"When the Lights Are Out" | ||||
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Single by Slade | ||||
from the album Old New Borrowed and Blue | ||||
B-side | "How Can It Be" | |||
Released | May 1974 [1] | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 3:05 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Noddy Holder, Jim Lea | |||
Producer(s) | Chas Chandler | |||
Slade singles chronology | ||||
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"When the Lights Are Out" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1974 as the fourth and final single from their fourth studio album Old New Borrowed and Blue (known as Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet in America). The single was released in America and Belgium only. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler.
The material on Old New Borrowed and Blue was recorded amid the band's touring and promotional activities in late 1973. It also marked the return of drummer Don Powell to the studio after suffering a near-fatal car crash in July, which briefly threw the band's existence into doubt. In America, the album was titled Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet and released in February 1974. That same month, the lead single in America, "Good Time Gals", was released but failed to chart. [2] "When the Lights Are Out" followed as the second single in May and was released to coincide with the band's American tour of May–June. [3] However, it also failed to gain any commercial success. [4] In a fan question and answer session with Lea in 2017, he revealed his wish that the song had been given a full single release in the UK and elsewhere: "After "Merry Christmas Everybody" and the massive success of 1973 it was hard to find a follow up quickly. I wanted "When the Lights Are Out" (not because I sang it), but I recorded it as The Dummies and it was play-listed at Radio 1 and record of the week on Radio Luxembourg too." [5]
"When the Lights Are Out" was the first Slade song to feature Jim Lea on lead vocals, with Noddy Holder joining in on the chorus. [6] In a 1974 interview for readers of 19 magazine, Holder jokingly commented of the track: "There's nothing like a good singer and Jimmy's nothing like a good singer." [7] Speaking to Ken Sharp in 1999, Lea recalled: "I've never considered myself to be a singer and was never considered by anyone in the band to be a singer. But it was Nod's idea that I should sing that, 'cause he said "Look, why don't you sing it?" and some people said I sounded a little bit like John Lennon, you know, my hero. It's triple tracked because my singing's so bad! I triple tracked it to try and even the tuning out a little bit." [8]
"When the Lights Are Out" was released on 7" vinyl by Warner Bros. Records in America only, but also in Belgium as an import. [9] The B-side, "How Can It Be", was written by Holder and Lea, and also included on Old New Borrowed and Blue. In addition to the main US release, a promotional version was also issued, containing "When the Lights Are Out" on both sides of the vinyl, one in mono and the other in stereo. [10] The Belgian release was merely the imported US release, but housed in a Belgian-printed picture sleeve. [4]
Upon release, Cash Box selected the song as one of their "picks of the week" and said: "Slade has built their reputation on their brash, loud, hard rocking quality that made them England's #1 rockers. This disk, however, is a bit of a departure. Not as hard, yet still rocking, this is a perfect Top 40 outing that many stations will find more desirable than any of their previous efforts. Good hook and even more attention to the music, Slade looks finally to have matured and seems ready to break out big in America." [11] In a review of Old New Borrowed and Blue, New Musical Express considered the song as "one of the LP's prime contenders for single status". They said of the song: "Jimmy Lea sings "When the Lights Are Out" in a softer version of the Holder roar, and makes a nice job of it. The band should use him more, if only for contrast." [12] Billboard said: "Bassist Jimmy Lea also gets a chance to sing on the pretty "When the Lights Are Out". [13]
In a retrospective review, Dave Thompson of AllMusic commented: ""We're Gonna Raise the Roof," "When the Lights Are Out," and "My Town," too, offer little that Slade wasn't already well renowned for and that, perhaps, was what the band members were thinking as well. The glitter-soaked thunderclap was old news now; they could write those rockers in their sleep." He also highlighted the song as an AMG Pick Track. [14] Classic Rock described the song as a "mouth-watering commercial, hard rock nugget". Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in an AllMusic review of Cheap Trick's The Latest, described the song as an "overlooked Slade gem". [15] Ian Fortnam of Teamrock selected the song as one in his article "10 Slade songs that prove they're bigger than just Xmas". He said: "A certain congruence of style between Holder/Lea and Lennon/McCartney has been remarked upon before, but nowhere is it more clearly demonstrated than when Jimmy Lea steps forward to take a lead vocal on this easily overlooked album track from spring '74's Old New Borrowed and Blue. Cheap Trick covered it on 2009's The Latest where it fitted perfectly as one of the best Cheap Trick songs Cheap Trick never wrote." [16]
Slade are an English rock band formed in Walsall 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 over 50 million records worldwide.
James Whild Lea is an English musician, most notable for playing bass guitar, keyboards, piano, violin, guitar, and singing backing vocals in Slade from their inception until 1992, and for co-writing most of their songs.
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.
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.
"Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1973 as a non-album single. 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 fifth number one single, and remained in the charts for ten weeks. The song was certified UK Silver by BPI in July 1973. The song would be included on the band's 1973 compilation album Sladest.
"Little Sheila" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1985 as the fourth and final single from the band's twelfth studio album Rogues Gallery. It was released in North America and Germany, and was the only single to be released from the album in America and Canada. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by John Punter.
"All Join Hands" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1984 as the lead single from the band's twelfth studio album Rogues Gallery. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by John Punter. It reached No. 15 in the UK, remaining in the chart for ten weeks.
"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.
"Everyday" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1974 as the second single from the band's fourth studio album Old New Borrowed and Blue. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder, bassist Jim Lea and his wife Louise Lea (uncredited), and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 3 in the UK, spending seven weeks on the chart. The single was certified UK Silver by BPI in April 1974, only three days after its release.
"Far Far Away" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1974 as the lead single from the band's first soundtrack album and fifth studio album Slade in Flame, in promotion of the upcoming 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. 2 in the UK, remaining in the charts for six weeks. The song was certified UK Silver by BPI in November 1974.
"Look Wot You Dun" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1972 as a non-album single. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder, bassist Jim Lea and drummer Don Powell, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for ten weeks. The song would be included on the band's 1973 compilation album Sladest.
"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.
"Nobody's Fool" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1976 as the third and final single from the band's sixth studio album Nobody's Fools. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. Released in April 1976, the single failed to chart in the UK Top 50, but reached No. 3 on the BMRB's UK Breakers Chart.
"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.
"Ginny, Ginny" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1979 as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album Return to Base. 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 charts.
"Burning in the Heat of Love" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1977 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. The song failed to make an appearance in the UK charts.
"Sign of the Times" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1979 as the second single from the band's eighth studio album Return to Base. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Slade.
The Dummies was a musical project formed by Slade bassist Jim Lea and his brother Frank Lea in 1979. Between 1979 and 1981, they released three singles and recorded a number of original and Slade songs, which were collected on the 1992 album A Day in the Life of the Dummies.
A Day in the Life of the Dummies is a compilation album by The Dummies, which was a musical project of Jim Lea of Slade and his brother Frank. The album was released in March 1992 and gathers all of the 1979-80 recordings produced by the pair.
Cheapskate Records was a record label established by Slade bassist Jim Lea and his brother Frank Lea in 1979. It was active until 1982, however was later briefly revived for the release of three Slade singles in 1987–88. Aside from Slade, some of the artists on the label were The Dummies, The Ska-Dows, Sue Wilkinson, Roy Wood, Tich Turner's Escalator, Malcolm Roberts, Top Secret and The Glitter Band.