Our Slade archiv 2006

Classic Rock magazine, December 20 2006

Ex-UK Subs drummer Stevie Ze Suicide is now forging a career as a sleaze/glam frontman. Here`s the third in an irregular series of Ze Suicide Diaries…

Ze Suicide Diaries  Part 3: Stevie meets da Stones!

Well, its 2006 and nearly Christmas again, and "No snow, no show." may mean no presents if Santa can`t get his sleigh started up, but don`t panic, it also has another meaning, generally associated with the greatest rock and roll band in the world, and of all time, the Rolling Stones. It`s the eighties again, and for this little story we`re are going to go back to Shepperton Studios to work on their new video for the song One Hit To The Body.

While we`re on the subject of snow, of the sort you get every year on in the Top Of The Pops studio, I recently interviewed Slade for my first DVD, which you can see in the New Year. Dave Hill was telling me about the recording of Merry Christmas Everybody and he told me it was actually recorded in New York City in the middle of summer. No-one thought at that time it would be the annual institution it has become. I told him I used to be a frog in a previous life. He said "What, .... French..?" I said "No, a frog." And he said "Yeah, I`d heard that.... "

It`s bloody amazing, isn`t it, what gets said when you run out of conversation. This can happen when you meet your heroes. Anyway, more about that story next time, but you`ll be able to see the whole interview with Slade when the DVD comes out.I`ve also just recorded the first Ze Suicide single for release in the new year. Its an absolute sixties classic and I`m doing the video next week

www.zesuicide.com

ex-UK Subs drummer Stevie Ze Suicide

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/page/classicrock?entry=freddie_mercury_roger_moore_and
K.O.R. - Ilpo

Birmingham Post 11.12.2006
Andrew Cowen`s weekly local music round-up

Wood belongs in the hall of fame

You know it`s really Christmas when Roy Wood dusts down his military jacket and pitches his tent in his spiritual home, which is the Robin 2 in Bilston.
...
His run of classic songs with the Move, Wizzard, early Electric Light Orchestra and as a solo artist is as fine as those by Bowie, Slade and Bolan. His skill as a musician, arranger and producer easily surpasses the above.

Granted, he`s as guilty as Slade, Sweet and the vile Gary Glitter for perpetrating the hod carriers in Bacofoil look that typifies the seventies and still appalls all but the least sensitive of us today. But there was always more to Woody than that.

And I`m perpetually wondering what it is about the Midlands that made it responsible for the two best Christmas songs. Slade`s Merry Xmas Everybody is and will always remain the best, it`s Black Country-hollered "It`s Christmas!" will always get the party started.

Read the whole story : http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/reviews/tm_method=full%26objectid=18244457%26siteid=50002-name_page.html

K.O.R. - Ilpo

16th December

Noddy Holder interview in Sunday Mercury on 10th December 2006

K.O.R. - Ilpo

"Even without Noddy Holder Slade`s latest incarnation raised the roof in Bilston for their 40th anniversary homecoming concert - and what a show-stopper it was.

Flamboyant guitarist Dave Hill seemed to enjoy his performance more than ever as more than 500 people who had packed into Bilston`s Robin 2 club sang, danced and cheered him on last night.

Together with original drummer Don Powell, substitute singer Mal McNulty and John Berry on base, the band belted out their classic hits, some of which are still among the most instantly recognisable tunes around.

The ever-popular 70s band, which has enjoyed six number ones and six hit albums over the past four decades, is still pulling in the crowds throughout Britain.

But being back in the Black Country and where they used to rehearse years ago when it was a house was an extra special occasion.

Speaking before taking to the stage for a 75-minute set, Dave said: “I think the Robin is a special gig, the kind that most bands like to play and for us it was a reminder of how we first started.

“This was where we learned our trade and we had a lot of hits for a good reason because they still sound good today.

“It makes me feel good to have grown up here at a good time and there`s nothing like being home.” The encores were two of Slade`s biggest successes, Cum on Feel the Noize and, of course, Merry Christmas Everybody. One epitomises the group`s roaring rock sound of the 1970s that made them superstars and the other is arguably the most famous Christmas song ever written.

Shaun Burton, Robin 2 duty manager, said it was a fantastic atmosphere and everybody loved having Slade back.

“They were great as always and they were met by an excellent audience,” he said.

After the performance, Don Powell`s drumsticks, Dave Hill`s plectrum and support band Mud`s drumsticks were auctioned off to support Radio WM`s annual toy appeal.

http://www.expressandstar.co.uk/2006/11/29/my-oh-my-slade-back-at-roots/

K.O.R. - Ilpo


***********
 

Best of 2006: Slade interview  

 Express and Star 27.12.2006:
"We`re looking back at this year`s best videos from the expressandstar.com team. Watch our exclusive interview with Slade`s Dave Hill."

http://www.expressandstar.co.uk/2006/12/27/best-of-2006-slade-interview/

K.O.R. - Ilpo  

Winterland
San Francisco, CA
05/06/1973

# of Tracks: 6
Total Time: 34:13

XPRESS MAG January 2006

There`s much more to Slade than Mama Weer All Crazee Now and Merry Xmas Everybody as the recently released Slade Box amply shows. Lead singer, Noddy Holder, goes down memory lane with POLLY COUFOS.

Gramatically suspect they may have been, but one listen to Slade`s new 84-track anthology, The Slade Box, will tell you that your mother, or heaven forbid, grandmother knew what she was on about when she helped send near two dozen of their singles into the UK Top 20.

Rock has rarely been so unpretentious, so free of affectations, and so riddled with hooks. Coz I Luv You, Look Wot You Dun, Every Day, Run Run Away, Gudbuy To Jane Cum On Feel The Noize are just the beginning of their greatness. As long as catchy choruses are currency in pop music Slade will be able to cash in.

Read the whole story here:

http://www.xpressmag.com.au/archives/2006/12/slade_built_to.php

K.O.R. - Ilpo -

Cum On, Feel the Noize: The Story of "Slade" (Paperback) 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cum-Feel-Noize-Story-Slade/dp/1844421511/sr=1-1/qid=1157801825/ref=sr_1_1/026-0636151-2575652?ie=UTF8&s=books

Noddy backs V-sign singers  

Sir Noddington (Noddy Holder, Slade) in Sheffield Today on 23rd October 2006 about Twin`s performance at football stadium:

SINGING sisters who swore and flicked `V` signs during a performance of a hit song by 1970s group Slade at a Sheffield football match have been backed by the band`s legendary vocalist Noddy Holder.

Francine and Nicola Gleadall - who perform as pop act `Twin` - reacted angrily as they came on the pitch at Hillsborough at half time during Wednesday`s match with Barnsley, to perform a cover of Cum On Feel The Noize.

When introduced as two girls from Sheffield the Dronfield 18-year-olds were subjected to hurls of abuse from Reds fans.

They retaliated with their own four-letter tirade and by flicking `V` signs, before being arrested and fined £80 for public order offences.

Both girls have since apologised.

Noddy, speaking as a guest on DJ Mark Radcliffe`s late night Radio 2 show, said their behaviour was only rock and roll, isn`t it.

But he added that the girls should have been prepared to deal with the abuse.

If you go and perform at a football ground, what do you expect? he said.

http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=58&ArticleID=1836649
K.O.R. - Ilpo

Coz I Luv You in El Lobofilm

El Lobo

Jun 16 2006 by Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

A CROSS between Munich and The Interpreter, this Spanish film is based on a 30-year-old true story about the ETA terrorist movement at the end of Franco`s dictatorship.

The beginning is accompanied by Deep Purple`s Highway Star, It`s a bizarre, but fun trend...

El Lobo - The Wolf - also features Marc Bolan`s 20th Century Boy and Slade`s Coz I Love You, as well as a Ruud Van Nistelrooy lookalike infiltrating ETA with stunning results.

The downside is that he`ll end up facing danger from both sides after the Prime Minister is killed.

A 125-minute film of its its time yet with clear resonance in today`s world, El Lobo was directed by Paris-born Miguel Courtois with the charismatic Eduardo Noriega in the lead role as Basque construction worker Txema.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/whatson/reviews/cinema/tm_objectid=17241038%26method=full%26siteid=50002-name_page.html  

******

Wilfried Mende has kindly let Lise use some of his photos of
the original Slade on her blog:
http://www.bigboyzbignoize.blogspot.com
On the same blog you can now see a shot of Don playing at
a jam session in Denmark on Boxing Day. Scroll down to
January 5.
Finally there are some more photos of Don on her "personal"
diary blog: http://www.liselyngfalkenberg.blogspot.com
Thanks to Lise

*****

Get Your Boots On - The Best Of Slade

Format: CD
Catalog No.: DK 34008
List Price: $13.98
Release Date: 03/23/04

In the early 1970s, glam rock band Slade dominated the British charts with 17 Top 20 hits, including six at #1. While their star didn’t soar as high in the States, the band wasn’t completely overlooked. Covers of “Cum On Feel The Noize” and “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” by ’80s rock band Quiet Riot brought Slade renewed interest. Other bands followed suit with covers by groups as disparate as Oasis, The Runaways and Wonderstuff. Get Your Boots On – The Best Of Slade marks the first time this legendary group sees a domestic greatest hits collection.

Track Listing Windows
Media Apple
Quicktime
1. Get Down And Get With It
2. Coz I Luv You
3. Look Wot You Dun Start Start
4. Take Me Bak 'ome
5. Mama Weer All Crazee Now Start Start
6. Gudbuy T'Jane
7. Cum On Feel The Noize Start Start
8. Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me
9. My Friend Stan
10. Merry Xmas Everbody Start Start
11. Everyday
12. Bangin' Man
13. Far Far Away
14. How Does It Feel
15. Run Runaway
16. My Oh My 
 http://www.shoutfactory.com/selection/106/Get_Your_Boots_On_%96_The_Best_Of_Slade,38d9ca9bdd774e2ecc6600f5d1bc1afd.html

ABSOLUTE ROCK BALLADS CLASSICS 2 ...and the song is EVERYDAY.
This is a release from EVA Records, a joint venture of Sony BMG Music
Entertainment Norway, EMI Music Norway and Warner Music Norway.

The compilation is made in 2006. Batch number of the CD : EVACD 189

http://www.platekompaniet.no/cdproduct.asp?id=EVACD189&cookie%5Ftest=1

http://www.ginza.se/?artnr=32247&referer=kelkoo

SLADE was also on ABSOLUTE ROCK BALLADS 1 ... and the song was MY OH MY

The compilation is made in 2003. Batch number : EVACD 161.

Thanks for this info to Lars Ove Stroemoe
from Norway and administrator :
The International SLADE Mailinglist : http://mailinglist.stroemoe.com/

Gary Jordan for TOTP in Birmingham Mail 22.06.2006

Don`t let them chop the pops!

A DEVOTED Slade fan wants BBC bosses to "feel the noize" of thousands of music lovers calling for the reinstatement of Top Of The Pops.

Music collector Gary Jordan is so outraged that the world`s longest running pop chart show is being axed he has launched an on-line petition and campaign from his home in Kingstanding.

And the 46-year-old rocker is not only demanding the poptastic show be saved, but that the BBC opens it archive of thousands of TOTP performances, from his beloved Slade, the Beatles and the Stones to modern stars like Oasis and Robbie Williams.

