7 Year Bitch

UK, 14th January, 1985
RCA Records - RCA 475

7 Year Bitch marked the second stage of Slade's attempt at returning to the high end of the U.K. charts. The largely successful singles My Oh My (1983, peaking at #2) and Run Runaway (1984, peaking at #7), put Slade back in high demand. By the end of 1984, All Join Hands was released, peaking at #15. The song's similar sound to My Oh My was probably the reason why RCA wanted the song as a single. On one hand, it was a safe bet but on the other it pushed Slade into a corner, becoming very much a Christmas band in the eyes of the general public.

7 Year Bitch was the first sign of a new sound forming - highly polished commercial rock, with the adoption of the mid-80s synthesizer craze. With the band already gearing towards the reputation of being a Christmas-only band, the single's title and lyrical content caused the song to be banned across the U.K., with BBC and the like refusing to touch it. More unfortunate for the band, 1985 was at the height of a wave of political correctness and so the single simply didn't stand much chance. The single managed to peak at #60 in the U.K., still more successful than the band's late 70s period, whilst peaking at #20 in Poland and #39 in Germany.

The band felt unfairly judged by the media, where the band observed that nobody complained about song's like Elton John's The Bitch is Back which was a hit. Holder recalled in a 1998 interview of 7 Year Bitch's potential, "but we got a bit of a backlash". Whilst the band were unfairly judged, the record was also somewhat of a miscalculation on the part of Slade and RCA. Perhaps simply titling the song '7 Year Itch' may have avoided such a backlash.

The lyrics themselves rated higher than Holder's usual lyrical output. Much like a lot of the Rogues Gallery album, where the single appeared, the lyrics were rather personal - an unusual feature on a Slade track. Perhaps autobiographical, the song spoke of a shameless young woman who takes advantage of older men.

Given a rather unusual music video of the band performing the song inside a tent, some models were hired to appear in the video and a food fight scene was also filmed. This was Slade's only music video to feature any sexual connotations. Although the band's days of performing live were over, the band did perform the song with live vocal on the UK TV show Saturday Live. The band mimed the song on various European shows, where countries like Germany took well to the song.

UK, 26th January, 1985 - 12", Single
RCA - RCAT 475

The single was also released in 12" format:-

This video is taken from the Norwegian appearance at the opening of the prestigious Scandic Hotel. Ivar Dyrhaug is the unfortunate host with the arduous task of attempting to briefly interview Noddy Holder. 

The b-side of the single was the non-lp track Leave Them Girls Alone, where the verses featured Holder and Lea exchanging lines, a unique feature. The song's infectious chant hints the song was perhaps designed to be a potential single.

In a mid-1989 Slade fan club magazine interview, Lea stated that he had been working on a re-worked version of "7 Year Bitch", a version that is nothing like the original. This version has never been released to date.

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7 Year Bitch

(Noddy Holder & Jim Lea)


Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou
Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou

You're going round the circle 
Through another phase
Your temperature rising, 
You're wining and dining 
A girl who's half your age
She gives you all the business
She gives to older men
And it's oh so understandable 
This lady-killer move
There must be something bottled up
You think you gotta prove
'Cause now that you're a member
Of something on the side
It's number...

[CHORUS:]
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven year
Can you control the bitch?
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven
Can you - control - the itch?

Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou
Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou

To tell the truth you're old enough 
To be her dad
She ain't gonna let up 
She wants you to set up 
A cosy little pad
Where she can entertain you
And everything is free
I can tell you always were a sucker 
For a pretty face
The nights you're home a Romeo'll 
Be there to take your place
'Cause now that you're a member
Of something on the side
It's number...

[CHORUS:]
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven year
Can you control the bitch?
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven
Can you - control - the itch?

You tell the wife another 
Business trip abroad
It's getting too much 
You better not touch 
What you cannot afford
I know it's monkey business
And I've seen it all before
And I know that you were overcome 
When she told you you're the best
You better believe she's saying the same 
To me and all the rest
'Cause now that you're a member
Of a little bit on the side
It's number...

[CHORUS:]
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven year
Can you control the bitch?
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven
Can you - control - the itch?

Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou
Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven year
Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven year
Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven year
Woh hohowho ho wohwohwohou
One, two and three, four and five, six, seven year
(Repeat to fade)

Leave Them Girls Alone
(Noddy Holder & Jim Lea)


Woah woah-wow woah
Woah woah-wow woah

Oh I don't think you're the kind of girl who likes living  in a crazy world
You need loving any time you can - Hey I'm talking about the kind of man

If Daddy comes home at midnight
You'll cue Daddy's song
Well the girls are alright
Staying out all night
Leave them girls alone

Woah woah-wow woah
Woah woah-wow woah

I know that you ain't satisfied, I fooled around
Give me everything I won't let you down
I don't care if you're big or small
Give me dynamite, I want it all

If Daddy comes home at midnight
You'll cue Daddy's song
Well the girls are alright
Staying out all night
Leave them girls alone

Woah woah-wow woah
Woah woah-wow woah

On the town and all dressed up to kill
Don't do anything against your will
Overloaded and still want more
Much more than I've ever felt before

If Daddy comes home at midnight
You'll cue Daddy's song
Well the girls are alright
Staying out all night
Leave them girls alone

Woah woah-wow woah
Leaving all them girls alone
Woah woah-wow woah
Love and leave 'em alone
Woah woah-wow woah
Woah woah-wow woah
Woah woah-wow woah
Leave and love 'em alone
Woah woah-wow woah