We're all young heroes/We only wanna be free...

Kim Wilde's first three albums, originally released on RAK Records between 1981 and 1983, have returned to CD and vinyl from Cherry Red's Cherry Pop imprint. Daughter of rock-and-roller Marty Wilde (also the subject of a recent retrospective from Cherry Red), Kim rose to fame on the international success of her debut single "Kids in America" which inaugurated a run of five consecutive top 20 hit singles in the United Kingdom. ("Kids" went top 40 in the U.S. and Canada, went to No. 1 in three countries, and went to the top ten in more than a dozen others.) The three albums - Kim Wilde (1981), Select (1982), and Catch as Catch Can (1983) - have each been expanded in deluxe 2CD/1DVD format, while colored vinyl editions (yellow, white, and blue, respectively) of the original albums are also available.

The 1981 debut Kim Wilde was a family affair, with all of its songs written by Marty Wilde and Kim's younger brother Ricky, who also produced. (Ricky, a recording artist in his own right and a onetime teen idol, was once heralded as Britain's answer to Donny Osmond.)  Ricky's production established Kim in the new wave vein, but also incorporated reggae and pure pop influences for a broad spectrum of sound.  It also emphasized, rather than shied away from, her youth.  In addition to "Kids in America," the LP yielded the hit singles "Chequered Love" and "Water on Glass" and became a No. 3 smash on the U.K. Albums Chart. "Young Heroes," with lyrics penned by Marty to inspire kids of Kim's age, was later performed on the musical television series Fame.  Cherry Red's deluxe reissue, housed in a gatefold wallet, adds 16 bonus tracks including B-sides, original single mixes, and a disc's worth of new remixes. As with all reissues in this series, Kim Wilde has been remastered from the original analog master tapes. The DVD boasts six promotional videos as well as the previously unreleased, unedited "Shower Version" of "Chequered Love." Customers outside of the U.K. should note, however, that the DVDs for all three releases are in PAL (not NTSC or region-free) format.

Select, originally released in 1982, was once again helmed by Ricky Wilde and written by Ricky and dad Marty. It relied more heavily upon electronics than Kim's debut, with Ricky employing the Moog, Roland JP 8, Yamaha CS80, and Solina synthesizers. Kim's distinctive, youthful voice, however, remained unchanged.  The leadoff single, the politically-minded "Cambodia," anticipated the release of the album; while it peaked just outside of the top ten in the U.K. at No. 11, it was another international success (and reached pole position in France, Switzerland, and Sweden). "View from a Bridge," with suicide as its subject matter, was another hit, reaching No. 16 in the U.K. and the top five in Belgium, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The deluxe edition of Select adds six bonuses to CD 1 including non-LP single sides (such as the Japan-exclusive rarity "Bitter Is Better," an advertisement for the B&L Bitter Lemon company) and two previously unissued tracks. CD 2 has six illuminating works-in-progress from the sessions plus another clutch of remixes, for a total of 21 bonuses across the two discs. The DVD boasts three videos, two performances from Top of the Pops, and "View from a Bridge" as played on Nationwide Special: The British Rock & Pop Awards of 1982.

Finally, Catch as Catch Can (1983) kept it all in the family again, with the exception of "Dancing in the Dark" which was penned by proven hitmaker Nicky Chinn ("Kiss You All Over," "Mickey") and Paul Gurvitz. While the album kept largely in the electronic-heavy style of its predecessor, Kim departed from the formula with mature tracks like the slinky lead single "Love Blonde," an incisive cut featuring a brass section and influenced by jazz and swing. The throbbing "Dancing in the Dark," the second single, nudged Kim in a more overtly dance-oriented direction, and was remixed by CHIC's Nile Rodgers for its 12-inch debut. "Love Blonde" fared best in the U.K., reaching No. 23; it hit the top ten in Sweden and Finland. "Dancing in the Dark" only made it to No. 67 at home but reached the top 10 in Denmark, Switzerland, and Finland. The taut, urgent "House of Salome," the LP's third and final single, made the top 40 only in Belgium. Cherry Red's generously expanded edition has nine bonuses on CD 1 (including Rodgers' extended remix, single edits, instrumentals, and more) and a further seventeen on the second disc encompassing original session mixes and demos plus 2020 remixes. The DVD has seven tracks including two promo videos, a television commercial, and performances from Top of the Pops, Harty, and Crackerjack.

