Beginnings | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 9 May 1969 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 35:30 | |||
Label | Fontana | |||
Producer |
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Ambrose Slade chronology | ||||
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Singles from Beginnings | ||||
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American Cover | ||||
Beginnings is the debut album by the British rock band Ambrose Slade,who later achieved fame as Slade. It was released on 9 May 1969,but failed to enter the charts. In the US,it was released under the title Ballzy. A re-issue as Beginnings of Slade was briefly released by Contour in 1975,but was quickly withdrawn from sale due to copyright issues. [1]
Beginnings is a mixture of self-penned songs and cover versions including two tracks by Steppenwolf. As if to confirm the diversity of the group's influences,they also cut Ted Nugent &The Amboy Dukes' "Journey to the Centre of Your Mind","Ain't Got No Heart" by Frank Zappa &The Mothers of Invention,The Moody Blues' "Fly Me High",Lennon and McCartney's "Martha My Dear" and "If This World Were Mine" by Marvin Gaye.
The cover artwork for the original British release of the album features a photo of the band on Pouk Hill in Walsall,a local landmark which was close to lead singer Noddy Holder's home. The band didn't enjoy the photo session due to the photographer insisting that they should pose naked from the waist up in extremely cold weather. The incident was later to form the basis of the lyrics to their song "Pouk Hill",which appeared on their second album,Play It Loud,in 1970. [2]
The album has been included as part of John Peel's Rarest Records documentary. [3]
Slade had originally formed as The 'N Betweens in 1966. Aside from recording the odd,unsuccessful single,the band mainly concentrated on building a reputation on the UK's live circuit. In February 1969,Jack Baverstock,the head of A&R at Philips Records,took an interest in signing the band after hearing two of their demos,recorded during 1968 sessions with producer Martin Irving. [4] Baverstock soon offered to sign the band if they changed their name to Ambrose Slade and found London-based management. Despite their concerns of losing the reputation gained as the 'N Betweens,the band agreed. The name Ambrose Slade was inspired by Baverstock's secretary,who had named her handbag Ambrose and her shoes Slade. [2] [5] Baverstock soon found them an agent,John Gunnel.
The band spent a week in the Philips studio at Stanhope Place recording Beginnings with engineer Roger Wake. Having thought the band's demo of "Mad Dog Cole" was great,Baverstock insisted the band write more material of their own. The three other originals,"Roach Daddy","Pity The Mother" and "Genesis",were then written within days. In a 1980 interview,bassist Jim Lea recalled:"This was our first major crack at making a record,so it was all important not to let it slip. So we did "Roach Daddy","Mad Dog Cole" and "Genesis" out of total fear. "Pity The Mother" was another one of the songs that Bavistock "forced" us to write." At a time when the band were not yet fully writing their own material,the album contained eight covers of songs the band regularly played as part of their live-set. Of the covers,Lea said:"They were all numbers that we were doing live on stage at the time. We had started to move away from the Flower Power thing then,but we were still doing unusual numbers. You can see by all the writers of the songs,they are all big names now,but at the time they were unheard of. Frank Zappa –he was totally unknown,he had only recorded one album,but we recorded his "Ain't Got No Heart"." [6] Contrary to Lea's statement,Zappa had actually released six studio albums before Ambrose Slade released their debut.
During the recording of the album,Ambrose Slade would be introduced to Chas Chandler,who visited the band in the studio with his business partner Gunnel. Impressed by what he heard in the studio,Chandler decided to watch the band perform live at Rasputin's club the following night. By the end of the show,he decided that he wanted to manage the group and soon became the band's manager. [2] [5]
In May 1969,Beginnings was released,along with the single "Genesis",however both failed to chart. This was despite a promotional video being shot at London's Euston Station to promote the album. [7] Following the lack of commercial success,the band and Chandler began considering their next career move. Having not been pleased with the debut album,Chandler thought the band would benefit from writing their own material and a change of image. The band would record two further singles for Fontana until Chandler moved the band to Polydor,where they would later achieve a commercial breakthrough in 1971. [2] [5]
Speaking of the album's release and lack of commercial success,Lea said:"It dropped drastically. But that wasn't the point,you see it got us the footing in London,so it was a case of mission accomplished for us. Chas Chandler took us over. We still had some time to run on our contract with Bavistock,so we released our next two singles on Fontana. There were some internal hassles between Chas and the new boss of Fontana,and the next thing that I knew was that we were out of the Fontana deal. Chas had connections with Polydor,due to when he managed Jimi Hendrix,so we signed a contract with them." [8] [9]
"Genesis" is an original instrumental,written by all four members of the band. The song would later be re-worked,with lyrics added into the track "Know Who You Are",which appeared on the band's 1970 album Play It Loud. [10] "Everybody's Next One" is a cover of the 1968 song by Steppenwolf. "Knocking Nails into My House" is a cover of the 1968 song by The Idle Race. "Roach Daddy" was also written by all four members of the band. In addition to its inclusion on the album,the song also featured as the B-Side on the "Genesis" single. "Ain't Got No Heart" is a cover of the 1966 song by the Mothers of Invention. "Pity the Mother" was the first song to be written by Slade's future songwriting team Holder and Lea. The song features Lea on electric violin. In 1980,Lea recalled of the song:"We wrote it in Nod's parents' kitchen,the day before we went down to do some recording in the studio. Louise [Lea's wife] was there,and she helped me and Nod write the song."
