Richard Wilde - The Wilde Years (2021)

Almost 40 years since his singing career ended, Richard Wilde’s – aka Richard Wilkins – catalogue of 19 tracks will be re-released on CD!

Collecting 19 tracks over his career for various labels and co-curated by Richard, The Wilde Years compiles the recordings of Richard Wilde and his band Wilde + Reckless. This compilation brings these tracks to the world digitally for the first time, and physically for the first time since Richard – better known as Richard Wilkins – became ever-present on our TV screens and an essential thread in the fabric of Australian media.

The first nugget to be mined from this collection is ‘Here For A Good Time’, available to stream here. A rollicking, riff-laden singalong anthem, it’s a feel-good stomper that belies its 40 decades in the shadows. Says Richard: “I still remember the first time I heard it on the radio. I pulled over to the side of the road and turned it up to 11. What a buzz!”

The 19 tracks on The Wilde Years feature a roll call of musicians who went on to stardom: Tommy Emmanuel, Roxy Music alum Dave Skinner and many more. It’s an essential time capsule of a time and place, and a fascinating piece of the puzzle of the man known to all of us as Richard Wilkins. “They were life defining years and experiences - full of moments I’ll always treasure and never forget”, Richard remembers.