Date: 5 March 1981
Originally published in: Record Mirror (UK)
Written by:
It looks as though 20-year-old Kim Wilde borrowed one of her dad’s old jackets for her appearance on Top of the Pops. But she doesn’t seem to need the luck of something old or something borrowed, because her single “Kids in America” is pushing up the charts entirely under its own steam. The fact that she’s the daughter of Marty Wilde won’t mean much to anyone these days – her old man Marty (‘Rubber Ball’ and ‘Donna’) Wilde gave up the rock biz some time ago – so it’s not as if she was born with a silver disc in her mouth.
The record is a family affair – it was co-produced by her dad and brother Ricky, who had a stab at recording some years ago. Ricky has decided he’s better behind the controls than behind the mike and says he’s embarrassed by his earlier attempts on vinyl.
Kim, who left art school last ear, has surprised record company execs with her talent – they were so used to seeing her around as a kid, they never though she’d end up following in Marty’s crepe soled footsteps. But from what I hear, she’s not only inherited her singing talent from mum and dad (mum was a Vernon Girl… ask you dad), she’s also pretty hot stuff when it comes to the business side of the record biz.
