(UK 1966 - Present)
In 1969, The 'N Betweens became Ambrose Slade, and began to record tracks for an album. The first LP by Ambrose Slade, Beginnings, was released on Fontana Records in April of 1969. At the same time, Chas Chandler, a former member of The Animals and the manager of Jimi Hendrix, assumed the duties of manager and producer for the band. He firmly believed that Ambrose Slade had the potential to make it to the top. Their name was soon shortened from Ambrose Slade to Slade, and at the behest of Chas Chandler, the four musicians had their long hair cut off, briefly taking on the look of skinheads as a means of promoting their music.
Their first album as Slade, 'Play It Loud', was released on Polydor Records in 1970. Slade are probably best described as a "band of (and for) the people". Hated by critics, loved by the average Joe record buyer, they wore their working class, northern British roots loudly and proudly on their gawdy glittery sleeves.
Slade are probably best described as a "band of (and for) the people". Hated by critics, loved by the average Joe record buyer, they wore their working class, northern British roots loudly and proudly on their gawdy glittery sleeves.
Lumped in with the Glitter/Glam Rock movement with Bowie, Marc Bolan and T.Rex and even Gary Glitter, Slade looked and sounded like none of them (big hats and awful sparkly outfits notwithstandin). Their sound was loud guitars and boot-stomping heavy beats with basic songs (deliberately misspelt) delivered in a voice that would strip the paint from an old Holden.
The remarkable thing about this album is that there is a remarkable lack of pretense. The audience love the experience and make the vibe of the show (and this recording) almost tangible.
Slade Alive! was a record that was recorded live to tape without any studio altering. It was done live in a purpose built studio in front of 100 fan club members and was a fortune changer much like "Alive!" was for Kiss. Slade's previous few albums flopped and the live album gave them a big hit that they were desperately looking for. The band were already a big live draw, so it was a canny move to capture that on record.
Slade's fortunes soured in the late 70s as the gimmick wore off. They picked up again in the 80s and tailed off again post 1985 until they split up in the 1990s. This album has been cited as an influence by countless bands, but in recent years this album seems to have gone out of favour with writers and collators of "best of" lists.
Slade Alive ! Review (by Dave Graham: Attendee)
Released on the 24th March 1972, the group's critically acclaimed and most loved live album, instantly recognisable in it's bright red 'negative image', gatefold sleeve. This album became a Rock Icon almost overnight and even the following years of teeny-bopper mania could not erase the impact made.
In October 1971, Slade played at the Command Theatre Studio in London, to an audience of a hundred or so, mostly fan club members. Of the three nights recording, most of the album comes from the second nights recording. The set-list would have been the same as their touring set, kicking off, as always, with Hear Me Calling. It included Coz I Love You, Coming Home, Good Golly Miss Molly & Nights In White Satin (none of which made the release) before culminating in eight minutes of unbridled mayhem. Born To Be Wild, Steppenwolf's best known song is given the Slade treatment (complete with air raid siren hand-cranked by one of the roadies) and is far better for it. The result, coarse, raw and gritty... just how you like 'em!
Lumped in with the Glitter/Glam Rock movement with Bowie, Marc Bolan and T.Rex and even Gary Glitter, Slade looked and sounded like none of them (big hats and awful sparkly outfits notwithstandin). Their sound was loud guitars and boot-stomping heavy beats with basic songs (deliberately misspelt) delivered in a voice that would strip the paint from an old Holden.
Any discussion of glam rock requires a mention of Slade, more as a result of their appearance than their sound. Dave Hill, in particular, gained a reputation for taking the gaudier aspects of glam rock to a cheeky extreme. He always went out of his way to appear as colorful as he could, adorning himself with shiny outfits, platform boots, and plenty of glitter. The other members of Slade were slightly less colorful, but still quite flashy. Their songs, however, were completely down-to-earth: loud, driving, and cheerful, with an impudent tunefulness that was hard to resist.
Slade Alive! was a record that was recorded live to tape without any studio altering. It was done live in a purpose built studio in front of 100 fan club members and was a fortune changer much like "Alive!" was for Kiss. Slade's previous few albums flopped and the live album gave them a big hit that they were desperately looking for. The band were already a big live draw, so it was a canny move to capture that on record.
