Record Mirror, October 6th 1973

The continuing story of Slade's Jim Lea

'We just don't worry'

Halfway through his plaice and chips Jimmy Lea decided he doesn't like the way Slade have got the rest of the year wholly planned out but he agrees it's absolutely necessary.

There's the new single (hit), the new album latest (hit, hit), then another album within the next few months, then one or two Singles before the end of the year.

"We've got it planned out, even got the new single written."
he says munching a mouthful of fish.
"You have to plan it to a certain extent. You can't just go along and, just stumble into things."

Obviously the accident was about the most unexpected and unplanned for happening in their year.

"It happened on Tuesday night and we were due to do Top of the Pops on Wednesday, so Top of the Pops was recorded, it came out on Friday with 'Skweeze Me Pleeze Me' at one, and they didn't put anything on, just put the kids on dancing. I expected some film to come on."

Tragedy

"I saw some mates of mine afterwards a chill went through me. It was as if we'd all been killed. The tragedy of the thing was hanging over everybody anyway and you've got this sort of... on the TV. Top of the Pops was recorded the next day and they didn't know what to do "

"They did the right thing. As it was, Don was getting stronger by the time it was shown. He was unconscious but at least he was living. But they didn't know whether he was going to live or die. If Don had kicked it, they couldn't put him on the telly playing drums."

Reports at the time made out it was really bad.

"It was heavy," said Jim, "Me and Nod went to see him and puked. I wasn't bothered. I was really thinking positively; what are we going to do now, we've got gigs at the Isle of Man, what's happening, phone Chas, phone H (Dave), phone Nod, get things together, and I never gave a thought to what condition he was in. And I went up to see him before we went to the Isle of Man and Nod went in before me and we just puked, you know."

At the Isle of Man Jimmy's brother won the crowd for his brave, competent, stand-in performance.

" I felt nervous because he was on the drums and I had to cue him in all the time. The second gig he got everything fantastic. He's down in London now getting a band together. He couldn't go back to plumbing. He'd only had limited experience with local bands but he's absolutely 100 percent. He did unbelievable. He didn't make one mistake and when he stood up to take a bow he got a huge cheer. The crowds were great."

"You wouldn't believe the reaction when Don had the accident. I mean from all over the world. I couldn't start to mention the countries because they were all over the show. Letters were just addressed to Don Powell, Wolverhampton, England. I didn't know the address but then letters were getting to the hospital."

"There was tons of mail around his bed and chewing gum 'cause he's always chewing gum. He always had done, he had about five tons of chewing gum. He's saved it. He won't have to buy any chewing gum for a few years."

Asking me about influencers and is completely objective about it.

"It's the audiences, what goes on around us, how they respond, what we think of them, what they think of us. I mean Cum On Feel the Noize: 'so you think I'm a scruff bag and it's no disgrace' if you just listen to the lyrics 'you say my singing's out of time but I just don't worry', that's what it is all about with us."

"The reason why it's 'My Friend Stan' is because the lyrics rhyme with 'dirty old man', well 'funny old man' we used in the song, we just flow lyrics you know."

So it's not particularly anybody?

"No, no it's just my friend Stan then my friend... Pete. I can't remember the others. I never bother with lyrics. I just write the tunes. Nod always writes the lyrics. I might say I'd like a repeat line here, we'll discuss it, then he'll go away. Then the first time we all hear it is when we've all got the cans on in the studio. Nod'll be singing away, 'cause we do everything live in the studio, and we hear the lyrics for the first time and all start laughing 'cause they usually a bit funny y'know."

'Good buzz'

"It's a good buzz. You know, you're all laughing at each other and pushing it down and it's 'appening."

They are completely at home in the studio now and usually reckon to do a track in one to eight takes.

"I sang one this time, which is very unusual, that's how relaxed we are. I played and sang at the same time and it all went down live. I found I was playing much simpler based but it fitted so much better than what I would have played if I hadn't been singing."

We agree that there are few bass players who play and sing well at the same time. He admits he was a lead-guitarist type bass player until he realised in the studio that all his flash notes were coming out a blur.

"Our sound is very much a blanket sound, so when I was playing fast it was all disappearing, so I developed a style after Coz I Luv You. But for singing, well there's McCartney, incredible bass player. He's cream. I listen to some of his stuff and I don't know where it comes from, he's brilliant."

Rusty

Jimmy is not renowned for looking after his old Gibson bass and when Noddy played it on a recent BBC spot he warned his mate that it was going to pack up.

"It's all rusty you know know. I never bother. As long as I play it, that's it. Nod always looked after his guitars and when we first got together we were practising... I didn't even know him then, I thought his name was Nob, when I used to speak to him I used to try and blur the end of the word and... anyway at this rehearsal, Nod comes round with a can of 'Three in One', he just came walking up to me got hold of me guitar and said 'yer gotta oil it y'know' I thought funny bloke."

Peter Harvey

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.

'We Just Don't Worry'