The SLADE Series: Episode 2 - Beginnings & Play it Loud w/the Parish of Rock

[@PhilipBrinksma]

Great video guys love your work Parish. I just recently added the Reading vinyl and a reissue of Alive!. Didn't really need another copy of Alive but the splatter vinyl looks amazing and very hard to find a copy in good condition. Big Slade fan also love these albums and bought the reissue of the Ambrose Slade lp and love it those bmg reissues look top notch.

[@parishofrock2963]

Glad you enjoyed the show Philip. Those splatter vinyl bmg releases are irresistible aren’t they!

[@StrappingOldLad]

Love that you are doing this! Slade deserve to be remembered for more than their Christmas single and being covered by Quiet Riot.

[@parishofrock2963]

🤣Slade are not just for Christmas…..

[@johnhopkins6053]

I grew up in the Slade era in England, and eagerly awaited each new release. It is a joy to listen to you both as you discuss the band. I love your positivity and enthusiasm. Thanks guys.

[@parishofrock2963]

Thanks for watching John.

[@louderthanlife]

So glad to see some exhaustive coverage of this fantastic, legendary Wolverhampton band. The most compelling and interesting facets of the band's output is the wealth of B-sides and non-album cuts. The mid-70's output is also really cool, despite that they were limping along by that point. Their comeback in '80 is a really cool story.

[@parishofrock2963]

Indeed. All of which well get to I’m sure. Thanks for watching.

[@alangreenley3257]

top,top live band, maybe one of the best live bands of the 70,s early 80,s, sadly never to be repeated"

[@parishofrock2963]

I agree, I must have seen them a dozen times in the late 70s & the 80s. Remains one of my favourite live acts!

[@christianhaynes1954]

Very cool , good band 👍

[@logancollins7097]

Im ready to take this dive into a band i dont know much about if im being honest... Grant and THE... parish Of Rock will deliver as always im sure!

[@wolf1977]

I think later episodes will get even better because the albums are better (to me anyway)...Grant might think about an episode featuring bands that later got big & the earlier 'root' bands they came from (especially if those are not well known/maybe even didn't put out an actual album at the time). For instance for Slade it'd be The N' Betweens. For ELO - The Idle Race. For Yes - Mabel Greer's Toyshop/The Syn/Bodast...and so on

[@parishofrock2963]

🤞 fingers crossed! 😂

[@SWEETFA24]

Didn't know they covered a Bread song.

[@parishofrock2963]

I know, it’s a surprise!

[@wolf1977]

Good show...The Idle Race (ELO/Move precursors) have some good output from 1968-71. I have 3 albums: The Birthday Party, Back To The Story and Idle Race & Time Is. From what I've read they: "had a cult following but never enjoyed mass commercial success". In addition to originals they covered stuff from Hendrix, T Rex, Moby Grape, Steppenwolf & The Doors. Good band. Among it's members are Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood & Steve Gibbons, Trevor Burton (from The Move & The Steve Gibbons Band), Dave Walker (Savoy Brown/Humble Pie/Fleetwood Mac/Black Sabbath), and Bob Lamb (The Dog That Bit People/Locomotive)... Another band in that ELO/Move 'stew' is the Steve Gibbons Band which developed out of The Idle Race split in '71 but didn't record until 1975 (after hooking up with The Who's management - John Entwistle even got involved in their debut which is pretty good, so is their 2nd Rollin' On plus a couple of live records). They put out some albums in the 80's & beyond but their 70's stuff is the best...Plus Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders (early/mid 60's Beat) with Roy Wood

[@parishofrock2963]

Great stuff, really interesting.

[@wolf1977]

​@@parishofrock2963 Yeah I love tracking down a band's roots, you often come across some real unknown nuggets (especially from the 60's & 70's) that then lead you to other great bands/artists. I didn't know anything about The Idle Race until researching Jeff Lynne's musical history... BTW I also really like The Small Faces a lot who got mentioned here. What a killer band! Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane & Kenney Jones plus Ian McLagan (and later Ronnie Wood & Rod Stewart - morphing into 'The Faces'). "Itchycoo Park" is one of THE greatest ever pop/psyche tunes. Even the reformed band put out two pretty good albums in the late 70's: Playmates & 78 In The Shade (now with Marriott/Lane/McLagan/Jones initially, then adding Rick Wills/Foreigner & guitar phenom Jimmy McCulloch/Wings, Thunderclap Newman & Stone The Crows). I also have some recordings from the band Quiet Melon which was the 'transition' band formed by Wood/Stewart/Jones/McLagan/Lane after Small Faces split & before The Faces officially was formed (and Rod Stewart had just left The Jeff Beck Group so this would be 1969). Some good stuff: "Diamond Joe" & "Early Roller Engine 4444" - unfortunately no albums. I know there's a Japanese compilation called Moneydue from 1998 containing 13 Quiet Melon tracks that I'm still hunting down (I've been told that some of these tracks are posted on Spotify)...

[@parishofrock2963]

⁠​⁠@@wolf1977I agree about the Small Faces, a very under appreciated band. Not heard Quiet Melon (pardon the pun) & unlikely to based on what you say. Update: there are some songs on Spotify so will give them a listen.

