"Run Runaway" | ||||
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Single by Slade | ||||
from the album The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome and Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply | ||||
B-side | "Two Track Stereo One Track Mind" | |||
Released | 13 January 1984 | |||
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Length |
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Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | John Punter | |||
Slade singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
Audio | ||||
"Run Runaway" on YouTube |
"Run Runaway" is a song by British rock band Slade,released in 1984 as the third single from the band's 11th studio album, The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome ,and as the lead single from the album's US counterpart, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply . The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea and produced by John Punter. It reached No. 7 in the United Kingdom and was the band's first,and only,top 20 hit in the United States,where it reached No. 20.
Having recorded much of The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome in 1982,Slade's label,RCA Records,felt the album lacked chart potential and in the effort to amend that,RCA suggested the band work with producer John Punter. [3] Holder and Lea then wrote and demoed two songs;"My Oh My" and "Run Runaway". Both were received with enthusiasm by RCA and Punter was hired to work on the two tracks. [4] With the UK/European success of "My Oh My" in late 1983,The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome was rush-released by RCA in December.
"Run Runaway",described by Holder as "a rocky Scottish jig", [5] features Lea on electric fiddle. In a 1984 interview,Holder said:"We always wanted to do a jig with the old violin going and that. We decided to go in and put a sort of rock beat behind an old Scottish jig." [6] In a 1986 fan club interview,Lea revealed that he had come up with the song's melody while holding a conversation with someone. [7] The song bears melodic and structural similarities to the 19th century hymn "There Is a Happy Land". [8]
"Run Runaway" was released on 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl by RCA Records in the UK,Ireland,across Europe,Australia,New Zealand and Japan. It was released by CBS in the United States and Canada. [9] The B-side on all RCA versions of the single was "Two Track Stereo,One Track Mind",which was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides . On the CBS releases,"Don't Tame a Hurricane" appeared as the B-side,which would be included as an album track on Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. The 12-inch vinyl,released in the UK and Germany,featured an extended version of "Run Runaway" as the A-side.
In the UK,the band performed the song on the TV music show Top of the Pops ,while performances were filmed at the Hall of Fame and Rhyl Sun Centre. [10] The band also performed the song at the 1984 Montreux Festival and on German and Swedish TV. In America,the song was performed on American Bandstand and The Dance Show. [11]
A music video was filmed to promote the single,which was directed by Tim Pope for GLO Productions. It was shot at Eastnor Castle in Ledbury,Herefordshire. The video featured the band performing the song in front of an audience dressed in tartan. Other sequences showed a marching bagpipe band and a kilted Scot (Ron Tarr) grappling with a caber. The video was a big success in America,where it received constant showing on MTV. [7]
Upon its release as a single,Radio Luxembourg DJ Mike Hollis,writing for the Daily Mirror ,stated,"Slade are back –and how! A tremendous single. I reckon the boys are set for a great 1984." [12] Tommy Vance,reviewing for Kerrang! ,praised it as a "good single" and wrote,"I know for a fact that this is based on a traditional tune or melody –I just can't remember which one. This is very cleverly done,however,and the sound is great." [13] In a retrospective review by AllMusic,Dave Thompson described "Run Runaway" as "storming" and wrote,"Building on the anthemic power of the earlier 'My Oh My','Run Runaway' is raucous chanting,swirling guitars,wild violin,and even a taste of heavy metal bagpipes,helped along by a drum sound that is pure early '80s." [5]
In January 1984,"Run Runaway" was released as the album's third single and reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart. [14] The 1983 success of Quiet Riot's version of Slade's 1973 UK chart topper "Cum On Feel the Noize" led to Slade signing with CBS Associated Records for their first American record deal since the 1970s. The label soon repackaged The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome into Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply and released "Run Runaway" as the lead single in March 1984. [4] With surging interest in the band and a music video benefiting from heavy play on MTV,"Run Runaway" was Slade's breakthrough hit in the United States and would remain the band's biggest success there;it peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Top Tracks Chart. [15] [16]
7-inch single (RCA release)
7-inch single (CBS release)
12-inch single (UK/German release)
Slade
Additional personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The British Hit Singles & Albums names them the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles. They were the first act to have three singles enter the charts at number one; all six of the band's chart-toppers were penned by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. As of 2006, total UK sales stood at over 6,500,000. Their best-selling single, "Merry Xmas Everybody", sold in excess of one million copies. According to the 1999 BBC documentary It's Slade, the band have sold more than 50 million records worldwide.
