S L A D E - Album
Slayed?
The Booklet - background information included in the CD version:
It was Samantha who first introduced me to SLADE. She was a
sweaty little discotheque in London's Mayfair, and SLADE were
an amiable bunch of lads from Wolverhampton whose mischievous
enthusiasm was winning them an enviable reputation as a "good
club band". That night was well over a couple of years ago but
it stuck in my memory considerably longer than the following
day's hangover.
SLADE both looked and sounded different from most club bands
on the scene at that time. They were a welcome change from the
immobile, introvert rock musicans who hunched over their
instruments trying to impress fans with spell-binding
virtuosity that often amounted to little more than a thirty-minute jam session.
SLADE were a direct confrontation to all this. They sounded
crisp and tight. They kept their numbers short and they hat no
illusions of grandeur about their musical ability. They were a
good time. They were spearheading the march back towards
extrovert behaviour. Excitement and glamour were on their way
back and SLADE knew it.
Each year writers on music papers are faced with the task of
choosing a group most likely to succeed within the coming 12
months. At the end of that year - 1970 - I chose SLADE,
despite questioning remarks from various colleagues. Now they
have a pockeful of number one hits and they pack concert halls
both in Britain and in Europe. It is great to be able to say
"I told you so".
Jack and Jill are a couple of fictitious SLADE fans I invented
for a story about the group in Melody Maker. The names are
immaterial - they could be John and Mary, Chris and Janet or
Mick and Linda - the point is that they all represent a new
generation of rock fans to whom SLADE are today's number one band.
Jack and Jill can identify with SLADE, because SLADE are Jack
and Jill's first love. To Jack and Jill none came before and
aftermaths will be looked on as such. Noddy, Dave, Jim and Don
have forged a name for themselves on the strength of nothing
else save their own personal brand of music. Comparisons are
superfluous. SLADE are SLADE, and SLADE are now.
I hope you enjoy this album. It's been made for you, Jack and
Jill. And while we're throwing names about, I'll take this
opportunity of thanking Samantha for giving me SLADE - and a
hangover.
Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker.
Oktober 1972