| "Get Down and Get With It" | |||||||||||||||||||||
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German cover of "Get Down and Get With It". |
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| Single by Slade | |||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Sladest | |||||||||||||||||||||
| B-side | Gospel According To Rasputin, Do You Want Me?, Know Who You Are | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | 21 May, 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | 7" Single | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:12 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Polydor Records | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Bobby Marchan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Chas Chandler | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Slade singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||
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"Get Down and Get With It" is a single from rock band Slade which appeared on the album Sladest. It was written by Bobby Marchan. The single was released in 1971 and peaked at #16 in the UK, spending 14 weeks on the chart.[1] This was Slade's first chart entry in their career.[2] Their next single Coz I Luv You would peak at #1.
The track was originally recorded by Little Richard for the Okeh Sessions.[3]
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Originally, both Slade manager/producer Chas Chandler and Slade had decided that in order to make a break into the charts they would need to capture their strong reputation as a live act onto record. They chose "Get Down and Get With It" as the band would frequently play the song live and it was always a popular live number. The song was successfully captured in the studio, complete with foot-stomping and hand-clapping as intended, eventually breaking Slade into the UK chart as well as Europe.[4]
The single was released two times during 1971. Firstly on 21/05/1971 with credit's stating the track was written by Hill, Holder, Lea, Powell & Penniman. When the mistake was realised the song was hurriedly re-released as Get Down With It written by Marchan on 08/06/1971.[5] The single wouldn't reach the top #20 until 07/08/1971.[6]
Subsequent to its original release, "Get Down and Get With It" has appeared on several Slade compilation albums, including Sladest, Greatest Hits, Wall of Hits, Slade Smashes, Slade's Greats and The Very Best of Slade.[7]
"Get Down and Get With It" was voted #2 of the top three Slade live tracks in the Slade Fan Club Poll of 1979.[8][9]
The track would become a popular concert track for the rest of Slade's career with live versions appearing on "Slade Alive!" and "Live at Reading (EP)".
In 2001, the song was sampled by BSJ & Fun K for the track titled Everybody Everywhere.[10]
A music video was created for the single although it was not shown very much and remains rare to day, unofficially appearing on Youtube.
The video was filmed in black and white, produced for the single by Caravelle. The video showed Slade in the back of an open roofed American car on the flyover roads in Central London. The band arrive at a power station, climb onto the roof, dance and walk around, then return to the car and drive off.[11][12]
In a Raiders Of The Lost Archive episode, vocalist Noddy Holder was shown the clip for the first time since the video was created.[13]
Record Mirror magazine reviewed the single upon release, "Producer Chas Chandler thinks this will be a hit. So do I. It's a scream-up of an adaption of a Little Richard rocker and there's a positive air of desperation as Noddy Holder builds up the excitement. As the feet-stamping goes on, it purposefully thunders along. A split value for money flip - chart chance."[14]
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Singles Chart | 24 |
| Dutch Singles Chart[15] | 4 |
| French Singles Chart[16] | 46 |
| German Singles Chart[17] | 34 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 21 |
| UK Singles Chart[6] | 16 |
