Get Down And Get With It EP 1971

Polydor Records - 2058 112

German Picture Cover of "Get Down And Get With It".
 The German 7" was just an ordinary Single, with just the one track, "Gospel According To Rasputin" on the B-Side.


 Similarly, the American 7" was just an ordinary Single, with just the one track, "Do You Want Me" on the B-Side, too.

When Slade performaned Do You Want Me on "Top Of The Pops" it was announced as a contender for their next single, (plus a track on their next album!), neither of which turned out to be the case! (Listen to the audio, below!):-

As the N'Betweens, the band had built up a following on the live circuit playing their own versions of obscure U.S. R&B records. In 1969, when they were signed up by Chas Chandler, they changed their name and image to that of "Britain’s first skinhead band,” but it wasn't until 1971, when they released their version of an obscure Bobby Marchan track entitled Get Down With It. , that the band got their first taste of success. This song propelled the band into the UK Top 20 chart with a #16 hit.

Bradford Telegraph: 18th May 1971


New Musical Express:  29th May 1971
"SLADE (Get Down And Get With It): A gentleman with the voice of a cut-throat razor urging the people to join in his fun. Pier-end entertainment brought up to date. (Polydor)"
The U.K. 7" Single Release, however, was a three track Maxi-Single:-



Originally released on 21st May 1971 with the A-side labeled Get Down And Get With It written by Holder, Lee, Hill, Powell & Penniman ('Little' Richard Penniman). The story is that the group always knew the song as a Little Richard song called Get Down and Get With It, so when it was first released it was given that title and credited to Slade & Little Richard to reflect Slade's arrangement of the song. The German 7" single below (Polydor Records 2058 123 released in 1971) shows the incorrect labelling and credit.



It was their first Top Twenty placing and it stayed on the charts for four months. The success of 'Get Down And Get With It' enabled Slade to appear on Top Of The Pops, the principal weekly TV chart show. It was recorded at Olympic Studios, a converted cinema, and the clapping that accompanies 'Get Down And Get With It' was recorded in what used to be the cinema's stairwell. This would become a trademark of Slade's hits and, together with the echo on Noddy's voice, it established an important musical identity for the band. This song remained a barnstorming climax to their live shows throughout their touring days

The B-side featured two tracks written by Dave Hill & Noddy Holder, both dark and moody tracks focusing on sex and black magic respectively. Do You Want Me is blatant reference to sexual encounters while Gospel According To Rasputin appears to allude to devil worship. Either way, these songs show a strong style that could have been explored further.

The main title, of course, turned out to be incorrect and, as the song became a hit, the publishers quickly got involved. The correct title is Get Down With It written by Bobby Marchan. Labels had to be changed and no doubt money exchanged hands. Polydor were not exactly a small label and their legal department should have picked up on the mistake before its release. There is enough argument to support the claim that it may have been a publicity stunt.






There is currently little information as to when the promotional film was made or by whom. According to Raiders Of The Lost Archive TV show, it turned up in France in somebody's collection. Oddly enough, it has been seen on YouTube since 'at least' October 2007, albeit in a rather low res quality. Here's hoping somebody makes the good quality video available in full, sometime soon?


It was reissued on 08th June 1971 as Get Down With It written by Bobby Marchan with the same B-side and still Polydor Records 2058-112 which may have given it a little more life in the charts.

  • Get Down And Get With It
  • Do You Want Me
  • Gospel According To Rasputin






Some more European two track Singles:-
French Picture Cover of "Get Down And Get With It".
This was Slade's first Single in France, which had the previous UK Single as the B-Side!



Belgian Picture Cover of "Get Down And Get With It".

Italian Release:-



(Also, in Italy, in 1971, this Promo. Only 7" Single was released on Polydor AS 126) :-
/ B-Side - "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" - The Bee Gees.


Norwegian Release:-



Spanish Release:-

 (The Spanish Single featured "Sweet Box" on the B-Side!)


Australian EP :-

 (This 4 track Australian EP was released in 1972!)




