Slade

Odds and sods about the British rock band Slade

Wednesday, July 26, 2006


Slade on Countdown, 1991 Posted by Picasa


A drinking problem Posted by Picasa


New singer Posted by Picasa

Countdown 1991

Wilfried Mende, former president of the German fan-club, made it possible for me to see the Dutch Countdown show from December 16, 1991, where the guys did MXE.
Noddy keeps taking over the show, luring the moderator away under far-out pretences. In the end the moderator replaces Nod during MXE, but before that he and Nod have a dispute about a big beer, ending with Nod spitting beer all over the moderator. Really worth a look! Thanks, Wilf!

Thursday, July 20, 2006


Profile pics, 1 Posted by Picasa


Profile pics, 2 Posted by Picasa

Till Deaf Profiles

I've always been a sucker for questionnaires and probably the funniest one I have read in connection with Slade was the one featured in the Till Deaf Do Us Part tour book. Parts of it you can see at the Spanish Slade Page, but for those (probably few!) of you who have never read it, here you have all 30 questions and 120 answers! Please, note that the answers are 25 years old, so much has changed since then!

1. LPs:
Nod: Stranger In Town - Bob Seeger/Sgt. Pepper - Beatles/Deep Purple In Rock/Queen's Greatest Hits
Dave: Z.Z. Top's Greatest Hits/John Williams Hits
Don: Long Run - Eagles/Face Value - Phil Collins
Jim: Dylan Greatest/Back In Black - AC/DC/Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin/ Till Deaf Do Us Part

2. 45s
Nod: Alright Now - Free/Cold Turkey - John Lennon/Cool For Cats - Squeeze/Reasons To Be Cheerful - Ian Dury
Dave: Apache - Shadows/One Of These Nights - Eagles
Don: One Of These Nights - Eagles
Jim: Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan/Penny Lane - Beatles

3. Books
Nod: Ragtime/Dune/Biographies/All Harold Robbins
Dave: Complete Works - E.B. Browning
Don: Jungle Book
Jim: Animal Farm/Einstein's Universe/Cruel Sea

4. Bloke Singers:
Nod: Little Richard/Stevie Wonder/Joe Cocker/Al Jolson
Dave: Lemmy/Elvis Presley/John Lennon/Johnny Mathis
Don: José Feliciano
Jim: John Lennon/Mick Jagger/Robert Plant

5. Bird Singers:
Nod: Bessie Smith/Janis Joplin/Judy Garland/Phoebe Snow
Dave: Lemmy/Freddie Mercury/Barbara Streisand/Shirley Bassey
Don: Joan Armatrading
Jim: Chrissie Hynde/Dusty Springfield

6. Groups
Nod: Z.Z. Top/Beatles/Stones/Elvin Bishop Band
Dave: AC/DC/Z.Z. Top/Sky/Old Shadows/Beatles
Don: Eagles
Jim: Beatles/Stones/Led Zeppelin/AC/DC

7. Instrumentalists
Nod: Billy Gibbons/J.J. Cale/Stevie Wonder/Albert Lee
Dave: Billy Gibbons/John Williams/Hank Marvin/Django Rheinhart
Don: Phil Collins
Jim: Eric Clapton/Brian May/Tommy Burton

8. Writers
Nod: Lennon - McCartney/Jagger - Richards/Godley - Creme
Dave: Lennon - McCartney/Albeniz/Torrego/Chuck Berry
Don: Glen Frey/Don Henley
Jim: Lennon - McCartney/ Jagger - Richards/Bob Dylan/Squeeze/Queen

9. Flicks
Nod: Cabaret/Citizen Kane/The Sting
Dave: Graduate/Dr. Zhivago/A Matter of Life and Death
Don: One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
Jim: One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

10. Actors
Nod: Rod Steiger/Dustin Hoffman/Marx Bros./ Woody Allen
Dave: David Niven/Rod Steiger/James Robertson Justice
Don: Jack Nicholson
Jim: Robert Hardy/James Garner/Clint Eastwood

11. Actresses
Nod: Sian Phillips/Bette Davies/Hilda Ogden
Dave: 'Turn It Up' Charlie Newnham
Don: Madeline Kahn
Jim: Sian Phillips

12. Telly Shows
Nod: Soap/I Claudius/Robin Day Question Time/Dallas
Dave: W.K.R.P. Cincinnati/Soap/Rising Damp
Don: Benson
Jim: Churchill - Wilderness Years/Horizon

13. Booze
Nod: Guinness/Rocket Fuel On The Rocks
Dave: Good red wine/Pint of Springfield Bitter/Malt Whisky
Don: After 6 Vodkas anything
Jim: Banks' Mild/anything free

14. Watering Holes
Nod: Solambo - Hamburg. Expensive but plenty of added extras
Dave: Trumpet/Ye Old Pig & Whistle
Don: Wherever stays open the longest
Jim: Numerous

