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Slade
- a
short biography
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Beginnings
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| Dave
Hill and Don Powell started it all back in the sixties when
they were both members of the band the 'N Betweens. They first
met Noddy Holder who was then touring with Steve Brett and The
Mavericks, whilst on their way to Germany. |
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| They
returned to Britain and learned that the resident bassist wanted
out, so they auditioned for a new bass player. Jim Lea applied
for the 'job' and was taken on. |
| That
left the band needing a lead vocalist, it was then that they
met up again with Noddy who had split from the Mavericks, he
joined and so the foundations for Slade had been laid. |
| Their
first 'gig' was in the Bahamas, they were originally signed
for six weeks but ended up staying for four months!. They then
set about changing their name from the 'N Betweens to Ambrose
Slade (they got the name from a secretery who named everything
from her handbag to her pens! They chose the name of two items
- 'Ambrose' and 'Slade'). It was then that they probably made
the most important decision of their career - they signed Chas
Chandler - ex Animals star and producer for Jimi Hendrix to
be their manager. It was at this point that the skinhead look
was born making them 'stick out' from the other bands around
at the time. The 'Ambrose' was dropped and Slade was born! |
| Did
you know...? |
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| Gaining
Momentum
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The
first album under the name Slade was Play It Loud and although
sold reasonably well didn't chart. |
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dilemma Slade were in was that they had a huge following for
their live performances but their records didn't sell particularly
well. |
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answer was to re-create the atmosphere of a live performance
on vinyl, so they released a live 7" version of Get Down
and Get With It - the track that wound up every gig. It peaked
in the UK singles chart at no:15 and lead the way for appearances
on the UK TV show Top of the Pops. |
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next release was Coz I Luv You, it entered the UK charts at
No:26 and two weeks later was at No:1 and that's where it stayed
for four weeks! |
| Next
came the single Look Wot You Dun and in March of 1972 the album
Slade Alive! was released, it was so popular it went to No:1
and stayed in the UK charts for over a year! Even to this day
Slade Alive! is probably the best live album you will ever hear,
really capturing that 'live' atmosphere. The next single was
Take Me Bak 'Ome - another No:1 then Mama Weer All Crazee Now
(No:1 once again) and finally in 1972 Gudbuy 'T Jane. A second
album followed - Slayed?. By the end 1972 Slade were really
gaining momentum, but the best was yet to come! |
| Did
you know...? |
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| Red
Hot |
| If
1972 was a good year then 1973 was to prove to be unbelievable
in more ways than one. |
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| The
first single of 1973 - Cum On Feel The Noize went straight to
No:1 in the UK charts YES straight to
No:1, which in 70's was unheard of! Not content with
that the very next single - Skweeze Me Pleeze Me did exactly
the same straight into the UK charts at No:1. |
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that is an amazing feat by anybody's standards but at the end
'73 Slade released Merry Xmas Everybody - result - straight
into the UK charts at No:1 and the Christmas No:1 record. |
| Another
album was released in 1973 - Sladest and yes you guessed it,
it flew straight into the UK charts at No:1. |
| By
now Slade were the hottest band of the day but as with so many
other situations in life every positive has an opposite negative
and there was no exception with Slade. |
| During
1973 Don Powell was involved in a horrific car crash that claimed
the life of his fiancee and left Don in hospital. it was feared
that Don would never drum again but he pulled through thankfully,
'picked up his sticks again' and carried on like the true professional
he is. |
| Did
you know...? |
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Slade
won countless accolades- Best Group/Best Live Band etc but never
got brash, big-headed or complacent, they always remembered
their roots and that stood them in good stead. |
| Hit
after hit brought many gold and silver discs and it was inevitable
that they would move on to other projects. |
| 1974
brought another chapter to Slade's phenomonal success, they
starred in a film - Slade in Flame, a story of a band who despite
all the odds make the big time. Click here
for more info on this fascinating film. |
| Slade
enjoyed success right through the 1970's and to a lesser extent
the 1980's. Their last album released as Slade was in 1991 appropriatly
named Wall of Hits. |
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| The Slade memory
still lives on with Don and Dave touring with Slade 11, but
for me the 1970's were the best and as with all die hard Slade
fans I still play their music now and I still get the same feeling
now as I did then and that I have been very lucky to have experienced
something that was Red Hot - SLADE. |
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