Richard Hell + The Voidoids : The Kid with the Replaceable Head
In 1979, a year Richard Hell would describe as a blur "because of the way everything got absorbed into the drug monotony", Radar Records released his band's Nick Lowe produced "The Kid With The Replaceable Head" b/w "I'm Your Man" single. The frenetic A side remains one of my favorite tracks of theirs.
In late October we recorded the “Kid with the Replaceable Head” single (backed with “I’m Your Man”) with Nick Lowe producing, for Jake’s Radar Records. I thought I was making a pop hit with “Kid.” I even diluted the lyrics in the chorus because I thought they might be too morbid for the public. (The original chorus went, “Look out! Here he comes again. / They say he’s dead. He’s my three best friends. / He’s so honest that the dishonest dread / meeting the kid with the replaceable head.” I changed “dead” to “done” on the single.)
