The Real Kids

Led by singer and guitarist John Felice, American band The Real Kids was formed in Boston in 1972. A childhood friend of Jonathan Richman, Felice first called his band The Kids, before renaming it. With a debut album in 1977 that combined punk energy with rock'n'roll roots, including the classic "All Kindsa Girls", The Real Kids immediately gained critical acclaim, and several concert tapes were subsequently released. Recognized in Europe and distributed in France by New Rose, the band recorded the album Outta Place (1982) and shared Girls! Girls! Girls! (1983) with Taxi Boys, the other band led by Felice. Just before the split, Hit You Hard (1983) was released. Felice went on to form The Lowdowns and reformed The Real Kids in 1998 with Alan Paulino, who died in 2006, for a few concerts. Back in 2014, the band recorded Shake...Outta Control. Meanwhile, Norton Records, founded by early acquaintance Miriam Linna, took over the rights from the original Red Star Records label to exhume the tapes, which have been released five times (concerts, compilations), including the debut album.