Ambrose Slade ~ 1969
Ambrose Slade began 1969 with a new name and a two day stint in a recording studio laying down tracks that were representative of their live act, these tracks became the nucleus of their first LP 'Beginnings' which was released and sank without trace and remained so for many a decade. They were however soon to be elevated into a proper 'name' band as the publicity department of Fontana records lauded them to whomever would print their championing of their newest act.
To augment the behind the scenes changes with agent's Ambrose Slade also aquired their own Svengali figure in manager Chas Chandler, the former Animals bas player and more recently 'discoverer' and manager of James Marshall Hendrix. Chandler was certainly a 'face' in and around the London music scene and made sure that as time progressed they spent more time there playing in the right clubs to be noticed. Chandler, spotting that the band had no guidance with their studio time to date, jumped straight in and became their producer.
This was all good news for the band down in the big bad city, but back home their name change had confused some of the folk and Ambrose Slade carried on gigging in the same venues by and large that they had all been playing for years occasionally being shipped off to the outer reaches of the isles as they continued to grow their audience and test out the new material that they were encouraged to write for themselves by Chandler.
Chandler's contribution is never overlooked by any aficianado of the band, and they themselves lapped up whatever it was that Chandler said about them, they bought into him hook. line and sinker. His enthusiasm for what they did, and their admiration for his belief that they could make it to the very very top of the tree fed their own ambition. Chandler whistled the tune and Ambrose Slade danced the jig....all the way to the barbers to get their hair cut short...very short....Ambrose Slade were losing their hair in a marketing stunt designed to get them noticed outside of the Midlands, it worked and by the end of the year Britain had it's first (well known) Skinhead band. In addition.
The end of the year was to see the Ambrose lost from their name as more and more they were referred to as simply 'Slade', Dave Hill once told me that people kept getting it wrong, especially in other parts of the country where their Black Country accents were not readily understood. After combinations of Arsehole Slade, Armhole Slade and Ournose Slade, the 'Ambrose ' was gently lost, it was a natural evolution to a harder hitting punchier name. They had started the year as Ambrose Slade and would leave it as just 'Slade'.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
THE N'BETWEENS
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
1/1 |
Recording Studio |
|
2/1 |
Recording Studio | |
3/1 |
Civic Hall,Wolverhampton |
|
4/1 |
Belfry,Sutton Coldfield | Cliff Bennett-The ‘Nbetweens |
5/1 |
Bolero Club,Wednesbury | |
6/1 |
Memorial Club,Brownhills | Ambrose Slade-Split Sound |
7/1 |
Caves Club,Walsall | |
8/1 |
Holland | |
9/1 |
Holland |
|
10/1 |
Quarry Club,Upper Gornal | |
11/1 |
400 Ballroom,Torquay | |
12/1 |
The Oasis Club,Wolverhampton |
|
13/1 |
Highfield Club,Stafford |
Ambrose Slade –Light Fantastic |
14/1 |
Elstree, London |
TV Studio |
15/1 |
Macakadown Club,Birmingham |
The ‘Nbetweens-Cardboard Replica |
16/1 |
Scotland |
|
17/1 |
Scotland |
|
18/1 |
Scotland |
|
19/1 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Evolution |
20/1 |
Wolves Social Club,Wolverhampton |
|
21/1 |
Hen & Chickens ,Langley |
|
22/1 |
Tube Ltd,Wednesfield |
|
23/1 |
Belfields Restaurant,Dudley |
|
24/1 |
Blaizes ,London |
(Express and Star 30/01/69) |
25/1 |
Terry Heaths,Wellington |
|
26/1 |
Connaught Hotel,Wolverhampton |
|
27/1 |
George Hotel,Walsall |
Ambrose Slade-Markus Lute Attraction |
29/1 |
Civic Hall,Wolverhampton |
|
30/1 |
The 64 Club,Bilston |
|
31/1 |
Scotch of St James,London |
|
|
||
1/2 |
Le Metro Club,Birmingham |
|
2/2 |
Community Centre,Aldridge |
The ‘Nbetweens |
6/2 |
Castle Hill Disco,Dudley |
The ‘NBetweens |
8/2 |
Grand Hall,Kilmarnock |
The Nbetweens |
9/2 |
Bolero Club ,Wednesbury |
Ambrose Slade |
21/2 |
Bobby Jones,Ayr |
The ‘Nbetweens |
21/2 |
Memorial Club,Pensnett |
|
22/2 |
Connaught Hotel,Wolverhampton |
|
23/2 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Ignition |
28/2 |
Pouk Hill Quarry |
Photo session |
|
|
MARCH / APRIL
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
2/3 |
Roxy Cinema,Stewarton | |
3/3 |
George Hotel,Walsall | Ambrose Slade-Heart and Soul |
7/3 |
The Hub,Clydebank | Mustard-Ambrose Slade |
8/3 |
Grand Hall,Kilmarnock |
Flowerpot Men-The ‘Nbetweens |
8/3 |
Bearsden Carloca |
|
16/3 |
Bolero Club,Wednesbury | |
21/3 |
Memorial Club,Pensnett | |
28/3 |
The Hunting Lodge,Kilmarnock | The ‘Nbetweens |
