''The Kid Inside'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter
John Mellencamp
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...
. It was released January 27, 1983 by MainMan Records. It was recorded in 1977 for
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
and was intended to be the follow-up to his debut album ''
Chestnut Street Incident
''Chestnut Street Incident'' is the debut studio album by John Mellencamp, then known as "Johnny Cougar," released in 1976.
Signing on with David Bowie's manager, Tony Defries, Mellencamp travelled to New York City to cut this first album. DeFri ...
'', but MCA declined to release the album and dropped Mellencamp from the label. The recordings remained unreleased until 1983 when
Tony Defries, Mellencamp's former manager, released the album on his own MainMan label. Defries was attempting to capitalize on the recent success of Mellencamp's breakout album ''
American Fool
''American Fool'' is the fifth studio album by John Mellencamp, released under the stage name John Cougar in 1982. The album was his commercial breakthrough, holding the No. 1 position on the ''Billboard'' album chart for nine weeks.
A remastere ...
'', which was one of the best-selling albums of 1982 and spawned two top 5 singles.
Defries' decision to release ''The Kid Inside'' in early 1983 confused many fans and even some journalists who thought it was the follow-up to ''American Fool'', when it was really already six years old. The true follow-up to ''American Fool'' was ''
Uh-Huh'', and it was released in October 1983. This was Mellencamp's last album to be released under the name John Cougar. His next release, ''
Uh-Huh'', would be released under the name John Cougar Mellencamp.
The 2009
Cherry Red Records
Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...
reissue added four bonus tracks recorded during the sessions for the album.
Track listing
All songs written by John Mellencamp; except where noted.
#"Kid Inside" – 5:32
#"Take What You Want" – 3:14
#"Cheap Shot" – 3:53
#"Sidewalk and Streetlights" – 4:08
#"R. Gang" – 2:30
#"American Son" – 4:52
#"Gearhead" – 2:38
#"Young Genocides" – 2:26
#"Too Young to Live" – 7:45
#"Survive" – 4:09
1998 CD bonus tracks
#"The Whore" – 1:21
#"
The Man Who Sold the World" (
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
) – 2:27
2009 CD bonus tracks
#"Skin It Back" - 4:08
#"Last of the Big Time Spenders" - 6:34
#"Whore" - 4:00
#"Skin It Back (Acoustic)" - 5:20
Personnel
*John Cougar - vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, electric Telecaster guitar, arrangements
*David Parman - bass, acoustic guitar, electric Stratocaster guitar, violin, percussion, arrangements
*
Larry Crane - electric guitar, 6- and 11-string guitar
*Terrance Sala - drums, percussion
*Tom Wince - keyboards
*Wayne Hall - saxophone, flute, percussion
;Technical
*Ed Sprigg - engineer
*James J.C. Andrews - art direction, cover photography
References
1977 albums
John Mellencamp albums
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