Again, artistry and technique are not matters of contention here. Songwriting prowess is not a feature here. Most of the seven songs are covers, along with two originals never recorded in studio form, but they are done with the same big voiced, stomping feel that drove audiences wild back then. Noddy Holder's vocals are ear splitting but yet it sounds compelling. His charm in conversing with the audience between songs just highlights how much fun the whole experience is.
Slade's fortunes soured in the late 70s as the gimmick wore off. They picked up again in the 80s and tailed off again post 1985 until they split up in the 1990s. This album has been cited as an influence by countless bands, but in recent years this album seems to have gone out of favour with writers and collators of "best of" lists.
Slade Alive ! Review (by Dave Graham: Attendee)
Released on the 24th March 1972, the group's critically acclaimed and most loved live album, instantly recognisable in it's bright red 'negative image', gatefold sleeve. This album became a Rock Icon almost overnight and even the following years of teeny-bopper mania could not erase the impact made.
In October 1971, Slade played at the Command Theatre Studio in London, to an audience of a hundred or so, mostly fan club members. Of the three nights recording, most of the album comes from the second nights recording. The set-list would have been the same as their touring set, kicking off, as always, with Hear Me Calling. It included Coz I Love You, Coming Home, Good Golly Miss Molly & Nights In White Satin (none of which made the release) before culminating in eight minutes of unbridled mayhem. Born To Be Wild, Steppenwolf's best known song is given the Slade treatment (complete with air raid siren hand-cranked by one of the roadies) and is far better for it. The result, coarse, raw and gritty... just how you like 'em!
"Nights In White Satin was played during the recording but omitted from Slade Alive due to contractual stuff with the Moodies record company, Chandler was toying with idea of making it a double LP. The rumours about those master tapes persisted for decades, they don't exist, nothing was kept."
Recorded at a cost of £600, Slade Alive! not only broke the band in the UK, it went on to be the biggest selling album in Australia since Sgt.Pepper. Hence AC/DC..."
Noddy Holder's recollects: Classic Rock 2011
"Chas Chandler come up with the idea of us doing a live album because he'd been Jimi Hendrix's manager, and he'd seen how some of Hendrix's live performances had been turning points in his career. So we booked a little studio-cum-theatre down on Piccadilly for three nights- the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
''The bulk of the album was from the Wednesday night, which was mayhem. Coz I Luv U was Number 1, and we'd come straight from doing Top Of The Pops. We were still wearing our clobber from the telly, and we went pretty much straight onstage. There was only about 100-odd people in there. A lot of them were fan club members but some of them had walked in off the streets as well.
''Our aim onstage was to hit the crowds between the eyes and grab them by the balls. Make a show that people would remember forever. Most bands thought it was uncool to have audience participiation, so back then it was only us doing that. We've never been cool. But when people saw the reaction we were getting, they started nicking our ideas.
''One thing I do remember about those shows is that we'd been on the road for a week or two before that, and Dave had got some of his old stage clobber in a suitcase in the dressing room, and it stank to high heaven. The whole dressing room stank of his sweat. Chas said, 'I'm gonna turn that fucking case into a bonfire outside ! You can't have record company people coming in here with that stink.' So there's Dave, trying to guard his precious clothes before we covered them in lighter fuel to stop them stinking the place out.."
Chris Selby (Slade Historian) talks about the album
Despite Noddy's recollections, it's unlikely that they came direct from TOTP's when "Cos I Love You" was #1 because on the 20th October it was at #26. Of course, they could still have performed on TOTP's because "Cos I Love You" had been released.
The 1st "Coz I Love You" performance on TOTP is listed to date 21.10.71, the next week it was audio only that the audience grooved to, as the record slowly climbed the chart to the top subsequent performances would later be reshown.
The sleeve art was designed by a fan. Chas decided to run a competition, held by The Sun newspaper and the band chose the winner from thousands of entries. Thankfully, it was used on the inside coz only God knows what the Teddy Bears have to do with Slade but surprisingly, the 1971 artwork by M. Webb has become as much a part of Slade as Noddy's topper?
''The bulk of the album was from the Wednesday night, which was mayhem. Coz I Luv U was Number 1, and we'd come straight from doing Top Of The Pops. We were still wearing our clobber from the telly, and we went pretty much straight onstage. There was only about 100-odd people in there. A lot of them were fan club members but some of them had walked in off the streets as well.
