Slade Smashes!

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Slade Smashes
Sladealbum-sladesmashes.jpg
Compilation album by
Slade
Released1 November 1980
Genre
Label Polydor
Producer Chas Chandler
Slade chronology
Return to Base
(1979)		Slade Smashes
(1980)		 We'll Bring the House Down
(1981)

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.

Contents

The compilation was compiled by Polydor and has little input from the band. According to the Slade fan club, Polydor spent £250,000 on promotion of Slade Smashes!. [1] The album was a success in the UK, reaching No. 21 and gaining a Gold certification in December for selling 200,000 copies. [2] [3]

In a 1980 fan club interview, lead vocalist Noddy Holder commented of the compilation's release: "It's not been the Reading Festival that has prompted the release of the album – they had already made plans to release the album before we decided to do the show. [4] In a 1980 interview with Sounds, Holder further added: "This compilation will be great for the fans, a chance to get all the hits on one record. But we don't relate to them in the same way any more, the way we play them now is bugger all like the records anyway." [5] [6] Prior to the release of the album, all of the band's singles had been deleted except "Merry Xmas Everybody". [4]

In December 1984, guitarist Dave Hill sold his own Slade Smashes! UK Gold Disc award for charity. It sold for £385 and was shown on the UK television show Saturday Starship. [7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea except "My Baby Left Me/That's Alright Mama (Medley)" by Arthur Crudup and "Get Down Get With" by Bobby Marchan.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Cum on Feel the Noize"4:24
2."My Friend Stan"2:41
3."Far Far Away"3:36
4."Coz I Luv You"3:34
5."Everyday"3:10
6."Gypsy Roadhog"3:27
7."Thanks for the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)"4:34
8."Bangin' Man"4:09
9."In For a Penny"3:36
10."Skweeze Me Pleeze Me"4:32
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Mama Weer All Crazee Now"3:44
2."Look Wot You Dun"2:51
3."Take Me Bak 'Ome"3:05
4."Let's Call It Quits"3:32
5."Give Us a Goal"2:49
6."Merry Xmas Everybody"3:42
7."How Does It Feel?"5:54
8."My Baby Left Me/That's Alright Mama (Medley)"2:25
9."Get Down Get With It"3:49
10."Gudbuy T'Jane"3:31

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]
Sounds Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10] [11]

Upon release, Record Mirror wrote of the compilation: "Songs like "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", "Cum on Feel the Noize", "Take Me Bak 'Ome", "Gudbuy T'Jane" and the others contained on this 20 track precis of the time when Slade and the record buying public connected are the best reminders of the power some felt and others ignored. Those who have realised the power of Slade will already have the majority of the songs on this collection. Those who have only recently caught up will find this set a useful but ultimately unsatisfying reminder of the joy and exuberance of the Birmingham quartet. Those who have yet to find out had better start here and then grasp the opportunity to 'feel the noize' at the first chance." [11] Sounds described the album as a "mighty meaty big and bouncy collection of twenty timeless Slade faves". They added: "This collection is a perfect reminder of the glories that were, marrying raucous rock and singalong pop in a superb celebration of unpretentious goodtimes. They're all here, the rowdy faultless chart-toppers." [12] [13]

Personnel

Slade
Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (1980-1981)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [14] 48
UK Albums (OCC) [15] 21

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [16] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slade</span> British rock band

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 stand at 6,520,171, and their best-selling single, "Merry Xmas Everybody", has 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.

<i>You Boyz Make Big Noize</i> 1987 studio album by Slade

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<i>Return to Base</i> 1979 studio album by Slade

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<i>Well Bring the House Down</i> 1981 studio album by Slade

We'll Bring The House Down is the ninth studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released on 13 March 1981 and reached No. 25 in the UK. The album was produced by Slade, except "My Baby's Got It" which was produced by Chas Chandler. The album was the first studio album released by the band after their successful appearance at the 1980 Reading Festival. In order to capitalise on their revival, Slade quickly compiled this new album, made up of some new tracks and some recycled ones, mainly from their failed Return to Base album of 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mama Weer All Crazee Now</span> 1972 single by Slade

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coz I Luv You</span> 1971 single by Slade

"Coz I Luv You" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1971 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart, giving the band their first number one single, and remained in the top 50 for fifteen weeks.

<i>Wall of Hits</i> 1991 compilation album by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Wall of Sound</span> 1991 single by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">We'll Bring the House Down (song)</span> 1981 single by Slade

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gudbuy T'Jane</span> 1972 song by British rock band Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Friend Stan</span> 1973 single by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universe (Slade song)</span> 1991 single by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everyday (Slade song)</span> 1974 single by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Does It Feel (Slade song)</span> 1975 single by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bangin' Man</span> 1974 single by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">In for a Penny</span> 1975 single by Slade

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Boyz Make Big Noize (song)</span> 1987 single by Slade

You Boyz Make Big Noize is a song by English rock band Slade, released in 1987 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and was produced by Lea. Named after the band's 1987 album of the same name, the song reached number 94 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for the one week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheels Ain't Coming Down</span> 1981 single by Slade

"Wheels Ain't Coming Down" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1979 as the opening track from their eighth studio album Return to Base. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Slade. In 1981, the song re-appeared on the band's follow-up album We'll Bring the House Down and was released as the second single from it in March, which reached No. 60 in the UK.

<i>Slades Greats</i> 1984 compilation album by Slade

Slades Greats is a compilation album by the British rock band Slade. It was released by Polydor on 25 May 1984 and reached No. 89 in the UK charts. The compilation, a revised re-issue of the 1980 compilation Slade Smashes!, was released following the band's late 1983-early 1984 success with the singles "My Oh My" and "Run Runaway".

References

  1. ↑ "Slade International Fan Club newsletter January-February 1981". Sladefanclub.weebly.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  2. ↑ Slade, We'll Bring The House Down remastered album booklet.
  3. ↑ "Home". BPI. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 Slade International Fan Club newsletter November-December 1980
  5. ↑ "Related Links". Timesup.dsl.pipex.com. 29 October 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  6. ↑ 15 November 1980 Sounds Magazine Interview – Back From The Dead – Steve Keaton meets Noddy Holder and Jim Lea of Slade
  7. ↑ Slade International Fan Club newsletter January–February 1986
  8. ↑ "Slade Smashes – Slade". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  9. ↑ "Slade Smashes review". Sladeinengland.co.uk. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  10. ↑ "Related Links". Timesup.dsl.pipex.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  11. 1 2 Record Mirror – 27 November 1980
  12. ↑ "Related Links". Timesup.dsl.pipex.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  13. ↑ Sounds – 29 November 1980
  14. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 277. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  15. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "British album certifications – Slade – Slade Smashes". British Phonographic Industry.
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