THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

649-Slade-Cum On Feel the Noize.

1973-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.01. Three very noisy babies. The songs introduction of Noddy Holder shouting ‘Baby, Baby, Baby,’ was only meant to be a microphone test, but it appeared everybody liked it, so they kept it in.

Slade were formed in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, in 1966, by Neville ‘Noddy’ Holder, (lead vocals, and guitar) Dave Hill, (guitar, and vocals) Jim Lea, (bass, and keyboards) and Don Powell (drums.) Between 1966-1969, they were called ‘The N’Betweens,’ which was changed to ‘Ambrose Slade,’ in 1969, then ‘The Slade,’ between 1969-1970, and then just ‘Slade.’ The name ‘Ambrose Slade’ had come about as one of the groups promoters secretary, had named her handbag ‘Ambrose,’ and her shoes ‘Slade.’ In 1992, both Noddy Holder, and Jim Lea, left the group, with Dave Hill, and Don Powell, and three new recruits, continuing as ‘Slade II,’ until reverting to ‘Slade’ in 2002. In 2020, after 54 years Don Powell left ‘Slade,’ leaving Dave Hill as the groups one constant, and at the time of writing with three others, the group remain active for touring. In total there have been 13 different members come and go.

Slade were the biggest selling singles act of the 1970’s in the UK, with their best selling song being ‘Merry Xmas Everybody,’ which has sold in excess of one million copies. The discography of Slade includes 15 studio Albums released between 1969-1994, and 56 singles issued between 1966-2013, there are also 10 official compilation Albums, and six live Albums available. In the UK, 25 of their singles have reached the top 40, with six of those making the Number 1 position, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, after several unsuccessful attempts in the 1970’s, they finally charted in the top 40 in 1983, with ‘My Oh My,’ reaching Number 37, and then in 1984, with ‘Run Runaway,’ peaking at Number 20.

‘Cum On Feel the Noize’ was released as a stand alone single, in February 1973, and then later included on the groups September 1973 compilation Album ‘Sladest.’ The song was co-written by Noddy Holder, (lyrics) and Jim Lea, (music) who together would write the majority of Slade’s songs, with the production being by Chas Chandler (1938-1996.) Chas Chandler was born Bryan James Chandler, on December 18th, 1938, in Heaton, Newcastle, England, he died on July 17th, 1996, of an aortic aneurysm, at the age of 57. Chandler began his professional music career in 1962, as the bass player with ‘The Alan Price Trio,’ who would become ‘The Animals,’ (see also best songs 851) in 1963, after Eric Burdon joined the band. Despite finding commercial success with ‘The Animals,’ Chas Chandler became disillusioned with the lack of money, recalling that, ‘We toured non-stop for three years, doing 300 gigs a year. and we hardly got a penny.’ Chandler turned his attentions to becoming a talent scout, an artist manager, and a record producer, and soon became the manager for a then unknown Jimi Hendrix, (1942-1970) (see also best songs 983 and 492.) By 1968 Chandler had become frustrated with the recording sessions for Jimi Hendrix’s album ‘Electric Ladyland,’ claiming they were self-indulgent, so he parted ways with Hendrix, and by 1969 was working with Slade, with whom he managed, and produced for the next 12 years.

‘Cum On Feel the Noize’ caused controversy, especially with school teachers, who said that the deliberate misspelling of the songs title, and many other Slade songs as well, was not setting a good example to school children. Jim Lea has spoken about how the song came to fruition,’I was at a Chuck Berry (1926-2017) (see also best songs 548-308 and 30) gig in ’72, and everybody was singing his tunes. He kept stopping and letting the crowd sing, and it wasn’t just a few people, it was everyone. I thought it was amazing and thought, why not write the crowd into the songs, and so we got round to ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now,’ (1972-UK Number 1) and ‘Cum On Feel the Noize,’ and all the chants were written into the tunes.

Although Slade never broke through fully in America, they were influential on many ‘Rock,’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ groups of the 1980’s. In 1983 the American Heavy Metal group ‘Quiet Riot’ covered ‘Cum On Feel the Noize,’ taking it to Number 5 on Billboard, and selling in excess of one million copies, which finally brought Slade to the attention of the wider American record buying public.

‘So you think I got an evil mind, well, I’ll tell you honey, and I don’t know why, and I don’t know why. So you think my singing’s out of time, well it makes me money, and I don’t know why, and I don’t know why anymore, oh no.’