Rogues Gallery (1985)
Rogues Gallery is Slade's twelfth studio album, released by RCA on 29 March 1985. It reached No. 60 in the UK charts. The album was largely produced by John Punter, with Jim Lea producing "Harmony", "I Win, You Lose" and "Time to Rock". For the album, the band set out to create an album of radio-friendly, potential hit singles which would be released as singles somewhere across the world.
The US version of the album, which was released on the CBS label, replaced "All Join Hands" with the band's 1981 UK hit "Lock Up Your Daughters" (which had originally appeared on the band's album Till Deaf Do Us Part).
Background
After the band's 1984 breakthrough in America with the Top 40 singles "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My", the band were to go on tour that year with Ozzy Osbourne for six weeks. Prior to the tour, the band played a few warm-up shows. However, on the first night of the tour with Osbourne, Slade had to cancel the remainder of the shows when Lea collapsed after the first gig and was diagnosed with hepatitis. Coinciding with the breakdown of lead vocalist Noddy Holder's marriage, the band agreed to stop touring to allow Holder a break. "I've got to put my priorities in the right order now, I've given the band 20 years of priority and now I can't. I've got to give my kids priority", he told the Slade fanzine Percy in the mid-80s. Meanwhile, the band would continue to record.
Still contracted to RCA, the band set out to record their 12th studio album later in 1984. The success of "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My" led to producer John Punter being hired again to produce most of the album. The lead single "All Join Hands" was released in November 1984 and reached No. 15 in the UK. However, the following single, "7 Year Bitch", was banned by UK broadcasters when it was released in January 1985. The backlash caused the single to stall at No. 60. The third single "Myzsterious Mizster Jones" was released in March and peaked at No. 50. The same month saw the release of Rogues Gallery, which peaked at No. 60 in the UK and No. 132 in the US. In America and certain European territories, "Little Sheila" was released as a single in April. It reached No. 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 13 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The album was a bigger success in a number of European territories.
Speaking to Kerrang! shortly before the album's release, Lea said: "I think this record has a more rounded quality than anything we've done before. For a start, we've actually gone in and demoed the new material before recording properly. The album is still heavy, lots of guitars, five and six minute numbers, but everything sounds much more tuneful, meaning there are lots of potential singles on it. There are no long solos but there are some great guitar parts, hot and fast breaks."
In a 1986 fan club interview, Dave Hill recalled his feelings about the album: "There were very mixed opinions of the last album, from 'I like it' to 'I don't like it' - very, very bizarre. I personally think it lacked something. I mean it was a good sounding LP, but maybe it had a bit too much quality. I think it lacked a certain amount of soul, or maybe guts. It wasn't a particularly enjoyable event for me personally. That wasn't anybody's particular fault in the band, it was just the process of things. Maybe it took too long. Perhaps it should have been much easier. I think that maybe too many of the songs on Rogues Gallery sounded like pop hits, so the album began to lean too much to being regarded as a sort of 'poppy' album, and there is nothing worse than that for me."
Holder also said in 1986: "I'm proud of the songs although I'd admit that the production wasn't all it might have been." Speaking to John Strednansky of Metal Rendezvous in 1987, Holder recalled of Rogues Gallery: "You know, we thought it was a very strong album. We were really pleased with the songs we had written for that record. But, we used far more keyboards on that album. We tried, it was something different for us, but our hardcore fans probably did not take to it as well. That may be the one thing that was wrong with it. Maybe we went too much toward more commercial songs. We didn't do them in the heavy rock vein, but we still thought that it was a very good album!"
Later in a 1990 fan club interview, Holder said of the album's recording process and result: "It became a bit of a saga, it took a lot of time and eventually turned out to be a great album although I feel there was something missing - something that is the Slade trademark was missing."
Recording
The album was recorded at Angel Studios, Portland Studios, RAK Studios and Utopia Studios. It was mixed at Air Studios and The Workhouse. Before the album's release, the album's working title was Partners in Crime and the original sleeve design was conceived with this title.
Release
Slade celebrated the album's release with a party at the Royal Exchange pub in Bilston on 21 March 1985.
In America, the weekly music trade publication R&R reported that Rogues Gallery was the most added AOR album in early April 1985, having been added to fifty-four stations across the country. Rogues Gallery ranked at No. 17 on the Radio & Records National Airplay AOR Albums chart.
