Wild One (Johnny O'Keefe song)

Infobox Single
Name = Wild One


Artist = Johnny O'Keefe
from Album = Shakin' at the Stadium
B-side = "Ain’t that a Shame"
Released = 1958
Format = EP
Recorded = 1958
Genre = Rock and roll
Length = 3:38
Label = Leedon / Festival Records
Writer = Johnny Greenan, Johnny O'Keefe, Dave Owens, Tony Witherscite web |url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150610b.htm |title=O'Keefe, John Michael (Johnny) |publisher=Australian Dictionary of Biography |accessdate=2008-05-28]
Producer =
Certification =
Chart position =

#26 (AUS)

Last single = "Love Letters in the Sand"
(1957)
This single = "Wild One"
(1958)
Next single = "Over the Mountain"
(1958)Extra chronology
Artist = Iggy Pop
Type = singles
Last single = "Cry for Love"
(1986)
This single = "Real Wild Child (Wild One)"
(1986)
Next single = "Isolation"
(1987)"Wild One" is a rock and roll song written by Johnny Greenan, Johnny O'Keefe, and Dave Owens. Sydney disc jockey Tony Withers was credited with helping to get radio airplay for the song but writer credits on subsequent versions often omit Withers, who later worked in the United Kingdom on pirate stations Radio Atlanta and, as Tony Windsor, on Radio London.

O'Keefe was the first to perform it, on his debut EP "Shakin' at the Stadium", released on the Festival label. This version, ostensibly recorded live at the Stadium, was in fact a studio recording, overdubbed with the sound of a real audience. It differs from the version released in the USA and UK. "Wild One" was also released as "Real Wild Child" in the USA on Brunswick and in the UK on Coral.

Festival liner notes have always put forward that the crowd overdub was the only difference... Ignoring the crowd overdub at the start, both versions have a different intro and JOK's vocal on the foreign versions is noticeably wilder than on the EP version issued here… As far as I know, the US/UK single version which, IMHO, is markedly superior to our version, was never issued in Australia... at the time, [but] it did finally appear on a local compilation LP in the 70's and is now commonly available on various JOK CDs.
Tony Watson [cite web |url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/feature.php?id=132 |title=Where Did They Get That Song? |publisher=Pop Archives |accessdate=2008-05-28]

The song was the first Australian rock recording to reach the national charts, peaking at #20.cite book |title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 |format=doc |last=Kent |first=David |authorlink= David Kent|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6 |accessdate=2008-02-19] [cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/longway/discography/ |title=Long Way to the Top |publisher=ABC |accessdate=2008-05-28]

Covers

In 1958 the song was released as a single by Jerry Ivan Allison, a member of The Crickets, using the name Ivan. Retitled "Real Wild Child," the song became a moderate hit, peaking at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Wild One" was also recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1958 but was not released until 1974 on Lee's album, "Rockin' and Free". It was recorded and released as "Real Wild Child" by Jet Harris, former bassist with The Shadows, in 1962 on Harris' self titled EP. A further version, "Real Wild Child (Wild One)" was recorded by British guitarist, Albert Lee, on his 1982 self-titled album.

The song was again covered in 1986 when Iggy Pop included a version on his album "Blah Blah Blah". Titled "Real Wild Child (Wild One)," this became a top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart in December 1986. It also charted on "Billboard"'s Album Rock Tracks chart, peaking at #27 and was covered by Billy Idol in 1987, followed by Lou Reed in 1993.

Other artists to record this song include Status Quo, Everlife, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Glamour Camp, Marshall Crenshaw, Brian Setzer, Teenage Head, Polysics, Albert Lee and Wakefield. A cover by Christopher Otcasek appeared on the soundtrack to the film "Pretty Woman". [cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100405/soundtrack |title=Pretty Woman (1990) - Soundtrack |publisher=IMDb|accessdate=2008-05-28] The Iggy Pop version was featured in the films "Crocodile Dundee II", "Adventures in Babysitting", "Problem Child" and its sequel "Problem Child 2". [cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102719/soundtrack |title=Problem Child 2 (1991) - Soundtrack |publisher=IMDb|accessdate=2008-05-28] . The cover by Wakefield appeared in the movie "Eurotrip" and its soundtrack.

The most recent cover of the song was recorded again by Iggy Pop who teamed up with Aussie rockers Jet which was released as a single in July 2008. Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding also recorded a version of the song for the soundtrack to the 2008 film "Wild Child".

Popular culture

The Iggy Pop version of the song is used title music to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's all-night music video programme, "rage" and is also featured in the game "SingStar Amped".cite web| url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/803/803987p1.html | title=E3 2007: SingStar Amped Hands-on | publisher=IGN | date=2007-07-11 | accessdate=2008-04-18 | last=Miller | first=Greg]

In 1998 Australia Post issued a special edition set of twelve stamps celebrating the early years of Australian rock and roll, featuring Australian hit songs of the late 50s, 60s and early 70s:

Each of them said something about us, and told the rest of the world this is what popular culture sounds like, and it has an Australian accent. [cite web |url=http://www.auspost.com.au/philatelic/stamps/index.asp?link_id=2.389 |title=Australian Stamps : Rock Australia |publisher=Australia Post |date=2001-03-20 |accessdate=2008-05-21]

One of the stamps featured Johnny O'Keefe and "Wild One".

References