Kinda Kute

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"Kinda Kute"
Single by Joe Jackson
from the album I'm the Man
B-side"Geraldine and John"
Released1980
Length3:30
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Joe Jackson
Producer(s)David Kershenbaum
Joe Jackson singles chronology
"It's Different for Girls"
(1979) 		"Kinda Kute"
(1980) 		"The Harder They Come"
(1980)

"Kinda Kute" is a song by British singer-songwriter and musician Joe Jackson, which was released in 1980 as the third and final single from his second studio album I'm the Man (1979). Described as a "pop song" by Jackson, the song was written by Jackson and produced by David Kershenbaum. "Kinda Kute" failed to chart in the UK, but reached number 91 on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart.[1]

Lyrics and music

Drew Blakeman of The Tech explains that, in the lyrics of "Kinda Kute", "he already has the girl of his dreams instead of merely coveting someone else's."[2] According to Blakeman, this represents a departure for Jackson lyrically, though Blakeman concludes "True to form, though, he won't dance with her for fear of 'making a fool of myself again.'"[2]

At a 1980 concert, Jackson described the track as "a little pop song", while at another show he called it "a song you can dance to".[3][4] Musically, the song is in line with the new wave style of the rest of the album. The track also features a piano solo played by Jackson.[5] Toby Goldstein of High Fidelity notes that the solo "expos[es] one of [Jackson's] lesser acknowledged talents."[5]

Critical reception

On its release, Mike Gardner of Record Mirror considered "Kinda Kute" a "jolly rolling tune" but felt it "hasn't the edge to do more than creep into the lower reaches of the charts". He felt "Don't Wanna Be Like That" would have been a "better choice" as a single.[6] David Hepworth of Smash Hits wrote, "It's good enough, jolly enough and assuredly catchy enough, but Jackson can make much slyer, more affecting records when he wants to, and without sacrificing any of the commercial appeal."[7]

Robbi Millar of Sounds praised Jackson as "one of Britain's better songwriters", but felt "Kinda Kute" was "totally forgettable" and a "twee cut from a mediocre album". She noted that Jackson was "never the best at picking a single" and felt the song's "brand of jolly singalongability" failed to show Jackson and his band at their best.[8] Peter Trollope of the Liverpool Echo described it as a "good album track" but one that "shouldn't have been [the] follow up" to "It's Different for Girls".[9]

In a review of I'm the Man, Sal Caputo of the Courier News felt the song "sounds like a reworking" of Graham Parker's "Silly Thing".[10] Sean O'Brien of the Rocky Mount Telegram considered both "Kinda Kute" and "It's Different for Girls" as "two of the best, freshest New Wave songs ever written".[11] In a retrospective review, Mike DeGagne of AllMusic considered the track to be a "catchy serving of attractive pop".[12]

Track listing

7" single (UK release)
  1. "Kinda Kute" - 3:30
  2. "Geraldine and John" - 3:13
7" single (Canadian release)
  1. "Kinda Kute" - 3:30
  2. "It's Different for Girls" - 4:03

Personnel

Joe Jackson Band

  • Joe Jackson – vocals, piano, arranger
  • Gary Sanford - guitar
  • Graham Maby – bass, backing vocals
  • Dave Houghton - drums, backing vocals

Production

Other

  • Michael Ross, Sheila Rock, Lou Kish - photography

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles[1] 91
UK Record Business The Singles Chart[13] 60

References

  1. ^ a b "Item: 6819 - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  2. ^ a b Blakeman, Drew (22 February 1980). "Jackson's Concert Short But Sweet" (PDF). The Tech. No. 100. MIT. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Joe Jackson - Kinda Kute - 2/15/1980 - Capitol Theatre (Official)". Music Vault. 23 September 2014.
  4. ^ "The Joe Jackson Band - Kinda Kute (Live 1980)". Rockpalast.
  5. ^ a b Goldstein, Toby (1979). "Joe Jackson: I'm the Man". High Fidelity. ABC Leisure Magazines.
  6. ^ Gardner, Mike (22 March 1980). "Singles". Record Mirror.
  7. ^ Hepworth, David (3 April 1980). "Reviews: Singles". Smash Hits.
  8. ^ Millar, Robbi (15 March 1980). "Singles". Sounds. p. 30.
  9. ^ Trollope, Peter (28 March 1980). "Now here's the eighth wonder...". Liverpool Echo.
  10. Courier-News
    .
  11. ^ O'Brien, Sean (6 January 1980). "Jackson makes his mark on rock music...". Rocky Mount Telegram.
  12. ^ Mike DeGagne. "I'm the Man - Joe Jackson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  13. ^ "The Singles Chart 1-60". Record Business. Vol. 3, no. 2. 31 March 1980. p. 7.
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