Promotion
During Autumn 1984 and the Spring 1985, a full European tour was announced and tickets were put on sale. However, the band had not actually confirmed that they would tour, nor had any contracts been signed. Owing to Holder's existing stance on touring, the tour was soon cancelled. Had the 1985 leg of the tour taken place, Lea was considering adding a keyboard player to Slade's stage show.
Noddy Holder spoke about the tour in a 1986 fan club interview: "Although it was virtually me that cancelled it for the personal reasons - that tour was never confirmed. The agent and promoter started promoting it and selling the tickets, and we hadn't even confirmed that we were going to do the tour. The tickets had already been on sale for two months and nobody bothered to tell us!"
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
Retrospective reviews
In the September–December 1986 Slade fan club magazine, results of a 1986 opinion poll were published. Fans votes for Slade's best album of the 1980s had placed Rogues Gallery at No. 2.
Song information
Chart performance
Canadian Albums Chart: #64
European Top 100 Albums: #46
German Albums Chart: #38
New Zealand Albums Chart: #50
Norwegian Albums Chart: #5
Swedish Albums Chart: #27
Swiss Albums Chart: #13
UK Albums Chart: #60
UK Music Week Heavy Metal Top Albums: #14
US Billboard 200: #132
Track listing
1. Hey Ho Wish You Well (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 5:18
2. Little Sheila (Holder, Lea) - 3:56
3. Harmony (Holder, Lea) - 3:43
4. Myzsterious Mizster Jones (Holder, Lea) - 3:35
5. Walking on Water, Running on Alcohol (Holder, Lea) - 4:57
6. 7 Year Bitch (Holder, Lea) - 4:15
7. I'll Be There (Holder, Lea) - 4:31
8. I Win, You Lose (Holder, Lea) - 3:31
9. Time to Rock (Holder, Lea) - 4:08
10. All Join Hands (Holder, Lea) - 5:31
2007 Salvo remaster bonus tracks
11. Here's To... (Holder, Lea) - 3:10
12. Leave Them Girls Alone (Holder, Lea) - 3:14
13. Mama Nature is a Rocker (Holder, Lea) - 2:52
14. My Oh My (Piano & Vocal) (Holder, Lea) - 3:12
15. Do You Believe in Miracles (Holder, Lea) - 4:10
16. My Oh My (Swing Version) - 3:02
17. 7 Year Bitch (12" Version) - 5:38
18. Myzsterious Mizster Jones (Extended 12" Version) - 4:47
19. Do You Believe In Miracles (12" Version) - 6:14
Personnel
Slade
Additional personnel
The US version of the album, which was released on the CBS label, replaced "All Join Hands" with the band's 1981 UK hit "Lock Up Your Daughters" (which had originally appeared on the band's album Till Deaf Do Us Part).
Background
After the band's 1984 breakthrough in America with the Top 40 singles "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My", the band were to go on tour that year with Ozzy Osbourne for six weeks. Prior to the tour, the band played a few warm-up shows. However, on the first night of the tour with Osbourne, Slade had to cancel the remainder of the shows when Lea collapsed after the first gig and was diagnosed with hepatitis. Coinciding with the breakdown of lead vocalist Noddy Holder's marriage, the band agreed to stop touring to allow Holder a break. "I've got to put my priorities in the right order now, I've given the band 20 years of priority and now I can't. I've got to give my kids priority", he told the Slade fanzine Percy in the mid-80s. Meanwhile, the band would continue to record.
Still contracted to RCA, the band set out to record their 12th studio album later in 1984. The success of "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My" led to producer John Punter being hired again to produce most of the album. The lead single "All Join Hands" was released in November 1984 and reached No. 15 in the UK. However, the following single, "7 Year Bitch", was banned by UK broadcasters when it was released in January 1985. The backlash caused the single to stall at No. 60. The third single "Myzsterious Mizster Jones" was released in March and peaked at No. 50. The same month saw the release of Rogues Gallery, which peaked at No. 60 in the UK and No. 132 in the US. In America and certain European territories, "Little Sheila" was released as a single in April. It reached No. 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 13 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The album was a bigger success in a number of European territories.
Speaking to Kerrang! shortly before the album's release, Lea said: "I think this record has a more rounded quality than anything we've done before. For a start, we've actually gone in and demoed the new material before recording properly. The album is still heavy, lots of guitars, five and six minute numbers, but everything sounds much more tuneful, meaning there are lots of potential singles on it. There are no long solos but there are some great guitar parts, hot and fast breaks."
