Song #6 Slade

I've been trying to remember the first single I ever bought, and I think it might have been something on The Beatles' Apple label, for no other reason than I remember the differing labels on either side. Might have been the Beatles, could've been Mary Hopkin, and there's a gap... I liked all that glammy stuff that made the charts; Sweet, Wizzard, The Glitter Band, Suzi Quatro and even the arch-demon himself Gary Glitter. And I loved Slade.

I was lucky enough to see them play quite a few times, including the famous gig at Reading Festival in 1980, (a heavy metal festival nightmare which was lifted from the dregs by Noddy and co). The best night was at the University in Aberystwyth with Rob, they were magnificent that evening, raucous good-time rock 'n' roll, melancholic ballads and storming hits. I loved it. "Coz I Luv You" is a brilliant song. Simple as.


Some of the songs they wrote for Slade in Flame in particular helped me a great deal during some shitty times, and I still think of them as one of the great underrated bands of the 70s. Great tunes, great albums, great musicians, and a real sense of humour.

If Slade reformed for a few charity gigs and they didn't sell out the O2 then there ain't no sense in life


Coz I Luv You