Fooling Nobody ~ 1976
Slade spent pretty much all of 1976 living and working in the States in their continuing attempt to crack open the US market, something that repeated tours had failed thus far to do.
So far they had had limited chart success with various LP's and singles flirting with the lower reaches of the Hot 100 Billboard national charts, but that first hit record remained as elusive as ever
Ridiculously, even in this day and age of fingertip information and its availability to all, little is known about what Slade were doing in 1976 while in the US. Fans were drip fed information periodically by the fan club and the band made lightning return visists to the UK to promote whatever record they had coming out.
Their first single of the year in the UK 'Lets Call It Quits' was a basic re-working of an Alan Toussaint track Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) using the chorus melody to pad out the whole track and slowly made its way up the singles chart to a highest position of number 11 before quickly exiting the top 30. The single was showcased on Top kiddies TV show 'Jim'll Fix It' hosted by the now disgraced pedophile Jimmy Saville.
The band also released the follow up single 'Nobody's Fool' and their much awaited (and first LP release for 15 months) 'Nobody's Fools' in April. The single failed to chart and the LP, whilst being perhaps the most accomplished offering the band had ever produced, only made number 14 in the UK charts before quickly vanishing, a clear indication that record stores were ordering in the LP but lack of sales meant it had only a month long chart life as the UK was awash with Bee Gees records from the film 'Saturday Night Fever'
Slade had become irrelevant to the mainstream music press and record buying public, out of sight, out of mind is one idiom that could be attributed to their exile, but another, absense makes the heart grow fonder could not, as their fan base quickly whittled down throughout the year to a fraction of what it had been just a year or so before.
As so little is known (confirmed) about their time in the States during 1976, we here at Slade In England are appealing to anyone from North America who has information, concert dates or gig memorabilia to contact us and let us know what you know!
JANUARY / FEBRUARY
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
21/1 |
Winterland ,California | Kiss-Point Blank-Slade |
30/1 |
Memorial Colisium, Dane County WI | BTO-Trooper-Slade |
30/1 |
UK Single Released | Lets Call It Quits |
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7/2 |
UK Single Charts - Lets Call It Quits | Enters chart at No 45 |
14/2 |
UK Single charts - Lets Call It Quits | Up 20 places to No 25 |
21/2 |
Winterland Oakland | Kiss-Slade |
21/2 |
UK Single charts - Lets Call It Quits | up 7 places to No 18 |
22/2 |
Denmark Albums - Nobody's Fool's | At No 17 |
22/2 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | At No 5 |
27/2 |
Sports Arena,San Diego | Kiss-Montrose-Slade |
28/2 |
UK Single Charts - Lets Call It Quits | up 7 places to No 11 |
29/2 |
Denmark Albums - Nobody's Fool's | Up 3 places to No 14 |
29/2 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Non Mover at No 5 |
|
MARCH / APRIL
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
7/3 |
Denmark Albums - Nobody's Fool's | Up 2 places to No 12 |
7/3 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Up 2 places to No 3 (Peak) |
7/3 |
UK Single Charts - Lets Call It Quits | down 3 places to No 14 |
14/3 |
Denmark Albums - Nobody's Fool's | Down 1 place at No 13 |
14/3 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Down 2 places at No 5 |
14/3 |
UK Single Charts - Lets Call It Quits | down 9 places to No 23 |
21/3 |
UK Single Charts - Lets Call It Quits | down 10 places to No 33 |
21/3 |
Mallory park | Saloon Car Race |
21/3 |
Denmark Albums - Nobody's Fool's | Up 3 places to No 10 (Peak) |
21/3 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Down 1 place at No 6 |
28/3 |
Denmark Albums - Nobody's Fool's | Down 1 place at No 11 |
28/3 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Down 1 place at No 7 |
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3/4 |
WInterland Theatre,SF | Golden Earring-Be Bop Deluxe-Slade |
4/4 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Up 2 places to No 5 |
7/4 |
Civic Theater,San Diego | Golden Earring-Be Bop Deluxe-Slade |
9/4 |
UK LP Released | Nobody's Fools |
10/4 |
Winterland Arena San Francisco | |
11/4 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Down 2 places at No 7 |
12/4
|
Bachanaal,San Diego | The Blitz Bros-Slade |
13/4
|
Bachanaal,San Diego | The Blitz Bros-Slade |
14/4
|
The Starwood Club - Los Angeles | (Stars & Pyramid supporting) |
15/4
|
The Starwood Club - Los Angeles | (Stars & Pyramid supporting) |
17/4
|
Convention Center - Anaheim Orange | County |
18/4 |
Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles | |
18/4 |
UK Album Charts - Nobody's Fool's |
Up to No 14 |
18/4 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Up 1 place to No 6 |
25/4 |
UK Album Charts - Nobody's Fool's |
down 11 places to No 25 |
25/4 |
Denmark Singles - LCIQ | Non Mover at No 5 |
28/4 |
Kemper Arena,Kansas City |
Aerosmith –Slade |
|
MAY / JUNE
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
2/5 |
Oriental Theatre,Milwaukee | Thin Lizzy-Slade |
2/5 |
UK Album Charts - Nobody's Fool's | down 5 places to No 30 |
7/5 |
Capitol Theatre,New Jersey | BOC-Slade-Dr Feelgood |
8/5 |
Capitol Theatre,New Jersey | BOC-Slade-Dr Feelgood |
9/5 |
UK Album Charts - Nobody's Fool's | down 21 places to No 51 |
14/5 |
London Arena,Ontario | Thundermug-Slade (Gig Review) |
18/5 |
Sports Arena,Toledo | Santana-Slade |
21/5 |
Allen Theatre,Cleveland ,Ohio | Steve Marriot - Slade |
23/5 |
Hancock Recreation Center,Lima ,Ohio |
BOC-Slade |
27/5 |
Tropical,Port Ewan,Kingston NY |
Bunz-Slade |
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4/6 |
Tower Theatre,Penn | UFO-Slade |
5/6 |
Beacon Theatre ,New York | Steve Marriot-Slade |
11/6 |
St. Pauls Civic Center, Minnesota | |
18/6 |
Mid South Coliseum,Memphis TN | Aerosmith-Slade |
19/6 |
Misissippi Coliseum,Jackson Mis | Aerosmith-Slade |
27/6 |
Stardust Roller Rink,Surrey BC |
|
28/6 |
Commodore Mont-Mon |
Bowser Moon-Slade |
29/6 |
Commodore Mont-Mon |
Bowser Moon-Slade |
|
JULY / AUGUST
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
9/7 |
Centennial Auditorium,Western Manitoba | Mclean + Mclean-Slade |
11/7 |
Playhouse Theatre,Winnipeg | Steel-Slade |
15/7 |
Fort William Gardens,Thunder Gardens,Ontario.Canada | Dennison Booth-Slade |
30/7 |
Show place, Dover, New Jersey |
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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
28/9 |
North Auditorium - Raleigh Springs | Blue Oyster Cult |
|
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
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All chart positions refer to UK national Charts unless otherwise stated.
Danish chart placings courtesy of Klaus Herfort Würtz - Slade In England