Cum On Feel The Noize

UK, 23rd February, 1973 

Polydor Records - 2058-339

On 23rd Feb Slade released and, for the first time, entered the charts at the top spot with "Cum On Feel The Noize". It entered at the top slot in both the UK and Irish charts, which was quite a rare feat at the time and was the first occasion this had happened since The Beatles' "Get Back" in 1969. It spent four weeks at the top of the chart in March 1973. Upon release, the single sold 500,000 copies in only three weeks of release. As a result, the pressing factory were completely out of stock for a few days.

"We released 'Cum On Feel the Noize' at the end of February and were very confident we had a real hit on her hands, though I don't think even we were prepared for just what a huge success it was going to be. It went straight in at number one... the final seal of approval on Slade Mania to do something The Beatles had done. That felt huge!"

Dave Hill: 'So Here It Is' 2017

UK / French / European Picture Cover of "Cum On Feel The Noize' .

The single had half a million pre-orders on the days leading up to the release. This was Slade's first attempt to recreate and write about the atmosphere at their gigs. Originally, the song was titled "Cum On Hear the Noize"; Holder revised the title when he recalled, "...how I had felt the sound of the crowd pounding in my chest", though other sources state that it was Jim Lea who suggested the change in words. Holder's "Baby baby baaaby" introduction was actually just a microphone test.

"I was at a Chuck Berry gig in '72 and everybody was singing his tunes. He kept stopping and letting the crowd sing and it wasn't just a few people, it was everyone. It was amazing and I thought why not write the crowd into the songs, and so of course, the next one was 'Take Me Bak 'Ome' then 'Gudbuy T'Jane' but then we got round to 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now' and 'Cum On Feel the Noize' and all the chants were written into the tunes."
Jim Lea: Record Mirror, December 1984

"The song was based around audiences and things that were happening to us. They were just experiences. Obviously, when you are on the road, you are writing about being on the road, you're writing about what's going on."
Dave Hill: Slade International Fan Club, March - April - May 1986

"It was after one night, on that tour, that I wrote the lyrics for 'Cum On Feel the Noize'. We were on stage the audience was chanting along so loudly to every song that I couldn't hear myself sing. The venue we were in was really echoey and the noise was bouncing off the walls. I originally called the song 'Come on Hear the Noize' but, when I thought back on the gig, all I could remember was how I felt the sound of the crowd pounding in my chest. Feel was a much better word to describe it."
Noddy Holder: Who's Crazee Now? 1999

More than any of their previous singles, this encapsulates the band’s party-time ethos and Wolverhampton cheek (“So you think my singing’s out of time. Well it makes me money”). A primal rock ‘n’ roll howler written to celebrate the feeling of being the biggest band in Britain and produced to sound like a live wall-of-noise stomp-along. 

"Even before the single came out we knew it was going to be a monster hit. We had played it a few times on stage and it always sent the audience wild. In the days leading up to the release 'Cum On Feel the Noize' got preorders of 300,000. By the following week it had another 200,000. It shot straight to number one. Two weeks later it was still there, it held T Rex '20th Century Boy' at number 2, which Dave was particularly pleased about. I wasn't bothered about Bolan, we were the first band to go in at number one since the Beatles, that's what mattered to me. I remember the day we found out its position from the pre-sales. We were pretty sure it had done it but, when we were told for certain, it was a fantastic feeling. Part of the success was down to Chas and his marketing plan, which had finally come to fruition. Mostly though, it was down to the strength of the song. 'Cum On Feel the Noize' has been covered by loads of bands, it's just a great rock and roll record."
Noddy Holder: Who's Crazee Now? 1999

They were in a position of power and were having the biggest sales in their career. Typical of Slade's releases at the time, it flopped in the USA, where it would only peak at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

"The single was released in February 1973. Chas, his management assistant, Johnny Steel and Polydor boss, John Fruin, came up with a plan together to get the single straight to number one. Singles were released on a Friday, Chas would get Top of the Pops for us on the Thursday, the day before the new release, so they had Friday, Saturday and Monday sales. Then the charts would come out on Tuesday. Chas saw to it that we had the record played on the radio at least a week before release, and because of our success at the time, people would pre-order it. The shops would stock the records a week before so they would be there on release date. It was a marketing scheme that actually worked. Usually, when a record was released on a Friday, it wouldn't be in the shops until a week later, but this way it was there on the day of release. The kids could buy from Friday and because of that, and the preorders, we could enter the charts at number one. That hasn't been done since the Beatles."

Don Powell: Look Wot I Dun 2013

"Jim hated that. When he complained about Dave's costumes, which she found ridiculous, Dave used to say "You write 'em, I'll sell 'em." Jim wrote almost all our music but Dave and his costumes made a stand apart from other bands." 

Don Powell: Look Wot I Dun 2013

This 'non-album' single remained in the charts for twelve weeks. It also featured another 'non-album' B-side which became a fan favourite. In a way Dave Hill echoed the lyrics of 'I'm Mee, I'm Now and That's Orl'.

German / European Picture Cover.

Dutch Picture Cover.

Italian cover - Polydor -1973.

Portugal - Polydor - 1973.

Yugoslavia - Radio-Televizija Beograd - 1973.

Israel - 1973.

Japan (Promo.) - 1973.

Japan (Release) - 1973.

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Cum On Feel The Noize

(Noddy Holder & Jimmy Lea)

Baby baby baby!
Ee-ow...


So you think I got an evil mind, well I'll tell you honey
And I don't know why
And I don't  know why
So you think my singing's out of time, well it makes me money
And I don't know why
And I don't know why
Anymore
Oh no

[Chorus]
So cum on feel the noize
Girls grab the boys
We get wild, wild, wild,
We get wild, wild, wild,
So cum on feel the noize
Girls grab the boys
We get wild, wild, wild,
At your door

So you say I got a funny face, I ain't got no worries
And I don't know why
And I don't know why
Say I'm a scruff bag well it's no disgrace, I ain't in no hurry
And I don't know why
I just don't know why
Anymore
Oh no

[Chorus]

So you think we have a lazy time, well you should know better
And  I don't know why
I just don't know why
And you say I  got a dirty mind, well I'm a mean go getter
And I don't know why
And I don't know why
Anymore
Oh no

[Chorus]


I'm Mee, I'm Now, An' That's Orl
(Noddy Holder & Jimmy Lea)


Everybody's tellin' me what we do wrong
Everybody tells me where my hat belongs
We know what we're chasin', know which way we're facin'
Everybody tellin' me to hold my tongue

Well, I'm me, I'm now and I know that's all
I'm me, I'm now and I know that's all

We gotta hold tight yeah - can't you see they're letting we through
We gotta hold tight yeah - can't you see they're letting we through

We just say what we want to 'cause we might be right
They know it didn't happen to us overnight
We know what we're chasin', know which way we're facin'
All I need's a halo and a dress in white

Well, I'm me, I'm now and I know that's all
I'm me, I'm now and I know that's all

We gotta hold tight yeah - can't you see that they're letting we through
We gotta hold tight yeah - can't you see that they're  letting we through