29/3 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Colour Supplement |
|
||
7/4 |
Connaught Hotel,Wolverhampton |
Slade (First recorded use) |
10/4 |
Steering Wheel Club,West Bromwich | |
14/4 |
West End W.M.C.Wolverhampton | |
17/4 |
Bassett Hotel,Southampton | |
18/4 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Natures Way |
18/4 |
Civic Hall,Wolverhampton |
Spooky Tooth-Raymond Froggatt-Ambrose Slade-Revolver-Evolution-Jug |
27/4 |
Bolero Club,Wednesbury | |
30/4 |
Mackadown Clubb,Kitts Green | Saffron-Ambrose Slade |
|
MAY / JUNE
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
2/5 |
Single release | 'Genesis' |
8/5 |
London | |
9/5 |
London | |
9/5 |
LP release | 'Beginnings' |
10/5 |
Grand Hall,Kilmarnock |
The ‘Nbetweens |
13/5 |
Maxis Club,Cannock |
|
16/5 |
George Hotel,Walsall | |
18/5 |
Community Centre,Aldridge | |
24/5 |
Connaught Hotel,Wolverhampton | |
25/5 |
Bolero Club,Wednesbury | |
30/5 |
The Caves ,Dudley | |
31/5 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton | Ambrose Slade-Frosty Moses |
|
||
2/6 |
BBC recording studio |
Recording for Symonds On Sunday |
6/6 |
Newcastle City Hall |
Amen Corner/DD,B,M&T-Ambrose Slade |
8/6 |
Whiskey A Go Go |
|
8/6 |
Symonds on Sunday Radio 1 |
Broadcast -In Concert Ambrose Slade |
9/6 |
Queen Mary Ballroom.Dudley |
|
13/6 |
Pensnett &Bromley Memorial Club |
|
13/6 |
Park Hall Hotel,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Montanas |
14/6 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Silvrons |
14/6 |
NME |
Amen Corner gig review |
17/6 |
Whiskey A GO GO,London |
|
24/6 |
St Giles YC,Willenhall |
|
27/6 |
George Hotel,Walsall |
|
28/6 |
Connaught Hotel,Wolverhampton |
|
29/6 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Revolver |
|
JULY / AUGUST
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
1/7 |
Goldsmith College London | King Crimson-Ambrose Slade |
4/7 |
Speakeasy, London | |
11/7 |
W.M.C.Polesworth | |
13/7 |
Alton Towers,Staffs |
Marmalade-Ambrose Slade |
18/7 |
Park Hall Hotel,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Frazer Nash |
26/7 |
Connaught Hotel,Wolverhampton |
|
27/7 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
|
28/7 |
Tony Brandon Show BBC Sessions | Broadcast week commencing |
|
||
1/8 |
Park Hall Hotel,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-Californians |
11/8 |
Jimmy Young Show BBC Sessions | Broadcast week commencing |
15/8 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton |
|
16/8 |
Tofts Folkestone |
Ambrose Slade-J.J.Bender-SOS |
24/8 |
Community Centre ,Aldridge |
|
31/8 |
Ship & Rainbow |
Ambrose Slade-Split Sound |
|
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
1/9 |
Park Hall Hotel | Ambrose Slade-Sight and Sound |
7/9 |
Queen Mary Ballroom |
|
12/9 |
USC,Bilston | |
19/9 |
Ship & Rainbow |
Ambrose Slade-Academy |
22/9 |
George Hotel,Walsall |
Ambrose Slade.-Breakdown |
26/9 |
Arran | Pram-Bubbles-Ambrose Slade |
27/9 |
Whiting Hall | |
28/9 |
Arran | Pram-Bubbles-Ambrose Slade |
|
||
2/10 |
Ambrose Slade get their hair cut | Britains first Skinhead band is Born |
5/10 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton | |
9/10 |
Express and Star | Skinhead article-SLADE |
12/10 |
Club Lafeyette | |
19/10 |
Community Centre,Aldridge |
|
20/10 |
George Hotel,Walsall | Ambrose Slade-Under Milk Wood |
24/10 |
Single release (The Slade) | Wild Winds Are Blowing |
25/10 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton | Ambrose Slade- Cracking Combination |
27/10 |
Park Hall Hotel,Wolverhampton |
Ambrose Slade-The Toast |
31/10 |
Royal,Tottenham | |
|
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
Date |
Venue |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
1/11 |
Mossley Y C,Bloxwich | |
4/11 |
Monster Music Mash BBC 1 TV Alan Price presents | First national TV appearance 'Martha My Dear' ~ 'Wild Winds Are Blowing' |
10/11 |
Dave Cash Show BBC Sessions | Broadcast week commencing |
14/11 |
Biston USC,Bilston | Slade |
16/11 |
Pavilllion ,Bournemouth | Ambrose Slade-The Room |
23/11 |
The Roundhouse ,London | Manfred Mann-Principal Edwards-Slade |
23/11 |
Bloxwich Baths | |
28/11 |
George Hotel,Walsall | Slade |
29/11 |
Baths,Bloxwich |
Slade |
30/11 |
Ship and Rainbow ,Wolverhampton | Ambrose Slade |
|
||
5/12 |
Olympia ,East Kilbride | Now billed as 'Slade' |
6/12 |
Bearsden Carloca | Male Order |
7/12 |
La Bamba,Falkirk | |
12/12 |
Club Lafayette,Wolverhampton |
|
12/12 |
Bilston USC,Bilston |
|
14/12 |
Connaught Hotel,Wolverhampton |
|
21/12 |
Bolero Club,Wednesbury | |
26/12 |
Ship & Rainbow,Wolverhampton | Slade-The Terriers |
27/12 |
Park Hall Hotel,Wolverhampton |
|
28/12 |
Queen Mary Ballroom,Dudley | |
This information is presented here in its most basic form, for those of you wishing to flesh out the bones of the story of these early days then simply follow the link to Michael Parkers excellent pages on the subject.