Just 24 hours after the Top of the Pop`s axing was announced by BBC bosses his petition has already attracted more than 100 signatures.

Gary, who lives in Kingstanding Road, organised the Sladefest convention in Bilston in April, said: "It`s an outrage. Top Of The Pops is an institution. It has been badly treated by the BBC but it is still the aim of young bands to appear on it."

Also upsetting for Gary, who has more than 8,000 video tapes of his favourite bands including some vintage Top of The Pops appearances, is that the majority of the 2,200 weekly editions are simply gathering dust in a BBC vault.
About 15 years ago he was involved in a fans campaign to get the episodes rerun which resulted in some classic instalments being shown on UK Gold and the Top of the Pops Two archive show.

However, the vast majority, many which predate the widespread use of video recorders, have remained unseen since their first broadcast.

"There are thousands of sensational performances held in the archives that have not been seen for years. There is no reason why the BBC cannot put them on the internet. After all we have all paid for it through the licence fee," he said.

So far there is only a searchable database which can tell you which artist performed which song on which date.
There is no facility to watch the clips.

The BBC however faces a tricky legal situation, with record labels, publishers and the artists owning certain rights over the use and broadcast of the material.

Yesterday the BBC blamed the rise of MTV, music channels, digital radio and ipods for making Top of the Pops redundant, attracting just a million viewers a week.

The petition can be signed at www.petitiononline.com/gjbslade/petition

Should Top Of The Pops be saved? Tell us what you think at
www.birminghammail.net/news/yoursay

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_objectid=17273525%26method=full%26siteid=50002%26headline=don%2dt%2dlet%2dthem%2dchop%2dthe%2dpops%2d-name_page.html

BBC1 will show on next Friday 3rd March 2006 a new documentary called "Kings Of Glam". This will look in detail at many glam rock bands from the 70`s. Including T-Rex, Bowie, Suzi Quatro etc. and of course SLADE!

This is a part of the review from the new edition of the Radio Times:

"We all know about Elton John, too, and dear old Slade. But what the heck, the archive footage alone is worth the price of the admission, and you`d have to be made of concrete not to want to sing along to "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me".

It looks like Noddy and Dave have been interviewed for it too.

BBC1 Friday 3rd March 10:35pm

Pop-Clownereien in der Geschichte
Scheiße aussehen über die Jahre
Väter der Popklamotte: Einige Epochen der populären Kultur sehen Jahrzehnte später einfach lächerlich aus – andere nicht. Wieso eigentlich?
Von Dirk Peitz

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/,tt3m2/kultur/artikel/176/68108/

POP-clownery in the history

Be shit loocking above years
Father`s of the Pop-Oldie : Some epoches of the populary culture are loocking after decades later absurd - other not. Why ?

Oh Gott, ja, die Haare. Also, nicht dass die Klamotten nicht auch etwas...nun...stinkig aussehen würden. So geht einem das ja manchmal, wenn man Fotos anschaut und sich der Anblick von Menschen darauf gleich übersetzt in einen anderen Sinneseindruck.

Oh god, yes the hair. Then, not that the rags are loocking also something ..... well.....stink ....So is it sometimes, when you are watching pictures and the sight of people tranfer about this shortly in an other sense-impression.



Zum Beispiel eben in Geruch. Oder in ein Anfassgefühl, so als könne man vom bloßen Hinschauen schon spüren, wie sich bestimmte Stoffe auf der Haut anfühlen müssen. Diese Kleider also – knallenge Satin-Overalls, knallbunte Polyesterhemden, absurd verzierte Nietenlederjacken, T-Shirts mit grrrrimmigen Tigerköpfen darauf – sehen nach einer Geruchsmischung aus süßlichen Schweißresten aus, die unauswaschbar in den Kunststoffporen kleben, leicht ranzig-mottenpulverigem Eichenkleiderschrankmief und dem bereits etwas talgigen, bald verwehten Duft eines Old-School-Herren-After-Shaves am Nachmittag.

As example so the smell.Or the feeling for touch, so as you can feel from loock at with nacked eyes, who is the feel of special substances on the skin. This dresses - well -poptight satin-overalls, popcolours Polyestershirts, absurd decorated rivet-leatherjackets, T-shirts with grrrrrrim tigerheads - are loocking for a mix of smell with sweet rests of perspiration, which unwashable paste into the synthetic-material-pores, a little bit rancid-mothpowder - oak-wardrobe-fug and the already something suetly
soon blowed smell of an old-gentlemen-after shaves on the afternoon.



Das Anfassgefühl: teilweise unangenehm rau, teilweise unangenehm kühl, künstlich jedenfalls, verbunden mit einem elektrostatischen Nachknistern, das einem in den Fingern ziept. Die Haare hingegen, meist zu so genannten Mullets frisiert, vulgo Vokuhilas, schauen nach Omas strengem Haarspraygeruch aus. Also auch etwas mottenpulverig.


The feeling of touch : partial unpleasant rough, partial unpleasant chilly, in any case artificial, be connected with an electro-statics-crackle, what you can feel still in the fingers.
On the other hand the hair, mostly styled at so-called "Mullets" vulgo Vokuhilas, loocking for grandma`s strong hairspraysmell.


Wie das alles zusammen wirkt – lächerlich. Die Bilder hat der deutsche Fotograf Wolfgang Heilemann gemacht, sie zeigen die britische Popgruppe The Sweet in den Jahren 1971 bis 1978 und wurden kürzlich in einem prächtigen Band vom Verlag Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf wiederveröffentlicht. Doch allem schönen Druck und kostbaren Einband, allen zwischenzeitlichen 70er-Jahre-Revivals in Mode und Musik zum Trotz, bleibt es dabei: Die vier jungen Herren auf Heilemanns Fotos sind und bleiben lächerlich, unrettbar stillos. Wobei das schon fast die Kernfrage ist: Was ist eigentlich lächerlich? Denn Lächerlichkeit ist ja kein feststehendes Kriterium, sondern ein subjektives, dem Zeitenwandel ausgeliefertes.

This all is affect together - absurd. The picuters are from the German fotografer Wolfgang Heilmann, showing the British popgroup THE SWEET in the years 1971 till 1978 and was publishing in a magnificent book from the publishing house
Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf. But all beautiful edition and precious cover, all intermediate 70s-years-revivals in fashion and music to spite, it`s will be so : the for youg gentlemen on the Heilmann`s pictures are absurd, hopeless tasteless : moth powder smell too.
Which this is already almost the central issue: What is ordinary absurd ? Becaus ridiculousness is`nt a be certainly criterion, but a individual, hand over of the changing times



Man könnte sagen: Lächerlichkeit definiert sich in der Betrachterperspektive, und die entsteht, ganz grob gesprochen, aus einer individuellen kulturellen Prägung, die mit den jeweilig herrschenden gegenwärtigen Vorstellungen von Schönheit abgeglichen wird. Es ist also nicht nur vorstellbar, sondern höchstwahrscheinlich, dass im Jahr 1972 eine größere Menge von Menschen, mutmaßlich eher jüngere, die vier Leute auf diesen Fotos schön fanden. Auch wenn man sich das heute wirklich nicht mehr vorstellen kann.

We could say: Ridiculousness is define in a perspective of the observer and this comes into, definitely coarse spoken, from an individual cultural character, which is equalized with the prevailing prevailing at presently delusions from charming.
So is it not only imaginable, but in all probability, that in the year 1972 a big part of the people, probable earlier younger people, found this 4 people on the pictures beautiful. Although we can nor more really introduce this today.

The Sweet waren das, was man eine Posterband nannte, weil ihre Konterfeis, auf dünnes, schlechtes, schnell reißendes Papier gedruckt, einmal die Zimmer unzähliger Teenager schmückten. Sie standen damit in einer in den sechziger Jahren erstmals massenwirksam aufgekommenen Tradition der Kinderzimmerdekorierung.

THE SWEET was this, what we call a posterband, because them portrait, printed on a flimsy, bad, quick tear paper, once
decorated room countless teenager. So they standed in once of the 60`s of the first time as a mass-effective tradition of room-decoration.
Die Bay City Rollers zum Beispiel waren genauso geschmacklos gekleidet wie The Sweet, und etwas anderes als Spaß versprachen sie auch nicht.

The Bay City Rollers was for example in the same tasteless dresses as the Sweet and some other as fun they also hav`nt promised.

PLEASE got to the Newspaper redaktion and write your opinion about this report !!!
Pop-Clownereien in der Geschichte

Scheiße aussehen über die Jahre

Väter der Popklamotte: Einige Epochen der populären Kultur sehen Jahrzehnte später einfach lächerlich aus – andere nicht. Wieso eigentlich?


E-Mail-Adresse des zuständigen Ressorts:
kultur-online@sueddeutsche.de 

Pop Star Rocks

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

By MARK LOWRY  May 09, 2006

In November, British singer-songwriter James Blunt played Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie, opening for Jason Mraz. It's doubtful many Americans had heard of Blunt then.

Now, after endless radio and video-channel spins of You're Beautiful, a song destined to underscore chick-flick trailers for years to come, Blunt nearly sold out Nokia on Monday night.

Yes, even the venue's rarely full balcony was teeming with screaming fans, mostly women.

(Mraz's last album didn't do so well; he might be opening for Blunt one day.)

Here's the thing about a single with the huge appeal of You're Beautiful, which has spawned as much vitriol as it has adoration: People buy the album, in this case the infectious Back to Bedlam.

And they learn every word.

Then they sing them, loudly, at the concert.

Blunt's fans got to put their recitation skills to good use Monday because Blunt made it through all 10 songs on Bedlam (the big hit, of course, was the last of three songs in the encore).

He also performed some new material and offered up a lovely solo cover at the upright piano of '70s British glam band Slade's Coz I Luv You.

He returned to the piano several times but mostly stuck with guitar as front man for a four-piece band, which rocked. As did -- and this is hard to admit for one of those Beautiful haters -- Blunt.

You may not care for that song, but there's no denying the guy is a natural performer. He engaged the audience, worked the stage and even let some humor slip out. For example, before launching into Wisemen, he teased the crowd with, 'Does anyone know a song called Hotel California? Well, I don't. But I do know this one.'

His falsetto moments, most notably on High and Tears and Rain, were in top form, and his Rod Stewart-esque rasp adds another layer to his almost inexplicable sex appeal. You don't get to see it in the video, but onstage Blunt has charisma to spare. Only on You're Beautiful did we hear a hint in his voice that he might be losing it on tour.

An especially affecting song was No Bravery, which he wrote while serving in the British Army in Kosovo. It was backed by video footage of people in wartime. Truly beautiful.

GRADE: A- http://www.topix.net/content/kri/1139443259079762272200667070220457507871

British radio DJ MIKE READ has written a musical about seventies glam

The former BBC presenter, who is organising a tsunami charity single with SIR CLIFF RICHARD, BOY GEORGE and former BEE GEES ROBIN and BARRY GIBB, has written a script to accompany the bands hit songs, including MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY and CUM ON FEEL THE NOISE.
Read enthuses, "This will be based on their story - not some futuristic novel with the songs shoved in as and when."

The Londons West End currently stages musicals based on a host of rockers back catalogues, including QUEEN, ELVIS PRESLEY, BUDDY HOLLY, ABBA and ROD STEWART.