The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome is the eleventh studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released on 3 December 1983 and reached No. 49 in the UK charts. The album was produced largely by bassist Jim Lea. The two UK Top 10 singles released from the album, "My Oh My" and "Run Runaway", were produced by John Punter.
"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.
Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply is a studio album by the British rock group Slade, released in America and Canada on April 2, 1984. It is a repackaged version of The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome which was released in the UK, Europe and across the rest of the world in December 1983. Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply reached No. 33 in the US and No. 26 in Canada, giving the band their breakthrough in the US. The album proved to be the most successful North American release of Slade's career. Both "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My" enjoyed Top 40 success as singles there.
Rogues Gallery is the twelfth studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released by RCA on 11 March 1985 and reached number 60 in the UK charts. The album was largely produced by John Punter, with bassist Jim Lea producing "Harmony", "I Win, You Lose" and "Time to Rock". For this release, the band set out to create an album of radio-friendly, potential hit singles which would be released as singles somewhere across the world.
Wall of Hits is a compilation album by the British rock band Slade. It was released on 11 November 1991 and reached No. 34 in the UK Albums Chart. The album was issued by Polydor and included the last two singles to be recorded by the band: "Radio Wall of Sound" and "Universe".
"My Oh My" is a song by British rock band Slade, released in November 1983 as the second single from the band's 11th studio album, The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome, and in 1984 as the second single from the album's US counterpart, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea and produced by John Punter. "My Oh My" reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, topped the charts of Norway and Sweden, and peaked at No. 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Myzsterious Mizster Jones" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1985 as the third single from their twelfth studio album, Rogues Gallery. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by John Punter. "Myzsterious Mizster Jones" reached number 50 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for five weeks.
"Radio Wall of Sound" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in October 1991 as the first single from their compilation album Wall of Hits. Written and produced by bassist Jim Lea, the song reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for five weeks. It was Slade's last hit single, discounting later chartings of "Merry Xmas Everybody".
"Lock Up Your Daughters" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1981 as the second single from the band's tenth studio album, Till Deaf Do Us Part. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Slade. "Lock Up Your Daughters" reached number 29 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 75 for eight weeks.
"7 Year Bitch" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1985 as the second single from their twelfth studio album, Rogues Gallery. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by John Punter. It reached number 60 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for three weeks.
"Ruby Red" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1982 as the third single from the band's tenth studio album, Till Deaf Do Us Part. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Slade. "Ruby Red" reached number 51 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 75 for three weeks.
"Do You Believe in Miracles" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1985 as a single. It was also included on the band's studio/compilation album Crackers (1985). The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by John Punter. It reached number 54 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for six weeks.
"Still the Same" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1987 as the lead single from their fourteenth and final studio album, You Boyz Make Big Noize. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by John Punter. "Still the Same" peaked at number 73 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for four weeks.
"(And Now the Waltz) C'est La Vie" is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1982 as the lead single from the band's eleventh studio album, The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome and also included on its 1984 North American counterpart, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Lea. "(And Now the Waltz) C'est La Vie" reached number 50 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for seven weeks.
That's What Friends Are For is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1987 as the second single from their fourteenth and final studio album, You Boyz Make Big Noize. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Roy Thomas Baker. "That's What Friends Are For" reached number 95 in the UK Singles Chart.
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