I'm 18 - Alice Cooper (1971) 7/9/21

Most fans of Alice Cooper know that originally it was just the name of the band...but over time, vocalist Vince Furnier created the character of Alice--melding hard rock, punk and heavy metal music with theatrics--including everything from props to heavy makeup and gore.

In the early days, when they were a regional band working mostly in Ohio and Michigan (in the area where I grew up), they would tour with the likes of The Stooges and Bob Seger, albeit low on the bill.

Then, in 1970, they came up with a song called "I'm 18," which was originally an 8-minute jam that appealed mostly to young men due to its relatable subject matter, such as being old enough to fight in Vietnam, but not old enough to vote.

Most record companies were convinced that a meandering 8-minute rant could never be viable.

Producer Bob Richardson, who had worked with The Guess Who, was asked to help them turn it into a hit, but he passed. He did, however, suggest that up-and-coming 19-year-old producer Bob Ezrin should take a look and a listen.

Bob thought the group--and the song--had potential, but they needed to tighten it up--by several minutes.

Desperate for a hit record, Alice Cooper (the group) agreed...and after tinkering and slicing note-by-note, "I'm 18" was cut down to just under 3 minutes.

At that point, Warner Brothers Records took notice and liked what they heard. The song was released as a single...and Alice Cooper was on its/his way to rock and roll stardom!

In 1971, the song peaked at #7 in Canada--most likely helped by heavy airplay on 50,000 watt CKLW (Windsor/Detroit). And because the station was also a major force in Toledo, Cleveland and other areas in Michigan and Ohio, it helped propel the song to #21 in the US on Billboard's Hot 100.

"I'm 18:" a Great Start for Alice Cooper...and a "Great Song of 1971!"