7 Year Bitch (song)

"7 Year Bitch"
Single by Slade
from the album Rogues Gallery
B-side "Leave Them Girls Alone"
Released 14 January 1985
Format 7" Single, 12" Single
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:58
Label RCA Records
Songwriter(s) Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer(s) John Punter (A-Side)
Jim Lea (B-Sides)
Slade singles chronology
"All Join Hands"
(1984)		 "7 Year Bitch"
(1985)		 "Myzsterious Mizster Jones"
(1985)

"All Join Hands"
(1984)		 "7 Year Bitch"
(1985)		 "Myzsterious Mizster Jones"
(1985)
Audio sample
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"7 Year Bitch" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1985 as the second single from the band's twelfth studio album Rogues Gallery. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by John Punter.[1] It reached No. 60 in the UK, remaining in the charts for three weeks.[2]

Background

Having agreed to take a break from touring but still continue to record new material, the band started recording Rogues Gallery in 1984. In November that year, the lead single, "All Join Hands", was released and reached No. 15 in the UK. In January 1985, "7 Year Bitch" was released as the follow-up single. Both the band and RCA expected the song to be a hit, however the single stalled at No. 60 after it was banned by a number of UK broadcasters, largely due to the song's title. The band felt the ban was unfair, particularly as one past hit single to use the term "Bitch" was Elton John's 1974 song "The Bitch is Back". In 1998, Holder commented of the song: "That was a hit record, but we got a bit of a backlash".[3]

Release

"7 Year Bitch" was released on 7" and 12" vinyl by RCA Records in the UK, Germany and Japan.[4] The B-Side, "Leave Them Girls Alone", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides. On the 12" single, an extended version of "7 Year Bitch" was featured as the A-Side, and a second B-Side, a live version of "We'll Bring the House Down" was also included, taken from the 1982 live album Slade on Stage.[5][6]

Promotion

In 1985, the band performed the song on Saturday Live.[7] It was also performed on German TV, on the shows Na Sowas!, Die Spielbude and Pro Koncert. In Norway, the song was performed on the NRK network at the official opening of the Scandic Hotel in Sandvika, Oslo.[8]

Music video

A music video was filmed to promote the single, which was directed by Phillip Davey and shot at Ewert Studios in London. Slade's only video to feature sexual connotations, it featured the band performing the song in a large orange tent, with a group of women shown in various shots. Another segment of the video showed Slade dressed in convicts outfits, (a play on the Seven Year Itch aspect of the song), while the final scene had Slade sit down for a tea party with the women. During filming, Davey suggested the band and the women have a pie fight. Telling the band he would tell the group when to start, he secretly told the women to start whenever they like so that the band were hit in the face first. Recalling the video in 1986, Lea remembered the fight was "in good humour", but that it was quite rough. As a result, both Lea and guitarist Dave Hill suffered some cuts and some frames in the video show Lea's face covered in blood.[9]

Formats

7" Single
  1. "7 Year Bitch" - 3:58
  2. "Leave Them Girls Alone" - 3:13
12" Single
  1. "7 Year Bitch (Extended Version)" - 5:38
  2. "Leave Them Girls Alone" - 3:13
  3. "We'll Bring the House Down (Live Version)" - 4:33

Critical reception

In a retrospective review of the album, Sean Carruthers of AllMusic commented: "...in fact, some of the songs are downright embarrassing, like "Walking on Water Running on Alcohol". Far worse is first single, "7 Year Bitch," which could have been a thoughtful look at someone who's attracted to younger women, but which kills off any chance of moral high ground with the question "...can you control the bitch?" (whether the question was asked in persona or not). Given the title of the album, perhaps such sentiments shouldn't be all that surprising."[10]

Cover versions

Chart performance

Chart (1985) Peak
position
German Singles Chart[12] 39
UK Singles Chart[2] 60

Personnel

Slade
Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Slade - Rogues Gallery at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  2. 1 2 "slade | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  3. ↑ Slade - Rogues Gallery - 2007 Salvo remaster booklet liner notes
  4. ↑ "SLADE Discography @ www.collectadisc.co.uk". Collectadisc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  5. ↑ "Slade - Seven Year Bitch / Leave Them Girls Alone - RCA - UK - RCA 475". 45cat. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  6. ↑ "Slade - 7 Year Bitch at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  7. ↑ "SLADE 7 YEAR BITCH". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  8. ↑ "SLADE @ www.slayed.co.uk". Crazeeworld.plus.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  9. ↑ "1986 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  10. ↑ Sean Carruthers. "Rogues Gallery - Slade | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  11. ↑ "1990 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  12. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Slade - 7 Year Bitch". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
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