Wheels Ain't Coming Down

"Wheels Ain't Coming Down"
Single by Slade
from the album Return to Base..../ We'll Bring the House Down
B-side	"Not Tonight Josephine"
Released	27 March 1981
Format	7" Single
Recorded	1979
Genre	Rock
Length	3:37
Label	Cheapskate Records
Songwriter(s)	Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer(s)	Slade
Slade singles chronology
"We'll Bring The House Down" (1981) "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" (1981) "Knuckle Sandwich Nancy" (1981)
"We'll Bring The House Down" (1981) "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" (1981) "Knuckle Sandwich Nancy" (1981)
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"Wheels Ain't Coming Down" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1979 as the opening track from their eighth studio album Return to Base. The song was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Slade. In 1981, the song re-appeared on the band's follow-up album We'll Bring the House Down and was released as the second single from it in March, which reached No. 60 in the UK.^[1][2]

Background

"Wheels Ain't Coming Down" was released as the opening track on Return to Base, which was a commercial failure in 1979; a period when the band's popularity was low.^[3] The song also appeared on the 1980 extended play Six of the Best, which also failed to chart. In 1980, the band's fortunes were revived after a successful performance at the Reading Festival. To capitalise on the new interest in the band, the album We'll Bring the House Down was released in March 1981, which featured a number of tracks re-used from Return to Base, including "Wheels Ain't Coming Down". Following up the Top Ten hit "We'll Bring the House Down", the band decided to release "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" as a single in March 1981. It reached No. 60, lasting three weeks on the chart.

"Wheels Ain't Coming Down" tells the tale of a near-death flying experience suffered by Holder and Lea when travelling to Los Angeles.^[4] The song also references Lea by his nickname "Midlands Misery".^[5] In a 1981 interview with Daily Star, Holder recalled: "Jim and I were on the way to a radio station when the captain told us he could not get the wheels down to land. We were diverted to another airport for a crash landing. It's not a great feeling knowing you might have only 45 minutes left in life. We drank all the booze there was going. Happily the pilot brought the plane down safely."^[6]

Release

"Wheels Ain't Coming Down" was released on 7" vinyl by Cheapskate in the UK only.^[7] The first 20,000 copies of the single were issued with a picture sleeve.^[8][9] The B-Side, "Not Tonight Josephine", was previously the B-Side to the 1979 single "Sign of the Times".^[10]

Music video

A music video was filmed, however it was never shown at the time of single's release. It was directed by Eric Boliski. The video was filmed on the afternoon of 10 March 1981 at the Southampton Gaumont, prior to the band's concert there that evening.^[11]

Track listing

7" Single

1. "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" - 3:37
2. "Not Tonight Josephine" - 3:03

Critical reception

In a review of Return to Base, Wolverhampton Express and Star commented: "As usual they start off with force, singing a song which went down well everywhere on their last tour. It's called "Wheels Ain't Coming Down", a power-packed churning song with a catchy hook line." Geoff Ginsberg of AllMusic retrospectively said: "Songs like the opener stand up with the band's best work, and that is saying a lot. Both songs are infectious to the degree that humming them could become a chronic problem".^[12]

Upon release as a single in 1981, Record Mirror stated: "Slade might be able to bring the house down, but they're a bit stuck when it comes to flying on a plane when the wheels won't come down. Funny sort of thing to sing a song about really. Actually you wouldn't know it was Slade if it wasn't for the chorus. There's an uncharacteristic musical sophistication. Anyway keep your head low, because if this one lands it might bring all the houses down." Sounds commented: "Dull, heavy-handed melodrama, follow-up to the surprise success of "We'll Bore Your Pants Off". Lots of whizz-bang sound effects but precious little inspiration. Hard work."^[13] New Musical Express said: "After such a promising start, Slade return to the mire with this disappointing follow up. On initial hearings the song is so corny in verbal content it almost has a kitsch value about it, but after a few hearings you realise it's just plain bad. I don't think this will appeal to the punters."^[13] Melody Maker wrote: ""We'll Bring the House Down" was wonderfully riotous: this is more tautly constructed, not so insanely vigorous. The chorus though is maddeningly infectious: No doubt it will be nagging us all silly for weeks."^[14]

Chart performance

Personnel

• Noddy Holder - lead vocals, guitar, producer, arranger
• Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals, producer, arranger
• Jim Lea - bass, backing vocals, producer, arranger
• Don Powell - drums, producer, arranger

References