"Mad Dog Cole" is another original instrumental. The song had the working title of "My Cat's Got Fleas". "Fly Me High" is a cover of the 1967 song by The Moody Blues. "If This World Were Mine" is a cover of the 1967 duet by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. "Martha My Dear" is a cover of the 1968 song by The Beatles. The band would later perform the song on the BBC children's show Monster Music Mash in 1969 when promoting the single "Wild Winds Are Blowing". "Born to be Wild" is another song originally by Steppenwolf. "Born to be Wild" was later included on the 1972 live album Slade Alive!,which gave the band's version of the song greater recognition. "Journey to the Centre of Your Mind" is a cover of the 1968 song by The Amboy Dukes.
Upon release,reviewer Lester Bangs of Phonograph Record described the album as "a real dud". Record Mirror,in a review of the "Genesis" single,described the album as a "fine debut" from a band of "very substantial talent".
Later in 1991,a retrospective of Beginnings by Q said:"It's an odd but pleasant album,which sees the quartet nervously relax in The Small Faces' shoes." Dave Thompson in a retrospective summary for AllMusic feels that the album presents "little of what you'd expect from Slade",although "Noddy Holder's vocals are unmistakable". Thompson praises the "well-executed covers",which served to "demonstrate the band's musical versatility". He concluded:"While there are a handful of disappointments ("Martha My Dear" is almost heinous),Beginnings stands as a fine beginning. But things were going to get a lot better than this." [11]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Genesis" | Dave Hill, Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Don Powell | 3:16 |
2. | "Everybody's Next One" | John Kay, Gabriel Mekler | 2:45 |
3. | "Knocking Nails into My House" | Jeff Lynne | 2:24 |
4. | "Roach Daddy" | Hill, Holder, Lea, Powell | 3:03 |
5. | "Ain't Got No Heart" | Frank Zappa | 2:37 |
6. | "Pity the Mother" | Holder, Lea | 3:57 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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7. | "Mad Dog Cole" | Hill, Holder, Lea, Powell | 2:42 |
8. | "Fly Me High" | Justin Hayward | 2:56 |
9. | "If This World Were Mine" | Marvin Gaye | 3:16 |
10. | "Martha My Dear" | John Lennon, Paul McCartney | 2:19 |
11. | "Born to Be Wild" | Mars Bonfire | 3:24 |
12. | "Journey to the Centre of Your Mind" | Ted Nugent, Steve Farmer | 2:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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13. | "Wild Winds Are Blowing" (non-album single) | Bob Saker, Jack Winsley | 2:39 |
14. | "C'Mon C'Mon" (B-side of "Shape of Things to Come") | Holder | 2:38 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Born to Be Wild" | 3:24 |
2. | "Genesis" | 3:16 |
3. | "Martha My Dear" | 2:19 |
4. | "Ain't Got No Heart" | 2:37 |
5. | "Roach Daddy" | 3:03 |
6. | "Everybody's Next One" | 2:45 |
7. | "Fly Me High" | 2:56 |
8. | "If This World Were Mine" | 3:16 |
9. | "Pity the Mother" | 3:57 |
10. | "Knocking Nails into My House" | 2:24 |
11. | "Mad Dog Cole" | 2:42 |
12. | "Journey to the Centre of Your Mind" | 2:46 |
Ambrose Slade
Additional personnel
Play It Loud is the second studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released by Polydor in November 1970 but did not enter the charts. The album, produced by Chas Chandler, was the first to be released under the Slade name, as the band's 1969 debut Beginnings was released under the name Ambrose Slade.