In a 1986 fan club interview, Dave Hill recalled his feelings about the album: "There were very mixed opinions of the last album, from 'I like it' to 'I don't like it' - very, very bizarre. I personally think it lacked something. I mean it was a good sounding LP, but maybe it had a bit too much quality. I think it lacked a certain amount of soul, or maybe guts. It wasn't a particularly enjoyable event for me personally. That wasn't anybody's particular fault in the band, it was just the process of things. Maybe it took too long. Perhaps it should have been much easier. I think that maybe too many of the songs on Rogues Gallery sounded like pop hits, so the album began to lean too much to being regarded as a sort of 'poppy' album, and there is nothing worse than that for me."
Holder also said in 1986: "I'm proud of the songs although I'd admit that the production wasn't all it might have been." Speaking to John Strednansky of Metal Rendezvous in 1987, Holder recalled of Rogues Gallery: "You know, we thought it was a very strong album. We were really pleased with the songs we had written for that record. But, we used far more keyboards on that album. We tried, it was something different for us, but our hardcore fans probably did not take to it as well. That may be the one thing that was wrong with it. Maybe we went too much toward more commercial songs. We didn't do them in the heavy rock vein, but we still thought that it was a very good album!"
Later in a 1990 fan club interview, Holder said of the album's recording process and result: "It became a bit of a saga, it took a lot of time and eventually turned out to be a great album although I feel there was something missing - something that is the Slade trademark was missing."
Recording
The album was recorded at Angel Studios, Portland Studios, RAK Studios and Utopia Studios. It was mixed at Air Studios and The Workhouse. Before the album's release, the album's working title was Partners in Crime and the original sleeve design was conceived with this title.
Release
Slade celebrated the album's release with a party at the Royal Exchange pub in Bilston on 21 March 1985.
In America, the weekly music trade publication R&R reported that Rogues Gallery was the most added AOR album in early April 1985, having been added to fifty-four stations across the country. Rogues Gallery ranked at No. 17 on the Radio & Records National Airplay AOR Albums chart.
Promotion
During Autumn 1984 and the Spring 1985, a full European tour was announced and tickets were put on sale. However, the band had not actually confirmed that they would tour, nor had any contracts been signed. Owing to Holder's existing stance on touring, the tour was soon cancelled. Had the 1985 leg of the tour taken place, Lea was considering adding a keyboard player to Slade's stage show.
Noddy Holder spoke about the tour in a 1986 fan club interview: "Although it was virtually me that cancelled it for the personal reasons - that tour was never confirmed. The agent and promoter started promoting it and selling the tickets, and we hadn't even confirmed that we were going to do the tour. The tickets had already been on sale for two months and nobody bothered to tell us!"
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
- "The fab four Wolverhampton wonders are back with another resurrection shuffle of an album, chock-a-block with high quality power pop, glorious hooks, instant singalongs and ultra-catchy terrace-style chants. Not forgetting the anthemic, hymn-like ballads. And the whole luscious lot is held together by a hard rock edge more solid than a concrete block. No matter how corny Slade become, they just never seem to lose that all-purpose pop knack for goodtime r'n'r. Personally, I can give them no higher compliment than this: they are the band that young rock bands should model themselves on, instead of the likes of Judas Priest or US FM." - Garry Johnson of Sounds (four and a half out of five stars)
- "Louder than Ozzy Osbourne when he can't find his socks in the morning and faster than the Record Mirror staff down to the pub on pay day, Rogues Gallery is another glorious celebration from Britain's answer to ZZ Top. This is unbridled mayhem of the best kind - the Holder voice is still one of the most powerful weapons known to man. Of course, Slade have been plundering other people again in the nicest possible way and this time you might just find a few touches of Foreigner here and there. I'd love to strap Morrissey into a chair and force him to listen to it for at least ten hours." - Robin Smith of Record Mirror (five out of five stars)
- "These old rogues display with this album their now 20-year-old commitment to persuading people to sing, dance and shout. Rogues Gallery, flirting on the edges of heavy metal, should achieve its desired effect nicely." - Music Week
- In August 1985, Jeff Clark-Meads of Music Week picked Rogues Gallery as one of his Top 10 albums of 1985 up to that date. He wrote: "After 20 years in the business these old rogues know all the tricks and this album is an outstanding statement of their ability and increasing enthusiasm. Like AC/DC - who, it has been argued, took much of their style from the wildmen of Wolverhampton - Slade refuse to let things become hard work. Rogues Gallery simply romps along under the momentum of its joy in itself."
