Kim Wilde - Kids in America (1981)
"Every punk-rock boy I knew was hopelessly in love with Kim Wilde, and so was I. That's why I recorded my own version of Kids in America. It was in the days before I joined Nirvana - maybe 1989 - and I did it on a whim. I was at my friend's basement studio and I said, 'Let me record this thing.' It's an iconic, anthemic song from the '80s, and I love it as much as I loved her!" John Lennon - Imagine (1971)
"I really wish that I had written Imagine, because it's such a beautiful song with a really timeless quality - the song just never sounds old. When I was young and I first started playing guitar - around the age of 10 or 11 years old - I would sit and strum along to [John Lennon's] records all day long. That's how I learned to play guitar - John was my teacher." Bad Brains - Sailin' On (1982)
"Bad Brains were America's greatest hardcore punk-rock band in the '80s. They were from Washington, DC, and were the best live band I've ever seen in my life. I was in love with their music - it was so fast, so distorted, so dissonant. It made me want to drink a hundred beers and break windows. Now, if that's not a good enough reason why I wish it had been written by me..." Patty & Mildred Hill - Happy Birthday to You (1893)
"I wish I had written Happy Birthday [to You], obviously, because I'd be making so much more money right now - it would be like owning the rights to pizza. And maybe it would get me some respect at home. I have one daughter who wants to be a musician, and two [others] who look at me like I'm a fucking janitor. They're like, 'Oh, that's Dad's job. Whatever!' Maybe one day..." Words: Marcel Anders Pic: Danny Clinch
"Every punk-rock boy I knew was hopelessly in love with Kim Wilde, and so was I. That's why I recorded my own version of Kids in America. It was in the days before I joined Nirvana - maybe 1989 - and I did it on a whim. I was at my friend's basement studio and I said, 'Let me record this thing.' It's an iconic, anthemic song from the '80s, and I love it as much as I loved her!" John Lennon - Imagine (1971)
"I really wish that I had written Imagine, because it's such a beautiful song with a really timeless quality - the song just never sounds old. When I was young and I first started playing guitar - around the age of 10 or 11 years old - I would sit and strum along to [John Lennon's] records all day long. That's how I learned to play guitar - John was my teacher." Bad Brains - Sailin' On (1982)
"Bad Brains were America's greatest hardcore punk-rock band in the '80s. They were from Washington, DC, and were the best live band I've ever seen in my life. I was in love with their music - it was so fast, so distorted, so dissonant. It made me want to drink a hundred beers and break windows. Now, if that's not a good enough reason why I wish it had been written by me..." Patty & Mildred Hill - Happy Birthday to You (1893)
"I wish I had written Happy Birthday [to You], obviously, because I'd be making so much more money right now - it would be like owning the rights to pizza. And maybe it would get me some respect at home. I have one daughter who wants to be a musician, and two [others] who look at me like I'm a fucking janitor. They're like, 'Oh, that's Dad's job. Whatever!' Maybe one day..." Words: Marcel Anders Pic: Danny Clinch