Slade Alive! is the first live album by the British rock band Slade. The album was released on 24 March 1972 and reached No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, remaining in the chart for 58 weeks. It was Slade's first album to enter the UK charts and also the first to enter the Billboard 200 in the United States, where it reached No. 158. The album was produced by Chas Chandler.
Old New Borrowed and Blue is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released on 15 February 1974 and reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It has been certified Gold by BPI. The album was produced by Chas Chandler. For the album, Slade attempted to begin breaking away from their usual rock formula. For example, the singles "My Friend Stan" and "Everyday" were piano-led and did not have the typical "Slade" sound.
Nobody's Fools is the sixth studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released in March 1976 and reached No. 14 in the UK. The album was produced by Chas Chandler.
Return to Base is the eighth studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released on 1 October 1979 by Barn Records, and did not enter any national album charts. At the time of the album's release, the band's success had waned and were receiving little fortune. Forced to play at small halls and clubs around the UK, the only income they were reliant on was Noddy Holder and Jim Lea's songwriting royalties. Their recent singles had sold poorly and they were no longer drawing in large audiences. Prior to their last-minute call up for the 1980 Reading Festival, they were on the verge of disbanding.
"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1972 as the lead single from their third studio album Slayed? It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 1 in the UK, giving the band their third number one single, and remained in the charts for ten weeks. In the United States, the song reached No. 76.
Slade Smashes is a compilation album by the British rock band Slade. It was released 1 November 1980 and reached No. 21 on the UK charts. The album was issued by Polydor in the wake of new interest in the band following their successful appearance at the 1980 Reading Festival, filling in for Ozzy Osbourne. The album featured most of the band's big hits from their early and mid 1970s heyday in the UK as well as three of the band's singles from post-1977. This collection, alongside the band's subsequent 1981 studio release We'll Bring the House Down, further cemented Slade's comeback in the UK and Europe.
"We'll Bring The House Down" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1981 as the lead single from their ninth studio album We'll Bring the House Down. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Slade. The band's first single to reach the UK Top 40 since 1977, the song peaked at No. 10 in the UK, remaining in the chart for nine weeks.
"Gudbuy T'Jane" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1972 as the second single from their third studio album Slayed? It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 2 in the UK, remaining in the charts for thirteen weeks. The song was certified UK Silver by BPI in 1973. In the United States, the song reached No. 68. It was also included on the band's 1973 compilation album Sladest.
"My Friend Stan" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1973 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album Old New Borrowed and Blue. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 2 in the UK, spending eight weeks on the chart. The single was certified UK Silver by BPI in October 1973.
"Universe" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in December 1991 as the second single from their compilation album Wall of Hits (1991). It was written and produced by bassist Jim Lea. "Universe" reached number 76 in the UK Singles Chart and was the band's last single before disbanding in 1992.
"How Does It Feel" is song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1975 as the second single from the band's first soundtrack album and fifth studio album Slade in Flame, in promotion of the film of the same name. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 15 in the UK, remaining in the charts for seven weeks.
"In for a Penny" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1975 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Nobody's Fools. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Chas Chandler. It reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 50 for eight weeks.
"Let's Call It Quits" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1976 as the second single from their sixth studio album Nobody's Fools. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 11 in the UK, remaining in the charts for seven weeks.
"Gypsy Roadhog" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1977 as the only single from the band's seventh studio album Whatever Happened to Slade. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 48 in the UK.
"'Alive at Reading'" is an extended play (EP) by the British rock band Slade, released in 1980. Alive at Reading includes three live tracks recorded at the band's performance at the 1980 Reading Festival. The EP was produced by Slade and reached No. 44 in the UK, remaining in the charts for five weeks. The EP was later included in its entirety on the 2006 Salvo compilation Slade Alive! – The Live Anthology.
Six of the Best is an extended play (EP) by the British rock band Slade, released in 1980. Six of the Best includes six tracks; three new tracks and three taken from the band's 1979 studio album Return to Base. All songs were written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, except "I'm a Rocker" which was written by Chuck Berry. The EP was produced by Slade and failed to enter the UK charts.
"Rock 'n' Roll Bolero" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1978 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Slade. The song failed to make an appearance in the UK Singles Chart.
"Wild Winds Are Blowing" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1969 as a non-album single under the name "The Slade". The song was written by Bob Saker and Jack Winsley, and produced by Chas Chandler. It failed to make an appearance in the UK charts.
"Know Who You Are" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1970 as a second and final single from their second studio album Play It Loud. The song was written by Jim Lea, Noddy Holder, Don Powell and Dave Hill, and produced by Chas Chandler. It failed to make an appearance in the UK chart.