Night Starvation (1980)
Night Starvation is a promotional single, released by Six of the Best/Barn Records on 13 June 1980 from the band's first extended play Six of the Best. The song was written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, and produced by Slade.
Background
Having returned to the UK from the United States in August 1976, Slade found themselves disregarded in favour of the emerging punk rock movement. Their 1977 album Whatever Happened to Slade had 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. Although they could still draw small crowds, the band's new releases were all chart failures.
After the 1979 album Return to Base, Slade's next release would be the extended play Six of the Best in May 1980. Featuring six tracks, it had a selling price of £1.49, in the effort to boost sales. The EP's featured track "Night Starvation" was also released as a promotional-only single in June in the attempt to gain radio airplay. However, the EP failed to chart and "Night Starvation" was not successful in generating sufficient airplay.
Release
"Night Starvation" was released on 7" vinyl by Six of the Best/Barn Records in the UK only. It was manufactured and distributed by RCA Records. The B-side, "When I'm Dancin' I Ain't Fightin'", was also taken from Six of the Best. "Night Starvation" would later re-appear on the band's 1981 studio album We'll Bring the House Down, released during their comeback following a performance at the 1980 Reading Festival.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
Retrospective reviews
Formats
7" single
Personnel
Slade
Background
Having returned to the UK from the United States in August 1976, Slade found themselves disregarded in favour of the emerging punk rock movement. Their 1977 album Whatever Happened to Slade had 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. Although they could still draw small crowds, the band's new releases were all chart failures.
After the 1979 album Return to Base, Slade's next release would be the extended play Six of the Best in May 1980. Featuring six tracks, it had a selling price of £1.49, in the effort to boost sales. The EP's featured track "Night Starvation" was also released as a promotional-only single in June in the attempt to gain radio airplay. However, the EP failed to chart and "Night Starvation" was not successful in generating sufficient airplay.
Release
"Night Starvation" was released on 7" vinyl by Six of the Best/Barn Records in the UK only. It was manufactured and distributed by RCA Records. The B-side, "When I'm Dancin' I Ain't Fightin'", was also taken from Six of the Best. "Night Starvation" would later re-appear on the band's 1981 studio album We'll Bring the House Down, released during their comeback following a performance at the 1980 Reading Festival.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
- Charlie Gillett of Music Week said of the song: "Rasping guitar, spot-on Holder vocals, earthy and commercial, catchy riff."
- John Ogden of Wolverhampton Express and Star commented: ""Night Starvation" deals fairly graphically with one of Noddy Holder's pre-occupations - sex. It fairly stomps along, but I'm afraid that the too-basic lyrics count against it. There are no rude words, I hasten to add, it's just a bit too unsubtle in this day and age. However, it is the sort of song which has made Slade so popular in the past, and it carries on Nod's lascivious but humourous image well enough."
- In a review of We'll Bring the House Down, Melody Maker noted "Night Starvation" was "a song of glorious immediacy rich in humour - will undoubtedly invoke the traditional HM jibe of boorish sexism; and the sheer unrelenting pace of it all makes me wish for more melodic touches from their "Far Far Away" period."
- Reviewing We'll Bring the House Down, Sounds said: "...it quickly careers into the splendidly sexist "Night Starvation" wherein young Holder postulates on the potential pleasures of the horn, it is quite possibly the albums standout, or should that be stand-up track. With a faultless hook and breezy beat it'd make a brilliant single, even if its saucy subject matter isn't exactly staid TOTP fare."
- London Trax said in their review of the album: "Potential singles abound. An obvious choice is "Night Starvation", the cheekily pointed innuendoes of which, even with tongue planted firmly in cheek, will doubtless raise screams of anguish from those more delicate of Time Out's feminist readership. Contentedly chugging along in time-honoured fashion after the ill-refined excesses of the opening title track, it sets a suitably high standard for the rest to follow."
Retrospective reviews
- Joe Geesin of the webzine Get Ready to Rock! described the song as a "modern chunky rocker with a catchy riff and vocal harmonies".
- In the liner notes of the 2007 Salvo compilation Rockers, writer Chris Ingham said: "Another celebration of the mutual satisfaction guaranteed by feeling, squeezing and holding "luverly girls", the thrusting in-out groove of this vigorous track makes it quite clear what kind of night those girls might be in for."
Formats
7" single
- "Night Starvation" - 3:05
- "When I'm Dancin' I Ain't Fightin'" - 3:08
Personnel
Slade
- Noddy Holder - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, producer
- Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals, producer
- Jim Lea - bass, backing vocals, producer
- Don Powell - drums, producer