"Kids in America" | ||||
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Artwork for European release
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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 | |||
Length | 3:27 | |||
Label | RAK | |||
Writer(s) | Marty Wilde, Ricky Wilde | |||
Producer(s) | Ricky Wilde | |||
Kim Wilde singles chronology | ||||
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"Kids in America 1994" | ||||
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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 | ||||
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"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. It has been covered by many artists from different genres.
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. 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. 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.
"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.
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.