Finally, the Mexican Picture Sleeves:-

Mexico, 1975  - 7", Vinyl, Single
Polydor - 2163

This release had both "Know Who You Are" and "I Remember" on the B-Side!


(For more details on this release, visit eil.com.)

Mexico,1971 - 7", Vinyl, Single
Polydor - S/N-322*

And the Double-Sided Stereo/Mono Get Down And Get With It Promo. Single, (with fold-over flap back cover!)






Mexico - "Get Down And Get With It" (EP) - 1975.




Side One features "Get Down With It, - Parts 1 & 2 @ 6:04!  Perhaps the Single Version and the "Slade Alive" Version together? Although these were 4:12 and 5:33, respectively, so both would have needed to have been severely edited?



Many thanks to Chris Selby for his 'red vinyl' scan.


Get Down And Get With It
(Bobby Marchan)

Well alright ev'rybody
Let your hair down
Let your hair down
I want to see ev'rybody get up off their seat,
Clap your hands stamp your feet
Get down get with it,
I said a-get down get with it and do the jerk.
Come on baby I'm gonna watch ev'rybody work
I said a-come on baby watch ev'rybody do the dance
I said get down and get with it, it's been a long long time
Yea yea yea I'm gonna watch ev'rybody move around
I said a-come on baby, watch ev'rybody make some time
To get down and get with it - it's alright yea yea yea
Oh my my my my, oh baby it's alright oh my my my my
Ev'rybody raise both your hands in the air, ev'rybody ev'rywhere
I said a-clap your hands, ev'rybody clap your hands, yea yea yea
Oh, my my my my, ev'rybody clap your hands oh my my my my

Want to see ev'rybody get your boots on, ev'rybody ev'rywhere
I said a-stamp your feet, come on and stamp your feet, yea
Yea, yea, yea, oh my my my my (hoo!)
Ev'rybody stamp your feet, oh my my my my

Want to see ev'rybody get up off your seat
Clap your hands, stamp your feet, make it
Get down and get with it,
I said a-get down get with it
I said a-get down get with it baby yea yea yea
Oh my my my my I said a-come on baby oh, my my my my
I said a-stamp your feet yea, a-listen to the beat baby
Yea yea yea oh my my my my
Ev'rybody stamp your feet baby, I said a-my my my, my
Yea yea get down and get with it baby
I said get down and get with it now, yea yea yea
I said my-my-my-my my my
I said get down and get with it baby oh, my my my my

I want ev'rybody to say they feel allllriiiiiiight.

Do You Want Me
(Dave Hill & Noddy Holder)

Just the way you move, you, seems to turn me on
Stockings black and slender, ooh, what I want, yeah
Always gets me higher, when you stroke my palm
Gotta keep me level, ooh, keep control, yeah

Do you want me, movin' around with you
Movin' around with you now
Do you want me, movin' around with you
Take me, here I come

Just the way you move, you, seems to turn me on
Stockings black and slender, ooh, what I want, yeah
Fools can go through phases, have to change around
I don't need no other, got me one

Do you want me, movin' around with you
Movin' around with you now
Do you want me, movin' around with you
Take me, here I'll come

It's just the way
Don't you know it's the way that you move, you
Take me, here I come

It's just the way
Don't you know
It's the way that you move, you

It's just the way
Don't you know
It's the way that you move, you

It's just the way
Don't you know
It's the way that you move, you, ooh

Gospel According To Rasputin
(Dave Hill & Noddy Holder)

Give all your loving
Give all your loving to the devil in the dark now

Give all your favour
Give all your favour to the devil in the dark now

You won't feel down
You know you won't feel down

Give all your loving
Give all your loving to the devil in the dark now

I love my pray's young
They are my sound
White women burn thee all around

Black cat so bad
My life passed me by

Devil tempt me
Listen while I try

Before you give me money
Give me what I want

Devil tempt me
I want to rule the earth

I love my pray's young
They are my sound
White women burn thee all around

Give all your loving
Give all your loving to the devil in the dark now

Give all your favour
Give all your favour to the devil in the dark now

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