» Listings for 2024

1. 2023/4 Albums Thing 311 - Slade “Nobody’s Fools”

   Posted on 9:05am Tuesday 9th Apr 2024

   “Nobody’s Fools” was released 16 months after “Slade In Flame”. Now that might not seem a very long time but “Slade In Flame” was issued in 1974 and “Nobody’s Fools” in 1976. In that musical timeframe David Bowie had moved from “Diamond Dogs” to “Station To Station”, the times were indeed a-changing. 

   All Slade had released in the interim was the non-album single "Thanks for the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)" which reached a respectable #7 in the summer of 1975 (the suffix “(Wham Bam Thank You Mam)” was added to the title so it wouldn’t be confused with the 1930’s standard of the same name). With its keyboard led, almost funky sound it again demonstrated that Slade were moving on from Glam Rock.

   Slade had spent much of the time after the release of “Slade in Flame” trying, and spectacularly failing, to break America. They had neglected their UK fans in all honesty and when they got back in 1976 with their overtly US influenced album, things, and their fanbase, had moved on. Glam Rock was no longer a thing, Punk Rock was stirring and about to kick down some doors and make its entrance. Slade were now part of the old guard that Punk would try to sweep away.

   “Nobody’s Fools” was Slade’s first album since “Slade Alive!” not to reach the top 10. They still managed a couple of hit singles, “In For A Penny” and “Let's Call It Quits” both reached #11 in the UK but 3rd single “Nobody’s Fool” failed to chart at all. 

   Their sound was now very smoothed out compared to even “Slade In Flame”, “Americansed” is the only way to describe it. The album was recorded during a six week period in mid 1975 at the Record Plant in New York. American singer Tasha Thomas was hired to provide backing vocals and further sweeten their sound.

   There are of course remnants of the old Slade. “Get On Up”, “Let’s Call it Quits”, “Scratch My Back” and “Do The Dirty” are what their audience wanted and expected from them (although the latter two show the influence of all that time Stateside). On the flip of that “Nobody’s Fool” and  ”L.A. Jinx" are both West Coast, almost Doobie Brothers style pop/soul tracks, "Pack Up Your Troubles”, "I'm a Talker" and to an extent “In For A Penny” verge on Folk-pop, closing song “All The World Is A Stage” is a big production number, grandly produced wrap up.

   Which leaves your writer being forced only to make mention of the laughable "Did Ya Mama Ever Tell Ya”. I think I may have said this previously, I will definitely say something very similar in the none too distant future but, much like in the bizarre event that Bob Marley had ever had a go at Glam Rock I don’t ever want to hear it, I NEVER WANT OR WANTED TO HEAR SLADE TRY REGGAE !!! It’s not even Reggae, it’s cod-Reggae in the style of the equally laughable Police and 10cc with the cringe fest that is “Dreadlock Holiday”. Listen up, in almost 100% of attempts white musicians fail miserably when they attempt Reggae (early UB40 got away with it and don’t forget they were a multi-racial group, The Clash came at it from a different angle and did OK, The Ruts were pretty darned good at it). Just like Handsworth’s Steel Pulse steered well clear of cod-Glam likewise a bunch of hairy rockers from the Black Country should never have gone near the one drop ! Listen in at your own peril…

   I vividly remember receiving this as a Xmas present n 1976 and being very excited about it and that’s maybe why I have a soft spot for it. But time and experience has told me that my youthful excitement was for a record that was the wrong one at the wrong time. Let’s just say Slade’s timing was so off it proved almost terminal for them. At the point they’d decided to smooth off the rough edges and go all out American AOR, Punk (upon which they were undoubtedly an influence) was on the rise. Many of their fans saw the time spent trying to crack the States and this less raucous sound as big F-you to the audience that had made them. They would have hits further down the road but Slade’s heyday was well and truly over.

   Get On Up - https://youtu.be/_1L_qjY1r68?si=wT6QCu2txX-VJytI

2. 2023/4 Albums Thing 310 - Slade “Slade In Flame”

   Posted on 9:45am Saturday 6th Apr 2024

   Slade were massive, and what did massive bands do at this time ? Well they made a movie didn’t they, usually some sort of slapstick comedy caper, which is exactly what Slade didn’t do. Slade only went and made what is now regarded as one of the greatest films about the grubby side of the music business, “Slade in Flame”.

   The film sees two rival bands playing the club circuit (the backing band for ageing singer Jack Daniels (!) features Dave Hill, Jim Lea and eventually Don Powell while the singer for Roy Priest & the Undertakers is Noddy Holder). Those 4 eventually come together as the fictitious Flame who are taken on by a marketing company and eventually reach the top, only to break up at their peak due to their disillusionment with the business. It’s a dark and gritty film, described by critic Mark Kermode as the “Citizen Kane of rock musicals" and stars some great British acting talent as the supporting cast, Tom Conti, Alan Lake and Johnny Shannon (one of those you’d know him if you saw him actors) among them.

   The other star of the film is Slade’s soundtrack, which makes up arguably their absolutely best album. It kicks off with the utterly brilliant “How Does It Feel ?” a song I’ve loved since first hearing it aged around 12. It was played at a dear, dear friends funeral as the curtains closed around him some years ago. I was fine until that point but as Jim Lea’s piano started I couldn’t hold it in anymore and turned into a blubbering wreck, it still tears me up now. 

