Are there any fans of Quiet Riot, Kiss, Poison, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, Motley Crue, The Replacements or Cheap Trick in here?
Thought so. On March 3, 1973, the progenitors of your rock and roll idols did something that hadn’t been done since those Nancy-boy Beatles. Slade’s new single, “Cum On Feel The Noize,” debuted at #1 in the UK. Number One was not an unfamiliar position for these hard to pigeonhole English rockers. In the early 70s they had 17 top ten singles, including 6 #1s – also the most since those Liverpool wankers.
Slade were hard rock, slightly heavy, slightly glam, slightly proto-punk, and full on all the time. Noddy Holder, guitar/vocals; Dave Hill, guitar; Jim Lea, bass/keys/guitar; and Don Powell, drums, were a formidable quartet formed in 1965. Holder, in particular, has one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in rock, so says Ozzy. And, all the guys could really play their instruments. Roger Daltrey called Slade “the perfect rock and roll band”.
How then to explain why Slade, so popular in the UK, failed so badly when they came to the US in 1975? Maybe their window had closed. Maybe fickle rock fans in the US turned their backs on more Brits invading the States. Maybe Noddy’s looks were too Marty Feldman and their fashion sense too weird for the appearance-conscious in the US.
I don’t have a freaking clue. By my reckoning, Slade should be at least as venerated as the bands that they inspired, as well as those who came after them, like T Rex, Nazareth and Judas Priest. It’s highly doubtful this TIMH can correct this injustice. But, we try.
