Why Slade Were The Kings Of Glam Rock

If ever a band knew how to throw a party on stage it was Slade. They got the audience into it like no other. They had some nice ballads to mix in with their rockers also.

Just for a minute, forget about David Bowie and Marc Bolan. For that matter, forget about Roy Wood, Queen, the New York Dolls, Gary Glitter and even Roxy Music. The real kings of glam rock were the West Midlands group Slade. Well known in the UK, the group had a number of smash hits, out charting all of their glam rock peers, with no less than 10 hits in the top 20, with 5 of these being #1; their record for hit singles in a single decade is second only to the Beatles.

Despite the success they achieved on the UK charts in the early to mid 1970s, the band is best known in the United States through the hit cover versions of their songs recorded by the American band Quiet Riot about a decade after their original release - these cover versions revived some interest in the band in the US , with younger fans taking up an interest in Slade as a result.

Of course, they had never gone away. Neville "Noddy" Holder, Dave Hill, Don Powell and Jim Lea had kept on going, releasing album after album from 1969 (before they shortened their name from Ambrose Slade) until 1987. The band had existed in one form or another since 1966, though it was when the foursome from Wolverhampton were taken under the wing of former Animals bassist Chas Chandler that their career really began to take off.

Back in the 70's you had to love their attire on stage. Dave Hill wore the wildest costumes and platform boots you could of imagined.

Next came Noddy Holder with all the plaid, suspenders and of course his famous mirrored top hat. When the spotlight was on his hat the whole concert hall looked like a giant disco. It was very cool.
At one of their gigs I joined Slade on stage - just read my story!

While their first two studio albums weren't the smash hits that their next few would be, the music itself showed the promise of what was to come, especially their second studio album "Play it Loud" and the live album Slade Alive which showed the raw energy of the group.

Their third studio outing Slayed? would prove to be the charm, featuring the anthemic Mama Weer All Crazee Now (a #1 hit later covered by Quiet Riot) as well as the #2 hit Gudbuy T' Jane. With this album, Slade had indisputably arrived.

The band went on to release a string of #1 and #2 hit singles in the UK, many of which followed the pattern of using intentionally misspelled titles, an homage to the band's Black Country accents. One of their most enduring hits, curiously enough was a Christmas song, the 1973 holiday anthem Merry Xmas Everybody, which beat rivaling glam rock artist Wizzard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day and is to this day one of the most beloved Christmas songs in the UK.

It is also my favorite Christmas song.

With a nearly untouchable reputation as hit makers and a massive number of unforgettable songs and albums which have influenced artists all across the musical spectrum of pop rock and roll, they need no introduction in the United Kingdom - but is definitely due for some much deserved recognition in the rest of the world.

Their hits were very catchy tunes; but on stage they could rock like it was no one's business. They inspired quite a few bands on their journey; KISS is the one that stands out to me. They were the glam band extraordinaire. Like Deep Purple they belong in The Rock Hall. ROCK ON!