24/01/2005 18:35      http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/dj%20read%20composes%20slade.%20the%20musical

Some wild, wild rumours from unreliable sources (SIE):

Over recent months there has been contact between various parties connected with the Slade Machine.
2006 will be Slade`s 40th anniversary and there has been rumours about plans for the celebration of the Anniversary.
 Slade played their first ever gig on 1st May 1966 (according to Noddy Holder, singer and guitarist) at Walsall Town Hall and the last one at Cow Palace in San Fransisco in March 1984. The band played together last time at 25th Anniversary Convention in the same place exactly 25 years later on the 1st April 1991, when Jim, Nod, Don and Dave played only one song (Johnny B Goode !) for the fans. Slade released their last record in December 1991 - Universe single.

Now the rumours tell that certain other Midland people (Sharon Osbourne, who was Slade`s manager on their USA tour 1984, with her husband Ozzy) are taking efforts to get Slade together in some form and there is said to be plans of Slade (old/new?) music to be released, anniversary, dvd, B sides collection box set leading to next April 1st.

Noddy Holder is also told to be moving his family back to the black country from his delightful victorian lodge in Prestbury, and there is talk of all four being keen on the idea of producing some recorded work to mark their anniversary.

Rumours are also connected to line-up change(s) with Slade II now that singer and guitarist Steve Whalley left the band in June playing his last gig with Slade II on Saturday 25th June 2005 at Schleiz Open Air, Germany. Steve did a great work with Slade II since the beginning of the band, December 1992, 13 years on the road with Slade II.

Too good to be true?

K.O.R. Ilpo, Helsinki

Adri found some recent, interesting links to Slade material.

http://donderdag.losgoud.nl/1972/0872.htm

Dave Hill on the cover of Dutch magazine "Muziek Expres", August 1972.

Wait! :-)  There's more:

http://donderdag.losgoud.nl/1971/0871.htm

There is a Slade photo there if you scroll down a little bit...
- or search for the text "Gestegen van 8 naar 6".
If you're there it reads: Gestegen van 8 naar 6 [= "Gone up from 8 to 6"]
Text to the left of it roughly translates as:

For five long years the English group SLADE now exists. The foursome have
tried everything to somewhat become an interesting group to the big public.
The band started playing with Motown-like music. After having tried several
musical styles, Noddy Holder (lead? guitar), Jimi Lee (bass guitar and
violin player), Dave Hill (solo guitar) and Don Powell (drums) switched to
hard-rock, the result being „Get Down And Get With It".  (See songtext)
Most of the time Slade gigs are going on rather wild.  Their stage-act has
kept many venue-owners from booking them - it scared them - that's why the
band didn't get much work until recently.

Manager Chas Chandler (ex-bassist Animals) advised them to ease it down a bit
and - as it appears now - they did that succesfully.  The big lot of bookings
are in England now and Slade also visited our country (The Netherlands, --a3)
to perform at a number of occasions, doing concerts and a TV performance for
the new VPRO program „Campus". Diving into the hard-rock matter appeared to
not be such a weird choice for Slade. There are very little good hard-rock
groups. Judging the Slade single, the formation definitively falls into the
category of that elite.

THANKS to Adri for sending this message to the International SLADE Mailinglist

Generation Pop

Recently the 3Sat-Channel aired a rerun of the 2004 WDR production "Generation Pop" where "ordinary" Germans born in the early 1960s talked about being young in the 1970s and 1980s. The first part of this 4 part series included an interview with Don and Dave as well as some short clips from different TV-appearances of the original Slade.
The interview had Dave telling how important the clothes and the shoes were to the band and that because of the exploration of space he invented the silver look. With that and the big shoes the guys looked like men walking on the moon, he said.
Don talked about the phonetic spelling of the song titles and how that caused the band a lot of trouble with the educational authorities in England. He added that a few years later they started using phonetic spelling in schools.
Probably the funniest thing in the series was a woman admitting that as a young teenager she didn't understand English. When "Cum On Feel The Noize" was a hit she therefore got out the dictionary to look up the word "cum".
The running time of the whole series was 3 hours, but only 5-10 minutes were Slade-related. Well, at least the theme of the series was "Lock Up Your Daughters"!

THANKS to Lise Lyng Falkenberg
visit please here great blog:

http://www.bigboyzbignoize.blogspot.com/

Slade Live At East Germany 1977

These days you can buy a DVD on the net called Rare Videos - Live at Granada Studios 1972/Live At East Germany Television 1977. As the Live At Granada Studios 1972 is exactly the same as the Slade Alive!-DVD mentioned somewhere else on this blog, I'll concentrate on Live At East Germany here.
The DVD contains 16 tracks apparently taped in the the East German town of Erfurt as well as some short clips of the boys goofing around in town and separate interviews with them. Most of the songs are hits like "Cum On Feel The Noize", "'Coz I Luv You" and "Far Far Away", but also songs like "Gypsy Roadhog", "When The Lights Are Out" and "My Baby Left Me" have found their way to this DVD. All spelled wrongly, that is in correct English.
There is not much live about this television concert, though, as it is all play back. Sometimes you can hear the hard thumps of Don on the drums or Jim's precise violin cutting through the recorded sound, but that's it. Nod doesn't even bother to pretend that this is live as he lets go of his guitar several times. As Nod has never been good at lip sync you'll also see him forget to move his lips a couple of times while hearing his voice booming out into the studio.
The studio audience is quite a chapter of its own. They clap their hands all right, but sit perfectly still with gloomy expressions on their faces. Like mindless zombies not knowing what the heck is going on. Not until the encore (a second rendition of My Baby Left Me) do they freak out. Nod and Dave are going into the audience, Nod flirting left and right, and the audience invades the stage where Jim asks a young girl to wipe off the sweat of his face before she gets pushed away by others.
The concert itself is really no big deal, but the few clips of the guys in town and the interviews are great. Among other things Nod says that he sees MXE and Gudbuy T'Jane as Slade's biggest hits, Jim admits that he wants to do some solo work, Don lies himself 5 years younger to fit in with the "official" ages of the boys back then, and Dave says that he's never sad except when the tax man comes around. Unfortunately all the interviews are simultaneous interpreted into German so you can't hear exactly what the guys are saying. All though I understand German perfectly well, it is annoying not to be able to hear the "real thing". Only Jim pauses for the interpreter to finish his sentences, which makes the interpreter wait for Jim to finish his, so at least you can hear Jim a little better than the others. Apart from the interpretations the interviews are really good, and also note the intro AND the credits where the guys have to clean up. Hilarious!

THANKS a lot to Lise Lyng Falkenberg for this great report :
Visit her blog here:
http://www.bigboyzbignoize.blogspot.com/

Slade on TV in December 2005, Channel 4 Saturday 10th December:

Slade(II) will be on Bring Back The Christmas Number 1 on Saturday 10th December. Later that night Noddy Holder will be presenting Top Ten Christmas songs which of course will feature MXE by Slade.

• 10.00pm Bring Back The Christmas Number One to 11.05pm
The fab Justin Lee Collins re-unites former popstars and songwriters who have had festive hits to create a supergroup who`ll bid to grab the top spot this Christmas. The song has been written by Rob Davis, who co-wrote Kylie`s Can`t You Out of My Head and had a Christmas number one in 1974 with Mud`s Lonely This Christmas, and it will be performed by David Essex, Jona Lewie and members of Showaddywaddy and Slade.
...
• 11.05pm Christmas Top Ten to 12.40am
Noddy Holder from Slade will possibly roar "Merry Christmas Everybody" as he hosts a countdown of the top festive pop songs. Features Slade, Wizzard, The Pogues, Johnny Mathis and Yoko Ono.

BBC Radio 1 The Official UK Download Chart 14.12.2005

1. 1 (8) Madonna, Hung Up (Warner Music)
...
11. 16 (2) Pogues, Fairytale Of New York (Warner Music)
...
21. 15 (3) Oasis, Let There Be Love (Sony BMG Music)
...
26. 34 (3) Slade, Merry Xmas Everybody (Universal Music)
...
28. 39 (4) Wham, Last Christmas (Sony BMG Music)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/downloads.shtml

- Ilpo

BBC Radio 2, Janice Long, album of the week Nov/Dec 2005: The Very Best Of Slade - SLADE
Label: Universal Records
Release Date: 28 November 2005

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/long/index.shtml

AWM hits the right note   Express & Star July 29th 2005

The West Midlands` thriving music industry discussed plans to make more noise about the region`s creativity and talent in a forum event at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

The West Midlands is home to 25 per cent of the UK`s musicians - the highest proportion outside London - as well as some of the top venues and companies in the industry.

The region boasts iconic rock names such as Ozzy Osbourne, Slade, Led Zeppelin, Spencer Davies Group and The Move as well as up-and-coming acts such as Editors and The Open. Some 9,800 people are employed in the music industry in the region, generating more than £300 million a year for the economy.

Music is part of the Screen and New Media cluster, one of ten identified by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands to be supported by nurturing skills and improving business collaboration and innovation.

The cluster includes all screen media - TV, film, video, animation, interactive games, e-learning - along with music, radio and photography.

The event was attended by musicians, producers, writers and distributors of music who are keen to ensure music has the same profile as the screen industries as part of the region`s vibrant creative mix.

Advantage West Midlands screen and new media cluster manager Mary Matthews said: The cluster expects to support 17 projects valued at more than £11 million in the next three years in partnership with the Learning and Skills Council, Business Links, the region` universities and other public and private sector organisations.

http://www.expressandstar.com/artman/publish/article_78276.php

 "May the Slade be with you in May by five years steps":

May 1969 Slade release their second single "Genesis" / "Roach Daddy" as Ambrose Slade on Fontana. A week later the first LP "Beginnings" ("Ballzy" in the USA) is released also as Ambrose Slade on Fontana. "Beginnings" included four songs written by the band and cover songs by Frank Zappa, Jeff Lynne, Lennon/McCartney, Marvin Gaye, Steppenwolf and Ted Nugent. The album suffers from the 60'ies sounds and the form & style ain't yet in the Slade class where the band developed during the next 2-3 years Slade having found their own style in the late 1971. Band's own songs show anyway the rising abilities of the Lea/Holder composing team.
- May 1974 Slade continue the massive UK spring tour in Scotland, England and Wales. At the end of the month they fly to America for the fourth US tour.
- May 1979 Release of yellow single "Ginny Ginny" / "Dizzy Mamma" on Barn. Good, strong songs, A side being more positive and B side a copy of Zzz Bottom's "Tush" with very strong, dark bluesy vocals by Nod. "Low period" of Slade's career; for the first time the band members travel in different cars to the concert places playing for the "Magic 500". Don and Nod travel in the "Happy Car" and Jim and Dave in the "Hospital car"!
- May 1984 Polydor release again another greatest hits collection titled "Slade's Greats" that is one of the very few albums that hasn't been released on CD. "Run Runaway" gets lots of playing time on MTV in US and gives Slade's best chart position there. At this point of finally making a breakthrough in America Slade has though lost their chance, because in the March Slade has been forced to cancel their US tour with Ozzy Osbourne due to Jim's illness and that was actually the end of the greatest live band…

Thanks to Ilpo, Helsinki

Slade II autumn 2005 news

Slade II are starting their 13th Annual Merry Xmas Everybody tour in UK at the end of November 2005. At the end October they had two concerts in Russia (St. Petersburg and Moscow) and now Slade (II) are on the cover of Classic Rock Russia magazine October 2005 in terms of 40 years on the road next year (1966-2006).

