Hell has frozen over. Iggy Pop is now Iggy Idol. Iggy Pop has performed on American Idol.
Pop performed one of his biggest solo hits ‘Real Wild Child’ on American Idol on Thursday night in the USA.
A survey conducted after the Pop performance by CBS Television has place the appearance at “75% ridiculous” over “25% awesome” but is unlikely Pop would care.
Artist Niagara Detroit, who once fronted the band Destroy All Monsters with the Asheton brothers after the demise of The Stooges, put it all into perspective in a Facebook posting. “Iggy sold out on American Idol? Exposure is all he ever wanted,” she posted on Facebook. ”How about the time the Stooges performed Madonna songs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Pissed Ronnie off! Iggy wanted the exposure and prevailed. So get over your Iggy cult fetish, he belongs to the great unwashed masses...”
The 63-year rock star never really found fame in his day. His album with The Stooges has influenced a generation of artists but did not sell well at the time of release.
‘Real Wild Child’ however had a much better story.
‘Real Wild Child’ is actually an Australian rock classic originally titled ‘Wild One’. Johnny O’Keefe, Australia’s greatest star of the rock and roll era, wrote the song in 1958. O’Keefe was to Australia was Elvis was to America.
O’Keefe co-wrote the song with Sydney DJ Tony Withers and Dave Owens.
‘Real Wild Child’ was first released as ‘Wild One’ on O’Keefe’s ‘Shakin’ at the Stadium’ E.P. in 1958. It was first retitled ‘Real Wild Child’ for a cover by Jerry Allison from The Crickets in 1958. Jerry Lee Lewis also recorded the song in 1958 but didn’t release it until 1974.
Other artists who have covered the O’Keefe classic include Lou Reed, Status Quo, Joan Jett and Suzi Quatro.
Listen to the original Wild Child by Johnny O’Keefe here:
VIDEO: Batusis, watch the Undercover interview with Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome:
