partially a rewrite of "Kid." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Bryan Wawzenek rated it one of drummer Martin Chambers' 5th best Pretenders songs, saying that Chambers "just soars to the bridge, where he gets to flash a little muscle. And then he steals a few stutter beats from the Ronettes to let 'Kid' wander down girl-group lane." Release "Kid" was released as the Pretenders' second single in 1979, prior to the release of their debut album, following "Stop Your Sobbing." It performed slightly better on the UK charts than "Stop Your Sobbing," reaching number 33 whereas "Stop Your Sobbing" reached number 34. However, the band's follow up single "Brass in Pocket" performed even better, reaching #1. The song's single release was accompanied by a music video, which featured the band at an amusement park. Since its original release, "Kid" has appeared on a number of Pretenders' compilation albums. including The Singles and Greatest Hits. It also appears on the live album The Isle of View, in which Hynde is backed by a string quartet, in what Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes as a "poorly conceived" version. Charts Cover versions Everything but the Girl covered "Kid" on the US version of their 1985 album Love Not Money, with Tracey Thorn playing piano and singing solo vocal. Allmusic's Mason praised this as the best cover version of "Kid." However, fellow Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann claimed that adding the song to the US version did not enhance the album's appeal. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs covered "Kid" on their 2013 album Under the Covers, Vol. 3. References 1979 singles 1979 songs The Pretenders songs Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer) Songs written by Chrissie Hynde Sire Records singles Everything but the Girl songs Jangle pop songs