[@wolf1977]

@@parishofrock2963 Yeah kinda like The Pretty Things (although they're even more underappreciated I'd say). Let me know what you think of the Quiet Melon tunes. I don't do Spotify - the 2 tracks I have are good. Rod Stewart actually sings more backup (or dual lead) than lead vocals. They're both out on YT

[@JCStorm76]

Great show guys. Good to see Slade getting some attention. Play It Loud is a definite step up from Beginnings but the best was yet to come. These are their weakest 2 albums for me but they’re still not bad. Beginnings 5/10 Play It Loud 6/10

[@parishofrock2963]

I tend to agree. What’s coming next …. Wow!

[@thomaswery3087]

Slade should of been alot bigger here.Slade and Sweet should of ruled the charts

[@parishofrock2963]

No argument from me! 😂

[@parishofrock2963]

What a great photo! 😂

[@ashleygeisler1003]

These 2 Slade albums were never released in Australia until they came out on cd. We had a compilation release of Slade called Coz i Luv you which as tracks from both from play it loud and beginnings. Play it loud is good 7-10 and beginnings is my least fav 4-10

[@parishofrock2963]

I can understand that. Thanks for watching Ashley.

[@daveycretin664]

Groovilicious, nutritious and delicious show, lads! It’s fascinating how certain bands just don’t hit in certain countries. For example: Rush never really reaching Australian audiences; Kansas not actually having a UK profile to speak of; and Slade never truly cracking America until 1984, fifteen years into their recording career! And let’s not even get started on Marillion, here in America. 🤦🏻 After working in record stores for decades, I don’t recall ever seeing these two Slade albums pass through the shoppes. That’s a red flag 🚩 to me. Not of poor quality or bad music, but of a low profile. At least here, in the US. I’m not denigrating Slade, because l know that they were huge in Europe in the 70s. However, they were a cult band in the States. Nothing wrong with that, it happens. Thin Lizzy is another act, kinda/sorta only known for one song in the US. Basically, we have the dreaded, shredded and unleaded Spencer Proffer to thank for raising Slade’s American profile in 1983. And MTV. Columbia/Sony saw dollar signs 💰 and the rest is history. I won’t blather on about it now, since that’s episodes down the line. Looking forward to future installments. Cheers from The Big Apple. ~ Artie Fufkin, Polymer Records. Oops! 🙊 l meant to type: Davey Cretin, from Cretin Classics.

[@parishofrock2963]

Thanks Davey. Tbh a lot of 70s UK bands struggled in the US. T.Rex, The Jam, Status Quo to name but 3. Who really knows why?!

[@wolf1977]

@@parishofrock2963 Yeah 60's forerunners like The Who, The Stones (initially) & The Pretty Things found success at home but not in the US. Even The Yardbirds I don't think were that big in the US in their day - kinda setting the table for later 70's acts to score at home but not in the US

[@DavesGarden1714]

Slade were a brilliant rock band its sad there seems to be some bad blood between the members

[@parishofrock2963]

It is such a shame. It’s mostly about royalties from what I can make out.

[@DavesGarden1714]

@parishofrock2963 Apparently, Noddy and Jim wrote the songs, especially Merry Christmas,and refused to share the royalties with Dave and Don,another interesting issue is that Robert Plant was asked to become a member of Slade but was turned down

[@parishofrock2963]

@@DavesGarden1714 that sounds about right. You’re right about RP, but who turned down who depends on which side of the story is telling it! 🤣🤣🤣

[@DavesGarden1714]

@parishofrock2963 I believe Slades version of the story,because I liked Slade more than Zep😇

[@parishofrock2963]

@ suits me 🤣

[@wolf1977]

AKA Ambrose Slade (debut only), good band. Grew out of an earlier 60's band called The N' Betweens (active from 1964-69, with Hill/Powell/Lea/Holder). Robert Plant was at one point considered for the band when John Howells quit in '66. I have a couple of good tracks by them from '66, the quite psychedelic (naturally - Pink Floyd's producer was involved) "Girl Child, I Am An Evil Witchman" & "Security". Don't think they ever put out any actual albums but probably should have - what I've heard sound pretty good mid 60's-wise. I've also read that very few of their singles were ever actually released in Britain(?) but did come out elsewhere in Europe. Some of the other singles posted out there on YT ("Train Kept A Rollin'", "Delighted To See You", "Take A Heart", "You Better Run", "Need")... I prefer Beginnings (called Ballzy in the US - a hint of what was to come!) over Play It Loud, but honestly neither album is as good as the later Slayed?, Slade In Flame, Rogues Gallery. From Beginnings I like: "Genesis", "Pity The Mother", "Mad Dog Cole", "Fly Me High" (Justin Hayward), "If This World Were Mine" (Marvin Gaye) & of course the cover of "Journey To The Centre Of Your Mind" (Nugent). So mostly skipped the covers. And from Play It Loud (Chas Chandler produced & they're now just 'Slade') we have "Raven", "One Way Hotel" & "Know Who You Are". They now sported a 'skinhead image'(?), thankfully that didn't last long. Probably largely because this album was a commercial flop...Within this general time period you also have some tracks from the collections called B-Sides & Live At The BBC (1969 - 1972)

[@parishofrock2963]

Great critique of both albums. Hopefully you’ll enjoy our review of the albums.

[@wolf1977]

@@parishofrock2963 Thx. Looking forward to the show...