From Roots To Boots: The Slade Story

January 27th, 1984

RCA - RCA-385

In 1984, the song "Run Runaway" became the first single to be taken from their album 'The Amazing Kamikazee Syndrome'. It was actually the third since 'My Oh My' had been the showcase single for the album and their 1982 release, '(And Now - The Waltz) C'est La Vie', had been added to the album.

The album version features an extended drum gallop before blasting out the fantastic guitar riff. Most impressive is how the track truly kicks in with Noddy shrieking “Hold on!” and the most irresistible fiddle melody begins. Noddy’s lyrics are totally nonsensical and yet they work in every way possible. The fantastic backing vocals fit perfectly whilst the entire song is a showcase for the band‘s musical creativity. The entir song never fails to deliver everything Slade stand for.

Many people refer this song to an influence of Big Country where I must stress that at the time of release, Big Country had not created anything remotely similar to the Run Runaway sound. The melody is in fact inspired by the hymn "There Is a Happy Land". Holder himself perfectly summed the song up as "a rocky Scottish jig".

The song became the band's biggest American hit, benefitting from heavy play on MTV, peaking at #20 and spending a total of eight weeks in the Top 40. It was also number one for two weeks on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart and proved to be the band's last top 10 hit in the UK.

Dave Thompson, from allmusic described the song as "building on the anthemic power of the earlier "My Oh My" - itself their biggest U.K. single in nine years - "Run Runaway" is raucous chanting, swirling guitars, wild violin, and even a taste of heavy metal bagpipes, helped along by a drum sound that is pure early '80s". The single peaked at #193 for 1984 on rateyourmusic.

A music video was created for the single, filmed at Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire, England. The track was also performed on many UK TV shows such as Hall of Fame as well as a few Top of The Pops performances. The track was also performed at Montreaux Festival in 1984 along with Slam The Hammer Down.

In February 1985 it was performed on ITV's 'Saturday Live' (with a different backing track) when the band were promoting the 7 Year Bitch single.

America got Run Runaway first and when it took off CBS put out My Oh My as the follow up. Run Runaway coupled with My Oh My promo'd in the US in 1984 on a CBS 12" (AS 1832) playing at 33rpm. I don't know if it came before the official release but Run Runaway promo'd in several guises. The blue promo has the Don't Tame A Hurricane B-side.

The white promo with exactly the same catalogue number has Run Runaway on both sides. Note the playing time clocks in at 3:42 as do the European 7". In the UK this edit can be found on 'Feel The Noize - Slade Greatest Hits' and should have been used as an album bonus track by Salvo in 2007 remaster catalogue.

1997 Compilation CD
Polydor - 537 105-2

Original Release

Reissue, minus the "Feel The Noize" in the title!

Run Runaway
Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind

There's little obvious difference between the 7" and 12". The 12" run out groove is stamped with RCAT 385 A-1U-1-1-1 and engraved with a 'guiness harp' followed by the letters 'TOPIA'.

Visually, regarding info, it suggests that they both feature the same audio, no bonus track and no remix on the 12". This is not actually the case though, the 7" gives a time check of 4:59 but, although the label doesn't state as such, the 12" runs for 5:37. Had the 7" had been a Radio Edit then the album version and the 12" version would have been special. Sadly, the only real difference is an extended intro of drums and extra phased guitar intro causing the vocal to drop half a minute later at 1:30. Most people probably never even noticed.

It's interesting to note that Run Runaway is published in 1983 whilst Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind is 1984. Two Track Stereo was obviously recorded in January '84.

Canada, 1984 - 7", Vinyl, Single.
CBS Associated - ZS4 04398.
Run Run Away / Don't Tame A Hurricane :-

This beautiful Japanese 7" (courtesy of hawkheriberto on discogs)

The single's chart run in the UK for a total of 12 weeks:

04/02/1984 - #54
11/02/1984 - #40
18/02/1984 - #34
25/02/1984 - #19
03/03/1984 - #10
10/03/1984 - #7
17/03/1984 - #14
24/03/1984 - #20
31/03/1984 - #32
07/04/1984 - #53

The single was a huge hit worldwide:

