Due to broadcast restrictions, the BBC made their own recordings for airplay. They would bring groups in to record a number of songs and press them onto vinyl for their own exclusive library. These songs were not made for official release but would be used by the BBC to overcome the airplay restrictions for officially released material.
Most of these recordings up to the mid 90's were only heard by a few radio listeners, most of who were probably not listening. Fortunately, somebody was interested enough to actually record the broadcasts on cassette tape and save the tapes. These tapes came to light in the 90's and were made available to a small number of people with the right contacts.
Some were pressed to vinyl privately for distribution amongst fans and later with the advent of CD burning technology, new mass produced collections came to light such as this one dated 2003 which I believe was available earlier around 2000. On sale through Russian on-line shops, bootleggers filled the hole in the avid Slade fans collections. Those not fortunate enough to have the contacts at the time were charged full price for these collections. I don't think many would feel ripped off though, I certainly would have paid much more for these tracks.
Most of these recordings up to the mid 90's were only heard by a few radio listeners, most of who were probably not listening. Fortunately, somebody was interested enough to actually record the broadcasts on cassette tape and save the tapes. These tapes came to light in the 90's and were made available to a small number of people with the right contacts.
"Made By A Fan For A Fan"
Some were pressed to vinyl privately for distribution amongst fans and later with the advent of CD burning technology, new mass produced collections came to light such as this one dated 2003 which I believe was available earlier around 2000. On sale through Russian on-line shops, bootleggers filled the hole in the avid Slade fans collections. Those not fortunate enough to have the contacts at the time were charged full price for these collections. I don't think many would feel ripped off though, I certainly would have paid much more for these tracks.
The 'N Betweens had a couple of recording sessions in December 1968, one on the 8th was for radio broadcast . As from 1st January 1969 they would be known as Ambrose Slade. It's possible that this was a BBC recording session.
The following Slade session info is from a 1993 book called 'In Session Tonight - The Complete Radio One Recordings':
Broadcast date - 8/6/69 - Dave Symonds on Sunday Show - Recorded 2/6/69 as Ambrose Slade.
- Everybody's Next One
- C'mon, C'mon
- Good Old Desk
- The Raven (not Broadcast)
(I like seeing C'mon C'mon as an Ambrose Slade track nine months before it became a Slade recording and The Raven nearly a year and a half before it graced Play It Loud?)
- The Shape of Things To Come
- Omaha
- Sweet Box
- I Remember
Broadcast date - 12/1/71 - Mike Harding Show - Recorded 11/1/71.
- Man Who Speaks Evil
- Dirty Joker
- The Gospel According to Rasputin
- Do You Want Me
Broadcast date - 13/5/71 - Stuart Henry Show - Recorded 5/5/71.
- Get Down And Get With It
- Man Who Speeks Evil
- My Life Is Natural
- In Like A Shot From My Gun
Broadcast date - 27/1/72 - Pete Drummond Show - Recorded 12/1/72.
- In Like A Shot From My Gun
- My Life Is Natural
- The Shape of Things To Come
- Look Wot You Dun
Broadcast date - 26/5/72 - John Peel Show - Recorded 9/5/72.
- Move Over
- Let The Good Times Roll
- Gudbuy Gudbuy
- Darling Be Home Soon
- Keep On Rockin'
These sessions do not account for all the songs known to have been recorded at the BBC. Other songs have surfaced that are almost certainly from Slade's BBC sessions:
- Nights In White Satin
- Coloured Rain
- Wild Winds Are Blowing
- Know Who You Are
- See Us Here
- Getting Better
- It's Alright Ma, It's Only Witchcraft
- Coming Home
- Gudbuy T' Jane
"They were taken from my collection some years back, or some of them were, definitely. They are not really Russian, Germany was the source, well known bootlegger.... you will often see Slade bootlegs supposedly from Russia and Poland.
About five years ago when SIE went live with just 10 mb of web space available, I stupidly sent a load of stuff to a bloke in Germany in good faith, he started producing the CD's shortly afterwards, at first a supposed Luxembourg pressing, then when it got too hot, a quick bit of cut and paste they were from Russia."Dave Graham 2005
ARCHIVES & RARITIES 1970-73
Short Hair, Heavy Boots, Big Beat
( Made In Italy! )
As from October 2009, this rare collection of BBC Studio recordings will be made available officially by Salvo Records. This special release, an exclusive project championed by Chas Chandler (this is NOT Bryan "Chas" Chandler) of Union Square Music, comes in the advent of the Salvo Remastered Catalogue.
