Mama Weer All Crazee Now (1972)
Mama Weer All Crazee Now is Slade's first single from their third studio album Slayed?. Released by Polydor on 25 August 1972, the single reached No. 1 in the UK, giving the band their third number one single, and remained in the charts for ten weeks. In the United States, the single was released in November 1972 and reached No. 76. The song was written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler.
Background
After achieving their breakthrough hit with "Get Down and Get with It" in 1971, Slade would continue to achieve further success with their follow-up singles "Coz I Luv You", "Look Wot You Dun" and "Take Me Bak 'Ome". The 1972 live album Slade Alive! also gave the band their first success on the albums chart, reaching No. 2. During 1972, the band recorded their third studio album Slayed?, with the lead single "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", being released in August 1972. It reached No. 1 in the UK and Ireland, and was a hit across Europe and beyond.
With "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", the band and their manager Chas Chandler attempted to reach number one on the first week of release - a feat that had not been achieved since The Beatles' 1969 hit "Get Back". Initially, the band's label Polydor did not think it could be achieved, however when "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" reached No. 2 in its first week, the label changed their minds. A strategy was soon developed by Chandler and Polydor's head John Fruin to use pre-release airplay to build up pre-order sales for the band's first single of 1973. The plan worked and "Cum On Feel the Noize" reached No. 1 in its first week of release in March that year.
"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was the first tune Lea wrote entirely on his own. Holder got the idea for the lyrics at the band's concert at Wembley Arena in London. After the show, he looked at the remains of the auditorium's smashed seating and thought "Christ, everyone must have been crazy tonight." The song was originally titled "My My We're All Crazy Now". After Holder and Lea played the song acoustically to Chandler for the first time, he thought Holder was singing "Mama We're All Crazy Now". In a 2015 interview with Classic Rock, Holder recalled of the song: "Chas loved it, but he misheard the title as "Mama..." We thought, "Bloody hell that sounds better." The name was then changed accordingly. Chandler placed a howl by Holder into the song's intro, which had been recording during a vocal exercise.
In a 1984 interview with Record Mirror, Lea spoke of "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and "Cum On Feel the Noize": "I was at a Chuck Berry gig in '72 and everybody was singing his tunes. He kept stopping and letting the crowd sing and it wasn't just a few people, it was everyone. I thought it was amazing and thought – why not write the crowd into the songs, and so we got round to "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and "Cum On Feel the Noize" and all the chants were written into the tunes."
In his 1999 biography Who's Crazee Now?, Holder recalled: "We had hit on our benchmark sound. It was perfect for Slade, very raucous, but catchy and pop. It was a real powerhouse record. It had all the right ingredients, including a long playout at the end with me singing, "Mama, mama, mama, mama, yeah!" It was my ad-libbing again. Chas was fantastic for catching things like that in the studio. Musically, "Mama" took us to another level. It was a classic Slade song. Everyone loved it and everyone knew all the words."
Release
"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was released on 7" vinyl by Polydor Records in the UK, Ireland, across Europe, Scandinavia, Yugoslavia, America, Turkey, Israel, South Africa, Angola, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines and Japan. The B-side, "Man Who Speeks Evil", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides.
Promotion
No music video was filmed to promote the song. In the UK, the band performed the song on the music show Top of the Pops. In Germany, the song was performed on the TV shows Disco and Musikladen. The band also performed the song on the Dutch AVRO TV show TopPop. Later in 1977, the band performed the song on the UK show Supersonic while promoting their new single "Gypsy Roadhog". In 1981, while promoting "We'll Bring the House Down", the band performed the song on the ITV show Moondogs.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
Retrospective reviews
Chart performance
Australian Singles Chart: #3
Austrian Singles Chart: #6
Belgian Singles Chart: #11
Dutch Singles Chart: #7
French Singles Chart: #30
German Singles Chart: #6
Irish Singles Chart: #1
Swiss Singles Chart: #5
UK Singles Chart: #1
US Billboard Hot 100: #76
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles Chart: #60
Formats
7" single
Personnel
Slade
Additional personnel
Cover versions
Background
After achieving their breakthrough hit with "Get Down and Get with It" in 1971, Slade would continue to achieve further success with their follow-up singles "Coz I Luv You", "Look Wot You Dun" and "Take Me Bak 'Ome". The 1972 live album Slade Alive! also gave the band their first success on the albums chart, reaching No. 2. During 1972, the band recorded their third studio album Slayed?, with the lead single "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", being released in August 1972. It reached No. 1 in the UK and Ireland, and was a hit across Europe and beyond.
