My Friend Stan

"MY FRIEИD STAИ"

28th September, 1973
Polydor Records - 2058 407

German / European Picture Cover of "My Friend Stan".

My Friend Stan was the first single released from Slade's fourth studio album, Old, New, Borrowed & Blue.  

It reached Number 2 in the UK Singles Charts, spending eight weeks in the charts.
It was kept off the number one spot by David Cassidy with Daydreamer.

Chas Chandler had heard Lea playing a melody on the piano at his home and persuaded him to complete the song. When Holder wrote lyrics for 'My Friend Stan', they were full of innuendo which was typical Slade but quite risqué for the time. During the recording, Don Powell was walking with the aid of a stick and had to be lifted on to his drum kit.

Jimmy Lea once told Dave Kemp that when Slade were due to release "My Friend Stan", Chas took a call from David Cassidy's management team. Team Cassidy were concerned that they had organised a promotional trip to the UK to promote  his next release, "Daydreamer". However, when they realised that Slade were due to put out a new single around the same time. They were concerned that David would be kept off No. 1 and it might be a wasted trip. Financial incentives were therefore offered to Slade to change their release date by a few weeks. 

Chas told them point blank, Slade would not budge, the two acts would therefore go head-to-head. Chas had good reason not to budge, Slade having had massive sales with their last two singles "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me", both of which had entered the charts at No. 1.

However, as it transpired, "My Friend Stan" was a very much a change of style for Slade and it only entered the chart at the "lowly" No.3 position, climbing the following week to it's peak position of No.2. It earned them a silver disc.

Cassidy actually released a week after Slade. He  promoted "Daydreamer" on the same 500th Top Of The Pops special as Slade with footage showing him landing a private jet at Heathrow, performing on the tarmac. David, of course, made the No1 spot.

"We had an enforced break over the summer, while Don was on the mend, but in late September we got on a plane for New York to start our US tour. It would last a month, followed by some dates in Europe. While we were away we released 'My Friend Stan', which sold as many copies as the other singles but only reached number 2. It was kept off of the top by 'Eye Level', which was the theme to the 'Van der Valk', a TV detective show."

Dave Hill: So Here It Is 2017

Belgium - Polydor - 1973.

 France - Polydor - 1973.

Italy - Polydor - 1973.

Netherlands - Polydor - 1973.

 Portugal - Polydor - 1973.

Download the audio of Slade, performing "My Friend Stan" on Top Of The Pops here.

My thanks to Chris 'The Historian' Selby for his relentless research. It is said, in certain circles,that Walsall Archives have a seat reserved specifically for him and that Wolverhampton archives consult him when searching the Express & Star. 

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My Friend Stan

(Noddy Holder & Jimmy Lea)

My friend Stan's got a funny old man

Oh yeah, oh yeah

He makes him work all night 'til he can't do it right

Oh yeah, aha

And from the way you blacked my eye,

I know that you're the reason why

And from the way you fix his tie

I see you're gettin' to him, gettin' to him

My friend Jack's got an ache in his back

Oooooh oh yeah

The doc said he'd be fine if he'd just take his time

Ohh oh, ooh

And from the way you blacked my eye

I know that you're the reason why

And from the way you fix his tie

I see you're gettin' to him, you've been gettin' to him - kinky!

And from the way you blacked my eye

I know that you're the reason why

And from the way you fix his tie

I see you're gettin' to him, you've been gettin' to him

My friend Pete says his body is weak

Oh yeah, aha

He told me he can't sleep and his temperature's steep

Oh yeah, woho

And from the way you blacked my eye

I know that you're the reason why

And from the way you fix his tie

I see you're gettin' to him, you've been gettin' to him,

You've been gettin' to him, you've been gettin' to him

Oh yeah!

[ Radio One Jingles : - ]
Radio 1, Where the best music's on
Oh yeah ( on Two-Four-Seven ) Oh yeah ( on Two-Four-Seven )
This is Radio 1, National stars carry on
Oh yeah ( on Two-Four-Seven ) Oh yeah ( on Two-Four-Seven )

" My Friend Noel's got the breakfast time show..."

My Town

(Noddy Holder & Jimmy Lea)

Gotta find some way outta this town tonight

There's a hot shootin' mama gonna crack your skull on sight

She keeps hanging onto your tail, makes it hurt and makes you wail

You been hidin', you been achin', you're ready to fight

This ain't your town, this is my town
This ain't your town, this is my town
Get on your way, get on your way, get on your way, now

She gotta you hooked, you really couldn't stand the pace
She was free for me, but I mentioned it just in case
I been through all that lovin' before, so many times I lost the score
You been hidin', you been achin', you're ready to fight (get ready)

This ain't your town, this is my town
This ain't your town, this is my town
Get on your way, (get on) get on your way, get on your way, now

She keeps hanging onto your tail, makes it hurt and makes you wail
You been hidin', you been achin', you're ready to fight

This ain't your town, this is my town
This ain't your town, this is my town
Get on your way, (get on) get on your way, (go on), get on your way, now
Get on your way, now (,come on, get on)
Get on your way, now