Belgium - #27 for 1 week
Canada - #15 for 16 weeks
Germany - #19 for 12 weeks
Ireland - #8 for 4 weeks
New Zealand - #21 for 12 weeks
Norway - #7 for 5 weeks
Poland - #6 for 10 weeks
Sweden - #4 for 7 weeks

Slade's only top 20 hit in America lasted it's chart run for a total of 17 weeks:

07/04/1984 - #67
14/04/1984 - #56
21/04/1984 - #50
28/04/1984 - #44
05/05/1984 - #39
12/05/1984 - #34
19/05/1984 - #32
26/05/1984 - #27
02/06/1984 - #25
09/06/1984 - #23
16/06/1984 - #20
23/06/1984 - #27
30/06/1984 - #43
07/07/1984 - #65
14/07/1984 - #80
21/07/1984 - #84
28/07/1984 - #98

Reverse of Picture Cover of the Netherlands - RCA - 1983 Release!

My thanks to Gordon Kerr for supplying the cover art. The track has been covered by Dominoo, Acid Drinkers, Great Big Sea, Bart Foley, Off Kilter, Rednex and Prydein.

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Run Runaway

(Noddy Holder & Jim Lea)

I like black and white

Dreaming in black and white

You like black and white

Run Runaway

See chameleon

Lying there in the sun

All things to everyone

Run Runaway

If you're in the swing

Money ain't everything

If you're in the swing

Run Runaway

See chameleon

Lying there in the sun

All things to everyone

Run Runaway

If you gotta crush

Don't beat about the bush

When I gotta crush

Run Runaway

See chameleon

Lying there in the sun

All things to everyone

Run Runaway

Oh now can't you wait

Love don't come on a plate

Oh now can't you wait

Run Runaway

See the chameleon

Lying there in the sun

All things to everyone

Run Runaway

Two Track Stereo - One Track Mind

(Noddy Holder & Jim Lea)

With her one track mind

She was a hooked on two track stereo

With her one track mind

Woh-ho-oh

Well she always had lousy timing

But she'd like making love to music

Wearing headphones

Woh-ho-oh

Wearing headphones

Yeah-yeah-yeah

They get in the way of talking

And it don't sound the same

When you have to shout sweet nothing's

Woh-ho-oh

Through her headphones

Oh-ho-ho-ho

With her one track mind

Her brain in her behind

She was hooked on two track stereo

With her one track mind

Woh-ho-oh

Yeah-hey-hey

She'd be late for a date on purpose

Making sure that she keeps you waiting

And while she makes up

Woh-ho-oh

Another new face

Woh-ho-ho-ho

She was always forgetting something

And she'd easily lose her head

And there'd be nowhere woh--ho-oh

To hang her headphones yeah-yeah-yeah

With her one track mind

Her brain in her behind

She was hooked on two track stereo

With her one track mind

Woh-ho-oh

Yeah-hey-hey

Oh well she always had lousy timing

Wearing headphones while she's out eating

Or out walking

Like a zombie yeah

With her one track mind

Her brain in her behind

She was hooked on two track stereo

With her one track mind

Woh-ho-oh

One track mind

What's going through her mind

November 11th, 1983

RCA Records - RCA-373
My Oh My evolved when Jim Lea decided he wanted to write a song in the vein of Rod Stewart's 'Sailing', that everybody could sing along with. The song appeared on both The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome and on the band's 1984 American counterpart release, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. It reached number two in the UK chart by Christmas 1983 and a year later became the band's second US Top 40 hit, reaching number 37. The single was kept from the #1 spot in the UK by The Flying Pickets' cover of Yazoo's "Only You".

This was the first track that Lea and Holder had ever demoed because for the first time the group were working with an outside record producer John Punter. The raw demo of Holder singing over Lea's piano was received with wild enthusiasm by Slade's record label RCA.

"We learnt a lot from him... he spent a lot of time getting the right sounds and it was worth it."
Don Powell: Ken Sharp Interview

The song came from an idea that Jim had while listening to Dave and Noddy tuning up in the dressing room before a gig at a University in Wales.

"It reminded me of bagpipes, I wrote the melody in my head to the drone of the strings"
Jim Lea.

Don Powell wanted to keep the drums out until the end of the song.

