Slade is an English band formed in 1966 in Wolverhampton and originally composed of Noddy Holder, Dave Hill, Jim Lea and Don Powell. A group that can boast of having sold no less than 50 million records around the world to date.
The group’s debut was first under the name 'The ‘N' Betweens' and then 'Ambrose Slade', debuts that produced a few songs and an album, but none of them were favored by the Charts. The real debut under the name Slade took place in 1970 with the release of the album "Play it loud", album also of the most limited success.
The group decided to completely change his strategy the following year in 1971, on the one hand by abandoning their skinhead look and replacing it with a long hair look. But also by reorienting his musical style towards glam rock.
New strategy which will bear fruit in a remarkable way with a year 1971 which will see them literally explode on the international music scene. Absolutely exceptional year with the obtaining of 3 consecutive top hits thanks to the Singles "Get down and get with it", "Coz I luv you" and "Look wot you down", three titles which will be released outside the album.
But that's without counting on the release a year later in 1972 of the Single "Take me bak’ Ome", a new non-album Single that will give the group its first global mega hit. The same year released their new album “Slayed ?", an album which, unlike its predecessors, will not go unnoticed, far from it. Album which will add this year 2 new mega hits to the group's prize list with the titles "Mama weer all crazee now" and "Gudbuy T’Jane".
1972 was an exceptional year, but 1973 was going to be almost as strong. No album release but the release of several Singles which will offer the group 4 new prestigious stars with the mega hit "Cum on feel the noize" and the 3 top hits "Skweeze me, pleeze me", "My friend Stan" and "Mery Xmas everybody".
The year 1974 saw the release of the album "Old new borrowed and blue", an album with less success than its two predecessors and which only saved the furniture that year with the Single "Everyday". The group also made his debut in the cinema the same year and featured in the film 'Slade in Flame', a film which chronicles the rise and fall in the 1960s of a group called Flame. A film for which the group will release a soundtrack of the same name, a soundtrack with mixed success and which above all confirms the group's slow but irresistible deceleration.
Faced with these repeated underperformances, the group decided to move in the USA from 1975. A year of transition which saw them come out only thanks to the large-caliber Single "Thanks for the" memory (Wham bam thank you Mam)".
Their new album "Nobody's fool" entirely produced in the United States and which was released the following year 1976 was a bitter failure for the group. Badly received in the USA, rejected by grassroots fans across the Channel, the album was a fiasco both in terms of albums sales and Singles sales.
Return to England from the year 1977 but the image of the group is deeply tarnished by its American escapade. The albums "Whatever happened to Slade" in 1977, "Return to base" in 1979 are again bitter failures. Ditto for the albums "We'll bring the house down" and "Till deaf do us part" which came out in the early 1980s. Only the Single "Lock up your daughters" which came out in 1981 gave a semblance of hope for the group to eventually return to the race.
An improbable comeback which nevertheless took place two years later in 1983 with the release of the album "The amazing kamikaze syndrome", an album which saw the group rise from its ashes in a spectacular fashion, in particular thanks to the enormous Single "My oh my”. Album which produced a second big caliber track the following year in 1984 with the title "Run runaway".
The group will experience a last notorious success on the album side with the release in 1985 of “Rogues gallery”, an album which paradoxically did not produce any global class hits. Other albums will be released later but will experience only a mixed level of success.