- In December 1985, Jeff Clark-Meads of Music Week picked the album as a highlight of the year and commented: "In 20 years in rock 'n' roll, Slade have learned all about being rogues and their cheeky enthusiasm for the industry that they have served so well is well captured here. It's also powerful evidence that there's no let-up in Holder/Lea's creative vision."
- "Modern, muscular and metallic, Slade can hold their own on the present hard rock scene." - Billboard
- "Slade is the epitome of a rock band: catchy melodies, infectious rhythms and the most enjoyable lyrical pacing in contemporary music. Rogues Gallery is one of the finest examples of rabble-rousing rock 'n' roll to come along in years. If you appreciate good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll, Rogues Gallery is a guaranteed winner." - Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- "The main problem with the newest album by perennial British metalers Slade is getting past the first song. If you hang in, however, what follows on Rogues Gallery is some of the most enthusiastic hard rock in recent years, and some of the least annoying." - Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut)
- "Veteran quartet is long of toothe but still capable of blowing out amplifiers and speakers." - The Press-Courier
- "Slade let non of that I'm-old-there-fore-I-hurt guff gem up their fine new LP. Resembling Geritol on plastic, the album is a fine pop primer for enjoying life while approaching the gloomy pit stop of middle age. Slade has again managed a nifty update of Motors-style pomp 'n' punch, layering stately synthesizers atop churning rhythms and rowdy guitars." - Rich Harry of The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
- "Slade softens its hard edge in its new rollicking high-spirited album of highly enjoyable rock and roll. The group's [new] album is a good rocking collection of rave-up rockers certain to please any rock fans weary of the noise. Slade cranks out a delightful collection of mainstream rockers - some with a hard edge, but many very mainstream." - Bill Missett of The Post-Star (Glens Falls, New York)
- "A dinosaur from the early '70s is back with renewed zeal. The genius in this quartet is its knack for penning easy and snappy sing-along choruses. Slade always seems to hit the hook. Most of this album will rock your socks off, but it does get a bit redundant. But that can certainly be overlooked." - Martin Basch of The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts)
- "Rogues Gallery continues Slade's trend toward MTV values as the group waters down its boot-stomping style with synthesizers and schmaltz. Who wants to hear Noddy Holder rasp out a crooner like "Harmony" when the group's trademarks are closer to rave-ups like "Hey Ho Wish You Well"?" - Jim Reeves of The Los Angeles Times
- Dick Hogan of The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) commented: "Rogues Gallery is full of light pop melodies and lyrical hooks. Instead of the booming drums and grinding, slashing guitars that gave the band its [1970's] success in England, this album has a lot of synthesizer, layered guitars similar to the band Big Country, and more intricate but less prominent drumming. But don't get the idea Rogues Gallery is a bad album. It's just a lightweight, fun, pop album." He picked "Time to Rock" and "I'll Be There" as his favourites from the album, and noted "Hey Ho Wish You Well" and "Harmony" were worth a listen.
- James Muretich of Calgary Herald (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) gave the album a D grade and wrote: "OK boys, this is your big chance. Since those long-haired Yankee blokes had a smash with "Cum On Feel the Noize", you've become almost a household word in North America. So, with this opening into the wallets of America, let's exploit it to the max. Let's tone down those heavy-rock guitar licks, tame those naughty lyrics and place the accent on harmonies that sound like REO Speedwagon. If it works you could be as big as Foreigner. It's never too late to sell out now, is it?"
- The Canadian Leader-Post (of Regina) felt that Rogues Gallery was a "neater effort" than the preceding Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply, and concluded: "They may be long in the tooth, but they haven't lost their bite."
- "In the context of Slade's most redeeming feature - a knack for plumbing the depths of a line or two of perky melody - this album isn't half bad. Side one is devoted to the goofy, goodtime pop that made last year's "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My" Slade's first American hits. Side two appeases the fans who want the stomping iliteracy of "Cum on Feel the Noize" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now"." - Helen Metella of the Edmonton Journal
- Ron Fell, the publisher and managing editor of The Gavin Report chose Rogues Gallery as his "personal pick" in an April 1985 issue of the radio industry trade publication. Believing the album would "replicate" the success of Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply, Fell wrote: "There are no mood swings, no ballads, no artistic indulgences. It's elemental, bonebare basics. They're inebriate power party people, rockin' thru the decades, navigating from the rumble seat. As is the case with only a few bands, Slade is now playing for the offspring of their first generation of rabid fans." He selected "Hey Ho Wish You Well", "Little Sheila" and "Walking on Water, Running on Alcohol" as the album's best tracks.
