Slade: Return To Base Album (1979)

Slade's Return To Base was released as an LP album in the UK by Barn Records (Chas Chandler's indie label, catalog NARB 003 on October 1, 1979.

Return to Base is Slade's eighth studio album and a gritty snapshot of their wilderness years. This UK vinyl LP (33⅓ RPM, gatefold sleeve with inner lyric booklet) arrived amid commercial freefall—over two years after the underperforming Whatever Happened to Slade (1977)—as the band ditched their glitter for a rawer hard rock sound to compete with punk. Recorded in six weeks at Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey (June–July 1979), it was their first self-produced effort, born from frustrations with Chandler's oversight; the band demoed 20 tracks, whittling to 11, with Lea emerging as a key sonic architect.

Engineer Andy Miller coaxed in the bonus "Another Win" (unreleased until 2011). The title, a military nod to "returning to headquarters," symbolized their battered regrouping after US flop and domestic punk snubs. Pressed in limited runs (exact figures unknown, but singles suggest modest distribution), original copies are collectible today, It bombed in the UK (no chart entry), but hit No. 1 on Belgium's Telemoustique Albums Chart in 1980 via import buzz and Warner

Bros. local release, buoyed by airplay and fan fervor. No US edition surfaced until 2006 CD reissues.

Track Listing

All songs written by Holder/Lea except "I'm a Rocker" (Chuck Berry cover). Total runtime: 33:48. Side splits reflect the original vinyl pressing.

| Side | Track | Title | Duration |

|------|-------|-------|----------|

| A | 1 | Wheels Ain't Coming Down | 3:40 |

| A | 2 | Hold on to Your Hats | 2:32 |

| A | 3 | Chakeeta | 2:26 |

| A | 4 | Don't Waste Your Time (Back Seat Star) | 3:28 |

| A | 5 | Sign of the Times | 3:57 |

| B | 6 | I'm a Rocker | 2:46 |

| B | 7 | Nut Bolts and Screws | 2:30 |

| B | 8 | My Baby's Got It | 2:34 |

| B | 9 | I'm Mad | 2:46 |

| B | 10 | Lemme Love into Ya | 3:26 |

| B | 11 | Ginny, Ginny | 3:38 |

Singles drawn from it:

"Ginny, Ginny" b/w "Dapple Rose" (May 1979, Barn BAR 102; 3,500 copies, no chart); "Sign of the Times" b/w "Lemme Love into Ya" (October 1979, Barn BAR 105; melted down post-flop);

"I'm a Rocker" (Belgium-only, March 1980).

Personnel

- Slade:

- Noddy Holder: Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, producer

- Dave Hill: Lead guitar, backing vocals, producer

- Jim Lea: Bass, piano, synthesizer, backing vocals, producer

- Don Powell: Drums, percussion, backing vocals, producer

- Production:

- Andy Miller: Engineer

- Dave Garland, Mark O'Donoughue: Assistant engineers

- George Peckham (Porky): Mastering/cutting engineer

- Eric Massey: Art direction

Critical Reception and Legacy

Reviews were tepid, mirroring Slade's faded star. *Record Mirror* lauded energetic cuts like "Nut Bolts and Screws" and "My Baby's Got It" for recapturing '70s fire but slammed the rest as uninspired retreads. *Sounds* deemed it a "fair to impressive" hard rock return, praising Holder's snarls amid dated vibes that punk kids might scoff at. *NME*'s Max Bell was harsher, dubbing Slade a "poor man's hard rock band" in a scathing pan of their persistence. Modern takes vary: Rate Your Music users rate it 3.1/5 as solid but unremarkable glam-hard rock, while superfans hail its DIY grit as a prelude to their '80s resurgence. Reissued on CD (e.g., 2006 Union Square with bonuses like "Dapple Rose"), it's a cult fave for completists, streaming on Spotify/YouTube with era clips. If you're chasing Slade's underdog phase, this raw slab outshines their glossier hits—pure, unvarnished Wolverhampton soul.