Jim's Evening Spawns A Song

Slade's "Everyday" b/w "Good Time Gals." was released in the UK as a 7" vinyl single on March 29, 1974.

It reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and spent seven weeks in the top 50. The single was certified UK Silver by BPI in April 1974, only three days after its release.

In 2013, the song was used in a UK advert for the Nexus 7 tablet. As a result, it re-entered the UK chart in late November and peaked at number 69 the following month.

The idea for "Everyday" came out of an evening at Lea's house where he was entertaining friends. Responding to the question of how he wrote songs, Lea said "easy, anyone can do it" and each person then attempted to come up with their idea for a song on the spot. Lea's wife Louise had come up with an idea, which formed the basis of "Everyday"s verse. Lea later developed her idea further to become a Slade song. Once he had finished the music and some more of the lyrics, Holder finished the final lyrics off. During the recording of the song, guitarist Dave Hill was abroad on his honeymoon so Lea played the guitar solo.

SLADE: "Everyday" (Polydor). By virtue of Chas Chandler's cagey belly-on-the-ground style of management "Every-day" amounts to a kind of Slade Unchained watershed. It's a slowish, piano-dominated tune with none of the scarcely-credible demented obscenities of the band's earlier material. The mood shift began with that Xmas single and carried through into the "Old, New, Borrowed And Blue" album in which this track was first tested (remnants of the belly-on-ground reticence). Especially surprising is the lightness of Noddy's voice light in attack and heavier than ever in emotional stab. Not a great record but a bravish and attractive three minutes. Let's hope Slade freaks understand what's going on. I've a suspicion The Accident was the catharsis that will force them to reach their potential as a Great Band.

REVIEW TAKEN FROM MELODY MAKER MARCH 30, 1974

March 29, 1974