All three of these reissues, produced by Tom Parker (who also remastered) and Wilde historian Marcel Rijs, have been curated with Kim Wilde's participation and authorization. Michael Robson has beautifully designed these releases.  Each eight-panel digipak includes the two CDs in sturdy protective inner sleeves (with tape box images) and the DVD and 20-page booklet in slots.  The booklets have lyrics, memorabilia, and detailed new liner notes from Rijs.

These three 2CD/DVD sets add up to the definitive chronicle of Kim Wilde's RAK Records years.  They're available, as well as the colored vinyl LPs, now in the U.K., and next Friday in North America at the links below!

Kim Wilde: Expanded Edition (Cherry Pop PCRPOPT212 (U.K.), 2020)

2CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Disc 1: Original album (1-10, released as RAK SRAK-544 (U.K.), 1981) and bonus tracks (11-14)

1. Water On Glass
2. Our Town
3. Everything We Know
4. Young Heroes
5. Kids In America
6. Chequered Love
7. 2-5-6-8-0
8. You'll Never Be So Wrong
9. Falling Out
10. Tuning In Tuning On
11. Shane (B-side to "Chequered Love" - RAK 330, 1981)
12. Boys (B-side to "Water On Glass" - RAK 334, 1981)
13. Water On Glass (7" Version) (single A-side - RAK 334, 1981)
14. Tuning In Tuning On (7" Version) (B-side to "Kids In America" - RAK 327, 1981)

Disc 2: The 19:81 Mixes (newly created and previously unreleased except where noted)

1. Kids In America (Luke Mornay Remix)
2. Chequered Love (Matt Pop Extended Version)
3. Water On Glass (Eddie Said & Luke Nutley Extended Version)
4. Kids In America (Popfidelity Allstars Remix)
5. Chequered love (Matt Pop Alternative Mix)
6. Water On glass (Project K: Project Kim)
7. Kids In America (Neutrophic Remix)
8. Kids In America (D-Bop's Bright Lights Remix) (B-side to "Loved" - EMI Catalogue 72435 50109 2 6 (U.K.), 2001)
9. Kids In America (Popfidelity Allstars Instrumental)
10. Chequered Love (Matt Pop Instrumental)
11. Water On glass (Eddie Said & Luke Nutley Instrumental)
12. Kids In America (Luke Mornay Instrumental)

DVD

1. Kids In America (promo video)
2. Chequered Love (promo video)
3. Kids In America (Top Of The Pops - 2/26/1981)
4. Chequered Love (Top Of The Pops - 5/7/1981)
5. Water On Glass (Top Of The Pops - 7/30/1981)
6. Kids In America (Top Of The Pops' Christmas Party - 12/25/1981)
7. Chequered Love (Unedited Shower Version - Bonus Footage)

Select: Expanded Edition (Cherry Pop PCRPOPT213 (U.K.), 2020)

2CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Disc 1: Original album (1-10, released as RAK SRAK-548 (U.K.), 1982) and bonus tracks (11-16, * previously unreleased)

1. Ego
2. Words Fell Down
3. Action City
4. View From a Bridge
5. Just a Feeling
6. Chaos At The Airport
7. Take Me Tonight
8. Can You Come Over
9. Wendy Sadd
10. Cambodia - Reprise
11. Child Come Away (single A-side - RAK 352, 1982)
12. Bitter Is Better (Japanese single A-side - RAK ERS-17225, 1982)
13. He Will Be There *
14. Watching For Shapes (B-side to "Cambodia" - RAK 336, 1982)
15. Just Another Guy (B-side to "Child Come Away" - RAK 352, 1982)
16. Bitter Is Better (Instrumental) *

