The debut singles series was, for a long time, a mainstay of this blog. The first to come under the microscope, back in August 2017, was Perfect Skin by Lloyd Cole & The Commotions. Six years later, #74 in the series was She’s Hearing Voices by Bloc Party, which meant it was averaging around one per month. Since then, there have been four in 2024 and just one in 2025…but the plan is to ramp things back up again.
Part of my problem in recent times was the concept for the series. It was meant only to feature what I consider to have been an outstanding debut single that many years later has not only stood the test of time but reckoned by some out there never to have been bettered. This resulted in too many less than stellar debut singles being excluded, and I’ve decided the workaround should be to have the series now pose a question rather than be a statement of fact.
Today’s offering is a very fine example of why the concept had to change.
The 1978 debut by Adam & The Ants, much talked and written about as one of the emerging punk bands of the London scene, was as far removed from the fast-paced noise associated with the genre as can be imagined:-
mp3: Adam & The Ants – Young Parisians
It’s a cabaret number more appropriate to the stages of West End theatres than the sweaty confines of the Roxy, the 100 Club or the Marquee. I genuinely cannot remember the music press response back in the day to the single, but I’m prepared to believe those who have commented over time that it was almost universally hated, both by critics and fans of the band.
Adam Ant later admitted that it was a mistake, and that the song recorded for the b-side should have been the debut 45 with Young Parisians simply offering itself as a suggestion that the band were not a one-dimensional punk act.
I’ve a feeling the BBC back in 1978 would have banned Lady for what would have been described as an overt and risqué lyric, albeit it seems incredibly innocent in comparison to many verses and choruses that blare out across the air waves nowadays.
The single flopped on release, and Decca Records decided not to pursue any further interest in the band. Two years later, Adam was on his way to becoming the biggest pop star in the UK, driven to the top by a largely teen fan base. The label executives, looking on in horror as their counterparts at CBS celebrated the money rolling in, decided to re-release Young Parisians in time for the Christmas market of 1980. By the end of January, it had reached the Top 10….
Oh, and just to be clear….my opinion is that this was not a cracking debut single!!
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Adam Ant had the sort of career where a duff album would be followed by a corker; and vice versa. I think his singles were largely tied down to the album they were attached to. “Young Parisians” was a mild single; he’d issue a handful of corkers that either topped the UK charts… or should have(/i>. But even this one beat dross like “Prince Charming,” “Puss In Boots,” or “Strip” hands down. I’m still stymied that the triumphant [to these ears] “Viva Le Rock” was his lowest charting UK single in the 79-95 period!
Sigh… HTML tags and autocorrect are a vile combination.
Never heard these. I can’t see the A side as any kind of single, cracking or otherwise. I guess the B side is a stronger candidate musically, but I see where the lyric could have caused problems. Overall, kind of an interesting artifact from the era, but I suppose bigger things were to come.
This was given away free when I bought the Kings of the Wild Frontier LP.
I probably like it more now than I did then.
Interesting that you mention they released this so as not to be pigeon holed as just a punk band… before anyone has heard any of their punk stuff?! Funny strategy, Adam