Old New Borrowed and Blue

Old New Borrowed and Blue
Studio album by Slade
Released 15 February 1974
Genre Glam rock
Length 37:32 (57:40 with bonus tracks)
Label Polydor (UK/Canada), Warner Bros. (US)
Producer Chas Chandler
Slade chronology
Sladest
(1973)Sladest1973		 Old New Borrowed and Blue
(1974)		 Slade in Flame
(1974)Slade in Flame1974
Singles from Old New Borrowed and Blue
  1. "My Friend Stan"
    Released: 28 September 1973
  2. "Good Time Gals (America only)"
    Released: February 1974
  3. "Everyday"
    Released: 29 March 1974
  4. "When the Lights Are Out (America and Belgium only)"
    Released: May 1974

Old New Borrowed and Blue is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released on 15 February 1974 and reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It has been certified Gold by BPI. The album was produced by Chas Chandler. For the album, Slade attempted to begin breaking away from their usual rock formula. For example, the singles "My Friend Stan" and "Everyday" were piano-led and did not have the typical "Slade" sound.

In the US, the album was released by the Warner Bros. label under the title Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet, minus the tracks "My Town" and "My Friend Stan" (as they had been previously released there on Sladest).

Background

"We've just finished recording our next album. It's got a lot of new things on it. Nothing very different or out of character, we've spent more time on arrangements and little ideas and effects."

 —Don Powell discussing the album in 1974.[1][2]

Old New Borrowed and Blue was recorded amid various touring and promotional activities in late 1973, and also during the headline-making recovery of drummer Don Powell, who was involved in a near-fatal car crash in July, briefly throwing the band's existence into doubt. Despite his critical condition, Powell was able to make a recovery and the band soon entered the studio to record material for their new album. During recording of "My Friend Stan", Powell was still walking with the aid of a stick and had to be lifted onto his drum stool. On the album, the band attempted to continue their usual formula on some tracks, while others took a change in musical direction.[3] The album's title, as explained by Holder, came from the album's content, which the band felt had a mix of old, new, borrowed and blue songs.[4]

"My Friend Stan" was released as the album's lead single in September 1973 and reached No. 2 in the UK. Over Christmas 1973, the band would also achieve success with their No. 1 single "Merry Xmas Everybody". Old New Borrowed and Blue was released in February 1974 and reached No. 1 in the UK. In the UK, Old New Borrowed and Blue was awarded Gold by BPI prior to its release, based purely on pre-order sales.[5][6] At the time, a Slade spokesman had reported to the Record Mirror: "The album has sold twice as many cartridges and cassettes than their previous offerings."[7] In March, the album's second single "Everyday" reached No. 3. In America, Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet reached No. 168. "Good Time Gals" was issued there as a single in February 1974. Later in May, "When the Lights Are Out" was also issued in America and Belgium. Both singles failed to make any chart impact.[8]

Track listing

  1. "Just Want a Little Bit" (Thornton, Bass, Washington, Brown, Thompson) — 4:02
  2. "When the Lights are Out" (Holder, Lea) — 3:06
  3. "My Town" (Holder, Lea) — 3:07
  4. "Find Yourself a Rainbow" (Holder, Lea) — 2:12
  5. "Miles Out to Sea" (Holder, Lea) — 3:50
  6. "We're Really Gonna Raise the Roof" (Holder, Lea) — 3:10
  7. "Do We Still Do It" (Holder, Lea) — 3:02
  8. "How Can It Be" (Holder, Lea) — 3:02
  9. "Don't Blame Me" (Holder, Lea) — 2:33
  10. "My Friend Stan" (Holder, Lea), UK no.2 — 2:42
  11. "Everyday" (Holder, Lea), UK no. 3 — 3:11
  12. "Good Time Gals" (Holder, Lea) — 3:34

Bonus tracks on the 2006 remaster

  1. "I'm Mee I'm Now and That's Orl" (B-side of "Cum on Feel the Noize") (Lea, Holder) — 3:42
  2. "Kill 'Em at the Hot Club Tonite" (B-side of "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me") (Lea, Holder) — 3:21
  3. "The Bangin' Man" (Lea, Holder) — 4:12
  4. "She Did It to Me" (B-side of "The Bangin' Man") (Lea, Holder) — 3:19
  5. "Slade Talk to 19 Readers" (single-sided flexi-disc) — 5:35

Song information

Slade appearing on the Dutch television show TopPop, a month after the album's release.

"Just Want a Little Bit" is a cover of the 1959 Rosco Gordon song. The song was later recorded in 1977 by The Animals too, of which Slade manager and producer Chas Chandler was bassist.[9] At the time, the song was a regular inclusion in Slade's live set.[10] "When the Lights Are Out" is the band's first track to feature Jim Lea on lead vocals. In a 1974 interview for the "19" readers, Holder jokingly commented: "There's nothing like a good singer and Jimmy's nothing like a good singer."[11] The song was later covered by Bob Segarini in 1978[12] and American rock group Cheap Trick on their 2009 album The Latest.[13] Lea would also record his own version with his brother Frank Lea under the name "The Dummies" in 1979.[14] "My Town" is originally appeared as the B-Side to "My Friend Stan".[15]

