:26)

B. Tuning In Tuning On (4:30)

Track listing (1994)

12" (Netherlands) MCA MCT 31556

  • Kids In America 1994 (Extension Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (House Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (Plus Staples)

12" (UK) MCA SAM 29T (Promo)

  • Kids In America 1994 (Extension Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (X Club Dub)
  • Kids In America 1994 (Instrumental)
  • Kids In America 1994 (House Dub)
  • Kids In America 1994 (Plus Staples)
  • Kids In America 1994 (X Cut Cut)

CD Single (Germany) MCA MCD 31555

  • Kids In America 1994 (Cappella Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (Extension Mix)
  • Kids In America

CD Single (Germany) MCA MCD 31926

  • Kids In America 1994 (Cappella Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (Extension Mix)

CD Single (Japan) MCA MVCM 13010

  • Kids In America 1994 (Cappella Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (Extension Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (House Mix)
  • Kids In America 1994 (Plus Staples)

Charts

Chart (1981–82) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 4
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[6] 4
Canada (RPM 50 Singles)[7] 34
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] 1
France (SNEP)[9] 3
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 5
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[15] 9
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[16] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 5
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 25
US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[20] 29

Covers

The song has been covered by a wide range of artists, mostly from 1991 onwards. Notable bands include The Bloodhound Gang, Atomic Kitten, Cascada, The Muffs, and Foo Fighters.[21]

No Secrets covered the song for the 2001 film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and was released as a single, and later appeared on their 2002 debut album No Secrets.

"Kids In America"
File:Kids in America.JPG
Single by Kim-Lian
from the album Balance
Released 18 August 2004
Format CD single
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:32
Label CMM Records
Kim-Lian singles chronology
"Garden of Love"
(2004)		 "Kids in America"
(2004)		 "Road to Heaven"
(2006)
"Kids in America"
Song

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. "Terminus even does a punked out cover of the Kim Wilde new wave hit "Kids In America" bringing a whole new meaning to the song."
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Kim Wilde – Kids in America" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kim Wilde – Kids in America" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 4
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Kim Wilde"
  10. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Kim Wilde – Kids in America". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Only one result when searching "Kids in America"
  12. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kim Wilde - Kids in America search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kim Wilde – Kids in America" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Kim Wilde – Kids in America". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kim Wilde – Kids in America". VG-lista. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Kim Wilde – Kids in America". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kim Wilde – Kids in America". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1981-03-28" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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