With "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", the band and their manager Chas Chandler attempted to reach number one on the first week of release - a feat that had not been achieved since The Beatles' 1969 hit "Get Back". Initially, the band's label Polydor did not think it could be achieved, however when "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" reached No. 2 in its first week, the label changed their minds. A strategy was soon developed by Chandler and Polydor's head John Fruin to use pre-release airplay to build up pre-order sales for the band's first single of 1973. The plan worked and "Cum On Feel the Noize" reached No. 1 in its first week of release in March that year.
"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was the first tune Lea wrote entirely on his own. Holder got the idea for the lyrics at the band's concert at Wembley Arena in London. After the show, he looked at the remains of the auditorium's smashed seating and thought "Christ, everyone must have been crazy tonight." The song was originally titled "My My We're All Crazy Now". After Holder and Lea played the song acoustically to Chandler for the first time, he thought Holder was singing "Mama We're All Crazy Now". In a 2015 interview with Classic Rock, Holder recalled of the song: "Chas loved it, but he misheard the title as "Mama..." We thought, "Bloody hell that sounds better." The name was then changed accordingly. Chandler placed a howl by Holder into the song's intro, which had been recording during a vocal exercise.
In a 1984 interview with Record Mirror, Lea spoke of "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and "Cum On Feel the Noize": "I was at a Chuck Berry gig in '72 and everybody was singing his tunes. He kept stopping and letting the crowd sing and it wasn't just a few people, it was everyone. I thought it was amazing and thought – why not write the crowd into the songs, and so we got round to "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and "Cum On Feel the Noize" and all the chants were written into the tunes."
In his 1999 biography Who's Crazee Now?, Holder recalled: "We had hit on our benchmark sound. It was perfect for Slade, very raucous, but catchy and pop. It was a real powerhouse record. It had all the right ingredients, including a long playout at the end with me singing, "Mama, mama, mama, mama, yeah!" It was my ad-libbing again. Chas was fantastic for catching things like that in the studio. Musically, "Mama" took us to another level. It was a classic Slade song. Everyone loved it and everyone knew all the words."
Release
"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was released on 7" vinyl by Polydor Records in the UK, Ireland, across Europe, Scandinavia, Yugoslavia, America, Turkey, Israel, South Africa, Angola, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines and Japan. The B-side, "Man Who Speeks Evil", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides.
Promotion
No music video was filmed to promote the song. In the UK, the band performed the song on the music show Top of the Pops. In Germany, the song was performed on the TV shows Disco and Musikladen. The band also performed the song on the Dutch AVRO TV show TopPop. Later in 1977, the band performed the song on the UK show Supersonic while promoting their new single "Gypsy Roadhog". In 1981, while promoting "We'll Bring the House Down", the band performed the song on the ITV show Moondogs.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
- Record Mirror said: "O mi gord, thuy av dun eet agen. Thuy R monsturs in evry meenin of the wurd. It's hard-driving beat, full of sheer bloody-minded slay them enthusiasm, and a wall of sound behind the vocal line. It's hammer, hammer, hammer all the way - exciting foot-and-skull thumping which doesn't vary much in intensity, but is blessed with an exactly commercial hook. A smash of course. Bigger than others? Probably - chart certain."
- New Musical Express commented: "Slade don't fool around - this immediately comes on like a number one record and that's exactly what it's going to be. After the hits they've had already I consider this their best by far from the fuzzed out guitar intro to the rocking; stomping, chorus through to the crowd singing along at the end. Slade personify the excitement thats obtainable through the forty-five market."
