| "Cum On Feel the Noize" | |||||||||||||||||||||
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UK/European cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize". |
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| Single by Slade | |||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Sladest | |||||||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "I'm Mee, I'm Now, an' That's Orl" | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | 23 February, 1973 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1973 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock, glam rock | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:24 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Noddy Holder, Jim Lea | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Chas Chandler | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Certification | Gold | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Slade singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||
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"Cum On Feel the Noize" is a rock song originally released by Slade in 1973.
Written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and produced by Chas Chandler, "Cum On Feel the Noize" was Slade's fourth number-one single in the UK and their first to enter straight at number one. As a single from Slade, it was a follow-up to "Gudbuy T' Jane", a #2-hit in the UK.
The song is also often spelled as "Come On Feel the Noise", most likely due to common spelling or censorship reasons.
The single's b-side "I'm Mee, I'm Now, and That's Orl" was voted #3 of the top three Slade b-sides in the Slade Fan Club Poll of 1979.[1][2]
Contents |
"Cum On Feel the Noize" entered at the top slot in both the UK and Irish charts, which was quite a rare feat at the time and was the first occasion this had happened since The Beatles' "Get Back" in 1969. The track stayed at #1 for 4 weeks. The song went on to spend four weeks at the top of the chart in March 1973.
Upon release, the single sold 500,000 copies in only three weeks of release. As a result, the pressing factory were completely out of stock for a few days.[3][4]
According to Noddy Holder's autobiography, the single had half a million preorders on the days leading up to the release. Typical of Slade's releases at the time, it fared less well in the USA, where it would only peak at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song actually inspired New York rock band Kiss to write their popular signature rock anthem "Rock and Roll All Nite".
This was the first Slade track in which the band attempted to recreate and write about the atmosphere at their gigs. Originally, the song was titled "Cum on Hear the Noize"; Holder revised the title when he recalled, "how I had felt the sound of the crowd pounding in my chest", though other sources state that it was Jim Lea who suggested the change in words.[5][6] Holder's 'Baby baby baby' introduction was actually just a microphone test.[7]
Dave Thompson, from allmusic described the song as "a deafening roar in the classic Slade mould".
In a early 1986 Slade fan club magazine interview, guitarist Dave Hill spoke of the song's lyrics. "The song was based around audiences and things that were happening to us. They were just experiences. Obviously, when you are on the road, you are writing about being on the road, you're writing about what's going on."[8][9]
A music video was created by Caravelle. It was recorded at the band's live show in The Hague, Holland, in a similar fashion to the live video of "Gudbuy T'Jane". Bassist/co-writer Jim Lea could remember this day of filming because it was the day that he first played the band's following single "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" to manager/producer Chas Chandler. Lea was in the dressing room and used an electric guitar without an amp.[6][10][11]
Upon release, Disc Magazine wrote "With a shriek of "Baby, baby, baby" we're into another Slade-up that doesn't sound radically different as other reviewers have insisted that it is. Slade do this pop/rock stomping better than anyone and it's interesting to observe how other companies are casting wildly about for a Slade of their own. Perhaps there's a more obvious melody, but Slade always include a bit of a tune anyway and therein lies their success, and there's a soccer sing-a-long chorus that'll grab you. Otherwise it's pretty much the successful recipe as before. Slade can actually play and Chas Chandler has worked wonders with them. Long may they all flourish."[12]
NME Magazine wrote "Unmistakeably Slade - a rousing, raucous, rocker that follows its predecessors with an instantly recognisable sound. I know it sounds old hat, but Slade succeed in making the listener want to gyrate while other groups merely dream of a reaction. This one's a Lea/Holder composition with Noddy putting forth a sassy, powerful vocal and an audience accenting the chorus. Definitely number one."[13]
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart[14] | 18 | 12 |
| Austrian Singles Chart[15] | 10 | 12 |
| Belgian Singles Chart[16] | 6 | 9 |
| Dutch Singles Chart[17] | 6 | 6 |
| French Singles Chart[18] | 18 | 15 |
| German Singles Chart[19] | 8 | 17 |
| Irish Singles Chart[20] | 1 | 8 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 21 | |
| Swiss Singles Chart[21] | 4 | 6 |
| UK Singles Chart[22] | 1 | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[23] | 98 | 2 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[24] | 98 | 2 |
| "Cum on Feel the Noize" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Quiet Riot | |
| from the album Metal Health | |
| Released | 1983 |
| Recorded | 1982 |
| Genre | Heavy metal |
| Length | 4:50 (Album Version) 3:20 (Single Edit) |
| Label | Pasha |
| Writer(s) | Noddy Holder, Jim Lea |
| Producer | Spencer Proffer |
The song was revived in 1983 by heavy metal band Quiet Riot, who also covered Slade's "Mama Weer All Crazee Now". Quiet Riot's version of "Cum On Feel the Noize" went on to peak at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 19, 1983. It helped make Quiet Riot's Metal Health album a number-one hit. The song's success drew huge nationwide attention to the 1980s Los Angeles metal scene. It also helped to break Slade belatedly in the US. The song was certified gold by the RIAA. Originally, Kevin DuBrow and Frankie Banali were dead set on not covering the song, because they claimed that they hated it. Instead, they decided to try to cover the song as badly as they could so the label would refuse to release it.
The Quiet Riot version is also featured in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City by Rockstar North, which takes place in 1986. It is also featured in the video game NHL 2K8 by 2K Sports. It was used in the fake trailer "The Fatties: Fart 2", which itself was attached to the film Tropic Thunder. The song is included in the soundtrack of the music video game Rock Revolution by Konami.
Quiet Riot's version of "Cum On Feel the Noize" was ranked #80 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders back in 2002, though the song was not Quiet Riot's only Top 40 hit and therefore not a true one-hit wonder. In 2009, it was named the 41st best hard rock song of all time also by VH1.[25]
In a Ludwig drums interview with Quiet Riot's drummer Frankie Banali, Ludwig HQ asked "It has been said that Slade liked Quiet Riot's version of “Cum On Feel The Noize” better than their original. Is this true?" Banali replied "If that is true, they never told us! I think they were a little bitter about our success with their song. They had a hit with it in other territories but not in the US and later our version overshadowed theirs worldwide. Any real success in the US always seemed to elude Slade, so Quiet Riot having a major hit with “Cum On Feel The Noize” was bittersweet for them. When Quiet Riot played the Hammersmith Odeon in London opening up for Judas Priest in 1983, we offered them an invitation complete with a limo service to attend the show, but they never responded. Later I was shopping in Kensington Market and ran into (Slade bassist,) Jimmy Lea, who co-wrote of the song. I wanted to shake his hand and thank him for writing a great song. He looked into my face, and walked away leaving me with nothing in my hand but air! I look at the situation like this: Quiet Riot received a great measure of success with the help of that song, and Slade received a great deal of money for their trouble. Fair enough!"
| Preceded by "Blockbuster!" by The Sweet |
UK number one single 3 March 1973 for four weeks |
Succeeded by "The Twelfth of Never" by Donny Osmond |
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