''Our aim onstage was to hit the crowds between the eyes and grab them by the balls. Make a show that people would remember forever. Most bands thought it was uncool to have audience participiation, so back then it was only us doing that. We've never been cool. But when people saw the reaction we were getting, they started nicking our ideas.
''One thing I do remember about those shows is that we'd been on the road for a week or two before that, and Dave had got some of his old stage clobber in a suitcase in the dressing room, and it stank to high heaven. The whole dressing room stank of his sweat. Chas said, 'I'm gonna turn that fucking case into a bonfire outside ! You can't have record company people coming in here with that stink.' So there's Dave, trying to guard his precious clothes before we covered them in lighter fuel to stop them stinking the place out.."
Chris Selby (Slade Historian) talks about the album
Despite Noddy's recollections, it's unlikely that they came direct from TOTP's when "Cos I Love You" was #1 because on the 20th October it was at #26. Of course, they could still have performed on TOTP's because "Cos I Love You" had been released.
The 1st "Coz I Love You" performance on TOTP is listed to date 21.10.71, the next week it was audio only that the audience grooved to, as the record slowly climbed the chart to the top subsequent performances would later be reshown.
The sleeve art was designed by a fan. Chas decided to run a competition, held by The Sun newspaper and the band chose the winner from thousands of entries. Thankfully, it was used on the inside coz only God knows what the Teddy Bears have to do with Slade but surprisingly, the 1971 artwork by M. Webb has become as much a part of Slade as Noddy's topper?
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| Album Gatefold |
"I have always thought the release of Slade Alive was both, a brave and strange choice for Chas Chandler and the group to have made. Considering at that stage in their career Slade had a few 45s, one of which had just managed to make the Top 20 and a studio LP which did nothing.
To build on the modest success of "Get Down With It", the accepted step would be another single and another studio album. The 45 would be Coz I Love You but they then release a Live album. I can't think of any other group who have done that.
In the meantime, following the accepted path of a studio album and the lack of original material the group had (as we are led to believe), I would suggest Chas got them to record their 'live' act as a studio album but for some reason the decision was made to go with a live album."
It is also strange in the fact that it was a single album. Most live albums, especially during the seventies, were double or sometimes even triple albums. It would have made perfect sense to include another disc which could have included Coz I Love You, as that was the groups #1 single at the time and Coming Home which Noddy referred to as "on our new album" on French TV. It's certainly food for thought?
The album cover has become an icon in Slade history. Instantly recognisable though not immediately obvious that it is in fact a posterized image of the band at a live performance. The photo was part of a shoot taken by Chris Walter at The Marquee Club in London's Wardour Street.
Slade Alive Vol II
The band's second Live Album, and titled "the follow-up to the commercially and critically successful 1972 Album, 'Slade Alive!' ", this collection, taken from the USA Autumn Tour of 1976 and the UK Spring Tour of 1977, also failed to make a chart appearance in the UK, as with the previous year's album, "Whatever Happened To Slade".
Nevertheless, "Slade Alive! 2" is an excellent live. Different from the first, the group having evolved and the public too. Slade goes from the club atmosphere to that of a concert hall.
In March 1976, the album “ Nobody's Fools ” was released, recorded in New York the previous year. Slade were performing concerts in the country to try to break into the American market which still remained closed to the glam-rocker group. Back from the United States, Slade lost popularity, the punk-rock fashion swept away everything in its path and glam rock gave up the ghost. Groups like Sweet , Wizzard or the old rocker Gary Glitter will fall by the wayside. Slade will continue on the voice of a more pure and hard rock by adding a hard rock to their sauce ( Worcestershire obviously! ) and the whole will give the album " Whatever Happened to Slade ". It will be a commercial failure despite good reviews, it will be considered the precursor album of the Grunge movement, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana will cite it as an influential album.
Following the commercial failure of the last album, Slade will continue to set fire in the concert halls and a new live album is born in 1978 with a melting pot of the titles of the tour in the United States in 1976 and in Great Britain in 1977 . The advantage of this live is that we find the group's hits that had not yet been released at the time of the first “ Alive! ".
To build on the modest success of "Get Down With It", the accepted step would be another single and another studio album. The 45 would be Coz I Love You but they then release a Live album. I can't think of any other group who have done that.
