Great piece, Punyhuman! Here's a Stateside view of the band! From my Texas outpost at the time (I was 18 in '73), I was not only voraciously reading the domestic rock press of the day, but had access (thru a local newsstand) to NME, Sounds, and Melody Maker, so read the UK tabs almost as constantly (I just had to wait the week it took to ship 'em, by boat, from the UK)!
Plus, when they switched labels to Warner Bros, in the states, I had free access to those albums, as well (my dad was in radio, and brought WB promo albums home on a regular basis!). By, 1975, I was fully entrenched in Houston radio myself, with access to my own promo largesse! I've been on Slade as virtually anyone could've been in the U.S., given they were really never afforded much, if any, radio play, and they were but a blip on the domestic radio and sales radar!
BUT, with all that having been said, I recently published my own hat-tip to the band and their marvelous "When the Lights Are Out," including covers by Canadian, Bob Segarini, The Dummies (if you're not aware of The Dummies, who also did a cover, you may be surprised at who's in 'em!), and Cheap Trick!
Plus, this article has a link to an article I co-wrote with 'Stack's own, Nic Briscoe of "The Song's the Thing," who mixed Chas Chandler's Animals' 1983 album, "Ark"!
You’re most welcome! I was lucky and blessed to be one of the few whose musical upbringing wasn’t dependent on merely suckling on the withered teet of American Top 40 radio!🥱
Thanks, Punyhuman! Much appreciated! Your "good name for a band" channels David Letterman on his U.S. chat show, circa '80s-'90s! He would often take a phrase like that, and say to his band leader/keyboardist, Paul Shaffer: "Withered Teet.....Say, Paul....wasn't that the name of your first band?" Nicely done!
In the Summer of 2022 Wolverhampton Art Gallery had a brilliant exhibition called 'Black Country Beats' featuring many artists from that area including Slade.
A jukebox included as part of the exhibit had all of their hits and from them all I chose 'How does it feel' IMHO one of the greatest songs by any British band.
Wholeheartedly agree that Slade's influence has been underestimated.
Ha. A few reasons, I guess. I love how the sound appears to be peaking all over the place - like the band’s trademark insane volume live was too much in studio, particularly Noddy’s vocals. I like the folkier, melancholy moments (e.g Dapple Rose), it’s just full of banging hooks, and there’s an off kilter weirdness to a lot of the lyrics and melodies which sets it apart from much of the heavy rock of the era for me.
Great piece, Punyhuman! Here's a Stateside view of the band! From my Texas outpost at the time (I was 18 in '73), I was not only voraciously reading the domestic rock press of the day, but had access (thru a local newsstand) to NME, Sounds, and Melody Maker, so read the UK tabs almost as constantly (I just had to wait the week it took to ship 'em, by boat, from the UK)!
Plus, when they switched labels to Warner Bros, in the states, I had free access to those albums, as well (my dad was in radio, and brought WB promo albums home on a regular basis!). By, 1975, I was fully entrenched in Houston radio myself, with access to my own promo largesse! I've been on Slade as virtually anyone could've been in the U.S., given they were really never afforded much, if any, radio play, and they were but a blip on the domestic radio and sales radar!
BUT, with all that having been said, I recently published my own hat-tip to the band and their marvelous "When the Lights Are Out," including covers by Canadian, Bob Segarini, The Dummies (if you're not aware of The Dummies, who also did a cover, you may be surprised at who's in 'em!), and Cheap Trick!
Plus, this article has a link to an article I co-wrote with 'Stack's own, Nic Briscoe of "The Song's the Thing," who mixed Chas Chandler's Animals' 1983 album, "Ark"!
https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/inside-tracks-29-slade-1974-when Enjoy!--Brad
Thanks Brad! Lovely to hear that they made an impression with our cousings ‘cross the pond :)
You’re most welcome! I was lucky and blessed to be one of the few whose musical upbringing wasn’t dependent on merely suckling on the withered teet of American Top 40 radio!🥱
Hahahaa - “Withered Teet”. Good name for a band. 😆 Your article’s a great read. 👍👍
Thanks, Punyhuman! Much appreciated! Your "good name for a band" channels David Letterman on his U.S. chat show, circa '80s-'90s! He would often take a phrase like that, and say to his band leader/keyboardist, Paul Shaffer: "Withered Teet.....Say, Paul....wasn't that the name of your first band?" Nicely done!
In the Summer of 2022 Wolverhampton Art Gallery had a brilliant exhibition called 'Black Country Beats' featuring many artists from that area including Slade.
A jukebox included as part of the exhibit had all of their hits and from them all I chose 'How does it feel' IMHO one of the greatest songs by any British band.
Wholeheartedly agree that Slade's influence has been underestimated.
Oooh I’d have gone if I’d known. Were all the Stourbridge bands represented well?
Yes, archive material from The Wonder Stuff, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and PWEI was included as part of the exhibition.
Slade had a room to themselves with clothes, gear and stacks loaned out by band members in a stage set-up.
Cor! So many favourites all in one place! :)
Play It Loud (1970) is my Slade album.
It’s very different to anything else, isn’t it? What about Beginnings, the one before?
Wow! A connoisseur’s choice! :D What drew you to that one?
Ha. A few reasons, I guess. I love how the sound appears to be peaking all over the place - like the band’s trademark insane volume live was too much in studio, particularly Noddy’s vocals. I like the folkier, melancholy moments (e.g Dapple Rose), it’s just full of banging hooks, and there’s an off kilter weirdness to a lot of the lyrics and melodies which sets it apart from much of the heavy rock of the era for me.
Not so much, it’s a bit bluesier and I don’t sense the same raw urgency as the follow up.
Is that the band that got the xmas song? 🤔
😑