Slade II have put also some new elements in their live appearance; John Berry is playing violin on Coz I Luv You, while Mal McNulty takes on bass. And now you can see Dave Hill also in some other dress besides white letters on black!
Thanks for The Amazing Slade (and Philippe) and Slade Archive Forum (Ian) as the news sources !

Slade Reprise MS 2173  Released: October 1973  SLADEST

Chart Peak: #129
Weeks Charted: 7
If ever there was a sure shot for smash singles success in the States, Slade seemed to be it. During the past two years they issued eight hit 45s, the last seven of which went Top Three in England, each characterized by powerful rhythm chording, a raw, throat-scrapping vocal by Noddy Holder, and relentlessly building choruses which hook the listener into an awestruck, hypnotic trance. There's no chance to ponder the lyrics, but they, too, are sharp -- the rallying cry of a new generation of rock & roll ravers (with an occasional bit of wry self-depreciation as well).

But Slade hasn't scored a bona fide hit here yet. Dissatisfied, the group left Polydor (not known for burning up the charts with rock material) for Warner/Reprise (whose image, interestingly, is much more than of an LP company, rather than 45 wizards).

Sladest, their first release on the new label, is a comprehensive collection of the group's British hits to date, many of them difficult to obtain here previously. It provides an unimprovable perspective on their past successes, as well as some of the wildest all-stops-out rock & roll you'll ever hear.

The back cover lists the singles in chronological order, starting with their first breakthrough, "Get Down and Get With It" from summer '71, a frantic jerk tune credited to former Huey "Piano" Smith & the Clowns vocalist Bobby Marchan, and the song most accurately capsuling their live stage act, with frequent hand-clapping and boot-stomping interludes. Both sides of the latest British single, "My Friend Stan" and B side "My Town," also are included, with "My Town" sounding stronger than the more whimsical, unusually blithe "Stan."

In between are the classic Slade stompers. "Look Wot You Dun" features a relatively subdued and melodic opening, but builds to a frenetic climax. "Coz I Luv You" is the oddest number, spotlighting bassist Jimmy Lea's violin. "Take Me Bak 'Ome," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," "Gudbuy T' Jane," "Cum on Feel the Noize" and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me," an immensely successful string of singles extending from May '72 to August '73, mark the introduction and refinement of a brilliant 45 formula -- surging power chords and unremitting build-ups to the most frenzied finishes imagineable, echo-boosted chants, handclaps and stomping, with more sheer impact than any records so far in the Seventies.

"Cum on Feel the Noize" has the best tune of the batch, "Mama Weer All Crazee" is the quintessential rocking anthem, and the series as a whole generated raw excitement paralleled only by the colossal crush of Stones, Who and Small Faces singles of 1965-6.

It remains to be seen whether Slade, having thus far avoided American stardom, can belatedly break through with their new label. "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me," rather than the weaker "My Friend Stan," is the first single choice here. Meanwhile, the essence of the first two successful years has been distilled on Sladest, and by my lights it turns out to be the best rocking album of the year.

- Ken Barnes, Rolling Stone, 12/6/73.

Bonus Reviews!

Slade has been one of the top British bands for two years now, but they have yet to break through in this country as a major act. They have been known primarily as a singles band, with each single an exercise in the controlled wall-of-sound style of rock. Noddy Holder's vocals are frantic, Dave Hill's guitar is loud and full of great riffs, and the group's songs are full of the drive and repetition good rock is made of. Now Warners, on the label's first Slade LP, has made an extremely smart maneuver. Warners has included all of the group's major hit records, which serves the dual purpose of introducing them as a singles band as well as giving them an almost fresh start with the American listening public. This could be the real start of Slade. Best cuts: "Look Wot You Dun," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," "Gudbuy T'Jane," "Cum On Feel the Noize."

- Billboard, 1973.

This includes "Gudbuy t' Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," the best cuts on Slayed? because it compiles the English hits of these Anglopop phenoms. I take it the reason "Gudbuy" and "Crazee" are the best cuts on Sladest as well is that these Anglopop phenoms turned into raving maniacs only recently. Clearly, it's what they were meant to be, and although Slayed? is less tuneful, I prefer it. You don't ask an air raid siren to play "Stardust," or even "Glad All Over." B+

- Robert Christgau, Christgau's Record Guide, 1981.

Sladest contains all of the British band's finest moments, including "Look Wot You Dun," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," and "Cum on Feel the Noize." * * * *

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995.

Nostalgia Center - Year by year 1973

July 1973
Slade drummer Don Powell is badly injured in a car crash that leaves his girlfriend dead.
Slade
Slade started life as Ambrose Slade, a bunch of threatening skins from Walsall. By 1971, they'd lost the Ambrose and Noddy Holder was giving it loads on Top Of The Pops with his top hat covered in mirrors.
"The first time it was for a stage effect," said Noddy. "I wanted it to be like a mirror ball and light up the audience. But I ended up wearing it for two years, 1972 and 1973. The idea was that when we went on TOTP we wanted to stand out. We wanted people to say in the pub, "Did you see them Slade on Top Of The Pops last night? They're mad, they are"."
As ambitions go, that was a fair ambition. The only thing was that Slade weren't mad. They were sharp tunesmiths who had a gift for a gag and an eye for the main chance.
First spotted by Chas Chandler, a man who'd proved his pedigree with his previous managerial charge, one Jimi Hendrix. When Chandler got hold of Slade, they were still Ambrose Slade and about to become skinheads.
In the very late Sixties being a skin was quite a smart move. It was big constituency, ready to be exploited, but when they got going they found that they weren't the ones being exploited.
Skins used their gigs to launch all that violence nonsense that they liked so much. Every time the Ambroses tried to get going, out would come the Doc Martens and the knuckle-dusters. For a young group on the make, it wasn't so much a reputation as a noose.
"Hey, we're better than that," thought the boys. So they lost the Ambrose, grew their hair and had a look around. "Hey, who's that bunch of poofs singing about that geezer wot invented the phone?"
It didn't taken long for the shrewd Chandler to reposition his boys as Glam rockers and, hey ho, here we go, they released Get Down And Get With It, a good old stomp from their old days that was now dressed up with a bit of fairy dust. It was, strangely enough, a Top 20 hit.
Noddy Holder, the lead singer and the owner of that mirrored top hat, was so pleased he wrote a letter to his mum. 'Deer mum, Gess wot weev dun...'
Chas Chandler happened to be passing by as Noddy was writing and saw the letter. "Oi, Nod, I think I've got an idea" - Well, it might have been like that.
Slade had themselves a gimmick. It was to pretend that they hadn't been to skool. They spelt all their song titles wrong. Coz I Luv You, Look Wot You Dun, Take Me Bak 'Ome, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Gudbye T'Jane, Cum On Feel The Noize . . . Slade had a huge run of hits.
Each time they appeared on TOTP, they were more and more outrageous. Or rather, guitarist Dave Hill was. One of the great Glam figures, Hill looked like no one else on earth: huge platform boots - I've a sneaky suspicion he was about four foot tall - costumes to dye for in colour to die in, the trademark Cleopatra haircut and the cutest buck teeth.
That haircut was the crowning glory. Long all round, except at the front where it was cut in a kind of round circle. It was well odd. He looked like a comical posh chipmunk who'd been off nicking peanuts when they were giving out a good taste. A proper Glam Liberace, Hill was a permanent fixture of the early Seventies.
Sparkling hair and glamtastic clothes alone wouldn't have done it for the Sladesters. Their tunes were catchy, rocky, infectious, so much so that they're still living.
A rabble-rousing leader of a rabble-rousing outfit, Noddy Holder's voice was a raspy growl, obviously the perfect voice for an effeminate-looking (oh yeah?) Glam rock outfit. Like The Sweet, Slade made some timeless classics. And like The Sweet their look seemed totally at odds with what they were.
Coming from the Black Country of Wolverhampton - Black Sabbath country - it was only natural that their tendency should be toward the macho, but you just felt with Slade that half a yard underneath the bucket loads of glitter there were two tattoos that said 'love' and 'hate'. Maybe it was their background.
What happened to Slade? They got soft. They started making proper records. They learned to spell. They got ideas. They made a film - Flame, aka Slade In Flame - that was all soft focus and backlit. Listen, if Slade In Flame had been a kosher item, it would have been called Slade In Flaym.
You want to know another reason we got bored with Slade? Merry Xmas Everybody. More a pension scheme than a record, it has lurked around our consciousness for what? Twenty-five years?
The Sweet. Mud. Slade. Each was pivotal and that era we call Glam would have been a poorer place without them. They all flirted in that nether zone somewhere between proper pop group and cartoon pastiche.
They enjoyed playing and we enjoyed watching them play and it was all a bit of a game, but . . . The Sweet wanted to be proper rock stars, Mud toyed with it, writing their own b-sides, Slade, if the truth be told, were a proper pop group.
There was a place in our hearts (and in the market) for a group, for something that had absolutely no pretensions to being proper.
The teenybop acts had no pretensions but that was something completely different. What we're talking about here is something that was a cartoon. But real . . .

"SLADE'S GREATS" REVIEWS 1984

Polydor released a compilation of 16 of Slade's biggest hits 20 years ago on 25th May 1984 under the title of "Slade's Greats". Here are a few reviews of the album.

SOUNDS (UK), Garry Bushell:
"NO HOLDERS BARRED

AH YES, children, there was life before punk, and nowhere was it lived as riotously fine as 'twas by Nod The God and these noisy sods.

For many moons, Slade were the ultimate in down-to-earth rock'n'roll knees-ups, and to my mind (and there are few finer), their definitely boisterous brand of Big Grin pop-with-balls has never been bettered, nor ear drums so merrily battered.

So any album spanning 16 Slade smashes (from 'Get Down And Get With It' in May '71 to 'Let's Call It Quits' in Feb '76) has gotta be a trusty must, right? Well yes, except the last time I reviewed this album was four years ago when it was called 'Slade Smashes' and came with exactly the same tracks in exactly the same running order only with an extra two songs on each side.

Missing are 'Gypsy Roadhog', 'In For A Penny', 'My Baby Left Me' and the far more essential 'Give Us A Goal', written according to the experts in honour of Charlton's Derek 'Gypo' Hales (Are you sure? - Ed).

In Other words, Polydor are doing a Decca and the Stones, trying to wring a few bob out of their back catalogue now the noise boys have moved on to labels and chart successes new.

So long-standing Slade slaves should fink before you buy. Is it worth shelling out of jacks for a cut with (un peu) more guts of tracks you've already got? Probably not. This is an album of more use to entirely new fans who've got a lot of catching up to do. You lucky sods."

SOUNDI (Finland), Juho Juntunen:
"Let's in the very beginning let Popeda's Pate, a hard Slade fan, talk.
- We were playing in Kuusrock a couple of years ago. I was walking in the backstage area and took notice of an amazingly looking tiny oldster. He was such a master man who was very short having disgusting green warm-up trousers and really stupid Valmet cap. I was thinking what for hell this snealer is. Little oldster went for a while in the dressing-room and then bounced back in new costumes. He had half meter high silver-boots and impressive feather costume. He was Slade's Dave Hill and he played like an angel.

