Kids in America (2006)

Re-recording of the song Kids in America, written by Ricky and Marty Wilde. Duet with Charlotte Hatherley.
Eighth track on the album Never Say Never.

Kim about ‘Kids in America (2006)’

I, at the time, was having a bit of a problem with ‘Kids in America’ because I couldn’t quite get my head around the fact that I was doing it again after all these years and although I loved how Uwe produced it I was still having a problem having a direct relationship with it again and just find a good reason to put it on an album. I wasn’t quite convinced. Charlotte was due in to play guitar that day and I thought ‘You know what, ‘Kids in America’ would make sense for me if she sings it too. So when she turned up I said ‘Would you sing ‘Kids in America’?’ She said ‘Sure, I’ll do backing vocals’ and I said ‘No, no… not backing vocals I want you to sing it’. So she kindof was a bit… ‘Oh God, you know, I would love to but you are gonna have to go shopping because I’m not gonna do it with you in the studio.’ So I went shopping that afternoon, instead of being there and let her get on with it. When I got back and heard what she’d done I was so chuffed and it brought ‘Kids in America’ back to life for me again as a new recording. It’s very different singing it live, that’s different. I’ve been doing a lot of eighties concerts singing ‘Kids in America’ and that’s the most natural thing in the world in a retro sense. But presenting it again as a new song I was having a lot of problems with it until Charlotte’s involvement. And when she finished I thought ‘That’s great and I want it on my album’. And that was great. (1)

‘Kids In America’ is the best song I’ve ever made. When I heard the new version, I felt there wasn’t enough of a difference with the old version. How can you improve on such a classic? If we colonise the moon in a hundred years, it will be played over there too. When Charlotte Hatherley came into the picture to share the vocals with me, I had more lust for it. She always plays the song during her gigs and felt it was an honour being able to sing it. The only condition was that I wasn’t there when she sang it. So I went shopping. (2)

Credits

Additional lead vocals: Charlotte Hatherley
Guitars: Charlotte Hatherley, PC, T. Hahn
Keys & programming: Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen & Derek von Krogh
Guitars: T. Hahn
Drums: B. Hahn, T. Wörner
Bass: PC, Derek von Krogh
Backing vocals: Ricky Wilde, N., M. & D. Janz
Additional keyboards: N. Priessnitz
Produced by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen & Derek von Krogh

Interview sources

(1) A date with Kim Wilde: the ‘Never say never’ interview (transcript), 2006
(2) Kim Wilde: Never Say Never, Revolver (Netherlands), October 2006