"Chequered Love" is the second single by British singer Kim Wilde. The song was released in the spring of 1981 to follow Wilde's successful debut "

Kids in America "Kids in America" is a song recorded by English pop singer Kim Wilde. It was released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the United States in spring 1982, later appearing on her Kim Wilde (album), self-titled de ...

". As with that single, writing credits were given to Wilde's father and brother Marty and

Ricky Wilde Ricky may refer to: Places * Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic * Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic *Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky ...

, with the latter also being given production credits. The 12" version is no longer in length than the 7"; however, better sound quality is achieved by the grooves not being as compressed - a common practice for "marketing" during the 1980s. The song later appeared on Wilde's self-titled debut album. Lyrically, the song describes how opposites attract, and was inspired by Wilde's parents who are very different people. "Chequered Love" became another hit for Wilde, reaching the number four on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, number one in South Africa (succeeding "Kids in America"), and peaking inside the top 10 all around the world except North America. It was certified gold in the UK, and has sold over a million copies worldwide. The song was also followed by a music video directed by

Brian Grant Brian Wade Grant (born March 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was known for his tenaciou ...

, which was set in a steamy bathroom with black tiles on the walls.

Track listing

;7" / 12" # Chequered Love (3:20) # Shane (3:39) ;7" (US) # Chequered Love (3:20) # Everything We Know (3:42)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1981 singles 1981 songs Kim Wilde songs Number-one singles in South Africa RAK Records singles Songs written by Ricky Wilde Songs written by Marty Wilde