Retrospective reviews
- "Unfortunately for everyone (most notably the band), the decision was made to lay on a whole pile of keyboards this time out, perhaps trying to tap into the success Van Halen had achieved with breakthrough album 1984; the end result was an album that was far less endearing than Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. The rogues' gallery concept probably would have been a lot more convincing if the music had been stripped of the keyboards and overly slick production and given more of a rock & roll edge." - Sean Carruthers of AllMusic
- Joe Geesin of Get Ready to Rock! described the album as a "fine polished set". He added: "Fat choruses as you'd expect. This is Slade turned state-of-the-art, something you would never have expected. Synths too, a sound bigger than Noddy's perm."
In the September–December 1986 Slade fan club magazine, results of a 1986 opinion poll were published. Fans votes for Slade's best album of the 1980s had placed Rogues Gallery at No. 2.
Song information
- The album's opener, "Hey Ho Wish You Well", was mimed by the band during a 1985 appearance on Saturday Superstore shortly before the album's release.
- "Little Sheila", a synth-driven track, was released as a single in US, Canada and Germany only. The song dated from 1979–80, when it was recorded by Lea's side-project The Dummies. However, the version would not be released until it appeared on the 1992 album A Day in the Life of the Dummies.
- Speaking in a fan club interview in 1986, Lea revealed he had thought up the melody for "Harmony" while he was urinating.
- "Myzsterious Mizster Jones", another synth-driven track featured lyrics based on a real-life friend of Holder's.
- Holder had wished for "Walking on Water, Running on Alcohol" to be released as a single, however the record company and other band members disagreed. Holder commented in a 1986 fan club interview from 1986: "If I had the choice, 'Walking on Water' would have been released as a single, but I was the only one who thought so. RCA and the other band members weren't keen, so obviously it didn't get released. Everybody I spoke to on the streets loved that bloody song, and felt that it should have been the single."
- "7 Year Bitch" has lyrics about older men taking on younger mistresses. The song however was banned from broadcast due to the title and lyrics. Holder later recalled the song's potential in 1998: "That was a hit record, but we got a bit of a backlash."
- "I'll Be There" is an upbeat, anthemic song with a Celtic rock sound.
- "I Win, You Lose", like "Walking on Water", features a personal and bitter lyric from Holder. The song had first been recorded in early 1983 during sessions for The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome.
- "Time to Rock" is the only Slade track in their recording career to feature whistling.
- "All Join Hands", an anthem with a nostalgic feel, was Slade's last UK Top 20 hit.
Chart performance
Canadian Albums Chart: #64
European Top 100 Albums: #46
German Albums Chart: #38
New Zealand Albums Chart: #50
Norwegian Albums Chart: #5
Swedish Albums Chart: #27
Swiss Albums Chart: #13
UK Albums Chart: #60
UK Music Week Heavy Metal Top Albums: #14
US Billboard 200: #132
Track listing
1. Hey Ho Wish You Well (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 5:18
2. Little Sheila (Holder, Lea) - 3:56
3. Harmony (Holder, Lea) - 3:43
4. Myzsterious Mizster Jones (Holder, Lea) - 3:35
5. Walking on Water, Running on Alcohol (Holder, Lea) - 4:57
6. 7 Year Bitch (Holder, Lea) - 4:15
7. I'll Be There (Holder, Lea) - 4:31
8. I Win, You Lose (Holder, Lea) - 3:31
9. Time to Rock (Holder, Lea) - 4:08
10. All Join Hands (Holder, Lea) - 5:31
2007 Salvo remaster bonus tracks
11. Here's To... (Holder, Lea) - 3:10
12. Leave Them Girls Alone (Holder, Lea) - 3:14
13. Mama Nature is a Rocker (Holder, Lea) - 2:52
14. My Oh My (Piano & Vocal) (Holder, Lea) - 3:12
15. Do You Believe in Miracles (Holder, Lea) - 4:10
16. My Oh My (Swing Version) - 3:02
17. 7 Year Bitch (12" Version) - 5:38
18. Myzsterious Mizster Jones (Extended 12" Version) - 4:47
19. Do You Believe In Miracles (12" Version) - 6:14
Personnel
Slade
- Noddy Holder - lead vocals, backing vocals
- Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Lea - bass, keyboards, guitar, violin, backing vocals, producer (tracks 3, 8-9)
- Don Powell - drums
Additional personnel
- John Punter - mixing, producer (tracks 1-2, 5-7, 10)
- Frank Barretta - assistant engineer (not credited)
- Brian Aris Design - photography
- Estuary English - artwork (design)