Slade: Live At The BBC 1969 -1972 comes as a 2xCD release, alongside a live 1972 BBC performance recorded on 17th August 1972 at the Paris Studios and broadcast on BBC Radio One "In Concert" 30th September 1972.
On this release, the whole collection has been taken from the original BBC archive recordings. I believe, but am awaiting confirmation, that the project is also remastered by Tim Turan as was the rest of the Slade catalogue.
On this release, the whole collection has been taken from the original BBC archive recordings. I believe, but am awaiting confirmation, that the project is also remastered by Tim Turan as was the rest of the Slade catalogue.
Only one single, a French Bootleg, from the B.B.C.Sessions,"Coming Home" / "Security" was ever released:-
The B-Side, "Security" was not a BBC version, it was an earlier 'N Betweens' track!
After John Haxby had fought Newman & Co. in the courts for the rights to release "The Genesis Of Slade" CD (and won!), this opened the floodgates for the release of all of the BBC material.
In the.U.K., first, two good sound quality, unofficial vinyl EP's were released, taken off the Italian-made "Short Hair, Heavy Boots, Big Beat" 12" Vinyl Bootleg LP. ( Shown higher up on this page! )
This, below, was the first of the two:-
UK, 2000
After John Haxby had fought Newman & Co. in the courts for the rights to release "The Genesis Of Slade" CD (and won!), this opened the floodgates for the release of all of the BBC material.
In the.U.K., first, two good sound quality, unofficial vinyl EP's were released, taken off the Italian-made "Short Hair, Heavy Boots, Big Beat" 12" Vinyl Bootleg LP. ( Shown higher up on this page! )
This, below, was the first of the two:-
UK, 2000
Bootleg / 7" Repro / EP
Short Hair Heavy Boots Big Beat - SLADE SIX TRACK LIVE EP
Then, shortly after, again in 2000, all of the known BBC tracks were gathered together on this Double CD, below, which was an exclusive to members of Slade In England.:-
These U.K. Releases are completely independent to the German and Russian Bootlegs!
Next Page
Good Old Desk
( Harry Nilsson / Harry Edward Nilsson )
Oowah oowah ah ah ah-ah oowah oowah ah
My old desk does an arabesque
In the morning when I first arrive
It's a pleasure to see, it's waiting there for me
To keep my hopes alive
Such a comfort to know it's got no place to go,
It's always there
It's the one thing I've got, a huge success,
My good old desk
My old desk never needs a rest,
And I've never once heard it cry
I've never seen it tease, it's always there to please me
From nine to five
Such a comfort to know, it's dependable and slow,
But it's always there
It's the one friend I've got, a giant of all times
My good old desk
Oowah oowah ah ah ah, ah oowah oowah ah
My old desk isn't picturesque,
But it's happy as a desk can be
We never say a word,
But it's perfectly alright with me
For when my heart's on the floor, I just open the drawer
Of my favourite guest
And what do I see?
But a picture of me working at my good old desk
Oowah oowah ah ah ah, ah oowah oowah ah
Done Me Wrong, All Right - ( By The Sweet )
( Connolly, Tucker, Priest, Scott )
I woke up this morning my girl was not inside
Not inside my billfold she's done me wrong all right
We've been all night a-rockin' at the house of blue light
Ah, ah, ah-e
Ah, ah
The band was really groovin' with the shades of Jerry Lee
Somehow jiving, yeah she was taking me
Now she's gone and left me oh, baby let it be
Ah, ah, ah-e
Ah, ah, ah-e
I didn't understand her you know I mean her scene
Sleeps around for money or kicks that's twice as mean
But if I cross with her again she'll find that I'm not green
Ah, ah, ah-e
Ah, ah
This woman's a hooker
I can't stand her
She's doing me wrong
This woman's a hooker
I woke up this morning my girl was not inside
Not inside my billfold she's done me wrong all right
We've been all night a-rockin' at the house of blue light
Ah, ah, ah-e
Ah, ah
The band was really groovin' with the shades of Jerry Lee
Somehow jiving, yeah she was taking me
Now she's gone and left me oh, baby let it be
Ah, ah, ah-e
Ah, ah, ah-e
I didn't understand her you know I mean her scene
Sleeps around for money or kicks that's twice as mean
But if I cross with her again she'll find that I'm not green
Ah, ah, ah-e
Ah, ah
This woman's a hooker
I can't stand her
She's doing me wrong
This woman's a hooker