A great adventure which will end at the beginning of the 1990s with the obtaining of a last major hit in 1991 with the Single "Radio wall of sound", Single taken from the compilation "Wall of hits" which will be released the same year.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
60s Decade :
You better run (The 'N' Betweens) 1966
Wild wings are blowing 1969
70s Decade :
Know who you are 1970
Get down and get with it 1971
Coz I luv you 1971
Look wot you dun 1971
Take me bak 'ome 1972
Mama weer all crazee now 1972
Gudbuy T'Jane 1972
Cum on feel the noise 1973
Skweeze me, pleeze me 1973
My friend Stan 1973
Merry Xmas everybody 1973
Good times gals 1974
Everyday 1974
When the lights are out 1974
The bangin' man 1974
Far far away 1974
How does it feel 1975
Thanks for the memory (Wham bam thank you Mam) 1975
In for a Penny 1975
Let's call it quits 1976
Nobody's fool 1976
Gypsy roadhog 1977
Ma baby left me/That's alright 1977
Rock 'n' roll Bolero 1978
Ginny Ginny 1979
Sign of the times 1979
80s Decade :
We'll bring the house down 1981
Wheels ain't coming down 1981
Lock up your daughters 1981
Ruby red 1982
(And now the waltz) C'est la vie 1982
My oh my 1983
Run runaway 1984
All join hands 1984
7 year bitch 1985
Myzterious Mizster Jones 1985
Little Sheila 1985
Do you believe in miracles 1985
Still the same 1987
That's what friends are for 1987
You boyz make big noise 1987
Ooh la la in LA 1987
We won't give in 1987
Let's dance '88' 1988
90s Decade :
Radio wall of sound 1991
Universe 1991
Tracks :
1966 ... the first steps that will be described as confidential. Impossible to imagine at this stage the incredible career that awaits these 4 boys ...
1969 ... the Slade style slowly but surely settles into place. For the moment, it does not pay more than that unfortunately ...
1970 ... the beginning of the 1970s which saw no noticeable changes in terms of success in the Charts. It could be that the sequel sees a certain evolution and not the least ...
1971 ... it is this revisited version of the title of Bobby Marchan dating from 1964 which will completely upset the fate of the group. In a single title, the group goes from shadow to light in a shattering way to say the least !
1971 ... you just had to throw them. Now that it's done, the group will unroll with a virtuosity worthy of the greatest ...
1971 ... in a single year they will land no less than 3 huge top hits. A mastery of things and events that no one had seen coming, that's clear ...
1972 ... this time around, the recognition is now global. They just lacked the United States, it is now done !
1972 ... a year 1972 of all records. The results in the Charts have now reached a truly mind-blowing level and make the group one of the biggest global phenomena of the moment. MAS-TER-FUL !
1972 ... the year 1971 was the year of the 3 top hits, the year 1972 was the year of the 3 mega hits. A year 1972 which will undoubtedly remain as their exceptional vintage by far !
1973 ... and 1973 started again on almost the same bases, a feat to say the least bluffing. The group is literally walking on water and no one at this point is able to challenge their supremacy !
1973 ... across the Channel the group is in its 4th No.1 in just a year or so. Who knew that the group was going to explode at this speed and especially with such force ...
1973 ... impossible to stop them. Every title that comes out immediately transforms into solid Gold and keeps them at a downright stratospheric level of success. What talent !
1973 ... the title of Christmas that goes well. Which group has not thought about it, even downright dared to release its special Christmas title as the group will do here. And in general, it works, the proof once again with this title !
1974 ... a title which will pass exceptionally 'through'. It must be said that it will only be released in the United States. This explains that...
1974 ... on the other hand this one will not go unnoticed, that's for sure. The group regains its level of success of the previous 2 years and moreover with a title full of finesse, a real feat !
1974 ... decidedly, a very complicated 1974 to manage with this new title which will also pass 'through'. A poor performance which can be explained once again by a title which will only be released in the United States, a strategy to say the least surprising ...
1974 ... fortunately, the end of 1974 will allow them to recover their natural place of leader and to come back to the front of the race once again in an impressive way. Phew ...
1974 ... everything is going wonderfully well again in the best of all possible worlds. But it is clear that the 2 air holes of this year are not to be underestimated ...
1975 ... unfortunately, the alerts of the previous year were well and truly founded. The group will suddenly unscrew in this year 1975 in a way that is inexplicable to say the least ...
1975 ... they will save the furniture in extremis with this title but it is clear that the group has just started the beginning of its decline ...
1975 ... in just 1 year, the group will go from light to shadow at an astounding speed. But what happens to them ? Good question...