There's no need for Pate to be ashamed for liking Slade, because nowadays everyone can disregardly admire band's records. They have surpassed the test of times totally in a different way than Sweet's, Mud's and other teeny groups' products. There is live with Slade!

'Slade's Greats' is a frisky compilation from years 1971-76. There are total of 16 tracks to which exuberant rallies, honky playing and above all Noddy Holder's vivid singing parts give power and spirit. This is of course not any big art or ingenius individuality, but everthing that keeps moving is nice and Slade if any keep moving.
…
Slade is part of rock history, and very well these lads still do their work. I even liked after all very much group's latest record and even 'My Oh My' is a maginificient song inspite of its Eurovision boasting."

SUOSIKKI (Finland):
"Haa! Slade's reputation as a bubblegum band and children's entertainers has fallen off, and people have started to see sense in Noddy Holder's and partners' music. It's fine when the band makes energetic music that resounds good solidarity and a will to give good vibrations here and there.

Also the last years Slade have been a solid record producer, though their records haven't sold quite in the same amounts than ten years ago. But even such a beautiful ballad as My Oh My shows that these guys always have the skill in their fingertips.

If you want a good view to Slade's old production, it's without doubt worth getting this Greats compilation that includes the band's hits from years 1971-77. There are Cum On Feel The Noize, Far, Far Away, The Bangin' Man, Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me, Gudbuy T'Jane, Mama Weer All Crazee Now and the other English rock classics. Total of 16 songs of hard drive and jolly rallies.

You can't even recommend this record. This is a must, if you haven't got already Slade on your shelf."

Thanks to Ilpo, Helsinki

SLADE IN FLAME 30 YEARS

Slade's movie "Slade In Flame" was released in November 1974. Thirty years later it was released on DVD and the film has stood the test of times exceptionally well compared to the contemporaries, but the film was also made with different attitude and character - something else than those stupid poppy films á la beatles, monkies,...

The soundtrack from the film was released also in November 1974 and it contains two of Slade's finest melodies and Lea-Holder master pieces "Far Far Away" and "How Does It Feel".

Here is the movie review (split in four part) by an American critic Don Krider. K.O.R. - Ilpo -

"SLADE IN FLAME": The U.S.A. DVD release of a classic British film

A review by Don_Krider (a member of Epinion) written on Apr 08 2004
Part 1/4

Author’s rating: 4/5

Pros: A visually stunning, very British, musical drama starring the rock group Slade and Tom Conti.
Cons: Heavy British accents might be a distraction, but a minor one only.
The Bottom Line: "Slade In Flame" is a time capsule of 1974 rock music; a cross between "A Hard Day's Night," "American Graffiti" and "That Thing You Do," but with a darker outlook.

FULL REVIEW, PART 1

After conquering the British pop charts with a string of hit singles in the early 1970's (songs with lovingly misspelled titles like "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" were among the band's six # 1 British hits), those loveable glam-rockers Slade were talked into making a movie.

With their fans expecting some crazy wackiness ala The Beatles, the boys in the band decided instead to make a serious film about the music business in which they would play a fictional foursome called Flame.

The film was a moderate hit in England and a quick flop in the USA (the band wouldn't have any U. S. Top 40 hits until the 1980's when tunes like "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My" finally cracked the upper realms of the U. S. pop charts).

The film "Slade In Flame" is very British (language, accents, etc.), so much so that when released in the U. S. it included subtitles so American audiences could understand what the four "yobboes" from Wolverhampton, England, were saying in their native spoken dialogue (as the saying goes, "We are seperated by a common language").

If you pay attention, the guys actually are pretty easy to understand, at least to me, but the average American may not be aware of the different meanings some words have in the two countries (an elevator is called a "lift" in England, for instance).

The film was such a flop stateside that it never made it to a theater near me in 1975 when it was released in the U. S. It never was released in the U. S. on videotape. It has, however, been available in a videotape format that is not playable on U. S. video players for many years now (the British use a different video system than the United States does so British videos can't be played on American systems).

Finally, though, the film has been released on DVD in the U. S. by the good folks at Shout! Factory (http://www.shoutfactory.com), meaning I can finally see the movie for the first time (I was 17 when the film came out in 1974, so I wasn't going to let 30 years of waiting to finally see the film and a bit of aging years stand in the way of buying this 2004 U. S. release).

SLADE IN FLAME 30 YEARS, Don Krider review part 2/4

"SLADE IN FLAME": The U.S.A. DVD release of a classic British film
A review by Don_Krider written on Apr 08 2004
Part 2/4

Full Review, part 2

THE CAST

The members of Slade --- lead singer/guitarist Noddy Holder, bassist Jim Lea, lead guitarist Dave Hill and drummer Don Powell --- had been together as a band, under different band names, for some eight years when they made "Slade In Flame" in 1974 (they would remain a band for some 25 years before splitting in the early 1990's).

It's impressive to note that this film was the band's members very first film as actors (the lads were offered a second film after this one, a comedy, but turned it down). Noddy Holder (he later starred in British TV's "The Grimleys" and he was also knighted by the Queen of England a few years ago for his entertainment work) is the most effective of the group as an actor, even in his first acting role.

Also in the film are Tom Conti (Tony Award winner for "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" and an Oscar nominee for "Reuben, Reuben"), Johnny Shannon (whose many credits include Mick Jagger's film "Performance") and Alan Lake (whose credits include The Dave Clark 5 film "Having A Wild Weekend"). This is also Conti's first film role.

THE CREW

"Slade In Flame" was the first directing gig for Richard Loncraine, who later won an Emmy as one of the directors of HBO's "Band Of Brothers" mini-series and who was also Emmy-nominated for the TV movie "The Gathering Storm."

The original screenplay is by Andrew Birkin, Oscar-nominated for the 1983 short film, "Sredni vashtar." He has also won the Silver Berlin Bear from the Berlin International Film Festival in 1993 for the film "The Cement Garden."

The executive producers are a Chas Chandler and John Steel, both former members of the rock group The Animals ("House Of The Rising Sun"). Chandler was Slade's manager and producer at the time. Chandler previously had been manager/producer of guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

SLADE IN FLAME 30 YEARS, Don Krider review part 3/4

"SLADE IN FLAME": The U.S.A. DVD release of a classic British film
A review by Don_Krider written on Apr 08 2004
Part 3/4

Full Review, part 3

THE STORY

Like Tom Hanks' "That Thing You Do" more than 20 years later, this is a film about a fictional rock band (Hanks used actors to play his fictional group). Though the band looks and sounds like Slade, the group's members insist the story is about a fictional rock band called Flame, with Slade's members as actors portraying the band.

The easiest route for Slade would have been to make a wacky film like "A Hard Day's Night." Instead, Slade, at the urging of Holder, decided to make a film that is at once dark and yet refreshingly honest in its portrayal of the music business.

The film isn't a Slade bio pic. The fictional band, Flame, portrayed by Slade in the film shows us numerous true events that the rockers had heard over the years on the road that had happened to other bands --- to "keep it real," Slade and executive producer Chas Chandler (the ex-Animal and ex-manager of Hendrix) tossed these stories to the film's screenwriter, who in turn used the best stories for the film's fictional bands.

THE ACTING

Noddy Holder and Jim Lea play off each other in scenes of anger that seem all too real at times. As the songwriting team within Slade, the two players were often at odds --- they use this internal competition in the film very effectively.

Guitarist Dave Hill comes across as a loveable, always grinning (he has a natural, very toothy George Harrison ("A Hard Day's Night") look on screen) lad, while drummer Don Powell is equally loveable as the band's comedian buffoon. Powell's performance is remarkable --- he was suffering from short-term memory loss due to a car accident the previous year, yet he delivers his lines very well (Holder tells us in bonus footage that Powell would learn lines for one take, but have to re-learn the lines for each additional take due to his memory loss).

Holder has the best performance of any band member in the film, in my opinion. In one hilarious opening scene, he is the lead singer of a band called The Undertakers whose lead singer likes to start his performances by singing from a closed coffin.

Tom Conti's record company executive is on the money. When the members of Flame are finally offered a record deal because their concerts are drawing thousands of kids to small venues, the band asks him, "Have you even heard us?" Conti does nothing to massage their egos --- he tells them he could be selling any product, because all he's interested in is selling a product, so what the band sounds like is unimportant.

Johnny Shannon's performance as an agent is properly menacing. The band is his meal ticket and he'll have the band due anything, including visit a pirate radio station at sea, to sell records (and he seems to enjoy getting his points across by pulling Holder's long hair in the film).

Alan Lake's performance as an ego-driven lead singer is a cross between a wedding singer and Gary Glitter (without the glam-rock sparkles). You also have to love a drunken character named Jack Daniels!

SLADE IN FLAME 30 YEARS, Don Krider review part 4/4

SLADE IN FLAME": The U.S.A. DVD release of a classic British film
A review by Don_Krider written on Apr 08 2004
Part 4/4

THE FILM

The film was shot on location over a period of eight weeks (total production time cost the band some 18 months out of the music limelight as Slade was in pre-production and post-production, including writing the film's music and making a sountrack album to support the film's release).

The wide-screen format helps the film, which has been digitally restored from the original prints (some scenes are rather grainy, but do not detract from the film's appearance, in my view). The colors are vividly reproduced (as Flame, the guys in Slade wore some stunning, colorful outfits in the film).

The concert footage is as authentic as any on film, with Slade's enthusiastic teen-aged fans holding up the "Flame" banners that dot the crowd scenes and chanting "we want Flame" in place of calls for "Slade." I don't think you could portray the same genuine passion in an audience of extras in a film that you obtain from people genuinely in love with a band.

RECOMMENDATION

While not as good as The Beatles' in "A Hard Day's Night," the film is equal to "The Commitments" and "That Thing You Do," in my opinion, and better than The Monkees' "Head" (a somewhat likeable, if bizarre, 1968 feature film).

The plot is pretty common now in films, but in 1974 when the movie was being filmed the story would have been new. Instead of a "rags-to-riches," rock music solves all problems film, "Slade In Flame" offers us an inside look at the business side of things. Rock music as nothing more than a commodity to be sold was a novel concept then, but seems increasingly the way the business has gone in the last few decades, and the film wins points for its honesty here.

The film's appeal will be mostly with fans of the band. It is a time capsule of 1974 every bit as much as "American Graffitti" was time travel trip to 1962, and there is appeal in that as well. Some scenes are visually stunning.

The main problem for American audiences may be the heavy British accents in the film, but if you like a good rock 'n' roll tale or were a fan of glam-rock (T. Rex, David Bowie, The Sweet), this may be your type of film. I enjoyed the film very much, but I'm a huge fan of Slade as well.

Still, the British accents won't be a problem for movie-goers exposed to Monty Python's Flying Circus over the years (some of the humor in "Slade In Flame" is of the Python-ish variety, I might add).

The soundtrack music --- a mixed bag. At their best (such as the Top 20 British hits from the film, "How Does It Feel?" and "Far Far Away") the band is outstanding, but some of the tunes are pretty weak even by 1974 standards. But, hey, I'll take any type of rock music over disco any day.