"Find Yourself a Rainbow" features honky-tonk piano as the main instrument, played by Tommy Burton, landlord of The Trumpet in Bilston. In a 1974 fab club interview, Powell stated: "Pub piano is played by a local landlord, Tommy Burton. He now owes us free booze for the rest of the year."[1][2] On the album's inner gatefold sleeve, the lyrics of the song include an extra verse which was not on the song's recording.[16] "Miles Out to Sea" was another song to later be recorded by The Dummies.[17] Of the up-tempo tracks "We're Really Gonna Raise the Roof" and "Do We Still Do It", AllMusic stated: "Slade fans can be assured that these guys hadn't lost the will to rock out."[18] "Do We Still Do It"

"How Can It Be" is a country-flavoured track with acoustic guitar.[10] "Don't Blame Me" originally appeared as the B-Side to "Merry Xmas Everybody".[19] In a 1979 fan club interview, Lea said of the song: ""Don't Blame Me" was a time-filler, I think that it was created as that. When it was used as a B-Side, we didn't even know it was being used, it was chosen by the offices."[20]

Chandler had persuaded Lea to finish "My Friend Stan" after he heard Lea playing the melody at home on his piano.[21] "Everyday" also features piano and was released as a single at Chandler's insistence. When it was released, the band knew they were taking a risk but "Everyday" would become a firm favourite on stage.[22] The song featured Lea on guitar as guitarist Dave Hill was away on honeymoon at the time of the recording sessions.[21] "Good Time Gals" also featured as the B-Side to "Everyday".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[23]
AllMusic (Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet)[18]
Robert Christgau(B)[24]
BBC[25]
Record Collector[25]
The Timesfavourable
rockahead.netfavourable
Classic Rockfavourable

At the Disc Music Awards 1974, the album was voted the tenth "best album of the year".[26]

AllMusic retrospectively stated: "It took Slade two years to get around to following up 1972's U.K. chart-topping Slayed?, two years during which the entire complexion of the band had altered dramatically. No longer the rampant yobs out on the stomp of yore, the quartet members placed the rabble-rousing bombast of old far behind them during 1974, and switched their songwriting efforts to more mellow pastures. Old New Borrowed and Blue was the album that introduced the chrysalis to its audience." In a review of Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet, AllMusic said: "Full of trademark Slade rock & roll, Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet continues the band's arena style stomp. Although [some] cuts do find them falling into a formula of sound, Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet has enough going for it for most rock fans to come back for more. Dated, a bit, but still rockin' hard."

Bob Stanley of The Times retrospectively wrote: "This 1974 effort is the pick of their early albums: Noddy Holder's girder-munching vocals are spread evenly between Black Country rock, Macca-styled ballads, and the odd music-hall blunder. This is joyous, unshackled and unpretentious stuff that reminds you how they rattled off six No. 1s." The BBC commented: "At last the Wolverhampton boys get a decent overhaul." In 2010, Classic Rock considered the album "superior: reputation cementing" and wrote: "If the wistful ballads "Everyday" and "Miles Out to Sea" were harbingers of the growth that would follow next time around, the album is crammed with mouth-watering commercial, hard rock nuggets including "We're Really Gonna Raise the Roof", "My Friend Stan" and "When the Lights are Out"."

Chart performance

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australian (ARIA) Albums Chart[27] 8
German Albums Chart[28] 20
New Zealand Album Charts Albums Chart 12
Norwegian Albums Chart[29] 3
UK Albums Chart[30] 1
U.S. Billboard 200[31] 168

Personnel

Slade

Additional credits

References

  1. 1 2
  2. 1 2 Slade Fan Club Newsletter October - November 1973
  3. ↑ Old New Borrowed and Blue - 2006 Salvo remaster booklet liner notes
  4. ↑ Slade Talk To 19 Readers interview
  5. ↑ Slade Fan Club Newsletter January - February 1974
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Record Mirror magazine 9 March 1974
  8. ↑ Old New Borrowed and Blue - 2006 Salvo remaster booklet liner notes
  9. ↑ "Cover versions of Just a Little Bit by Tiny Topsy". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  10. 1 2 Thompson, Dave. "Old New Borrowed and Blue - Slade". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  11. ↑ Slade Talk To "19" Readers - Track 17 on Salvo remaster
  12. ↑ "Segarini* - Gotta Have Pop (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  13. ↑ "Cheap Trick - The Latest (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  14. ↑ "The Dummies - When The Lights Are Out / She's The Only Woman - Pye - UK - 7P 163". 45cat. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  15. ↑ "Slade - My Friend Stan at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  16. ↑ "Slade - Old New Borrowed And Blue at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  17. ↑ "The Dummies - Didn't You Use To Use To Be You? / Miles Out To Sea - Cheapskate - UK - CHEAP 3". 45cat. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  18. 1 2 Chrispell, James. "Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet - Slade". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  19. ↑ "Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  20. ↑ "SLADE @ www.slayed.co.uk". Crazeeworld.plus.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  21. 1 2 Slade's Greatest Hits compilation booklet
  22. ↑ Slade's remastered album booklet Old New Borrowed and Blue
  23. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/old-new-borrowed-and-blue-mw0000368166
  24. ↑ "CG: slade". Robert Christgau. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  25. 1 2 "Slade - Slayed (CD) - downloads, cds and dvds at Union Square Music". Unionsquaremusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  26. ↑ Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ↑ "Go-Set Australian charts ~ 1974". Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  28. ↑ "charts.de". charts.de. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  29. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Slade - Old New Borrowed And Blue". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  30. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/30945/slade/
  31. ↑ "Slade". AllMusic. 25 June 2002. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
Preceded by
The Singles: 1969-1973 by The Carpenters		 UK number-one album
2 March 1974 		Succeeded by
The Singles: 1969-1973 by The Carpenters
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