Glam Slam Guide

The Black Country boys who made glam rock stomp, shout and spell badly on purpose!

Slade were formed in Wolverhampton, England, in 1966 as The N’Betweens. By 1969 they’d become Ambrose Slade, then simply Slade under the guidance of manager Chas Chandler (ex-Animals, Jimi Hendrix discoverer).

From skinhead boot-boy beginnings they exploded into the ultimate 1970s glam sensation – top hats, mirrors, misspelt song titles and the loudest live shows on the planet

The Classic Line-Up

Noddy Holder – vocals & rhythm guitar (the voice & the hat)

Dave Hill – lead guitar (the supersonic spaceman outfits)

Jim Lea – bass, violin, keyboards (the quiet genius songwriter)

Don Powell – drums (the powerhouse)

Essential Starting Point (The Holy Trinity – 1971-1973)

Slade Alive! (1972) – Album Release (1972)

The rawest, rowdiest live album of the decade. “Hear Me Callin’” and “In Like a Shot from My Gun” and the crowd going mental. If you only own one Slade record, make it this.

Slayed? (1972) – Album Release (1972) – UK #1

Peak Slade. “Gudbuy T’ Jane”, “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” – pure glam stompers.

Sladest (1973) – Compilation – UK #1

All six number-one hits in one place (Coz I Luv You → Cum On Feel the Noize).

The Six UK Number Ones (1971–1973)

Coz I Luv You → Take Me Bak ’Ome → Mama Weer All Crazee Now → Cum On Feel the Noize → Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me → Merry Xmas Everybody

Beyond the Hits

Old New Borrowed and Blue (1974) – UK #1 – shows their softer, piano-led side (“Everyday”, “Far Far Away”)

Slade in Flame (1974) – UK #6 – brilliant film soundtrack, often called their “grown-up” album

Nobody's Fools (1976) – the underrated soul-rock experiment

Whatever Happened to Slade (1977) – raw punk-energy return (many fans’ secret favourite)

Where to Start Listening Today (5 tracks)

Mama Weer All Crazee Now – the ultimate foot-stomper

Cum On Feel the Noize – invented crowd-singalong chaos

Gudbuy T’ Jane – perfect glam riff

Merry Xmas Everybody – the Christmas song (like it or not!)

Far Far Away – beautiful wanderlust ballad

Slade weren’t just glam – they were the people’s glam. Loud, funny, and utterly unforgettable.

Welcome to the noise!