- Disc wrote: "With howls they tear straight into another huge boogie with that typical distant and manic voice sounding like rending calico Slade's unique power comes from the fact that they fit memorable melodies to their boogies. By the time this one ends you could believe, so dense does the sound and the atmosphere become, that 50,000 people were roaring along with the band in some distant dark stadium. The total line is shouted over and over with a lot of whooping and shrieking behind it and there's another bust of that hand-clapping that is incorporated so well into the band records, how on earth can a record like this fail? And what curmudgeon would want it to?"
- Daily Mirror wrote: "Slade stomp out another surefire success. Aah, the joys of misspelt youth."
- Acton Gazette stated: "I suppose it was predictable, but it still seems rather a shame that Slade have chosen the obvious follow up to their last success - in other words, a virtual carbon copy! The words are new, but that is almost where the difference ends. It has the same stomping beat, the same guitar riffs and even the same rhythmic handclapping in the background."
- Pete Butterfield of the Reading Evening Post wrote: "My, but these boys have really learned how to knock out a hit record. It's a pity they never learned to spell."
- American music industry trade magazine Record World picked the single as one of their "hits of the week" and commented: "Group has been huge in England for some time but still has just a limited following here. This powerhouse should be the catalyst to push act to the top."
Retrospective reviews
- In a retrospective song review by AllMusic, Dave Thompson said: "Following in the footsteps of "Take Me Bak 'Ome," it was a full-on adrenalin monster, ear-splittingly loud with its lyrics a raw-throated bellow. Several of the most distinctive parts of the record were virtual ad-libs, including the "mama mama mama yeah" coda at the end."
- In a retrospective review of Slayed?, Thompson also said: "Even if one excises past hits "Gudbuy T'Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" from the equation, Slayed? is a nonstop party."
- In a retrospective review of Sladest, Paul Tinelli of AllMusic said: "Falling somewhere between the glam of T.Rex and the hard rock of Nazareth, Slade's finest moments came with arena rockers "Cum on Feel the Noize," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," and "Gudbuy T'Jane," songs specifically written to be strong live numbers that would get kids up off their seats."
- In 2010, Classic Rock listed the song as one of 14 Slade songs that belong on an "Essential Playlist".
Chart performance
Australian Singles Chart: #3
Austrian Singles Chart: #6
Belgian Singles Chart: #11
Dutch Singles Chart: #7
French Singles Chart: #30
German Singles Chart: #6
Irish Singles Chart: #1
Swiss Singles Chart: #5
UK Singles Chart: #1
US Billboard Hot 100: #76
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles Chart: #60
Formats
7" single
- "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43
- "Man Who Speeks Evil" - 3:15
- "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43
- "Take Me Bak 'Ome" - 3:13
- "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43
- "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43
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
- In 1973, Les Humphries Singers & Orchestra released a cover of the song on their album Sound '73.
- In 1973, German composer and big band leader James Last recorded an instrumental orchestrated version of the song for the album Non Stop Dancing 1973.
- In 1978, American rock band The Runaways recorded a cover of the song and included it on their 1979 album And Now... The Runaways.
- In 1984, American heavy metal band Quiet Riot recorded a version for their album Condition Critical. It was released as a single and reached No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- In 1984, Irish hard rock band Mama's Boys recorded a cover of the song for their self-titled album. It was also released as a single.
- In 1988, Spanish heavy metal band Ángeles del Infierno included a cover of the song on their 1988 album 666.
- In 1990, Glam rock tribute band The Metal Gurus released a cover of the song as a B-side for their single "Merry Xmas Everybody", another Slade cover. The single was produced by Holder and Lea, and reached No. 55 in the UK. Sales of the single raised proceeds for the Childline charity.
- In 1996, John Springate of glam rock group The Glitter Band released a cover on the glam rock tribute album Wham Bam Thank You Glam.
- In 1996, the English rockabilly band Big 6 released a cover of the track on the album Ready to Rock.
- In 1997, Welsh anti-fascist Oi! band The Oppressed included a cover of the song on their extended play "The Noise" which also featured covers of Slade's "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Gudbuy T'Jane". The three covers were also included on the 1998 album More Noize For The Boys.
- In 2009, American ska punk band Reel Big Fish released a cover of the song on the album Fame, Fortune and Fornication.