Disc 2: Session Selections (1-6, previously unreleased) and The 19:82 Mixes (7-15, newly created and previously unreleased except where noted)

1. Ego (Rough Mix)
2. Words Fell Down (Original Mix)
3. Action City (Instrumental Demo)
4. Just a Feeling (Rough Mix)
5. Chaos At The Airport (Rough Mix)
6. Take Me Tonight (Original Mix)
7. Cambodia (Matt Pop Extended Version)
8. View From a Bridge (Luke Mornay Remix)
9. Child Come Away (Matt Pop Remix)
10. Cambodia (Luke Mornay Urbantronik Mix)
11. View From a Bridge (RAW Remix) (B-side to "Loved" - EMI Catalogue 72435 50109 2 6 (U.K.), 2001)
12. Child come away (Matt Pop Instrumental)
13. Cambodia (Matt Pop Instrumental)
14. View From a Bridge (Luke Mornay Instrumental)
15. Cambodia (Luke Mornay Urbantronik Instrumental)

DVD

1. Cambodia (promo video)
2. View From a Bridge (promo video)
3. Child Come Away (promo video)
4. Cambodia (Top Of The Pops - 11/26/1981)
5. View From a Bridge (Top Of The Pops - 4/22/1982)
6. View From a Bridge (Nationwide Special: The British Rock & Pop Awards - 2/24/1982)

Catch As Catch Can: Expanded Edition (Cherry Pop PCRPOPT214 (U.K.), 2020)

2CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Disc 1: Original album (1-10, released as RAK SRAK-1650481, 1983) and bonus tracks (11-19, * previously unreleased)

1. House Of Salome
2. Back Street Joe
3. Stay Awhile
4. Love Blonde
5. Dream Sequence
6. Dancing In The Dark
7. Shoot To Disable
8. Can You Hear It
9. Sparks
10. Sing It Out For Love
11. Rain On *
12. Back Seat Driver (B-side to "Dancing In The Dark" - RAK 365, 1983)
13. Love Blonde (7″ Version) (single A-side - RAK 360, 1983)
14. Dancing In The Dark (RAK Mix) *
15. Can You Hear It (7″ Version) (B-side to "Love Blonde" - RAK 360, 1983)
16. Love Blonde (Extended Version) (12" A-side - RAK 12-360, 1983)
17. Dancing In The Dark (Nile Rodgers Extended Version) (12" A-side - RAK 12-365, 1983)
18. Dancing In The Dark (Instrumental) (12" B-side - RAK 12-365, 1983)
19. Dancing In The Dark (Full Instrumental) *

Disc 2: The Catch As Catch Can Sessions (1-13, previously unreleased) and The 19:83 Mixes (14-17, newly created and previously unreleased except where noted)

1. House Of Salome (Rough Mix)
2. Back Street Joe (Rough Mix)
3. Stay Awhile (Rough Mix)
4. Dream Sequence (Instrumental Demo)
5. Dancing In The Dark (Rough Mix)
6. Shoot To Disable (Rough Mix)
7. Can You Hear It (Rough Mix)
8. Sparks (Rough Mix)
9. Sing It Out For Love (Rough Mix)
10. Sail On (Original Version)
11. Shoot To Disable (Original Mix)
12. House Of Salome (Instrumental)
13. Dream Sequence (In Reverse)
14. Love Blonde (Popfidelity Allstars Special Re-Mix)
15. Sparks (Extended Edit) (from Disconet Program Service Vol. 6 Program 9 12" - MWDN 609, 1984)
16. Can You Hear It (Project K: Project Kim)
17. Love Blonde (Popfidelity Allstars Instrumental)

DVD

1. Love Blonde (promo video)
2. Dancing In The Dark (promo video)
3. Love Blonde (Top Of The Pops - 8/4/1983)
4. Love Blonde (Top Of The Pops - 8/18/1983)
5. Dancing In The Dark (Harty - 12/2/1983)
6. Dancing In The Dark (Crackerjack - 12/2/1983)
7. The Very Best Of Kim Wilde (1984 TV advert)