One of England's most successful rock bands is compiling their hits for a new collection this fall.
Cum On Feel The Hitz: The Best Of Slade collects more than 40 tracks across two discs from the Wolverhampton band, including 16 Top 10 hits released between 1970 and 1984. Six of them - the uniquely-spelled "Coz I Luv You," "Take Me Bak 'Ome," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," "Cum On Feel The Noize," "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" and the holiday perennial "Merry Xmas Everybody" - all topped the chart, becoming glam rock classics along the way. (While only latter-day singles like "My Oh My" and "Run Runaway" reached the Top 40 of the Billboard charts here in America, "Noize" was covered by American rockers Quiet Riot in 1983 and became a Top 5 hit in the States.)
The stalwart band - singer/songwriter Noddy Holder, guitarist Dave Hill, bassist/songwriter Jim Lea and drummer Don Powell - first came together on the club circuit as The N Betweeners before changing their name to Ambrose Slade for debut album Beginnings in 1969. After briefly flirting with a skinhead-inspired image, the group halved their name and adopted a more glam style; working alongside Jimi Hendrix producer/manager Chas Chandler, who produced most of their work in the '70s, Holder and Lea's deeply catchy, sing-and-stomp-along rock tunes began to catch on. "Noize" and "Skweeze Me," in particular, became the first U.K. singles to spend their first week at No. 1 on the chart since The Beatles' "Get Back." "Merry Xmas Everybody," still a holiday favorite across Europe and the closer to this collection, was so popular that it not only also debuted at No. 1 and stayed there for the nation's coveted Christmas top slot, but stayed in the charts until the following February.
While American success remained elusive and the group's popularity started to dip after the release of a noir-inspired film project, Slade In Flame, Slade's fortunes rejuvenated after an acclaimed set at the Reading Festival in 1980 and scored two more Top 10s with "My Oh My" and "Run Runaway" in 1983 and 1984. The group called it quits in 1991, though Hill and Powell formed Slade II a year later, reclaiming the original band name in the early 21st century and parting ways with Powell earlier this year. The original line-up has been lauded by everyone from Joey Ramone and Gene Simmons to Noel Gallagher and Ozzy Osbourne (whose last-minute cancellation at Reading opened a new door for the group).
Cum On Feel The Hitz will be available September 25 in several formats: the 2CD set featuring 43 original singles; a double LP featuring 24 of those tracks in mostly chronological order (including everything on the first disc of the 2CD set), and North America-exclusive 1CD and 1LP cutdowns of each. (The make-up of the latter two sets has yet to be confirmed, but the standard double CD or vinyl are available to pre-order below.)
Cum On Feel The Hitz: The Best Of Slade (BMG Rights Management, 2020)
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Disc 1
- Cum On Feel The Noize *
- Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me *
- Mama Weer All Crazee Now *
- Coz I Luv You *
- Take Me Bak 'Ome *
- Gudbuy T'Jane *
- My Friend Stan *
- Far Far Away *
- My Oh My *
- Everyday *
- The Bangin' Man *
- Look Wot You Dun *
- Thanks For The Memory *
- Run Runaway *
- We'll Bring The House Down *
- In For a Penny *
- Let's Call It Quits *
- How Does It Feel *
- All Join Hands *
- Get Down and Get With It *
- Radio Wall Of Sound *
Disc 2
- Lock Up Your Daughters *
- My Baby Left Me / That's All Right
- Gypsy Roadhog
- (And Now The Waltz) C'est La Vie
- Myzsterious Mizster Jones *
- Ruby Red
- Do You Believe In Miracles
- Wheels Ain't Comin' Down
- 7 Year Bitch
- Still The Same
- The Shape Of Things To Come
- Know Who You Are
- Nobody's Fool
- Burning In The Heat Of Love
- Give Us a Goal
- Ginny Ginny
- Sign Of The Times
- Knuckle Sandwich Nancy
- Ooh La La In L.A.
- That's What Friends Are For
- We Won't Give In
- Merry Xmas Everybody *
Disc 1, Track 1 from Polydor single, 1973
Disc 1, Track 2 from Polydor single, 1973
Disc 1, Tracks 3 and 6 from Slayed? (Polydor, 1972)
Disc 1, Track 4 from Polydor single, 1971
Disc 1, Track 5 from Polydor single, 1972
Disc 1, Tracks 7 and 10 from Old New Borrowed and Blue (Polydor, 1974)
Disc 1, Tracks 8 and 18 from Slade In Flame (Polydor, 1974)
Disc 1, Tracks 9 and 14 and Disc 2, Track 4 from The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome (RCA, 1983)
Disc 1, Track 11 from Polydor single, 1974
Disc 1, Track 12 from Polydor single, 1972
Disc 1, Track 13 from Polydor single, 1975
Disc 1, Track 15 and Disc 2, Track 8 from We'll Bring The House Down (Cheapskate, 1981)
Disc 1, Tracks 16-17 and Disc 2, Track 13 from Nobody's Fools (Polydor, 1976)
Disc 1, Track 19 and Disc 2, Tracks 5 and 9 from Rogues Gallery (RCA, 1984)
Disc 1, Track 20 from Polydor single, 1971
Disc 1, Track 21 and Disc 2, Tracks 10 and 19-21 from You Boyz Make Big Noize (RCA, 1987)
Disc 2, Tracks 1, 6 and 18 from Till Deaf Do Us Part (RCA, 1981)
Disc 2, Track 2 from Barn single, 1977
Disc 2, Track 3 from Whatever Happened To Slade (Barn, 1977)
Disc 2, Track 7 from Crackers: The Christmas Party Album (Telstar, 1985)
Disc 2, Tracks 11-12 from Play It Loud (Polydor, 1970)
Disc 2, Track 14 from Barn single, 1977
Disc 2, Track 15 from Barn single, 1978
Disc 2, Tracks 16-17 from Return To Base (Barn, 1979)
Disc 2, Track 22 from Polydor single, 1973
(*) denotes track on 2LP edition
John Bott says
Couple questions:
Is it remastered? I don't see any mention of it.
What does "*" indicate? Usually there's a footnote....
Lastly, your Amazon links need to be flipped. For example, the CD link takes you to the LP.
Thanks for all your great music newz (a little Slade inspired).
Joe Marchese says
The tracks marked with (*) are the selections included on the 2-LP set. Thanks!
Robert says
Hey, Mike. I think Quiet Riot are an American band, but you have Australian.
Joe Marchese says
The typo has been fixed. Thank you!
steve donoghue says
Any Slade fans please copy n paste this on the official Slade page. n Record Company. . A great interview Nod n Dave have made up, he says he visits Dave so whats holding them back. One last 6 city UK Tour one night only should do it. Noddy if its the one thing you regret, just ask your record company to have one last hazzarr! for us fans. (last one in the biggest BEC hall so we can all get to it) Your the one band id want to see again.... if. Mick n Keef can still do it, im sure SLADE can.