Hot In The City

An early Billy Idol song, the punk rocker wrote it himself. It's all about running wild and free in New York City on a summer night, something Idol did plenty when he moved to New York from London in 1981 after his band Generation X split up. Idol found himself once again moving to an unfamiliar city to follow his dreams: in 1976 he left his hometown of Bromley, England and moved to London. This song reflects his optimism and assurance: Don't be afraid of the world we made On a hot summer night

This was Idol's second single as a solo artist, following his cover of "Mony Mony" (an earlier single, "Dancing With Myself," was credited to "Billy Idol and Gen X"). That one stalled at #107, which Idol blamed on the packaging: the cover art showed him as a full-fledged punk rocker with spiked hair and his trademark snarl. This apparently dissuaded American program directors, most of whom were unfamiliar with Idol, from giving it a chance. So, the "Hot In The City" single was issued in America with no Billy on the cover, just an overhead shot of a city street. The ploy apparently worked. The song got plenty of airplay and rose to #24 in America, clearing a path for Idol's successful solo career.

Keith Forsey, who worked with Idol when he was with Generation X, produced this track and the rest of the Billy Idol album. Forsey, who produced every Idol album through Charmed Life (1990), became one of the top hitmakers of the '80s, with writing and production credits on three #1 hits: Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What a Feeling," Simple Minds "Don't You (Forget About Me)," and Bob Seger's "Shakedown."