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).
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Background
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. 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.
"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. 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." 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.
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Track listing
All tracks written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, except "Just Want a Little Bit" by John Thornton, Ralph Bass, Earl Washington, Piney Brown and Sylvester Thompson.
Song information
"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. At the time, the song was a regular inclusion in Slade's live set. "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." The song was later covered by Bob Segarini in 1978 and American rock group Cheap Trick on their 2009 album The Latest. Lea would also record his own version with his brother Frank Lea under the name The Dummies in 1979. "My Town" is originally appeared as the B-Side to "My Friend Stan".
"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." On the album's inner gatefold sleeve, the lyrics of the song include an extra verse which was not on the song's recording. "Miles Out to Sea" was another song to later be recorded by The Dummies. 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." "Do We Still Do It"
"How Can It Be" is a country-flavoured track with acoustic guitar. "Don't Blame Me" originally appeared as the B-Side to "Merry Xmas Everybody". 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."
Chandler had persuaded Lea to finish "My Friend Stan" after he heard Lea playing the melody at home on his piano. "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. The song featured Lea on guitar as guitarist Dave Hill was away on honeymoon at the time of the recording sessions. "Good Time Gals" also featured as the B-Side to "Everyday".
Critical reception
Upon release, The Sun wrote: "Slade are sitting on top of Britain's rock pile at the moment, and their new album proves they're in the right place. To my mind, Slade have never been a true album band. But this is changing. The Noddy Holder-Jimmy Lea songs are toughening up. And this album is expertly produced." American magazine Cash Box said: "One of the most heralded heavy metal bands of all time is back again with another powerful collection of 'Toons' highlighted by the hit single, "Good Time Gals". Raw power is the most immediate sensation you feel from this LP, especially when you listen to "Just Want a Little Bit", "Don't Blame Me", "Find Yourself a Rainbow", and "We're Really Gonna Raise the Roof". Slade continues to capture its stage essence on record better each time and the proof is found here. "How Can It Be" and "When the Lights Are Out" are good examples of well controlled fury. This one's going straight up." At the Disc Music Awards 1974, the album was voted the tenth "best album of the year".
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
Personnel
- Noddy Holder -- lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Dave Hill -- lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Lea -- bass, piano, guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (track 2)
- Don Powell -- drums, backing vocals
- Chas Chandler -- producer
- Tommy Burton -- piano (track 4)
- Alan O'Duffy, George Chkiantz -- engineer
- Dave Ferrante -- mixing
- Wade Wood Associates -- design
- Ian Murray -- art direction
- Gered Mankowitz -- photography
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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