The 50-minute bonus interview with Noddy Holder is priceless and highly entertaining --- Holder is never boring and his behind-the-scenes stories are to be adored.

OTHER CRITIC’S COMMENTS ON “SLADE IN FLAME”

"The Times" (United Kingdom) said, "A lost treasure... This cult classic arrives on DVD with its reputation intact as one of the best and bleakest rock films made."

MOJO magazine, a British music publication, hailed the film's British release last year as "one of the Top 10 DVDs of 2003."

Dave Simpson of "The Guardian," another British publication, said the film is "more stunning than almost any other rock film."

My Oh My" reviews from the UK press 1983

Sounds "HITTING THE HEIGHTS

In a way, it's a pity this has been released the same week as the Quiet Riot 45; it can't help but pale into insignificance alongside Slade's rabble-rousin' hits of yesteryear.

However, it's not so much a compromise as a different direction as Holder's heroes launch into a mega-ballad of such majestic might as to crush the majority of the week's singles into so much black powder.

If ever woooargh-mongers can aspire to bombastic subtlety then Slade show'em the way to do it."

Melody Maker

"DEAR God. Full-scale Matterhorn production job by John Punter ensures that Slade are powered full-tilt into realms hitherto glimpsed only by Rod Stewart and Fab Macca. 'My Oh My' mixes bits from 'Sailing' and 'Mull Of Kintyre' into almost surreal sonic overdose, with enormous fake string section, aircraft-hangar drums and wailing lead guitar. Horribly sentimental but so over the top that one's mouth simply drops open in amazement. It's either a classic or an unmitigated tragedy."

Kerrang

"Noddy and the lads attempt to out-chant Queen's 'We Are The Champions' and might very well succeed if this gets the airplay. Slow and ultimately simplistic, it builds nicely to a rousing finale that should have them waving their scarves on the terraces by Christmas. Producer John Punter (of Nazareth, Japan and Roxy fame) has opted for a clean and uncluttered sound, thank God. In fact, it's psotively intimate compared with their last few offerings which sounded as if they were recorded in an aircraft hanger. Well done lads. A grower

SLADE - COZ WE LUV 'EM - The Record Collector interview October 1999, Noddy Holder and Jim Lea interviews by Ken Sharpe

"One of Britain's most popular and enduring bands, Slade exuded pure unadultered fun. Lauded by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Alice Cooper and Ritchie Blackmore among other luminaries, they've often been described as 'the missing link between the Beatles and Oasis' - the latter, of course, have covered 'Cum On Feel The Noize'.
…
The writing partnership of Noddy Holder (lyrics) and Jim Lea (music) was unstoppable. They crafted a pantheon of ultra-catchy, supersonic nuggets whose infectious singalong choruses imbedded themselves in your brain - a treasure trove of hit singles that are among the most impressive in rock history.
…
After a wildly successful 25-year career, Slade called it quits in April 1991, performing for the last time at a 25th anniversary party in Wallsall, West Midlands.
…
Perhaps the real secret behind Slade's massive success is that they had as much fun as their audience. Never wallowing in pretentiousness or taking themselves too seriously, the joyous nature of Slade's music is truly contagious, their spirit boundless. Long may you feel their noize."

The 'N Betweens - Stage setter who put on hit shows

It seemed a long way to London in Maurice Jones' beige Morris Mini-van way back in 1965, and even further going back home again to Wolverhampton late at night after a mentally draining first recording session for his young band, The 'N Betweens.


The Vendors, line-up at the start of it all: back row, from left-right: Cass Jones, Don Powell, Johnny Howells; front Dave Hill, Mick Marson
But it was nothing to how far Big Mo travelled afterwards - from Black Country pub shows to the world's biggest rock concert ever: Live Aid.

His mode of transport has changed for the better, too - including his luxury three-cabin sea cruiser - but back then Maurice's dream of a second-hand Jag seemed a long way away as he and I pootled down the M1 to where the nucleus of Slade were due to cut their first record. No-one then could have guessed the influence that Dave Hill, Don Powell, and Maurice himself were to have on rock in the future.

Born in Wednesbury, Maurice left school to work at John Thompsons, but it wasn't long before the public phone at the Bilston works became his first office, as he set himself up as a booker for a few local pubs.

He'd always liked rock and roll, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran being his favourites, and he took on a band called Vince Knight and The Summits, having worked out that managing a band would not only get him into gigs free - it might make him some money.

Screamin'

It was right at the start of the blues boom, and he also got a job making sandwiches at the Whisky A Go Go, in Birmingham so he could see the likes of Screamin' Jay Hawkins and other stars.

His fortunes really changed thanks to my pop column predecessor, the late Dick Wilson, who told Maurice that a young band called Johnny Travelle and The Vendors were worth looking at.

Maurice saw them at the Pipe Hall pub in Bilston, snapped them up, and told them to change their name to The In Betweens - "I think their fan club secretary, Carol, changed the In to 'N."

With five or six regular concert venues to book, including the Casino Club, Walsall, the Wheel at Worfield, and Walsall Co-op, he left Thompsons at the age of 19 to work for the Astra Agency in Waterloo road, Wolverhampton.

"I was earning £3.13 shillings a week as an apprentice, and Astra offered me £12 a week to work for them."

He took on another hard-to-book band in The Soul Seekers, a tougher, more blues-based outfit, because he liked style of music, and once again had to send them far afield to get work.

Eventually, he realised that management was not his forte. "It takes a very special kind of person," he says.

They were reunited when Slade played at the Reading Festival as a last-minute replacement for Ozzy Osbourne.

Says Maurice: "I went down to see Def Leopard, who I had an interest in, and Slade destroyed them that day, no-one could follow them, and I put them on at the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington the next year, and some theatre concerts after that.

"I spent a lot of time in the nineties badgering Noddy to play again, because they could have played the NEC, and I still reckon they could still go out and be as strong as they were in their heyday. "

Though now almost exclusively a booker, and promoting major concerts at the Civic Hall and Walsall Town Hall, Maurice was still involved with a number of bands, handing out advice and guidance, but mainly trying to get them out and about, here and in Europe.

"Then I left Astra to go and work with The Dodger (Roger Allen) which was . . . enlightening. He was very powerful, had all the venues and the bands, but they were continually playing the same circuit, and it wasn't going to last, so I went in to open it up, and he paid me a £1,000 signing-on fee, which was an awful lot of money in those days.

"However I'd just borrowed £1,000 off somebody to buy a Jaguar, so I had to pay him back right away - but now I had the Jag!"

It wasn't too long before the agencies merged again, and Maurice really came into his own when Astra opened Club Lafayette, which featured a range of bands on different nights of the week.

"That was the only time I saw Led Zeppelin," he says. "They were amazing; unbelievable. I remember paying them £75 against 60 per cent of the door and they left with £160, and within a week I was sat outside Peter Grant's office in London to try to book them again and I never even got to see him."

Lafayette manager George Maddocks credits Maurice's knowledge of the group scene for the now legendary line-up of top groups who played there.

In 1977 he founded his own booking agency MCP - Midland Concert Promotions. "I wanted to promote concerts and Astra couldn't finance it," he says.

Promotion

It was a struggle for a time: his first promotion featured the Black Country Night Out team, and they, along with Judas Priest, AC/DC and Jasper Carrott gave MCP the finance to promote up and coming bands such as Ultravox, Dire Straits and The Boomtown Rats.

He remembers losing money on a concert featuring The Police and U2 - another band no-one had heard of. "We went with a lot of new bands, because established promoters wouldn't take the risks, so we started to break the mould."

Throughout his career, including over 10,000 MCP concerts, he has been, first and foremost, a rock fan, famed for his honesty to bands.

It was for this reason that his phone rang early in 1985, and the voice at the other end said: "Maurice, it's Bob Geldof. I want to put on a concert."

Live Aid was about to be born.

 THE AMAZING KAMI-KHAZI SYNDROME

 Kerrang 1984, Malcolm Dome sits out with Slade’s Noddy Holder

When ST. Noddy the Holder, that renowned bishop of Bludgeon, finally elects to trade in his multi-storey, stackheeled pulpit for a slow-burning log fire, bungalow-level carpet slippers and a Barbara Cartland novel, he’ll doubtless snuggle under his duvet having first offered praise to his ‘Lordy, Lordy’ fro creatng Quiet Riot (‘And on the eight day…’)

Now, cum on, the reason’s obvious! The Los Angeles quartet recently blasted into the US Top Five with their version of that klassic, ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’, thereby awakening a whol generation of sibling Yanks to the pleasures of etymological contortion.
…
“We’ve actually been approached in the recent past by people wanting us to update one of our classics. But, not even seeing what a band like Quiet Riot have done so successfully with modern studio technology on an old Slade tune has persuaded us it’s worth doing. There was sponteneity and electricity about the numbers when we first did ‘em that could never be recaptured now. There just wouldn’t be the same feel so, no matter how much money is offered, we’re not into prostituting our own heritage.”
…
The album is strangely titled “The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome”.

“Well, I was reading the sports pages one day and there was an article about motor sport. It talked about the ‘kamikaze complex’ those guys who compete seem to have putting their life in the line every time they go on the track. Anyway, it struck me that some of our songs fitted in with this idea, so the title seemed a logical choice. And let’s face it, everyone has something otf that complex in ‘em, we take gambles at some point in our lives.”

"ROGUE MALES" - KERRANG 1985

15 years together, and SLADE are still playing to the gallery. MICK WALL talks to bassist JIM LEA and discovers the secret of the band's longevity.

"I'm sitting taking my morning crap and I can hear beautiful music, a gorgeous flourish of tumbling piano notes that flutter and tilt through the air.

It sends my head into a silent swoon and it's not till I recover conciousness a full five minutes later and peer down my strides hanging round my ankles that I remember where I am: curled up snug and carefree in Jim Lea's toilet. Jim Lea, ostensibly the bass player but in reality the multi-instrumentalist, songwriting, producing, creative-wheel of Slade!
…
So, anyway, there I am on my back in sweaty torpor, … suddenly we're on to the next record by something called Slade.

The record was "Get Down And Get With It" and the group were straight out of Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange", right down to their leering, yobbish boat-races and seven-inch glitterised stack-heels. The singer, Noddy Holder, looked like a cross between the Arthur Dodger and the hitman for the Krays, with a voice strong enough to tear up an entire row of balcony seats at the Opera House in Covent Garden. And the guitarist looked like one dangerous and decadent droogie, let me tell you…

On the drums, and chewing a fat wad of gum whilecommitting serious acts of violence to his battered skins, was Don Powell, the Pat Jennings of glam-rock…

And then, of course, there was Jim Lea on the bass…

They were unique, Slade."

SLADE IN JULY - from 1968 till 1987

July 1968 till Januaray 1969 N`Betweens have gigs in a club of the Bahamas

July 1971 Visit to Holland, Vondelpark Chas Chandler, "Tell the promoter to get rid of those trees...mon." The response, when it came,was negative. "Then tell him that if he doesn't cut down the trees I'll throw him in the lake and cut them down mysen'...mon." UK tour after Holland.