15. Fetishes
Nod: Letting one rip in the bath
Dave: Mini skirts/black leather/white boots
Don: Having a bath with a woman - I've got a snorkel if she gets into trouble
Jim: Legs - preferably women's

16. Cars
Nod: Mercedes
Dave: Rolls Silver Cloud/Jensen C.V. 8/Jaguars/Probe 3
Don: You must be joking!
Jim: None - they always let you down

17. Sports
Nod: The Bottle Of Guinness Supporters Club/snooker
Dave: Squash
Don: Boxing/mud wrestling
Jim: Hate them all

18. Quotation
Nod: "The Boy Stood On The Burning Deck. Idiot!" - Spike Milligan
Dave: "It's Your Round."
Don: "A Year Ban & £ 125 Fine For You, Son."
Jim: "Opinions Are Like Assholes - Everybody Has Got One"

19. Gusset
Nod: Bette Lynch
Dave: Lady Di
Don: Joanna Lumley
Jim: Brigitte Bardot

20. Red Light Area
Nod: Cleethorpes Sea Front
Dave: Micky Legge's Place
Don: Giuza - Tokyo
Jim: Amsterdam/Bochum

21. Tranny Café
Nod: "The Board" A74 between Glasgow & Carlisle
Dave: M5 - Best Greasy Spoon & Crocked Cuos
Don: Prince of Wales - W. Hampstead
Jim: Mother in law's

22. Illegal Substances
Nod: Cleethorpes Gold
Dave: Smoking coke
Don: My driving license
Jim: Pot plants

23 Worst Record
Nod: Andy Williams Greatest Hits!
Dave: Haven't made it yet
Don: Finishing in 30 seconds
Jim: Love Is Like A Violin - Ken Dodd

24. First Sexual Encounter
Nod: Back of the bike sheds at school
Dave: "Not yet"
Don: Finishing in 30 seconds
Jim: The wife - I'm a late developer

25. Biggest Thrill
Nod: Back of the bike sheds at school
Dave: First sexual encounter
Don: Finishing in 25 seconds
Jim: Second sexual encounter

26. Biggest Disappointment
Nod: Being caught behind the bike sheds at school
Dave: Buying a round
Don: Operation to get back my taste & smell failing
Jim: None

27. Anyone In History Would Like To Have Been
Nod: Napoleon
Dave: Methuselah
Don: Attila The Hun
Jim: Charles Darwin

28. Person Would Most Like To Be Stranded On A Desert Island With
Nod: Max Miller
Dave: The Alpha & The Omega
Don: Joanna Lumley
Jim: Chief brewer - Banks'

29. Criminal Record
Nod: Roxanne - The Police
Dave: Haven't heard one
Don: Drinking & driving ban
Jim: None

30. Person would most like to see on a nude centrefold
Nod: Stand Ogden
Dave: Olive Oyl
Don: Joanna Lumley
Jim: Meatloaf/Ozzie Osbourne

Yes, I know, it's long. But hilarious! Could be fun to do one today just to see the changes! I wonder if Slade would still be made up of a Napoleon, Methuselah, Attila The Hun and a Charles Darwin? It sure makes a lot of sense to me, when it comes to the popularity of the band!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006


Nod introduces the guys on AB, 1984: Posted by Picasa


"Donald Powell" Posted by Picasa


"James Lea" Posted by Picasa


"David Hill - the madman!" Posted by Picasa

American Bandstand, 1984

Some time ago I had the opportunity to see a video of Slade performing at an American Bandstand-show hosted by Dick Clark. The show was aired on June 23, 1984 and the guys do Run Runaway and My Oh My. If you've seen this particular episode 2601 of AB you'll remember, because during Run Runaway Jim actually trips over the wires and very inelegantly struggles to gain his balance, which makes him as well as Don burst into laughter.
Dick Clark introduces the band by telling about their "extraordinary record-breaking success in England and all over the world" and he says that their success in the United States is too long overdue.
Between songs Dick Clark interviews the guys and Noddy talks about them being chums and that they still enjoying playing together. Dave tells about their popularity around the world, and Jim talks about their No. 1 hits in England and why it took so long to make hits in the USA. Don says nothing. Anyway, thanks for the view, Don!

Wednesday, July 05, 2006


Who shot this pic of Jim and Nod in Køge, Denmark, July 23, 1978? Posted by Picasa


Jim in Køge, 1978 Posted by Picasa


Dave in Køge, 1978 Posted by Picasa


Another pic of Jim, but who was behind the camera? Posted by Picasa

In search of photographer(s)

Wilfried Mende, former president of the German Slade fan club, sent me some pics of Slade from the much-photographed gig at the Køge Civic Festival, July 23, 1978. Unfortunately Wilf doesn't remember who the photographer(s) are. If anyone knows, please contact me so I can credit them. Thank you.