Burning in the Heat of Love (1977)
Burning in the Heat of Love is a non-album single, released by Barn Records on 15 April 1977. It failed to make an appearance on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler.
Background
Having returned to the UK from the United States in August 1976, Slade found themselves out-of-favour at the time of the UK's Punk rock explosion. The band's 1977 album Whatever Happened to Slade proved a commercial failure while their tour that spring had shown that they could no longer fill large venues. Slade's waning success soon led to the band playing small gigs after that, including universities and clubs. "Burning in the Heat of Love" was released as a non-album single in April 1977, less than a month after Whatever Happened to Slade. It had been recorded in March and was released to tie-in with the band's upcoming eleven-date UK tour of May. Although the band's previous single, "Gypsy Roadhog", had reached the UK Top 50 earlier in the year, "Burning in the Heat of Love" failed to chart.
Release
"Burning in the Heat of Love" was released on 7" vinyl by Barn Records in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Italy. The B-side, "Ready Steady Kids", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides.
Promotion
In Germany, the band performed the song on the TV show Szene 77. The song also appeared in the band's set-list around the time, and a live version would later appear on the band's 1978 live album Slade Alive, Vol. 2.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
Formats
7" single
Personnel
Slade
Additional personnel
Cover versions
Background
Having returned to the UK from the United States in August 1976, Slade found themselves out-of-favour at the time of the UK's Punk rock explosion. The band's 1977 album Whatever Happened to Slade proved a commercial failure while their tour that spring had shown that they could no longer fill large venues. Slade's waning success soon led to the band playing small gigs after that, including universities and clubs. "Burning in the Heat of Love" was released as a non-album single in April 1977, less than a month after Whatever Happened to Slade. It had been recorded in March and was released to tie-in with the band's upcoming eleven-date UK tour of May. Although the band's previous single, "Gypsy Roadhog", had reached the UK Top 50 earlier in the year, "Burning in the Heat of Love" failed to chart.
Release
"Burning in the Heat of Love" was released on 7" vinyl by Barn Records in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Italy. The B-side, "Ready Steady Kids", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides.
Promotion
In Germany, the band performed the song on the TV show Szene 77. The song also appeared in the band's set-list around the time, and a live version would later appear on the band's 1978 live album Slade Alive, Vol. 2.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
- Record Mirror gave the single three out of five stars and commented: "Slade are okay. But they're gone. +++ for the "You Really Got Me" guitar riff."
- Coventry Evening Telegraph wrote: "Slade are back in business with a vengeance. This single marks a slight change in direction for Noddy's boys. It's powerful rock and generates bags of atmosphere. A hit!"
- In a review of one of the band's 1977 live concerts, Sheila Prophet of Record Mirror said of the song: "...with the same riff as the Kinks' "You Really Got Me", and it sounds quite a reasonable number. But really, it's not a patch on their old stuff."
Formats
7" single
- "Burning in the Heat of Love" - 3:50
- "Ready Steady Kids" - 3:57
Personnel
Slade
- Noddy Holder - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Lea - bass, backing vocals
- Don Powell - drums
Additional personnel
- Chas Chandler - producer
Cover versions
- During 1979-80, Jim Lea would record his own version of the song with his brother Frank as part of his side-project The Dummies. This version of the song, credited only to 'Jim Lea', would first surface in 1985 on the UK/German various artists compilation Metal Killers Kollection. The version would also later be included on the 1992 album A Day in the Life of the Dummies, which gathered The Dummies' recordings.
- In 1983, British heavy metal band Girlschool released their own version of the song on their fourth studio album Play Dirty. The entire album was produced by Holder and Lea, and another Slade cover, "High and Dry", was also included on it. Girlschool would release their version of "Burning in the Heat" as a single in January 1984 but it failed to chart.