Cambodia (song)
Encyclopedia
"Cambodia" is the fourth single by British singer Kim Wilde
. It was released at the end of 1981; a year in which Wilde had already scored three highly successful hit singles and a best-selling debut album.
The single was another international success, topping the charts in France
, Sweden
and Switzerland
and hitting the Top 10 in several other nations. In France alone it sold one million copies. It was released on the 7" format but also as a 12" single in Germany
, although not in a remixed or extended version. The B-side of both releases was an exclusive non-album track called "Watching For Shapes".
"Cambodia" was later included on Wilde's second original album, Select
and was followed by a more uptempo, instrumental version of the song with the title "Reprise".
Musically and lyrically, "Cambodia" showed a change in direction for Wilde from the New Wave
feel of her debut album. The song was mainly synth-driven, with oriental-sounding percussion. The lyrics, telling the story of the wife of a Thailand
-based RAF, whose husband mysteriously disappears after flying out to Cambodia
and never returns, are inspired by some of the tragedies that occurred in South Vietnam
. In writing the lyrics, Marty Wilde
imagined an American pilot flying in a F-4 Phantom II
and getting shot down by a surface-to-air missile. In fact, the "Reprise" track was originally intended to include sound of jet engines followed by the sound of a rocket blowing the Phantom up, but the sleeve of the single showed a cartoon
featuring helicopters, so these sounds had to be replaced.
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
. It was released at the end of 1981; a year in which Wilde had already scored three highly successful hit singles and a best-selling debut album.
The single was another international success, topping the charts in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and hitting the Top 10 in several other nations. In France alone it sold one million copies. It was released on the 7" format but also as a 12" single in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, although not in a remixed or extended version. The B-side of both releases was an exclusive non-album track called "Watching For Shapes".
"Cambodia" was later included on Wilde's second original album, Select
Select (album)
Select is the second studio album by Kim Wilde, released in May 1982.The first single from this album, "Cambodia", was released in November 1981 and signalled a different sound from the Wilde camp, with an electronic and synth sound different from The Enid sound of her last album. The songs were...
and was followed by a more uptempo, instrumental version of the song with the title "Reprise".
Musically and lyrically, "Cambodia" showed a change in direction for Wilde from the New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
feel of her debut album. The song was mainly synth-driven, with oriental-sounding percussion. The lyrics, telling the story of the wife of a Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
-based RAF, whose husband mysteriously disappears after flying out to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and never returns, are inspired by some of the tragedies that occurred in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. In writing the lyrics, Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde
Marty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...
imagined an American pilot flying in a F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
and getting shot down by a surface-to-air missile. In fact, the "Reprise" track was originally intended to include sound of jet engines followed by the sound of a rocket blowing the Phantom up, but the sleeve of the single showed a cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
featuring helicopters, so these sounds had to be replaced.
Chart performance
| Chart (1981/2) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
12 |
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
1 |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
1 |
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
1 |
| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
1 |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
2 |
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
5 |
| South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
2 |
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
3 |
| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
4 |
| Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
4 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
7 |
| Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
15 |
Cover versions
- German trance project PulsedriverPulsedriverSlobodan Petrovic Jr. is a Yugoslavian-German electronic dance music DJ, producer and is the founder of Aqualoop Records in 2000. He is best known by his alias, Pulsedriver.-Early life & career:...
released a cover of the song in 2001. - One shot Belgian trance project NobodyNobodyNobody may refer to:* Nobodies, a race of beings in the Kingdom Hearts video game series* nobody , the name of a Unix account which has no particular privileges* Nobody, a radio drama by Daniel Brocklehurst...
released a cover of the song in 2003. - In 2004, the Italodance project BrothersBrothersBrothers are male siblings.Brothers may also refer to:- Film :* Brothers , an American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith* Brothers , an American film starring Vonetta McGee and Bernie Casey...
released a b-side to the single "Memories", called "This Is" and based on the song's music. - Apoptygma BerzerkApoptygma BerzerkApoptygma Berzerk is a Norwegian musical group. They have achieved success with a brand of synthpop, and ballads backed with electronic rhythms, commonly known within the scene and referring to themselves as "futurepop". Apop has won awards and top-10 spots in Germany and Scandinavia...
's 2005 album You and Me Against the WorldYou and Me Against the World-North America:-Tour Edition:The "Australian Tour Edition" of the album released to coincide with the band's tour of that country in late 2006 contains the following tracklisting:-References:...
includes a cover version of the song. - The Swedish Death'N'Roll band HearseHearse (band)Hearse is a Swedish Melodic death metal band,founded by vocalist Johan Liiva and drummer Max Thornell in 2001. The band have released five albums to date.-History:...
released a cover of the song in 2004 on their album Armageddon, Mon AmourArmageddon, Mon AmourArmageddon, Mon Amour is the second album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Hearse.-Track listing:...
. - An Italian house remix of the song was featured in the 2005 compilation album by Gigi D'AgostinoGigi D'AgostinoLuigino Celestino Di Agostino , better known by his stage name Gigi D'Agostino, is an Italian DJ, remixer and record producer...
, Disco TanzDisco TanzDisco Tanz is a compilation album compiled and remixed by Italian house DJ Gigi D'Agostino, release in 2005 through Noise Maker records.-Remixes:The album features remixes of a number of popular songs both new and old:...
. - The GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
danceEurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
group ScooterScooter (band)Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
covered the song on their 2007 album Jumping All Over the WorldJumping All Over the WorldJumping All Over the World is the thirteenth studio album by German techno group Scooter, released in Germany in 2007. Five singles have been released from it: "The Question Is What Is the Question?", "And No Matches", "Jumping All Over the World", a remix of "I'm Lonely" and a new version of "Jump...
. JumpstyleJumpstyleJumpstyle is a rave dance and electronic music genre mainly practiced in Europe, specifically Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, northern France, and a few parts in the United States, specifically Indiana. The dance is also called Jumpen...
artist Vorwerk also covered this song. - In 2008 SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n punk rock band Six PackSix Pack (band)- 1990s :The band was formed in early 1993 by Branko Mitrović , Milan Radojević , Dragan Bojić "Bojke" , Saša Bogdanović "Bogda" , Miloš Novaković and Vladimir Čupić "Čupa" , and got the name by the Black Flag song of the same name.The band recorded their first eight-song demo during the late...
recorded a version on their cover album Discover. - In 2009 DutchDutch peopleThe Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
DJ Marco VMarco VMarco V is a Dutch electronic music DJ.-Artist albums:-Singles/EPs:* 2009: Unprepared* 2008: Sessions* 2008: Dudak* 2006: 200V - UK EP* 2006: False Light* 2005: Second Bite...
released a track called Coma Aid incorporating a re-recorded version of the song's main synthesizer tune.