Young Turks Single: 1981

A Synth-Pop Turks Rebellion

Released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK on December 4, 1981, on Riva Records (catalogue: RIVA 34), Rod Stewart’s “Young Turks” was the second single from Tonight I’m Yours. Backed with “Tora, Tora, Tora (Out With The Boys),” this synth-pop/new wave anthem — written by Stewart/Appice/Savigar/Hitchings — peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. Produced by Rod Stewart & Jim Cregan, it marked Stewart’s bold ‘80s reinvention.

Single Overview

Release Details

Label: Riva Records.

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single.

Full Track Listing

Side A

Young Turks (5:04) – Written-By: Stewart, Appice, Savigar, Hitchings – Producer: Rod Stewart, Jim Cregan

Side B

Tora, Tora, Tora (Out With The Boys) (4:35) – Written-By: Stewart – Producer: Rod Stewart, Jim Cregan

Reissues & Global Variants

Belgium - Warner Bros. - 1981

Germany - Warner Bros. - 1981

Ireland - Riva - 1981

Netherlands - Warner Bros. - 1981

Sweden - Warner Bros. - 1981

Australia - Warner Bros. - 1981

Production and Context

Produced by Rod Stewart & Jim Cregan. Recorded at Record Plant, Los Angeles. First MTV-era Stewart hit with breakdancing video directed by Russell Mulcahy.

Singles Released and Chart Performance

- UK Official Singles Chart: 11

- US Billboard Hot 100: 5

- Canada: 2

- Australia: 3

- Belgium: 5

Legacy and Collectibility

“Young Turks” is Rod Stewart’s synth-pop/new wave triumph — “be free tonight!” Original UK Riva pressings fetch £5–£15 on eBay/Discogs. Verify catalogue RIVA 34. Streams on Spotify keep the young hearts free. This single is a must-have for ‘80s Rod collectors.

Do you have Young Turks in your vinyl stack? Are you still free tonight? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube

Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.