| "18 "Live"" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Camp Freddy | |
| Recorded: | September 27, 2007 |
| Released: | September 2007 |
| Format: | Digital |
| Length: | 3:46 |
| Live debut: | September 27, 2007 |
| Last performed: | May 9, 2008 |
| Writer: | Alice Cooper, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith |
| Producer: | Mike Clink |
Background
"I'm Eighteen" is a song from rock band Alice Cooper' Love It To Death, released in November 1970 as a single and on March 8, 1971 as part of the album.
The band and Bob Ezrin did pre-production for the album in Pontiac, Michigan in November and December 1970. Ezrin, with his classical and folk background, attempted to have the band tighten its loosely structured songs. The band resisted at first, but came to see things Ezrin's way, and ten to twelve hours a day of rehearsal resulted in a tight set of hard-rocking songs with little of the psychedelic freak-rock aesthetic of the first two albums. According to Cooper, Ezrin "ironed the songs out note by note, giving them coloring, personality", including cutting down "I'm Eighteen" from an eight-minute jam to a tight three-minute rocker, a song whose aggressive chorus he misheard at first as "I'm Edgy".
"I'm Eighteen" was a sixteen-track recording at 15 IPS made at RCA Mid-American Recording Center in Chicago. Ezrin found it a challenge to capture Cooper's raspy vocals with standard techniques; he settled on using a Shure SM57 microphone with high compression and judicious addition of treble and midrange equalization.
Camp Freddy appeared at the Declare Yourself event in Beverly Hills on September 27, 2007 and performed three songs. The band was fronted by Chester and also featured The Cult bassist Chris Wyse and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, alongside Camp Freddy founders Billy Morrison and Dave Navarro. The night was hosted by Declare Yourself founder Norman Lear with popular television star Hayden Panettiere. This was the first time that Chester performed "I'm Eighteen" with the band.
Declare Yourself's press release says: "Founded by TV producer and philanthropist Norman Lear, Declare Yourself is a nonprofit, nonpartisan campaign designed to energize a new movement of young adults to vote in the 2004 election. By creatively fusing technology, entertainment and education, Declare Yourself will challenge Americans between the ages of 18 and 29, especially first-time voters, to find their reason to register and to vote."
A few days after the event, a recording of "I'm Eighteen" was posted on Billy Morrison's blog along with the text:
"Camp Freddy performed a couple of days ago at the Declare Yourself event in Beverly Hills, CA. Along with Dave and myself, we were joined by Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) on vocals, Chris Wyse (The Cult) on bass, and Stephen Perkins (Janes Addiction) on drums. And here is an EXCLUSIVE live track, recorded that night and produced by Mike Clink.
Declare Yourself is the national nonpartisan, nonprofit voter initiative aimed at registering America's 18-year-olds to vote in the 2008 primaries and general election. The unforgettable night was hosted by Declare Yourself founder Norman Lear with popular television star Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”). CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT DECLARE YOURSELF."
Other bands who have covered the song includes Anthrax, Creed, Zwan, and Big Country.
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 "Live" | 3:46 | September 27, 2007 | September 2007 |
|
Live
"I'm Eighteen" is a common appearance in Alice Cooper's sets, but Chester has only performed the song twice with Camp Freddy: at Declare Yourself's "Hollywood Turns 18" Celebration event in 2007 and at the 4th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit in 2008.
Personnel
- Chester Bennington - vocals
- Billy Morrison - guitar
- Dave Navarro - guitar
- Chris Wyse - bass
- Stephen Perkins - drums
Production
- Mike Clink - producer
Lyrics
Lines form on my face and hands
Lines form from the ups and downs
I'm in the middle without any plans
I'm a boy and I'm a man
I'm eighteen and I don't know what I want
Eighteen I just don't know what I want
Eighteen I gotta get away
I gotta get out of this place
I'll go runnin' in outer space oh yeah
I got a baby's brain and an old man's heart
Took eighteen years to get this far
Don't always know what I'm talkin' about
Feels like I'm livin' in the middle of doubt
'Cause I'm eighteen
I get confused every day
Eighteen I just don't know what to say
Eighteen I gotta get away
Whoa lines form on my face and my hands
Lines form on the left and right
I'm in the middle the middle of life
I'm a boy and I'm a man
I'm eighteen and I like it
Yes I like it
Oh I like it love it like it love it
Eighteen eighteen eighteen eighteen and I like it