08. July 1971 the beginn from the England Tournee through little clubs

July 1972 End of West German tour - UK tour - Spain

29. July the first gig in the Rockpalast from England, the" Rainbow Theatre" in London.


July 1973 Kind of peak and turning point in Slade's career; both live and record success is huge. The latest two singles has gone straigth in at number one spot in the UK. From "Coz I Luv You You" November 1971 to "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" June 1973 Slade's singles grow to such bombarding rolling measures and atmospheres that there's no-one who has come or will come close to it. Also on Slade's own records that enormous feeling start to decrease after "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me", but in 1973 it was in such a state that there was no other way.

1st July 1973 Earls Court concert, 18000 people in audience "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" "Louise's dad didn't like Slade's music at all. James Last was on the television, he said 'That's real music'... the funny thing was they were playing an awful version of 'Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me'."

4th July 1973 Slade drummer in death crash in Wolverhampton, Don Powell's 20-year-old girl-friend Angela Morris died when Don's Bentley convertible left Compton Road, smashed up against a tree and a brick wall. Don laid comatose and lost his sense of taste and smell - and memory! Jim Lea's brother Frank replaced Don at Palace Lido concerts on the Isle Of Man.

July 1974 Slade In Flame soundtrack recording and filming

July 1975 USA and Canada tours

July 1981 Noddy on Pop Quiz Television show (UK)

27th July 1987 You Boyz Make Big Noize (Cheapskate BOYZ 1)

-Ilpo, Helsinki -

Noddy Holder is a big fan of Coronation Street

Slade frontman Noddy Holder will make a cameo appearance on the live episode of Coronation Street on Friday.
The seventies glam rocker will appear in the Rovers Return as a character called Stan, helping the cast mark the 40th anniversary of the soap.

Granada Television is expecting an audience of 20 million viewers for the ITV programme.

The singer said: "I am looking forward to it. I am a real fan of the Street.

"I am not nervous but I think some of the other cast are."

'TV history'

Slade had a string of hits in the 70s, including Coz I Luv You and Merry Xmas Everyone.

Granada is not releasing details of Noddy's part but it has confirmed he will be speaking in the episode.

A spokesman said: "This is one of the rather fun elements that we have introduced to the special.

"Everyone is really excited. It is part of TV history. It is a big stage so obviously there are a few nerves but everyone is looking forward to it."

As the episode will be broadcast at night the cast have had to rehearse many of the scenes in the evening as part of their preparations.

However, John Savident, who plays butcher Fred Elliott, will not be appearing in the episode following an alleged attack on the performer at his Manchester flat.

Meanwhile, bookmakers William Hill are offering odds on what might happen in the live show.

How Slade were rescued by Nita

She has spent the last 40 years behind the scenes in show business. Now agent Nita Anderson is herself in the spotlight, writes MICHAEL FELLOWS
Jul 11, 2003, 13:18:00

Nita Anderson, the rock agent who rescued Slade when they were stranded penniless in the Bahamas, is about to become a household name after more than 40 years in the business.


A party for Slade at the Connaught Hotel, Wolverhampton, to celebrate Nita becoming the band's agent
Now the nation can hear how the group was given its name in her front room in Sedgley, as she watched TV with Fontana Records producer Jack Baverstock during a weekend spent discussing plans for their first album on the label.

Nita recalls that the experienced records boss never liked the group's previous name, The 'N Betweens, but was stuck for what else to call them until he noticed that a character in the film they were watching was called Ambrose Slade, and instantly settled for that.

It's just one of many stories involving the popular Sedgley agent who, after years of putting others in the spotlight, is about to be famous on her own account. But Nita has one surprising reservation.

"Carlton TV are doing a fly-on-the- wall documentary about us," she explains. "They're following us around and the result will be shown over six half-hour episodes.

"It's very exciting - but I'm worried they won't find us interesting enough."

That seems unlikely. Her "rescue" of Slade when they arrived in Barbados to find no gigs had been booked, is just one of many stories from an eventful career. She reaped her reward when the group asked her to manage them on their return.

Both Nita and her promotions manager Gerry Whittle are larger-than-life characters who bounce off each other like seasoned performers.

Strippers

Gerry is a well-known DJ with a riotous stage persona, and the acts they promote, everything from steelbands to strippers, are lively enough additions to anyone's viewing.

But even when you've exhausted all of that there's still Nita's colourful professional history to dig into, one which embraces three decades and touches the careers of some of pop music's brightest stars.

It is a history which began one night in the early 1960s in a Gornal pub.

"I was sitting with my husband in the Ellowes watching this young band," she recalls.


Nita with Derrie Ryan and Ravens
"They were named Derrie Ryan and the Ravens and we were quite impressed with them. I was known to have a few showbiz connections at the time, so after the show they drifted across and asked me if I could manage them. I started promoting them for under-15s nights at Sedgley Parish Hall."

From these modest beginning events quickly mushroomed and Nita was soon handling shows for the Ship and Rainbow in Wolverhampton's Dudley Street.

At the time the Ship was one of the hottest spots in town and with Nita bringing in acts like Spencer Davis, Light Fantastic and Reparata and the Delrons it quickly became the hottest.

Even today, says Nita, people still come up to her and recall the fun they had there in their youth.

"We had two bands and a DJ every night," she smiles "and the place was always jumping. Some of the acts, like top Country singer Raymond Frogatt, had never been brought to Wolverhampton before, but after the first time their shows were always packed to the rafters."

Then came the Slade connection. After two and a half years on her books Slade took their leave "on very amicable terms."

Nita, by now one of Britain's first top female promoters, marked her success by buying an imposing pile called Glengarren on Tipton Road, Sedgley.

From here she co-ran Heavy Metal Records, which specialised in back catalogues of top heavy-metal bands, and continued to expand the horizons of her promotions business.


Nita today - new demands
"With Heavy Metal Records," she says, "we had to travel to America a lot. The contact we had with the industry over there allowed us to bring in top US acts for our shows in Britain.

"At the time soul was very popular so we started doing soul nights at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton. We had all the most exciting people, like Martha Reeves, Betty Wright, Spooky Tooth, Idle Race and the Drifters. They were fantastic times. Because of soaring costs you just couldn't do shows like that any more."

Nita and Heavy Metal Records parted company in 1983.

The entertainment scene, as Nita admits, has changed a lot now. There aren't any young Slades about these days and the live-music scene, generally, isn't what it was. Other things, however, have come to fill the vacuum and like the true professional she is, Nita has adapted herself to new demands.

"On behalf of London companies we book a lot of top names for the NEC now," she says. "People like Bob Monkhouse and Jimmy Tarbuck. At the other end of the scale, though, the real must-haves at the moment are acts for private parties, look-a-likes and tribute bands, all of which we can supply."

In fact the only act she doesn't promote, it seems, is herself and Gerry, but thanks to Carlton all that could rapidly change when the first programme goes out on August 21.


l Were you one of the girls pictured with Slade at the Connaught party? Tell us your memories. Write to Slade, Editorial Features, Express & Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, or phone 01902 319472.

Fans of Black Country glam rock legends Slade are hunting for one of guitarist Dave Hill's cars for a convention about the aces

By Paul Kelly
Jul 11, 2003, 10:55:00

Fans of Black Country glam rock legends Slade are hunting for one of guitarist Dave Hill's cars for a convention about the aces.

Hill's silver Jensen 541 sports car - which had his famous YOB1 numberplate - was a familiar sight in the Black Country during the band's heyday in the 1970s.

Now Slade nuts want to trace the car, sold by Hill in the 1970s to a Wolverhampton car dealer, for the event which also stars the band in October.

They also want to find Hill's original custom-made Superyob guitar, which is now believed to be owned by Adam and The Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni.

Slade historian Chris Selby, of Aldridge, said:"I spoke to Dave Hill through a friend and he said he flogged off the car years ago to a Wolverhampton garage.

"He doesn't know what happened to it but it has got to be around here somewhere.

"It could be in someone's back yard.

"It was a silver Jensen, which was rare enough in its day.

"I remember walking to school and you'd hear this whoosh as this big silver car went past with Dave in it.

"It has his YOB1 numberplate on it but he kept that and put it on his Rolls Royce Silver Ghost."

Slade fans are staging the day-long convention on October 4 from noon at the Alfreton Leisure Centre in Derbyshire.The event features Slade - which still has Hill on guitar and Don Powell on drums - as well as memorabilia and videos about the band.

It also features a stall from musical instrument makers John Birch Guitars, which made Hill's trademark Superyob stage guitar in the 1970s.

The event coincides with the 30th anniversary of one of the Wolverhampton band's most successful periods when Merry Xmas Everybody stormed to number one in the charts.

Organiser Jason Parker said ticket sales for the convention were going well and have now reached 500 of the 1,000 on sale.

Anyone who can help in the hunt for the car or the guitar is asked to ring Mr Selby on 01922-456469.

Tickets for the convention, which cost £12.50 excluding booking fee, can be bought on 0115-912-9000.

Wednesday, 22 January, 2003, 11:25 GMT

The wedding between jailed serial killer Rose West and Slade bass player Dave Glover has been called off - just days after it was announced.
The pair have been writing to each other for a year, but Mr Glover is reported to have pulled out because of the publicity.

In a statement released by her solicitor, Leo Goatley, West said she wanted to give "this young man his life back."

Plans for the wedding were announced on Sunday.

Life sentence

Mr Goatley added: "She sounded quite matter of fact when she told me the news. She just said 'I want you to tell the press that the relationship is at an end.'

"There was not much more to it than that. She sounded a bit flat but not distressed."

Mr Glover joined the rock band Slade in October 2000.

West is currently serving 10 life sentences in Durham prison for killing young women and girls in Gloucester.

Her husband, Fred, committed suicide on New Year's Day 1995.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2683125.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1571237.stm

Bruce Watson been Slayed

You`ve been Slayed (a fan, Bruce Watson from Big Country, remembers)

"Anyone out there fans of seventies super group Slade? I was and still am. Remember `Cum On Feel The Noize`? What a great song it was. It even had the word `cum` in the title. Or Gudbye t`Jane`, who was she and how was she connected to drummer Don Powell? Singer Noddy Holder should have been nominated not one but two Grammies for his side burns alone. And what about Dave Hill? (Super Yob) to his Mum. Half football hooligan, half-midget wrapped in tin foil. He was the ultimate guitar hero. And last but not least Jimmy Lea, he wrote all the songs and could play the violin long before Vanessa Mae or that Nigel bloody Kennedy. Slade were the best band in the world...or were they? Sweet came close but got no cigar.

`Are you ready Steve`?
`No Brian, I am stuffing my fat face with lard and dripping sandwiches`.
Steve Priest, Too ugly for sequins, too fat to float

Leave it to Noddy and the boys you Nancy boy Glam impostors. Slade were the world`s first skinhead band but they grew their hair and had hit singles. Originally called Ambrose Slade, they dropped Ambrose who went on to form Ambrosia Custard, the largest selling pudding in Devon. Who remembers `Get Down And Get With It`? I bloody well do mate`. Or the classic `My friend Stan`. I`ll tell you this if it weren`t for Slade there would be no Beatles, Elvis Presley or Derek Duigan.

Picture this. It`s Friday night in Wolverhampton and you want to rock, where do you go? what do you do? I`ll tell you what to do. You get your Dr Martin boots on and get yourself down to the Civic Hall to see a Slade concert. Three songs in and you`ll know you`ve been Slayed.

