The Bangin' Man

"The Bangin' Man"
Single by Slade
B-side "She Did It to Me"
Released 28 June 1974[1]
Format 7" single
Genre Rock
Length 4:10
Label Polydor Records
Songwriter(s) Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer(s) Chas Chandler
Slade singles chronology
"Everyday"
(1974)		 "The Bangin' Man"
(1974)		 "Far Far Away"
(1974)

"Everyday"
(1974)		 "The Bangin' Man"
(1974)		 "Far Far Away"
(1974)
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"The Bangin' Man" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1974 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 3 in the UK, remaining in the charts for seven weeks.[2] In 1974, the song was certified UK Silver by BPI for sales over 250,000.[3][4]

Background

After the release of the ballad "Everyday" in March 1974, the band soon returned to the studio to record the follow-up single. Returning to a more rock-based sound, "The Bangin' Man" was announced as the band's new single in May 1974 and was released in June 1974.[5] It reached No. 3 in the UK, giving the band their twelfth UK hit.[6]

"The Bangin' Man" was written while the band were touring Australia.[7] Although many fans believed the song's titular character to refer to drummer Don Powell, the song actually referred to Slade's tour manager Graham "Swinn" Swinnerton.[8] Swinn had the job of waking each band member up in their hotel rooms, ready to head on to the next destination on their tours.[9]

Release

"The Bangin' Man" was released on 7" vinyl by Polydor Records in the UK, Ireland, across Europe, Scandinavia, Yugoslavia, America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.[10][11] The B-Side, "She Did It to Me", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides. Although the song was a non-album single elsewhere, "The Bangin' Man" was included on the United States Warner Bros. Records release of Slade in Flame in 1975.

Promotion

No music video was filmed to promote the single as the band were busy on a world tour. The band performed the song on the UK ITV show Supersonic and the German TV show Disco. The band also performed the song on the Dutch AVRO TV show TopPop.[12] The song was not performed on the UK music show Top of the Pops due to a BBC strike. It was believed that the song suffered chart-wise due to its lack of coverage on the show.[13][14]

Track listing

7" Single
  1. "The Bangin' Man" - 4:10
  2. "She Did it to Me" - 3:16

Critical reception

Upon release, Record Mirror said: "Here the lads are counted in with a one-two-three, and Noddy sets the scene of a man in a hotel, unable to recall much of what happened the night before, and the lady beside him locks herself in the bathroom, and enter the banging man, hammering away on the door. Ah, the joys and perils of pop-scene touring! It's a dramatically direct commercial song, by Noddy and Jim, plenty of space for guitar work, and with Noddy working fir to raise the dead. Good flip, too - "She Did It To Me" is slower, more deliberate - chart certain."[15] Sounds commented: "With "Merry Xmas Everybody", "Everyday" and now "The Bangin' Man", yer Slade have enriched our drab, miserable lives with pop singles as good as any made during the past decade. Messrs Holder and Lea have crafted some memorable tunes and welded them singable yet observant lyrics. Slade are getting very good at getting the details right these days. All the playing is excellent; strong direct drumming, forceful bass and some lead guitar that would knock spots off some of our guitar heroes, and Noddy is singing better than he has ever before."[4][16]

In a 1979 fan club poll, Slade fans voted the song at No. 2 of the top three Slade songs fans most want to hear live.[17][18] In a retrospective review of Slade in Flame, Geoff Ginsberg of AllMusic commented: ""The Bangin' Man" is definitely one of Slade's best, and worth seeking out on a greatest-hits CD."[19]

Chart performance

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 21
Belgian Singles Chart[20] 18
Dutch Singles Chart[21] 18
German Singles Chart[22][23] 7
Irish Singles Chart[24] 3
New Zealand Singles Chart 11
Norwegian Singles Chart[25] 4
UK Singles Chart[2] 3

Personnel

Slade
Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Slade - The Bangin' Man / She Did It To Me - Polydor - UK - 2058 492". 45cat. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  2. 1 2 "SLADE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  3. ↑ "1974 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  4. 1 2 Slade Fan Club Newsletter August - September 1974
  5. ↑ "1974 Press Cuttings". Slade Scrapbook. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  6. ↑ "slade | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 2017-07-21. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  7. ↑ "CD Album - Slade - Greatest Hits - Feel The Noize - Polydor - UK". 45worlds.com. 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  8. ↑ Ian Edmundson. "SLADE @ www.slayed.co.uk". Crazeeworld.plus.com. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  9. ↑ https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-news/2015/12/04/tributes-as-man-who-oversaw-the-rise-of-slade-dies-after-cancer-battle/
  10. ↑ "ALL Discography @ www.collectadisc.co.uk". Collectadisc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  11. ↑ "Slade - The Bangin' Man at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  12. ↑ "1974 Press Cuttings". Slade Scrapbook. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  13. ↑ "1986 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  14. ↑ Slade International Fan Club newsletter June - July - August 1986
  15. ↑ Record Mirror magazine 22 June 1974
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ "1980 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  18. ↑ Slade Fan Club Magazine January–February 1980
  19. ↑ Geoff Ginsberg. "Slade in Flame - Slade | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  20. ↑ "Slade - The Bangin' Man". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  21. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Slade - The Bangin' Man". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  22. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News". Musicline.de. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  25. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Slade - The Bangin' Man". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
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