Montreux Golden Rose Rock Festival

Switzerland , May, 1984

Montreux Golden Rose Rock Festival
Written by Haden Donovan:

Slade were booked to appear at the Montreux Golden Rose Rock Festival as we duly flew out on Saturday 12 May to appear the next day. The festival was due to be shown in forty different countries. A full list of all the artists would take quite a lot of space, but on 13 May the following artists appeared 

Kajagoogoo, Pretenders, Spandau Ballet, Tracey Ullman, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Roger Daltrey, and of course Slade.

All the acts were miming and yet Slade still managed to create a tremendous atmosphere and blew everyone else away! The boys actually did 'Run Runaway', 'Slam the Hammer Down' and 'My Oh My' although only the first two were shown on British television.

The British press were pretty scathing about the show when it appeared on British TV. Their comments were fair, I thought, but Slade were praised by the critics for their performance. They were the only act to escape the writers ire.

Other performers on the show were equally unanimous in their praize of the 'Noize Boize'. Roger Daltrey was particluarly praising of Slade's show. Noel Edmunds, the compare, called Slade "the hit of the show". Yet another triumph!

After Sunday evenings show the celebrations in the local club lasted until very late on Monday morning and it was a bleary eyed party who assembled for the one hour drive to the airport. We made it by the skin of our teeth and we arrived back in London at lunchtime.

"Slade are what a rock band should be - the ultimate rock band!" - Roger Daltrey

"It was an honour and a pleasure to be on the show with them - we were all members of their fan club ten years ago." - Spandau Ballet

So that was Montreux. As a musical event it was probably no great shakes - there were too many varied types of acts to call it a true rock festival, and of course, it was all mimed, but it was shown in forty different countries to an estimated audience of 400 million, so for the stars of the event not bad exposure!!!!

Another section of the mag is actually from Jim himself

He speaks of his illness (hepatitis) where he had contracted it before the American tour (in summer 83) and so the My Oh My christmas promotion, etc. was not a 'healthy time'. He speaks of the tour and how he had to take his complete rest after he couldn't continue.

He then writes:

"The first thing that we have done as a band since there (although Nod and I have been writing) was the Golden Rose of Montreux Pop Festival. 

This was a three day TV event, in which virtually every act that you can think of participated. We enjoyed it, but there wasn't much to do after rehearsals except for hanging around the various nightspots giving a chance to meet old friends like 'Quo and Queen', as well as making new acquaintances. 

Nevertheless, most TV and promotion work is interminably boring, so it was a relief to have the company of other British artists who were in the same position. 

On our return home we shall be going into the studio to start work on tracks for various usage and work begins again.....

Series of highlights from the 1984 Montreux Rock Festival held in Switzerland. 

LLVG570S 1/2 MONTREUX GOLDEN ROSE POP FESTIVAL: 1 BBC 28/05/84 

Noel EDMONDS intros Golden Rose Pop Festival with performances by rock & pop stars inc. Elton JOHN, Nena, Ultravox, Cliff RICHARD, Tracey ULLMAN, Slade,

UB40 Roger DALTREY, Bananarama, Adam ANT, Pretenders, Howard JONES, & Queen.

> VTSONGS: SPANDAU BALLET "Only when you leave" (4m35s)

ABC "Beauty stab" (2m04s)

Elton JOHN "Sad songs" (4m00s) 

NENA "Let me be your pirate" (3m10s) 

ULTRAVOX "Dancing with tears in my eyes" (3m45s) 

UB40 "Red red wine" (2m45s) 

Howard JONES "Pearl in the shell" (3m10s)

Cliff RICHARD "Ocean deep" (4m51s) 

Tracey ULLMAN "My guy" (2m45s) 

SLADE "Run run away" (3m16s) 

Roger DALTREY "Parting would be painless" (4m30s) 

BANANARAMA "Rough justice" (3m31s) 

Adam ANT "Goody two shoes" (3m16s) 

PRETENDERS "Thin line between love & hate" (3m24s) 

QUEEN "It's a hard life" (3m54s) & "I want to break free" (4m08s) 

Robin GIBB "Boys do fall in love" (?m?s) 

Gloria GAYNOR "Strive" (2m12s)

Cyndi LAUPER "Time after time" (03m42s) & "Money changes everything" (04m57s), 

DURAN DURAN "Union of the snake" (04m12s) & "The reflex" (04m13s), 

Bonnie TYLER "Holding out for a hero" (03m23s) & "Total eclipse of the heart" (04m17s),

Rod STEWART "Infatuation" (03m49s) & "Some guys have all the luck"(04m13s) 

Elton JOHN "I'm still standing" (02m54s) 

Part 3:

LLVG572F 1/1 MONTREUX GOLDEN ROSE POP FESTIVAL: 3 BBC 19/06/84 

Noel EDMOND pres. part 3 of Festival featuring Kajagoogoo, Slade, Queen, Tracey ULLMAN, Cliff RICHARD, Roger DALTREY, Howard JONES, Nena, Madness,

UB40, Joan JETT, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Dolly Dots, Adam ANT & Cyndi LAUPER. 

Songs: KAJAGOOGOO "Turn your back on me" (03m47s), 

QUEEN "Radio Gaga" (04m51s), 

SLADE "Slam the hammer down" (02m43s), 

Howard JONES "Equality" (02m12s), 

Joan JETT "I need someone" (02m39s), 

SPANDAU BALLET "Highly strung" (02m56s), 

Tracey ULLMAN "Breakaway" (01m56s), 

UB40 "Johnny too bad" (02m25s), 

Dolly DOTS "Love me just a little bit more" (03m16s), 

Cliff RICHARD "Love stealer" (03m25s) 

Roger DALTREY "Free me" (04m05s), 

Adam ANT "Dog eat dog" (02m50s),

DURAN DURAN "Hungry like the wolf" (03m19s), 

MADNESS "Heigh-ho" (00m28s), 

Cyndi LAUPER "Girls just want to have fun" (03m34s) 

Director HURLL, Michael

Production Company Ten Productions

Production Company BBC TV SSR Télévision Suisse

Producer HURLL, Michael

Producer KANTOR, Ron

Presenter EDMONDS, Noel

Transmission Company BBC Television

Run Run Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4QwDoFJCVI

Slam The Hammer Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOPM6bzJEI

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