FEBRUARY / MARCH 1974
Once again the boys have done it, not only straight to No.1 position on the week of release, but "Merry Christmas' Everybody" was the only top 1973 Christmas Record. Even before it was released it was awarded a Silver Disc. This is the first time a single has done this since the days of the Beatles. Then to top it all the single sold half a million within the first seven days of release.
Such was the demand for their latest single that Polydor had to make special arrangements to have 250,000 Discs sent from Los Angeles, as well as 30,000 copies a day they were receiving from Germany.
To date the Single has sold over 1 million copies (and still seling) making a massive total of 2 1/2 million singles sold in 1973, of which nothing of this would have happened without you. The boys send you a big "Thanks a million, much obliged, hope we can keep up the good work".
The single is now dropping down the charts but what do we see in the Album Charts? "Sladest" jumped from position 10 back to No.1 and wait for it "Slade Alive" has entered the charts again. I can't wait to see what happens when "Old, New, Borrowed and Blue" enters the charts.
The boys called into the office the other week on their way to the Airport to catch a plane to the U.S.A., and they told me to thank all of you who sent them Christmas Cards.
Dave is now collecting all the cards he likes. He has a very large Scrap Book which he sticks the cards into, colourful ones, funny ones and unusual ones.
The news filtering across the Atlantic is that Slade are going, going down better than they've ever done before. They even filled a 20,000 Seater Hall on their own and thats without any success in the U.S.A. Charts, which I'm sure will change soon.
I have received the results of the "Record and Radio Mirror" Pop Poll. Slade not only did very well in the "Top British Groups" (No.1) but also in the individual sections. Noddy was voted No.2 British Male Singer, Dave was voted No.1 British Guitarist, with Don also at No.1 of British Percussionists, and Jimmy Lea No.2 in the miscellaneous instruments. Again Slade would like to thank you for voting for them.
Some of you have been asking about Dave's Dog "Windsor". It is a Great Dane and still growing. Dave tells me it eats about £10.00 worth of food a week, "more expensive than having a family" says Dave. I'll try and obtain a photo of "Windsor" so I can print it in a future Newsletter.
NEWS IN BRIEF
The Boys have been voted No.1. Foreign Group by Spains biggest Musical Magazine .... Noddy joins Capital Radio. He joined Nicky Horne's "Mother wouldn't like it" Show for one day and hopes to do more .... Slade have released "Good time Gals" a track from their latest Album in the U.S.A .... Nod has just bought a new House and is at present furnishing it "I'm buying labour saving gadgets, 'cas I'm basically lazy" .. For six continuous months, Slade have had one of their singles in the Polish top singles chart .... After their U.S.A. tour Slade will spend a week in this country and then be off to Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Japan.
STOP PRESS FANTASTIC FLEXI - DISC OR SLADE AVAILABLE WITH "19" MAGAZINE ON SALE FEBRUARY 28th.
OLD, NEW, BORROWED AND BLUE
A new Slade Album is scheduled for February 4th release by Polydor, entitled "Old, New, Borrowed and Blue". It was to have been out before Christmas but they would've had to skimp on it. The Boys wouldn't have been able to have got it out in the right quantities and with the right packaging. Within the Album there are two or three things which aren't typical Slade songs that they've had written for a couple of years but weren't right for them at the time.
The sleeve design is tremendous, full colour throughout and words to all the music on the inside cover pages. Even before release it has been awarded a Gold Disc - that now makes four in a row. If Albums were included in the single charts this one would have entered somewhere in the top three.
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
"MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY"
"There is no doubt that this slice of festive cheer will be a huge Monster hit: the main question is whether it'll go straight to Number One .... DISC.
"Noddy is in particularly fine voice and there's also some super-neat thumping bass. "Look to the future now it's only just begun" suggests Noddy, and if Slade's future holds more singles of this standard then I look forward to the new year" .... SOUNDS.
"When Slade gets hold of a Christmas Song .... inevitably it's something different" .... RECORD AND RADIO MIRROR.
BRITISH TOUR
Slade are planning a massive spring tour of Britain. They will head-line a 30 venue concert tour which will take them to as many parts of Britain as possible, and perform to a total audience of over 100,000 people during the tour. The Pro moter, Mel Bush, is at present lining up the itinery which is expected to begin on or about April 19th. Dates for the tour will be printed in the next Newsletter.
It will be Siades first British appearance since the hugely successful Earls Court Concert last July, and I just cannot wait.
During the tour the Slade Fan Club Shop will be in the Foyer of nearly all the venues, so please do not patronise the "Rip Off" Merchants selling low quality Posters, Programmes, Tee Shirts and Pendants, etc. outside the Theatres.
COMPETITION
Dave has been into the Office and has picked the winners of the "Design a new outfit for Dave" Competition:-
LEE SULIVAN OF LUTON
JEAN TUGWELL OF NOTTINGHAM
MARYSIA JANOWSKA OF LONDON
LAURA LUCAS OF BIRMINGHAM
These winners have already received their prizes of Slade's new album which were posted to them two weeks before it was released.
I am still receiving entries for the last competition, so I will carry it forward to this month. I will therefore, repeat the instructions for the benefit of new members. Because the proposed costume competition planned for Earls Court did not take place you are invited to send in your photographs dressed up in Slade Concert Gear in an envelope marked with a large "C" in the left hand corner. If you want your photograph returned please enclose a stamped addressed envelope of your photographs will not be returned to you because of the large quantity of work involved.
There is now a tremendous Slade writing kit available to Fan Club Members, it consists of 10 sheets of paper with a picture of Slade printed at the top, 10 plain sheets and 10 envelopes.
What are you waiting for? I'm using mine already. Here we are again at the bottom of the page, only one more thing to say from Slade "Hope you have as happy '74 as we did in '73".
DAVE HILL
It was supposed to be Dave's turn to write to you this month but he forgot all about it, silly Dave! I'll make sure he has something ready for the next issue. But meanwhile a lot of Fans have heard about Dave's new Bathroom, so I will try and describe it. The whole room is completely designed around h is choice of Bath. A Chocolate Bath, not a rectangle but a circle about 6ft in diameter and matching gold coloured taps. This is all sunked into it. One wall is covered by a mirror and makes it doubly effective.
For a bit of contrast the other walls are gold. But not bright and shining, they are a dulled matt finish and provide marvellous background for the pictures Dave's got hangin on the walls.
DON'T BLAME ME JAMES LEA/NEVILLE HOLDER
I gotta heart and a soul
I gotta mind of my own
And my spine ain't weak I gotta a lazy streak
Lately I said I bin a winner Ladies all cook my dinner
I'm set free so don't blame me, don't blame me.
We save silver and gold
To show how many we sold
They look good when they shine My mama polishes mine
I remember the time we hadn't a penny I thought we'd never have any
I'm set free so don't blame me no don't blame me.
Copyright 1973 by BARN PUBLISHING LTD.
