Slade: "Lock Up Your Daughters" Single (1981)

Netherlands - RCA - 1981

Slade’s "Lock Up Your Daughters" backed with "Sign of the Times", was released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK by RCA Records (catalog number RCA 122) on September 4, 1981.

Chart Performance: Reached #29 on the UK Singles Chart, staying in the Top 75 for eight weeks. It also hit #17 in the Netherlands and was a minor success in other European markets.

Context in 1981:

Following their comeback album We’ll Bring the House Down (1981) and the Top 10 hit of the same name, Slade signed with RCA Records and leaned into a heavier, metal-influenced sound to align with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) audience. Their tenth studio album, Till Deaf Do Us Part (released November 1981), reflected this shift.

Background: Slade, formed in Wolverhampton, England, in 1966, is an English rock band known for their anthemic glam rock hits in the early 1970s, including Cum On Feel the Noize and Merry Xmas Everybody. By 1981, the band—consisting of Noddy Holder (vocals), Dave Hill (guitar), Jim Lea (bass), and Don Powell (drums)—was experiencing a resurgence after their 1980 Reading Festival performance, which reignited interest in their high-energy, hard rock sound.

Tracklisting:

A-Side:

"Lock Up Your Daughters" (3:31)

Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea.

Produced by Slade.

B-Side:

"Sign of the Times" (3:58)

Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea.

Produced by Slade.

Promotion:

A music video was filmed on September 7, 1981 at Portland Studios, London, but received limited airplay. It was partially shown on Tiswas with overlaid children’s messages.

Slade performed the song on Top of the Pops (broadcast September 24, and October 8, 1981) and Dutch TV’s TopPop.

Significance and Reception

Cultural Impact:

The single marked Slade’s continued resurgence after their Reading Festival success, appealing to both their glam rock fanbase and newer NWOBHM audiences. "Lock Up Your Daughters" became a staple in their live sets, praised for its high-energy, party-rock vibe.

Critical Reception:

Reviews were mixed but generally positive. Sounds called it a “mighty rabble-rousing stomp” with a “Bad Company-style chorus,” while Melody Maker likened it to Slade’s 1972 hit Mama Weer All Crazee Now. Some critics, like Worcester Evening News, found it “predictable” and “stale,” citing limited lyrical appeal.