"Do you remember a song by Billy Preston called That's The Way God Planned It? That's what I wanted to do at the end of My Oh My."
Don Powell: Ken Sharp Interview

My Oh My replaced C'est La Vie in the bands set list for the December '83 tour. RCA released the single in early November and by December it had entered the UK Top 20. The bands new album, The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome, was scheduled for release in February '84 but RCA decided to release it immediately (December 3rd) to cash in on the singles success. A February release may have produced a better album cover. They even cancelled one of Slade's concerts in order to promote the song on Top Of The Pops, much to the disdain of those fans with tickets. The group claimed that the venue had 10 days warning but continued to sell tickets.

The track was performed on many UK TV shows such as David Frost, Hall of Fame, Russell Harty Show, Saturday Superstore, Rock and Pop Awards and Saturday Show which featured a different backing track. It also featured on Top of The Pops on a number of occasions.

The B-side featured Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply, a previously unreleased track that would lend it's title to the groups US release. An unusual number that echoes some of (I assume) Jim Lea's earlier musical experimentation. An 'ostinato' medley over an atmospheric backdrop of 'program music' sets the scene for the song. Lyrics, revolving around drinking and driving with an amorous passenger, alongside abrupt crashing chords which build the mood until, almost half way through the song, a disappointingly basic chorus lets it down. A shame because it has great promise but clearly they succumbed to the bands new Heavy Metal association and threw it away.

My Oh My
Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply
Don't Tame A Hurricane

The release was also put out in a My Oh My 12" format containing an Extended Version and an extra track. My Oh My is not titled or timed as extended but is actually 1:15 longer. It's essentially the same, the song is extended by doubling up on the chorus passages and extending the solo at the end. Far from dragging out the song, it actually makes it better.

The extra track, another previously unreleased song called Don't Tame A Hurricane, is another short piece with an urgent and abrupt melody featuring the usual Slade wall of sound and a refrain that echoes the groups mid 70's sound but with an edge that catered for the new rock crowd. Both B-side tracks featured on the groups American album release, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply.

The single's chart run in the UK for a total of 12 weeks:

19/11/1983 - #73
26/11/1983 - #36
03/12/1983 - #15
10/12/1983 - #5
17/12/1983 - #3
24/12/1983 - #2
31/12/1983 - #2
07/01/1984 - #2
14/01/1984 - #11
21/01/1984 - #30
28/01/1984 - #55
03/03/1984 - #100

In a last ditch push to get the record to that much-coveted Christmas Number One slot, RCA brought out another version of the single, with the "Live & Kickin' " version of Merry Xmas Everybody as a bonus track, on 7" only, but, alas, The Flying Pickets with their á cappella cover of Erasure's Only You could not be shifted!

The last entry was a re-appearance in the chart and the single was certified UK Gold by BPI in January 1984. The single was a huge hit worldwide:

Austria - #5 for 10 weeks
Belgium - #4 for 8 weeks
Canada - #35 for 18 weeks
Germany - #4 for 18 weeks
Ireland - #3 for 7 weeks
Netherlands - #9 for 7 weeks
Noway - #1 for 13 weeks
Poland - #21 for 9 weeks
South Africa - #9 for 11 weeks
Sweden - #1 for 10 weeks
Switzerland - #2 for 13 weeks

Mexico, 1984 - 7".
RCA Victor - RX-106.

Promo. Only.

Mexican red vinyl 12" RCA TEC-145

Several other countries had only the one track ,"Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply" on the B-Side, as well as Mexico! :-

Brazil - RCA - 1984.

El Salvador - RCA -1984.

South Africa - RCA Victor - 1984.

Zimbabwe - RCA Victor - 1984.

USA - CBS Associated - ZS4 04528 - "My Oh My" / "My Oh My" - Promo. Only 7" - June, 1984.

The US release of My Oh My was backed with High And Dry on the flip side.

Japan, 1984 - 7".
RCA - RPS-136.

Picture Cover is an insert, rather than a cover!

After Slade's top 20 hit Run Runaway, the band/record label decided to release My Oh My on American soil. The single's chart run in the US lasted for a total of 11 weeks:

07/07/1984 - #80
14/07/1984 - #64
21/07/1984 - #50
28/07/1984 - #47
04/08/1984 - #42
11/08/1984 - #39
18/08/1984 - #37
25/08/1984 - #37
01/09/1984 - #49
08/09/1984 - #69
15/09/1984 - #93

A promo video was made for the single which was shown in the US but was never seen in the UK until 1991 on a video compilation titled Wall of Hits.