   “Them Kinda Monkeys Can’t Swing” appears in the film being played at the newly formed Flame’s first gig. It’s prime glam-rockin’ Slade and the scene itself is perfect, with Noddy as music hall front man and the band really flying.

   There is plenty more prime rockin’ Slade to keep fans happy. "O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday”, the superb "Lay It Down" and “Standing On The Corner” are all real rockers. But Slade were changing, lead single “Far Far Away” demonstrated that. It was a gentle acoustic tune regaling the listener with tales of some of the things the band had seen and done while touring the world but professing ultimately that there’s no place like home. It’s a great, great song and reached #2 on the singles chart. Follow up single “How Does It Feel ?” confirmed the bands growing musical horizons but only reached #15, the first time they had missed the top 5 since “Get Down And Get With It” in 1971.

   The film itself being quite bleak and the noticeable change in sound, following on from “Old, New, Borrowed & Blue”, means you can mark the release of this film and album as the point in time where Slade lost their crown as Britain’s favourite band. “Slade in Flame” really is their strongest album but Slade were seen as a good time, Glam-tastic, boot-stomping singalong band and on this album they were obviously moving on and away from that. America beckoned and Slade would never again be the chart topping good time boys of the early 70’s.

   Them Kinda Monkeys Can’t Swing - https://youtu.be/nePTkyIEPjM?si=B1btmJ6jdiWKMhEE

3. 2023/4 Albums Thing 309 - Slade “Old, New, Borrowed And Blue”

   Posted on 8:55am Friday 5th Apr 2024

   The album that Slade had begun to record when drummer Don Powell was involved in a serious car accident was finally released in February 1974. As the follow up to “Slayed?” it was maybe not what fans were expecting. It contains 12 songs, 11 written by Lea/Holder but if what you were expecting was another record of the “street rock” of “Slayed?” well, “Old, New, Borrowed And Blue” is somewhat more varied than that.

   It starts in fine style with a Glam-tastic roar through 50’s R&B groover “Just A Little Bit”, orignally written and recorded by Rosco Gordon in 1959 and issued at the same time by Tiny Topsy (a version that caught on on the rare soul scene in the 21st century). After that it’s Lea & Holder all the way. “When The Lights Are Out” is a rare Slade song NOT sung by Noddy Holder but by Jimmy Lea. It’s a bouncy, poppy thing, very much the twin of “Miles Out To Sea” later on side 1. If you were to ask me for an example of Noddy Holder in good form I would point you toward “My Town”. The song is a harmonious Beatle-esque romp but the vocal, hells teeth it’s a miracle Nod’s larynx survived. Should you ever wonder why it was that AC/DC wanted Noddy to replace Bon Scott all your answers are here in “My Town”.

   Side 1 concludes with “We're Really Gonna Raise The Roof” which sounds exactly like you would imagine a Slade song titled “We're Really Gonna Raise The Roof” would sound. But wait, the sharp eyed Slade fans among you are shouting…you’ve missed one out, and indeed I have. If you’ve ever heard a Slade live recording or been lucky enough to see them live you may have noted Noddy Holder’s onstage persona. It’s part rock ’n’ roller, part cheeky chappy music hall comic, part fairground barker, it’s quite old fashioned with the feel of another time. Reportedly his first live performances were as a young boy, stood on a table at his Dad’s working mens club singing old songs for the drinkers. And boy does he channel all those influences on Side 1’s remaining song “Find Yourself A Rainbow”. It’s a proper wartime style, back street pub singalong led by honky-tonk barrelhouse piano, played by Tommy Burton, a black country pianist who Slade likely met at their regular watering hole The Trumpet in Bilston (The Trumpet is not actually the pubs name, trivia fans, but a nickname. The pubs name is really the Royal Exchange and to find out why it picked up that nickname, you have to visit the pub). Street rock this ain’t!

   The weird and wonderful sounds continue on t’other side. The fantastic “Do We Still Do It”, “Don't Blame Me” (which had originally appeared as the B-Side to "Merry Xmas Everybody" the previous year) and “Good Time Gals” are what you might rightly expect from Slade. But “How Can It Be” comes on as a bizarre Country/Calypso hybrid. Which leaves us with the two singles “My Friend Stan” and “Everyday”. The piano is back for “Everyday” although this time played by Jim Lea. It’s a big soppy love ballad which does have a sister song which I much prefer (“She Did It To Me” the B-side of follow up single “The Bangin' Man” and containing the lyric “Cos I knew that soon we'd fall, ‘Everyday' has said it all”). “My Friend Stan” is another piano led song that is something of a cross twixt “Everyday” and “Find Yourself A Rainbow”, a good pop song that has the music hall feel about it.

   “Old, New, Borrowed And Blue” reached #1 in the UK and was certified Gold by the BPI before it was released, on pre-orders alone (in 1974 that meant sales of £150,000 when an LP cost around £2.50, so around 60,000 pre-orders !). Maybe the stylistic adventures were already planned, maybe they came about because of the extra songwriting time Jim and Nod had due to Don’s recovery. Who knows but it was a brave, and successful move.

   Find Yourself A Rainbow - https://youtu.be/_uVXg__7uQE?si=D6mVWvKiQmyd3d86