1976 ... the end of the decade will be particularly complicated to manage with a level of success in free fall. The group is nothing more than a shadow of himself, unbelievably ...
1976 ... the adventure continues, of course, but we really wonder how the group will manage to get out of this mess. Because for now, all the lights are red ...
1977 ... there is only England left to still believe a minimum in them. For how much longer is that something else ...
1977 ... when nothing goes well, a good cover can sometimes turn the tide. Unfortunately, their revisited version of Arthur Crudup's title from 1950 will not be enough to change the game either ...
1978 ... a musical wandering which is amplified during this year 1978. Everything that comes out goes under the radar now and the magical inspiration of the group now seems to have totally evaporated ...
1979 ... nothing helps, good will as the continuous production of titles. It is clear that the 1970s are now over for them and that we must pray that the 1980s will be more favorable to them ...
1979 ... the beginning of the 1970s saw them become Masters of the world. The end of the decade will see them fall lower than the earth. Totally incomprehensible ...
1981 ... despite calamitous results in the Charts, they will still attempt the passage to the 80s. Well will take them because the miracle they no longer expected will occur ...
1981 ... a year 1981 which will see them come to the surface in a spectacular way to say the least. Of course, they will only find success across the Channel, but that's already what they say !
1981 ... the group begins to see the end of the tunnel in earnest and begins to dream of a possible comeback. Wish that could soon come true ...
1982 ... well, even if the dynamics of success are picking up again, we will have to be a little more patient to see them come back to the front of the race ...
1982 ... anyway, inspiration is back and that's what matters most. We really thought they were lost for good but it was bad to know them ...
1983 ... the comeback, here it is ! They make a totally improbable comeback at the head of the race with this absolutely sumptuous title, a title that will undoubtedly go down as one of the most beautiful Ultimate Slows of the decade. MAS-TER-FUL !
1984 ... they confirm with this title that they did not come back to play only supporting roles, far from it. They sign here a new mega hit which is added to a prize list already very richly filled !
1984 ... they had every reason to hope to regain their place as natural leaders but fate will decide otherwise once again ...
1985 ... the relapse into the Charts is severe and this time the group will not recover despite all the efforts made. Hard law of the trade ...
1985 ... the adventure continues for some reason but the group will never come back to the top of the race. From now on he will do more in the figuration than anything else ...
1985 ... the production of titles remains high but that does not change the situation unfortunately. When it doesn't want anymore, it doesn't want anymore ...
1985 ... and yet they are far from demerit, but their dropout at the end of the 1970s really damaged their image and most of the fans have already left to look elsewhere for a long time ...
1987 ... given the profusion of titles released in 1985, the group takes a break during 1986. We therefore imagined a return to great shape in this year 1987 but hope will quickly be disappointed with a level of success which will continue to be limited exclusively to England ...
1987 ... a new underperformance which further mortgages the future of the group. A future that is darkening more and more, we must not hide our face ...
1987 ... despite a style and sound that go well, nothing helps. They may also put their best wishes into it, unfortunately this does not change the results in the Charts ...
1987 ... a year 1987 which will be the last major for the group. At a given moment, by dint of being systematically brought back to the shore by contrary winds, there is no longer any point in fighting ...
1987 ... they may well have put the package side production of titles in this year 1987, that will not have changed anything for the nth time. The exit door is approaching with great strides, it is clear ...
1988 ... they try everything for everything with this cover of the flagship title of Chris Montez dating from 1962. A daring bet, an attempted bet but above all a lost bet ...
1991 ... we thought the case was definitively folded but once again, they come back to the charge hoping to turn the tide of time. And my faith, on this blow there, the history will prove them right, like what !
1991 ... a comeback that only lasted for a moment. The group thinks to do again the blow of "My oh my" with this excellent title but this time the effect will fall completely flat. An adventure that ends with this title, an incredible adventure that will have consecrated this group as one of the very best of this end of the twentieth century !
Wiki :
Greatest Hits :
https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/1523 Discography :
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