Slade always remembered for their imaginatively titled Christmas song `Get Your Walnuts Out Granny` was at number one in the hit parade for eight years.

They also proved that they could act as well as eat. `Slade In Flame` was a hit on both sides of the Humber.

`Hey Don, remember those white suits and stripy drumsticks? Probably not`.

Any way Slade rock and I salute them. More sexier than zeppelin, better hairdos than Purple, my big sister had all their posters on her wall and that`s saying something because I don`t have a big sister."

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=18430311&postID=113259479631315919&quickEdit=true

http://brucewwatson.blogspot.com/

Chaos at the SLADE gig 1972 at California-Ballroom

read more:
http://www.california-ballroom.info/bands/slade.htm

We was going in contact with the webmaster of this website and he wrote to us following words back:

For your information as a Slade fan, I said in the piece that it was
really hot in there, in fact it was so hot there was sweat coming down
from the ceiling like rain. When Slade finished their set the DJ, Paul
Gray, switched the decks back on to continue the disco and everything
was so wet that all the fuses in the building blew and we had to send
the crowd home early.
regards, Jaybee

www.california-ballroom.info
www.jbvisions.co.uk

SLADE fan Stephen Hatton and his best memories on SLADE

Firstly I am a Slade fan from the very start. My early years as a teenager were with Slade.
I would be happy to share my expierences with you. I come from a village called Codsall, where Jim was born. In the west midland's of England, was taught at the same school.
I saw the best concert's they did.
I would love to share my thoughts, but I do not see Slade 2 the same as everyone else.
If you wish to contact me again, then great.
I have a collection that would envy most.
22 signed album's in mint condition.
And the best memories.

***************

I will tell you a little about me and how my teenage years were spent following Slade.

I now live in Cornwall, but was born in the west midlands where apart from Dave Hill, all were born.

When I first heard Slade in 1970 I knew they were the band for me, I was 10years old. I think I wen't to my first concert in 1973 at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, I camped out all night to get a good ticket. They had just released Cum on feel the noize & Sqeeze me pleeze me, they were fantastic, my ears did not stop ringing for day's.

Jim Lea was from the same village as me and had gone to the same school, I saw him once at his girlfriends house, when I was delievering newspapers, he was driving a blue Rolls Royce. He wen't indoors and signed a piece of paper, I still have it! it reads 'All the best to the paper Kid. Jimmy Lea.

Also I used to often see Don, he used to go to the village pup called the 'Crown' He had his white Bently and passed me a couple of day's before his car crash.
My paper round meant me deleivering to Jim's mum & dad's house, as I walked up the driveway 2 gold discs were on the wall. I became very cheeky one day and knocked and asked if I could see them, I was allowed, they were for Slade Alive & Slayed!
They seemed to like me as a few weeks later they asked if I would like to go and visit Jim at his house, I was thrilled! A few day's later Jim's Dad drove me there, it was 1974, they had just released 'My friend Stan', It proved to be a bigger thrill because Noddy was also there, I had taken my album's, concert programmes, and magazine pictures. They chatted and signed everyone, Jim then played a bit of 'My friend stan' on the piano. Noddy left at the same time as us and drove off in a stunning Mercedes convertable wearing his purple hat. I was in a dream world for weeks.

I wen't on to see Slade more times after and the concerts just got better.
I saw Slade II a few years ago here in cornwall, they were great, but not the same without Nod & Jim.
I have kept & looked after all my momentoes, I have a drumstick, every single (some signed) and all there LP's (all signed) I also kept a scrapbook, books & concert tickets & programmes (again some signed) and I am very proud of my collection.
I hope one day they may play together again, I would definately be there.

THANKS so much to Stephen, who sent this story to us July 2005

Slade concert review Penticton, Canada 1975

Slade in Concert - 1975 By David Fisher

Citizens of Penticton, B.C., small town western Canada, generally waved at the tour jets as they flew over. We dreamt of the trip to Vancouver to see the real groups; the Zeppelins, Deep Purples, Black Sabbaths, et al.

As fate would have it, Wolverhampton`s notoriously loud boys (bo eeeez), Slade graced us with their presence one hot summer evening in 1975. The audience gathered in what is known as the Peach Bowl, not a bowl at all, rather a large convention barn, named after the fuzzy fruit grown on the fertile hills surrounding town. Penticton was to be the envy of western Canada for a summer.

Now, Penticton has a reputation of being the California of Canada, a strip of arid land between two magnificent lakes. It is a quaint town of 25000 which swells to 75000 for July and August, attracting: California biker gangs, Airstream trailer conventions and international softball tournaments. Even Cheech and Chong spent their juvenile summers partaking in the liberal and frequent drug culture of the Okanagan.

Now, I think Slade had just released their peak-of-style-cum-end-of-era opus, Nobody`s Fool months before. (don`t chastise me if I`m wrong, it was a quarter century ago; hell, I can hardly remember what I had for dinner last night) Suffice it to say, the boys were in peak touring form and remain the loudest band I`ve ever heard. (eat your hearts out Blue Oyster Cult and Who fans)

The Peach Bowl was packed, 3500 screaming eager fans sweating and stomping, awaiting the band`s arrival. We were briefly entertained by the opening act, the young and greenhorn Sweeney Todd, led by the glam-stickman, Nick Gilder. Sweeney Todd would later become local faves, even garnering national status, but they were under appreciated and overlooked by the Slade-thirsty mob.

Finally the moment arrived; the flashpots, the smoke, the roar of the crowd and finally, the noise. Music loud enough to stand your hair horizontal; like an erstwhile Maxell commercial; we stood bravely in the onslaught of wind-generating sonic music.

Dave Hill, seeming seven feet tall in his towering boots, oval forehead of red hair, took front stage left and squelched out chords to the adoring crowd. On several occasions, kindly fans held their sweetly smoking joints up to Dave, an offering in exchange for his aural assaults. He looked perplexed, not sure if he should accept the weed, or stand cool and maintain his celebrity/fan phantom safety-zone. (these were the days before steel barricades and beefcake security drones betwixt the audience and the band) He chose to remain chaste and, in honor of his smoke-free stance, fans decided to throw unlit spliffs onto the stage, much like fans toss gladiolas to Morrissey these days.

Noddy Holder was his impish gesturing self; resplendent in tartan trousers and suspenders, shorty tophat perched on his wild flaming red moptop, looking every bit the psychotic leprechaun. His gravelly, octave-higher-than-expected screams were perfect fodder for Hill`s squelching riffs. Every song seemed to have those ill-spelled, sing-a-long "oyz" and "eez" sounds in them.

C`mon feel the noize, Nobody`s Fool, Gudbuy T`Jane, Darlin` be home soon (an old Lovin` Spoonful ballad) all chang-ged out, ringing inside the mammoth hall as the joints rained onstage.

Everybody left happy, hot and ears a-ringing. The bikers returned to their flop houses on the beach. The wide-eyed kids returned to their bewildered parents who were waiting in their slick silver trailers. (lined up like a makeshift trailer-park awaiting a tornado) The soft-ballers returned to their tent trailers and motels, delving into what was left of their beer and pot and kkeping the party spirit alive.

Slade alive.

I`m sure the pimply-faced kid with the broom made a clean sweep of the stage after the band had said its goodnights.

Fishmum

http://www.classicrockpage.com/newslet/issues/july10.htm

BBC1 will show on next Friday 3rd March 2006 a new documentary called "Kings Of Glam". This will look in detail at many glam rock bands from the 70`s. Including T-Rex, Bowie, Suzi Quatro etc. and of course SLADE!

This is a part of the review from the new edition of the Radio Times:

"We all know about Elton John, too, and dear old Slade. But what the heck, the archive footage alone is worth the price of the admission, and you`d have to be made of concrete not to want to sing along to "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me".

It looks like Noddy and Dave have been interviewed for it too.

BBC1 Friday 3rd March 2006 10:35pm
 

So whatever really happened to Slade? - Express & Star

By Paul Kelly
Sep 9, 2002, 13:37

During the 1970s Black Country glam rock kings Slade ruled Europe`s airwaves and cheered up Britain during a bleak decade of strikes and shortages - but where are the four members today?

Only two of the original four are still touring musicians while one of the other half of Slade is a broadcaster-actor and the other has studied for a degree in psychology.
...
Jimmy Lea (born June, 1949, in Wolverhampton): classically trained musician and the bassist who, along with Don Powell, formed the solid rhythm section of Slade. A former member of the Staffordshire Youth Orchestra, wrote most of their Slade`s hits with Noddy and enjoys royalty payments still.

Today: the father-of-two lives in Brewood and has spent time in London studying psychology. Still maintains a deep interest in the subject. Is currently in the recording studio for his latest release. Has also released a clutch of records under a variety of names including The Dummies, The China Dolls, The Clout and Gang of Angels. Ended his exile of almost 20 years from the stage for a gig on Friday in aid of protesters fighting the Wolverhampton bypass.

Jimmy told the Express & Star: I`m not into celebrity or high profile stuff. I`ve never stopped writing. I`ve got enough stuff to fill 10 albums. Slade was the most amazing band, touring all over the world with these guys. I`m never going to replicate that but it was fantastic."

The whole article on Express&Star:

http://www.expressandstar.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=4&num=11060

- Ilpo

US Goldmine magazine

has done a great work by putting Slade on the cover of their June 24th 2005 issue and a wide article 

Article was written by Ken Sharp.  

February is soon turning into the end in 2006. One of Slade`s biggest hits Cum On Feel The Noize was released in February 1973 hitting straigth in at number one spot. Now Goldie Lookin` Chain` / The Welsh Male Voice Choir are doing a cover of this Slade anthem. Slade`s song writer and bassist Jim Lea released his latest record in February 2000. Here`s a review from this Whild, Whild guitar work from Birmingham Evening Mail.

Birmingham Evening Mail, Singles Pick Of The Week 15.02.2000:
Whild "I`ll Be John, You`ll Be Yoko" (Jet)

"A warm welcome back to Jimmy Lea who has teamed up with his drummer brother Frank for his first single since Slade dissolved in 1992. There are touches of Slade and, ironically, Oasis and, although Jim is no Noddy or Liam, he makes a good job of the lead vocals. Makes you yearn for those good ol` Slade days, though!"

Big thanks again to Lise Lyng for finding this review: 

http://www.midlandsmisery.blogspot.com/

The Record Collector interview October 1999, Noddy Holder interview by Ken Sharpe

SLADE at LOCHEM FESTIVAL in Holland 1981

Here are the pics of Slade live at the Lochem popfestival May 1981

http://www.poprocknews.com/galerie/categories.php?cat_id=231&reload_coolmenus

The fesitval it self started at 09.00 hr!!!!! (morning)

And Slade hit the stage at 11.00!

It was a amazing show,  for me it was the first and sad to say the last time
i saw Slade as original band!

I was eighteen year of age at that time and you can imagine what a impact it had
to see them in real!!!!!!!

What I  can remember that they played  very loud!!!!!

And the crowd went grazy from the start.

They started with the song Dizzy mama en ended with Born to be wild

The whole show was recorded live for VARA dutch TV and it was shown in i think it was october 1981
on dutch TV.

All in all a very good memory that will stick in my mind for ever!!

THANKS a lot to Andrè Verhage for the great
pics :-)

http://www.andreverhage.com