Water on glass - Kim Wilde

I was still desperately searching for Kim Wilde's 'Cambodia', but I couldn't find it. Instead, one autumn day in 1982, I bumped into an unknown English single by her. I found 'Water on glass'. I didn't know the track, since I hadn't bought any album by Kim yet, but the sleeve was appealing enough and I had become interested enough to want to have this single.

'Water on glass' was the third single to be drawn from Kim's debut album. It was a hit in the UK, reaching no. 11, but by the time European countries had caught on to the phenomena 'Kids in America' and 'Chequered love', Kim had already recorded 'Cambodia', so in most countries that single was released instead. I did buy a Dutch pressing of 'Water on glass' in 1998, however, so maybe the record companies did try to get it in the chart. I just don't know...

My collection: 7" single no. 175 / no. 3036

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982 / Record fair, Utrecht, October 11, 1998

Cost: 2 guilders / 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Water on glass' / 'Boys'

Download: A selection of Kim Wilde songs, including both tracks

Child come away - Kim Wilde

The fourth Kim Wilde single I bought was Kim's sixth. By then, I thought all I was missing still was Kim's single 'Cambodia', but I hadn't been able to find that one. Otherwise, I was satisfied. I bought 'Child come away' pretty soon after it had been released. I loved the colourful cover, although I remember I thought her hair was a bit too big.

'Child come away' was a new track, not included on Kim's second album 'Select'. The B-side, 'Just another guy' was new as well. For the longest time I didn't know it, but the twelve inch version of this single is quite a rarity, because it was not a chart success and so a very limited quantity of it was pressed.

My collection: 7" single no. 163

Found: Studio Echo, Den Haag, 1982

Cost: 5,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Child come away' / 'Just another guy'

Download: here

Chequered love - Kim Wilde

'Chequered love' was Kim Wilde's second single and it was another big success. In the Netherlands, it did even better than Kim's debut Kids in America, reaching no. 2 in the charts where 'Kids' only made it to no. 6.

In 1982, I was going to Disco Market on a very regular basis, searching through the singles until I found one or two titles I could take home and play. It was a nice surprise to find 'Chequered love' only a few weeks after I'd found View from a bridge.

My collection: 7" single no. 129

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Chequered love' / 'Shane'

Download: here

View from a bridge - Kim Wilde

After buying Kids in America, I'd definitely become interested in owning more Kim Wilde singles. I didn't have a very great budget, though, so that made things difficult. Fortunately, my favourite second hand singles shop started to stock more Kim Wilde singles, which enabled me to have a few titles in a relatively short time.

I can't be sure now, but I think I bought 'View from a bridge' there as well. It was one of my favourite Kim Wilde tracks at the time and buying this made me very happy. I was kindof disappointed that the sleeve was made in black and white because I wanted to see colour photos of Kim even then...

My collection: 7" single no. 112
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'View from a bridge' / 'Take me tonight'
Download: Album 'Select', which includes both tracks

Kids in America - Kim Wilde

Did I mention that I have a complete collection of Kim Wilde records? I didn't? Well, okay, so I did now. And in this first installment of a series that will take some months to develop, I can tell you it all started with Kim's debut single: 'Kids in America'.

I bought my first copy of this single in 1982 in the shop I mentioned in my first post, Disco Market. It was a year after Kim made the charts with this track, and it took so long to get it because I was always buying older, thus cheaper, chart singles. When Kim burst onto the scene I was only 10 years old. The song stuck in my mind, which is why I still wanted to have it one year on.

The copy pictured here is not the one I bought then. I've got three copies: the tattered, torn first one, a third one I bought recently to have a pristine copy, and the one pictured here. I had it signed by Kim in 1997, when she ended her 11 month run with the musical Tommy.

My collection: 7" single no. 108
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1982
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Kids in America' / 'Tuning in tuning on'
Download: Album 'Kim Wilde, including both tracks