SLADE at the music magazine

CLASSIC ROCK

 In Classic Rock magazine 117 (March`08 )

Slade have a couple of mentions.

On the MIDLANDS page 56. Magnum's Bob Catley comments on bands from that
area of the UK inc. Black Sabbath, Led Zep, ELO, Cozy Powell etc.
He says about Slade;
"Even though they split up years ago, they're still loved. Its amazing how
many bands went on to be influenced by Slade. Jim Lea (Bassist) is a good
friend of Magnums. He actually came in and played violin on the track
'You'll never sleep' on our last album 'Prince Alice and the Broken Arrow.
He did a real good job."

On page 68. The boyz are mentioned again with a nice picture of the band
with Nod in his check strides and waist coat, black jacket and flat cap.
the heading is The 65 Best British Songs. They are in at 37 between Oasis
and Judas Priest. Its reads:
"You don't have to be British to celebrate Christmas. Yet Slade's
time-honoured festive classic has a home spun appeal thats second to none.
As singer Noddy holder once explained:"I wanted the song to reflect a
British family Christmas. Economically, the Country was up the creek. The
miners had been on strike, along with the Gravediggers, the Bakers and
almost everybody else. I think people wanted something to cheer them up -
and so did I."

Hope is of some interest to all you nutters out there.

Keep on Rockin!!!!!

Paul

PS. Not had a look on line but Classic Rock web is;
www.classicrockmagazine.com

CLASSIC ROCK RUSSIA

http://www.rock-shot.com/sa-so/slade.htm

Here you can watch the original pictures from Wolfgang Guester.

 All from the gig 1981 at Munich Circus Krone as support for Whitesnake.

CLASSIC ROCK, Ian Fortnam

Pitched somewhere between A Hard Day`s Night and That`ll Be The Day; anchored to reality with a kitchen sink full of grit whilst casually balancing the garish razzle-dazzle of glam rock with the grim, subterranean iniquity of Performance, Slade In Flame ends up being the finest rock movie of the `70s.

Of course, in the current climate, Slade`s homely, Dickensian demeanours would preclude them from the merest sniff of pop success, but back in the `70s - when looking like a garden gnome was considered the very pinnacle of cosmopolitan chic - Slade were the belles of the Brut-sodden ball. It`s easy to forget how enormous they actually were, as every single year their legend is further eroded by that Yueltide albatross of theirs, but before being relegated to a festive footnote Slade were the biggest thing to hit British pop music since the Beatles.

But by 1974 they`d peaked: they`d had their successive run of number-one hits, leapt from flat caps to mirrored top hats and were looking to broaden their horizons. So, when America beckoned, they turned their attention to celluloid. Not only did it remain true to Brian Epstein`s blueprint for world domination, it would also keep them in the British public eye as they turned their full attention to the conquest of all points west.

At least, that was the plan. But while the USA remained oblivious to their Black Country charms and the fickle Brits turned to Status Quo for their lad-rock needs, at least Slade walked away with a movie to be proud of. Flame sliced through the perceived glamour of the music business to reveal the seediness beneath, long before such candour was fashionable. And while this kind of pioneering authenticity did its backers no great favours at the box office, it afforded the film its enduring appeal.

Slade In Flame`s convincing feel and earthy sense of realism came courtesy of unaffescted performances from all four band members alongside a strong supporting cast: Alan Lake as a sub-Elvis club singer, a menacing Johnny Shannon as a wronged club-land gangster and Tom Conti, beautifully condescending as an oil-slick business manager reaching way beneath his class into the grubby, shark-infested pop market.

Of course, all concerned get hurt, apart from indomitable Slade guitarist Dave Hill, who prances through every scene with a massive grin, a fistful of Liebfraumilch and an armful of crumpet.

FILM: * * * *
EXTRAS: * * *

Slade: Has Half The World Heard Merry Xmas Everybody?

Can you believe that nearly half the world’s population has already heard Slade’s evergreen Merry Xmas Everybody this year?That’s the claim being made by the Performing Rights Society, who say that it’s been played in over 47 countries during 2009. Well, they should know, as the PRS collects royalties on behalf of composers and songwriters. However, their suggestion that, therefore, up to 42 per cent of world’s population might have therefore listened to the 1973 hit strikes us as being rather optimistic. They might have had the opportunity, but how many have taken advantage?

In case you’ve never heard Merry Xmas Everybody, you’ll find it on the new compilation Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade Party Hits. HERE