From Wolverhamton, Mid England, came a band that would rock the world with their catchy bass lines, lyrics and wall of sound. If you were sat in your seat at a Slade concert then you were in the wrong place! The band started out like so many, covering songs, playing small clubs and dreaming of the big time. As Ambrose Slade in 1969 they were spotted by Jimi Hendrix's manager Chas Chandler who gave them a recording contract. Their image then of bova boots, cropped hair and cut off jeans and braces established them as a force to be reckoned with. They shortened their name to Slade and released the single"Get Down and Get With It"in 1971 and got to no16 in the UK. This was the song which fans went crazy to when played live.

The next single"Coz I Love You" with it's gutzy electric violin and a fantastic foot stomping sound was their first huge single in Europe. The clver miss spelling of song titles was a refreshing way for kids to buy something their parents disapproved of! The band line up is:- Don Powell (drums), Jim Lea (bass/violin), Dave Hill (guitar) and Noddy Holder (lead vocals/guitar).

In 1972 the album"Slade Alive" was released and stayed at no 2 in the charts for over a year. This was one of the best live recordings of all time. The band embarked on a headlining tour supported by Status Quo. The next three singles,"Take Me Bak'Ome","Mama Weer All Crazy Now" and "Gudbuy T Jane" were all huge hits in Europe which placed Slade firmly on the top of the Glam Rock Tree. Dave Hill was not to be outdone by other Glam Rock bands and began to wear outrageous costumes, glitter in his hair and enormous platform boots.

At the end of 1972 the band released the album "Slayed" to great acclaim by the critics. It was hailed as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. The next single"Cum On Feel The Noize" reached no 1 across Europe and stayed there for four weeks. Slade at this point were the only band since the Beatles to have such a successful run of hits."My Freind Stan" and "Skeeze Me, Please Me" were two more top ten hits. Slade could do no wrong.
Don Powell was injured in a car crash, it was fatal for his girl friend. It was a devastating time for the band, Don remained in hospital for almost two months. Their greatest hits album"Sladest" was released and went straight to no1. Their biggest selling single at the end of that year was "Merry Xmas Everybody" and sold 1/4 million copies in it's first day of release. This song was to be the most popular Christmas song of all time and re charts every year. Probably not much consolation under the circumstances but a great acheivement none the less. By the time the band were ready to go back into the studio, Don had recovered and the result was another smash hit.

1974 saw the release of "Old,New,Borrowed and Blue" a no1 album which some say was a little on the mild side for Slade. The next venture was a film "Slade In Flames" and album of the same name. The film was darker than most had anticipated, the acting was excellent but I think fans were probably expecting a Beatle type film rather than this more serious offering. The film and album gave the band three top ten singles. "The Bangin' Man", "Far Far Away" and "Everyday".By 1977 The punk era had arrived and Slade failed to reach the top 20 for some time after.

Slade never actually went away. Some members did there own projects but they were always a band. They finally broke through the American market in 1982. The US realised what they had been missing but by this time Slade had become a more heavy metal band with the glam far behind them. Slade fans are very loyal which is no suprise as the band is still very much a great live act.

For more info go to links page

Home  T.Rex story  T.rex gallery   Bowie story  Bowie gallery   Mott The Hoople story
Mott The Hoople gallery   Sweet story  Sweet gallery   Slade gallery  
Alice Cooper story  Alice Cooper gallery   Links  Contact Webmaster.