Many thanks to Gordon Kerr for supplying the 12" artwork. It's only right to mention that the pretentious musical twaddle was added by Mr. P. The single peaked at #305 for 1983 on rateyourmusic. The track is recommended by allmusic. Artists who covered this track were John Holt, Godsettre, Alex Rosen, Extrabreit, Kai Kill, K & K Studio Rock Set, Oxford United & Prism, Hurrah Torpedo, Combo Colossale, Hamburg Football Team, Frank Schöbel; Bodies Falling Downstairs, Southern Cross Ingemar Nordströms, SAPO and Dave Glover.

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My Oh My
(Noddy Holder & Jim Lea)

I believe in woman My Oh My

I believe in lovin' My Oh My

Don't a woman need a man

Try and catch one if you can

I believe in woman My Oh My

We all need someone to talk to My Oh My

We all need someone to talk to My Oh My

You need a shoulder to cry on

Call me I'll be standing by

We all need someone to talk to My Oh My

We all need a lot of lovin' My Oh My

Yeah a whole lot of lovin' My Oh My

I can lend a helping hand

If you ain't got nothing planned

We all need some lovin' My Oh My

So lets all swing together My Oh My

We can all swing together My Oh My

You've got troubles of your own

No need to face them all alone

We can all swing together My Oh My

So lets all pull together My Oh My

Yeah lets all pull together My Oh My

We can ride the stormy weather

If we all get out and try

So lets all pull together My Oh My

Yeah lets all pull together My Oh My

Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply

(Noddy Holder & Jim Lea)

"Zulu One to Control. Zulu One to Control.

Kamikaze Badger just confirmed lost........"

Here we go again, driving home in no fit state

Cos we had one or two over the eight

I need to relieve myself, can't wait

Blue light flashing, comin' up a-right behind

Gin and Mary, hittin' the cats eyes

Trying hard to follow the white line

I aint ready to face the law

I ain't runnin' and that's for sure

Maybe they'll just want an autograph

So keep your hands off my power supply

There's no chance that we'll get away

So keep your hands to yourself my oh my

I guess it ain't our lucky day hey hey

A wine inceptor maybe they're flagging us down

Now the boys in blue have their nose to the ground

Watching over can I see your licence sir

I aint ready to blow in the bag

I ain't ready to lose my rag

Gotta work out what I'm gonna say

So keep your hands off my power supply

There's no chance that we'll get away

So keep your hands to yourself my oh my

I guess it ain't our lucky day, yay, yay

Gotta get away

I aint ready to face the law

I ain't runnin' and that's for sure

Better leave my gear stick alone

So keep your hands off my power supply

There's no chance that we'll get away

So keep your hands to yourself my oh my

I guess it ain't our lucky day, yay, yay

Gotta get away

Gotta get away

Don't Tame A Hurricane
(Noddy Holder & Jim Lea)

I wanna I wanna I wanna tell ya

He'll be sharper than any razor

With a phoney idea of life

He's got a hurdy-gurdy temper

To cut you like a knife hey hey hey

He's ever ready to catch the cheetah

You know the leopard don't change it's spots

He's the international cocktail

Who'll end up on the rocks woh oh oh

So don't try to tame a damn hurricane

A hurricane 'll backfire

Don't try to tame a damn hurricane

You can't hold on a live-wire

You need a five gear book on the good times

In the houses of ill refute

Different smokes for different folks

There ain't no substitute no oh oh

So don't try to tame a damn hurricane

A hurricane 'll backfire

Don't try to tame a damn hurricane

You can't hold on a live-wire

Woh oh oh oh oh

Hey hey hey hey

Woh oh oh oh oh

I wanna I wanna I wanna tell ya oh-oh oh-oh

The girlie's innocent airs took over

Her baby face did not engage

Don't need no firm and learn relations

He'll never change his ways no oh oh

So don't try to tame a damn hurricane

A hurricane 'll backfire

Don't try to tame a damn hurricane

You can't hold on a live-wire

Don't try to tame him blame him

The hurricane 'll backfire

Don't try to tame him blame him

You can't hold on a live-wire woh oh

Run Runaway 1984

My Oh My 1983

Show Some Love

Pre 1970

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