Kids in America (song)
Encyclopedia
"Kids in America" is a New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...

 song by British singer Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...

, released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 as her debut single in January 1981
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...

, and in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in 1982. It has famously been covered by many artists from different genres.

Background

The song was recorded in 1980 after RAK Records
RAK Records
Rak Records was a British record label, founded by record producer Mickie Most in 1969. Rak was home of artists like Herman's Hermits, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Kenny, Hot Chocolate, Smokie, Arrows, Span, Racey and Kim Wilde. Rak Records were distributed via a licensing deal with EMI, which bought the...

 boss Mickie Most
Mickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....

 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
Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...

 (a 1950s/1960s 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.

1994 version

"Kids in America 1994" was released in May 1994 in order to help promote Wilde's compilation album The Remix Collection
The Remix Collection (Kim Wilde album)
The Remix Collection is a remix album by Kim Wilde. The album was released in 1993 in Japan and later also in Australia. It contains some of her hits in long versions. For the first time ever available on cd are “The Second Time” U.S. Mix, “Never Trust A Stranger” Sanjazz Mix and “Four Letter Word”...

. 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
Cappella
Cappella was an Italian Eurodance act formed in 1987 by producer Gianfranco Bortolotti. The act went through a number of line-up changes over the years but was most successful in the early 1990s when it was fronted by British performers Kelly Overett and Rodney Bishop...

, with James Stevenson
James Stevenson (musician)
James Stevenson is a UK punk / rock guitarist, at one time appearing with The Alarm, Gene Loves Jezebel, Generation X and Chelsea.-Music career:...

 on guitar.

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
Never Say Never (Kim Wilde album)
Never Say Never is the tenth studio album by Kim Wilde and was released in September 2006. It was a comeback album after being away from the music business for a number of years and her first studio album for eleven years...

, featuring English singer Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Franklin Hatherley is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash. Since departing Ash in 2006, she has found success as a solo artist...

. This version, like the rest of the album, was produced by German producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen is a keyboard player and songwriter, known for his work with the German rock group Nena.Born in Berlin he first played in a band called "Vanguard"in 1977 - 1979 with bassist Sven Bode, Guitarist Fritz... and drummer Didier, composing an amazing Rock Opera. Concerts...

, whom she had previously worked with in 2002 for German singer Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...

's 20th anniversary album Nena feat. Nena
Nena feat. Nena
Nena featuring Nena, also called "20 Jahre Nena" , or "20 Jahre—Das Jubiläums-Album" is an anniversary album by popular German singer Nena...

on the track "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime
Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime
"Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" is a 2003 duet single by German singer Nena and British singer Kim Wilde. The video was recorded in and around Change Alley, London EC3....

", 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.

A new re-recorded version of the song was used in a 2010 commercial for Totino's
Totino's
Totino's and Jeno's are brands of frozen pizza owned by General Mills.Rose Totino created take-out and later in 1962, Totino's frozen pizza, eventually becoming a vice-president of Pillsbury Company. Totino's was acquired by General Mills, with the purchase of Pillsbury...

 pizza and pizza rolls.

Reaction

The song peaked at number two in the United Kingdom. The following year it became a Top 30 hit in the United States. In the summer of 1981, the track appeared on Wilde's self-titled debut album.

The new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...

 song was 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.

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" (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)

1994

Cappella Mix (3:53)

Extension Mix

House Mix

Plus Staples

X Club Dub

Instrumental

X Cut Cut

Chart performance

Chart (1981-82) Peak
position
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

2
US Billboard Hot 100 25
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

34
Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

1
Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

1
South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

1
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

2
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

4
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

5
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

5
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

5
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

5
Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

6
Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

9
Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

12

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