Slade

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*In this All The World Is A Stage box set are five prime examples of ‘There’s A Riot Goin’ On.’*

Audio CD (paid link)

What a band!

Slade were formed in 1966 and influenced many up-and-coming bands, including Kiss, Sex Pistols, Motley Crue, Oasis, Cheap Trick (when the members of Cheap Trick were forming, they went to see Slade and decided that they pulled “Every cheap trick in the book!” they then went out taking the name and living up to it), and Quiet Riot whose first two breakthrough singles were covers of Slade songs.

Up until the early seventies they tried various formulas to gain success, including getting skinhead haircuts and adopting boots and braces to become a skinhead band! Not meeting with success (skinheads were already on the wane), they went back to rockin’.

In the early days, the songs they performed were mainly cover songs of other artists.

In 1972, glam rock arrived in Britain and Slade jumped straight on the bandwagon. Their first hit was also one of their stage favourites, ‘Get Down and Get With It,’ written by American rhythm and blues artist Bobby Marchan. From this point onwards, the song writing team of Noddy Holder and Jim Lea took over the song writing for the band, “becoming” the Jagger/Richards of Birmingham. What followed was an amazing run of 17 consecutive top twenty hit singles, including six Number Ones. Mostly with crazee spelling. There were also four studio albums in this period, two of which were Number Ones.

The band were on the crest of the wave.

*The glitter daze are upon us. Mirrored hat, Dave Hill’s cleopatra look, Don Powell the Hard Man and Jim Lea in his glitzy jacket.*

But it was live that the band really excelled. Don Powell sitting at the back on his drum riser battering out a constant barrage of beats. Dave Hill, who was not only great at the dressing up bit, but was one the most underrated guitarists on the scene. Jim Lea the bassist, but who gave Slade that extra edge with his backing vocals and his prowess on the electric violin.

Click here to ramble through the archives

But the showstopper and rock’n’roll ringmaster was the man who played rhythm guitar and sang with his voice, that of a Square Yard sergeant (a tuneful baritone). The very lovable Noddy Holder in his hat of mirrors.

Slade’s concerts always turned into fun loving riots. In this box set are five prime examples of ‘There’s A Riot Goin’ On.’

The first concert is the previously released “Slade Alive” that at the time of its release reached Number Two in the UK and Number One in Australia, where it became the best-selling album since the Beatles “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!” It was recorded in October 1971, just as their single ‘Coz I Luv You’ was roaring up the charts. They appeared at the Command Theatre Studio to a small but appreciative audience straight after their appearance on the BBC’s Top of the Pops, still with their make-up and costumes on.

Released in March 1972, there are three song credits to the band, including the Chuck Berry pastiche ‘Keep on Rocking.’ The other songs are by Ten Years After – ‘Hear Me Calling,’ Loving Spoonful – ‘Darling Be Home Soon’ (including Noddy’s burp!), and Get Down and Get With It, and finishing with a right rave up on Steppenwolf’s ‘Born To Be Wild’ where the feedback from the guitars is monumental. So, no hit singles to support this set. Does it need support? Nah.

The second live concert was recorded after Slade had rather fallen from grace in the UK, primarily for moving to and concentrating on breaking in the USA (something they never really achieved). But with amazing timing, Ozzy Osbourne’s new band pulled out of their guest artist slot at the 1980 Reading Festival and at the last possible minute Slade were asked to replace them. This they did, stealing the whole show. Fame beckoned again, not this time as a pop glam rock band but as a fully-fledged hard rock band.

This led to the band being signed by RCA and releasing further albums. During the tour to promote “Til Deaf Do Us Part” it was decided to record a new live album at Newcastle City Hall. The band was now a well-oiled machine, reeling off hit singles and stage favourites.

*Slade from left to right: Jim Lea, Noddy Holder, Don Powell, and Dave Hill.*

The next performance is the whole of the Reading Festival show from 1980. Some of these tracks have been released before, but this time the whole of the concert is released for your enjoyment. You can see why it rocketed Slade back to superstardom. They were on fire that day, Jim Lea doing ‘Purple Haze’ on the bass, followed by reelin’& rockin’. The electric violin is phenomenal, along with the rest of the boys all in a purple patch.

Concert Number Four is from the Hucknall Miners’ Welfare Club from 1980. The band are in fine form, dishing out the hits and album favourites, but sadly the recording quality is a bit of let-down. Plenty of excitement in the band nonetheless.

But the sound quality is delightfully restored for the last selection recorded at the New Victoria. The band rip through the songs—a truly great way to bring these performances to a close.

In 1992 Noddy Holder and Jim Lea decided enough was enough and called an end to their lives as part of Slade. The others carried on with replacements and they are still going today, but although popular at clubs and festivals, they never reached these heights again.

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Slade’s biggest hit was of course ‘Merry Xmas Everybody.’ Released in 1973, it has been re-re-re-re-re-re-re-released almost every year since, always going straight back in the charts, earning a very nice pension plan for its writers Jim Lea and Noddy Holder.

There was also a wonderful live album called Slade Alive, Volume 2, 1978 which for some reason has escaped inclusion here. Which is a shame.

These recordings are a wonderful way to relive this golden era.

Noddy Holder – Guitar and Vocals

Dave Hill – Lead Guitar

Jim Lea – Bass Guitar and Electric Violin

Don Powell – Drums