It is also strange in the fact that it was a single album. Most live albums, especially during the seventies, were double or sometimes even triple albums. It would have made perfect sense to include another disc which could have included Coz I Love You, as that was the groups #1 single at the time and Coming Home which Noddy referred to as "on our new album" on French TV. It's certainly food for thought?
The album cover has become an icon in Slade history. Instantly recognisable though not immediately obvious that it is in fact a posterized image of the band at a live performance. The photo was part of a shoot taken by Chris Walter at The Marquee Club in London's Wardour Street.
The band's second Live Album, and titled "the follow-up to the commercially and critically successful 1972 Album, 'Slade Alive!' ", this collection, taken from the USA Autumn Tour of 1976 and the UK Spring Tour of 1977, also failed to make a chart appearance in the UK, as with the previous year's album, "Whatever Happened To Slade".
Nevertheless, "Slade Alive! 2" is an excellent live. Different from the first, the group having evolved and the public too. Slade goes from the club atmosphere to that of a concert hall.
In March 1976, the album “ Nobody's Fools ” was released, recorded in New York the previous year. Slade were performing concerts in the country to try to break into the American market which still remained closed to the glam-rocker group. Back from the United States, Slade lost popularity, the punk-rock fashion swept away everything in its path and glam rock gave up the ghost. Groups like Sweet , Wizzard or the old rocker Gary Glitter will fall by the wayside. Slade will continue on the voice of a more pure and hard rock by adding a hard rock to their sauce ( Worcestershire obviously! ) and the whole will give the album " Whatever Happened to Slade ". It will be a commercial failure despite good reviews, it will be considered the precursor album of the Grunge movement, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana will cite it as an influential album.
Following the commercial failure of the last album, Slade will continue to set fire in the concert halls and a new live album is born in 1978 with a melting pot of the titles of the tour in the United States in 1976 and in Great Britain in 1977 . The advantage of this live is that we find the group's hits that had not yet been released at the time of the first “ Alive! ".
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| Slade's New Look 1978 |
Hyper boosted versions of " Take Me Back 'Ome ", " Mama Weer All Crazee Now " and " Cum On Feel The Noize ". Between each hits, the group will slip more recent songs, "Get On Up" with its drum riff and its short bass solo is the perfect title to attack the set, "Burning In The Heats Of Love" huge title which will be covered by Girlschool on their album 'Play Dirty' produced by Holder and Lea . "One Eyed Jack With Moustaches" with its wild boogie would knock the panes off the windows and the cover of "My Baby Left Me" rushes like an unbridled heavyweight and has nothing to do with the original version of Big Boy Crudup .
Slade demonstrates well in this live album that they could unleash the small rooms and that they could master the biggest ones. Mind you, its a a live album that could have been longer with other hits like “ Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me ”, “ Coz I Luv You ” or even titles from the album 'Slade in Flame'. [extract from edeblocnot.]
Although Slade Alive Vol 2 didn't have the same affect on me as their first, I have always looked upon these two live albums as a pigeon pair, so how could I not post Alive Vol 2 here as well.
Both ripped from CD in FLAC, full album artwork for CD and Vinyl is included, along with artwork for a special CD release which included both albums (see above).
A1 Hear Me Calling 5:20
A2 In Like A Shot From My Gun 3:10
A3 Darling Be Home Soon 5:35
A4 Know Who You Are 3:30
B1 Keep On Rocking 6:20
B2 Get Down With It 5:15
B3 Born To Be Wild 7:10
Slade Alive! Vol II
A1 Get On Up 5:39
A2 Take Me Bak 'Ome 4:14
A3 My Baby Left Me 2:32
A4 Be 3:50
B1 Burnin' In The Heat Of Love 3:30
B2 Everyday 3:30
B3 Gudbuy T' Jane 4:42
B4 One-Eyed Jacks 3:20
B5 C'mon Feel The Noize 3:57
Slade Alive 1 & 2 Link (671Mb)
New Link 06/09/2023
I would extend this to include Slade On Stage recorded at Newcastle (UK) City Hall - another excellent live album with a great start. (I was there!) Keep up the good work - love your blog. Ant
ReplyDeleteYes - totally agree - On Stage is another brilliant release by Slade. But only released on CD so doesn't fit the blog's charter
DeleteThanks for dropping by Ant