C’mon! Refeel The Noize!
Slade, for four years at the start of the ’70s, were the biggest band in the world. Not in the United States, obviously, where they were more likely to be found playing second fiddle to a variety of incongruous domestic stars. But elsewhere — the U.K. and Europe, Australia and Japan — Slade were massive.
The statistics tell part of the story. Between their first hit in 1971 and their 16th in 1975, Slade topped the U.K. chart six times, with a wall full of silver, gold and platinum to show for it. All but five of those hits made the Top 3; one more reached No. 4. A couple of records went straight in at the top, the first band since The Beatles to achieve that feat, and when you look at the charts elsewhere around their empire, the story was much the same.
It’s a story that is told very thoroughly by the newly released Cum On Feel the Hitz! collection: 43 songs across two CDs, a couple of dozen across two LPs and, says Noddy Holder, “there’s a special single disc collection for the U.S. as well.”
Holder — he’s the one in the mirrored top hat, if you’re looking at the pictures — was the band’s vocalist throughout the span of the collection. Jim Lea (bass), Don Powell (drums) and Dave Hill (guitar) completed the group, with Lea teaming with Holder for the songwriting as well.
And what songs they were. “Coz I Luv You” was their first No. 1. “Cum On Feel the Noize” was a monster for Quiet Riot and Oasis as well. “Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me,” “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” — back in the day, sundry pinchy-faced educators complained that Slade were encouraging aan entire generation of pop fans to pick up bad spelling and grammar. Ha, az if wee needid a pop grup to
