This earworm promises to be all things to everyone.
It’s Monday again…. no, really. It’s actually Monday. Whether you’re at work or not doesn’t matter, because The Nest is still here to clean out your ears with another lost musical Q-Tip out of that box of wire brushes we like to call the Dusty Vinyl Archive! DJ Scratchy’s got a kickass tune this week that is going to make you want to get up and dance no matter where you are on this Memorial Day, while the Sponkies are just enjoyinh an extra day out of school. Today is the day to never forget more than just the muzak…
In the early 70’s, a British band calling itself Slade became one of the country’s more successful bands… riding the glitz and androgynous fashion sense of the burgeoning glam rock movement to the top of the charts. According to Wikipedia, “Slade dominated the UK charts during the early 1970s, outperforming chart rivals such as Wizzard, Sweet, T. Rex, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Smokie, Gary Glitter, Roxy Music and David Bowie.” Yes, even the other Davy Jones wasn’t as big as Slade was in the Isles 45 years ago…
That probably made David’s mascara run…
Becoming the kings of the UK pop charts wasn’t enough for the glam quartet, though. So in 1975 they set their sights on becoming the next big thing in America, where nobody knew them from The McGuire Sisters. Despite an extensive touring schedule with some of the biggest names in American rock during the mid 70’s, US deejays still didn’t want to spin any Slade platters… and so they went back home a couple years later only to discover there was now Anarchy in the UK, and punk rock had given glam a busted lip…
No glamour here. Other than the pretty mohawk…
Alas, it looked like Slade had become yesterday’s news. Hope they didn’t blow that fortune they amassed during their glory days like Danger Kitty did. Well, Slade did make a minor comeback in Britain in the early 80’s… but they also caught a major break in 1983 when Quiet Riot kicked off America’s hair band movement with the #5 hit “Cum On Feel The Noize.” What does that have to do with a British band most Americans ignored, you ask? Because that was a cover of a song Slade wrote and recorded 10 years earlier. Seriously, you can listen to it here!
Wow, who knew?
Since Quiet Riot helped make Slade relevant in the US for the first time, it got them a deal with a US label and in early 1984 that label decided to release this song in the US. It became Slade’s one and only big US Billboard hit… and at only #20, it got robbed!
“Run Runaway” is a brilliant song that managed to both kick ass AND have fun. Not many rock songs can work fiddles and bagpipes into their sound and actually work… but Slade not only pulled it off in “Run Runaway,” but the Scottish sound actually makes it even better! It’s too bad this one has worked its way back down to novelty/lost hit status, because the corporate classic/variety radio format that is stagnating in the US could use much more of this and a lot less Journey and Prince…
Hey man! Don’t stop believin!
I’ll return next Monday with one final DVA earworm before I launch my next exciting music countdown…
Never heard of this group, but then they were popular during my early child-rearing days. No time for anything.
They weren’t really popular in the US at all other than if you happened to catch the time this song came out. Slade was very easy to miss…
I’m not familiar with Slade either but this is one majorly rockin’ song indeed…….now I also have to admit (sadly) that I do know who the McGuire Sisters were!!
Pam
Ha! That was a in-joke jab to an old post of mine about a compilation record commercial from the 80’s for a 50’s music album. The McGuire Sisters had two songs featured in that ad, and I’d bet the last three generations have no idea who they even were!
Not a group (or song) that I can recall, but a rip-roaring way to start the day. 🎸 Seems like the musical equivalent to Mountain Dew especially when you’re out of coffee for that morning kick.
Maybe Mountain Dew and coffee combined. I think they actually make something like that now, and somehow it’s legal to sell over the counter…
That was a fun blast from the past. I had no idea “Cum On Feel The Noize” was their song. Wow.
I only learned that fact a handful of years ago (And probably only because “Cum On” was even bigger here than it was nationwide). Quiet Riot were actually big fans of Slade and had a minor hit with another Slade original “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” (The intentional misspelling of both songs was a Slade trademark!)
I’m amazed they spelled come the um…you know, the icky way.
I’m sure it was an innocent mistake….
Oh cum on…
Eileen?
Sure, she looks dirty…
The pearl necklace will go well with the overalls…
Gross. You win. LOL
It’s hard to out-prevert me…
It is! You need an official award for it.
I could just tape my picture of Mitzi and Snuggle Bear to the top of a bowling trophy and write my name on it. Hmmmm, what could I use to write my name on a prevert trophy?
Do you really want me to answer that?
A wang.
My mother asked me the name of this song once and I was laughing so hard I could barely spit it out.
I was NOT allowed to buy that album. Instead, I got Billy Joel.
I never heard of this group or song before. I have heard of the Quiet Riot song, though.
As always, I listened to the song (at least part of it), this time I enjoyed the whole song!
I didn’t think this tune sounded like the 80s hairbands which was a big plus. I think they still had some of that 70s sound.
Can’t wait to see what the next song is.
LOL! Unless I change my mind, I think you can wait for it. It does have a guitar solo, but the rest of the song is about as sappy as sappy can get…
Uh, oh…sappy & I are rarely friends.
Hey, I knew this song!
Now you re-knew it!
Hooray for the Monday Shout-out to Slade! I bought several of their albums back in the 70’s, and especially played the heck out of “Sladest”, which collected their British hits. Loved it…and I still bristle when folks talk about those “Quiet Riot” songs..
I have a mentally twitchy feeling that I may actually remember this group, but it’s hard to be sure. Something familiar in this … something … But what?
Maybe it’s the bagpipes.
As I said, I loved this band way back when, but I was always amused that they were put in the “Glam Rock” category, since they were so very…ummm….non-good looking….
I guess they should have tried wearing a little makeup like the rest of the “guys” did. I guess in rock and roll, the clothes make the group…
Funnily enough, although almost everyone in the UK from my era knows all the words to Run Runaway, I’ve never seen the video before! And yes, this one did play “in my region”.
I think these guys were more popular in Canada…having god forsaken ties to the flipp’n royal elites!
I always enjoyed these guys, such energy (probably from 2 much coke) LOL… Good one ES! 🙂